FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6:
11 A.M. Central -- Class 1A Championship
(35) Raceland (10-4) v. (33) Sayre (14-0)
3 P.M. Central -- Class 2A Championship
(20) Owensboro Catholic (14-0) v. (18) Beechwood (13-1)
7 P.M. Central -- Class 4A Championship
(4) Franklin Co. (13-0) v. (7) Paducah Tilghman (14-0)
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7:
11 A.M. Central -- Class 3A Championship
(9) Christian Academy - Louisville (11-3) v. (26) Union Co. (12-2)
3 P.M. Central -- Class 6A Championship
(2) Ryle (12-2) v. (3) Lou. Trinity (12-2)
7 P.M. Central -- Class 5A Championship
(1) Cooper (14-0) v. (11) Bowling Green (12-2)
Based on the rankings, this is a very strong collection of games, with Christian Academy-Louisville and Cooper as the only clear favorites.
It seems clear that if Cooper wins their championship, they will finish the season as the Number One team in the Commonwealth. But if Bowling Green pulls off the upset, then the Number One ranking will likely go to either Ryle or Trinity, depending on who wins that game.
With 9:43 left in the 2d quarter, Sayre leads Raceland 7-6.
ReplyDeleteA Raceland interception sets up a field goal, and the Raceland Rams lead the Sayre Spartans 9-7 with 5:22 left in the 2d quarter.
ReplyDeleteSayre strikes back: the Spartans lead 14-9 with 25 seconds left in the 2d quarter.
ReplyDeleteSayre 14, Raceland 9 (Halftime)
ReplyDeleteIn a thriller, Sayre defeats Raceland 27 to 22 to win the 1A State title.
ReplyDeleteIn the 2A Final, Beechwood rolls over Owensboro Catholic 50 to 34. Beechwood wins its 18th state championship in football.
ReplyDeleteOK, Tilghman is up next. Tilghman has won three state championships in football. They won the 2A Championship in 1973, and the 3A Championship in 1985 and 2009.
ReplyDeleteLast year, Tilghman lost to Cov. Catholic in the 4A final: 22 to 14.
ReplyDeleteIt is currently 25 degrees in Lexington, Kentucky.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite things about the high school football season in Kentucky is how it begins in great heat, but ends in the cold.
ReplyDeleteBeechwood has won its last seven state title games. Either Beechwood or Mayfield has won a state championship in 13 of the last 14 years.
ReplyDeleteIt's 26 degrees in Michie Stadium in West Point, New York for the American Athletic Championship, and Army has a 7-0 lead over Tulane with 3:48 left in the first quarter.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many times, in the history of Tulane football, that the Green Wave have played in 26 degree temperatures.
ReplyDeleteWith 10 minutes left in the second quarter, Army leads 14-0. Army is wearing black helmets with no logo, black jerseys with gold numerals in stencil format, and black pants. Tulane is wearing dark green helmets with the Green Wave logo, white jerseys with dark green numerals, and dark green pants.
ReplyDeleteArmy gets a fumble, but turns the ball over on downs at the Tulane 4. Then Army gets an interception, and this time they drive it in to take a 21-0 lead. But Tulane drives the length of the field to make the score 21-7 at the half.
ReplyDeleteArmy takes the opening kickoff of the second half and drives the length of the field to go up 28-7. Then the Cadets stop Tulane on 4th and 8 from the Army 16. With 2:13 left in the 3d quarter, Army leads 28-7.
ReplyDeleteTILGHMAN WINS THE 4A STATE TITLE, BEATING FRANKLIN COUNTY 27 TO 20!
ReplyDeleteIt is Tilghman's first State Championship since 2009, and completes Tilghman's first undefeated season since 1973.
ReplyDeleteMy late brother appears in the official team picture for the 1972 undefeated state champions.
DeleteMeanwhile, Army is going to win the American Athletic Championship. They have been too much for Tulane all night, and they lead 35-7 with 6:15 left in the game.
ReplyDeleteArmy will be 11-1 going into next week's game against Navy, who went 8-3. There will be great rejoicing at Commanders Park in the D.C. suburbs. The Army-Navy game doesn't come to the D.C. area very often, but no town loves the military as much as Washington, D.C., and the stands will be packed with very happy Army and Navy fans. What a year they have had!
ReplyDeleteTilghman QB Jack James is now the KHSAA all-time career leader in passing attempts, completions, yardage, and touchdowns. He has committed to play at Troy University next season.
ReplyDeleteMatthew's dude, Lone Oak's Corey Robinson, starred as Troy's quarterback 10 or 12 years ago.
DeleteArmy wins the American Championship, 35 to 14.
ReplyDeleteIn the Big XII Championship, Arizona State leads Iowa State 24 to 10.
ReplyDeleteAt the half.
DeleteIn the 3A Final, CAL led Union County 28-0 at the half, but the score is now 28-14 in favor of CAL with 1:17 left in the 3d quarter.
ReplyDeleteBoise State won the Mountain West Championship last night, and for reasons I don't understand that means Boise will have the number-4 seed in the playoffs.
ReplyDeleteThe current seeds for the College Football Playoff look like this. Remember that the top four conference champions get the top four seeds:
ReplyDelete1. Oregon (projected Big 10 champ)
2. Texas (projected SEC champ)
3. Southern Methodist (projected ACC champ)
4. Boise St. (Mountain West champ)
5. Penn St.
6. Notre Dame
7. Georgia
8. Ohio St.
9. Tennessee
10. Indiana
11. Alabama
12. Arizona St. (projected Big XII champ)
The top five conference champions get in, regardless of seeding, which is why Arizona State is projected to be in with a win. However, because Arizona State is not projected to be one of the four highest-ranked conference champions, it does not get one of the top four seeds.
Army is a conference champion -- but is not one of the top five conference champions. Also, Army is not seeded high enough to get in on its own. So Army will not be in the playoff.
Today we have the following games:
ReplyDeleteBig XII Championship: Arizona St. v. Iowa St.
SEC Championship: Texas v. Georgia
ACC Championship: S.M.U. v. Clemson
Big Ten Championship: Oregon v. Penn St.
The Big XII Championship seems pretty straightforward -- whoever wins that game will probably be the fifth-strongest Conference Champ and will take the number 12 seed.
ReplyDeleteBut the other games open the possibility of chaos. Remember that each of those conference champions will get one of the top four seeds, but we won't know which ones they'll get until we can compare all the conference champions to each other.
ReplyDeleteFor example, if Clemson beats S.M.U., would Clemson rank ahead of the Big XII champ? Would it rank ahead of Boise State? It's hard to say at this point.
ReplyDeleteAlso, what happens to Alabama? Right now, S.M.U. is ranked as the 8th best team, while Alabama is 11. If S.M.U. wins, it takes the number-three seed as the third-highest conference champion. But if S.M.U. loses, it can no longer get it as a conference champion. Would it fall below Alabama and miss the playoff altogether? Or would it stay above Alabama and thereby eliminate the Tide? It's hard to know.
ReplyDeleteNow all of this seems fairly crazy. Why can't they just seed the top 12 teams, and not worry about the conference championships? My guess is that eventually, that's what they will end up doing. In the meantime, we have some really strange results. On the one hand, it is apparently impossible for Notre Dame to be a top-4 seed, as Notre Dame can never be a conference champion. But on the other hand, the number-5 seed gets a home game against the number-12 seed and then gets to play the number-4 seed, which will probably be Boise State. So the 5-seed probably has an easier path to the semi-finals than the 3 or 2 seeds. Over time, these anomalies will drive everyone crazy and push the NCAA toward simply seeding the teams regardless of conference titles. But for this year, we have this system.
ReplyDeleteWith 4:05 left in the fourth quarter, Christian Academy-Louisville leads Union County 35 to 21.
ReplyDeleteAs for Army, they had their playoff game a few weeks ago. On November 23, they played Notre Dame in the Bronx on national television. That was their big chance, and they were beaten 49 to 14. So they have no room to complain.
ReplyDeleteArizona State scores to go up 31-10 halfway through the third quarter, and it seems clear that the Sun Devils are going to the playoff. Iowa State's loss means that no one from the Classic Big 8 will make the playoff.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, it seems clear that the Classic Pac 10 will have two teams in the playoff: Oregon and Arizona State.
ReplyDeleteAmerican Top 40 reports that this week in 1977, "You Light Up My Life" was the number one song for the eighth week in a row.
ReplyDeleteThe Centurions of Christian Academy-Louisville were too much for the Braves of Union County. CAL wins 42 to 21, and the Centurions win the 3A title for the third year in a row.
ReplyDeleteDang.
DeleteSo here are our champions so far:
ReplyDelete1A: Sayre
2A: Beechwood
3A: Christian Academy-Louisville
4A: Paducah Tilghman
Now only the Big Schools are left.
Rick Pitino and the St. John's Redmen pound Kansas State 88 to 71. The Redmen are now 7-2 on the season and up to number 15 on Ken Pomeroy.
ReplyDeleteFor Ken Pom, the college basketball game of the day is in Seattle, where at 9 P.M. Central Gonzaga (ranked number 4 on K-Pom) will face Kentucky (ranked number 11 on K-Pom). Pomeroy has the Zags winning 86 to 80.
ReplyDeleteTwo years ago, UK went west to play Gonzaga and were humiliated: 88 to 72.
DeleteLast year, the Zags rolled into Rupp Arena and came away with an 89-85 victory
DeleteMeanwhile, I am listening to a disc from the Eugene Ormandy Legacy collection, a box set with 120 discs recorded by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra during the mono era. (Later box sets cover the discs they recorded in stereo). This is great stuff -- I am currently listening to a disc that features Pictures at an Exhibition and The Firebird Suite.
ReplyDeleteThe box sets of great mid-century classical music recordings are one of the best things about life in the 2020's. In the 1980's, you could spend hours and hours going through used record bins trying to put together a decent collection of classical music -- and even then, about half the records would be scratched up. Now, you can go on Amazon and buy some of the greatest recordings of all time -- on CD, with crystal-clear mixes -- for less than 3 dollars per disc.
ReplyDeleteI think every American should be exposed to classical music at a young age, before your tastes are really formed. At that age, your mind is open enough to give the music a chance, and certain pieces will stay with you for the rest of your life. You can learn which artists speak to you and which ones don't. And you get be exposed to the rich artistic heritage of places like Germany, Austria, and Russia, which otherwise don't get much attention in our culture.
ReplyDeleteIn the Battle of the Erics, Western goes into Evansville and pounds the Purple Aces in men's basketball, 79 to 65. The Hilltoppers are now 5-3 on the year, they have won five of their last six, and they are up to 112 on Ken Pom.
ReplyDeleteYeah! That's me over my older brother there.
DeleteIn the 6A Championship, Ryle leads Trinity 14-0 with 8:56 left in the 2d quarter.
ReplyDeleteArizona State won the Big XII title 45 to 19 over Iowa State, and the Sun Devils will be dancing.
ReplyDeleteWith 2:46 left in the 1st quarter, Texas leads Georgia 3-0.
ReplyDeleteFOOTBALL!
ReplyDeleteMatt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio took advantage of UK's trip to Seattle to visit the state of Oregon. That means he has now been to all 50 states.
ReplyDeleteI saw that, and I am happy for him. I still need Alaska and Hawai'i.
DeleteTrinity scores, and Ryle's lead is now 14-7 with 5:08 left in the 2d quarter.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I've been to 38 states. Here are the ones I am missing: HI, IA, KS, MN, MT, NE, NV, NM, ND, OR, SD, and WY.
ReplyDeleteWith 10:22 left in the 2d quarter, Texas kicks a field goal to go up 6-0.
ReplyDeleteWith 6:32 left in the first half, Texas leads Georgia 6-3. At halftime, Ryle and Trinity are tied at 14.
ReplyDeleteWith 4:36 left in the first half, Texas appeared to go up 9-3, but their field goal was called back for a false start. The Texas kicker then missed the next kick. So UT's lead is still 6-3.
ReplyDeleteFor the second week in a row, the Texas defense is manhandling its opponent. Georgia has only 69 yards of offense, compared to 260 for the Longhorns. But Texas leads by only 6-3 at the half, and UGA has been a second half team for much of the year.
ReplyDeleteWith 4:17 left in the third quarter, Ryle kicks a 39-yard field goal to go up 17-14 over Trinity.
ReplyDeleteNo team has ever won the SEC Championship Game without scoring at least 21 points.
ReplyDeleteTrinity strikes back with a long TD pass, and the Shamrocks lead 21-17 with 1:26 left in the third quarter.
ReplyDeleteOne of my daughter's first new school friends at WKU went to Trinity, and one of my first new school friends at WKU went to Trinity. That dude now has a daughter who cheers for Trinity, so, taking all of this together, I was rooting for Trinity in this game.
DeleteGeorgia is 4-7 in the SEC championship game. Texas, of course, is 0-0.
ReplyDeleteGeorgia's quarterback was hurt on the last play of the first half, so the Dawgs take the kickoff for the second half and turn the ball over to Gunner Stockton, their backup QB who is from Tiger, Ga. Stockton, a redshirt sophomore who attended Rabun Co. H.S., drives the Dawgs straight down the field for a touchdown. Texas dominated the first half and knocked UGA's quarterback out of the game, but they now trail 10-6 with 10:27 left in the 3d quarter.
ReplyDeleteTrinity leads 35-17 with 3:26 left, and the Shamrocks are going to win their 29th state title. The only question left is whether Trinity or Cooper will finish the year ranked Number One in the Commonwealth. Trinity has made their statement, and Cooper will get their chance against Bowling Green in the last game of the season.
ReplyDeleteWith 4:56 left in the 3d quarter, Texas misses a 51-yard field goal, and UGA still leads 10-6.
ReplyDeleteWith 16 seconds left in the 3d quarter, UGA kicks a field goal to go up 13-6.
ReplyDeleteTrinity crushes Ryle, 42 to 23, to win the 6A title. Only the 5A title remains.
ReplyDeleteWith 13:54 left in the game, DeAndre Moore takes a pass from Quinn Ewers 41 yards to the house, and Texas has tied the game at 13-all.
ReplyDeleteTexas should now win. They've been the better team -- they have 349 yards to only 170 for UGA -- and the Dawgs do not have their starting quarterback.
ReplyDeleteUGA appears to go three and out -- but the Dawgs run a fake punt on fourth down to pick up the first. 11 minutes left and Georgia is at its own 40.
ReplyDeleteUGA still driving. With 8:14 left, the Dawgs have a 1st and 10 at the Texas 38. Still 13-all.
ReplyDeleteUGA still driving. With 5:45 left, the Dawgs have a 1st and Goal at the Texas 4. Still 13-all.
ReplyDeleteWith 4:58 left in the game, UGA faces a 3d and goal at the Texas 2. Still 13-all. The Dawgs have now had the ball for roughly nine minutes of playing time.
ReplyDeleteOn 3d and goal from the 3 (it was the 3, not the 2), UT knocks down UGA's pass. Great play by Texas. Georgia kicks a field goal on 4th down. The Dawgs lead 16-13 with 4:32 left.
ReplyDeleteRemember that the winner of this game will get a bye as one of the top four seeds, while the loser will have to play in the first round.
ReplyDeleteTexas takes the kickoff. On first down, the Longhorns are stuffed at the line of scrimmage. On second down, Quinn Ewers is sacked. And on third down, UGA calls off the blitz -- and Ewers throws an interception. UGA takes over at the Texas 28. There are 3 minutes and 30 seconds left.
ReplyDeleteWith 2:38 left, UGA faces a 3d and 13 from the Texas 31. Gunner Stockton, the backup QB for Georgia, throws an INTERCEPTION. He was trying to throw the ball away, but he was on his back foot and his throw wasn't strong enough to get out of bounds. Texas starts from its own 34.
ReplyDeleteAt the 2 minute warning, Texas has the ball with a 2d and 8 at its own 47. UGA still leads 16-13.
ReplyDeleteFalse start on Texas. Now 2d and 13 from the Texas 42.
ReplyDeleteTexas completes an 11-yard pass, but on 3d down UGA gets in to block Ewers's pass. Now it's 4th and 2 from the UGA 48. 1:24 left.
ReplyDeleteTexas picks up the first down with a short pass. First and 10 from the UGA 44.
ReplyDeleteAnother pass gets the ball down to the UGA 35. Then a run takes it to the UGA 29. 39 seconds left. 1st and 10. UGA calls time.
ReplyDeleteFrom the 29, Texas throws for the end zone, and UGA is called for pass interference. Now Texas has a first and 10 at the UGA 14. 35 seconds left.
ReplyDeleteEwers is sacked at the UGA 20. Texas calls time. 29 seconds left. UGA still leads 16-13.
ReplyDeleteOn 2d and 15, Ewers's pass to the end zone is too high. 3d and 15. 24 seconds left.
ReplyDeleteOn 3d and 15, Ewers tries a screen pass but his throw is offline and dropped. For a minute UGA thinks they have recovered a fumble, but it was clearly an incomplete pass.
ReplyDeleteOn 4th and 15 from the 20, with 22 seconds left, UGA calls time. The Texas kicker is Bert Auburn, and he has made two and missed two field goals today. This one will be 37 yards -- that will be his shortest attempt of the game.
ReplyDeleteAuburn nails the kick, and we are tied at 16 with 18 seconds left. What a game!
ReplyDeleteThe SEC Championship is usually a blowout, and I don't think it's ever gone to overtime.
ReplyDeleteUGA runs out the clock, and the Dawgs are headed to OT for the second week in a row.
ReplyDeleteI don't blog overtimes in college football, so I'll report the final when it happens.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have to comment on this. In the first OT, Texas went first and was held to a field goal. Down 19-16, UGA took over. A series of very difficult plays brought them from the Texas 25 to the Texas 12. Suddenly, Gunner Stockton saw an opening and began dashing toward the end zone. At the 4 yard line, he was absolutely leveled by a hit that knocked off his helmet. Now he's out of the game, and UGA's starter -- who missed the whole second half with an injury -- has taken over.
ReplyDeleteBut the starter, Carson Beck, only has to stay in the game for one play. He hands the ball to Trevor Etienne, who blasts over the goal line and WINS THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE GEORGIA BULLDOGS. THE CLASSIC SEC HAS HELD SERVE AGAINST THE TEXAS LONGHORNS. Hooray for football, and hooray for Gunner Stockton of Tiger, Georgia, who went 12 of 16 for 71 yards with 1 interception, and whose final carry set up the game-winning score.
ReplyDeleteKirby Smart is the best coach in college football, and he flat-out won this game for UGA. That was one of the best coaching jobs I have ever seen.
ReplyDeleteWow!
DeleteI really hope that whatever happens, they put UGA and Texas on opposite sides of the bracket. They've already played twice, and they shouldn't have to meet again unless it's for the National Championship.
ReplyDeleteSo we now know three of the top five conference champions -- remember that all of the top five conference champions get into the playoff, and that the top four seeds go to the top four conference champions. The three champions that we have are:
ReplyDeleteSEC: Georgia
Mountain West: Boise St.
Big XII: Arizona St.
Now we await the ACC Champion (Southern Methodist or Clemson) and the Big Ten Champion (Oregon or Penn St.)
Southern Methodist has always had one of the best uniforms in college football, and it's exciting to see them playing a big-time game.
ReplyDeleteWith 8:28 left in the first quarter, Cooper leads Bowling Green 7 to 0.
ReplyDeleteSouthern Methodist (11-1) enters this game at number 8 in the CFB rankings, while Clemson (9-3) is number 17. Of course, if Clemson wins it goes into the playoff as a conference champion. But where would it be ranked? Would it go in above Arizona State, or would it be the fifth-ranked champion? And what about Southern Methodist? Would they still get into the playoff? And if so, would that eliminate Alabama?
ReplyDeleteSouthern Methodist takes the opening kickoff. Within a few minutes, they have fumbled and Clemson has hit a long touchdown pass. The Tigers lead 7-0 with 13 minutes left in the first quarter.
ReplyDeleteI had that Cooper score wrong. With 4:14 left in the 1st quarter, BGHS leads Cooper 7-6.
ReplyDeleteBowling Green now leads 20-13 with 9:51 left in the 3d quarter.
ReplyDeleteNot gonna lie -- I resent Calipari for agreeing to this idiotic series with Gonzaga and then skedaddling off to Arkansas with all our players.
ReplyDeleteClemson is crushing Southern Methodist 24-7 just before halftime. Oregon leads Penn State 28-24 just before the half.
ReplyDeleteBased on what I've seen so far, Southern Methodist has no business in the playoff. They have not been competitive.
ReplyDeleteBowling Green leads Cooper 27-12 with one quarter to go.
ReplyDeleteAt the half:
ReplyDeleteSMU 7 - 24 Clemson
Oregon 31 - 24 Penn St.
It's disappointing to think that either Southern Methodist, Miami of Florida, or Alabama will be in the playoff. None of them deserves a spot.
Jimmy Dykes is in Seattle for this Kentucky game, so prepare to hear about driving to the nail, or whatever catch phrase he's using this year.
ReplyDeleteBGHS 34, Cooper 12 (8:40 left in the 4th Quarter). OK, I'm calling it: Bowling Green will win the 5A title and Louisville Trinity will finish the season as the Number One team in the Commonwealth.
ReplyDeleteBowling Green wins the Class 5A Championship: 37 to 20
ReplyDeleteThat completes the KHSAA Football Season. Here are your six finals:
ReplyDelete1A: Sayre 27, Raceland 22
2A: Beechwood 50, Owensboro Catholic 34
3A: Christian Academy-Louisville 42, Union Co. 21
4A: Paducah Tilghman 27, Franklin Co. 20
5A: Bowling Green 37, Cooper 20
6A: Lou. Trinity 42, Ryle 23
Oregon beats Penn State 45 to 37, so it will be the Number 1 seed in the playoff.
ReplyDeleteClemson hits a long field goal on the last play of the game to beat Southern Methodist 34 to 31. That should sink Alabama and put both Clemson and Southern Methodist in the playoff. If Alabama fans complain, they can watch film of their games at Vandy and Oklahoma.
I think the top 4 seeds should be:
ReplyDelete1. Oregon (Big 10 Champ)
2. Georgia (SEC Champ)
3. Boise St. (Mountain West Champ)
4. Arizona St. (Big XII Champ)
And then I think Clemson should be the fifth Conference Champ. But we'll have to wait and see what they do tomorrow.
And then here's how I'd rank everyone else:
ReplyDelete5. Texas
6. Notre Dame
7. Penn St.
8. Ohio St.
9. Tennessee
10. Indiana
11. Clemson (ACC Champ)
12. So. Methodist
While all of that drama was happening, UK had one of the best regular season wins in this long basketball history. Down 50-34 at the half to Gonzaga in Seattle, the Cats roared back to win 90-89 in overtime. UK is now 8-1 with wins over Duke and Gongaza. They are 10 on KenPom, and 184 in luck.
ReplyDeleteKentucky had not been a top-10 team in overtime since the Cats beat Stanford in the 1998 Final Four.
DeleteHere's UK's ranking on KenPom after nine games since 2019:
ReplyDelete2020: 8-1, ranked 7 (but then lost their next two games to Utah and Ohio St.)
2021: 3-6, ranked 52
2022: 7-2, ranked 21 (but then crushed UNC in their next game)
2023: 7-2, ranked 6 (but lost their next game to UCLA)
2024: 7-2, ranked 22
2025: 8-1, ranked 10
UK has not played a game as a top-10 team on Ken Pom since December 28, 2022, when they were annihilated 89-75 at Mizzou.
The final AP poll before the playoffs was just released. This poll gives us our Classic Conference Champions. The highest ranked team in the last AP poll before the playoffs is the champion of the Classic Conference. Here we go:
ReplyDeleteClassic SEC: Georgia (ranked number 2)
Classic ACC: Clemson (ranked number 13) (S. Carolina is 14)
Classic Big 10: Ohio St. (ranked number 6)
Classic Big 8: Iowa St. (ranked number 18)
Classic Southwest: Texas (ranked number 4)
Classic Pac 10: Oregon (ranked number 1)
For the record, the AP ranks Alabama number 11 and Southern Methodist number 12.
Here comes the official CFB playoff draw:
ReplyDeleteOregon is the number 1 seed.
Georgia is the number 2 seed.
ReplyDeleteTexas is the number 5 seed.
ReplyDeleteBoise State is the number 3 seed.
ReplyDeleteArizona State is the number 4 seed.
OK, now we have the whole list. Here we go:
ReplyDelete1. Oregon (Big Ten Champ)
2. Georgia (SEC Champ)
3. Boise St. (Mountain West Champ)
4. Arizona St. (Big XII Champ)
5. Texas
6. Penn St.
7. Notre Dame
8. Ohio St.
9. Tennessee
10. Indiana
11. So. Methodist
12. Clemson (ACC Champ)
I am not going to reveal for whom I am rooting.
DeleteThat gives us the following first round matchups (home team listed first):
ReplyDeleteTexas v. Clemson
Penn St. v. So. Methodist
Notre Dame v. Indiana
Ohio St. v. Tennessee
I would have switched Clemson and S.M.U., which would have given us a Classic Southwest matchup between Texas and S.M.U., but otherwise I agree with this list.
Amazingly, Indiana has played Notre Dame only once since 1958, and that was on September 7, 1991.
ReplyDeleteNotre Dame leads the all-time series with Indiana, 23-5-1.
DeletePerhaps even more amazingly, Texas has never played Clemson.
ReplyDeleteTennessee has played Ohio State one time -- in the 1996 Citrus Bowl.
ReplyDeletePenn State has played SMU only twice -- once in the 1948 Cotton Bowl, and once in a 1978 regular season game.
ReplyDeleteMizzou beats their old rival Kansas 76 to 67 in men's basketball. The Jayhawks are now 7-2.
ReplyDeleteVandy beats Texas Christian in men's basketball. Their record is 9-1 and they are up to number 60 on Ken Pom -- the highest ranking for any Vandy team since November 2018.
ReplyDeleteVandy will play Georgia Tech in the Birmingham Bowl. Georgia Tech leads the all-time series 20-15-3, but the Commodores and the Yellow Jackets have played each other only four times since 1967.
ReplyDeleteWestern Kentucky will play James Madison in the Boca Raton Bowl.
ReplyDeleteI have several JMU friends, so I am ready to ball out for this matchup.
DeleteNavy will play Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl.
ReplyDeleteWashington State will play Syracuse in the Holiday Bowl.
ReplyDeleteArmy will play Marshall in the Independence Bowl.
ReplyDeleteAlabama will play Michigan in what used to be the Hall of Fame Bowl (the one in Tampa).
ReplyDeleteLouisville will play Washington in the Sun Bowl.
ReplyDeleteOle Miss will play Duke in the Gator Bowl.
ReplyDeleteLSU will play Baylor in the Texas Bowl.
ReplyDeleteAnd Florida will defend the U.C.F.C. against Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl on December 20.
ReplyDeleteOdds for the first round:
ReplyDeleteNotre Dame favored by 8 1/2 points
Penn St. favored by 8 1/2 points
Texas favored by 10 1/2 points
Ohio St. favored by 7 points
Here's an amazing fact: since 1999, UConn has won more NCAA men's basketball tournament (1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024) than Coach K won in his entire career (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015).
ReplyDeleteI am, indeed, amazed (and surprised) by this fact.
Delete