SCOTT JACOBS

So Plaxico Burress apparently shot himself last Friday at some nightclub, when his gun accidentally went off.  I know it’s not funny, but doesn’t a small part of you find it a little humorous how sad and pathetic of a story this guy has become?

In unrelated news, the Giants are on fire, 11-1, and on the verge of clinching the NFC East.  They’ve already exceeded their win total from 2007, the year they uh, won the Super Bowl.  Last year they shocked the world.  This year, well, a lot of people will be shocked if they don’t win it all.

Texas is griping about the BCS.  What’s new?  Nothing.  Interestingly enough there are reports and rumors that even if the Longhorns don’t make it to Miami they can still finish number one in the AP Poll.  Apparently there’s a gigantic gap in the USA Today poll, and the AP Poll.  In the USA Today all voters must put the BCS Championship game winner number one on their final ballot.  Not so for the AP Poll, which has 65 voters who can do whatever the heck they want. In other words, if Oklahoma runs the table and wins it all, and Texas wins their matchup in the Fiesta Bowl, against either Utah or Ohio State, the Horns could feasibly be voted ahead of the Boomer Sooners in the AP Poll.  Round and round we go.

And while we’re at it, does every game really mean something in college football?  That’s the tired line we’ve been fed for a few months now.  That every game is a playoff because of the BCS.  I somewhat disagree.  Tell that to USC (who barely lost to what turns out to be a decent Oregon State team) or Texas (which lost by a hair to Texas Tech on the road).  Every game is big, yes.  But every game is not created equal.  It’s about who you lost to, how they beat you, and when they beat you.  It’s the reason USC isn’t higher in the polls right now.  They were a heavy favorite to beat Oregon State and they lost.  And even though it was super early in the year, and they’ve gone onto destroying everything thrown in their way since, it doesn’t matter.  In fact, I’d argue, that USC may be in the top three right now of the BCS had they lost to the Buckeyes by a field goal at home.  Instead, they whalloped the Bucks and the BCS computers whalloped them a few weeks later after losing in Corvalis.

Other thoughts and bickerings…

My respect for Stephon Marbury dies a little more every day.  In fact, I think I have more respect for Mike Tyson now.  At least he put a giant intimidating tattoo on his head.  Marbury had the gall to tattoo his stupid brand logo on his scalp.  Classless.

I’m sorry but the NFL Network’s coverage of Arizona-Philly last week was beyond overkill.  They relentlessly hit on the same three topics the entire show, which lasted like 2.5 hours!   Donovan McNabb, Kurt Warner, and the Cards chance of clinching the West.  It was really disappointing from a channel that is supposed to be 24/7 football, not 24 hours of reruns.  And the analysis was awful pregame.  When the game did start Bob Papa put me to sleep.  It was the first NFL Network telecast I’ve seen this year on TV, and besides Chris Collinsworth I wasn’t impressed.  Papa has a crazy schedule, but he bores me to tears.  And so did that game, which was well out of hand after Warner and the Cards forgot to show up.

This isn’t super helpful to the good people of Seattle, but the team you lost to Oklahoma City absolutley stinks this year.  By far the worst team in the league, the Thunder recently ended a 14 game losing streak by beating the lowly Grizz.  The Thunder, or Sonic Stealers if it helps you Seattle, improved to a mind blowingly unimpressive 2-16.  But hey, there play matches their look and their owner’s class: very minor league.

But my favorite one has to be this gem:

“I’m really happy to be back in Calgary; I love Canada,” Dallas Stars player Sean Avery said  recently. “I just want to comment on how it’s become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my (former girlfriends). I don’t know what that’s about, but enjoy the game tonight.”

For that he has been suspended indefinetley.

Really?

Furthermore, the Stars are with the decision to suspend Avery indefinitely. Stars owner Tom Hicks said the following:

“I completely support the league’s decision to suspend Sean Avery,” Hicks said in a statement. “Had the league not have suspended him, the Dallas Stars would have. This organization will not tolerate such behavior, especially from a member of our hockey team. We hold our team to a higher standard and will continue to do so.”

In case you’re wondering, I think Avery just became my unofficial personal hero.  Listen to the “ex’s” he’s talking about:

Elisha Cuthbert

Rachel Hunter

And I’m sure there’s more.  And though hockey may not be big anymore, apparently hot famous chicks still dig it.  So hockey’s at least got that going for them.

USC lost to unranked Oregon State 27-21 last night, effectively moving them out of the top two for the time being. You would have thought that after getting past their only test, Ohio State, (and some kind of test that was…), they would be on smooth sailing for a national title appearance.

But when has USC ever sailed through their cakewalk Pac 10 schedule smoothly?

Most years, you have to wait till the end of the season against UCLA for USC to screw up, so, with this early loss, the possibility is open for them to end the season with two losses.

No matter how it ends up, they probably won’t make the national title game. If Oregon losses and if the SEC champ has two losses, and if USC finishes the season with just one loss, yeah, it could happen, but they will probably have to settle for winning the Rose Bowl again.

Only this time, they will play the Big 10 champ, not the runner-up, and Ohio State might be wishing they were the runner-up.

Their combined win margins in the past two Rose Bowls have been 81-35. Their combined yardage margin was 1076-766. (633 of their yards came against Illinois.)

Well, Ohio State, it may only be USC, but I still feel sorry for you. (At least they’re not an SEC team.)

That said, Chris Wells will be back, and Terrelle Pryor has now moved into the position of starting quarterback. Pryor is 21/33 on the season with 4 TDs and 1 INT and 195 rushing yards. Against USC, he was 7/9 for 52 yards passing and gained 40 yards rushing on 11 carries. By the end of the season, his passing will be even better.

Ohio State can win the rematch. It will be a battle to be the best conference champion of a major conference that’s not very good.

East Carolina over the past five years has increased his win total each year:
2003: 1-10
2004: 2-9
2005: 5-6
2006: 7-6
2007: 8-5

And for the past two years they have finished second in Conference USA.

Central Florida won Conference USA last year, and Houston won it the year before.

Ohio State About to Get Whipped By USC?

My man Neil Joshi at The Sports Lounge tells me that Ohio State has looked bad this season, especially against Ohio today.

Ohio State won 26-14, but they were down 14-12 in the fourth quarter. They were 33.5-point favorites.

Ohio State receiver Brian Hartline said, “That was pathetic; it was a pathetic performance.”

Ohio State has traditionally underpreformed against their early-season cream puffs, and Chris Wells sat out this game, but neither of those facts excuses a title favorite from being down to Ohio in the fourth quarter. Neil says they’re going to get beaten badly by USC. I can only hope he’s wrong.

Indiana is 2-0…

My school beat the great Murray State today 45-3.

Marcus Thigpen ran 7 times for 100 yards.

It gave us our fifth straight 2-0 start and fourth straight home victory. All I can say is, great scheduling.