THE DRAFT

November 28, 2012

Okay, I’ve had enough. Rutgers in the Big Ten? Okay. Louisville to the ACC? Well, Syracuse and Pitt are already there, so fine. I can accept a lot of the expansion plans in college athletics, even if it turns arithmetic and geography on its ear.  However, each time I hear another announcement from the Big East, I want to smack myself in the head with a ball peen hammer. 

The latest move is to add Tulane in all sports and East Carolina in football. As closely as I follow college football, I could not, if my life depended on it, list who will be playing in the Big East next year or in 2014. I’ve lost track.

Since tradition, math and maps have been thrown out by those that run college athletics, I suggested that we hold a draft on “The Happy Hour.” Producer Mike Raymond, co-host Matt Markus and I each drafted our own league to form three ultimate conferences. Each school selected brought with it their entire athletic program, their academics, tradition, money, facilities, fan base and market. We stopped at ten teams each simply due to time constraints. Here is how it went.

(Draft order was determined the most scientific of ways... rock, paper, scissors... with Matt going first, me 2nd and Mike 3rd.)

1 - MM - Stanford - Any commissioner would tell you they would be proud to have the well rounded athletic program and academic reputation of Stanford, but not at the expense of some of  the cash cows sitting out there. Matt took arguably the best combo of athletics & academics, and I think he still regrets the pick.

1 - TF - Notre Dame - My lucky day. They should have gone #1.

1 - MR - Texas - If Matt picked as I thought he would, I would have grabbed the Longhorn money machine at #2.

2 - MM - Florida - A valid top five pick.

2 - TF - Ohio State - The big boy of the Midwest. Their fans are everywhere!

2 - MR - Michigan - Ditto. I think the downfall of Detroit puts them behind OSU, but it is close.

3 - MM - Penn State - Sanctions or not, you will want to have this Northeast power.

3 - TF - Alabama - Seriously considered Georgia here to take Atalanta, but instead took the brand name that all southerners love or love to hate.

3 - MR - UCLA - A bit surprised they went before USC, but their overall athletic program is ahead of USC even if football is not... November 17 not withstanding.

4 - MM - USC - Thought they would go sooner. USC football out west is what Bama is down south.

4 - TF - Texas A&M - With Texas gone, I wanted to be in the Longhorn state. Big drop off after the Aggies in terms of name brand and following.

4 - MR - Georgia - Maybe the steal of the day. Well, outside of ND at #2. 

5 - MM - North Carolina - First selection known more for hoops. Not bad for football & brings national hoops brand.

5 - TF - Oregon - Needed to look west. With USC, UCLA & Stanford gone, Nike University was the best of what was left to me.

5 - MR - Oklahoma State - He wanted Oregon here. He went with deep pocket donor. If I wanted someone in midwest here, I’d have gone Missouri or even Nebraska or Oklahoma 1st.

6 - MM - Oklahoma - There is a reason the SEC was interested in taking OU but not if they had to take Okie State also.

6 - TF - Florida State - Surprised they lasted this long. Great location and programs and gets my league into Florida. Even Miami fans don’t follow Miami, so the drop off after the Noles is huge.

6 - MR - Nebraska - No big market & you are really only benefiting from football, but they have a large & loyal fan base. 

7 - MM - LSU - Southern power, but I had another southern school higher on my wish list.

7 - TF - Tennessee - This was it. The state has a couple good markets, & this program is a sleeping giant.

7 - MR - Syracuse - Basketball all the way here. Too many markets available for me to go with the Orange here.

8 - MM - California - Matt solidifies the Bay Area as Cal joins Stanford. 

8 - TF - Maryland - Baltimore and DC markets snagged with the Terps.

8 - MR - Duke - Back-to-back basketball picks for Mike. Better one here with national following.

9 - MM - Baylor - Matt gets into Texas. Their athletic program last year was outstanding even outside the Heisman for RG3.

9 - TF - Washington - With only Oregon in my league from out west, the Seattle market beats my other options.

9 - MR - Virginia Tech - Nice late grab by Mike.

10 - MM - Arizona - The 6th team Matt took west of the Mississippi River.

10 - TF - Pitt - I needed someone else in the northeast & someone with a good basketball program. Time was running out in the show at this point. If given a mulligan, I would have grabbed Missouri.

10 - MM - Hawaii - A joke more than anything. Mike called it a reward for his schools to guarantee a trip to Hawaii. Good think he drafted rich schools, they’ll need it to get all the non-revenue sports out there and back each year.

TOM’S 10 MATT’S 10              MIKE'S 10

Notre Dame Stanford Texas

Ohio State Florida Michigan

Alabama                 Penn State UCLA

Texas A&M        USC Georgia

Oregon North Carolina            Oklahoma State

Florida State Oklahoma Nebraska

Tennessee LSU                         Syracuse

Maryland                California                  Duke

Washington Baylor Virginia Tech

Pitt                         Arizona Hawaii

Games of the Week:

Alabama vs. Georgia- The SEC Championship Game is once again a de facto semifinal for the national championship. The winner faces Notre Dame for the BCS crown. The loser is likely out of the BCS entirely. The game will feature two of the most proficient quarterbacks in the country. Alabama leads the country in scoring defense and total defense, but Mettenberger of LSU and Manziel of A&M moved the ball thru the air. Aaron Murray of Georgia will challenge them. I think Bama wins, but it will be close. Give me the Tide 20-14.

UCLA @ Stanford - These two teams played on Saturday in LA with Stanford winning 35-17. Now, six days later they meet again in Palo Alto for a trip to the Rose Bowl. Stanford rushed for 221 yards in the first meeting, led by Stepfan Taylor’s 142 yards on 20 carries. Some questioned the motivation for the Bruins to win last week. Had they been victorious, their reward would have been a trip to Eugene to play Oregon. I think Stanford is just that good, that tough and that well coached. Stanford is Pasadena bound 27-10.

Texas @ Kansas State - People expected more out of the Longhorns this season, and no one expected KSU to be in the national championship discussion as long as they were. Collin Klein’s Heisman hopes took a serious hit with their loss at Baylor. They have had two weeks to prepare for this season finale where a Big 12 crown and Fiesta Bowl bid is at stake. Texas has talent, but they haven’t put it all together in a big game this year. KSU will not collapse now. Expect a big final game from Klein and a Wildcat rout. KSU heads to Glendale with a 42-21 victory.

BOWL PROJECTIONS - 

BCS TITLE GAME - Notre Dame vs. Alabama

ROSE BOWL - Nebraska vs. Stanford

FIESTA BOWL - Kansas State vs. Oregon

SUGAR BOWL - Florida vs. Oklahoma

ORANGE BOWL - Florida State vs. Rutgers

COTTON BOWL - Texas vs. Texas A&M

CAPITAL ONE BOWL - Michigan vs. Georgia

OUTBACK BOWL - Wisconsin vs. South Carolina

GATOR BOWL - Northwestern vs. Mississippi State

CHICK-FIL-A BOWL - Clemson vs. LSU

RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL - NC State vs. Louisville

ALAMO BOWL - Oklahoma State vs. UCLA

SUN BOWL - Oregon State vs. Virginia Tech

HOLIDAY BOWL  - USC vs. TCU

BUFFALO WILD WINGS BOWL - Texas Tech vs. Michigan State

BELK BOWL - Cincinnati vs. Georgia Tech

PINSTRIPE BOWL - Syracuse vs. Iowa State

MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL OF TEXAS - West Virginia vs. Purdue

MUSIC CITY BOWL - Vanderbilt vs. Duke