September 3, 2010

On The Field: USC Begins Kiffin Era With Win, Questions

The Lane Kiffin era officially began with a 49-36 win over Hawaii.

It will continue with the same questions that have haunted Kiffin everywhere he has been.

USC’s talent eventually overcame the Warriors, even though Hawaii proved they can probably play with 90 percent of the teams in the country after their gutsy offensive performance.

The tipping point came midway through the third quarter when Ronald Johnson piled on the speed as he returned a Hawaii punt 89 yards for a touchdown. The score put USC up 34-16 and the momentum from that score seemed to ignite a fire under the Trojans.

They never needed to look back again even though Hawaii chewed up large chunks of the field on every possession and scored almost as easily as the Trojans.

There were three things that stood out during the game:

Continue reading "On The Field: USC Begins Kiffin Era With Win, Questions"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 2:02 AM | Comments (0)

September 2, 2010

Big Number Country: Big Ten Preview Week 1

The first weekend of games for the Big Ten conference feature some match-ups that may not look impressive, but it’s still the first game of the season, so the possibility for a letdown should never be discounted.

Ohio State is the logical choice to win the conference title again, but there are possibly five other teams that have a realistic chance at winning the last championship before the conference begins a divisional format in 2011.

Iowa and Wisconsin both return veteran lineups and have favorable schedules that should help them compete with the Buckeyes.

Penn State has a question mark at quarterback, but should still end up near the top.

Even Northwestern and Michigan State have upgraded their talent and stand an outside chance at being atop the standings.

The rest of the conference may not have the talent to compete with the teams above, but once conference play rolls around, there won’t be an easy game on the schedule.

Here’s what to expect for week one:

Continue reading "Big Number Country: Big Ten Preview Week 1"

Posted by Alexander Miraski at 3:00 PM | Comments (0)

Southern Exposure: SEC Week 1 Preview

They should change the name of the SEC. Maybe the Dynasty conference would be more appropriate.

The SEC has won five of the last seven National Title games and four in a row. There is little reason to believe that they won’t have at least a representative in the game this season, most likely the winner of the Western Division.

Alabama looks ready for another run, with Arkansas hot on their heels. And neither of the teams should sleep on Auburn this season, who draws all of their tough games at home.

Yes, that means an Iron Bowl that might actually mean something this year.

As usual, the season will kick off with the SEC playing a few creampuffs to get their bearings before the crush of conference play.

Here are the picks for the opening weekend.

Thursday Night:

Southern Mississippi at South Carolina (-14) - There are a lot of rumors that Spurrier is on the hot seat in South Carolina. Understandable since he hasn’t gotten it done in his five years there. Granted he has run into two very hot Florida teams and the rest of the East has been less than kind. Changing him out would be a mistake considering South Carolina wouldn’t be expected to do much of anything without him. Southern Miss won’t be expected to do much of anything against him. Take South Carolina and lay the points

Saturday:

Miami (Ohio) at Florida (-36.5) - It is a new era in Gainesville with Tim Tebow playing on Sundays. Florida will still have a high-powered attack, but it might take a few games before it is truly on display. Take Miami and the points.

Louisiana Lafayette at Georgia (-28) - Do we even need to talk about this? Even with Georgia breaking in a new QB, expect the Bulldogs to cover.

Kentucky at Louisville (+3) - My how the Cardinals have fallen. Remember when they were in the hunt for a title? Now they are the underdog at home against Kentucky. This seems like a trap bet to me. Take Louisville and the points and pray for the push.

Arkansas State at Auburn (-31) - Auburn, at night, at home, against no one? Take the Tigers.

San Jose State at Alabama (-37) - I would have been more confident that Alabama would cover this game had Ingram been healthy and playing. Then the Tide would have been trotting out two mega star running backs back to back. As it is, they will only have Trent Richardson running the ball. That should be enough to win — showing up is good enough to win this one — but not to cover since I expect the starters to rest after halftime. Take San Jose State.

Memphis at Mississippi State (-21.5) - Memphis is one of the bottom teams in Conference USA this season, but Mississippi State isn’t expected to do much either. Are the conferences that much different? You bet. Take Mississippi State and lay the points.

Northwestern at Vanderbilt (+4.5) - A new coach at Vandy but the same results. Northwestern should easily cover.

LSU at North Carolina (+4.5) - North Carolina could be without a healthy chunck of its team come Saturday night. Since they are only getting 4.5 even without 18 players, that is a signal that LSU is not as strong as we are used to seeing. I think there is a little extra motivation for Butch Davis’ team so I say take North Carolina.

The rest of the patsy party: Arkansas (vs. Tennessee Tech), Tennessee (vs. Tennessee-Martin), Mississippi (vs. Jacksonville State).

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 10:00 AM | Comments (0)

September 1, 2010

Heisman Watch 2010: 25 candidates or more? Try 5 at best

There are Heisman lists and then there are Heisman lists. MRISports has never been shy about having a long list, but it has never listed 25 players, even if it is a preseason list.

ESPN though has no qualms about this. The World Wide Leader decided to have 25 players on its Heisman Hype list, a list that apparently only appeared on the mobile website, as I couldn’t find it on the normal website. The list they chose to post there had just 20 players in a slideshow. Even better, the list was different.

So ESPN has apparently identified more than 25 players who they think might have a chance to be the best player in college football this season. The sad part is that they are dead wrong.

There won’t be 25 players who even have a sniff at the award. At best there are five players who even have a shot, and that is after Mark Ingram went down with his knee injury. (By the way, does anyone not believe in the Heisman jinx now? If you come back, you are destined to have something happen that derails your season.)

Here is the list of who the MRI will be watching as the season opens Thursday with the biggest drawback to their candidacy for the award.

The Contenders:

1. Ryan Mallett (QB, Arkansas) - Mallett is likely the most polished quarterback in college football. He has the arm and the smarts to succeed in the NFL which doesn’t always lead to success. However, Mallett was smart enough to get out of Michigan when the writing was on the wall and he has placed himself in the best situation for his future. To start the season, I believe he may be the best candidate for the award, provided his team helps him. Demerit: Arkansas is one of those “On the Verge” teams. If they stumble early, or Mallett doesn’t perform against the better teams on the schedule (even in a loss), he can say goodbye to the award.

2. Terrelle Pryor (QB, Ohio State) - Pryor is the latest in the line of Ohio State quarterbacks that all basically look the same. That works in his favor because Troy Smith was able to win the award using that skill set. Pryor will need to be perfect to win the award, but just running through the Big Ten schedule should be enough to get him to New York. Demerit: Troy Smith won with the same skill set, and that was after an undefeated season that took Ohio State to the title game. Ohio State got embarassed in that game, which showed that Smith wasn’t as good as it appeared. That could stand in the way of the voters picking another Buckeye quarterback without some huge numbers.

3. DeMarco Murray (RB, Oklahoma) - In the mold of Adrian Peterson, Murray will be running all day for Oklahoma. Because Oklahoma will also be running for the title all season long, he will also get a lot of attention from the voters thanks to the miracle of television. Demerit: Murray hasn’t been the most sturdy of backs in his career, somewhat like Peterson. Look for an injury or two to derail this campaign.

4. Kellen Moore (QB, Boise State) - Moore is supposed to lead the Broncos to the title game. Everyone is dreading that in the BCS era, saying that Boise couldn’t possibly compete if they were in another division. What they are really saying is that Moore will put up some stats against some less than stellar competition, and stats are what a lot of voters will base their decision on. Demerit: That Boise State after his name will cause a lot of people to steer clear. You have to go back to 1990 and a very different era and BYU team to find a winner who came from a conference outside the big six.

5. Jake Locker (QB, Washington) - If you listen to Mel Kiper, Jake Locker is a … well, lock, to succeed at the next level. He has been on a series of less than great teams in his career but that could change this season. If Washington can contend for the PAC-10 title, Locker will be in the running here. Demerit: Locker will be playing most of his games after everyone is either buzzed or asleep. That won’t help him very much outside of the West region.

Five others who have the best chance of displacing the true contenders (In alphabetical order): Matt Barkley (QB, USC), Noel Devine (RB, West Virginia), Mark Ingram (RB, Alabama), Jerrod Johnson (QB, Texas A&M), Jacquizz Rodgers (RB, Oregon State)

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 10:45 PM | Comments (0)

Late Night with the Pac-10: Week 1 Preview

The new football season in the Pac-10 starts what may well be a roller coaster season for the conference. Despite potential breakout teams such as Oregon, Washington, Arizona and Stanford, the USC postseason ban sidelines the conference’s perennial title contender. While the Pac-10 does have a number of teams that could emerge on the national stage, a couple of key losses could see the whole conference sink into anonymity.

Week 1 predictions:

Arizona at Toledo (+16) - An Arizona team with a potent offense, passable defense and an weak road record over the last few seasons means that they win, but take Toledo and the points.

New Mexico at Oregon (-34) - Oregon has to replace QB Jeremiah Masoli, but the odds suggest that bettors don’t expect the offense to miss a beat. The Pac-10 champs from a year ago start with a win, but take New Mexico and the points.

Oregon State at TCU (-13.5) - OSU is a difficult team to pin down, but it seems likely that TCU backs up their 12-1 season with an opening victory, and a big one. Lay the 13.5 and take TCU.

Washington State at Oklahoma State (-15.5) - A Washington State team that went 1-11 last season goes into this game at Oklahoma State as only a 15.5 point underdog? Take OSU, and don’t look back.

Washington at BYU (-3) - One of the opening week’s hidden gems, this matchup may well determine the season long arcs for both these teams. Given the usual three-point home advantage, this game is a virtual pick ‘em. BYU in a close one, but you’ll have to lay the three.

USC at Hawaii (+21.5) - A tumultuous off season leads to this, the first game of the Lane Kiffin era. It will take a couple of weeks for Kiffin’s ineptitude as a coach to shine through, but for this game at least, his recruiting and returning players mean that USC wins big. Lay the points and take USC.

UCLA at Kansas State (-1.5) - A tough game to call between two teams expected to have very modest conference finishes, take the home team and lay the 1.5.

These last three are off the board due to the weak competition, so expect blowouts in favor of the Pac-10 teams: Cal (vs. UC Davis), Stanford (vs. Sacramento State), Arizona State (vs. Portland State).

Posted by Jeff Popelka at 6:30 PM | Comments (0)

August 30, 2010

A signal of greatness: What an finish outside the top 10 means

Our sports culture is obsessed with rankings, especially at the top.

And while I have kept records of the best MRIs since the football rankings began, the more interesting part of the final numbers are those teams who finish No. 11 - No. 25 the previous year.

Are these teams on the verge of something great, or was it a fluke because of a great finish to the season.

Here are five teams to watch going into the 2010 - 2011 season starting Thursday night:

Continue reading "A signal of greatness: What an finish outside the top 10 means"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 3:00 PM | Comments (0)

July 20, 2010

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Bowl Final

Alabama’s big win in the National Title game allowed the Crimson Tide to overtake Texas and capture the 2009-2010 MRI crown.

Florida, a team that lost only a single game all season — Alabama in the SEC Championship, — finished second. Texas fell to third with their loss.

In the context of history, the Alabama final ranking didn’t even place the Tide in the top 10 MRI scores since the 2003-4 season (the first season for the football rankings).

It was good enough to finish at No. 5 in terms of “champions” of the MRI, the BCS, or the AP (only teams that “won” the championship are ranked on those lists).

Check out all the final rankings in the bowl final edition of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Bowl Final"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 5:00 PM | Comments (0)

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Regular Season Final

The final regular season rankings from 2010 for your viewing pleasure.

According to the computer, Texas should have faced TCU in the title game.

The other BCS bowls may have been filled as follows:

• Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon
• Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Penn State
• Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Cincinnati
• Fiesta Bowl: Florida vs. Boise State

Continue reading "MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Regular Season Final"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

July 19, 2010

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 10

Week 10 of the MRI for your archival pleasure.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 10"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 5:15 PM | Comments (0)

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 9

Football is starting again soon, so I thought it might be nice to finally put up the tail end of last year’s rankings.

They have been done for a while, but just not published to the site, partially because of a back-end upgrade and partially because I was swamped.

Check out all the rankings in week nine of the MRI

Continue reading "MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 9"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 5:00 PM | Comments (0)

November 18, 2009

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 8

A few weeks ago, the lament began.

Never had a season this blah been in front of the nation. The rabid fan base that follows college football everywhere was in for a massive letdown.

Not even the playoff that everyone seems in chorus for could save this one.

And now the season appears to be in an even worse state than before, given the latest MRI numbers.

This is no offense to Texas, who have done what has been expected of them coming into the year.

And this is no offense to TCU who has the first legitimate chance to do something no other non-automatic qualifier has done and make an appearance in the National Championship game. (Didn't everyone think it would have been an overrated Notre Dame? )

But this year's crop of teams is terrible. Does anyone honestly believe that Ohio State might be the 6th best team in the country? Or that Oklahoma deserves a spot in the top 10?

Yet, those are the numbers that shake out of this thing.

This season could have the nation looking at the worst top 10 teams ever. Last year was bad. This year looks like the pee-wee leagues that provide halftime entertainment.

It is no surprise that this season is the year of the BCS busters. TCU and Boise State are both legitimate candidates for BCS bowls.

And beyond the one of the pair that will likely earn an automatic spot in the BCS, the other will possibly be left on the outside.

Now that would be a joke. If the standings hold, TCU would earn the automatic spot and Boise State would be left in the snow -- probably literally given the bowl choices the WAC has.

Does anyone believe that Boise isn't more deserving than a second team from the Big Ten, or the Pac-10?

Yet, the bowls will go for the big name rather than give another underdog a shot at the big boys, all but guaranteeing a lackluster affair that will draw more snores than viewers, especially given the drawn-out schedule. Despite the projections out there, college bowl officials just are creative enough to step out of their comfort zone and pick a wildcard.

There are more shocks in the MRI this week -- just try to find USC in the top 25 this week -- but that is best left for the reader to savor themselves.

Check out all the surprises in week eight of the football MRI.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 8"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 3:05 PM | Comments (0)

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 7

For your archival pleasure, the MRI rankings from week seven of the season.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 7"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 1:02 PM | Comments (0)

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 6

For your archival pleasure, the MRI rankings from week six of the season.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 6"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 11:23 AM | Comments (0)

October 28, 2009

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 5

I can't remember a football season this disappointing. It isn't that the games are exciting. But the lack of depth at the top of the rankings is just sad.

I am reveling in the race for the top spot as much as anyone. However, we only have three teams to root for.

Everyone else is officially an also-ran right now, and that is not making for an exciting season.

Even the leaders leave something to be desired. They don't put teams away. They don't distinguish themselves. They are just the best of a mediocre pack.

Take this week's top 25 in the MRI. I can't remember the last time that we had a ranked team with a losing record.

But there one is this week -- Tennessee at No. 22. The whole country is so blah that teams can't knock out a less than .500 squad.

And back at the top, we have our three blind mice, who can't see that putting a little distance on the rest of the group might be a good thing sooner rather than later.

It is as if they are waiting for the upset to happen, so they don't have to carry the mantle of the best team in the country. And the way they all are playing, that upset is coming.

Poised to take their spots are the George Masons of football: TCU and Boise State, who are putting opponents away, but boast schedules that leave something to be desired.

Otherwise, the debate we would be having is not 'Who is No. 1?' but rather 'What happened to the perennial powerhouses?'

At this point, I am hoping that one of the outsiders can crack that top group.

Better yet, I hope they both do.

Check out all the rankings in week 5 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 5"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 2:32 PM | Comments (0)

October 20, 2009

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 4

What happens when the No. 1 and 2 teams both win, but neither looks great doing it?

Chaos!

No, not chaos, but close enough. Alabama and Florida both lost ground this week in the MRI. Neither particularly deserved to gain any points after their lackluster wins against South Carolina and Arkansas.

But neither did they deserve to lose those top two spots given that Texas had its hands full taking out Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout.

They could still switch places though, and that is exactly what happened. And while these two have a little spat to decide who is really No. 1, the rest of the country is mired in mediocrity.

No one seems to want to step up and move toward the front of the pack. Whether it is because of poor scheduling, or just parity in the league, every team from Boise State down to No. 25 Pittsburgh is within 20 points of each other.

Teams are changing places in the rankings like they were shuffling inside a crowded elevator. Only right now, that elevator doesn't get any higher than the fifth floor from the top and no one seems to want to stay on that floor for any length of time.

Time to check out all the rankings in week four of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 4"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 2:22 PM | Comments (0)

October 14, 2009

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 3

LSU tried its best. But maybe Tim Tebow really is superman?

After all, the kryptonite that was his own lineman's knee didn't seem to slow him enough to drop the Gators, either on the field or in the MRI.

Alabama did close the gap again between themselves and their SEC foes but given the way the two teams are playing, it looks like it will take until the SEC championship before this one gets sorted out.

And it appears that one of the SEC competitors for the title has fallen aside, leaving the path even more wide open. Auburn took a tumble against Arkansas, taking at least a little of the pressure off the Iron Bowl game at the end of November.

While Texas waits for one of the two teams to slip up, Boise State is battling a less-than-stellar schedule and hoping that it will be enough. The Broncos face a tough test against Tulsa, but will it be enough to improve their MRI standing?

Check out the gap that they need to overcome in this week's MRI.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 3"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 12:16 PM | Comments (0)

October 7, 2009

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 2

Florida sat at home and watched their lead in the MRI dwindle.

Now they have to worry about it totally going away. With Tim Tebow still in doubt for Saturday, the Gators have the spectres of Alabama and Texas looming.

Alabama had little trouble with Kentucky last week and now Mississippi is on the calendar, a game that if the Tide can win should bolster their MRI points by quite a bit.

Texas prepares to take on Colorado, who is looking like the doormat of the Big 12 this season. Following that, the Longhorns will have three-straight ranked teams on the slate, which could mean a big move in terms of SOS for Texas.

That normally translates into big points in the MRI formula.

Further back are Boise State and Auburn, still undefeated, and still hungry to make some noise.

Auburn will have its chance to show off against Alabama later in the year, if they survive. But Boise State will be an interesting case this season if they can go 12-0. They may have a Utah-like beef against the BCS if they are left out, especially if Oregon continues to play well, and maybe knocks off a USC later in the season.

But there is still a lot of football to be played. Until then, you can see all the rankings in week 2 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 2"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 10:58 AM | Comments (0)

September 27, 2009

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 1

After four weeks of supposed upsets, the computer has crunched the numbers and the MRI has returned.

Now we will get to see where the true upsets are occurring in college football.

One place that they have not been occurring is Gainesville, Fla. The carry-over from Tim Tebow's heartfelt speech has lasted at least through the first four weeks this year.

But we finally found the Kryptonite to the Gators' Superman. Who knew it was his own lineman's knee?

Now with Tebow sidelined, will Florida be able to hold onto the top spot that they have owned since the eighth week of last season?

It might be difficult because SEC conference mate Alabama has been solid over the first quarter of the season. Where was the upset that so many were calling for this past week?

Not at Alabama.

Instead the trip-up occurred out at Penn State, where for the second year in a row, Iowa ruined the Nittany Lion BCS championship dreams.

Prior to the loss, it looked as if Penn State would be near the top of the MRI rankings again. Instead, they are No. 25.

Check out all the rankings in week one of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 1"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 5:07 PM | Comments (0)

May 6, 2009

Northwestern Examiner: Northwestern could benefit from Big Ten expansion

There was a time when I though the game had passed Joe Paterno by. I was wrong.

Say what you will about the often gruff coach – he’s old, he can’t relate to kids, the game has passed him by – but he is usually correct. And by the way, like me, you would be wrong on all three counts.

Never one to hold his tongue, Paterno said last week that he would like to see the Big Ten expand to 12 teams, enabling the also-ran conference to create a championship game and play later into the season. The wizened one said he thought that the extra team and game would allow the Big Ten to stay in the minds of the media (read voters) later and possibly get the conference more shots at the National Title.

It is a tough sell, not only because commissioner Jim Delaney has already turned it down, but because the last leagues to try and make waves through expansion haven’t yet shown that it works.

Yet, when Paterno talks, we should listen. After all he was the first to conceive of an East Coast football conference – it became the Big East, but ironically without Penn State.

Plus, with Penn State the relative newcomer to the Big Ten, Paterno can almost speak from an outsider’s point of view. It is not like the Nittany Lions have a strong tie to the Rose Bowl like the rest of the league seems to have.

No, Penn State and JoePa are just the right messengers to push change onto the league that seems perpetually stuck in the 1950s (Now talk about irony!).

Read the rest of this story at Examiner.com.

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 7:14 PM | Comments (0)

April 29, 2009

Northwestern Examiner: Wildcat free agent signings could crack NFL squads

“So you’re telling me there’s a chance”

A chance was all Lloyd Christmas wanted, and he managed to eventually get it.
But for some reason or another, a piddly little chance has eluded Northwestern players on draft weekend over the past three seasons.

Sure Evanston has never been a hot bed of NFL talent, but usually there is one player in every class that is at least worth a sniff. The Wildcats had never gone three straight years without having at least one player draft.

But the last time any ‘Cat heard their name was 2006, which seems likes a distant memory these days. Northwestern had three players get the call that year: defensive tackle Barry Cofield, offensive lineman Zach Strief and linebacker Tim McGarigle.

The best hope this year to break the shutout was Tyrell Sutton, but concerns over injuries and size probably negated any shot of him being “reserved” by a pro team.

But what do pro scouts know? They hit as often as they miss no matter if it is the first or the seventh round. For every Peyton Manning, there is usually a Ryan Leaf.

At least Pat Fitzgerald wasn’t upset about it enough to complain in the media like Mike Leach did. You would have thought Leach had learned to keep his mouth shut after he and the administration battled over his contract in the media at the end of last season.

Still the chance to make an NFL team may not have escaped Northwestern’s graduating seniors just yet.

Three former Wildcats signed free agent contracts on Sunday night, long after Mr. Irrelevant finished his champagne celebration.

Sutton, John Gill and Eric Peterman all inked deals with NFC North squads with the hope of taking their careers to the next level.

Going undrafted probably means it is a long shot at best that a player will see the field on Sunday, but even if it is just for completeness, I asked my fellow Examiners who cover the pro squads to give me their best guess on what – if any – impact that Northwestern’s former stars will have at the next level.

Get all the insight and read the rest of this article at Examiner.com.

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 9:35 AM | Comments (0)

January 10, 2009

MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Bowl Final

The MRI would like to congratulate its 2008-2009 champion, the Florida Gators. Florida cemented its hold on the No. 1 spot in the computer rankings with its 24-14 victory over Oklahoma.

By losing the Sooners fell to third in the rankings, still ahead of a Texas team that is probably still smarting since it beat Oklahoma by the same margin as Florida managed in the championship game.

Moving into the No. 2 position was not Utah as in the AP poll. Instead, it was a USC team that proved itself against Penn State in the Rose Bowl.

The upstart Utes only improved to No. 8 moving ahead of the Alabama Crimson Tide that it beat in the Sugar Bowl.

And for those BCS lovers out there, Virginia Tech also moved up into the rankings... that's the entire rankings since even the ACC winner was unranked after the season ended. The Hokies managed a No. 24 rankings after beating Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl.

The MRI correctly predicted the winner of 21 of the 34 bowl games, a 61.8 percent mark. For the season, the computer predicted 72.92 percent of the games. All-time, the computer has chosen 70.92 percent of the winners.

Check out all the rankings in the bowl final edition of the MRI:

Continue reading "MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Bowl Final"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 1:03 PM | Comments (0)

January 7, 2009

The MRI vs. The World, Trophy Presentation Edition

Who cares that the crystal football hasn't been handed out. It's over.

No, I am not talking about Rick Reilly handing his mythical National Title to Utah.

The MRI vs. The World has officially been won.

Congratulations to Will Harris of ESPN, who has taken the title with 22 wins in the 33 bowl games that have been held so far this season.

Harris now holds a two point lead on the MRI, the Congrove Computer, Pat Forde and Bruce Feldman.

The World...well, you all finished in dead last, with 16 wins. That's right. You have a losing record so far this bowl season with Florida as your only hope to get to .500.

Good news, though. That would qualify you for a bowl game.

The MRI has reason to celebrate beyond finishing in a tie for second place.

For starters, it tied as the best computer this season.

Next, it beat Kirk Herbstreit, and will tie Bruce Feldman. Can't feel bad about that.

And if you go deeper, the MRI beat four of six Fantasy Sports writers on ESPN, and will beat or tie seven of the nine ESPN Sportscenter Anchors who played in the Bowl Mania challenge.

And for even more satisfaction, it beat another of the computer haters, Skip Bayless.

Overall, not a bad finish for a computer that started 1-5 and looked all but left for dead.

So, congratulations to all of this year's contestants, and a special "Wahoo!" to the MRI for its achievement. The computer looks forward to facing you all again next year.

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 3:02 PM | Comments (0)

Jagodzinski out at Boston College

In what is a evolving story, Jeff Jagodzinski has indeed been let go from his head coaching position at Boston College.

The announcement was made at a press conference held by Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo. Jagodzinski's status had been up in the air since he was reportedly threatened with termination if he interviewed with the NFL's New York Jets.

Jagodzinski met with the Jets on Tuesday which led to his firing today.

According to ESPN's Wendi Nix, defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani is expected to be named the interim head coach.

That would be an interesting move because Spaziani has also been involved in coaching rumors and could lead to an even bigger void at the top of the Golden Eagle staff.

Jagodzinski was 20-8 in two season as head coach, including two ACC Atlantic Division titles and a bowl win against Michigan State in last season's Citrus Bowl.

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 2:12 PM | Comments (0)

January 6, 2009

About Last Night: Fiesta Bowl Edition

And who says that bowl games don't mean anything to the participants?

Just when you thought that maybe Ohio State could shed that losing feeling, Colt McCoy comes and stomps on their heart. For the Buckeyes, there can be no more brutal way to lose.

Think about it. They just got shellacked against Florida two years ago. Last year, LSU toyed with them, letting the Buckeyes run out to a 10 point lead before just stomping on them.

And then there was last night. Ohio State seems to have the victory at hand. Just stop Texas and the Fiesta Bowl is yours.

But then there is the reach for a first down on 4th and 3. And then a total commitment to stopping the short passing game that left Quan Cosby with no chasers after breaking through the linebackers.

Yep, Ohio State has now been totally humiliated for the third straight season.

Maybe they should be thankful for 2005's Fiesta Bowl when they drew Notre Dame. Playing Notre Dame in a bowl game is like a gift from heaven. You can't possibly be humiliated, unless I guess you are Hawaii.

Continue reading "About Last Night: Fiesta Bowl Edition"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 10:55 AM | Comments (0)

January 5, 2009

The MRI vs. The World, The Final Showdown Edition

The MRI might have felt like its hangover hit a day late. After sweeping through New Year's Day, the computer lost all three bowl games on January 2 before righting the ship on the third by picking Connecticut over Buffalo.

But because of the slips on the second, the MRI has kept itself from being in position to take the MRI vs. the World challenge title.

Instead that will be decided over the next few days during the final three games.

The contenders?

• Will Harris of ESPN, who currently leads with 20 correct out of 31 games. Over the final three games, Will has Texas, Tulsa and Oklahoma as the winners. Harris needs wins from either Tulsa and Oklahoma to win the title straight out, but he must have one of those two games.
• Bruce Feldman, also of ESPN, trails Harris by one victory. In the final three, Feldman has picked Texas, Ball State and Florida. Ball State and Florida are must wins if Feldman will take home the title, and he needs both victories.

The best news for the MRI is that it will either beat or tie all of the other computers in the challenge. Even better, the Harmon Forecast, so prominently places on CBS Sports, could be beaten by the MRI.

Ah, sweet victory.

So while the best the MRI can hope for is a second place finish, I don't think it is too wrong to be a little joyful about the bowl season after having such a miserable start that it looked like the MRI could flop.

But there are three more bowl games to go. Let's see what the spreadsheet says.

January 5, 2009

The Fiesta Bowl
Why to watch?: I find it humorous that Kirk Herbstreit was so diligent about sticking with the Big Ten through all of the bowl games, until the big ones. And that includes shunning his alma mater, Ohio State. Herbie pick Michigan State, Wisconsin and Northwestern. How did that work out? 0-fer, that's how. And now, when he has a chance to pick Ohio State to pull a shocker, he doesn't. Texas has been murdering opponents all season long, and its only loss came with a single second left on the clock. I can't believe that no matter how good Ohio State's defense may have been against almost everyone that they will find a way to stop both the passing and running attack of Texas. The only hope might be to somehow contain Colt McCoy enough that he is forced to make mistakes. And that just seems like a losing bet.

Texas: The MRI, Harmon, Darst, Dodd, Congrove, Forde, Feldman, Herbstreit, Harris, The World (90%)

Ohio State: None


January 6, 2009

The GMAC Bowl
Why to watch?: There should be a rule against this. There is no reason for there to be a bowl game this tangential played so late in the bowl season. Heck, this bowl game should have been played prior to the New Year. Tulsa was an MRI darling all season long, and I can hope that it can pay the bills again with a victory over Ball State. Heck, Ball State should be in total let down mode. Their coach is leaving, they ruined their chance at a perfect season by losing to Buffalo in the MAC championship and they are playing in Mobile, Ala. When there were so many better places to go and chances to take, you don't think these kids are disappointed. That should be the perfect formula for Tulsa to win, which should translate into a Will Harris championship.

Tulsa: The MRI, Dodd, Congrove, Forde, Harris

Ball State: Harmon, Darst, Feldman, Herbstreit, The World (71%)

Continue reading "The MRI vs. The World, The Final Showdown Edition"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 12:16 PM | Comments (0)

January 2, 2009

The MRI vs. The World, Easing into the New Year edition

So it wasn't a hangover that kept me from posting the next round of The MRI vs. The World yesterday.

Instead it was a faulty router which took a good deal of the morning and afternoon before I could get it up and running again.

But while computer problems plagued posting, they didn't stop the MRI from going undefeated yesterday in the five New Year's bowl games.

The biggest game up for grabs was the Orange Bowl which saw Virginia Tech's stellar defense stifle Cincinnati's offense to the tune of four turnovers. Beamer Ball was alive and well in Miami.


It was pleasing to see Frank Beamer so happy to finally break through and win that BCS game. It had been an 0-fer until last night and you could see the big weight come off of Beamer's shoulders with the win. He couldn't wait long enough to pass out the Oranges from the trophy.

Winning a big game should help Beamer stick around in Blacksburg for a long time.

You may think that it is silly to even think about him losing his position, but look at what happened in Tennessee this year, or Auburn. The ACC is not the SEC, and winning along the coast should be much easier than winning where Phil Fulmer and Tommy Tuberville did for so long. Yet, Beamer's team has had issues with getting to the top of the less than stellar ACC, and even when he did, he lost the big game.

So a win could quiet any peeps of a rumor for a time. Or we can hope.

Ok, enough soapboxing for the day.

The MRI now has 17 wins on the bowl season after being one of four contestants to correctly pick Virginia Tech. That moves the computer into 3rd place in the competition.

As an added bonus, the computer is guaranteed at least a tie against Kirk Herbstreit who has 15 wins and only two games different the rest of the season.

However, Herbie is not in last place. That coveted position belongs to "The World". Yes folks, the majority of America has proven that they can not pick bowl games better than the experts, or the computers. There is still a small hope for them to crawl out of the last place hole, but that light is quickly draining.

Up front is Will Harris who has 19 wins on the season. ESPN's expert picker only differs with the MRI on one game the rest of the way, which means it will outplay the computer this season, but the championship is far from won.

Let's see what is on tap for the next few days.

January 2, 2009

The Cotton Bowl
Why to watch?: Mississippi is the only team that was able to beat Florida's high-powered offense this season. That means Texas Tech had better watch out. The Red Raiders are ripe for a let down game against the Rebels, after being left out of almost every discussion among the top ten because of their loss to Oklahoma late in the year. Given how Graham Harrell and the rest of Mike Leach's squad have played all season, I really don't think that will happen. This should be a good close game with Tech's offense just barely better than Mississippi's defense. The MRI likes Texas Tech quite a bit in this one.

Texas Tech: The MRI, Harmon, Darst, Dodd, Congrove, Feldman, Harris, The World (91%)

Mississippi: Forde, Herbstreit


The Liberty Bowl
Why to watch?: East Carolina looked like the Cinderella team of the season for the first few weeks. Skip Holtz appeared as if he were channeling his father's glory days. That is what wins over Virginia Tech and West Virginia can do for you. Heck, East Carolina was even ranked! Then reality set in. A loss to then struggling North Carolina State was followed by two more losses, and East Carolina limped into the Conference USA title game on the back of its weak division. That didn't stop it from capturing the conference title though against a much better Tulsa team. So what does that mean against Kentucky? Come on. Kentucky struggled to even get to a bowl. If they hadn't played every small division college earlier this year, the Wildcats would be sitting at home. East Carolina should be sitting pretty.

East Carolina: The MRI, Harmon, Darst, Dodd, Forde, Feldman, Herbstreit, Harris, The World (81%)

Kentucky: Congrove

Continue reading "The MRI vs. The World, Easing into the New Year edition"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 10:23 AM | Comments (1)

December 31, 2008

The MRI vs. The World, NYE Edition

The MRI is slowly climbing back into it. Last night, the computer scored two more victories (although losing the one game that this guy thought would be a perfect bet for those who partake in those things).

That brings the MRI to 9-8 this bowl season, good enough to be tied with the other two computers, Dennis Dodd and Kirk Herbstreit for last. Yet, we are only three games behind the leaders: Pat Forde and Bruce Feldman.

I guess there is a reason why Feldman has his own picks column every week on ESPN.com. Maybe they should rethink having Herbie pick on College Gameday though if the computers can pull ahead of him.

Revenge such as beating Herbstreit would be very sweet given his comments about the computers over the years.

But enough gloating. We have bowl games... and more bowl games... and still more bowl games to pick and watch.

Let's go to the spreadsheet.

December 31, 2008

The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
Why to watch?: This is the second rematch of the bowl season and all of the prognosticators are hoping that it will also reverse itself. Houston is the real air force in this game, gaining over almost 500 yards passing per game. The air game should be enough for the Cougars to overcome Air Force this time around, especially since there isn't a hurricane barreling down on the two teams.

Houston: The MRI, Dodd, Congrove, Forde, Feldman, Herbstreit, Harris

Air Force: Harmon, Darst, The World (61.5%)


The Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
Why to watch?: It took over 25 years for Vanderbilt to finally qualify for a bowl game again. And to reward them for the feat, they get to stay home in Nashville. Not exactly what the Commodore players were hoping for, but still better than nothing. There will at least be some schwag -- oh wait, they are only getting noise canceling headphones. Vanderbilt will need them to tune out the boos that will rain down when Boston College clobbers them.

Boston College: The MRI, Harmon, Darst, Dodd, Congrove, Forde, Feldman, Herbstreit, The World (91%)

Vanderbilt: Harris

Continue reading "The MRI vs. The World, NYE Edition"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 8:53 AM | Comments (0)

December 24, 2008

The MRI vs. The World 2008: Sad Times

Things haven't gone well for the MRI so far this bowl season. Overtime losses, missed field goals and just plain playing under expectations have foiled the MRI's best chances to win once again this year...and we have only had six games so far this year.

The MRI is mired in dead last with only one win so far this bowl season. The World hasn't done much better, with two wins to its credit.

Leading the pack right now are Pat Forde and Will Harris, who both have five wins so far. The Hawaii Bowl this evening will sort out the top of the rankings, as Forde has sided with the Warriors while Harris (along with the MRI) have picked the Golden Dome to break their long losing streak.

But there are still more games to be picked, so let's go to the spreadsheet.

December 26, 2008

The Motor City Bowl
Why to watch?: Perhaps they will give out some of the financial bailout money to whoever tunes in. The best reason to watch is Dan LeFevour, quarterback for Central Michigan. Since his freshman year, he has been putting up numbers on par with the best quarterbacks in college football. And if his team was slightly better, you might be seeing LeFevour in New York. Central Michigan should be tops this game and give Howard Schnellenberger his first bowl loss

Central Michigan: The MRI, Harmon, Darst, Dodd, Congrove, Forde, Feldman, Herbstreit, Harris, The World (92%)

Florida Atlantic: None


December 27, 2008

The Emerald Bowl
Why to watch?: To see if anyone runs into the walls which are inexplicably close to the field at AT&T park in San Francisco. Frankly this shouldn't be much of a game. Cal is the MRI's 34-point confidence pick in all the bowl challenges. How the line is only 8 points when Cal just needs to ride down the road in a bus is beyond me. Of course, Cal has been known to screw up big advantages in the past.

Cal: The MRI, Harmon, Darst, Dodd, Congrove, Forde, Feldman, Herbstreit, Harris, The World (92%)

Miami: None

Continue reading "The MRI vs. The World 2008: Sad Times"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 4:00 PM | Comments (0)

December 19, 2008

Bowling anyone?: The MRI vs. The World 2008

Everybody ready? Start singing: "It's the most wonderful time... of the year."

At least ESPN would like you to think so.

It probably has something to do with their stake in 95 percent of the bowl games that will be played over the next month. I won't go off on the WWL in the same manner as Dan Wetzel did over at Yahoo.

But, suffice to say, 34 bowl games, two more than last season, is a little bit of overkill.

Do we really need another game featuring a 6-6 team this season? Didn't we already get our fill of watching Notre Dame bring its disgraceful offense to the field (Actually, maybe there is no greater pleasure this time of year than watching Weis's Weiners fail...). Should Southern Mississippi, North Carolina State, or Colorado State really take the field again this season?

The short answer is no.

But since the games are held, we might as well make a few picks.

As tradition holds, the MRI will once again be taking on The World, and a few other challengers.

And as tradition holds, last year's winner has apparently retired. Colin Cowherd, who lapped the field last season, did not make picks this year -- at least none I could find.

So for this year's line-up, we have:

Computers: The MRI, Harmon Predictor, Congrove Computer
CBS: Darin Darst, Dennis Dodd
ESPN: Pat Forde, Bruce Feldman, Will Harris, Kirk Herbstreit
The World: The team getting the greater percentage of picks on ESPN's college bowl contest.

Feldman and Herbstreit choose to draw out their picks over the bowl season (probably because there is not much to actually write/talk about for most of the games this year), so they will be a bit behind as the games are updated.

Let's start and see where it takes us:

December 20, 2008

The EagleBank Bowl
Why to watch?: Maybe you missed the first game between Wake Forest and Navy. If so you missed Wake Forest absolutely implode. I was at a bar in Washington, D.C. to see this one and it was one of the few times I saw the Navy fans cheer all season. So maybe the Middies will give them something to cheer for again here.

Navy: The MRI, Harmon

Wake Forest: Darst, Dodd, Congrove, Forde, Feldman, Harris, Herbstreit, The World (54%)


The New Mexico Bowl
Why to watch?: Really, if you are watching, you are scraping the bottom of the barrel here. Colorado State barely sneaked into the bowls, Fresno State is not the Fresno State we usually see each season. Maybe watch because this is one of the few games where there is a real disagreement about who will win, which could mean a good, although low quality, game.

Fresno State: The MRI, Dodd, Congrove, Feldman, The World (87%)

Colorado State: Harmon, Darst, Forde, Harris, Herbstreit

Continue reading "Bowling anyone?: The MRI vs. The World 2008"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 12:06 PM | Comments (0)

December 8, 2008

MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Regular Season Final

Don't blame the computers if you are unhappy with the BCS championship match (although the MRI agrees that Oklahoma and Florida should be the participants).

They didn't have Oklahoma and Florida. They had Oklahoma and Texas in a rematch.

Instead, blame the humans.

Yes, those same humans who used to pick the national champion when all of the contending teams played in different bowl games and you didn't have a head-to-head game to judge on.

Yes, those humans, who were randomly picked to vote in the Harris poll. There isn't even as much nepotism in the federal government when if comes to jobs like this.

Yes, those humans, who are easily swayed by things like margin of victory, style points and let's not forget impassioned speeches which end up firing up a team to the tune of nearly 50 points per game after them.

Yep, the humans are who put Florida into the title game.

There is the requisite amount of whining this morning. Florida's loss came at home. USC and Texas both lost on the road.

Florida played in the SEC which wasn't its normal self this year. Texas played in the toughest division in college football, the Big XII South, and should have gotten more points for that (You can leave out the Pac-10 from that discussion. Only 5 of the 10 teams qualified for bowls in a league with two of the worst teams in D-1. With two gimmee wins, they should easily have had 7 teams into bowl games.)

Everyone is hating on Florida; my guess is that they win the whole thing.

The MRI correctly picked 75 percent of the games this weekend, finishing the season at 73.85 percent. All time, the MRI has correctly predicted 71.09 percent of the games, and it doesn't even pick during the gimmee non-conference slate.

Check out the final regular season rankings in this week's MRI:

Continue reading "MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Regular Season Final"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 10:33 AM | Comments (0)

December 1, 2008

MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 11

Dear BCS --

I don't blame you for being a little gun shy after this weekend. I would advise not going to Texas anytime soon.

But you should be let off the hook, at least for now. You don't control the voters. You don't control the computers. And you most definitely don't control the Big XII athletics directors who signed up for a tie-breaker that they never thought would happen, let alone decide a potential National Championship participant.

The problem is that your biggest controversy is yet to happen.

I know you can sit back now and believe that the SEC champion and Oklahoma will make the title game lack its requisite controversy, but I wouldn't rest easy yet.

Things happen...

• Like injuries -- Will a bad non-throwing hand have an effect on Sam Bradford in the Big XII game? Yeah, you bet. One sack (although they have been rare against Oklahoma this season) could end his game fairly quickly. And that might be enough emotional fodder for Missouri. Then what?
• Like close games -- If Florida beats Alabama by five or less points, then what? Alabama has been a favorite No. 1 (even if the MRI doesn't believe in them). Could people believe that Alabama is still No. 2?
• Like leftovers -- Texas is not happy. And you can bet that anything that would give someone the chance to move Texas back ahead of Oklahoma will be more than jumped at. Texas could come ruin your party, even if Oklahoma wins against Missouri. It would take a lot of human votes to move them, but it is a possibility.
• Like outsiders -- What if the football gods (those are those mythical creatures not also known as the BCS conference commissioners) decide that USC should really make it? What if Missouri wins and no one likes Texas enough to push them up? What if the No. 5 USC Trojans make it? Then what is the explanation this year? The MRI thinks that USC is the No. 2 team in the country right now. Could the computers in your formula make the same determination after the final weekend?

Plain and simple, the Big XII making a poor choice turned the race for the championship into a mess. This is not the your fault.

But you could take the brunt of the blame when the weirdness that always infects college football takes hold in its final weekend.

And you should be fearful starting when the ball kicks at 4 p.m. Saturday. It can only go downhill from then on.

Sincerely,

The MRI

The MRI struggled this week and only predicted 68.3 percent of the games correctly with home field advantage. All time, it has predicted 71.07 percent of the games.

Check out all the rankings in week 11 of the football MRI.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 11"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 12:52 PM | Comments (0)

November 24, 2008

MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 10

Florida's smashing victory over The Citadel kept them in the lead this week, but lost them points overall. So can anyone catch Florida at this point for the MRI title?

For sure, if Florida loses. Oklahoma has at least one more game, USC has two more games remaining. Either of those two teams is playing well enough to make the leap over a losing Florida team.

But the best shot of that loss would be coming against Alabama, and that is still two weeks away. If Florida is able to make a significant convincing win against Florida State, it could put itself far enough ahead that an Oklahoma team not playing in its championship could be left out.

That leaves USC, who many see as an also-ran in this year's crowded field. But since its loss to Oregon State, which is the only thing keeping them from the No. 1 ranking right now, the Trojans have been sneaking their way back into the championship hunt.

A lot would have to fall their way for USC to make the title game, but it is not out of the realm of possibility. The SEC championship eliminates one contender. If Florida also loses to Florida State, both could be out of it depending on the outcome in Atlanta.

A loss by Oklahoma to their rival Oklahoma State could send the Big XII spiraling out of control. Texas Tech could then be the team in the title game. Yes, even after the shellacking they took.

So USC needs help, but it is something we have seen before on the final week of the season.

If Florida keeps winning, I don't know if there is a way for anyone to catch them in the MRI, even if they lose the BCS championship game. It would depend on their opponent. Oklahoma would have the best shot, but USC and Texas are close enough that an extra win could propel them over the Gators.

So, nothing is ever easy or clear in the BCS, but it is sure interesting.

To be sure, the major conferences did themselves no favors by fastening their tie-breakers to the system. I think the Big XII would rather that some other system were choosing the representative from the South than the voters and computers.

And even with the over-reliance on the BCS, the championship game this year is being decided through the regular-season and that is most of what you can ask for. As one person said to me today, the dirty little secret of the BCS is that most years, it gets it right.

I would contend that even when it doesn't get it right, the best team does come out the champion.

I can't wait to see how this one ends.

The MRI correctly predicted 73.5 percent of the games this week when factoring home field advantage. Since its inception, it has predicted 71.1 percent of the games correctly.

Check out all the rankings in Week 10 of the football MRI.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 10"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 11:52 AM | Comments (0)

November 19, 2008

Heisman Watch 2008-9 -- Week 12

If Tim Tebow stays for a fourth year, and plays the way he is playing now, we will have our second repeat Heisman winner. I don’t see how it can’t happen.

Tebow personally rededicated himself after Florida’s one-point loss to Mississippi and it has shown in his performance – and his team’s – on the field.

There is a problem this year in his candidacy. His statistics are not eye-popping. Compared with the Big XII triumvirate, they are downright disappointing.

He is at least 1000 yards behind them passing, his touchdowns are 11 back of the nearest signal-caller, and he isn’t the leader in rushing.

In short, Tebow isn’t Superman this season.

Continue reading "Heisman Watch 2008-9 -- Week 12"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 4:11 PM | Comments (0)

November 17, 2008

MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 9

I respect being undefeated. It isn't an easy task to run through all 12 games on your schedule and not lose one of them.

With only a couple of weeks left, Alabama and Texas Tech have defeated every opponent that has been put in their way. Some of the wins haven't been pretty, others have been dominant. But the fact remains that they found a way to overcome every obstacle.

Though, ask me who the best team in the country is and you will get an answer that isn't either of those two teams.

Florida is the hands down answer to that question.

The absolute shellacking of South Carolina should have cemented that in everyone's mind. Alabama should be looking ahead to a few weekends from now and wondering how they ever have a shot at holding the Gators under 30 points.

Yet, while Florida is lighting up scoreboards again and again, no one seems to be watching.

How else can you explain that only two AP voters and one coach have the Gators at No. 1 on their ballots?

Have they not watched Florida completely humiliate every opponent since their one-point loss, a loss that took place in September?

Have they not seen Texas Tech and Alabama struggle in wins, wins where they should have been putting 50 or 60 points on the board?

Have they not seen how Tim Tebow has gone from having a down season coming off his Heisman Trophy victory to catapulting into the top five contenders for the award, and potentially becoming a repeat winner?

Does their television set not receive CBS, or ESPN?

Apparently not.

Florida extended its lead in the MRI this week, and with a game against The Citadel this weekend, they could move out even further another week from now. My computer has no trouble seeing what team is No. 1, even if the voters can't (the other computers also disagree, but they place a higher value on not having lost).

It is the picture behind Florida that is a little muddy in the MRI. USC, Texas, Penn State and Oklahoma all have a claim to the second spot in the rankings right now.

You read that right. Texas Tech and Alabama have a lot more work to do in order to get to being in that list.

The Red Raiders can do it by beating Oklahoma. Alabama can do it by embarrassing Auburn next weekend.

They both need some help from other teams to make it to the top two in the MRI's book, but winning big next week could go a long way to curing some of their MRI ills, such as Tech's two 1-AA victories, or Alabama's passing offensive woes and tiny average margin of victory in its SEC games.

Until then, they have to look at their other performances this season, and wonder what could have been while they watch Florida take in all of the glory.

The MRI correctly predicted 72 percent of the games this week after factoring in home field advantage. It has predicted 71.06 percent of the games correctly since its inception.

Check out all the rankings in week 9 of the football MRI.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 9"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 8:15 AM | Comments (0)

November 11, 2008

Heisman Watch 2008-9 -- Week 11

What do you know? The system quarterback is the one that most people think deserves to win the Heisman Trophy.

Hard to imagine that just a year ago, Colt Brennan didn’t get respect for his numbers. Under June Jones, Hawaii produced too many big-number passers for Brennan to be appreciated.

He still got votes, but he couldn’t beat Tim Tebow and his two-pronged attack.

Graham Harrell has almost reached the numbers that Brennan had last season, although he will have to have a heck of a year the rest of the way to match his own marks from last year.

It is amazing what being undefeated can do to change the perception of numbers and performance.

That is probably why Michael Crabtree is back in many so-called expert Heisman watch rankings recently.

Crabtree is fifth in receiving yards this season. He won’t even sniff at the 134 catches and 1962 yards he put up last year.

Crabtree has 18 touchdowns. It is doubtful that he will lead the country in scoring, even if he surpasses last season’s 22 scores.

Crabtree is a sophomore. We know a sophomore has only ever won once, and that was during a very special season.

We tend to generate a lot of hype for receivers when they get the majority of a quarterback’s throws in their direction. I still say that the myth of a receiver being a Heisman-worthy candidate is bunk.

You need the quarterback, who tends to do much more for the team, partially because they throw to other players and have to handle the ball every down. There is no way that his own receiver can outshine him.

You can say your receiver blocks on running plays. So do the linemen who tend to get zero respect as it is and many of them contribute much more each game than an individual wideout.

The way the game is played now, you would need the most extraordinary receiver in the history of the game to have a receiver win the award again, and even then, the player would need to contribute in a way outside of their receiving skills to be considered. They would have to return kicks almost every other game for touchdowns, they would need to play both ways for a good portion of the snaps.

They would need to change the way we think about the position – check that, they would need to change the way we think of a college football player.

Michael Crabtree is exciting. His fancy footwork on the sideline against Texas to win the game in the final minute was breathtaking.

But he is not that player.

Here is how I would rank the candidates on my ballot after Week 11:

Continue reading "Heisman Watch 2008-9 -- Week 11"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 3:20 PM | Comments (0)

November 10, 2008

MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 8

The toxic No. 1 bug finally hit Penn State over the weekend. If there was a team left on the Nittany Lions' schedule that could have taken them out it was Iowa.

The Hawkeyes may not be the most impressive team in the country, but no team has played its opponents harder this year, and gotten beaten by fewer points than Iowa.

Sure, four losses don't look pretty, but there is a pretty good team in the yellow and black each week, ready to take out some tough opponents.

That is why the Hawkeyes have a coveted spot in the MRI rankings at No. 23.

Penn State, feeling the unlucky mojo, took a steep drop down the ladder to No. 5 after the loss. Their drop was assisted by big wins from some of the other contenders for the MRI crown.

With only a month remaining in the season, the race at the top is very tight, and the stuff that BCS nightmares are made of.

Look at the MRI No. 1, Florida.

The Gators are probably the team that scares the BCS, Alabama and Texas Tech, the most right now. With a single loss by a single point, Florida might be in the best position to sneak into the title game with a single loss, and a single loss which could have them jumping Texas Tech by the end of the year in the computers and the human polls.

Since the loss, Florida has been unstoppable, and teams have just fallen aside in their wake.

If the Gators can win against South Carolina, they will move on to the SEC championship against Alabama. If Florida can not stumble against its final two opponents, there is nothing keeping them from the title game if they beat Alabama.

The question is who would they play. Texas Tech looks like the most likely candidate at this point, but the computers -- and the voters -- can be fickle.

Can Texas Tech, currently No. 6 in the MRI, make it the rest of the way undefeated?

Oklahoma looks like the toughest test for the Red Raiders, and Oklahoma, despite a let down against a Texas team that was better on that day, is again rolling like they did earlier in the season.

Perhaps Oklahoma will end the Texas Tech run. That is on the verge of forcing a three way tie for the Big XII South, which could end up falling to Texas after all the tie breakers are run.

The bottom line is that this season could end up being just as much of a mess as last season was with all the losses by the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the BCS.

The biggest hope for conference commissioners is that Alabama and Texas Tech are able to stay without a loss the rest of the way. Neither has an easy road, and the MRI predicts that at least one game on each team's schedule could trip them up.

Basically, neither has a guaranteed run to the title by any standard.

So, time will tell, and have the commissioners pulling their hair out until Dec. 6 has come to a close.

The MRI correctly predicted 77.8 percent of the games this week when factoring in home field advantage. Since its inception, the MRI has correctly predicted 71.04 percent of the games.

Check out all the rankings in week 8 of the football MRI.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 8"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 9:38 AM | Comments (0)

November 3, 2008

MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 7

I can only imagine what life was like in the Paterno house on Sunday. Penn State coach Joe Paterno opens his paper, turns on the television to watch a little football, and sees that he gets jumped in the polls.

Something tells me that the Paternos are in the market for a new television.

I can see the shoe flying across the room now, shattering the screen as the AP, the coaches and the BCS show Penn State in third, jumped by Texas Tech.

I can partially understand the vote. Texas Tech beat the top team in the country, and that could mean they were better than a team that didn't play.

Yeah, something like that.

Sorry, this one doesn't make sense to me. Alabama ahead of Penn State makes little sense to me, as Alabama (the Arkansas State game not withstanding) has struggled to prevail over many of its SEC opponents.

If it is any consolation to Penn State, they still lead in the MRI.

Early in the day, it looked as if Penn State were destined to slip to second, but that would have required a win by Texas, something that eluded the Longhorns.

Instead, the idle Nittany Lions held on to the top spot.

They managed to stay ahead of what may be the hottest team in the country, Florida. The Gators rolled another opponent over the weekend, this time in the form of Georgia.

Since its 1-point loss to Mississippi, Florida has outscored its opponents 201 - 43 in four straight wins. The team's performance has been so hot that Tim Tebow has pulled himself from an also ran back into the Heisman Trophy conversation, something that in the first few weeks of the year looked like another failed repeat attempt.

Holding in third place is USC, a team that had the pleasure of destroying one-half of the joke in the Northwest, Washington.

The Trojans will have a tough case to make in the BCS this year though. Unlike years past, the PAC-10 has struggled, and not just against BCS competition, but against teams from the Mountain West too.

So the men from Troy still have a long way to go to erase their performance against Oregon State from the minds of the voters.

The now once-defeated Texas Longhorns fall to fourth this week. Despite a very poor defensive performance, the close loss kept them from falling even further in the standings. Texas now has to hope for an Oklahoma victory over the Texas Tech Red Raiders to have a hope of winning the Big XII South division.

Rounding out the top five this week is TCU, who took out UNLV. While TCU has the loss against Oklahoma, they remain firmly in the hunt for consideration of who is the best non-automatic qualifier team.

The Horned Frogs record might have a blemish but that can quickly be kept from the voters' minds if they can defeat Utah on Thursday night. The win would secure the conference for TCU and place them in the same conversation with Boise State for a BCS slot.

The MRI correctly predicted 72 percent of the games with home field advantage factored in last week. The system has predicted 70.88 percent of games all-time.

Check out all the rankings in week 7 of the football MRI.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 7"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 8:31 AM | Comments (0)

October 27, 2008

MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 6

A lot of people have asked how Alabama could be so low? The answer is close wins.

The Crimson Tide have struggled to put away their opponents this year, leaving them in games and leaving Alabama on the verge of losing, even if their record is still without a blemish.

The two leading MRI teams got a taste of what the Tide have been feeling during their games this week.

Texas held on late against Oklahoma State in order to squeak out a 4-point win. The victory gives them another signature win and sets up another tough high-profile game right away with Texas Tech.

Barely surviving to win though doesn't translate into a big move in the MRI and so Texas remains at No. 2 this week.

Penn State had the opportunity to extend its lead going into the night game against Ohio State. Yet the Nittany Lions had the same struggles with a tough Ohio State team.

So, Penn State's lead remains slight over Texas and the rest of the pack is beginning to close at a faster pace.

Perhaps both teams got a little luck on their side this week as USC also was only able to beat Arizona by seven. That victory was enough to stay in third and close the gap, but the results could have meant much more had a blowout been in the works.

Tulsa took its opportunity on Sunday night to run over Central Florida. And so in typical controversial style, the MRI keeps the Golden Hurricane at No. 4.

Rounding out the top five again this week is Florida who set itself up nicely for its game against Georgia this weekend. Combined with the performance of the Gators in the actual BCS so far this season, this upcoming week could mean a lot in terms of putting Florida right back in the title game with the smallest slip in the leaders.

The MRI correctly predicted 74 percent of the games this past week with the home field advantage.

Check out all the rankings in week 6 of the football MRI:

Continue reading "MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 6"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 9:43 PM | Comments (0)

October 23, 2008

Heisman Watch 2008-9 -- Week 8

Texas, you get your wish this week. There is no longer any way that you can deny Colt McCoy the top spot in the race.

Just look at the record: Beat Oklahoma. Beat -- and beat up -- Missouri.

Need you say more?

I am not saying the road ahead will be easy for McCoy in any fashion. This week’s opponent, Oklahoma State, found a way to shut down Chase Daniel and the Missouri Tiger hasn’t been heard from since.

Can the Cowboys do the same to McCoy? Maybe.

And really no contender will be tested as much over the remainder of the season than McCoy. Three games remain against ranked opponents, including two in the top 10. Add in another ranked foe in the Big XII title game, and McCoy will be the most vetted Heisman candidate we have seen in years.

He faces a similar struggle to Tim Tebow last season. With a clear lead, all eyes were unfairly focused on every flaw that Tebow could expose in his play on the field.

McCoy doesn’t have the luxury of a field that is far behind him at this point. Even with the clear lead, there is no denying that others on the list have had brilliant seasons, seasons that are Heisman-worthy in themselves, just not as much as McCoy’s so far.

So, as we head into the final third of the season, get ready for the spotlight to shine brightly on our top candidate. The eyes of Texas are hoping that he doesn’t get burned.

Here is how I would rank the candidates on my ballot after Week 8:

Continue reading "Heisman Watch 2008-9 -- Week 8"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 10:04 AM | Comments (0)

October 20, 2008

MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 5

Despite what the BCS might say, Texas is not the No. 1 team in the country. That is, at least according to the MRI.

Penn State continues to run out ahead of the Longhorns in the MRI computer rankings, although it is unclear how long that might last. Penn State has played one extra game than Texas and with Ohio State and a bye week next on the Nittany Lion schedule, its lead could quickly evaporate.

This week though, Texas has only themselves to blame. After jumping to a 35-3 lead over Missouri, Texas allowed the Tigers back into the game, trading touchdowns with their northern opponent over the second half. The Longhorns just failed to continue stopping Missouri.

Despite the second half scoring, Texas was able to draw to within a single point of the Nittany Lions, who used a safety to spark a triumphant win over Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Still dropping in at No. 3 is USC, who had its largest shutout victory since 1931 and handed Washington State its worst blanking ever.

USC would likely have made more of a claim for the top spot, or even a leap to No. 2 had Washington State not been one of the five worst teams in bowl subdivision.

Still hanging in the top five at No. 4 is Tulsa who had no trouble trouncing UTEP. Tulsa is still lacking respect in the polls that count though.

They are no higher than 15 in any of the computer polls and the human have given them even less credit. Tulsa is No. 19 in the Coaches Poll while the Harris voters have them at No. 21.

Again, it is likely their schedule which holds them back. While they did improve to No. 114 in the country this week, they are still among the bottom ten in terms of strength of opponent.

Rounding out the top five is Florida, who was idle this week after taking out LSU in grand fashion the week before. Florida continues its quest in the jumbled SEC East this week when they take on Kentucky.

The MRI correctly predicted 80.7 percent of the games last week when factoring in home field advantage.

Check out all the rankings in week 5 of the football MRI.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 5"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 10:11 AM | Comments (0)

October 15, 2008

Heisman Watch 2008-9 -- Week 7

Texas fans are really going to dislike me this week. If it wasn’t bad enough that Texas won and still fell from the top spot in my computer rankings, their quarterback also did not take over the top spot in my Heisman ranking this week.

I still believe that Sam Bradford is the better quarterback so far this year.

Don’t get me wrong, Colt McCoy is doing a lot to help his team: he is a leader, he is efficient, he runs in addition to passing the ball.

Sam Bradford is just the arm that his entire team revolves around, and he wasn’t the reason for Oklahoma’s loss. Bradford did almost everything he could short of playing on defense to try and get his team the victory.

It just didn’t work this time.

Having watched Bradford over the past two years, I am sure he would say he would rather win the championship than an individual award. But holding that trophy can sure change things quickly.

Continue reading "Heisman Watch 2008-9 -- Week 7"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 9:03 AM | Comments (0)

October 13, 2008

MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 4

Remember that game that was going to decide the No. 1 spot in the MRI? It did, only not in the way that was expected.

Despite the "upset" victory by Texas over Oklahoma (The MRI had it right), Texas couldn't hold its lead. Penn State's destruction of Wisconsin made sure of that.

The Nittany Lions were able to do what Michigan and Ohio State couldn't -- a beat down of the team that many thought would be one of the contenders in the conference. While others were able to squeak by the Badgers, Penn State had no such worries.

And so they fly to the top of the rankings this week, knocking down the Longhorns to the No. 2 spot despite the impressive victory over the very tough Oklahoma Sooners.

Coming in at No. 3 is USC, who probably has the inside track to the National title game if they win out. While it wouldn't seem that way being in third, the Trojans do not have a conference title game to contend with, and they still have the easiest part of their schedule ahead. While I expected slightly more against Arizona State over the weekend, I am not shocked that the Trojans are where they are overall.

Florida may have had the most consequential victory of the weekend. Beating previously unblemished LSU led to a big jump for the Gators, especially after their squeaker of a loss the week before. The loss by LSU dropped them far out of the top 25, making hopes for a repeat chance at the title looking unlikely. Despite Florida's struggles this season, they still look like a possible contender, but as always, the road from the SEC to the title game is much more difficult.

Still looking for that BCS buster? Maybe Tulsa should get a longer glance. The Golden Hurricane are undefeated but are not feeling the love in the polls.

The most likely reason is their 117th ranked schedule, according to the MRI statistics. It hasn't stopped Tulsa from breaking up into the top five but it does make it harder for them to continue to stay there. Just witness Tulsa's drop to fifth from fourth in the last week. A close victory over SMU is not the same as a close victory over a team ranked higher than 117 in the MRI.

Being a paper heavyweight also means that a loss will be all the more damaging for the team. The next three games against UTEP, Central Florida and Arkansas could be the undoing for the high fliers.

The MRI correctly predicted 75 percent of the games last weekend when factoring in home field advantage.

Check out all the rankings in week four of the football MRI.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 4"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 7:57 AM | Comments (0)

October 8, 2008

Heisman Watch 2008-9 -- Week 6

Why should there be any confusion about why the Big XII is dominating almost every Heisman trophy list out there?

There shouldn’t be. The Big XII has shown itself to be the top conference so far this season. That early lead by the SEC in the chase for that honor, it’s gone.

When your conference is flying high, usually the signal callers get a great deal of publicity, and in the Big XII’s case it is definitely for good reason.

Half of the Big XII quarterbacks are in the top 12 rated passers in the country. Half! And they have two more in the top 20.

The conference’s passers dominant the highlight films on ESPN and those other sports networks.

The names of the game have become Colt, Chase and Sam, and they have fulfilled every expectation of them prior to and during this season.

The biggest test of two of them will come this weekend as Colt and Sam face over control of the Red River.

With their arms, this will be a Shootout, name changes in the rivalry notwithstanding.

And then there is Chase on the side, watching for how he can succeed against Texas a week from now, after he dispenses with Oklahoma State this week. If only the rotation was such that he would get to face the Sooners this year.

With all this air power, it begs the question: What happened to the running game in college football?

Continue reading "Heisman Watch 2008-9 -- Week 6"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 9:50 AM | Comments (0)

MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 3

If there was anything needed to make this weekend's game between Texas and Oklahoma even more important, try putting the top spot in the MRI into the mix.

Oklahoma might only be in the No. 6 spot, but they can make a big move depending on the result of the game on Saturday and potentially make the big jump into first. They will have a tough time doing that though considering the teams on the list that lie ahead of them.

Penn State lies in the way. At No. 2, they take on a Wisconsin team which has had two very difficult defeats in two weeks. While they still remain in the MRI top 25, they can only thank their small margin of loss in those games. Wisconsin might decide to actually step it up this week and take out the high flying Nittany Lions.

Or they might just roll over and be beaten like they were against Michigan and Ohio State. Maybe the loss of their band has something to do with it.

Also in the way is another Big XII team, Missouri. The Tigers have a tough test of their own in Oklahoma State. The Cowboys (MRI #10) have shown the offense that they only showed glimpses of last season is still out there. That means Missouri's defense will really get a test this time out, not like how Nebraska "tested" it. If the Tigers can win, they will definitely be standing in the way of a Sooner bolt to the top.

Or how about another team from Oklahoma. Not Oklahoma State. I am talking about Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane have lit up scoreboards in a way that has their Athletic Director worried that he might have to install a third digit on the scoreboard. Tulsa will likely get knocked back a little this weekend as they take on SMU and given the Mustang record, it will be difficult for Tulsa to continue gaining points the way it has.

And then there is USC. Can anyone tell me which USC might show up this week? Against Oregon State, it was the choke USC team.

Looking at the game, you would have expected USC to beat Oregon, but for the game to have been close.

You would have been wrong, as the Trojans rolled over the Ducks. (Maybe I should start using the Balki "Perfect Strangers" method of picking my games.)

So does Arizona State have a chance? It is anyone's guess.

Check out all the rankings in Week 3 of the Football MRI.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 3"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 7:04 AM | Comments (0)

October 1, 2008

Heisman Watch 2008-9 -- Week 5

The spread offense has transformed the Big XII into a quarterback machine, and the results are obvious based on what you will find at the top of most Heisman lists this week.

The triumvirate of Chase Daniel, Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy could rewrite the history of the Heisman Trophy if they can keep this up.

Just picture the stage in New York if there is only a single conference represented.

Continue reading "Heisman Watch 2008-9 -- Week 5"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 2:07 PM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2008

MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 2

Remember all of those comments from last week's rankings? Ignore them.

It is obvious that being in or near the top of the MRI rankings was poisonous for a number of teams.

Take USC. There is no explaining how a team that looked as good as it did in its first two games could look as bad as they did in the next game, against Oregon State of all teams. I have watched USC look poor in the past, but this team was supposed to be beyond all of that. Maybe my hesitation at putting Mark Sanchez in the top five of my Heisman Rankings was well grounded.

USC may react badly to being at the top and almost guaranteed a No. 1 ranking, but one team didn't and never does.

Welcome back Texas to the top spot in the rankings, all on the back of their signal caller, Colt McCoy. McCoy is turned in one of the most dominant performances of the weekend, and his wasn't against some Sun Belt team, or Division 1-AA squad.

This was against Arkansas. Granted the Razorbacks are not supposed to be at the top of the SEC this season, but at the same time, this is an SEC squad. They are not supposed to be this bad.

With four games under his belt, McCoy has thrown for over 1000 yards, 14 touchdowns, and run for 278 yards and four scores. He leads his team in rushing, he is the No. 2 rated quarterback in the country and he is set to break almost every record at Texas.

I think this guy is good (Wait until Wednesday's Heisman rankings), and his team is a deserved No. 1.

Penn State, last week's leader, drops to No. 2 despite a win against Big Ten foe Illinois. They may not look like the best and brightest at all times, but JoePa's squad is playing like they have a shot to sweep through the conference without a blemish.

Alabama shocked a lot of people with their win over Georgia, but the MRI thought it was almost a given. The tide move into the top five at No. 3.

Utah remains the top team from the Mountain West, which keeps its No. 4 league rankings this week. The Utes get tricky Oregon State on Thursday night, which might just make or break their season.

Rounding out the top five is another Big XII squad, the Oklahoma Sooners, who creep up after beating down upstart TCU (still in the top ten). The Sooners showed top-spot ability, including another huge game from Sam Bradford.

Check out all of the rankings in Week 2 of the Football MRI.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 2"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 5:22 PM | Comments (0)

September 24, 2008

Heisman Watch 2008-9 -- Week 4

After a short vacation, much like most top teams take for the first third of their seasons, I am back and refreshed. With the insight I gained over my little vacation, I have something to announce.

The title defense is over.

Sorry, Tim Tebow. It is just not going to happen this year. So go call Archie Griffin and wish him well. Send him some champagne with the money that you haven’t yet earned from an agent or a pro team.

Yes, your talents weren’t needed against the Tennessee Vols, but you don’t get away with a cheap performance against a conference foe in this race, at least not this season. Last year was a special year, when a soft week could be tolerated.

This year is a different ball game with too many contenders turning in big games when they count.

So, at the top of the heap is one of those top players, Chase Daniel, who didn’t need a huge performance against Buffalo but still produced one, and that is enough in the crowded field to move to the top.

He will have to keep pushing in what looks like it will be a battle of quarterbacks all year long. I don’t expect any of the current rushing leaders to actually make it to New York at this point unless someone turns in ridiculous numbers in the final eight games this year.

Here is how I would rank the candidates on my ballot after Week 4.

Continue reading "Heisman Watch 2008-9 -- Week 4"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 8:07 AM | Comments (0)

September 22, 2008

MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 1

Four weeks have gone, and for some teams, that is a third of their season. And after four weeks, we have a new team at the top of the MRI football rankings.

Welcome to the Penn State Nittany Lions, who hold the No. 1 ranking for the first time ever in the MRI.

Penn State hasn't exactly beat the top teams to get here, but they have taken down their foes convincingly. Coastal Carolina, Oregon State, Syracuse, Temple: all casualties of the machine that Joe Paterno has built to try and move ahead of Bobby Bowden on the all-time win list for good.

Despite holding the top spot, Penn State isn't the story, and will likely fade as the season continues (it is just the nature of the beast, especially the Big Ten schedule). The big story is the Mountain West, which has been beating up on the PAC-10 and has two teams in the top five and three teams in the top 11. Utah and TCU are Nos. 2 and 3 this opening week.

At four is a Texas team which currently is tops in the Big XII, but doesn't look like they have what it takes to really play past Oklahoma in three weeks.

Rounding out the top five is USC, who is No. 1 in most polls. The difference in the MRI is that they have only played two games to most teams' three or four. On pure average, the Trojans are the top team. Given the way they are playing, they should be flying up the rankings to the top in the coming weeks, starting with what will likely be a big win on Thursday night.

But enough of the formalities, let's get to the rankings.

Continue reading "MRI Football 2008 - Rankings Week 1"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 9:31 PM | Comments (0)

September 10, 2008

Heisman Watch 2008-9 -- Week 2

The problem with the early season schedule is that no one plays anyone. Look at the marquis games last week…

Oh wait, there weren’t any. Sure Miami and Florida is a rivalry, but you can’t seriously have thought that the Hurricanes were going to do anything other than what they managed – Lose.

So, evaluating Heisman performances in week two becomes a little more difficult because the quality of opponents is still lacking for a number of players.

More interesting this week might have been the impact of injuries on the standings. Without Chris Wells, Ohio State looked almost pedestrian against Ohio U. That is not a good sign for them going into a huge game against USC this weekend. It also isn’t a great sign for Wells’ Heisman hopes as losing a week, especially against a weak opponent can hurt the numbers so that they are no longer eye-popping.

Yet, you have to wonder how much the “valuable” vote will go up given that Ohio State looks like a totally different team without him.

The other injury that was worth watching was Jeremy Maclin of Missouri. While Maclin played, he suffered in that Missouri used too many weapons in their trouncing of Southeast Missouri State. Maclin isn’t going to handle the ball on every play, or most plays, and over time, that will certainly weigh on his hope for the pose, as it does in my rankings this week.

The picture is still gray, but here is how I would rank the candidates on my ballot after Week 2.

Continue reading "Heisman Watch 2008-9 -- Week 2"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 9:29 PM | Comments (0)

August 29, 2008

Tailgate Preview - Week 1

The college football season kicks off this week with a snorer of a slate. Nothing like padding your resume with wins over Chattanooga, Georgia Southern and Tennessee-Martin (That means you Oklahoma, Georgia and South Florida).

I am not expecting any Appalachian State-type upsets this season during the first week, not even from Appalachian State. LSU might not have its defensive core from last season, but they are no 2007-version Michigan (or 2008-version Michigan either).

A departure from the norm this week then with a little wider focus, not just previews of the Big XII and the ACC.

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at the games that actually mean something this weekend:

Illinois vs. Missouri (-9) in St. Louis – Missouri is coming off a high last season, and Chase Daniel is a likely strong contender for the Heisman. Illinois might have a strong defense, but they have lost Rashard Mendenhall and the Juice (Williams) might end up getting squeezed with the loss of his backfield-mate. Illinois head coach Ron Zook should be a little scared. The Tigers are one of the strongest teams in the country on both sides of the ball.

Look for Missouri to cover in the Border War.

Continue reading "Tailgate Preview - Week 1"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 9:02 AM | Comments (0)

August 24, 2008

2008 ACC Preview

It is quite a change to cover the ACC in addition to the Big XII this season. For starters, the ACC has nowhere near the depth of the Big XII. It has never become the super-conference in football that it hoped it would be when it added Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College.

While Virginia Tech and Boston College have been competitive, Miami has been a flop since coming over. And this season, it looks like both the Hokies and BC will be taking a step backwards, leaving the door open for new participants in the ACC championship game.

Without further ado, the ACC

Atlantic Division

1. Clemson
Coach: Tommy Bowden
2007: 9-4 (5-3), Lost Chick-Fil-A Bowl
Head of the Class – There is little to criticize about James Davis and CJ Spiller, except last year’s performance. While Clemson was favored to win last season’s Atlantic Division, they ended up blowing the conference lead and letting Boston College slip into the title game. The pair are still the best pair of backs in the conference, and among the best pairs in the NCAA. Look for them both to step up this season.

Underachievers – While it is tempting to pick Bowden as the biggest underachiever, grasping defeat from the jaws of victory over and over again, I think the offensive line is a big question mark. Almost the entire group will be new starters and while talented, the lack of a solid group up front was what held back the head of the class last season.

Academic Suspension – This is Clemson, so you have to be wary of picking them to finish in first place. This year, I also worry about a brewing quarterback controversy. The only reason this didn’t become a major issue last year was that freshman Willy Korn got injured and took a medical red shirt. This year, he is back to challenge Cullen Harper and it will be interesting to watch how Bowden handles a full year of competition.

Continue reading "2008 ACC Preview"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 9:22 PM | Comments (0)

August 21, 2008

2008 Big XII Preview

It is time to get back into the swing of things at MRISports.com, and that means a return to what you all come here for: A chance to rip on my predictions.

Once again as part of the Tailgate at Blogcritics, I will be previewing the Big XII conference each week, and this year, I will also be tackling the ACC.

To start though, the old standby: The Big XII

Big XII South

1. Oklahoma Coach: Bob Stoops 2007: 11-3 (7-2), Lost Fiesta Bowl Head of the Class – What is there not to like about the Sooners? There was no off-season drama. Sam Bradford looks like the real deal, and again they have one of the most punishing offensive lines in the country. Plus, their schedule shapes up well skipping Missouri and with all of the toughest games at home.

Underachievers – Since Adrian Peterson was injured and then left early for the NFL, it is has been running back by committee in Norman. Now that Bradford is a known commodity, the running game is going to have to back him to a greater extent. Not a problem with the line the Sooners have but it is always a little tricky when there is not a featured back game after game.

Academic Suspension – It is always a good sign when the worst thing someone can say about you is that you are starting a freshman kicker. Jimmy Stevens should be taking over the reins of the kicking job, and we know how many games often come down to important kicks. With Oklahoma’s offense, this shouldn’t be an issue, but it is something to watch.

Continue reading "2008 Big XII Preview"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 2:34 PM | Comments (0)

June 11, 2008

It's Here

The best college football preview magazine has arrived in book stores. I purchased mine yesterday and will be using it as an important part of my previes on the season, coming soon.

Until then, go get your own.

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 11:07 AM | Comments (0)

April 1, 2005

Not an April Fool's Day Joke

Those of you who tuned into the site late yesterday probably noticed that things are looking a little bit different around here. I finally was able to deliver on the site redesign that I had been promising for the last two months. The new site will allow you to read On The Field, Sitting Courtside, and view the rankings for football and basketball all in one convenient spot.

The archives are still being updated to the new format. Until then, you can access them through a link on the right that goes to the old site design and provides all the back information you need.

In addition, the new site design will allow you to subscribe to MRISports.com with your trusty newsreader or any RSS feed reader. You can find the link to subscribe through Bloglines or the RSS feed at the bottom of the right side of the page.

The Comments feature on the new site are also enhanced. You now will not need to be a member of Blogger to leave me comments about my posts with your actual name and, in addition, you will be able to leave comments directly on the rankings postings. Of course, you are still free to email me all your rants and raves and who knows, you may be featured in a future installment of Defending the MRI.

Need to know where a team was consistently ranked throughout the years? Now you can use the trusty web search on the right column to look for that team's name. It will pull any post where that team or any other search words have been mentioned.

Enjoy the new site design everyone, and I will continue to update the archives until they are all accounted for. If you have any comments or questions, send them on to bmiraski at mrisports.com

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 12:30 PM | Comments (0)