Borderline Fantastic

Everyone is very busy these days. Here are last week’s results.

The old MacBook was just over 2 years old. My usual update schedule is 2 years but that was when building my own average spec’d Windows machine. With Macs, if you buy right after a refresh, the specs are just about top of the line. The machine was starting to slow down, but not dramatically. The real need for the replacement was my hard drive filling up and the new model MacBook looking to offer quite a bit.

Things I wanted in the new MacBook
250gb Hard Drive – The old MacBook’s hard drive was 160gb. I had it upgraded at time of purchase from Apple. With a Windows partition, it cut the size down even more. Now with a 250gb drive my main concern is that my 320gb external is not going to be enough for Time Machine and some decent amount of backup space.

Backlit Keys – I usually use my MacBook as a desktop machine. Meaning it’s connected to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse. A few months ago I started using it more as an actual laptop. It was pretty nice but it really bothered me that I couldn’t see the keys.

Better Video Card – Not that I game but just the OSX animations need something decent to run. My only concern is the shared 256mb that comes out of my 2gb of RAM. I think it will be fine for now, I will likely upgrade the RAM once the DDR3 sticks come down a bit in price.

Things Lost with the New MacBook
FireWire – I used FireWire for my external hard drive. It has the option for USB, so not a huge deal. I also used FireWire for my video camera. This could be a pain but I’m not sure the camera still works. If I have to, I will use one of the old Macs with FireWire around the house.

I didn’t go with a MacBook Pro because I thought it might be a little larger than I wanted. I thought my MacBook screen was a little small. I compared it to my HP Laptop, which is the perfect size. I had always thought the HP was 15″. Turns out, I was wrong. It was 14″. I don’t know of many 14″ laptops so I’ve excused my stupidity. I think my feeling that the MacBook was took small when it is almost the same size as my HP comes down to what I use it for. On my HP I’m using a web browser 98% of the time. On the MacBook I was trying to use it just like I do on my 20″ widescreen monitor. Obviously that’s going to be different.

I ordered the MacBook from Amazon, their deal was the best I saw from a place I knew I could trust. The free shipping took about as long as it would have from Apple. Fast shipping from China (Apple) vs Slow shipping from Maryland (Amazon). I also didn’t need to customize, which I could have only done with Apple. If the prices were the same I likely would have ordered from Apple and upgraded the RAM, but in a few months it will still be cheaper to have ordered from Amazon and buying the RAM and putting it in myself.

I opened it up and started with the Migration Assistant. This was my first experience using the tool. All I had to do was connected an Ethernet cable between the 2 MacBooks. Then it went on its way transferring about 120gb. It took a little more than 3 hours to complete the process. Easy enough. I was then presented with a registration screen. As I typed in my email address, I came across a problem. The O key didn’t feel right when I was typing in .com. It felt like it was stuck. Thanks to the backlit keyboard, I was able to see a piece of plastic under the key keeping it from being pressed down normally like the others.

I was upset that I hadn’t realized the problem before spending the 3 hours waiting for everything to copy to the new machine. It only took clicks to do that process, I didn’t have to use the keyboard at all. Since it would be going back somewhere I had to clear the hard drive and reinstall OSX.

I gave my first ever call to Apple Tech Support. I expected to just be told to go deal with Amazon, but I’ve heard stories of Apple having excellent Tech Support, so I figured I’d at least give it a shot. I was given 2 options: return to Amazon for a new replacement or return to Apple to be repaired. Since it was the 1st day with the machine I knew I wanted a new machine. Before hanging up I asked for a case number in case Amazon was too much of a hassle and I decided I wanted to do the repair. As he was typing in the description of the problem he told me something popped up on his screen and he put me on hold. When he came back he said I was being transferred to a specialist.

When I first got to the specialist I described my problem again, but it didn’t seem like it was going any differently than the previous rep. I figured I would still be calling Amazon. Then he explained to me that this broken key issue was a problem Apple was investigating so they wanted my machine to take a look at it. I was given 2 options: repair or replacement from Apple. The replacement would take a few more days, which doesn’t seem to make sense. My only guess is that they’d rather repair so they need some difference to get some people to opt for the repair. I went with the replacement but then I asked if I could speed things up by going to the Apple Store. At the very least I figured they would handle the shipping back to Apple and then I would wait for my new unit. I was told that would be just fine and (as I was hoping) if they had any in stock I would given a replacement in the store. Score! I scheduled a Genius Bar appointment for early Saturday morning.

I chose an early Genius Bar time because the Apple Store is always a zoo and the mall this time of year would make things exponentially more ridiculous. When I got the the mall the Apple Store was already a little busy and getting crowded by the time I left.

I got to my Genius and he took a look at the machine. He was perplexed when he tried and the key seemed to work alright to him. I was getting a little nervous that this was actually a problem and I didn’t tend to make up problems just so I could take a trip to the Apple Store. The fact that the key might be fine now was not at all shocking since I had hit the key a few times trying to get it to work originally and now I’ve put it back in the box and transported it to the store. If the bused piece wasn’t in the way, they key might work fine forever. But knowing it was busted in some way, I wanted it replaced. After some more attempts he finally noticed the problem. He had to fill out some stuff on his computer and find a manger. Then I was given a brand new MacBook and sent on my way.

After getting it home the first thing I did was play with all the keys. I almost asked to do that in the store. The keys were fine so I initiated the migration again and anxiously waited the 3+ hours.

So far the machine has been just fine. I haven’t done anything all that intense. I have hard drive space and flash videos don’t seem as choppy.

My lesson from all of this is that Apple does indeed have solid Tech Support. I may even consider AppleCare for this machine ($199 at Amazon doesn’t seem terrible). My tip for any dealings with them is to have a ticket created. If I wouldn’t have asked for that, I’m not sure it would have been flagged and I’d be waiting to get my new machine for another week or two.

Eaglebank Bowl: Wake Forest vs Navy, Saturday 11am
Evan: These guys already played once this year. I’ve got Wake winning, and I think I had them high on my confidence rankings as well. Pick: Wake
Ahad: Wake
Mike: I haven’t heard of this EagleBank. I also don’t know about a DC bowl game. Plus, 11am? Is that needed on any day except Jan 1st? Originally this was going to be called the Congressional Bowl, but EagleBank saw to that. If I’m looking at the schedules correctly, Wake Forest has played 1 ranked team (#20) and Navy has played 2 (Ball State and Pitt). Wake won their ranked game. Pick: Wake Forest
Matt: Wake has already lost to Navy at home. I am gonna go against you guys and pick Navy to win again. Pick: Navy

New Mexico Bowl: Colorado State vs Fresno State, Saturday 2:30pm
Evan: I don’t even remember hearing a Colorado State score this year, did they even play a season? I do remember the Bulldogs being ranked at one point. Pick: Fresno St
Ahad: Fresno State
Mike: Usually I at least hear about the Colorado/Colorado St game, but I guess that only matters when Colorado is good. Fresno St played a very close game against Wisconsin (losing 13-0). That was when we thought Wisconsin was good. Pick: Fresno State
Matt: I am not sure about this Fresno State team. I thought they were good earlier in the season, but their record doesn’t look all that hot. Colorado State played a lot of close games, especially against some currently ranked teams. Pick: Colorado State

magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl: Memphis vs South Florida, Saturday 4:30pm
Evan: This is the worst name for any bowl this year. Memphis misses two free throws at the end of the game that would have tied it. Pick: USF
Ahad: USF
Mike: Where did magicJack come from? I hear their very bad commercials almost every morning. They fill entire breaks on ESPNews. This is the other new bowl this year, along with EagleBank. It’s about time Florida was given a bowl game. This is an ugly matchup. South Florida went 2-5 in conference. They play in the Big East! So I leaned toward Memphins until I saw they went 4-4 in Conference USA. Still, that 2-5 in the Big East just turns me off. Pick: Memphis
Matt: What is magicJack? I certainly have never heard of it. What kind of business is it? Anyways, I think South Florida is the superior team and it will show in this game. Pick: South Florida

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl: BYU vs Arizona, Saturday 8pm
Evan: BYU had BCS dreams. How do Mormons handle Vegas? The Wildcats will be partying too much, it helps that BYU won’t be at Bally’s the night before. Pick: BYU
Ahad: BYU
Mike: I think Evan made the only point that needs to be made about this game. BYU in Vegas, anything could happen. Luckily they are a lot better than Arizona. Pick: BYU
Matt: This game could easily go either way, but Arizona is just too inconsistent. Pick: BYU

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Southern Miss vs Troy, Sunday 8pm
Evan: Troy?
Ahad: Troy
Mike: I respect R+L Carriers for going with the + instead of the &. Troy lost 4 games this year: Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Louisiana-Monroe, and LSU. That’s quite a schedule. If they schedule like most teams at their level, they likely would have had 2 losses. Pick: Troy
Matt: Troy was not afraid of the bigger schools this year, and they darn near pulled off the upset over LSU. They have also produced several NFL stars like DeMarcus Ware, Osi Umenyiora, and Leodis McKelvin. They must be doing something good at that school. Pick: Troy

Ravens @ Cowboys, Saturday 8:15pm
Evan: I am benching Romo for this game in favor of Matt Ryan. Ravens defense is too stingy. Also, do you think they’re a little pissed off after that Pittsburgh game? Pick: Ravens
Mike: Wow, a good NFL Net matchup? There is a small chance I’ll check out some of this game. How is Pacman back? How many times has he been done for the year? I think the question is if the Cowboys are clicking or if the Giants are just lousy now. The Ravens came so close to OT. Ravens D: good. Flacco: good. Pick: Ravens
Ahad: The Ravens defense is nasty. They will be fired up after that call against the Steelers last week. Romo will spend much of the evening on the ground. Pick: Ravens
Matt: The Ravens defense may be nasty, but the Cowboys defense has played very well over the past 5 weeks or so. They should continue to play well here. As long as Romo has time in the pocket, he should be able to challenge the Ravens secondary. This is also the last game in Texas Stadium (most likely), so the Cowboys have some extra incentive. I say they get it done again this week. Pick: Cowboys

Steelers @ Titans, Sunday 1pm
Evan: A few weeks ago I said I was going to continue picking against the Titans until they lost. Well, that has happened, and I’m still picking against them. Pick: Steelers
Mike: I talked about how I liked the Steelers this year and add to that the Titans looking like they’ve forgotten how to win. My only concern is that it may be too warm in Tennessee for the Steelers. Pick: Steelers
Ahad: The Titans are missing 2 starting d-linemen and the Steelers can stop the run. Pick: Steelers
Matt: I also like the Steelers in this game, and I am not quite sure why. This will be another grind it out game between two tough defenses. The winner likely gets home field throughout the playoffs. Pick: Steelers

Chargers @ Buccaneers, Sunday 1pm
Evan: I know who we are all rooting for here, and I actually think Phillip Rivers will put on a show. The problem is that the Bucs are too good at home. Pick: Tampa
Mike: Bucs at home, I’ve learned my lesson. The Chargers don’t scare me much either. Pick: Buccaneers
Ahad: NFC South at home, enough said. Pick: Tampa
Matt: Oh boy, this is a tough one. The Chargers can still win the division, so they will come ready to play. It is hard to pick against Tampa Bay at home, but they have been faltering of late. Who knows what you will get with the Chargers? If they play like they do in the 4th quarter, they can win this game. I’d like the Chargers to make things interesting going into their final game against Denver. Pick: Chargers

Falcons @ Vikings, Sunday 4:15pm
Evan: I know who we are all rooting for here, and I actually think Matt Ryan will put on a show. The problem (or good thing) is that the Vikings are home, and, well, I’ve just got a feeling. Pick: Minnesota
Mike: Motivating the Vikings: a division crown. Motivating the Falcons: a playoff spot (assuming they would also beat the Rams). The Vikings haven’t decided on Jackson or Frerotte, but that isn’t too concerning. The Pat Williams injury concerns me for the Vikings. I have the opposite feeling of Evan, Matt Ryan will put on a show and lead his team to a victory. Pick: Falcons
Ahad: Who is playing QB for the Vikings this week? Jackson was impressive last week. Peterson runs wild at home. Pick: Vikings
Matt: Pat Williams missing from the lineup will hurt the Vikings some, but they at least still have the other half of the Williams wall. I think Adrian Peterson outplays Michael Turner, and the Vikings defense forces a few turnovers from Matt Ryan. Pick: Vikings

Panthers @ Giants, Sunday 8:15pm
Evan: I feel like this is a marquee matchup that I’m not real excited about watching. I’ve never liked either of these teams. It will kind of be like watching Ohio State and USC play or The Yankees and Astros. Pick: Giants
Mike: I liked the Panthers because they drafted Kerry Collins. They don’t really cross my mind much these days. What is going on with the Giants? The numbers are fairly even in this game. Take away Burress but add it being in NY still leaves it up in the air. I’ve got to lean on the fact that the Giants aren’t playing well. Pick: Panthers
Ahad: The Giants are struggling. The offensive line is banged up and the Panthers are on a roll. The Panthers are the one team from the NFC South that I can see winning on the road. They will rely on the running game to carry them to victory. Pick: Panthers
Matt: The Giants are reeling a little bit, and the Panthers are hot. If the Panthers can get their running game going, it will be good night for the Giants. I think Delhomme will struggle a bit. However, I somehow feel the Giants will pull this one out. Just call it a gut feeling. Pick: Giants

You know me, I’ve been a huge Fall Out Boy fan for many years now. Of course now their average fan is 10 years younger than me. Last night they were on Letterman and their guitars had, umm, lights on them. And they were flashing and blinking during the song. I just thought it looked really, really dumb. I’m not sure how I feel about the new album yet. I’ve only listened once and I Don’t Care has seemed kinda boring to me. They really peaked with Take This To Your Grave. Each subsequent album hasn’t been quite as good as the previous one.

Browns/Eagles
Mike: The game should not have been that close. I don’t mind the trick plays, but having DeSean Jackson passing inside the 5 is not a bright move. Also, remember when the Eagles couldn’t run the 2-minute drill? Reid would bumble the clock and the offense would wind up with no points. Now we seem to be able to march down the field no problem and then wind up throwing a pick or getting a field goal back. Can we have the old Reid back? I’d rather no points than the other team getting 7 and going into the half with momentum. I’m concerned about the Eagles playoff prospects. Winning out guarantees them the 7th spot, ahead of Dallas. To get in the playoffs they need a loss by Tampa Bay or Atlanta. Thanks to that tie their win over Atlanta doesn’t help them out. Atlanta has the best chance to lost, playing in Minnesota this week. St. Louis in the final week shouldn’t be a huge hurdle. Tampa Bay hosts San Diego and Oakland to finish the season. I don’t see much hope in either of them.
Evan: Did anyone else see Samuel toss the ball before he got in the endzone? WTF is going on with this team? You would think that the coaching staff would have made a big enough deal after DeSean’s incident that the ref would have to pry the football out of the player’s hands every time they scored. I agree with Mike on the playoff issue. I was bummed out when I looked at the Falcons and Bucs schedule. Minnesota beating Atlanta is the only realistic option. I believe I said something about the tie coming back to haunt the Eagles a few weeks ago (not that I was the only one).
Ahad: I came away from this game completely unimpressed with the Birds. This game should have been an even bigger blowout. The redzone production was pathetic. The so-called offense balance they have now is a farce. They really only run the ball after the game is in hand. The next two games will be very tough and the Eagles will have to play a lot better if they are going to win out. Right now, they can’t worry about the teams ahead them losing, they just need to take care of themselves and hope things fall in place.

Steelers
Mike: I have a confession to make. I’m liking the Steelers this year. I’m not sure why exactly. Rothelisburger has been playing hurt and managing to win games I didn’t think they had any business being in. My argument in his early years was that he was not an elite QB. He isn’t in the sense of putting up big numbers like your Mannings (of the Peyton variety) or Bradys. He’s good because he wins with an offensive line that doesn’t seem to want to do their job every week. I also like Tomlin. Something always bothered me about Cowher. It helps that, to me, no other individuals really stand out when watching the game. As long as I don’t see too much Parker, Ward, or Polamalu, I’m ok. I think my half watching approach to the games helps that. It seems horrible to enjoy the Steelers, but who else is there in the AFC? I wanted the Bills to do well, I’ve always like them. I would pull for the Titans in the playoffs, but they seem to be running into trouble. No worries about this spreading. I see no redeeming qualities in any of the NFC East teams.
Ahad: I can’t believe you.
Matt: I do feel that the AFC representative in the Super Bowl will either be the Steelers or Colts. The Steelers are riding on some serious luck the past two weeks, and I don’t think that can continue if they wish to get to the Super Bowl. They are gonna have to generate some more offense than they are now. I am also a fan of Tomlin, but I have also always liked Cowher.

Bills
Ahad: How bad have things gotten for this team? They had that game in hand and somehow found a way to lose it at the end. Why on Earth would you stop running the ball at the end of the game? They were controlling the ground game and would have been able to run out the clock before that terrible call for the play action pass that turned into the game winning TD for the Jets.
Matt: Very bad. Very, very bad. Wow, everyone, including us back in September and October thought the Bills would win the division. How times have changed. They have only won one game since then, and I believe that was against the Chiefs. Hopefully, they can finish what they started this year, next year.

Cowboys
Matt: They were able to really dominate the Giants defensively. Their pass rush has really cranked it up a few notches these past few weeks. They need to just keep playing the way they are defensively and get the offense rolling again as they push for the playoffs. I also could not believe TO called out and bashed Ed Werder for his reports last week. Who knows what to believe out there. All I know is that TO needs to shut up and play (and catch the ball when it is thrown to him). And how about that Tashard Choice?

Buccaneers @ Falcons, Sunday 1pm
Ahad: The home team will prevail yet again in the NFC South. Pick: Falcons
Mike: This one looks like a tossup. A Bucs win puts them in a very nice position to make the playoffs, with their last games being at home against the Chargers and Raiders. My concern with this game is that Garcia is questionable. Pick: Falcons
Matt: The home teams won again in their matchups last week. Can the Buccaneers defense turn it around after the beating they took last week? Most likely. Monte Kiffin will have them ready and playing better this week, but I don’t think it will be enough. Pick: Falcons

Bills @ Jets, Sunday 1pm
Ahad: The Bills are taking on a lot of water. This team is nothing like the one from the beginning of the season. The Jets still have a good chance at winning the division. Pick: Jets
Mike: What happened to both of these teams? The Jets took over as AFC East favorites and then lost to the Broncos and 49ers. I think the Jets at least have some life in them, the Bills appear to have given up. Pick: Jets
Matt: The Bills have not been playing that well at all, and they will have J. P. Losman guiding them this weekend I believe. Brett Favre is going to have to start making plays for the Jets. I think he gets it done here. Pick: Jets

Vikings @ Cardinals, Sunday 4:05pm
Ahad: The Cards have the division wrapped up and the Vikings are in desperate need of wins. The Vikings should be able to run the ball against the Cards defense. Peterson carries his team to victory. Pick: Vikings
Mike: The Cardinals have clinched the NFC West, but that isn’t saying much. They have looked out of it the last few weeks. With their playoff berth assured, I don’t see them getting up for this one. Pick: Vikings
Matt: The Cardinals have been pretty good against the run this year, but they haven’t seen a running back like Adrian Peterson. They have also been tough at home, so it’s hard to call this game. Will Tarvaris Jackson be able to make some plays? Hopefully, he won’t have to. The Vikings need the win to maintain their one game lead over the Bears. Pick: Cardinals

Steelers @ Ravens, Sunday 4:15pm
Ahad: This should be a great defensive game. If you are a fan of great offensive games, don’t bother to watch this one. I predict a low-scoring defensive struggle with some violent collisions. This game will come down to which defense is able to force turnovers and possibly put points on the boards. The Ravens have the edge on special teams, and I believe that could be a big factor in the game. Pick: Ravens
Mike: I don’t understand these east coast 4pm kickoffs. It’s cold enough at 1. I’m enjoying watching the Steelers in these cold games though. They seem to me like early in the season it was just too warm for them to play. Pick: Steelers
Matt: The Ravens had this game back in September before the Steelers came back to force overtime and win. Should be another great game between these two teams that have serious hatred towards each other. Should be a lot of good hittin’ and we shall see if this so-called ‘bounty’ on Hines Ward comes to fruition. I actually think the Ravens are more balanced of a team than the Steelers, and that is why I like them. Pick: Ravens

Giants @ Cowboys, Sunday 8:15pm
Ahad: The Giants are angry after the loss to the Eagles and the Cowboys are in turmoil again. Pick: Giants
Mike: I’ve never seen as many items on the Bottom Line than there were for the Cowboys this week. Between TO’s comments about Romo/Witten, Jerry Jones’ comments about Barber, and Pacman’s injury tit took a few minutes to get through them all. Who would have thought the team with the star player who shot himself would be the team with less drama. Pick: Giants
Matt: Yikes, what a week. It is clearly obvious that ESPN and the media love anything having to do with the Cowboys. Even though everyone seems to be downplaying these reports, there must be some truth to it. What is TO’s deal? Maybe if Romo trusted him to secure a catch in a critical situation, then maybe he would throw to him more. Witten is the more consistent and reliable threat. Anyways, should be a close game. Both teams have their injuries and scandal issues. The Cowboys need to find a way to fight through everything going on around the team. They played tough last week, and should have won the game in a hostile environment. If they play with the same intensity and heart, they should take this game. Pick: Cowboys

Eagles
Mike: This team makes my head hurt thinking about them. Are they going to lose to the Browns now on MNF and blow what they’ve done these past 2 weeks? Can we get rid of David Akers yet? He makes a crazy 51-yarder, making me think he may be back to his old self. Only to show his new self by getting a short field goal blocked. As for Fox, why did we have to get the worst team for this game? I would pay a great deal of money for a TV with a Siragusa mute button. And what was with the cameramen following blowing bags and trash? They even missed a play why they were following a bag. Apparently the Fox cameramen haven’t seen wind before. Or they’ve just lost the will to live after having to listen to that broadcasting team.
Evan: I missed the game entirely, which sucks because I was very much looking forward to watching it, especially since I was the only one to actually pick the eagles! I think the Eagles beat the Browns on Monday night, then beat Redskins, then tie the Cowboys. Chaos will ensue and it will be decided that the wild card tiebreaker will be decided by whosever home state had the highest ranked BCS school.
Ahad: I was rooting for the Eagles, but couldn’t pick them so I would “win” either way. I don’t blame Akers for the blocked kicks. There really isn’t much he can do about it if his blocking sucks. This team is poised for a playoff run. It is good that they basically control their own destiny. This way they won’t back into the playoffs, if they make it. The Siragusa mute button is a fantastic idea. I will gladly pay for that.
Matt: I only was able to watch some of this game before I had to depart to the Seahawks game. I thought the Eagles were fit to pull the upset. On a side note, my pre-game sideline pass put me within a couple feet of guys like Bill Belichick and Randy Moss among others. Belichick maintained his smug face as I shouted obscenities at him. I hope the Cowboys-Eagles game at the end of the season is a winner goes to the playoffs game. It would get pretty ugly.

What is the best division in football?
Ahad: I am hearing a lot of love for the NFC South, but I have to do NFC East. Of course I am a little biased. The teams in the South are playing well, but most of these teams do their damage at home. I seriously doubt any of those teams, except maybe Carolina, can go on the road and win in the playoffs.
Matt: I would say the NFC East as well. First off, the NFC East is 3-0 against teams from the NFC South with one to play. The South has compiled many of their wins against the sad sack AFC West (although, the NFC East has played the NFC West, so no difference really). I was very impressed with what Carolina did to Tampa Bay on Monday Night. I feel like they could go into Giants Stadium next week and beat the Giants if they run like they did Monday Night. I just feel that the NFC East teams are better balanced in all phases of the game than the South.

Which team has the biggest beef with the BCS?
Ahad: My vote is Texas Tech. Ohio State does not deserve to be in a BCS bowl game. How do teams that have one loss, or go undefeated like Boise State, get passed over for the big time bowl games? I understand that the rules state that only 2 teams from each conference can make it, but that isn’t right. I don’t even know how much money this drop in bowl games will cost Texas Tech. No wonder Mike Leach is probably going to leave. He knows that he will always finish behind Texas and OU, so why not go to a place where he has a legit shot at going to a big-time bowl game. I think it is about time for the traditional BCS bowl alliances to be put to rest. The Big 10/Pac 10 Rose Bowl has a lot of history behind it, but it is time for a change. A great matchup this year would have been Texas against either USC/Bama or PSU. Texas should have no problem beating OSU. They have nothing to win in this game.
Mike: I’m with Ahad. I think Texas Tech and Boise State deserved a shot over Ohio State. I understand OSU’s losses are to BCS teams, but that shouldn’t put them in over the two teams I mentioned. Actually, just go read Ahad’s thoughts again. I agree with him 100%.
Matt: I am in agreement with Ahad and Mike. No one wants to see Ohio State get crushed on a big stage again. Those other teams deserve a shot. Something really needs to be done, but I don’t think anyone really has a solid plan. I doubt the traditional bowl games will ever go away. The conferences want their money. Good for them, not good for the fans.
Evan: I agree with everything that has already been said. Unfortunately, I don’t think Ohio St is going away. Even if they do get crushed by Texas, the emergence of Pryor will ensure that the Buckeyes continue to get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the voters, which sickens me to the core.

Heisman
Mike: After watching these last few weeks, I can’t come up with a good reason for Tebow not to win his second Heisman.
Matt: I would vote for Tebow as well, but I also think Sam Bradford deserves it. He has had a hand in around the same amount of touchdowns this year that Tebow had last year. But what Tebow has done since the Ole Miss loss has just been simply remarkable. He is the penultimate leader. I found it funny that Gary Danielson, or whoever was broadcasting with Verne Lundquist during the SEC Championship game, asked the same question during the game that Evan asked last week about who you would pick to start a college football team with. No doubt he was thinking Tebow as well.
Ahad: I agree that the Heisman will come down to Tebow and Bradford. You can make a strong case for both to win it. I would not be upset if one of those two won it. I have a feeling that it will be Bradford. There will probably be some very traditional voters that don’t think someone should win the Heisman two years in a row.
Evan: I was jumping up and down when Gary Danielson said the thing about starting a college football team from scratch! I believe my exact words “**** you Gary Danielson! I already said that, but I hope everyone is listening!!” My hope is that McCoy and Bradford split a lot of the midwest/west vote and Tebow is able to sneak in.

Scores from Week 15

Can you think of anyone better for this bit?

Letterman had on the Ball State coach to do this Top 10 last night.