Bowl Preview: Allstate Sugar Bowl

Allstate Sugar Bowl
SuperDome, New Orleans
Cincinnati vs. Florida
Date: Jan. 1
Time: 8:30 p.m.
TV: FOX
Line: Florida -13

About Cincinnati (12-0): The Bearcats escaped close games all year by outscoring everyone. Brian Kelly thanked them and promptly took the Notre Dame job. So, Tony Pike can throw the ball and Mardy Gilyard can catch it. Defense? nah. Running game? Occasionally.


Intangibles:
Oscar Robertson: +3
Art Long punching a horse (never gets old): -3
Cincinnati Reds: -4
Skyline Chili: +3

About Florida (12-1): Is there really anything I can say about Florida that everyone doesn't freaking know? Urban Meyer is on a pseudo early retirement play/leave of absence. Tebow, Brandon Spikes, Gonzalez. blah, blah, blah.

Intangibles:
Mohammed: +1
Buddha: +2
Jesus: +3
Tebow: +5

Impact player: Cincinnati QB Tony Pike, or more likely, his offensive line. UC can get guys open on the Gators, but Pike needs to be standing upright.

Bowl slogan: "Have a hurricane, Cincy fans. Have two, have three. It will ease the pain."

Little known fact: Call this one the "coaching clusterf*ck". Urban Meyer is on a leave of absence. Brian Kelly took the Notre Dame job. Jeff Quinn is coaching Cincy, but is actually the Buffalo coach. And Butch Jones, the new Cincy coach, is just watching. uh. okay.

Watchability (1-5): 4

The pick: Florida 41, Cincinnati 24

Jones choosing between Marshall, Cincy?

It may be time to turn to Plan B for the Marshall Thundering Herd.

Following a number of reports that Marshall was ready to hire Central Michigan coach and former West Virginia assistant Butch Jones to replace Mark Snyder, it now appears Jones has been stringing the Herd along.

Now there are reports that Cincinnati wants to replace Brian Kelly with Jones, beating out East Carolina's Skip Holtz for the job.

This can't sit well with an overzealous and totally irrational fan base in Huntington. There was also a group in Huntington who wanted Florida State offensive line coach Rick Trickett, but he has said he's staying put.

Former Marshall coach Bob Pruett has also been rumored to be interested in returning, but that one has gained little to no traction.

So are we up to Plan D now?

Stay classy Cincinnati

Dear Bearcats fans,

Let me see if I have this right.

It was a great three-plus years for my family and me in Cincinnati. We won back-to-back Big East Championships, and I'm proud of all the players who helped the Bearcats go 34-6 during my tenure. This past season was unbelievable.

Until today. I know some of you are upset that I bolted from Cincinnati for my dream job at Notre Dame. But egging my house? Seriously?

Sorry you are unhappy, but it's Notre Friggin' Dame. Do you not get it? Hey, maybe we'll schedule you guys in a couple years when you return to mediocrity.

Regards,

Brian Kelly
Head Football Coach
Notre Dame

And he's even Irish...

The least surprising coaching hire finally became official today as Brian Kelly was named the new coach at Notre Dame.

Kelly leaves undefeated Cincinnati in a bit of a lurch, as he won't coach the Bearcats in the Sugar Bowl against Florida. This left several UC players a bit peeved as Kelly had twice inferred to his team he wasn't leaving.

God forbid I defend Kelly who I find a bit arrogant, but coaches are annually put in these terrible spots.

As for how Kelly will fare at Notre Dame - I think there's little doubt he'll be an immediate upgrade over Charlie Weis, just going off his successful track record. The keys to Kelly's tenure though will be recruiting and upgrading the Irish defense. Kelly's specialty though, is drawing up and calling plays, just like Charlie.

AEAAE Top 25 (Week 8)

More officials blowing calls (even the instant replay officials) and Notre Dame losing again, so it was a normal week of college football. It was also the most stable the AEAAE Top 25 has been in eight weeks as the eight teams remain the same.

Team (LW) Record

1. Florida (1) 10-0
2. Texas (2) 10-0
3. Alabama (3) 10-0
4. Cincinnati (4) 10-0
5. TCU (5) 10-0
6. Boise State (6) 10-0
7. Georgia Tech (7) 10-1
8. Pittsburgh (8) 9-1
9. Ohio State (10) 9-2
10. LSU (12) 8-2
11. Oregon (14) 8-2
12. Oklahoma State (18) 8-2
13. Penn State (20) 9-2
14. Wisconsin (19) 8-2
    
15. Iowa (17) 9-2
    
16. Stanford (21) 7-3
    
17. Clemson (24) 7-3
    
18. BYU (22) 8-2
    
19. Virginia Tech (NR) 7-3
    
20. Utah (13) 8-2
    
21. Rutgers (NR) 7-2
    
22. Oregon State (NR) 7-3
    
23. Miami (11) 7-3
    
24. USC (9) 7-3
    
25. North Carolina (NR) 7-3
    

Others receiving votes: Houston, Navy, West Virginia, California, Mississippi, Nebraska

Are these SEC officials?

I waited almost 24 hours before commenting on the officiating in the WVU-Cincinnati game. Funny thing, my opinion hasn't changed. Maybe the Bearcats still win, but when the replay officical overturned this fumble recovery by the Mountaineers and called it a TD for Cincy the momentum shifted back to UC.

Maybe the ball does cross the goal line, but there is not enough evidence to overturn the call. In fact, I'd argue that Isaiah Pead is losing control of the ball as he tries to extend it over the goal line. Therefore the WVU fumble recovery should have held.

This doesn't erase the fact WVU still plays horrible special teams and there were some questionable calls in the fourth quarter. But take away the seven points and WVU may have taken control of this game and won.

This is one college football fan who is tired of officials deciding the outcome of games. Enough already.

AEAAE Top 25 (Week 6)

Florida and Texas play well this week, so both are now ahead of idle Alabama in the weekly An 'Eye and an 'Eer Top 25 poll. Similar to the national polls, Boise State was jumped by TCU, but the Broncos remain ahead of Oregon.

Team (LW) Record

1. Florida (1) 8-0
2. Texas (3) 8-0
3. Alabama (2) 8-0
4. Iowa (4) 9-0
5. Cincinnati (6) 8-0
6. TCU (8) 8-0
7. Boise State (7) 8-0
8. Oregon (12) 7-1
9. LSU (9) 7-1
10. Georgia Tech (10) 8-1
11. Pittsburgh (14) 7-1
12. Penn State (11) 8-1
13. Houston (18) 7-1
14. USC (5) 6-2
15. Ohio State (17) 7-2
16. Utah (15) 7-1
17. Miami (19) 6-2
18. Arizona (24) 6-2
19. Notre Dame (25) 6-2
20. Oklahoma State (13) 6-2
21. Oklahoma (NR) 5-3
22. California (NR) 6-2
23. Wisconsin (NR) 6-2
24. South Florida (NR) 6-2
25. Clemson (NR) 5-3

Others receiving votes: West Virginia, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Auburn, Central Michigan, Texas Tech, Boston College.

Nice schtick

As a marketer, I'm all for a good schtick when it works. This is a pretty good one by Cincinnati radio station WLW. When the Bearcats and Ohio State finally meet on the field, UC may not stand a chance. But while Cincy is playing like the best team in the state the Bearcats might as well capitalize on it while they can. I'm also starting to believe Cincinnati could beat Ohio State this year.

Wonder how the 'Eye feels about this one? He's been kind of quiet since Saturday.

AEAAE Top 25 (Week 4)

Week 4 rankings at An 'Eye and an 'Eer are about as stable as they have been all season. The top five are the same for the second straight week. Here are this week's rankings:

Team (LW) Record

1. Florida (1) 6-0
2. Alabama (2) 7-0
3. Texas (3) 6-0
4. Cincinnati (4) 6-0
5. USC (5) 5-1
6. Iowa (6) 7-0
7. Boise State (8) 5-0
8. Miami (10) 5-1
9. TCU (11) 6-0
10. LSU (12) 5-1
11. Georgia Tech (17) 6-1
12. Penn State (16) 6-1
13. Oregon (15) 5-1
14. Oklahoma State (19) 5-1
15. BYU (22) 6-1
16. Pittsburgh (25) 6-1
17. Houston (27) 5-1
18. Virginia Tech (7) 5-2
19. Ohio State (9) 5-2
20. West Virginia (23) 5-1
21. Kansas (14) 5-1
22. South Florida (13) 5-1
23. Utah (26) 5-1
24. South Carolina (20) 5-2
25. Texas Tech (NR) 5-2

Others receiving votes: Central Michigan, Arizona, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Idaho, Michigan, Boston College, Arkansas.

Podcast: Episode 44

Apparently we can stop the college football season and just let Florida and Alabama play for the national championship. At least that seems to be the consensus around the nation. However, the podcast bozos from An 'Eye and 'Eer just don't see it that way. In fact, we believe Florida and Alabama are outstanding football teams, but maybe a bit overrated considering how weak the SEC is this year. So let's allow the games to be played and see where things fall.

Episode 44 also delves into the good and bad of instant replay, as well as a preview to some of this weekend's big games (USC-Notre Dame, Cincinnati-South Florida and the Red River Rivalry). Surprisingly it is the second week in a row that we talk about Bobby Bowden and what lies ahead. Somehow we also found a way to include Al Groh, Terrelle Pryor, and Marshall into the show. Happy listening.

AEAAE Top 25 (Week 3)

The pollsters at An 'Eye and an 'Eer are still shuffling teams around based on weekly performance. It seems the top-ranked Gators are the only team who has any security in our rankings.

So here are the AEAAE rankings:

Team (LW) Record
1. Florida (1) 5-0
2. Alabama (3) 6-0
3. Texas (2) 5-0
4. Cincinnati (5) 5-0
5. USC (10) 4-1
6. Iowa (8) 6-0
7. Virginia Tech (14) 5-1
8. Boise State (7) 5-0
9. Ohio State (13) 5-1
10. Miami (16) 4-1
11. TCU (6) 5-0
12. LSU (4) 5-1
13. South Florida (15) 5-0
14. Kansas (9) 5-0
15. Oregon (18) 5-1
16. Penn State (17) 5-1
17. Georgia Tech (19) 5-1
18. Nebraska (22) 4-1
19. Oklahoma State (20) 4-1
20. South Carolina (24) 5-1
21. Notre Dame (NR) 4-1
22. Brigham Young (NR) 5-1
23. West Virginia (23) 4-1
24. Oklahoma (NR) 3-2
25. Pittsburgh (NR) 5-1

Others receiving votes: Utah, Houston, Auburn, Wisconsin, Arkansas

AEAAE Top 25 (Week 2)

Do you need any more proof that preseason polls and the subsequent rankings are totally bogus? Florida State was ready to challenge for the ACC title and maybe a BCS shot. Let's not forget Ole Miss, and how are things going in Norman, Okla., with the Sooners?

Then there is the other side ... you know the teams that no one gave any chance who are doing well. Remember all the talk about no Big East teams in the Top 25? Now we have two (Cincinnati and South Florida) and you could argue there are two others who may be there at some point.

Enough of that. Here is the second AEAAE Top 25 poll for 2009.

Team (LW) Record
1. Florida (1) 4-0
2. Texas (2) 4-0
3. Alabama (3) 5-0
4. LSU (5) 5-0
5. Cincinnati (4) 5-0
6. TCU (7) 4-0
7. Boise State (6) 5-0
8. Iowa (9) 5-0
9. Kansas (16) 4-0
10. USC (8) 4-1
11. Missouri (15) 4-0
12. Auburn (18) 5-0
13. Ohio State (10) 4-1
14. Virginia Tech (12) 4-1
15. South Florida (17) 5-0
16. Miami (23) 3-1
17. Penn State (21) 4-1
18. Oregon (20) 4-1
19. Georgia Tech (NR) 4-1
20. Oklahoma State (19) 3-1
21. Wisconsin (24) 5-0
22. Nebraska (25) 3-1
23. West Virginia (NR) 3-1
24. South Carolina (NR) 4-1
25. Mississippi (NR) 3-1

Others receiving votes: Notre Dame, BYU, Stanford, Central Michigan

Picks of the Week: No. 5

The 'Eer knew there was a reason he avoided picking ACC games last year. Now he's staving off this schizophrenic conference until it becomes more stable. Let's see what we can find around the rest of the nation for this week's picks. Dude, I need a good week.

Ohio State (-18.0) over Indiana
The Hooisers should have won at Michigan last week. That was more an aberration and Ohio State will remind everyone of that this week. The Buckeyes have pitched consecutive shutouts. I'm not predicting three in a row, but Terrelle Pryor and the OSU offense will score plenty to keep the Buckeyes on top in the Big Ten.
Pick: Ohio State 34, Indiana 10

Cincinnati (-29.0) over Miami, Ohio
This pick scares me a bit because of the 29 points. But the Redhawks won't be able to stop the Tony Pike-Mardy Gilyard tandem in Oxford. So far this year Miami has been outscored on average 41-11 and the Bearcats are the best team it has faced all season (sorry Boise State fans).
Pick: Cincinnati 55, Miami 7

Penn State (-7.0) over Illinois
Did you watch the Illini last week? Inept is a kind evaluation. Penn State didn't look much better in its home loss to Iowa, but JoPa will ... wait a minute ... Tom Bradley will have the Nittany Lions back on track in Champaign.
Pick: Penn State 30, Illinois 17

Washington State (+33.5) over Oregon
The Ducks are on a roll, but following last week's dominating performance against Cal it's time for Oregon to struggle a bit. Wazzu won't pull out the upset, but they'll keep it closer than expected. Why? Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli will turn the ball over enough to thwart at least two Ducks' scoring drives.
Pick: Oregon 38, Washington State 9

Upset of the Week
LSU (+3.0) over Georgia
This one just seems odd. The Tigers are ranked fourth in the nation and are undefeated. Georgia is ranked, but have given up a ton of points and didn't look too impressive in its loss at Oklahoma State. SEC types will tell you how difficult it is to win on the road in the conference ... blah, blah, blah. Mark Richt is about as good at coaching big games as Bob Stoops. LSU may need a little luck like last week, but they'll pull the upset (if you can call it that).
Pick: LSU 33, Georgia 32

Last Week: 2-3
Season Record: 10-10

AEAAE Top 25

Welcome to the first An 'Eye and an 'Eer Top 25 poll. Since we despise the validity of preseason polls we waited until after the fourth week to gather rankings from our correspondents around the nation. We could still use reliable voters from Big 12 and Pac-10 country, but the knowledge and diversity of our voters makes this Top 25 better than that lame Harris Poll.

Team Record
1. Florida (4-0)
2. Texas (4-0)
3. Alabama (4-0)
4. Cincinnati (4-0)
5. LSU (4-0)
6. Boise State (4-0)
7. TCU (3-0)
8. USC (3-1)
9. Iowa (4-0)
10. Ohio State (3-1)
11. Oklahoma (2-1)
12. Virginia Tech (3-1)
13. Michigan (4-0)
14. Houston (3-0)
15. Missouri (4-0)
16. Kansas (4-0)
17. South Florida (4-0)
18. Auburn (4-0)
19. Oklahoma State (3-1)
20. Oregon (3-1)
21. Penn State (3-1)
22. Georgia (3-1)
23. Miami (2-1)
24. Wisconsin (4-0)
25. Nebraska (3-1)

Others receiving votes: Mississippi, BYU, California, Notre Dame

Rutgers to win Big East ... huh?

Every year the 'Eye claims Virginia Tech is the most overrated team in the preseason rankings. Most of the time he's right.

So when he spends his entire summer driving his friends nuts by espousing too often on a media darling who he feels is not as good as the hype ... people should listen. This summer it was Rutgers. He questioned and picked apart "the experts" who kept telling us Rutgers would win the Big East. The Scarlet Knights proved him right as Cincinnati looked every bit the defending champ and favorite to win it again this year.

Besides, any WVU fan will tell you there is no way Rutgers will win the Big East.

The Bearcats were dominant and have become the team to beat in the Big East (which should have been the case all preseason). Why? That's simple Tony Pike. The senior signal caller hit on 27-of-34 passes for 362 yards and three touchdowns in just three quarters.

Greg Schiano has done an amazing job with RU, but outside of a program-making victory over an undefeated Louisville in 2006, his teams have been mediocre. The only positive in Monday's loss was the debut of freshman QB Tom Savage. He added some stability to the Knights offense and he'll probably be the starter for a long time now.

Podcast: Episode 38

You can tell by our voices in today's podcast that were more than ready for Thursday night's kickoff to College Football. However, how could we do a show without starting it off by talking about Practice Gate and the problems with Rich Rodriguez in Ann Arbor. No sympathy here.

After we spend way too much time talking about the team up north, we get on with other important topics such as Pete Carroll's love affair with Matt Barkley and if the Cincinnati-Rutgers game on Monday could provide the Big East with some relief. 'Eye and 'Eer also make their Heisman picks, as well as give you a game this weekend that you should care about.

Big East is MIA

Bloggers and columnists are signaling the end of the Big East since no conference team is in the USA Today Preseason Top 25 Coaches poll. All that really tells me is preseason polls are meaningless.

Boise State (16), TCU (17), Utah (18) and BYU (24) are all ranked. Seriously, does anyone think all four of these teams will be in the Top 25 at the end? Does anyone remember Clemson last year? The Tigers were ranked in the top 10 and considered the ACC's premiere team. How did that work out for Tommy Bowden?

Cincinnati is the highest ranked Big East team at No. 29, followed by Pitt (30), West Virginia (31) and Rutgers (32).

My guess ... Pitt, WVU and Rutgers are all in the final Top 25. But really, what does that mean today?

2009's best non-conference matchups

With all of the talk about teams trying to make their non-conference schedules as easy as possible I decided it was time to look at the 2009 schedule and give you the 10 best non-conference match ups.

Here are my picks.

1. USC at Ohio State (8 p.m. EST, Sept. 12, ESPN): Buckeyes hope to end their big-game struggles at the Horseshoe against the Trojans. USC crushed OSU last year 35-3, but the Buckeyes are 23-1 under Jim Tressel in non-conference home games.

2. Alabama vs. Virginia Tech (8 p.m. EST, Sept. 5, ABC): Alabama is back in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. Last year the Tide shocked Clemson en route to a perfect regular season. The Hokies hope to represent the ACC in a much better light than Clemson. This game features two of the nation's best defenses and the crowd will be electric.

3. Oregon at Boise State (10:15 p.m. EST, Sept. 3, ESPN): I almost picked this as the top game because the Ducks are traveling to a non-BCS school putting their whole season on the line. The Ducks will also have a new coach and uniforms that will undoubtedly clash with the blue turf. Great game, though, with two Top 15 teams getting the season started on a Thursday night. This is a must watch. If the Broncos win they're probably 12-0 in 2009.

4. Georgia at Oklahoma State (3:30 p.m. EST, Sept. 5, ABC): Georgia didn't play well in big games last season, and Mark Richt could use a win in this game in a serious way. However, when the Bulldogs agreed to this road game Oklahoma State was a middle of the pack Big 12 program. Things are different now and I won't be suprised a bit to see the Cowboys win this game easily.

5. West Virginia at Auburn (7:45 p.m. EST, Sept. 19, ESPN): This was a great game last year in Morgantown. But this year WVU is without Pat White, doesn't have the homefield edge and the Tigers will want to exact a bit of revenge. Think Morgantown is crazy on a Thursday night? Wait until the Mountaineers see Jordan-Hare Stadium. Crazy.

6. Oklahoma at Miami (TBA, Oct. 3, TBA): This matchup brings back memories of Brian Bosworth and Barry Switzer vs. Vinny Testaverde and Jimmy Johnson. Unfortunately for the Hurricanes they aren't quite talented enough to hang with the Sooners. Sam Bradford and the Sooners should have a better outcome this time in Miami.

7. Florida State at Florida (TBA, Nov. 28, TBA): Great rivalry that has been dominated by the Gators of late. The Seminoles are getting better, but Tim Tebow and UF will get another win in 2009.

8. Nebraska at Virginia Tech (3:30 p.m., Sept. 19, ABC): Big 12 vs. ACC. This is another opportunity for the ACC to gain a bit of respect nationally. The Cornhuskers could do the same with a win in front of a hostile crowd at Lane Stadium. Winner of this one gains a lot of traction.

9. Notre Dame at Pittsburgh (TBA, Nov. 14, TBA): Do you remember last year's overtime thriller? I do. I was sitting in a bar in Columbus waiting for a Blue Jackets game to get underway. This game always seems to have a number of twists and turns to keep it exciting. I expect more of the same this year as Pitt believes it can win the Big East and the Irish try to remain relevant. Now if we could just get Penn State to play Pitt or WVU again.

10. Illinois at Cincinnati (TBA, Nov. 27, TBA): The timing isn't the best for Cincinnati as this game is sandwiched between West Virginia and at Pitt. The Bearcats are good enough to repeat as Big East champs, and Illinois is experienced. The winner here could position itself for a solid bowl game.

Bowl Preview: Orange Bowl

Orange Bowl
Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Fla.
Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati
Date: Jan. 1
Time: 8 p.m.
TV: FOX
Line: Cincinnati -2.5

About Virginia Tech: I have no idea how this team made it to a BCS game. They’ve got a crappy offense and their defense is average. Hell, the special teams aren’t even that good this year. And somehow they get a favorable matchup in a BCS bowl. Man.

Intangibles:
Redshirting Tyrod Taylor: -4
Playing Tyrod Taylor: +2
Beamer neck thing: -2
Nicknamed “Hokies”: +3

About Cincinnati: Brian Kelly is one of the best coaches in college football. Just ask him. Kelly is a wee-bit sure of himself. I guess that’s a perfect fit for the Bearcats who are about the 10th most important football team in Cincinnati – right after Cincinnati Woodward, High School. The ‘Cats have a varied offense and a decent defense.

Intangibles:
Clifton: -4
Skyline Chili: +5
Montgomery Inn BBQ: +6
Bengals and Reds: -5

Impact Player: Cincinnati WR Dominick Goodman . Nice WR, but really might have been the best high school option QB I’ve ever seen. Would have loved to see him play for Paul Johnson at Georgia Tech.

Bowl slogan: “Come to Miami! Please, come. Somebody come. We’ll give you the tickets, Please.”

Little known fact: The Orange Bowl used to be an awesome game. Always had great matchups. Not so much, anymore.

Watchability (1-5): 2

The Pick: Virginia Tech 24, Cincinnati 23

Podcast: Episode 16

It's time to take a closer look at the best and worst match ups of the BCS Bowls and non-BCS Bowls. Phil and Tom also discuss the latest on the coaching carousel, as well as who will and who should win the Heisman Trophy. Also, what's up with those Zubaz-inspired pants that the Cincinnati Bearcats wore last week? The boys from An 'Eye and an 'Eer won't go without football this weekend either as both are looking forward to watching FCS Division playoffs.