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It’s not the greatest weekend with only two games between ranked teams. Those two games are very intriguing; one because it involves Nebraska, and the other because it might involve the biggest game of the season so far with national title implications.
Rankings below are from the AP top 25, not the College Football Playoff.
Texas at Texas Tech (11:00 am, Fox Sports 1)
Both teams have identical 4-4 records. One will win, one will lose. Oh hell, I really only chose this game because it should be a typical Big 12 game where there’s a lot of points and not much defense so it could be a fun alternative to the Wisconsin at Northwestern game.
#8 Wisconsin at Northwestern (11:00 am, ABC)
This game has obvious Big Ten West implications. Currently, Nebraska leads the Big Ten West with a 4 – 1 record. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Northwestern all have identical 3 – 2 records. Nebraska has a head-to-head win over Northwestern. Should Northwestern beat Wisconsin and give them the third loss it would give Nebraska a bit of room in their quest to win the division title.
This should be an interesting game to watch, especially for one of the first games of the day.
Maryland at #2 Michigan (2:30 pm, ESPN)
Honestly, I don’t think Maryland stands much of a chance at Michigan, but this is a chance for you to see Michigan in action while you wait for the Nebraska game. The Wolverines have performed at a top level throughout their games but the point could be made that they let haven’t really left home for a big game nor does their resume necessarily stand out.
Still, Jabrill Peppers should win the Heisman but won’t.
#10 Florida at Arkansas (2:30 pm, CBS)
Arkansas hasn’t beaten Florida since the 1982 Bluebonnet bowl. Granted, the two teams have only played nine times since then, but if there’s a time to break long streaks I guess it’s now.
You want to watch Florida lose, right?
#9 Nebraska at #6 Ohio State (7:00 pm, ABC)
As Nebraska fans obviously we’re worried about this one. It’s obviously going to be a damn tough game to win. Nebraska made too many mistakes against Wisconsin to get the win and that one but against Ohio State they’ll need to eliminate mistakes entirely.
I have a feeling that this will be another close loss against the Buckeyes. I would love to be wrong.
#1 Alabama at #15 LSU (7:00 pm, CBS)
Outside of our love for Nebraska football, this game has the most interesting storyline of any game this season. As you know, Les Miles was fired earlier this season. Ed Orgeron took over the job as interim coach.
I don’t know if you followed the career of DACOACHO, but it’s the story of a man who’s seen his share of ups and downs throughout his career as a college football coach. I was first introduced to Orgeron in Bruce Feldman’s book “Meat Market” in which Feldman followed Orgeron through a year of coaching and recruiting at Ole Miss... (you might find the follow up interview I did with Feldman interesting as well.)
Tell you what, rather than me detailing the whole story of Orgeron’s path, check out this article on Six Things to Know About Ed Orgeron.
College football needs DACOACHO at LSU like college football needs Mike Leach to be somewhere like Washington State. Most head coaches are dry, coach-speaking turds, as uninteresting as watching paint dry. (I haven’t decided about Jim Harbaugh yet. I have the feeling he’s just a giant asshole that Michigan will regret hiring some day, but we’re not even close to getting down that road yet.)
If LSU can somehow win against ‘Bama, it would help Orgeron’s prospect of being hired. More than that, it would put a dent in the armor the Crimson Tide, something that college football sorely needs right now. We need Nick Saban to lose. LSU is the best chance we have for the remainder of this year until the college football playoff comes around.
NEWS
Know the Foe: A closer look at Ohio State - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site
No. 9 Huskers prepare for another prime time tussle with No. 6 Buckeyes
When 9th-ranked Nebraska visits 6th-ranked Ohio State Saturday night in Columbus, no one’s adrenalin, on or off the field, will exceed what’s building inside Stanley Morgan Jr.
Nebraska Basketball looking for new hope in 2016-17 - BT Powerhouse
Nebraska has much to improve on this season and they need something to spark new hope in Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Nebraska QB Tommy Armstrong Jr. not focusing on stakes of Ohio State game - Big Ten Blog- ESPN
Tommy Armstrong Jr. understands the importance of Saturday night’s game against No. 6 Ohio State. He knows his team’s playoff hopes hinge on this contest. He realizes a loss means a Big Ten West lead for Wisconsin. He just doesn’t want to think about it.
Big Ten
Ohio State Quarterbacks Coach Tim Beck 'Really Enjoyed' Time on Nebraska Staff | Eleven Warriors
“It was a great time there for seven years and the people were good,” Beck said Wednesday after practice. “It’s good people there and the fan base and stuff. I enjoyed my time there, my family did, and I always wish them the best.”
Mailbag - Can Minnesota Sweep the West? - Off Tackle Empire
Minnesota is Essentially 8-0 (6-2 actually)...can they make Indy?
Penn State Faces Record Fine in Sandusky-Related Case - The New York Times
The federal government said the university did not comply with a federal law requiring public alerts about safety threats and is seeking a $2.4 million fine.
Ohio State Ain’t Even Mad - Off Tackle Empire
Our Panel Considers OSU’s Puzzlingly Placid Performance
Ohio State will likely have another close game against Nebraska - Land-Grant Holy Land
Nebraska is Ohio State's fourth top-25 S&P+ opponent this season.
The Only Questions: Q&A with The Champaign Room - The Only Colors
The Champaign Room is here to give us an inside look at the Fighting Illini
Interviews with the Enemy: A Q&A with Gopher Illustrated - Hammer and Rails
Ryan Burns from Scout's Gopher Illustrated this week’s guest
Behind Enemy Lines: Q&A with Testudo Times - Maize n Brew
In our Q&A, Testudo Times’ Ryan Connors shares whether first-year coach DJ Durkin has exceeded expectations, breaks down the Michigan-Maryland matchup, and predicts whether the Terps can keep the score close on Saturday.
BSD was helpful enough to give us a bit of insight into Penn State’s current football situation.
Iowa Football Opponent Preview: Penn State Nittany Lions - Black Heart Gold Pants
In we go to Happy Valley...
Elsewhere
Previewing Alabama vs. LSU: The Tiger defense - Roll 'Bama Roll
Reports of the Tigers’ defensive demise have been premature, as the Bayou Bengals are a top-10 defensive S&P+ team under coordinator Dave Aranda
Previewing Alabama vs. LSU: The Tigers Offense - Roll 'Bama Roll
The LSU offense has seen a drastic turnaround since Purdue transfer Danny Etling took over at quarterback, but can that trend continue against Alabama’s impressive defense?
Get Your Popcorn Ready
Here are LSU’s top 4 head coach targets, if Ed Orgeron doesn’t just keep the job - SBNation.com
Two are obvious, two are likely surprises, and the list could grow. Beating Bama could make the list not even matter, though.
Steve Bartman 'overjoyed' by Cubs' World Series win, won't crash victory parade
A man serving as a spokesman for Steve Bartman says the infamous Chicago Cubs fan did not express relief after the team beat the Cleveland Indians in Game 7 to win the World Series when he spoke to Bartman on the phone.
The Harvard men's soccer team will be suspended for the rest of their season after a review found the team continued to produce vulgar and explicit documents that rated women on their perceived sexual appeal and physical appearance.
Then There’s This
100 Blocks a Day - Wait But Why
Most people sleep about seven or eight hours a night. That leaves 16 or 17 hours awake each day. Or about 1,000 minutes. Let’s think about those 1,000 minutes as 100 10-minute blocks. That’s what you wake up with every day.
This might be because I think you should micromanage your life.
And it could be me sharing something. Because of my brain injury, I have learned more about mindfulness, about how to use it to calm my mind and allow myself to rest periodically so that my brain doesn’t get overwhelmed with the tasks of the day. Mindfulness helps me manage energy better - something I need to do because I do have some problems (HAHAHAHAHA).
At this point, I have learned mindfulness well enough that I can easily put myself to sleep within 10 minutes.
I still need to write the complete story of my brain injury, the tests, and the therapy I’m still going through. You might find it interesting.