SEC Six Big12 Four in hoops challenge 012922 and onward

 How has Bama lost a game? Impressive win over Baylor. The Iron Bowl (ALA/AUB) is a big deal in hoops, too

Sooners' coach Moser may ask the nuns of Loyola-Chicago to pray for him.

You never know which LSU, Miss St, and OK St squads will show up.

TX HC Beard wins the "Barnes bowl", and his former team Texas Tech hasn't missed a beat since he left.

Calipari is back and Huggy(WV) is fading, despite giving Musselman's Razorbacks a battle.

More Self-analysis for the Jayhawks.

Since the B12 has four less teams than the SEC, Vandy beat Georgia were left out of yesterday events b

The Buzz has faded @ TAMU who lost to South Carolina.  I shook my head when the Ags hired Buzz Williams away from VTech a few years ago.

Feb 1, 2022

After Saturday games I thought Baylor would crush West Virginia, but Huggy's guys lost the lead after Taz Sherman(29 points) left the game due to a concussion.  BAY 81 WV 77.

Damion Baugh(20 PTS, 8 REB, 1 AST) helped TCU pull away from the Sooners late. TCU 72  OK 63. Two teams headed in different directions.

Feb 2, 2022

"Iron Bowl" hoops started with some poor shooting and the refs swallowing their whistles for both sides, but Auburn played some D and pulled away late in the first half. AUB 100 Bama 81

Elsewhere in the SEC: Tennessee bounced back with a win over TAMU, and Ol Miss beat slumping LSU. Miss St got a much needed win, beating the Gamecocks 78-64.

In Big 12 action Texas Tech shaved the Beard in Austin. TT 77 TX 64, while Kansas bounced back well from the loss to Kentucky by beating Iowa St 70-61 despite a solid night for Izaiah Brockington(ISU - G  24 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST)

Feb 3, 2022

He!! of an effort from Scotty Pippen Jr.(VAN - G  33 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AS), but UK hung on . UK 77 VAN 70.

Nijel Pack (KSU - G 22 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST) was a key factor in the Wildcats win over OK St in this bubble matchup. K St 71 OK St 68

Feb 6, 2022

What a difference a week makes? Bama lost to UK and Baylor lost by a ton to Kansas. Auburn barely beat cellar dweller GA. LSU lost to Vandy again. Is Stackhouse's crew going to make a run?

Feb 8, 2022

 I couldn't keep my eyes open for the second half of TX win over Kansas. Nice move by Beard early in the game to feed the big men down low. Timmy Allen TEX - F

24 PTS, 9 REB, 1 AST 

Feb 9, 2022

Arkansas won its 9th straight game, a huge OT win over Auburn last night.

Feb 10, 2022

Gibson scores 30 as Oklahoma(14-10, 4-7 CONF) upsets No. 9 Texas Tech 70-55. I'm sure Sooners' fans are still wondering about hiring Porter Moser from Loyola of Chicago as they remain on the bubble.

Feb 16, 2022

Vols are on a nice roll in February. Big upset of Kentucky last night. 

Ol Miss crumble continues with L to South Carolina.

Beard shaved off a two-point OT win in a Red River battle. TX 80 OK 78

Feb 23, 2022

Scotty's kid nearly rolled the Tide last night. Pippen Jr. VANDY 26 PTS 2 REB 6 AST. Ark beat FLA.  Moser continues to struggle at OK.  TT 66 OK 42

Feb 28, 2022

After what I saw yesterday in B10 action, the conference may be fifth among the power 5 conferences. I loved Ayala leading the Terps to a 75-60 win over the Buckeyes and was laughing at Nebraska killing PennSt a few days after Nebraska(8-21, 2-16) said they were keeping Coach Holberg. Every season the B10 gets more than their share of Dance tickets.

Illinois beat Michigan and Indiana beat Minnesota.

March 2, 2022

Two in a row for Nebraska. NEB 78 Ohio St 70. Plus, Wisky beat Purdue in B10 action.  In the B12 TCU knocked off Kansas.

March 3, 2022

Terps win again. This time it was Minnesota. I suspect Danny Manning wants the interim term removed. Manning's replacement at Wake Forest, Steve Forbes, has the Deacons in gear for the ACCT. They crushed NC St last night.

March 6, 2022

Another wild Saturday. SEC : LSU  beats Bama. Tenn  cools off Arkansas. TAMU beat Miss St and may have crept onto the bubble. That's what I get for criticizing Buzzcut.

Big 12:  OK St edged TT. Huggy's guys climb out of the cellar and beat Jamie Dixon's TCU squad. It takes me back to the Big East WVA/Pitt matchups when Dixon was the Pitt HC.

ACC: UNC spoils Coach K's day. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. BTW, it's difficult for me to root for any Tobacco Road team.

March 7, 2022

I noticed that Nebraska won again which hurt  Wisky. Funny how that vote of confidence for Hoiberg has sparked the Huskers.

March 10, 2022

Wake Forest loss to BC in the ACCT probably nixes its Dance chances. Deacons needed to win at least one game. Is Huggy going to stir the Big 12 pot. WV beat KST. Cuse  beat FSU by 39. Is Boeheim  going to be crying for another ticket? I suspect losing his son Buddy for one game for the punch will hurt him today against Duke.

March 13, 2022

Vols/Ags in the SECT final. Then VA Tech jumped off the bubble beating Duke in the ACCT. This will reverberate through the Dance committee this afternoon.

Plus, I hope they don't do their annual normal and selecting too many Big 10 teams.

March 21, 2022

Three ACC teams, Miami, UNC, and Duke, in the Sweet 16. Laranaga still has some magic left  from from 2006 when he took GW (Colonial, at the time) to to the F4.

March 25, 2022

''40 Minutes of Hell,'' returned for Arkansas in the win over the Zags . I have them in the F4. I had Texas Tech in the F4 but they lost to Duke. Also have Nova in the F4. The damn Auburn pick to win it all haunts me.

March 27,2022

Duke moves on to P4. I'm on the anybody but Duke train which may mean rooting for UNC. Tobacco road choices are so difficult for a life-long Terps' fan.

April 3, 2022

 LSU has no scholarship player remaining from its 2021/22 team.

Aug 12, 2022

St Peters upsets still haunts. I love a Cats-fight . Stoops/Calipari

# 4straightpostseasonwins.  UK's football program winning the Citrus Bowl in 2018, Belk Bowl in 2019, Gator Bowl in 2020 and Citrus Bowl again in 2021. What is also highlights is how UK's basketball program hasn't won a postseason game since 2019, most recently losing to Saint Peter's in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament after going 9-16 in the 2020-21 season and missing the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

Sunbelt 2023 or 2022 expansion reverberates

 Ark-Little Rock, a non-football member of the Sun Belt since 1991, is going to the Ohio Valley Conference on July 1st, 2022.

 UT Arlington, another non-football member is is a candidate to join the Missouri Valley Conference.

James Madison HC Curt Cignetti announced the hire of Matt Transue as the new Senior Director of Football Operations.

 Transue joins the Dukes with five-plus years of experience at the FBS level as it relates to the day-to-day operations of a football program. He spent five years in various positions at Va Tech from 2017-21 then was the DFO at Ga Southern last season. I'm sure Helton, the HC at Georgia Southern, ain't digging losing him to a future SBC opponent.

Division travel shouldn't be bad in the Sunbelt East: Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Marshall, Old Dominion and James Madison.

Jan 15, 2022

Sunbelt will let #herd, USM, and ODU, know on Jan 26 if they can join for 2022 instead of 2023.

Jan 22, 2022

UTA is set to join the WAC, not the MVC, on July 1, in time for the 2022-23 athletic season. The WAC is getting Texas-heavy. 

Feb 2, 2022

Various news outlets reports that JMU will be joining the Sunbelt in all sports starting in the fall of 2022, and the Dukes are slated to open their football season against MTSU on September 3.

Feb 5, 2022

America East bans Stony Brook Seawolves from conference tournaments because it's moving to the CAA, who did the same thing to James Madison for their move to the Sunbelt. Both schools will need to get at large bids to NCAA tournaments.

Feb 23, 2022

Marshall is suing C-USA in Cabell County, WV in a bid to exit early for Sun Belt and are claiming that the current bylaws on arbitration were not in effect when they joined the conference in 2003.

CUSA may want to move Liberty(Independent in football) in earlier than the planned 2023 date.

March 30, 2022

#herd, USM, and ODU got their wish and will join the SunBelt for 2022 football season. Conference USA will play with 11 members next season and has petitioned the NCAA for health and safety reasons, a lack of bye weeks, to play two football games in Week 0 in 2022.

April 23, 2022

Well, if the Sunbelt schedules more games against division opponents than travel should be reduced.

May 4, 2022

Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF are negotiating a settlement with the AAC to leave the league early and make their Big 12 membership official on July 1, 2023 . And watch the AAC try to speed up bringing in these CUSA teams: Florida Atlantic, Charlotte, North Texas, UTSA, Rice and UAB.

May 21, 2022

Sad news for Jax St , who's transitioning to 1A while it on its way to the CUSA in 2023. Assistant head football coach Calvin Magee(59) died after suffering a heart attack. He was an assistant to HC Rich Rod at several schools over the years and played four seasons at TE for TBay Buccaneers.

May 31, 2022

Georgia Southern (40-18) of the Sun Belt Conference will host a Baseball regional for the first time. East Carolina(AAC) and S.Miss (CUSA) are also hosting. BTW, ECU opens against Coppin St (MEAC), a small inner-city schooi in Baltimore, my home town.

June 10, 2022

It's official on July 1, 2023 :Cincinnati, Houston, UCF will join the Big 12 The Big 12 will field 14 teams in 2023 . The three schools will each pay the AAC $18 million over a 14-year period to leave the conference early. As an FBS independent, BYU will only have to pay $500,000 to leave the WCC for other sports, Six CUSA schools six schools will now officially join the AAC :Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB. and UTSA CUSA will also add four schools: Jacksonville State, Liberty, New Mexico State. and Sam Houston State.

July 21, 2022

I took a nap on the Sunbelt. JMU's Homecoming Weekend October 22: The Dukes will face Marshall, a team they’ve only played to twice in the 1990s. Marshall won both matchups.

July 29, 2022

Coastal Carolina QB Grayson McCall signed an NIL deal with Darlington Raceway( “Too Tough To Tame”). I can see this one working out well.

When I went to a few Nascar races at Dover around from 1998-2000, a lot of the long- time fans told me that Darlington was a track I should visit.

 

O5 Bowl Games Dec 31

 Sun Bowl: Central Michigan 27 Wash St 24.  CMU has Lew Nichols, the leading rusher in the country, but its weak passing D that will be tested by Cougars QB Jayden de Laura.  This is the first meeting between the schools. If my guess is correct, the Pac 12 will go winless this bowl season.

Cotton Bowl: I'm rooting for Cincy big time, but the Crimson Tide D will probably give Ridder he!!

Bama 28  Cincy 20.

I have no idea why ESPN didn't re-slate the Sun Bowl in its Bowl Mania but did adjust the Gator Bowl. Maybe because the Sun Bowl is on CBS?

Jan 1, 2022

CMU 24  WSU 21. Nichols had a solid game, and the CMU D played a good first half. Delaura was benched in the second half and Gabels led WSU to some scores.

Cincy stayed in the game through three quarters, trailing 17-6, but had no answers for Young and Robinson.

Cincy OC Denbrock ,who worked with LSU coach Brian Kelly at Notre Dame (2010-16), will become the LSU OC.

Jan 4, 2022

USF extended most of their head coaches' contracts, including football coach Jeff Scott, men’s basketball coach Brian Gregory, and baseball coach Billy Mohl. Scott is 3-18 in two seasons. Gregory is 62-73 in five seasons. Not sure what all that is about.

Jan 6, 2021

Memphis(AAC) offensive coordinator Kevin Johns is the new OC at Duke. Just a few years ago Memphis was a school that would've been a candidate to go P5.

Jan 9, 2021

Charlie Batch, a former NFL qb, said his employer , GameAbove Capital, would pay Caleb Williams $1 million for one season with Eastern Michigan(MAC). 

Jan 12, 2022

Clayton Tune  and Alton McCaskill are staying at Houston. CBS sports' analysts are slotting Houston as the 2022 preseason favorite in the AAC over Cincinnati.  I'm sticking with the Bearcats as the favorite until I see otherwise. 

ULL(SunBelt ) is getting raided hard. Napier took a lot of coaches to UF and just poached RB, Montrell Johnson, from his old team

O5 bowl games Dec 27-28

Quick Lane Bowl 

Western Michigan 20 vs. Nevada 17.  I'll go with the WMU running backs, Sean Tyler and La'Darius Jefferson slow the game down which will limit Nevada's QB Carson Strong's opportunities.

Military Bowl presented by Peraton 

 East Carolina 30 vs Boston College(ACC) 28 ECU is a hot team, and the BC Eagles have not been soaring. ECU QB Ahlers will be tossing a lot of passes

Tuesday, Dec. 28

TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl 

Houston 28 vs. Auburn 27 This is the first matchup of the best of AAC against SEC teams from the state of Alabama this bowl season.  Clayton Tune will out-duel Finley or whoever is playing QB for Auburn

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl 

 Louisville 31 vs Air Force 27   Cards don't see much triple option in ACC play but Malik Cunningham will make some explosive plays for the Cardinals in a nailbiter.

Dec 28, 2021

I was correct on WMU but wrong on a low scoring game. Eleby threw two TD passes and the Tyler /Kincaide backfield rushed for over 250 yards in a 52-24 rout over Nevada.

Military bowl was canceled.-*

Dec 29, 2021

Houston got a late TD and hung on to beat Auburn. SEC is having a bad start (0-4) so far. Two losses to O5, one to Ind, one to P5.

 Air Force had a balanced attacked, and Louisville's speed didn't help  them play defense.

 AFA 31 LOU 28.

Military Bowl was canceled

O5 Bowl games Dec 23-25

 Next set of games features a lot of even matchups.

Thursday, Dec. 23 

Frisco Football Classic:  Miami (Ohio) 34 North Texas 27. I'll ride with M-OH QB Gabbert (2418 YDS, 24 TD, 6 INT)

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl 

UCF 23 vs. Florida 21 Gus Malzahn gets a chance to beat an SEC team that's loss a lot of snap

Friday, Dec. 24

EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl 

Hawai'i 35 Memphis 31 Memphis got lucky against Miss St in September and stumbled like a drunk through the rest of the season. Rainbows win at home 

Saturday, Dec. 25

TaxAct Camellia Bowl

Georgia State 16 vs. Ball State 13 Panthers D has improved enough to beat the erratic Cards

Dec 24, 2021

Today's bowl was canceled. I went 2-0 yesterday.

M-O blanked NT in the second half for a 27-14 win. Sorenson, a 6' 190lb WR, had his usual solid game  (7 rec , 116 yards) for the victors and could be a nice  rd 4 or 5 selection the NFL draft. 

Stats this season: REC 69, YDS 1,290. TD 10 AVG 18.7.

UCF  29 FLA 17.  The Gators new HC needs to recruit a QB.  UCF ran a balanced attack.

Dec 26, 2021

D. Grainger (15-19, 203 YDS, 3 TD) (11 CAR, 122 YDS, 1 TD) did it all for Ga St in a 51-20 romp over Ball St. I picked the game right but am surprised at the Panthers O.

O5 Bowl Games Dec. 20-21, 2021

 Next three bowl games starts with afternoon kickoff on Monday Dec. 20

Myrtle Beach Bowl Presented by TaxAct 

 Tulsa(AAC) 27 vs Old Dominion(CUSA) 23

Both teams had good Novembers , but I'll go with Brin and Brooks respectively, Tulsa's QB and RB, to lead them to victory.

Then two on Tuesday, Dec. 21

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl 

Wyoming(MWC) 20 vs Kent St(MAC) 17

I've been wrong on Kent St often so I'll go with Wyoming who beat Utah St last month.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl 

UTSA(CUSA) 24 vs. San Diego St(MWC) 16

Aztecs have a solid D but not enough O to stay with Roadrunners QB F. Harris(2906 YDS, 25 TD), and RB  Sincere McCormack(298 CAR, 1479 YDS, 15 TD)

Dec 21, 2021

Well, I got Tulsa correct. Brin and Brooks were solid, and J. Johnson(8 rec, 129 yards, and a TD), had a nice game catching passes from Brin.  TuL 30 ODU 17

Dec 22, 2021

I split on Tuesday: I didn't foresee the Aztecs scoring 38 points. SDST 38 UTSA 24.

Wyoming couldn't stop Crum and the Flashes in the first half, but Levi Williams, the Cowboys QB, went wild starting in the second quarter and check out his stat line: 

16 CAR, 200 YDS, 4 TD, 9-11 passes, 127 YDS, 1 TD

WYO 52 Kent St 38

O5 Bowl games Dec 18, 2021

 A long day of games that starts at 11AM EST. My predictions cores

RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl 

Western Kentucky(CUSA) 34 vs. Appalachian State(Sunbelt) 24.

I don't foresee Appy scoring enough to keep up with Zappe, the WKU QB who's tossed 56 TD passes this season.

PUBG Mobile New Mexico Bowl 

Fresno State(MWC) 27 vs. UTEP(CUSA) 17

Haener will toss two TD passes against the Miners who lost four of their last five regular season games

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl 

BYU 31 vs. UAB(CUSA) 28

These are the two players to watch: UAB: D. McBride(176 CAR, 1188 YDS, 12 TD)

BYU: T. Allgeier (249 CAR, 1414 YDS, 20 TD)

LendingTree Bowl 

Liberty 30 vs. Eastern Michigan(MAC) 20

Has Coach Freeze found some way to ease the pressure on  Liberty's QB Willis? Yep, enough to beat the Eagles.

Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl pres. by Stifel 

Oregon State(PAC12) 27 vs. Utah State(MWC) 24

This is a tough one. Ags with QB Bonner are hot, but the Beavers have an explosive RB in BJ Baylor (1259 yards and 13 TDS)

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

ULL(SunBelt) 26 vs. Marshall(CUSA) 24

This is basically a home game for the Cajuns. Nip and tuck all the way with Lewis, the ULL QB, finding a way to get them the win

Dec 19, 2021

App got Zapped big time, and WKU cruised in the second half to an easy win

I got the score (31-28) right, but the winner wrong in the UAB win over BYU. Also, both starting RB nearly reached 200 yards each rushing. BTW, UAB has come a long way from almost losing football to  moving to the AAC.

UTEP started off strong but Fresno re-grouped and hung on.

EMU was out of it midway through the second quarter. Willis had another strong game for Liberty but I'm still not sold on him as a QB on Sundays.

Utah St RB, Calvin Tyler Jr, got some revenge on his former team, the Beavers.

Solid day for Lewis in the Cajuns win, and it appears only Ali (160 yards, 3TDs)  showed up for the  Herd.

4-2 for the day. I was wrong on BYU and Oregon St.

Western Kentucky 59, App State 38

Fresno State 31, UTEP 24

UAB 31, BYU 28

Liberty 56, Eastern Michigan 20

Utah State 24, Oregon State 13

Louisiana 36, Marshall 21