TSN's 12.5: half the size, twice the sizzle

TSN's 12.5 Half the size, twice the sizzle
                                                      TV (all times
Rk. Team (last week)   W-L    Next up                 Eastern)

 1. USC (1)            10-0   Notre Dame, 11/27       8 p.m., ABC

First the Irish, then the Bruins. You know, there was a time that
wasn't something to sneeze at.

 2. Auburn (3)         10-0   at Alabama, 11/20       3:30 p.m., CBS

Shoot, Georgia wharn't nuthin' compared with the Iron Bowl.

 3. Oklahoma (2)       10-0   at Baylor, 11/20        Noon, FSN

The game hasn't started, and already Guy Morriss is PO'd at Bob Stoops
for running up the score.

 4. California (5)     8-1    Stanford, 11/20         3:30 p.m., FSN

The Big Game--ah, it's special. Particularly when both teams aren't
2-8.

 5. Utah (6)           10-0   BYU, 11/20              TBD

Two Utes walk up to a ticket broker and say, "Yo! Pal! Set us up fer da
Fiesta Bowl, will yas?"

 6. Michigan (9)       9-1    at Ohio State, 11/20    1 p.m., ABC
                                                        (regional)

Win the game, go to the Rose Bowl. Hey, no one ever said it was rocket
science.

 7. Texas (7)          9-1    Texas A&M, 11/26        3:30 p.m., ABC

It's always nice when these two schools get together--an angry, hateful
kind of nice, but, still, nice.

8. Louisville (11)     7-1    at Houston, 11/20       None

What goes up must come down, unless it's Stefan LeFors' passer rating.

 9. Wisconsin (4)      9-1    at Iowa, 11/20          4:30 p.m., ESPN

Cheer up, Bucky-35-point losses to 4-5 teams happen to the best of 'em!

10. Georgia (8)        8-2    Georgia Tech, 11/27     3:30 p.m., CBS

We're running out of teams we can mis-pick to win the national
championship.

11. Florida
      State (-)        8-2    Florida, 11/20          7:45 p.m., ESPN

If Bobby Bowden were smart, he'd let his defense play both ways.

12. Boise State (12)   9-0    Louisiana Tech, 11/20   None

Of course the Broncos make the cut! You think just anybody could beat
San Jose State?

12.5 Eli Manning

His old team will be 3-7 after it loses at LSU. Can one player really
make that big of a difference?

TOP 5 'LITTLE GUYS'

1. Utah (10-0)

2. Louisville (7-1)

3. Boise State (9-0)

4. Bowling Green (8-2)

5. UTEP (7-2)

TOP 5 STORY LINES

1. Auburn steps it up

2. Wisconsin screws it up

3. OU eats a Big Red cupcake

4. Tyler Palko hurts an F-bomb

5. JoePa wins! No, really!

TOP 5 DEAD ENDS

1. Wisconsin winning 'em all

2. Georgia winning the SEC

3. The ACC sorting itself out

4. Adrian Peterson for Heisman

5. N.D. getting its groove back

BOTTOM 5

Ohio State. It's Michigan week. Two words: season saver.

Mark Mangino. How can he take it? Two words: ice cream.

Hawaii. Dropped another nail-biter, 70-14.

The Irish. Pick a four-letter word, any four-letter word.

Forced-retirement talk. "Stick that in your eye!" JoePa effectively told his critics. "How do ya like me now? What day is it?" (Sometimes he forgets.)

COPYRIGHT 2004 Sporting News Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning