Pitt Redshirt Diaries : ray fittipaldo

We have a winner, even if college football doesn't ...

Dan Gigler — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:52:00 GMT

Though the National Champion won't be decided until tonight, we have a winner in our bowl game pick 'em challenge. Penn State beat writer Ron Musselman has an insurmountable lead on his colleagues, heading into tonight's Florida/Oklahoma tilt. The standings:

Ron Musselman: 17-15
Ray Fittipaldo: 16-17
Chuck Finder: 15-18
Paul Zeise: 12-20

And finally, the picks for tonight ...

———
Thursday, Jan. 8

BCS National Championship: Florida (12-1) vs. Oklahoma (12-1)

FITTIPALDO: OK, time to get serious. Oklahoma is scoring like no other team in NCAA history. Florida has a tough defense and quarterback who refuses to lose. Go with the Gators.

ZEISE: Oklahoma hasn't won a big bowl game in a while and the Sooners won what is regarded -- this year at least -- as the best conference in football. But methinks that the Florida defense is faster, more physical and better than any that the Sooners saw in the Big 12 -- except for Texas and the Longhorns kicked their butts.

MUSSELMAN: Former Heisman winner Tim Tebow vs. recent Heisman winner Sam Bradford. Could be a shootout. I'll take Florida.

FINDER: Almost the exact same Sooners team was routed by a Rich Rodriguez-less West Virginia last January in the Fiesta Bowl, 48-28. Heisman winner Sam Bradford won't handle speed rushers and disguised coverages, especially without tailback DeMarco Murray … again. Watch for Tim Tebow deification to commence during the broadcast. Florida wins.

Bowl picks: Last gasps for respectability

Dan Gigler — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:18:00 GMT

Three bowls left, in what has thus far been a largely forgettable bowl season -- not just in terms of subpar games -- but for our prognosticators. Only Ron Musselman sits at an equitorial .500 with his picks, with Ray Fittipaldo, a half game behind, and Chuck Finder having to go perfect to get to .500 for the season. Paul Zeise is condemned to finishing well below .500, as if covering the Sun Bowl wasn't punishment enough. The standings:

Musselman: 15-15 (Ron didn't pick the Rose Bowl)
Fittipaldo: 15-16
Finder: 14-17
Zeise: 11-19 (Paul didn't pick the Sun Bowl)

———
Monday, Jan. 5

Fiesta Bowl: Texas (11-1) vs. Ohio State (10-2)

FITTIPALDO: Maybe Terrelle Pryor doesn't want to be the next Vince Young. Maybe he ought to settle for being the next Colt McCoy. I'll take Texas.

ZEISE: Texas could have easily been in the national title game but will have to settle for another BCS win over an overrated Big Ten opponent. Ohio State's defense is really good but the offense has a lot of growing up to do before it can scare anyone. Go with Texas.

MUSSELMAN: Colt McCoy adds to the Buckeyes’ recent bowl miseries in a Texas win.

FINDER: You'd figure this is Texas' nyah-nyah, finger-wagging, tongue-sticking-out message to the BCS about leaving the Longhorns out of the championship game. Normally, I'd say the pressure will get to Texas and Jim Tressel wins by playing it close to (sing along now) The Vest. But Colt McCoy is for real, and so is Texas.

———
Tuesday, Jan. 6

GMAC Bowl: Tulsa (10-3) vs. Ball State (12-1)

FITTIPALDO: Yet another game that deserves a late December date is being played in the first week of January. I have but one question: why? The pick is Ball State.

ZEISE: These two teams both had visions of going undefeated but stumbled along the way and then lost in their conference championship game. Still, the MAC West, which is the division the Cardinals won, is stronger than the Conference USA West and Ball State is better on defense.

MUSSELMAN: Tulsa. QB David Johnson could produce some fireworks.

FINDER: Wow, a Tuesday night scorefest. Imagine if David Letterman decided to do his show live from Mobile, Ala. . . . nah. It's Tulsa time.

Rose Bowl picks and the New Year's weekend slate!

Dan Gigler — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 01:57:00 GMT

The greatest day of the year for college football fans is here! THe heck with your New Year's resoluations, today is all about laying around, stuffing your face and watching game after game of glorious gridiron action.

In our ongoing bowl poll, Ron Musselman and Ray Fittipaldo have pulled into a tie for first place, with Chuck Finder nipping at their heels and Paul Zeise bringing up the rear. The standings:

Fittipaldo: 11-11
Musselman: 11-11
Finder: 10-12
Zeise: 8-13 (Paul didn't pick the Pitt game)

Thursday, Jan. 1

Rose Bowl: Southern Cal (11-1) vs. Penn State (11-1)

FITTIPALDO: I covered the last Penn State-USC game. It was at Giants Stadium in some kind of kickoff classic type of game. The Lions had negative yards rushing. They could be in for a similar day against the Trojans' defense. Take USC.

ZEISE: I think it will be fun to watch USC linebacker Ray Malauga (or some spelling close to that) chasing Darryl Clark all around the field but I think anyone who thinks this will be a blow-out is kidding themselves. Penn State wins bowl games -- as does USC -- and the Nittany Lions have the kind of defense and offensive line to match physical with the Trojans. I also think Penn State has more motivation and more to prove as they feel like they are getting overlooked and dissed while USC would rather be anywhere else than playing a home bowl game for the fourth year in a row.

MUSSELMAN: Not picking this game for obvious reasons. I cover Penn State.

FINDER: Pete Carroll resigns once he realizes that Joe Paterno started working at Penn State the year before Pete was born. Oh, but it's a Trojans conquest, because the Nittany Lions haven't played a defense this good. Go with USC.

Everyone talks about JoePa's age, but no one ever tells Hef (also 82) to retire ...

Outback Bowl: Iowa (8-4) vs. South Carolina (7-5)

FITTIPALDO: You're not doing your job on New Year's Eve if you're up early enough to watch this game. Maybe you catch the ending, but definitely nothing before halftime. Iowa wins.

ZEISE: Iowa turned it on down the stretch and showed that Kirk Ference guy can still coach a little bit and smashmouth football is still not a bad way to go. South Carolina, like Georgia and LSU, is always overrated and mostly because the ESPN talent love to wax poetic about the greatness of Steve Spurrier. Unfortunately, Spurrier ain't been great since he left Gainesville and what he's done is taken South Carolina from mediocre to … mediocre. Pick: Iowa.

MUSSELMAN: The Hawkeyes beat the Ol’ Ball Coach, Steve Spurrier. Iowa wins.

FINDER: Offensive genius Steve Spurrier, please pick up a white courtesy phone. . . . This could be a 3-2 final, but Iowa's Shonn Greene will lead the boring victory charge.

Watching Steve Spurrier go ballistic and throw his visor is one of the joys of college football.

Capital One Bowl: Georgia (9-3) vs. Michigan State (9-3)

FITTIPALDO: Better troubled Steelers first round pick, Georgia's Tim Worley or State's Plexico Burress? I'll take Burress. And I'll take Michigan State too.

ZEISE: Georgia was going to win the national championship this year, we were told, over and over and over again all summer long. Of course, three losses later it can't be long before the SEC apologists in the national media start saying that those three losses is a testament to how tough the SEC really is, as opposed to the fact that, well, the Bulldogs just weren't that good. Michigan State is about as exciting as watching paint dry but Mark Dantonio is a great coach who knows how to coach winning football and they will maul the Bulldogs physically in this one.

MUSSELMAN: The Spartans will have to wait another year for a bowl victory. Give me Georgia.

FINDER: These two battled in a high-scoring thriller back when Plaxico Burress was a young gunslinger. Georgia's Knowshon Moreno has more around him than Michigan State's Javon Ringer, maybe even a lot more.

Gator Bowl: Nebraska (8-4) vs. Clemson (7-5)

FITTIPALDO: Can someone please tell me how Clemson gets to play in a New Year's Day bowl game? Or Nebraska for that matter? I'd like to propose a rule. You can only play if a New Year's Day bowl if you're ranked. Go with Nebraska.

ZEISE: Pitt fans, remember the name Bo Pelini? He was one of the finalists for the Pitt job a few years back and in just one year at Nebraska he has the Big Red nation dreaming about national titles again. The Cornhuskers have a ways to go to get back to dominance but they are pretty good already. Clemson should not be in a January 1st game. Heck, given the way their season went they don't deserve to be in a Dec. 1st game. Pick: Nebraska.

MUSSELMAN: This would have been a great matchup 20 years ago, but in its current incarnation, I'll take Nebraska.

FINDER: West Virginia or Pitt probably wish they were here, in warmer, Florida climes. Clemson and its traveling fans introduce interim-turned-head coach Dabo (we're not making that up) Sweeney to what few Americans are watching and wondering, "Man, the Tigers have some talent."

Orange Bowl: Cincinnati (11-2) vs. Virginia Tech (9-4)

FITTIPALDO: Could the Bearcats beat the Bengals? I've got a better question: will anyone watch this game? Take Virginia Tech.

ZEISE: The ACC should thank its lucky stars that the Big East let them borrow Frank Beamer and company because, well, without Virginia Tech, who would win that wretched league on an annual basis? As for Cincinnati, the Bearcats want to prove they belong and they have the defense and the quarterback to do so.

MUSSELMAN: Cincinnati in a BCS game is almost comical. Pick: Virginia Tech.

FINDER: Wait, wasn't there supposed to be a Big East-ACC play-in game to get to a BCS bowl? Two teams that play to their defenses, but Cincinnati has more offense.

The Bearcts are the best football team in Cincinnati -- pro or college.

———
Friday, Jan. 2

Cotton Bowl: Texas Tech (11-1) vs. Mississippi (8-4)

FITTIPALDO: Mississippi is the only team to beat Florida this season. Texas Tech is the only team to beat Texas. What does it all mean? Absolutely nothing. Take Texas Tech in a shootout.

ZEISE: The Red Raiders will throw the ball all over the field but Houston Nutt has the Rebels headed in the right direction. Don't forget, the Rebels are the team that won at Gainesville against Tim Tebow and company while Texas Tech got spanked by Oklahoma. Finally one of those overrated SEC teams gets it right: Mississippi.

MUSSELMAN: The Red Raiders gunning for their first Cotton Bowl win. Take Texas Tech.

FINDER: Graham Harrell and Texas Tech take out their collective angst on Mississippi, 144-0.

Liberty Bowl: Kentucky (6-6) vs. East Carolina (9-4), 5 p.m.

FITTIPALDO: Shouldn't this game be played in late December when no one is watching? I'll take the Pirates to win because I can never say that during baseball season. East Carolina wins.

ZEISE: Kentucky has a coach in waiting in Joker Phillips. A coach in waiting, at Kentucky? Are you serious? Is that a joke...r? Why do you need a coach in waiting when your program is, well, mediocre in its best seasons? As for East Carolina, they are a giant killer as they opened the season with some very big wins over highly ranked opponents. And fortunately for them, Kentucky is neither a giant or highly ranked, or good for that matter.

MUSSELMAN: Coach Skip Holtz’s Pirates will finish back in the Top 25. East Carolina is the pick.

FINDER: After beating ranked Virginia Tech and West Virginia to open the season, wasn't East Carolina destined for greater things than . . . Memphis? Still and all, Pirates skipper Skip Holtz builds his coaching resume with an East Carolina triumph.

Sugar Bowl: Utah (12-0) vs. Alabama (12-1)

FITTIPALDO: Insert Mormons in New Orleans joke here. Roll Tide roll. Alabama is the winner.

ZEISE: Alabama is not very fun to watch but boy the things they do well, like run the football and play defense, they do very well. The Utes are probably the best of the non-BCS teams to have been selected for a BCS game in recent history -- even better than their last edition with Alex Smith, the one that smacked Pitt around the Fiesta Bowl. But I think they are also playing against the best opponent of the lot -- Alabama -- as well.

MUSSELMAN: Making first Sugar Bowl appearance since 1993, when it beat Miami to win its sixth national championship, it'll be a sweet night for Alabama.

FINDER: The ghost of Bear Bryant just won't let Alabama lose in the Sugar. Utah might make a game of it, though.

———

Saturday, Jan. 3

International Bowl: Connecticut (7-5) vs. Buffalo (8-5)

FITTIPALDO: It's not too late to fulfill your dream of playing college football. Call Randy Edsall and tell him you can play quarterback. He'll take you. I'll take Buffalo.

ZEISE: Pitt played 12 games this year and had some very poor play from its quarterbacks, especially down the stretch. Still, the Panthers quarterbacks played like Dan Marino compared to the Huskies mess under center. Buffalo is very well coached and has some very good skill positions and has a lot yet to prove.

MUSSELMAN: Former Nebraska QB Turner Gill has done a great job with the Bulls. Buffalo stampedes.

FINDER: Buffalo's Bills just lost in Toronto. Buffalo's Bulls are on deck at the old SkyDome. Go with UConn.

Sun Bowl picks and the New Year's Eve slate ...

Dan Gigler — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:42:00 GMT

Wow ... what a difference a few days makes. Ron Musselman, who at the start of the week was 1-7 with his bowl picks has rolled off nine straight correct prognostications. Chuck Finder, also a 1-7 cellar dweller at week's start is just behind him going 8-1 so far this week, with Ray Fittipaldo and Paul Zeise falling behind. The standings to date:

Musselman 10-7
Finder 9-8
Fittipaldo 8-9
Zeise 7-10

Onward with the final picks for 2008!

———
Wednesday, Dec. 31

Armed Forces Bowl: Houston (7-5) vs. Air Force (8-4)

FITTIPALDO: I can't believe we're preserving the bowl system for games like these? I'm getting out the hat again...It's Houston!

ZEISE: Houston averaged about 31 points per game -- in their losses, which should tell you about how prolific their offense is. It should also tell you that defenses in Conference USA were putrid. All four of Air Forces losses, though, were to quality opponents -- OK we stretch that term a little bit to include Navy -- and Air Force did win the first meeting between these two teams.

MUSSELMAN: The Falcons won the regular-season meeting, 31-28. Aim High -- Air Force.

FINDER: The same as Navy in Washington, D.C., how could Air Force lose in something called the Armed Forces Bowl?

Sun Bowl: Oregon State (8-4) vs. Pittsburgh (9-3)

FITTIPALDO: I'd love to have been a fly on the wall when Dave Wannstedt called Joe Paterno for advice on how to beat the Beavers.
Wannstedt: Joe, do you have some tape I can borrow?
Paterno: Who is this?
Wannstedt: It's Dave, Dave Wannstedt.
Paterno: Who?
Take Oregon State.

ZEISE: I cannot pick a winner in this game because I have to cover it, but I will predict this: the Panthers will NOT wear their old Script helmets and bright gold and blue uniforms like the last time they played in the Sun Bowl, making at least a few regular contributors to the Pitt Q&A very upset.

MUSSELMAN: At least Penn State didn’t get an unwanted rematch with the Beavers in the Rose Bowl. Take Pitt.

FINDER: The Panthers have a history here. Let's see, in a close game, Pitt rallies to victory … and Paul Hackett gets named head coach?

No script Pitt for you! So says Zeise.

Music City Bowl: Vanderbilt (6-6) vs. Boston College (9-4)

FITTIPALDO: Yes, I can think of better things to do on New Year's Eve. I hope you can, too. I'll go with Boston College, but I won't even watch the highlights.

ZEISE: Boston College is the Rodney Dangerfield of the ACC - no matter what they do, they don't get any respect from the other 11 teams in the conference, all of who consider them nothing more than an annoyance and a long flight every other year or so. Vanderbilt finished strong -- by losing six of seven and hanging on for dear life against powerhouse Kentucky. Nope, there aren't too many teams in bowl games … Pick: Boston College.

MUSSELMAN: Eagles will tune out the Commodores in their hometown of Nashville. Boston College bops to victory.

FINDER: To show the Vandy boys a good time, bowl officials might have to take them outta town. Boston College piles up another victory for an ACC that somehow doesn't come off smelling so badly in the postseason.

Insight Bowl: Kansas (7-5) vs. Minnesota (7-5)

FITTIPALDO: Two programs that evoke images of great bowl games from the past. Ah heck, who am I kidding? You don't need to watch this game either. But if you do, you'll be watching Kansas score and score and score.

ZEISE: Minnesota at one point was considered a legitimate contender for the Big Ten title, which tells you all you need to know about how bad that conference was this year. Kansas scores points and plays in some exciting games and they finished with a win over a good Missouri team.

MUSSELMAN: Beefy Mark Mangino chews up Tim Brewster’s crew. Kansas wins.

FINDER: Yawn. Minnesota went from a one-victory team to a squad that got to a desert bowl game despite losing its final four regular-season games. It's excruciating for a Missouri man to type this, but Kansas wins.

'nuff said.

Chick-fil-A Bowl: LSU (7-5) vs. Georgia Tech (9-3)

FITTIPALDO: Paul Johnson is single-handedly bring the option back into vogue. Maybe he'll be the next coach at Nebraska. I'll go with Georgia Tech.

ZEISE: LSU is annually the most overrated team on the planet. The Tigers were last year -- when they had two losses, couldn't stop anybody, and needed to go for it on fourth down about 340 times to wins games down the stretch -- and they are again this year as they are not very good at all. Georgia Tech ran up and down the field against Georgia -- another one of those annually over rated SEC teams -- which tells me Les Miles will be wondering why he didn't go to Michigan by the end of the night.

MUSSELMAN: I’ve had my fil-A bowl games already and it’s not even New Year’s Day. Georgia Tech wins the "eat-mor-chik'n" bowl.

FINDER: So whom does new coach Paul Johnson thank for a bowl trip just blocks from the Atlanta campus known as The Flats? A better question for this game: If Troy can shred Les Miles' LSU defense, what damage will Georgia Tech wreak?

Who cares about the game? The Waffle Fries at Chick-Fil-A are the bomb.

Bowl picks for Monday & Tuesday; our guys approach .500

Dan Gigler — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 06:52:00 GMT

After getting their collective ears kicked in during the first week of college bowl action, the Radshirt Diaries ace handicappers caught fire over the weekend, pulling into a four-way dead heat and are threatening mediocrity. The standings:

Ray Fittipaldo: 5-7
Paul Zeise: 5-7
Ron Musselman: 5-7
Chuck Finder: 5-7

On with the picks for Monday's & Tuesday's games ...

Monday, Dec. 29

PapaJohns.com Bowl: Rutgers (7-5) vs. North Carolina State (6-6)

FITTIPALDO: Who would win in a fight, N.C. State grad Bill Cowher or Rutgers grad James Gandolfini? C'mon, you really wanted me to analzye the Scarlet Knights and Wolfpack on the football field? I'll take Cowher in the fight, but Rutgers in the bowl game.

ZEISE: There is no way to pick against Rutgers, they have six wins against I-A competition and a loss to Navy, but they are the greatest 7-win team ever and deserve to be in the BCS -- just ask their fans who have yet to figure out that this Johnny-come-lately program is a long way from relevant.

MUSSELMAN: The Scarlet Knights prefer pepperoni pizza. Rutgers dials up a win.

FINDER: A couple of teams on a tear, with NCSU winning four in a row and Rutgers six. But Rutgers is one of the scariest teams in America right now, and the Wolfpack finished last in the lousy ACC's Atlantic Division for a reason -- so Scarlet-hot Rutgers win.

The Redshirt Diaries gents wouldn't dream of picking against Mr. Soprano's alma mater. Not if they enjoy breathing.

Alamo Bowl: Northwestern (9-3) vs. Missouri (9-4)

FITTIPALDO: The Riverwalk and Alamo museum are great. This game is not. Take Missouri.

ZEISE: The good news for Missouri is that they aren't playing against one of those high-tech Big 12 offenses. I also think a few weeks off to regroup will do them some good. Northwestern was surprisingly good this year but that 9-3 is highly suspect when you consider four of those wins came against Southern Illinois, Duke, Syracuse and Ohio, not to mention the fact that the Big Ten stunk this year and they didn't even have to play Penn State.

MUSSELMAN: The Tigers will de-claw the ’Cats. Missouri is the pick.

FINDER: Forget the Alamo. Missouri will give up 30, but score 35.

Remember the Alamo, but forget this game.

———
Tuesday, Dec. 30

Humanitarian Bowl: Nevada (7-5) vs. Maryland (7-5)

FITTIPALDO: The humanitarian in me says don't watch this game. I'll go with Maryland because, well, I have no idea if Nevada is any good.

ZEISE: Three of Nevada's losses came against Boise State, Texas Tech and Missouri which proves that the Wolfpack lose to good teams. Fortunately for them, Maryland does not qualify as a good team. Go with Nevada

MUSSELMAN: The Terps have won three of their last four bowl games. Make it four of five for Maryland.

FINDER: Plenty of good seats remain. Like, tens of thousands. Nevada has some offense, but Maryland's wacky biorhythms say it's time the Terps win, after back-to-back losses.

Human Rights groups might be inclined to protest the awful matchup in the Humanitarian Bowl

Holiday Bowl: Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. Oregon (9-3)

FITTIPALDO: Finally, a game I might watch. I'll go with the Big 12 over the Pac-10. Oklahoma State is the winner.

ZEISE: This should be an exciting game, an offensive shoot-out and hopefully one that will end without either coach screaming "I'm a man, I'm 40...." Either way the difference between Oklahoma State and Oregon's identical record of 9-3 is this -- one was achieved in a strong conference, the other was achieved in the Pac 10.

MUSSELMAN: I can think of better ways to spend my holiday than watching this game. But I'll go with Oregon anyway.

FINDER: The Big O bowl, between two states that probably never knew the other existed. This game could be in the 50s, and pick Cowboys to ... uh, harvest Ducks every time. Oklahoma State wins.

Texas Bowl: Rice (9-3) vs. Western Michigan (9-3)

FITTIPALDO: Back to the bowls I have no interest in watching. Let's go with Western Michigan just for the heck of it.

ZEISE: Rice finished on a six-game winning streak, which is likely as much of a statement of the quality -- or lack there-of -- of their opponents down the stretch as it is a statement about anything the Owls did. Western Michigan had a chance to win the MAC West in the final week of the season but got whacked by Ball State, but they'll prevail in this one.

MUSSELMAN: The Owls could be flying high. They haven’t won 10 games in a season since 1949. Rice rolls like sushi.

FINDER: Rice, like South Florida, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech, get to stay home for their bowl. Man, that's got to hurt. This will be a throw-down between passing teams, but give the nod to Rice, who won six in a row and once scored 77 in a game this season.

Redshirt Diaries bowl picks roll on -- WVU and the weekend action!

Dan Gigler — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 05:00:00 GMT

The bowl season rolls on and thus far, the Redshirt Diaries crew is taking a beating with their picks. The standings so far:

Paul Zeise: 3-5
Ray Fittipaldo: 2-6
Ron Musselman: 1-7
Chuck Finder: 1-7

———
Saturday, Dec. 27

Meineke Bowl: North Carolina (8-4) vs. West Virginia (8-4), 1 p.m.

FITTIPALDO: The Tar Heels are locks to win another national championship in men's basketball in March, so let's give the West Virginia faithful something to cheer about for once this season.

ZEISE: Pat White's last game? Forget about it -- the Tar Heels haven't seen anything like White when he is running at top speed. This should be one of the best games of this day's docket, though looking at the docket, that isn't saying much. West Virginia wins, of course, win or lose Bill Stewart will say he's proud of them.

MUSSELMAN: Formerly the Continental Tire Bowl. Enough said. Go with West Virginia.

FINDER: The last hurrah of Patrick White figures to prominently feature him, and the guy is 3-0 in bowl games after all. The Tar Heels make it interesting, but White goes out a winner with West Virginia.

It's unanimous for West By God Virginia. And if it wasn't, the gents above would want a word with us.

Champs Sports Bowl: Florida State (8-4) vs. Wisconsin (7-5)

FITTIPALDO: Bobby Bowden's kids keep losing jobs. When is 8-4 not good enough for the administration in Tallahassee? I'll go with Florida State.

ZEISE: OK, where do we begin? One team needed every ounce of energy and then some to beat something called Cal-Poly Tech. The other team needed to play two Division I-AA teams in order to get to eight wins. This game could end 3-2 as both offenses stink. Pick: Wisconsin

MUSSELMAN: Bobby Bowden inches closer to Joe Paterno in career victories with a Florida State win.

FINDER: After losing four of five games, the Badgers rallied to win last three in regular season -- including a one-pointer over Cal-Poly (hey, they're good). Clarksburg, W.Va.'s Jimbo Fisher begins his ascent to Florida State head coach with an offensive show and triumph.

Admit it -- you were hoping for a gratuitous shot of Jenn Sterger and the Florida St. cowgirls. Instead you get this goof in a Badgers hat.

Emerald Bowl: California (8-4) vs. Miami (7-5)

FITTIPALDO: If this was an academic bowl the Bears would win by shutout. What ever happened to the U anyway? I'll take the Fightin' Jeff Tedfords. Cal wins.

ZEISE: The "U" is now more like the "L," as in the Hurricanes lose a lot more than they ever have before. Meanwhile, every year California is 'supposed' to finally take the world by storm, win the Pac-10 and show USC who is boss out there and yet, at the end of every year they seem to be just another eight or nine win team heading to a mid-level bowl game with plenty of regrets. Pick: California.

MUSSELMAN: The Golden Bears’ campus is 13 miles from AT&T Park. California wins.

FINDER: Which conference stinks less, the Bears' Pac-10 or the Hurricanes' Atlantic Coast? In this case, Cal will be less aromatic, thanks to Miami's leaky defense.

Once again, you're hoping for Miami co-eds. Fail! Oskie the Bear must suffice.

———
Sunday, Dec. 28

Independence Bowl: Louisiana Tech (7-5) vs. Northern Illinois (6-6)

FITTIPALDO: I gotta be honest. I can't name a player on either team. So let's pick a team out of a hat ... It's Northern Illinois.

ZEISE: Northern Illinois is another one of those 6-6 teams we love but in their (rather weak) defense, the MAC West was very strong this year and they are a little better than their record. Louisiana Tech lost to Army. 'Nuff said. Pick: Northern Illinois.

MUSSELMAN: This very well could be renamed the Boring Bowl. Take Louisiana Tech.

FINDER: If anybody puts a wager on this game, report directly to rehab -- and take Amy Winehouse with you. Louisiana Tech is my pick, only because Terry Bradshaw went there and I like Coach Derek Dooley, whom I knew when he helped out his dad at Georgia, Vince.

Don't be fooled: Lousiana Tech also gave us Troy Edwards

Redshirt Diaries Bowl Game Picks! Christmas week games ...

Dan Gigler — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:00:00 GMT

The first weekend of bowls are in the books and the Redshirt Diaries gentlemen are off to a rather in auspicious start. The guys took a beating, but the standings thus far have Paul Zeise and Ray Fittipaldo tied for first place and Ron Musselman and Chuck Finder tied for last. This week though, the quality of the bowl games picks up a little, and hopefully too, the quality of our prognosticators' picks. The standings thus far:

Fittipaldo: 2-3
Zeise: 2-3
Musselman: 1-4
Finder: 1-4

———

Tuesday, Dec. 23

Poinsettia Bowl: Boise State (12-0) vs. TCU (10-2), 8 p.m.

FITTIPALDO: Pop quiz: which Steeler from the 1980s went to Boise State? That's right, No. 22 Rick Woods. By the way, who was the better Steelers DB of the '80s, Woods or Lupe Sanchez? While you ponder that, I'll pick Boise State to finish the season unbeaten.

ZEISE: TCU has a great, great defense and has played two BCS teams, Utah and Oklahoma, and lost them both but were competitive in both. Boise State has played, well, they did play, and uh, there was that win over, umm … an Oregon team going through some quarterback issues? Take TCU.

MUSSELMAN: Don’t expect a flowery finish. Pick: Boise State.

FINDER: Believe it or not, this may be the most intriguing bowl before New Year's. TCU's defense vs. the Broncos' offense is key, and Boise State's bowl experience puts it over the top here.

Over/under on the number of times this moment in Boise State athletics is referenced: 722

———

Wednesday, Dec. 24

Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii (7-6) vs. Notre Dame (6-6), 8 p.m.

FITTIPALDO: Which would please you more? Charlie Weis coaching the once proud Fighitng Irish to another losing season or Bill Belichick and the Patriots not making the playoffs? Here's hoping both happen. Hawaii wins.

ZEISE: Let's see if I get this correctly? Notre Dame stunk too bad to take the bowl games from other teams in other conferences -- so they get punished by being sent to Hawaii? The Rainbow Warriors aren't great, but they aren't ten hours and four time zones away from home either and frankly, it doesn't take "great" to beat Notre Dame. Heck for that matter, it doesn't even take "slightly less than mediocre" to beat Notre Dame. Hawaii wins but the game will be so close that Notre Dame administration will give Charlie Weis another ten-year extension to make sure they don't lose him.....

MUSSELMAN: Irish riding NCAA-record nine-game bowl losing streak. It continues. Hawaii is the pick.

FINDER: Fear, fear, for Old Notre Dame. … If Charlie Weis' offense fails to keep up with the Rainbow Warriors' points, will Irish fans try to push him off Diamond Head? Take Hawaii.

Would you like to see this man shirtless and in a grass skirt? Us neither.

———

Friday, Dec. 26

Motor City Bowl: Florida Atlantic (6-6) vs. Central Michigan (8-4), 7:30 p.m.

FITTIPALDO: Wonder if Howard Schnellenberger had his team vote on whether to accept this bowl bid. Would you rather spend the day after Christmas in West Palm Beach or Detroit? OK, the wise old coach didn't have a vote, but maybe he should have. Central Michigan wins.

ZEISE: The Chippewas are in this game because they had an outstanding season (by MAC team standards) and because they deserved the postseason. Florida Atlantic is in this game because there are too many bowls and not enough quality teams to fill all the spots and, well, someone had to fill this spot. Pick: Central Michigan.

MUSSELMAN: The day after Christmas in Detroit. Yuck. At least Central Michigan will feel at home.

FINDER: Former West Virginia assistant Butch Jones cannot lose in his own state of Michigan. Not to a bunch of Owls who lost to Texas, Michigan State and Minnesota earlier by a combined 103 points. Go with Central Michigan.

The Motor City Bowl winner replaces the Lions as the city's NFL franchise; losers can't leave town until they design a fuel-efficient and marketable car for GM.

Redshirt Diaries Bowl Game Picks! First weekend ...

Dan Gigler — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 05:00:00 GMT

All season The Redshirt Diaries platoon has done their daggum best to bring you the inside and out of NCAA college football ... now bowl season is upon us and these same gents aim to put their money where their mouths are -- some big mouths indeed. We present to you the first installment of the 2008-09 Redshirt Diaries Bowl Game picks! We'll start with this weekend's action and update it each time there is a bowl game (which is saying a lot, as it seems they play a mole of them) and keep a running tally along the way of how the guys are doing. Starting off with a bunch of games that you'll only have interest in if:

1. You're an alumnus of one of these schools.

2. There is absolutely nothing else on TV.

3. You have a gambling problem as severe as Phillip Seymour Hoffman's character in Owning Mahoney.

Onward! ...

Saturday, Dec. 20

EagleBank Bowl: Navy (8-4) vs. Wake Forest (7-5)

FITTIPALDO: Two strikes against this bowl game. No. 1, I've never heard of it. No. 2, it's a rematch of a game that took place in September. Navy won that one at Wake, so I'll take the Midshipmen to win again. Go with Navy.

ZEISE: Wake Forest committed like 198 turnovers in the first game between these two teams earlier this year -- and still lost by only seven points. By the same token Navy is a much better team now then they were back then as it seems like they have the quarterback position settled.

MUSSELMAN: Navy. This ship soars like an Eagle.

FINDER: Demon Deacons lost to Navy at home in September. Navy quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada (yeah, Ii looked it up), who was ailing that game and soon after nearly retired from injuries, is back after shredding Army. Navy wins in Washington, D.C. How could it not?

New Mexico Bowl: Colorado State (6-6) vs. Fresno State (7-5)

FITTIPALDO: Are Joey Porter and Clark Haggans eligible to play in this game? No? OK, I'll take Fresno State.

Mr. Peezy is not eligible for this game.

ZEISE: Fresno State coach Pat Hill will play anybody anywhere. I guess that includes going to New Mexico to play a very mediocre team in a game that nobody outside of fans of either team -- and most of them don't care either. But hey, Fresno beat Rutgers, who we're told is the best 7-5 team in the history of college football by the few delusional looney tunes who actually admit to being Scarlet Knights fans, so that must mean something: Pick: Fresno State.

MUSSELMAN: Fresno State. Bulldogs prove to be Ram tough.

FINDER: Ol' FSU started September 3-1 with victories over Rutgers and UCLA but a 3-point loss to Wisconsin. Those Bulldogs with the green V on the back of their helmets earn a Victory against their old Western Athletic Conference rival CSU, which headed for the Mountain West a decade ago. Pick: Fresno State.

St. Petersburg (Fla.) Bowl: South Florida (7-5) vs. Memphis (6-6)

FITTIPALDO: Wow. Another bowl game where the teams are a combined one game over .500. Memphis will jump out to a big lead and then South Florida will win it late with a miraculous comeback. John Calipari makes a special appearance on the Memphis sidelines.

ZEISE: No team in the country has underachieved more than South Florida. Of course, no team is dumber than the Bulls either and no team has a quarterback more prone to making boneheaded plays than Matt "the killer turnover" Grothe. Still, you'd have to think that since South Florida is playing this close to home against a bad Conference USA team, they'll be able to overcome Grothe's weekly abundance of costly interceptions and/or fumbles as well as the Bulls costly penalties and mistakes.

MUSSELMAN: No brainer. Tropicana Field down the road from USF campus. South Florida wins.

FINDER: Lucky USF gets to travel 20 whole miles for their bowl. They need luck, having lost five of their past seven. Memphis went 3-4 in games decided by a touchdown or less -- so this will be ugly and close, but Big East's Bulls prevail. Pick: South Florida.

Las Vegas Bowl: BYU (10-2) vs. Arizona (7-5), 8 p.m.

A weekend in Vegas ... what could go wrong?

FITTIPALDO: Insert Mormons in Vegas joke here. I'll take the over and Arizona.

ZEISE: I'm sure that the chamber of commerce in "Sin City" is overjoyed to have 20,000 Mormons coming to town. That should be a big boost to the local economy as they will no doubt frequent the casinos, bordellos and other carnal outlets which are so much in abundance here. Or not … As for the game, the good thing about being Mike Stoops is he doesn't have to hear about being a choker in big games like his brother Bob does at Oklahoma. Of course, that's mostly because his teams never play in relevant games for him to lose. Pick: BYU

MUSSELMAN: The Cougars are a good bet to win. Pick: BYU.

FINDER: Imagine that juxtaposition: the Mormon school in Vegas, baby. It'll be a shootout, and BYU has more scoring power.

———
Sunday, Dec. 21

New Orleans Bowl: Troy (8-4) vs. Southern Mississippi (6-6), 8 p.m.

FITTIPALDO: Brett Favre is the most famous alumnus from Southern Miss. Troy's most famous alumnus is former Pirates and Mets catcher Mackey Sasser...Still waiting for my pick? Sorry, double clutching, double clutching, double clutching ...Troy wins. Whew!

ZEISE: Troy was the best of the Sun Belt teams. Which is sort of like saying you are the best of the really bad sitcoms that pass themselves off as solid prime time network television these days. Where have you gone, oh Cheers, oh Cosby, oh MASH ... OK, why I am talking about television -- who the heck wants to talk about this stink bomb of a game? Pick: Southern Mississippi.

MUSSELMAN: These aren’t the real Men of Troy, USC is. But Troy wins anyway.

FINDER: Southern Miss has won four in a row after losing back-to-back games by less than a touchdown each. Troy? A not bad movie by my former fellow Missouri student (who never did graduate the School of Journalism) Brad Pitt. Take Troy.

Mr & Mrs. Finder ... err -- Smith ...

Five national games to watch

Ray Fittipaldo — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:41:00 GMT

No. 15 BYU at Washington, 3;10 p.m. -- The first of two non-conference tests against teams from the Pac-10 for the Cougars. Next week, the Cougars play UCLA. This game figures to be the easier of the two. Washington is still rebuilding under Tyrone Willinghman. The Huskies got hammered in their opener last week, losing to Oregon, 44-10.

San Diego State at Notre Dame, 3:45 p.m. -- Notre Dame opens its season at home a week after most of the major-college teams. The Irish are supposed to be much-improved and should get off to a good start against SDSU, which is weak on defense. The Aztecs lost their opener last week to Cal Poly, 29-27.

No. 17 South Florida at Central Florida, 7:00 p.m. -- Pitt was the team that was supposed to challnge West Virginia for supremacy in the Big East. But with the Panthers losing to Bowling Green in the opener, South Florida looks to be the next in line to challenge. The Bulls travel the short distance from Tampa to Orlando for a showdown with the defenidng Conference USA champs. This will be a good gauge for coach Jim Leavitt's club.

Miami at No. 5 Florida, 8:00 p.m. -- The old U vs. the new U. Miami used to be 'the U' until Florida receiver Louis Murphy this week said the Gators should have that distinction now that the Hurricanes are in a constant state of rebuilding. Randy Shannon needs to start winning some games. Winning at Gainesville would certainly provide a boost for his stagnant program.

No. 12 Texas Tech vs. Nevada, 9:05 p.m. -- Don't sleep on the Wolf Pack. They were 6-7 last season and lost by a combined 12 points to the top three teams in the WAC -- Hawaii, Fresno State and Boise State. The high-powered Red Raiders could have a field day with the Nevada defense, though. The Wolf Pack surrendered 28 or more points on six occasions in '07.

Top 25 breakdown

Ray Fittipaldo — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:48:00 GMT

Apparently, Georgia didn’t beat Georgia Southern bad enough in Week 1. At least, that’s what the voters in the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll thought.

USC is now the No. 1 team in both polls after throttling Virginia, 52-7. Georgia beat Division I-AA Georgia Southern, 45-21. All but seven of those Georgia Southern points came in the fourth quarter.

USC picked up nine more first-place votes this week than in the preseason poll, which put the Trojans ahead of the Bulldogs. Maybe USC is the best team in the country, but I don’t see how one week of a 12-game season changed that many minds.

Moving on...

To absolutely no one’s surprise, Pitt fell out of the poll this week after losing at home to Bolwing Green. Pitt fans can only hope that it doesn’t take another three years for the Panthers to get ranked again.

Before being ranked No. 25 in the preseason poll this year, the previous time Pitt held a ranking in the AP poll was the preseason of 2005. The Panthers also lost the season opener at Heinz Field that year, to Notre Dame, 42-21.

If the Bowling Green game was any indication, the Panthers will be hard-pressed to crack the rankings again this year.

But Pitt wasn’t the only ranked team to fall flat in the opener. Pitt was one of five ranked teams to lose in the opening week. Clemson, Illinois, Tennessee and Virginia Tech also lost. All but Illinois fell out of the rankings.

Pitt was the only one of those five to lose at home.

Here is the new AP top 25 followed by my ballot:

1. USC

2. Georgia

3. Ohio State

4. Oklahoma

5. Florida

6. Missouri

7. LSU

8. West Virginia

9. Auburn

10. Texas

11. Wisconsin

12. Texas Tech

13. Alabama

14. Kansas

15. Arizona State

16. BYU

17. South Florida

18. Oregon

19. Penn State

20. Wake Forest

21. Fresno State

22. Utah

23. UCLA

24. Illinois

25. South Carolina

My ballot:

1. Georgia

2. USC

3. Ohio State

4. Missouri

5. Florida

6. Oklahoma

7. LSU

8. Auburn

9. West Virginia

10. Texas

11. Kansas

12. Wisconsin

13. Alabama

14. Arizona State

15. Penn State

16. Texas Tech

17. Wake Forest

18. BYU

19. Oregon

20. Illinois

21. South Carolina

22. Boise State

23. Fresno State

24. South Florida

25. East Carolina

First week analysis: The ACC stinks and the Big East isn’t much better. Whatever became of the notion that the ACC would develop into a superconference after raiding the Big East. Well, it’s five years after the raid and the ACC is the worst of the six Bowl Championship Series conferences.

Want proof?

Clemson, the highest ranked team in the conference at No. 9 in the preseason poll, was non-competitive in a 34-10 loss to No. 24 Alabama in a game that was played at a neutral site.

Virginia Tech, ranked No. 17 entering its opener, lost to East Carolina, 27-22, at a neutral site.

USC went to Charlottsville and blitzed the Cavaliers, 52-7.

In a conference with Miami and Florida State, Wake Forest is carrying the banner for the ACC. That ought to tell you how bad the league is.

The Big East didn’t have it much better Week 1. In addition to the Pitt losing, Syracuse lost to Northwestern, Louisville fell to Kentucky and Rutgers lost to Fresno State.

At the moment, West Virginia and South Florida look to be the only teams worthy of being mentioned among the nation’s elite. And I still have to be convinced that the Bulls can duplicate their success from last season.

New on my ballot: Fresno State, South Florida and East Carolina.

Fresno State --The Bulldogs traveled cross-country and beat Rutgers on its home field. Now they’ll rest for a week and await a visit from Wisconsin Sept. 13.

South Florida -- South Florida was close to being on my ballot in the preseason. With Pitt losing and the Bulls taking care of business against Tennessee-Martin, I slotted them in at No. 24.

East Carolina -- The Pirates beat Virginia Tech in Charlotte and hope to use that momentum in the biggest game in Greenville this century. They play host to West Virginia this week.

On the cusp of my ballot:

Utah -- The Utes went to the Big House and beat Michigan. Had Appalachian State not done the same thing a year ago, I would have ranked Utah. Since Michigan isn’t Michigan anymore, I’ll take a wait-and-see approach with the Utes.

UCLA -- Yes, the Bruins beat a ranked team from the SEC, but their performance was less than dominating. QB Kevin Craft was intercepted four times in the first half and the Bruins had just 29 yards rushing for the game. They’ll get a chance to prove they’re for real Sept. 13 at BYU.

Bowling Green -- While it was impressive that the Falcons came to Pitt and won, I still can’t get over the fact that they lost to Tulsa, 63-7, in the GMAC Bowl last year. Plus, the Falcons can prove they deserve to be ranked by beating Minnesota at home this week or by winning at Boise State the following week.