Thursday, December 30, 2010

DEUCEBOWL XI... TREY CARTLEDGE VS. YOURS TRULY

So, here are the Final Four Results...

Boise State 26, Utah 3
San Diego State 35, Navy 14
Tulsa 62, Hawaii 35
Air Force 14, Georgia Tech 7
Arizona Cardinals 27, Dallas Cowboys 26
Chicago Bears 38, NYJets 34
New Orleans Saints 17, Atlanta 14
Green Bay Packers 45, NYGiants 17 (tiebreak game, total points 62)

Gotta say, the battle I looked forward to the most was between Yours Truly and Eddy McBroom the Younger, two individuals with long DFC history, with the two all time regular season records combining to make just over 1200 wins.  However, it was a thumping, if I do say so myself, with Yours Truly finishing up at a respectable 5-3, while Eddy Jr limped to the end at 1-7.

On the other side, division mates Lt. Dan Sellers and Trey Cartledge went head to head.  Dan won the division with a 2.4 edge over Trey, both winning 58 games.  Trey, however, making his third Final Four appearance in four seasons has advanced to his first Deuce Bowl, while Dan, in only his second season, punks out.  Trey gets a 5-3 mark, beating Dan's 4-4.

So here it is... Yours Truly, making my first Deuce Bowl appearance after eleven seasons, taking on Trey Cartledge, in his fifth season of what will possibly be a Hall of Fame career. 

Because I'm in the championship, and I want no room for chicanery, I've asked Scott Latta to come up with the DeuceBowl XI games.  He readily agreed to the challenge, in addition to giving a worthy Tom Coughlin like, sans F-bombs, pregame pump-you-up speech. 

I've also asked Trey to send his games to Tyler Campbell, and I will do the same, so that my picks are not influenced by Trey's for any reason.  I am sending my picks in later today, Tyler will let me know when Trey's are in, and I'll post all games online. 

Good luck, Trey. May you lose. 

Scotty Latta writes:

My adoptive father, Nick Lou Saban, likes to equate the journey through the long regular season with a treacherous climb up a daunting mountain. There are pitfalls — loose rocks, harsh winds, and perilous obstacles that any potential champion must overcome if he is to find himself, arms raised in triumph, at the top of the mountain. My adoptive drunk uncle, Dr. Lou Holtz, likes to equate the Meineke Man to the Muppets while spitting all over my screen. At any rate, the time has come. You have climbed the mountain one step at a time, pushing aside those who kindly asked to climb alongside you into the rocky ravines with outstretched arms that are meant only to hold the cold porcelain that is the Brook DeRamus Championship Plate. And nevermind that if this analogy were true, Lou Saban's team would be crippled in a heap at the bottom of this mythical mountain, with Greg McElroy eating his own hair and Julio Jones pinned between boulders like James Franco in "127 Hours." Nevermind that! The time is come!


You are eight games from immortality. Eight games from seeing your name etched alongside legends like Mark Gainey, Tad Roose, and.....Lori Beirne?! We still let women in this league?!

The games are below. Good luck. And may the spirit of Dr. Lou rest upon your shoulders as you make this final climb. TO THE GAMES!

---------

Chick-Fil-A Bowl, Friday 12/31, 6:30p, ESPN, Atlanta, GA
South Carolina Gamecocks (9-4) vs. Florida State Seminoles (9-4)
There was once a time when we thought South Carolina was a championship-caliber team. They breezed through then-No. 1 Alabama with the energy of Billy Mays hopped up on SURGE. Then we remembered who their quarterback was, and they lost to Kentucky and Arkansas before letting Cam Newton add enough equity to his value to fix the roof of the Metrodome in a 436-point loss. Florida State, behind the arm of Christian Ponder, should be poised to win if Ponder can remember the correct shade of Garnet to which he is supposed to throw, as they are playing in memory of Bobby Bowden, who passed away 12 years ago.

Progressive Gator Bowl, Saturday 1/1, 12:30p, ESPN2, Jacksonville, FL
Mississippi State Bulldogs (8-4) vs. Michigan Wolverines (7-5)
If running QBs were cars, Chris Relf vs. Denard Robinson would be a 2002 Mustang against a 2003 Miata. It's like life. While you wish you could get the 2011 Porsche, it's on a lot in Auburn and anyway its $180,000 price tag is simply too high, and this is the best you can do. So this is what you are left with, and it actually shapes up to be quite the battle, with Mississippi State trying to hit nine wins for the first time since the Fillmore administration, and Michigan trying to do anything to make people forget Rich Rodriguez is their coach.

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Vizio, Saturday 1/1, 3:30p, ESPN, Pasadena, CA
Wisconsin Badgers (11-1) vs. TCU Horned Frogs (12-0)
I can't make any jokes about Wisconsin or TCU. This is a good game.

Discover Orange Bowl, Monday 1/3, 7:30p, ESPN, Miami, FL
Stanford Cardinal (11-1) vs. Virginia Tech Hokies (11-2)
Remember when Virginia Tech lost to James Madison, and we were all like "DANG VIRGINIA TECH DONE LOST TO BOISE AND JAMES MADISON LOL"? Well somehow they've won ELEVEN STRAIGHT games and find themselves in the freaking Orange Bowl. This will be the last time Andrew Luck ever has fun playing football, as he is set to go to the Panthers. Tyrod Taylor has all the NFL potential of a three-legged Jack Russell Terrier, so this will probably be it for him.

NFL GAMES
San Diego Chargers (8-7) at Denver Broncos (4-11), 3:15p, CBS
TEBOW ALERT TEBOW ALERT TEBOW ALERT TEBOW ALERT TEBOW ALERT TEBOW ALERT TEBOW ALERT

Chicago Bears (11-4) at Green Bay Packers (9-6), 3:15p, FOX
Let this be a lesson: If you want to win a tough division and 11 games in an NFL season, get your best players from Vanderbilt, Tulane, and Abilene Christian.

New York Giants (9-6) at Washington Redskins (6-9), 3:15p, FOX
Manning vs. McNabb, in the AdvoCare Which Quarterback is More Hateable Bowl!

St. Louis Rams (7-8) at Seattle Seahawks (6-9), 7:20p, NBC
Sam Bradford is the feel-good story of 2010, while Matt Hasselbeck is the feel-kinda-nauseous story of 2010.

Tiebreak Game:
Wisconsin Badgers vs. TCU Horned Frogs, total points scored.

Monday, December 20, 2010

DFC XI Final Four Games

I know you've been waiting... so here it is.  The Final Four Games this week, en route to next week's Deuce Bowl XI!

College Games:
The MAACO Las Vegas Bowl, Wednesday 12/22, 7p, ESPN
Utah Utes (10-2) vs. Boise State Broncos (11-1)
The only reason I wanted this game was, although it seems like Boise State should dominate, Alabama should have dominated as well a few years back... and a huge let down left them with nothing to play for and listless in the bowl game.

The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, Thursday 12/23, 7p, ESPN
Navy Midshipmen (8-3) vs. San Diego State (8-4)
Until the GoDaddy dot com Bowl, this was my very favorite bowl game name, a prime example of corporate sponsorship run amok, and another nail in the "we gots too many crappin' bowl games" coffin.

The Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Friday, 12/24, 7p, ESPN
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (10-3) vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (9-3)
I always pity poor Hawaii, because they always seem to play on their own field and never get to go anywhere.  Of course, they play in Hawaii.  And live in Hawaii.  And go to school in Hawaii.  Those poor, poor football players.

The AdvoCare V100 Independance Bowl, Monday, 12/27, 4pm, ESPN2 in Shreveport, LA
Air Force Falcons (8-4) vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-6)
Sure, the Academy has a better record, but they do play in the Mountain West. And Tech plays in... well, the ACC, so I guess that argument is a wash.   

NFL GAMES
Saturday, Christmas Day
Dallas Cowboys (5-9) at Arizona Cardinals (4-10), 630p, NFL Network

Sunday, 12/26
NYJets (10-4) at Chicago Bears (9-4), 12p, CBS

The New York Football Giants (9-5) vs The Green Bay Packers (8-6), 315p, FOX, at the Frozen Tundra of LAM-BOW FIELD

Monday, 12/27
New Orleans Saints (10-4) at Atlanta Falcons (12-2), 730p, ESPN
Remember when this game would come on Fox at 12p on Sunday, because it was a "local" game, and you'd get so mad because you wanted to see two good teams play, not crap?  Well, here you are.

TieBreak Game:
The New York Football Giants vs. The Green Bay Packers, total points scored.

If, and ONLY IF, there is still a tie between DFC'ers after the TieBreak Game is settled (say the total score is 40, someone guess 38, someone guessed 42, and both records are 5-2, especially if both picked the same team in the Saints/Falcons game, there will be a go-to tiebreak for the Monday night Saints/Falcons game.  But parties involved will be notified of such a tiebreak, don't worry about sending me extra scores)

Also, I will be forwarding all of my picks to Mikey Nipp Tuesday evening, so Young Master Eddy Jr, you may get them to me early, or you may send them to me Wednesday, your choice.  I promise you your picks will not influence mine. 

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The DFC XI Divisional Playoffs Results

Fresno State 25, Illinois 23
1. Auburn 56, 19. South Carolina 17
15. Virginia Tech 44, 21. Florida State 33
9. Oklahoma 23, 13. Nebraska 20
UConn 19, South Florida 16
Minnesota Vikings 38, Buffalo Bills 14
Pittsburgh Steelers 13, Baltimore Ravens 10
New England Patriots 45 at NYJets 3

Its been a busy few weeks at The DFC Corporate Headquarters, aka, The Cabana, which is why I'm just getting back to reveal results... so, I do thank you for your patience!

Okay, lets talk about the previous week's Divisional Round... the rules state that no tiebreak game the first two rounds, the tie breaker goes to the higher seed.  This is a rule we might re-visit in the off season, but for now, it put four people into the Final Four, despite everyone having stellar records.

Dan Sellers, Trey Cartledge and Big Eddy McBroom all went 7-1. but Dan and Trey advance via the higher seeds, 2 and 3 respectively.  Joey Thornell, top seed, went 6-2--good, but not enough.

Yours Truly and Eddy the Junior, seeds 1 and 2, advance, both at 7-1 and move on to The Final Four, while rookie gRandy Latta and The Big Wasyluka go 6-2, but are eliminated.

Final Four Games will encompasse a couple of bowl games and NFL, and will go out soon, and I will probably just send those games to Dan, Trey and Eddy Jr.  Check back for more frequent updates, plus a year-end recap coming soon!