Thursday, December 16, 2010

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Happy Holidays TFS followers!

It has been a wild, busy stretch for me but I finally have a few minutes to post some football thoughts, think a little hoops and get the Get Gamm finale up and running.

I realize that I've missed blogging about the Big Ten - ACC Challenge (Victory for the Big Ten!) and that I didn't even get the most basic of hoops predictions up. Work and life go that way sometimes. Hoops and swimming for my kids, a ton of travel lately with a busy winter ahead, and some cool stuff at work, such as signing Kurt Warner to be spokesperson for my product line, have all taken me away from the blog. But never fear, I'm back! At least for a few visits over the next couple of weeks...

Final regular season football thoughts... It was a great year for the Big Ten. While a wide chasm exists between the top (Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin) and the rest of the pack who sits at 7-5 or worse, the league is set up to have some success in the bowl season. Can the conference continue last year's momentum? Shut up the SEC? Win the big ones? I hope so.

I am still a little sore at the BCS snub for the Spartans. Not because UW and tOSU aren't deserving. But rather because UConn gets to go at 8-4? Please. We need a tweak to the rules for who qualifies for BCS games. That said, the fam is going to Orlando for our third trip in four years during bowl season and the match-up with 'Bama is one of the best of all 35 games.

The league mopped up in award season, and deservedly so. I still don't get how Ray Guy leaves out an Aaron Bates but as I live at the office sometimes, politics can reign over facts and data!

I am ambivalent to the recent division names announcement from the conference. I'd have preferred something more like Lakes and Plains or Black and Blue but it is what it is. I also have to mimic a question from some of the national pundits... that logo? Seriously? The Big Ten paid to have that made? My 3rd grade daughter came up with something nicer... and for FREE! In the end, that is all window dressing but still, we couldn't get better? The awards? Now those they nailed...

Hooping it up... Bummed that I never got around to picking the Big Ten. There are going to be a lot of good teams and the race is as open as ever. Right now I'd have to say I like Ohio State to repeat, but don't count out MSU just because of some early losses.

It was also nice to see the league rough up the ACC a bit. Hoping that trend continues.

As for Get Gamm for hoops... probably a no go this year. Just too much to do and too many games to try and track. Instead, let's do this. Everyone pick the order of finish (ties are fine) and the closest to wins Get Gamm for bball. Deal? Tiebreaker is teams in the Big Dance.

Speaking of Get Gamm... The only playa to have a better than .500 record in the last week was Dan. That moved him into a tie at the top with nine bowl games to pick. Picks are due by December 28 at 10pm EST.

Insight Bowl, 12/28 @ 10pm EST: Iowa vs. Missouri
Texas Bowl, 12/29 @ 6pm EST: Illinois vs. Baylor
Holiday Bowl, 12/30 @ 10pm EST: Nebraska vs. Washington
TicketCity Bowl, 1/1 @ 12pm EST: Northwestern vs. Texas Tech
Gator Bowl, 1/1 @ 1pm EST: Michigan vs. Mississippi State
Outback Bowl, 1/1 @ 1pm EST: Penn State vs. Florida
Capital One Bowl, 1/1 @ 1pm EST: Michigan State vs. Alabama
Rose Bowl, 1/1 @ 5pm EST: Wisconsin vs. TCU
Sugar Bowl, 1/4 @ 8:30pm EST: Ohio State vs. Arkansas

10 comments:

mayo170 said...

Congratulations Andy on picking up Kurt Warner. Now I have to wonder how much influence you had on the color scheme for Nutrilite...

Andy Gamm said...

Nutrilite is a lot older than me! But I do like the colors for sure. Thanks. Warner is such a great fit for us and what an amazing guy. I got to do the deal and get to see it through. Fun part of the job for sure.

Phats said...

Happy Holidays to everyone! Worried i Am going to forget so here goes.

Insight Missouri 31 iowa 17

Texas- Illinois 35 baylor 10

Holiday- Nebraska 28 washington 10

Tic City- NW 24 texas tech 21

Gator- Miss State 35 Michigan 17

Outback- PSU 28 florida 21

Cap 1- Mich State 24 bama 21

Rose- Wisky 49 tcu 14

Sugar- OSU 31 arkansas 17

Basketball-
1- OSU
2- MSU
2- Purdue
4- Wisconsin
5- Illinois
6- Northwestern
6- Minnesota
8- Michigan
9- Indiana
10- Iowa
11- PSU

Good luck to all Big Ten teams in bowls, and happy holidays!

mayo170 said...

Insight Bowl, Iowa 19 vs. Missouri 31
Texas Bowl, Illinois 26 vs. Baylor 19
Holiday Bowl, Nebraska 44 vs. Washington 31
TicketCity Bowl, Northwestern 13 vs. Texas Tech 28
Gator Bowl, Michigan 31 vs. Mississippi State 28
Outback Bowl, Penn State 27 vs. Florida 17
Capital One Bowl, Michigan State 26 vs. Alabama 22
Rose Bowl, Wisconsin 45 vs. TCU 22
Sugar Bowl, Ohio State 26 vs. Arkansas 23

Dan Meyer said...

Merry Christmas to all as I head for bowl picks--which usually are a disaster. Big Ten prospects look better early than late:

Iowa 14 vs MISSOURI 24--Tigers take advantage of the damage caused to the Hawkeye passing game by the DJK expulsion.

Illinois 21 at BAYLOR 27--Bears ride a strong game by their QB and home state advantage to the win.

NEBRASKA 35 vs Washington 24--Not as spectacular as in September, but Huskers stop Huskies again.

Northwestern 10 vs TEXAS TECH 23--Wildcats cannot overcome Persa injury.

Michigan 21 vs MISSISSIPPI STATE 31--Bulldog D contains Robinson, Wolverine D has only contained Purdue all year.

PENN STATE 20 vs Florida 17--Turning point game as JoePa sends Urban Meyer out (for now) on a losing note.

MICHIGAN STATE 17 vs Alabama 14--Probably my most nervous pick, but I think Andy gets some revenge regarding Nick Saban here.

WISCONSIN 17 vs Texas Christian 10--I respect the Frogs D, but I respect the Badger D AND running backs even more

OHIO STATE 20 vs Arkansas 7--I think Tressel was lucky to get the Hogs in a BCS bowl--in my mind, AR would be more suited to the Capital One bowl and the Buckeyes would be playing LSU or Bama.

Dan Meyer said...

In case I don't get back before New Year's Eve, picks for Big Ten Hoops (perhaps overoptimistic for Purdue and Illinois):

Overall:
1--OSU 14-4
2--MSU 13-5
3T-IL 11-7
3T-PU 11-7
3T-WI 11-7
6T-MN 9-9
6T-NU 9-9
8--IU 7-11
9--MI 6-12
10-PSU 5-13
11-IA 3-15
Real early games (without comment):

Penn State 66 at INDIANA 72
PURDUE 70 at Michigan 68
Minnesota 64 at WISCONSIN 66
ILLINOIS 68 at Iowa 62

Buckeye Nation said...

Insight Bowl, 12/28 @ 10pm EST: Iowa 17 vs. Missouri 35
Texas Bowl, 12/29 @ 6pm EST: Illinois 20 vs. Baylor 28
Holiday Bowl, 12/30 @ 10pm EST: Nebraska 31 vs. Washington 17
TicketCity Bowl, 1/1 @ 12pm EST: Northwestern 13 vs. Texas Tech 28
Gator Bowl, 1/1 @ 1pm EST: Michigan 32 vs. Mississippi State 31
Outback Bowl, 1/1 @ 1pm EST: Penn State 21 vs. Florida 32
Capital One Bowl, 1/1 @ 1pm EST: Michigan State 23 vs. Alabama 27
Rose Bowl, 1/1 @ 5pm EST: Wisconsin 27 vs. TCU 24
Sugar Bowl, 1/4 @ 8:30pm EST: Ohio State 28 vs. Arkansas 23

Big Ten Hoops Final Standings
*1. Ohio State 16-2
*2. MSU 13-5
*T3. Purdue 11-7
*T3. Wisconsin 11-7
*T5. Illinois 9-9
*T5. Minnesota 9-9
T7. Northwestern 7-11
T7. Michigan 7-11
9. Indiana 4-14
10. Penn State 3-15
11. Iowa 2-16

*Make the NCAA Big Dance

mayo170 said...

Basketball 2011...

Not many thoughts yet, as I have only seen a handful of teams. I do think this will be a pretty solid season for the Big Ten top-to-bottom.

1. OSU 15-3
2. MSU 13-5
2. Purdue 13-5
4. Wisconsin 12-6
4. Illinois 12-6
6. Michigan 10-8
6. Minnesota 10-8
8. Northwestern 9-9
8. Indiana 9-9
10. Iowa 7-11
11. Penn State 5-13

Phats said...

Just incase you needed records

1- OSU 13-5 NCAA
2- MSU 12-6 NCAA
2- Purdue 12-6 NCAA
4- Wisconsin 11-7 NCAA
5- Illinois 10-8 NCAA
6- Northwestern 9-9
6- Minnesota 9-9 NCAA
8- Michigan 8-10
9- Indiana 8-10
10- Iowa 7-11
11- PSU 6-12

twincitybuckeye said...

Missouri-28 Iowa-17
Baylor-27 Illinois-21
Nebraska-35 Washington-17
Texas Tech-31 NW-17
Penn State-24 Florida-21
Alabama-28 Michigan State-20
Michigan-35 Miss. State-30
Wisconsin-34 TCU-14
Ohio State-34 Arkansas-27