Bowl Preview: BCS Super Duper National Championship Game for all the Marbles in the Whole Wide World

BCS National Championship
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Ca.
Alabama vs. Texas
Date: Jan. 7
Time: 8 p.m.
TV: ABC
Line: Alabama -4

About Alabama (13-0): The Tide got here the old-fashioned Tide way - defense, boring offense and deal with Satan. RB Mark Ingram won the Heisman by being the dreaded most important player on the best team. This does not bode well for winning national titles. The big news of the week was that starting LB Rolando McClain ate a "bad taco" which in college football parlance usually means he spent a night getting shitfaced with his friends and hasn't recovered.

Intangibles:
First Heisman trophy winner: -2
Mike Shula (or was it David?): -2
Major Ogilvie: +2

About Texas (13-0): Colt McCoy. Jordan Shipley. Other guys. Texas is generally regarded as the team that lucked into getting to the title game thanks to their weak conference, downfall of a dreaded rival (Oklahoma) and some league officials determined to have the 'Horns play for another title. Good passing game. Running game? Eh. Defense? Eh.

Intangibles:
History of great college football players who suck in the pros: -1
This is college football who gives a crap: +4
Austin: +2
Rest of Texas: -4

Impact player: McCoy. Colt, that is. Great name. Better have a great game.

Bowl slogan: "We're not really a bowl. We're not really a playoff championship. We're just here and you can't do a damn thing about it."

Little Known fact: The aforementioned Satan, lord of darkness, watches Nick Saban and says "That guy is kind of an ass."

Watchability (1-5): 5

The Pick: Texas 23, Alabama 22

'Eer's Mid-season All-American Team

I'm the first to admit this means nothing, but it's fun to do. Most of these selections are based on what I've seen this fall, but some picks were made on team success combined with overall stats. I refuse to try to pick offensive linemen. Sorry, just can't do it.

Let me know what you think.

First Team
QB: Tony Pike, Cincinnati
RB: Toby Gerhart, Stanford
RB: Noel Devine, WVU
FB: Stanley Havili, USC
TE: Anthony McCoy, USC
WR: Jordan Shipley, Texas
WR: Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati

DE: Jerry Hughes, TCU
DT: Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
OLB: Eric Norwood, South Carolina
MLB: Brandon Spikes, Florida
DB: Kurt Coleman, Ohio State
SS: Eric Berry, Tennessee
FS: Taylor Mays, USC

Second Team
QB: Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
RB: Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
RB: Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech
FB: Vince Murray, Navy
TE: Dennis Pitta, BYU
WR: Golden Tate, Notre Dame
WR: Eric Decker, Minnesota

DE: O'Brien Schofield, Wisconsin
DT: Cameron Hayward, Ohio State
OLB: Cody Grimm, Virginia Tech
MLB: Rolando McClain, Alabama
DB: Javier Arenas, Alabama
SS: Ahmad Black, Florida
FS: Chad Jones, LSU

Saturday thoughts Oct. 10

- Even though the score was only 13-3, it never felt like LSU had a chance to beat the top-ranked Gators Saturday night. Florida just ran the ball, controlled the clock and let their defense pick apart LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson.

- Rich Rodriguez just injected a quarterback controversy into a team that's lost two straight after the loss to Iowa. Rodriguez chose to yank a struggling Tate Forcier late in the game in favor of Denard Robinson. Robinson responded with a quick TD drive, but hit late-game interception when the Wolverines just need a field goal was an enormous mistake. Perhaps Forcier was hurt, but it's still going to bring up a lot of questions.

- Texas recovered after messing around with Colorado for awhile. Jordan Shipley for Heisman?

- Didn't see much of the day games as I was watching Ohio State blow out Wisconsin despite a pathetic offensive display. Two interceptions returns for TDs and a KO return for a TD were all OSU needed. Terrelle Pryor struggled badly and looked like he had seriously regressed. That defense is nails though.

- From the scores and highlights I've seen, I'm guessing Virginia Tech and Alabama were both impressive.