2007 Week 12
November 21, 2007
First off, I'd like to offer a few words on the occasion of the retirement of Michigan coach Floyd Carr. Floyd did a fine job keeping Michigan at the top for well over a decade. Many other schools tried unsuccessfully to keep up with his program, but he was one of the few to grab a #1 ranking.
Yes, under Coach Carr Michigan kept its stands full and continued to lead the nation in attendance. That's quite an accomplishment, one that his successor will be hard-pressed to match.
I'm sure we're all excited about the showdown in the Midlands, with Kansas playing Missouri in the second semi-final in the Big Eight tournament. Last week we saw the first semi where Oklahoma was upset by new Big Eight member Texas Tech. I just don't understand why they still call it the Big Eight when they have nine members. You don't see such lousy displays of arithmetic skills from other conferences.
One of the most exciting games last week took place in Tuscaloosa. New Alabama coach Nick Satan had a devil of a time and lost a close one to a fellow southern powerhouse. Even though the Tide lost both matchups, I would like to give Coach Satan credit for scheduling two games against LSU.
ESPN likes to promote all the great rivalries at this time of year and they're certainly right, there were a lot of great games last weekend.
We got to watch an exciting finish as the Michigan State Fighting Chippewas topped Penn State to win the Hugh Grant Trophy.
Notre Dame toppled Duke and will now meet Stanford in the final round of the Battle for the #2 Pencil. Wisconsin pulled away from Minnesota to keep its hands on Paul Bunyan's Ass.
But those were only some of the traditional November trophy games. Let's not forget the upcoming Alabama vs Auburn tussle for that great medical device, the Iron Bowel. Or Iowa playing Minnesota for the farming services of Floyd Rosedale.
Those Big Ten schools have cornered the market on trophy games, I hear Coach Alvarez is going to donate a trophy for next year's Wisconsin/Illinois game, the Roasted Parrot.
Last week Western Kentucky blew Morehead State and took back possession of the Rusty Still. Brigham Young knocked off Wyoming and raced over to grab the Coach's Middle Finger of Fate.
Those rich kids from Tulane fried Rice and won a year's worth of services from the spoiled young ladies of Tri-Delt.
But my favorite trophy moment was when Arizona upended Oregon, ran to the other side of the field, and took possession of the West Coast's favorite traveling trophy, the taxidermist-stuffed lifelike corpse of Ryan Leaf.
I think we can all be proud that college football has developed so many great traditions. And I look forward to Thanksgiving weekend, when more of the great traditional games will be played, such as Texas vs Texas A&M, Nebraska vs Oklahoma, and, my favorite, Pitt vs Penn State. See you next week.