Posted by Big Party
(Ed. note: I meant to post this yesterday. I’m bad at stuff.)
With the Gophers off on Saturday today, many Minnesotans are
probably wondering what they heck they are supposed to do with themselves. I see you there sports fan, staring blankly
out the window, contemplating what you did to anger God so much while pouring
the bottom of that ½ pint of Beam into your morning coffee so you can face the
day. A life without purpose is no life at all.
Well, luckily your #1 pal Big Party is here to help you get
through this.
It’s been a fun four weeks since the last bye, and though we
can’t cheer on our beloved Gophers this weekend there are still plenty of games
that will have an impact on the rest of the season. Here are some of the games worth watching,
as well as who you should cheer for to help the Gophers claim an even more successful season:
(Team to root for in Bold)
Goal: B1G Legends
Title and a trip to Indy
#16 Michigan
State (-5.5) @ Nebraska – 2:30 PM –
ABC
In order the win the B1G Legends division, the Gophers need
to win out and get a little bit of help. Michigan State is undefeated in
conference play and needs to lose to either @ Nebraska or @ Northwestern (along
with losing to the Gophs on Nov. 30). Nebraska needs to lose one of their last
three games (this game, @ Penn State, home against Iowa). I think Gopher fans should be rooting for
Nebraska to win this one. It’s much more
likely that the Huskers would pick up a loss on the road at Happy Valley or
home against Iowa than for Michigan State to lose in Evanston.
Goal: Improved
Ranking/Bowl Game
Ball State – 27 @
#15 Northern Illinois – 48 - Wednesday
This game already happened, but it’s worth noting that a
loss by Jerry Kill’s old squad would be good for his current one’s post season
aspirations. NIU’s current success is a
lot of fun to watch, both for the joy of watching a small team shake up the
normal college football power structure and the idea that we’re potentially looking
into the future of what our program could become. However, if NIU makes it into a BCS bowl for
the 2nd straight year they could potentially be taking a spot from a
B1G team, which would move the Gophers down
the B1G bowl food chain.
#3 The Great Satan’s
Army (-33.5) @ Illinois – 11 AM – ESPN
I hate Urban Meyer.
By all accounts he’s a snake and a bad person, who apparently hates
himself and his family (see: any announcement he made about his reasons for
retiring from Florida). My negative
feelings about him started long before he came to Ohio State because FSU grad
Flony would give us (completely unbiased) reports about the BS that Meyer would
pull while at Florida. However, if they
keep winning they could end up in the BCS National Championship, or still stay
in the BCS picture if they end up losing the B1G championship game. This could move the Gophers up to a better bowl.
Michigan @
Northwestern (-2.5) – 2:30 PM CT – BTN
We need to get some distance between us and the Wolverines in
the W/L department. I think most bowls
would select a Michigan team with a slightly poorer record over Minnesota
purely due to the size of their fan base and the strength of the Michigan
brand.
Goal: College Game
Day in Minneapolis on Nov 23
#12 Oklahoma State @ #24 Texas (+3) - 2:30 PM CT – Fox
and
Texas Tech (+27.5)
@ #5 Baylor – 6 PM CT - Fox
Baylor travels to OK State next weekend for what is expected
to be the marquee game of the day.
The game has already been scheduled for 7 PM on ABC, and his time slot
is often accompanied by the ESPN Game Day crew coming to town and making a big
day of it on campus. However, plans
could change if Texas were to reclaim some of that old magic and take down
OK State and Texas Tech were to go all “Guns Up” on Baylor and shock the world.
I know what you’re thinking: If the 7 PM ABC game is in
Stillwater, OK, that means Kirk Herbstreit won’t be in Minnesota. To that, I say “Not so fast, my friend!” and
then gag on my own obvious Lee Corso joke.
I don’t know if Herbie flies commercial, but if he does he has a couple
options to get from MSP to Stillwater in time:
![]() |
Stillwater is only about an hour drive from OKC or Tulsa, Herbie. |
Oregon St @ #18 ASU (-13.5) – 8:30 PM – Pac-10 Network
The 21st ranked Sun Devils travel to 13th
ranked UCLA next week. UCLA and their TD
machine LB/RB already destroyed Washington on Friday, so we need ASU to make
this match-up less interesting by stumbling against the Beavers.
Other note: Texas A&M and LSU are both off this weekend,
but they play on Nov 23rd.
The national media and ESPN seem to be over Johnny Football,
but you can never underestimate grown men’s need to feel morally superior about
something. We just have to hope that old
man Corso doesn’t get an itch in is finger and politick the rest of the crew to
let him wag it at a 21 year old kid down in Baton Rouge.
Goal: Be Really Conflicted
Game: Indiana @ Wisconsin (-26.5) – 11 AM CT – ESPN 2
Umm… So if Gopher
fans really want Game Day to come to town we need Wisconsin to take care of
Indiana in this game. However, if the
Badgers were to stumble here, it could help the Gophers’ end of season bowl
standing. Also, as Kellen eloquently stated, Bucky Badger is just a
skunk in a popcorn box. I don’t know
what to do here. Are you motivated by the delicious taste of schadenfreude? Go with Indiana. Do want the Gophers victory over the Badgers next weekend to be even more meaningful? You'll have to root for ... you know, I can't even type that. Do whatever the heck you want, it's a free country.
Badgers took care of one of those scenarios within the first minute. See you jokers next weekend!
ReplyDelete-Footsteps
Hence why I should have posted this yesterday. Stupid job getting in the way.
ReplyDeleteDon't get too excited yet, Footsteps. The Indiana offense has a weird habit of suddenly popping-up out of nowhere.
I'm not sure I agree with you a hundred percent on your stance on the Indiana offense, there, Party.
ReplyDeleteA wicked game of catch broke out on the plane ride home. Accurate throws, fingertip catches - really just a site to behold.
ReplyDeleteThe ESPN Game Day dream was kind of silly, so I'm not too bummed the Texas game didn't fall the right way (if anything, that might help get the Gophs in the AP poll next week). I'm just hoping for a 2:30 start so we can thoroughly enjoy that deep-fried turkey all the cool kids have been talking about.