Red River Rivalry Leads The Way And More Butch Jones Odd Quotes
Remember the term “Croomed?” It was when an SEC team got beat by Mississippi State Coach Sylvester Croom. Well, now there may be another term for when there’s a miserable failure to an overmatch coach in the league.
Can we say that Florida got “Coach O’d” last week against LSU?
There is no term for losing to Iowa State, of course, but there is one for whenever highly-ranked and regarded Oklahoma crashes the Boomer Sooner into the goal post: Chokelahoma.
And what about Jim Harbaugh failing (again) to beat Sparty? Or Oregon State’s coach, who suddenly left Nebraska to go to Oregon State (a head scratcher to begin with), suddenly resigning and leaving his $12.7 million salary on the table on his way out the door just because he lost to Clay Helton?
See, college football provides interest and story lines even when there are not big rivalry games on tap.
This week, the Boomers try and get the Sooner Schooner back up on its wheels in the Red River Rivalry against Texas, the Bus Gus tries not to get “Coach O’d” on the bayou, Butch Jones tries to simply hang onto his job against that “other” USC and the West Coast USC tries to show its still a player in the playoff picture.
All times Pacific because the Prognosticator lives on the West Coast (which is why UCLA is always included, for all the Bruin fan friends of the Prognosticator).
• Friday, Oct. 13
Washington State at Cal (7:30 p.m., ESPN)
The Prognosticator is not convinced about Washington State and neither would you be if you had seen Boise State literally give away that game to the Cougs, but even tho this game is being played on Friday the 13th in October, the host Bears don’t have the big enough bear claws to scratch out a win. The Cougars will escape this trap (game) but a loss is looming not far down the path. Winner: Washington State
• Saturday, Oct. 14
South Carolina at Tennessee (9 a.m., ESPN)
Perhaps the reason the 4- and 5-star Volunteers often seem to show up to games as if they are a confused bunch of rookie militiamen is because they can’t understand what their coach is saying most of the time. Certainly the media can’t; this week he had not one but two baffling quotes: “That was one of the best bye weeks we’ve had here in a very, very long time” and “you don’t have to get a physical rep to get a rep. You can get a leadership rep.” If Jones loses this one, then the UT folks will exit Neyland Stadium in a hurry, beelining it to Rocky Top where they will be getting a lot of corn from a jar. Jones, tho, is like a cat considering how many lives fumbling UT is giving him – but this is his last one. Winner: Tennessee
Texas vs. Oklahoma – Red River Shootout (12;30 p.m., ESPN, Cotton Bowl, Dallas)
Will the real Texas Longhorns stand up and raise your hands? The ones who took USC down beyond the wire or the ones that lost to Maryland? Then again, you did something Oklahoma could not accomplish, and that’s beating Iowa State. In this 50-50 game of heated and hated long-time rivals, this one is as up in the air as the opening coin flip. With more to lose than to win in this game, it should be a rivalry that turns red – and not orange – at the end. At least Texas is PubClub.com’s #1 Top Party School! Winner: Oklahoma
Auburn at LSU (12;30 p.m., CBS)
Coach Visor & Sweater Vest drives the Gus Bus up to Baton Rouge and hopes it won’t get stuck in a swamp the way some Gators did last week in Gainesville. The bus has been running pretty smoothly lately but it’s easy when the road has been smoothly paved by roadkill the likes of Missouri, Mississippi State and a flattened Colonel Rebel. There could be a big pothole waiting for them in Death Valley now that the Bengal Tigers have woken up from their season-long nap. Then again, maybe the Coach Os will fall back fast asleep, but they should be wide awake for this one. Winner: LSU
Ohio State at Nebraska (4:30 p.m., FS1)
Brutus may arrive in Lincoln all scarlet-faced after the team that whipped it – and the Shuckers’ one-time biggest rival – stumbled around and lost to Iowa State. But the Huskers have to be even more embarrassed, for they are playing like somebody forgot to water the corn fields. They are not husky but brittle, bare stalks and the drought in Nebraska will continue this Saturday. Winner: Ohio State
Utah at USC (5 p.m., ABC)
Utah’s football team should rename itself. Instead of being called the Utes – nobody knows what that is anyway – the team should be the called the Picnic Flies. That’s because that’s what playing Utah is like; you’re forever swatting away those darned things. They never go away and always seem to be there just when you thought you got rid of them. All the games are played within a touchdown and when you put the plate down thinking you’ve finally won the battle, the Flies pounce on your mistake. Besides this, the main concern here for USC is Helton being out-witted again by Kyle Whittingham. Winner – in a close one – USC.
UCLA at Arizona (6 p.m., Pac-12 Network)
Anyone who thinks the Pac-12 is one of the nation’s top conferences should watch this game, because these two teams would convince you otherwise is the case. The Baby Bears are not even cuddly little animals, just a bunch of soft creatures with a lone wolf of a quarterback who is prone to “hero plays” when things get desperate. And things frequently get desperate for UCLA. The Zonies seem in some type of tranced zone under Coach Rod, but the Cats seem to respond to a threat whenever a Bruin enters their zone. Winner: Arizona
Boise State at San Diego State (7:30 p.m., CBSSN)
This is life in San Diego. It has an undefeated team, one with yet another running back that is at or near the top of NCAA rushers, yet both are as obscure as if they played on another continent. Which, in a way it does, because San Diego – as beautiful and awesome as it is – seems to conduct its business in a quiet happiness away from the rest of the world, as if the place is protected by some type of Star Wars deflector shield. Well the Prognosticator is here to say San Diego is a wonderful city and has a college football team and a player worth paying attention to, at least on occasion. As for you, Boise State, the Prognosticator is not in the mood to forgive you for blowing that game against Wazzu. Winner: San Diego State.
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