This one goes to '11...

Where did the last twelve months go? 2011 is about to get into our rearview mirror. Great! A time for lists! One quick spin through the last 365 days in the most shallow of ways-- by hitting 11 random stops while trying to make sense of the year gone by.

Super! Bowled-- let's face it-- we are an NFL Nation and once again pro football's championship game didn't disappoint. Unless you had purchased tickets to seats that didn't exist and had to stand outside Cowboys Stadium in the freezing cold. Far from the Super Bores of yore-- last year's 31-25 Green Bay victory was the 6th decided by single digits in the last ten years (and only Tampa Bay's trouncing of Oakland in 2003 would qualify as a blowout).


Lucky with Lockouts-- unfortunately the NFL and NBA offseason delivered unnecessary daily drama ("Day 13 of the Lockout...Day 132 of the Lockout..."). Thankfully only Canton's Hall of Fame Game was cancelled-- and a ten year deal is in place for the NFL. And thank goodness the NBA and its players woke up to realize that as a league they are a luxury item and not the need pro football is for the public. See you when the deals expire. On the Wizards front, a rebuilding 66 game season is much less miserable than a rebuilding 82 game season. And at leas the uniforms are cool again.


A March with Thrills, Chills and Spills-- the NCAA Tournament provided grand theater with all #1 and #2 seeds getting bounced before the Final Four... VCU going from the "First Four" to the national semifinals... and the NBA guys on TNT waxing on about how much college basketball they watch and know. Even referring to the round of 64 as the "second round" and pushing Sunday tipoffs to after 8pm can't ruin my favorite three weeks of the year.

College Coaching Carousel-- after years of relative calm in and around the beltway... major ripples locally with Gary Williams retiring, Jim Larranaga moving to Miami and Karl Hobbs getting fired. While the Terps and Colonials look to be reloading, the Patriots are primed for another solid season in the CAA.


Cap-itulation and regime change-- what will we do now that the Bruce Boudreau commercials are no longer gracing the area? After an impressive first round series win over the New York Rangers (the only one in the Eastern Conference that didn't go seven games) the Caps were broomed out of the playoffs by Tampa Bay. Then after a 7-0 start the team hit the wall and Boudreau hit the road. Despite being unable to lead the Capitals into the conference finals, Boudreau elevated the expectations from the mess he inherited Thanksgiving weekend of 2007. One could make the case that if he had flopped as a then-interim coach... George McPhee would have followed him out the door back then. Instead, Dale Hunter tries to provide a midseason transfusion.


Toothless Tiger... and the next big thing?-- Tiger Woods went another year without winning a major tournament. As he approaches his late 30's one wonders what sort of window he has for catching Jack Nicklaus...but for every Tom Watson that stops winning in his early 30's there's a Mark O'Meara who experiences a resurgence in his 40's. While I once thought he had a "true slam" where he won all four majors in one season... the possibility remains for him to pickup four more championships within the next ten years. Meanwhile, fans at Congressional Country Club were treated to Rory McIlroy's run at the US Open... let's wait for the kid win two before we elevate him to the level of even Padraig Harrington or Angel Cabrera.

No Joking-- Tennis saw Novak Djokovic grab dominance by the throat... the Serb won three majors to scale the heights previously claimed by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. After a somewhat democratic era where dominance meant two majors(1989-2003)... we've seen a triple-play five times in eight years. Between Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and everybody's English hope Andy Murray... majors are compelling after the Andy Roddick flameout.


Terrapin Fall-- nobody saw the 2-10 Maryland football season coming. Fresh off a 9-4 season with the ACC rookie of the year everything went wrong for the Terrapins... with more than a few players transferring. View the first year of coach Randy Edsall as the clearing of a site for the placement of a foundation-- construction sites are rarely pretty during their first year. With the return of Mike Locksley as a primary recruiter, expect an instate talent upgrade.


Baseball's Crazy Finish-- the final month of the regular season saw legendary collapses by Atlanta and Boston... with the Braves and Red Sox trying to outdo each other in tripping right before the finish line. Meanwhile, St. Louis and Tampa Bay did the right things down the stretch and entered the playoffs in spectacular fashion. Some are calling it the best night ever in baseball and that you can't get that anywhere else in sports. Umm... the final Sunday of the NFL's regular season? The final weekend of conference tournament play with bubble teams bouncing every which way?

Skinsationalism-- another strong start (3-1) proving to be merely a mirage. Another quarterback situation implodes. The defense gets better but still not good enough. Suspensions rock the offense. And somewhere in a season that was honestly over before Halloween the Burgundy and Gold mattered because they were so irrelevant.

The Sad End of Happy Valley-- for years State College, PA was more than just about wins and losses... bowls and Heisman candidates. It was about the team before the individual. No names on the back of the jersey. Doing things with class. Graduating players. Never a whiff of an NCAA scandal. Even the "Grilled Stickies"--a breakfast roll that can't possibly be healthy in any way--had an image of innocence. But it's a different world now that the Gerry Sandusky revelations have come out... and continue to come out. You wonder exactly who knew what and when. And why nothing was done-- again and again. The quote I first thought of last fall...: "All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing"-- from all I know Joe Paterno is a good man. And from all I know-- he did nothing. So the victims try to heal. The accused stands charged. And the future of Penn State football arrives in a manner nobody could have envisioned.

Redskins Rehash-- Last at Christmas...

Last Christmas the Skins showed us Rex... but then the very next fall--the job was all Beck's. Next year... to save fans from tears-- the Skins will do something special (like draft a QB in round one). WHAM! like that another last place finish (more on that later). Wake the Burgundy and Gold fans when the losing seasons go-go.

Turnoverasaurus Rex-- the beast once again rampaged through Landover... losing a fumble on the second possession of the day... while tossing an interception in the fourth quarter. Both miscues led to Vikings field goals. Mr. Grossman has turned the ball over at least once in every game he's played in this season. In today's NFL you can't have that from your quarterback and be successful.


Little Red Royster on the Run-- at least the running game didn't miss a beat. Evan Royster stepped in for the injured Roy Helu and rumbled for 132 yards. Nice to have options at runningback...

Gaffney getting it done-- for the third straight week Jabar Gaffney caught 6 passes... this time for 77 yards and a touchdown. The 31 year old is one catch shy of his career high of 65... and stands 81 yards away from his first 1000-yard season.


London Calling-- the veteran inside linebacker notched 17 tackles to push his league-leading total to 163. Monster season in what's been a losing cause more often than not. Does he stay and continue to be a bridge to where this team is good again... or move on and contribute to a contender?


Underestimating the Understudies?-- Vikings runningback Adrian Peterson tore knee ligaments on their first possession of the second half. On the next play quarterback Christian Ponder suffered a concussion. But despite having backups in the game, Minnesota scored on its next four possessions...tallying 239 of its 389 yards on those four drives.

Dissecting the Division-- the New York Giants retake first place with their win over the Jets... while Dallas drops to second thanks to their loss against Philadelphia. The Eagles move into third place by beating the Cowboys and will take over second place with a victory over the Redskins January 1st due to the division record tiebreaker. Once again the Skins begin the season in first place and finish in last.

Last at Christmas-- a new Burgundy and Gold tradition-- this is the fourth straight last place finish for the Skins... and the first time since the NFC East was created in 1970 that a team has finished last four straight years. Not even the Cardinals finished last four straight years-and they had stretches where they were bad in two separate time zones! Now my crack research staff checked out the standings since the merger and found seven other instances of back to back to back to back last place finishes: New Orleans 1970-73, San Diego 1972-75, Houston 1983-86, Atlanta 1987-90, LA Rams 1991-94, Chicago 1997-2000, Cleveland 2003-06. Nice company to be in and around.

Division Duels and Conference Contests-- congratulations to the NFC... taking the interconference competition 33-31 for the first time since the 1990's. The NFC East finds itself tied for 6th place at 28-32... the only division with a worse record was the AFC South (24-36). Best division honors this fall go to the AFC North (35-25) as the final weekend of the season features all intra-divisional games.

Last thoughts about "Last Christmas"-- the WHAM! song is now a holiday staple... and the video brings more than a few thoughts. It's premise has George Michael taking his girlfriend on a ski weekend with other friends... only to see his ex-girlfriend on same weekend with Andrew Ridgeley. He's haunted by the ex... as he and his friends have a festive celebration he can't shake her from his heart. And then he goes home. First, I feel bad for the new girlfriend-- completely oblivious to the emotional minefield she's walking into. I blame George for taking his new girlfriend where he went last year probably knowing his ex would be there. I blame his ex for taking up with Andrew Ridgeley... the ultimate in-your-face move. And I blame Ridgeley for getting with George's ex-- great bro-move, buddy. The three of them deserve each other.

NFL Gameday-- the Playoff Picture develops...

Happy Holidays everyone on the penultimate weekend of the NFL season. With 22 of 32 teams still in contention 10 of today's 13 games have playoff ramifications (sorry, Skins). And with Indianapolis finding itself all of a sudden even the undercard has meaning in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. Let's try to sort things out from a league and yuletide standpoint...:

I prefer to open presents Christmas morning. Something magical about having your parents telling you to stay in your room until 8am...oh the anticipation. And after so many Christmases... the anticipation often trumps the eventuality.

Three teams are alive for the NFC East title: Dallas clinches with a win over Philadelphia plus a New York Giants loss to the Jets... while the Eagles need a victory plus a Giants loss to remain in contention. The Giants take the division with a win today and January 1st over the Cowboys.

I'm all about ham instead of turkey at Christmas. It's all about brand identity-- and lets load up on tryptophan on Turkey Day... ham on December 25th... and lamb on Easter.

Dallas isn't the only team that can wrap up a their division today. Baltimore takes the AFC North with a win over Cleveland plus a Pittsburgh loss to St. Louis. New Orleans clinches the NFC South by beating Atlanta. Denver wins the AFC West with a win over Buffalo plus losses by Oakland and San Diego.

Claymation Category-- although I'm all about the Island of Misfit Toys ... I prefer "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" for several reasons. First-- Santa Claus is kind of a shortsighted tool in "Rudolph". I mean if he's the rebel Mickey Rooney makes him out to be... how can he turn his nose down on Rudolph's predicament? Second-- the Burgermeister remains a badass and has no redeeming qualities. He BURNS TOYS. And unlike the Abominable Snow Monster-- he stays bad. Third-- the Kris Kringle romance with the schooleatcher trumps the puppylove storyline of Rudolph-Clarice. I won't even mention Keenan Wynn as the Winter Warlock.

Playoff possibilities-- both NFC wildcard spots can be wrapped up this afternoon. Detroit and Atlanta clinch berth with victories. They're also in if Seattle, Chicago, Arizona and the New York Giants all lose. The New York Jets and Cincinnati remain in a lockstep for the AFC's final spot; neither can clinch this week.

Christmas Movies-- who doesn't like "It's a Wonderful Life"? More than a few money scenes... from "George Bailey I'll love you til the day I die" to "We serve hard drinks to men who want to get drunk fast-- and we don't need any characters her to liven the atmosphere". On the musical front-- I like "Holiday Inn" more than "White Christmas"... despite the similarities the B&W 1942 classic is in my opinion the superior film. First, Fred Astaire easily has the advantage over Danny Kaye... and his character is much smarter. Second, the holiday songs in "Holiday Inn" actually advance the plot... while in "White Christmas" they seem to be filler. Lastly, there are more twists and turns in the story. Plus Walter Abel as the hyper agent.

Drafting for Draft Position-- Two straight wins by Indianapolis have the Colts previous stranglehold on the number one overall pick in doubt; Minnesota and St. Louis can tie for first/last with losses today. The Rams' path to #1 is a little easier: they face Pittsburgh and San Francisco (combined 21-7 record)... while the Vikings battle Washington and Chicago (combined 12-16) and the Colts meet 4-10 Jacksonville next weekend. Smacks of the 1986 season when the Colts began the season 0-13... fired coach Rod Dowhower and new coach Ron Meyer turned things around in a miraculous way. Indy upended Atlanta 28-23 after outscoring the Falcons 14-3 in the fourth quarter... then beat Buffalo 24-14 after trailing 14-0. The Colts then rallied from 17 points down to defeat Oakland 30-24. Meaning Tampa Bay (finishing 2-14 by losing its last seven games) would get the #1 overall pick. And choose Vinny Testaverde. After trading Steve Young to San Francisco because he was a bust. If the Colts don't wake up... who knows how Testaverde would have prospered under run-first Meyer? And would things have ever gotten any better for Young under a new coach in Ray Perkins? Do the Colts then even trade for Eric Dickerson (#2 overall pick Cornelius Bennett was a part of the deal)?

Redskins Rehash-- Playoff picture developing...for others.

"It's the most wonderful time of year". Andy Williams aside, December is a fantastic final lap in the NFL regular season where destiny is determined... and pretenders are separated from contenders. Sadly for the Redskins, the last three weeks of the season will do little else except determine the Redskins' draft order (more on that later). Great time to start winning!


A few questions about Sunday--who are these people? What was this team that we saw play their best 60 minutes of the Shanahan era? And why can't they play the Giants all the time?


Defense the difference-- Jim Haslett's D earns an A for shutting down Eli Manning in the first half: two three and outs... an interception... and two drives not crossing midfield the first five times they had the ball. Even after heating up after halftime-- the Skins intercepted two passes and forced the Giants to settle for a field goal attempt. The last possession that allowed a touchdown but chewed up clock was simply moot.


Turnoverasaurus Rex-- at least he got the miscues out of the way early in this one. Two interceptions on the first three drives meant that for the first quarter Grossman had more completions to the Giants than Eli Manning. Thankfully he settled down to post a workman-like 15 of 24 for 185 yards and a touchdown.


Helu held in check-- after three consecutive 100 yard efforts the Rookie Roy was limited to 53 yards rushing on 23 carries. The Giants D made things tough all day-- his longest gain was 8 yards. But Helu helped the team in the passing game--notching 3 receptions for 16 yards.

Ground Game quality from quantity-- at first glance it's not that impressive. Forty carries for 123 yards... just over 3 yards a pop. But FORTY clock-killing plays are huge when you have a lead. The key drive was their 11th possession-- 9 plays for 34 yards but 3 minutes and 50 seconds worth of clock... making the Giants TD too little too late.

Gaffney gets it done-- quietly the Skins have found their go-to guy in the passing game. Six catches for 85 yards give the 31 year old 58 for the season--a career high-- and 842 yards for the year-- 33 off his career best. While this is his third team in four years... can this be his final stop?

ILB not MIA-- London Fletcher and Perry Riley combined for 20 tackles... 13 of them solo stops. Fletcher forced a fumble. One key to the 3-4 is setting up your inside linebackers in space to make plays-- and that's been the case the last few weeks.

Gano gettin' it done-- the Skins kicker of the moment made all three attempts-- including a 43 yarder. Which means he'll be shaky against Minnesota.

Dissecting the Division-- Dallas' win over Tampa Bay propels the Cowboys into first place and the #4 seed... as the Giants fall to 10th in the NFC. With a 4-7 conference record a wildcard is out of the question; they need to beat the NY Jets Saturday and then defeat Dallas in week 17 to win the division. Philadelphia remains in the hunt at 11th in the conference... but division champs if the following occurs: 1-- wins over Dallas and Washington...2-- a Giants loss to the Jets...3-- a Giants win over Dallas. All are possible to set up the worst ever NFC East Champion. The Redskins can actually finish tied for second with wins over Minnesota and Philadelphia-- although tiebreakers keep the ceiling at 3rd place. There's always next year.

Playoff picture still fuzzy-- 22 of 32 teams are alive with two weeks remaining: 3 NFC and 4 AFC berths are already locked up though. In the NFC the race between San Francisco and New Orleans for the #2 seed currently reads advantage 49ers as SF has a better conference record; the wildcard jumble has Atlanta and Detroit within wins of locking up spots while Chicago, Seattle and Arizona all look to finish strong and get help. The AFC race reminds one of 1980 when all 5 playoff teams finished 11-5 and tiebreakers sorted out division winners in the Central and West... as well as home field for the wildcard game and the rest of the playoffs. Losses by Houston and Baltimore placed Pittsburgh in position to move into first-- but the Steelers loss on MNF means New England is in the driver's seat. While Baltimore owns tiebreakers with Houston and Pittsburgh... the wild AFC West has all four teams in contention. The second wildcard? The NY Jets and Cincinnati... with plenty of drama from Rex in the Big Apple.

No more perfection... or pure imperfection-- on the same day unbeaten Green Bay lost at Kansas City, winless Indianapolis topped Tennessee. I know, any given Sunday...

Feeling the draft-- the Skins win keeps them tied for the 7th worst record in the league with three other clubs. So a marquee quarterback isn't out of the question... especially with St. Louis and Minnesota likely not looking to draft a QB two years in a row. Stranger things have happened though.

Division Duels and Conference Contests-- the AFC North has a one game edge over the NFC North at 32-22. Even a win by Indianapolis couldn't lift the AFC South-- still the division of depression at 22-34. A 3-1 week by the NFC East brought some respectability... but at 26-30 they're assured of a composite losing season. Meanwhile, the NFC leads the AFC 31-29 with four games remaining in interconference play... and could win the annual challenge for the first time since the 90's.

Redskins Rehash-- Tis the Season... to look towards next season.

Elimination always stings... even when it's been a foregone conclusion for a month. And a ridiculous thought after last week's loss. But there was a slim possibility that evaporated in yesterday's 34-27 loss to New England. Now officially on to next year. Wow-- with these players... that's going to be just great! But don't worry-- help is on the way in the form of a top ten draft pick... and whatever other picks Vinny didn't trade away before he left.

Turnoverasaurus Rex-- Mr. Grossman gave us plenty of good, bad and ugly Sunday: 252 yards passing and two TDs! Two turnovers again! Two very costly turnovers, mind you: the fumble was recovered for a Patriot score and the interception killed a last chance drive. But at least he looked downfield.

Holy Helu Batman!-- the rookie Roy rushed for 126 yards... his third straight century effort. He's proving to be a keeper... it's a shame it took this long into the season. What I also like is Evan Royster producing 44 yards on 6 carries... it's nice to have two backs who can do damage. Even with Tim Hightower on the shelf and Ryan Torrain in the doghouse.

Minus Fred... recycled receivers reel em in-- so no big target at tight end. Instead, Jabar Gaffney notched 6 catches for 92 yards and a touchdown while Dontae Stallworth added 4 grabs for 96 yards. Both outshined Santana Moss... although he gave the Skins a brief lead with a 49 yard catch from Brandon Banks. Hopefully Hankerson heals for 2012.

Third and Lukewarm-- one reason why the Skins were able to stay in this game was owning third down-- converting 50% (feels like they should give the offense ice cream and cake for this one) while holding the Patriots to 5 of 11.

Defensive doughnut-- strong at both ends but a hole in the middle. Meaning: on the Pats first three possessions the Skins forced two punts and on the last three New England drives the Redskins defense forced a punt and an interception.... but in between the Patriots had four possessions resulting in 20 points. Four drives where they gained 70 or more yards. Proving that while this defense is much better than last year... they still have a ways to go.

Flags flying-- 8 penalties for 73 yards is no way to stay toe to toe with a division leader... especially when you're the second least whistled team in the league (6th by yards). That stat bears noting-- because although this team is 4-9 and out of the playoffs... at least they're not making blatantly bad decisions (Deangelo Hall excluded).

D Hall gets an F-- Mr. Hall has ridden a rollercoaster this fall... from "cut me" to defensive player of the week honors to last Sunday. Standing around while Gronkowski broke two tackles. Throwing a flag in disgust. Whatever he adds to the team's success, he takes away. And the Skins would be well advised not to have him around next fall.

Networking well-- despite being 4-8 the Skins had CBS's #2 broadcasting team of Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf... a far cry from Ron Pitts and the Jim Mora not known for "playoffs!". Next week with FOX having regional coverage the schedule looks to have the Skins game with the Giants as the #1 or #2 game. So Buck-Aikman or Albert-Moose-Goose. Sadly, th Giants being on at 1 means the Jets are on at 4... so Jets-Philly won't get the audience it would against a weak slate of CBS games (Indy-Tennessee, Cincy-St Louis)-- instead playing second fiddle to New England-Denver.

Dissecting the division-- the Giants' victory over Dallas means they currently hold down first place in the NFC East... the two teams tangle again January 2nd in the New Meadowlands. NYG gets the #4 seed while the Cowboys are 8th in the conference. Still alive at #11 is Philadelphia... if the Eagles win out they'd take the divisional tiebreakers at 5-1. So if the Giants and Dallas go 1-2 in their remaining games (not a stretch, given these two team's late-season track record), the NFC East is still there-- scarily. The Skins are a lucky 13th in the conference... but now eliminated from getting the #1 draft pick in 2012.

Drafting deal-- Indianapolis is 0-13 for the first time since 1986 when Ron Meyer stepped in for Rod Dowhower and guided the Colts to three straight wins and out of the Vinny Testaverde sweepstakes. This year Indy has a 2 game lead with 3 weeks remaining... and no team has made me more confidence they can lose than this bunch. In previous years the Colts mailed in Decembers when they were actually good! St. Louis and Minnesota also appear to be in good shape to finish 2nd and 3rd in the sweepstakes. Then it gets tricky: the Redskins are tied with five other teams for 4th... so based on the next three weeks and strength of schedules the Skins could pick anywhere from 3rd (I have faith in the Rams overachieving when it doesn't mean anything) to 12th (I believe in the Bills' and Chiefs' as sinking stones).

Divisions of Destiny... and Conference Contest-- the AFC North has a one game lead at 31-21 over it's NFC counterpart. Blame Marion Barber for stepping out of bounds against Denver. That win also gives the AFC a 27-25 lead with 12 games remaining on the interconference slate. Woe is the AFC South: despite 3 wins the albatross that is the Indianapolis Colts sinks that quartet to the cellar at 21-31. Give the NFC Least time, though...

Redskins Rehash-- Jet Crash...

I hope everyone had their seatbelts on Sunday in the fourth quarter... as another season of rough sailing runs aground. Although there's still a minor chance this team makes the playoffs... and I stress minor. One has to suspend belief-- and lets just say suspensions are the last thing this fan base needs now.

Starting strong before fading fast-- at least the first two drives went well. 133 of the team's eventual 304 yards came on their first two possessions... and over half of their points came from their first two drives. The second half saw fourth straight possessions of three and out or a fumble... setting the stage for the eventual come from ahead defeat.

Turnoverasaurus Rex-- a fumble and an interception were the exclamation points on a 19-for-46 afternoon where he averaged under 12 yards per completion. We've seen the ceiling and although it's higher than Beck's it's rather low. We've seen the floor and that's rather low as well... making one wonder if Grossman is the wily veteran the Burgundy and Gold wants to mentor next April's first round pick.

Roy on a rampage-- Mr. Helu reached the century mark for the second straight week on the ground... his 100 yards on 23 carries came in fits and spurts, with only 37 of those yards coming after halftime. On a day where the air attack was severely handcuffed. Hmm...

Feeling Fredtastic takes a new meaning-- Mr. Davis continues his sky-high season... catching 6 passes for 99 yards and lighting up another secondary in the process. With 59 catches for 796 yards already... #83 looks to be baking up a 1000 yard receiving season- unless he notches four straight 4-20 performances. Yeah, it's been a nice run... from oversleeping as a rookie to being the best of the famed Triumvirate (with apologies to Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly). Finally a breakout year turns into a bake-out year. And now Davis is done for the season as well as franchise cornerstone Trent Williams thanks to a drug suspension. Did we see this coming? Not since the Saved by the Bell episode where actor Johnny Dakota was exposed as a pot-head while trying to shoot an anti-drug PSA at Bayside has there been something like this.
Or maybe I just wanted to get a Bell reference in there.

ILBs get an A+-- London Fletcher notched 17 tackles while Perry Riley added 8 stops. That's what you want to see from your linebackers... getting to the ball and making plays. Sadly, no sacks for either Ryan Kerrigan or Brian Orakpo.

Dissecting the Division-- despite the Cowboys overtime loss to Arizona, Dallas remains in front at 7-5... followed by the sinking stone that is the New York Giants- who almost upset unbeaten Green Bay. Philadelphia's win over Washington means the 4-8 Eagles don't occupy the NFC East Cellar and are 11th in the conference... while the Skins are a lucky 13th.

How can they get this done again? So-- if the Giants go 1-0-1 against Dallas in their two meetings and both teams lose the rest of their games they both finish 7-8-1. If Philadelphia loses to Miami then the Eagles will be 7-8 when they play the Skins January 1st. And if the Burgundy and Gold beat New England, the Giants and Minnesota they'd be 7-8. With a winner take all battle for the NFC East.

Best Division and Conference-- entering week 14... the AFC North has the best composite record (29-19)... one game better than the NFC North (28-20) Major props to the NFC West... 10-6 over the last four weeks after starting 12-20. The weakest link? Sadly Indianapolis' 0-12 helps sink the AFC South at 19-29. On the interconference front-- the AFC holds a 24-22 edge.

College Football Corner-- Deja Vu all over again...

An underwhelming ACC season ended with a thud Saturday night in Charlotte. Virginia Tech-- what happened? Nothing like being rewarded with a BCS Bowl though. Instead of being in the national title conversation-- the Hokies are in a different conversation. One that has them not deserving a trip to New Orleans.

Virginia Tech (11-2) lost to Clemson 38-10... coughing up the customary first quarter touchdown before getting blown out in the second half 28-0. Ouch. Hokie Highlights-- DJ Coles caught 7 passes for 116 yards and the team's lone touchdown... Danny Coale averaged 46 yards a punt. BEAMER BALL! Hokie Humblings-- three turnovers and nine penalties have you fighting uphill. After being lights-out for seven straight games, Logan Thomas turned back into a sophomore. David Wilson was held to 32 yards on 11 carries... making Thomas' task all the more difficult. Next Up-- the Sugar Bowl against Michigan.



Nationally--
So the SEC gets a rematch in the BCS National Championship Game. So we have a month to wait around and catch semi-interesting matchups of middling schools before a bloated New Year's weekend... followed by more trickles of games that don't mean anything followed by a strokefest for SEC football. Fine. Whatever. The most interesting regular season always gives way to the most frustrating postseason.

Will there ever be a true playoff? One can say we're in the cocoon period... where the old bowl system was the caterpillar and the eventual playoff format will be a butterfly. People have been pointing to its eventuality for the last 30 years... and still nothing. I'd be fine with a four or eight team field... while a 16 school tournament might not be feasible-yet.

So I joust windmills and trot out my bracket again this December... giving all 11 conferences automatic bids and padding the field with 5 at large schools (highlighted)... bracketing conference winners closer to home and sending second teams from conferences to other regions.

SOUTH
1-LSU--Arkansas State
8-Kansas St--Clemson

LSU faces a nearby nemesis in the first round while the Tigers punch their ticket to the dance by blowing out Virginia Tech.

WEST
5-Oregon--Louisiana Tech
6-Arkansas--TCU

A nice turn back the clock to the Southwest Conference matchup... with all four teams west of the Mississippi River.

MIDWEST
3-Oklahoma State--Northern Illinois
4-Stanford--Wisconsin

Red on red in the undercard... with the Cowboys rewarded for finally beating Oklahoma.

EAST
2-Alabama--Southern Mississippi
7-Boise State--West Virginia

If Boise State's bummed about being shipped across the country... then win your league. Like Southern Miss did.

Presto's Picks-- break out the brackets... over my head.

I love how college football proponents tell us all the time how their sport doesn't need a playoff because every week is a playoff in and of itself. "Every game means something!" is the mantra... and while it makes for a great T-Shirt logo it doesn't ring true this December. Conference championship weekend has #1 LSU virtually assured of reaching the BCS Title Game-- win or lose-- with #2 Alabama unlikely to be leapfrogged by #3 Oklahoma State or #5 Virginia Tech. So what are we playing for, exactly?

Under one of my many proposed playoff formats ... these conference championship games would determine automatic berths. Instead they set up the 35 bowls. 35! There aren't 50 teams that deserve to play in Division I-A... let alone the 70 needed. It's like watching air come out of the tire of a tense 13-week journey. Whatever. Bring on basketball.


Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse remains in postseason contention despite a four game losing streak--and having gone from paper tiger to paperweight to waste paper over the course of the season. So if they beat Pitt... they get to play again? Don't SU fans deserve not to see any more football than absolutely necessary?

#5 Virginia Tech can avenge its only loss of the season as the Hokies face Clemson in the ACC Championship game. VT had a rude awakening that afternoon in Blacksburg-- and since then Logan Thomas has tossed 14 touchdown passes while running for nine more scores. Clemson has done their part to take whatever excitement was in this rematch by losing two straight games by 20+ points. Two teams moving in opposite directions continue the trend. Hokies cough up the customary first quarter touchdown en route to a rout, 36-13.

Last Week: 2-0 (nobody cleans up Thanksgiving leftovers better than Presto's Picks!)
Season: 64-29.

Redskins Rehash-- so you're telling me there's a chance?

So much for six weeks of slumber before the season ends... can you believe that FOX had the Skins listed as "in the hunt" this past Sunday? And a 23-17 victory over Seattle puts the team in position to get into position for the 2005/2007 late season playoff runs we've grown to know and love. What's helpful is that despite a 4-7 mark the team is 4-5 against the NFC-- so there's a chance to hold tiebreakers at 7-5 in the conference and 9-7 overall. As difficult as it sounds... a win over the consistently uneven NY Jets would place this team within striking distance of being within striking distance. So you're telling me there's still a chance? Drink up the burgundy and gold kool aid.


Turnoverasaurus Rex-- two interceptions? That was it? No pick sixes? No fumbles lost or safeties allowed? I'm so there it's not even fair. Grossman isn't the longterm answer for a playoff team-- that is obvious. But he's gives this team a chance to win more than any other QB on the roster. Like a restaurant makes room for spoons that get thrown in the trash in their budget-- the INTs are merely an accounting move. Except when they really cost you.

Channeling Jack Bauer-- 24 remains one of my favorite shows... taking the proud mantle from Seinfeld, The Simpsons, Dallas, Cheers and Happy Days. Last week Rex Grossman said that their goal was to match the 24 points scored against Dallas each and every week. If that were the case-- Skins scoring 24 points in every game-- they'd be 9-2. Granted, this is with opposing offenses putting the game plan in the freezer after jumping out to seemingly insurmountable 19-3 leads.

Finishing with a Flourish-- for an team that has had problems producing points this fall... it was nice to see the Skins come up huge in the fourth quarter. Trailing 10-7... they outgained the Seahawks 151 to 61 yards and put 16 points on the board. That outburst was more than 4 complete games since the bye week.


Holy Helu!-- one month after setting a Redskins record with 14 catches against San Francisco, rookie Roy Helu rumbled for 108 yard and a touchdown. He also led the team in receiving with 7 catches for 54 yards. Will he remain the primary producer from here on out or simply fall back into the runningback rotation like Ryan Torain?



Feeling Fredtastic-- Mr. Davis found the endzone for the first time since week two. His four catches for 58 yards keeps him on pace for 75+ catches and 1000+ yards... and he began with a bang-- notching 3 grabs for 53 yards and a score on the team's opening drive. But on that drive an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty while not costing the Skins certainly slowed them down... and after that possession #83 notched just one 5 yard reception.

Flags Flying-- talk about airing dirty laundry. The Skins were whistled for 10 penalties and 115 yards... as the Seahawks were flagged 9 times for 91 yards... leading to a day that was rather disjointed.

Safety in lack of numbers-- it's been nice to see Laron Landry and Reed Doughty make big plays and tally impressive tackle totals... but any coach will tell you they don't like it when their safeties are making a lot of stops. Not so the case against Seattle--linebacker Perry Riley led the way with 6 tackles and 8 assists while London Fletcher added 4 solo stops and 11 total tackles. One big reason Seattle went 6 of 16 on third down and saw 5 of 8 second half drives go three and out or end in a turnover.


Third and lost-- 3 of 10 when trying to move the chains isn't a way to take control of a game... and at 35.1% on the season the team ranks 22nd in the NFL. Now let the record show that the Skins second and third touchdowns of the day came on third down... so maybe there's progress.

Dissecting the Division-- Dallas takes over sole possession of first place (#4 NFC) after a Thanksgiving win over Miami... the New York Giants drop to second (#8 NFC) following their Monday Night loss to New Orleans... Philadelphia's third in the division and ninth in the conference after losing to New England... followed by the Skins in fourth place/tenth place thanks to their week six loss to Philly. They need to leapfrog the Eagles (with Vince Young at QB a definite possibility) and the Giants (slumping with 3 straight losses)... plus two of the following: Detroit (a definite possibility with the Suh suspension)... Atlanta (not likely with an easy December for the Falcons) and Chicago (with Bobby Douglass now a QB option--anything is possible).

Losing out in the Luck Lotto-- the win over Seattle does provide a major setback in the race to get a franchise quarterback... as the Skins would be drafting anywhere from 7th to 14th. Indianapolis remains the leader/loser in with five games remaining-- and a two loss advantage. St. Louis (2-9) has Sam Bradford and Minnesota (2-9) has Christian Ponder...(recent first rounders at quarterback)..so conventional wisdom says they pass on Andrew Barkley and Landry Jones (isn't that the kid from "Friday Night Lights" who hooked up with Tyra and then killed her stalker?). How far will those two fall? And does Indy once locking up the number one pick (it could happen as early as week 14) reverse it's previous post-clinching behavior and try not to "not to win"...?

College Football Corner-- Destiny and Density...

I've often said that November is Closing Month. Legacies are determined... seasons are salvaged or lost... and champions if not crowned are weeded out to a handful of contenders. In Closing Month some schools find their destiny-- while others find their density (thanks George McFly). No exception this fall with the three area schools... and the post Thanksgiving weekend has leftovers of celebration (pumpkin pie and sweet potato souffle) in Blacksburg, consolation (mashed potatoes and stuffing) in Charlottesville, and desperation (very dry turkey... even drier lima beans and wet mushy canned peas) in College Park. Eat up.



Championship Fever? First Clemson has killed whatever buzz there may have been for the upcoming ACC title tilt by losing to South Carolina. This after getting thrashed by NC State a week before. Nothing like advancing to a title game after two straight defeats. But there's worse: UCLA at 6-6 wins the Pac-12 South by default (USC on probation) and plays Oregon (who at 10-2 isn't even the highest ranked team in the North) for a shot at the Rose Bowl. The Big Ten's first title game has Michigan State and Wisconsin... although I don't know if who won the Leaders Division and who took the Legends Division...although I can imagine the pride of hanging that banner. Conference USA has unbeaten Houston asking itself if they want to be officially snubbed by the BCS or lose their way out of the conversation. And the crowning jewel? The SEC Championship game has #1 LSU not really needing to beat Georgia to advance to the BCS. What do the college koolaid drinkers tell me--every game's important?



Alma Mater Update-- the Paper Tigers continue to crash to earth on a weekly basis. This time SU fell to Cincinnati 30-13... and there are grumblings around coach Doug Marrone's job status. This one year after he guided a rebuilding roster to a bowl berth (albeit the Pinstripe Bowl-- next year I hope for the Seersucker Bowl in Savannah, GA)... the first postseason play for SU since 2004. It took Dick MacPherson five years to get the Orange to the Cherry Bowl. Some patience, please. Meanwhile my worst fears came to light regarding Bernie Fine-- and his wife. Hopefully the University will continue to handle this situation the right way.


Maryland (2-10) closed this season with a mammoth collapse-- one that I'm still attempting to get my head around. 41-14 with 6 minutes to play in the third quarter? Gone? Wha' happened? I thought the collapse to Clemson was where the worm completely turned on this fall (the first sign of a rough season coming against Temple)... but at least the Tigers were nationally ranked. A 56-41 loss to North Carolina State puts a sour exclamation point on the 2011 campaign. Terrapin Triumphs-- for 39 minutes, quite a few positives... 2 defensive touchdowns... 91 yards rushing and a touchdown for Davin Meggett in his final game as a Terp. Terrapin Troubles-- a defense that allowed touchdowns on five straight possessions in the second half...265 of the Wolfpack's 439 yards came in the game's final 23 minutes. An offense that after taking a 27 point lead went three and out twice... followed by a fumble and an interception... another three and out... and then a pick six. Major ouch. Also, the uniform combo looked rather Steeleresque.

Coaching Carousel Firing Up... with a hair-trigger-- Memphis... Illinois... Arizona State... who's next? With Ohio State being filled by Urban Meyer and Penn State currently radioactive... what other jobs will open up? I was caught off-guard by the Tigers... only two seasons despite a 3-21 mark is not nearly long enough to give a coach's new regime a chance. If an AD fires a coach after 1 to 2 years... he/she should follow him out the door.

#5 Virginia Tech (11-1) entered its annual showdown with #24 Virginia (8-3) with more than commonwealth pride on the line-- and once again the Hokies dominated from the opening kickoff to the final gun. The 38-0 rout sends the Hokies to a rematch with Clemson for the ACC title... and the Cavaliers back to the drawing board. At least Kippy and Buffy went with Port on their final tailgate... a Taylor Fladgate 20 year tawny when paired with Monterrey Jack on Captains Wafers. Hokie Highlights-- David Wilson rushed for 153 yards and two scores... a turnover free 60 minutes... and how about starting strong while finishing with a flourish? VT held somebody scoreless in the first quarter while pulling away with 17 fourth quarter points. Hokie Humblings-- four three and outs kept the Cavaliers around early... and a missed field goal? Where was BEAMER BALL! this fall? Cavalier Congrats-- Kris Burd caught 7 passes for 100 yards... wrapping up a fine career and senior season by reaching the century mark for the fourth time this fall. The defense held the Hokies to 6 of 13 on third down. Cavalier Concerns-- 30 yards rushing and 3 of 11 on third down... four turnovers... and a fourth quarter fold that saw UVa get outgained 99 to 11 in the final fifteen minutes.

Presto's Picks-- Commonwealth Clash plus a State of Disarray...

College football's closing month concludes with the best of times and worst of times in the region. While Virginia Tech finds itself in a familiar place-- one win away from playing for another ACC title... and Virginia tries to wrap up a Cinderella stretch that saw the Cavaliers go from pretenders to contenders... Maryland tries to figure out what went wrong and regroup for 2012. Each school has had moments this fall-- and while coaches will say each game counts equally, some are more equal than others. For VT, the signature moment was an October game against Miami where the Hokies bounced back from a loss to Clemson-- Logan Thomas threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns while running for two more scores... including the gamewinner with under a minute to play. From that point the Hokies were no longer a shaky team that feasted on cupcakes in September but a solid team that was on the road to a top ten ranking. UVa's hallmark moment was a Thursday night game at Miami-- the Cavaliers up to that point were consistently uneven and one whisker away from dropping out of ACC contention. Three big play touchdowns and 60 minutes of sound football later, postseason wasn't just a dream but an eventuality. Maryland's moment of truth was the Temple game-- a 1-1 club that almost beat nationally ranked West Virginia felt they could still have a special season... only to learn an undersized defensive line wasn't going to stop anybody and the high-octane offense was going to misfire early and often with dropped passes... missed assignments and a revolving door at quarterback.

Alma Mater Update-- SU takes on Cincinnati... needing a victory this Saturday or next to wrap up a second straight bowl berth. I'm not confident. For whatever reason, after lurking as a paper tiger (first four wins coming by a combined 20 points) the Orange played their best game of the season against West Virginia October 21st-- and apparently went into hiding immediately thereafter. At least SU hoops won the NIT Tipoff... as Orange Nation waits for the other shoe to drop in the Bernie Fine case.

Maryland (2-9) tries to avoid a second ten-loss season in three years... making the trip to Raleigh to face North Carolina State. Can they contain Mike Glennon? They've allowed 32.3 points a game this fall-- most in the ACC. Can CJ Wilson continue his growth at QB-- despite a wide receiving corps that never established itself this fall? The Wolfpack pace the conference in takeaways and are fourth nationally in turnover margin. Terps tumble, 30-14.

Virginia (8-3) plays Virginia Tech (10-1) for bragging rights, the Commonwealth Cup and the Coastal Division title. The two schools have long been viewed through the prism of establishment and upstart...with UVa owning the traditional moniker and VT the new kid on the block status. Not so in football--especially now with Mike London trying to construct something similar to what Frank Beamer has built. VT has plenty of firepower with Logan Thomas throwing and David Wilson running-- and you'd have to think the Cavaliers will have to contain the Hokies as Michael Rocco probably can't keep pace in a shootout. Still, there's a definite window of opportunity: VT has had problems beginning games all season-- if UVa can jump on them early with a big play or two... Wilson's not as much of a factor. I'm still waiting for the Hokie special teams to steal a game this fall. Is this the week? Hokies allow two touchdowns in the game's first five minutes-- before rallying... taking the lead for good on a blocked kick (BEAMER BALL!)...27-24.


Last week: 3-4. During Closing Month? Put that coffee down!
Overall: 62-29.

White Album Trimmed...

Wasting time has always been one of my specialties. So when The Beatles White Album celebrated its 43rd birthday this past Tuesday... I turned to producer George Martin's long-held statement that he wished they could have released it as a stronger single record.

What do you keep? Which songs go to the dustbin? And how much do you change the sequence? Because years of listening has trained the ear to think "Dear Prudence" after "Back in the USSR" and "I Will" after "Why Don't we Do it in the Road?".

Now I set about the revamped White Album with a few guidelines:

1-- Balance between the writers. That means 5 songs each for John & Paul... 3 for George and 1 for Ringo. Also in sequencing the songs the goal was to have no back-to-back songs by the same primary writer.

2-- Post positions-- the Beatles took great care in the sequencing of the albums they had control over (all UK releases and all US releases from Pepper onwards)... and that meant beginning with a bang... finishing with a flourish... and building a bridge between the sides.
"Taxman"sets the tone for Revolver..."Ticket to Ride" makes you want to flip the side on Help!... "Here Comes the Sun" opens Abbey Road's side two with ease and "Twist and Shout" ends Please Please Me with an exclamation point.

3--Single spotlight-- I took the liberty of removing "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" from the pool because with a 14- track album they probably would have looked to release another song as a 45... and Paul had been pushing this one like nothing else (much to the others dismay). But it's catchy in a "Hello Goodbye" way-- George Martin would have pushed for it-- and having "Everybody's Got Something to Hide, Except for Me and My Monkey" follows the trend of John's earthier stuff backing Paul's commercial fare ("Walrus/Goodbye", "Revolution/Hey Jude").

So here we go...

Side A--
1-Back in the USSR
2-Dear Prudence
3-Piggies
4-Don't Pass Me By
5-Glass Onion
6-Blackbird
7-While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Can't shake the starting sequence that's been ingrained for 43 years... the plane's engines are like the opening chord on "A Hard Day's Night". I also wanted to bring George and Ringo in early on side one. I tried to balance the rockers and ballads as well as sarcasm and idealism (Glass Onion/Blackbird). Plus-- "Guitar" is a nice Side A closer in the same vein as "She Said She Said" or "Michelle"... you felt fulfilled but your appetite for more is in play.

Side B
1-Helter Skelter
2-Julia
3-Rocky Raccoon
4-Savoy Truffle
5-Cry Baby Cry
6-I Will
7-Happiness is a Warm Gun

From the harsh to the soft to the sublime (Paul's narrative is memorable but George's recounting of different chocolates that Eric Clapton likes is pure gold). John goes from reflective to haunting to the final song that's literally helter skelter-- three different styles and tempos somehow stitched together. Their better finishing tracks summed up the album's tone while also letting the curtain come down. After hearing "Tomorrow Never Knows" or "A Day in the Life"... I was cool with silence for a little bit. One reason I think the double album suffers is by placing "Happiness" at the end of side one the listener gets completely sucked into the song-- it takes a while to get back into things on side two. I'd mentally go to lunch until about halfway through "Blackbird".

Easy Cuts-- "Honey Pie" and "Revolution #9"... opposite ends of the spectrum-- one could have been released in 1938... and the other maybe in 2038.

Tough Cuts--"Why Don't we do it in the Road?" is a fantastic track but has B-Side written all over it like "I'm Down".

Redskins Rehash-- Turkey Drop...

If you have a chance this Thanksgiving season, check out "WKRP in Cincinnati" on youtube or hulu. There was a first-season episode titled "Turkey's Away" where the station decides to hold a Thanksgiving Turkey giveaway-- only to drop a few out of a helicopter. Evidently the station manager thought that "God as my witness-- I thought turkeys could fly". And obviously they "hit the parking lot like sacks of wet cement". Welcome to the Redskins 2011 season. The optimism of a 3-1 start has long crashed to the earth like sacks of wet cement. The notion of John Beck as a starting NFL QB now as valid as turkeys flying. Oh the humanity!

Turnoverasaurus Rex-- Mr. Grossman threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns while running for the team's other score. Still... a 4th quarter interception nearly cost his team in regulation. More thrills, chills and spills on the menu next Sunday in Seattle.

Third and out... with multiple drops-- the Skins converted 6 of 15 third downs... although they began disastrously in the first half: 0 for 5 with three fumbles-- one recovered by the Cowboys... one recovered by the Skins... another reversed by instant replay.

Secondary Seams-- Dallas retook the lead in the fourth quarter with a 59 yard pass from Tony Romo to Jason Witten on a broken play. Romo also found Dez Bryant on a 26 yard strike on 3rd and 15 in overtime to move the ball to the Redskin 23... setting up the gamewinning field goal.

Feeling Fredtastic?-- #83 tallied 6 catches for 49 yards with a long of 24... meaning he averaged 5 yards on his other 5 grabs. Davis' total of 49 receptions and 636 yards prorates to 78 and 1017. So why does his season feel so underwhelming?

London Bridge-- Mr. Fletcher recorded 16 total tackles and a sack... proving that he is the heart and soul of this defense. One wonders how much longer the 36 year old will maintain this level... and will he be able to contribute when this team finally turns things around (whenever that will be).

Ryan the Rookie-- Kerrigan tallied one sack and two quarterback hits... giving him six on the season. The Skins need more picks like him-- and soon.

Ganoing ganoing gone?-- the Skins kicker missed a pair of field goal attempts... from 49 and 52 yards. He leads the league in misses with 8... and that is never ideal. Will the Skins do some Christmas shopping for a new kicker or stand pat on PATs and FGs for 2012?

Dissecting the Division-- Philadelphia's win over the Giants drops New York behind Dallas... as the Cowboys take the division lead thanks to a better NFC East record. The two teams tangle twice between now and the end of the season. While Dallas takes the #4 seed... the Giants are in 8th place. The Eagles hang onto hope in 10th while the Redskins are 12th... officially still in the hunt but you know the deal.

College Football Corner-- of turkeys and trimmings...

College football and Thanksgiving go hand in hand. Everybody comes home from school to brag about how well their school did... or play down how poorly their school played. While the NFL rules Thursday, there's plenty of pigskin helpings Friday and Saturday with rivalry games on tap-- and more than a few of them carry division, conference or national championship implications. While Virginia Tech is thankful for a soft September schedule and minimal growing pains for quarterback Logan Thomas, Virginia's thankful they're playing meaningful games in late November. Maryland, meanwhile, is thankful the autumn nightmare is coming to a close-- with work already underway on 2012.

Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse had the weekend off with games against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh pending. At 5-5 they need a split to make postseason play... but with 3 straight losses where they've allowed 30+ points a game, I think we might be looking forward to basketball. Oh yeah, that. Longtime assistant coach Bernie Fine has been accused of molesting a former ball-boy in the 1980's and 90's. I covered the team while I was a student and never heard anything sketchy about Fine-- but my minimal exposure to SU hoops during that time obviously counts for nothing. You just don't know people. If the claims are true I hope appropriate action is taken. If the claims are true I hope my university didn't cover anything up or turn a blind eye when they had the chance to do the right thing. If these claims are false, I have no mercy for those who have lied and slandered... and hope a longtime coach gets his reputation back.

Maryland (2-9) enjoyed a tale of two halves against Wake Forest... playing the Demon Deacons even for 30 minutes before allowing 4 scores in the first five possessions after intermission-- slipping 31-10. Once again there were bright spots with more than a few breakdowns. Bring on 2012. Terrapin Triumphs-- CJ ran for 110 yards while throwing for 186 and a touchdown... Demetrius Hartsfield tallied 14 tackles while Andre Monroe notched 2 and a half sacks. Terrapin Troubles-- 514 total yards allowed... 340 after halftime. Two missed field goals from 32 and 36 yards. And another double digit defeat. Next up: Saturday at North Carolina State.

Virginia (8-3) somehow survived a last-chance Florida State rally and won for the first time ever in Tallahassee... 14-13. Any time you win for the first time in a conference foe's building, it becomes a big season. Kippy and Buffy got into the pre-Thanksgiving celebration by enjoying Louis Jadot Beaujolais with Port Wine Cheese on Wheat Thins. Now Saturday's Commonwealth Cup also means a ticket to the ACC Title game. Cavalier Congrats-- 238 yards passing for Michael Rocco against the best defense in the ACC... and a turnover free game for the offense. The UVa D held FSU to 3 of 13 on third down and allowed the Seminoles to cross midfield just twice after halftime. Cavalier Concerns-- 7 penalties is never ideal... and going 5 of 14 on third down is one way to keep the opponent in the game.
Next Up: Saturday against Virginia Tech.

Virginia Tech (10-1) continues to rule Thursday night with the clarity of a Bill Cosby sweater. Despite a late North Carolina rally, the Hokies hold on 24-21. Now the overachieving little brother once again faces his instate rival-- with a trip to the ACC Title Game on the line. Hokie Highlights-- Logan Thomas threw for two scores while running for a third... VT moved the chains on 9 of 16 third downs... Jarrett Boykin tallied 10 catches for 106 yards. Hokie Humblings-- another sluggish first quarter resulting in an early deficit... that I'm used to. But now a fourth quarter where the defense allowed 179 yards and two scores? Special teams saw a field goal missed/-1 punt return yards/under 20 yards a kickoff return. BEAMER BALL?Next Up: Ray and Louann square off with Kippy and Buffy in a tailgating tilt... as the Hokies visit Virginia.

Presto's Picks-- tournament time? Or bowl of confusion...

Every year I basically write the same thing. About how college football needs to decide its championship on a field instead of by voters and computers. Let the candidates decide their fate in the open! I've had 4-team, 8-team, 12-team and 16-team fields. And the band plays on. I've incorporated the bowls and gone to neutral sites. I've sent automatic qualifiers to different regions. I've made January 1st the day for the Final Four and the Elite Eight. And the band plays on. So I'll draw up my pretend bracket after this weekend's games and write about how a tournament actually makes November games meaningful for more than the top 5-7 teams... and how the lower level bowls really do nothing but reward mediocrity (yes, Syracuse-- I know last year's 7-5 mark deserved some celebration... but a trip to the Bronx and a Banner?). I watch the SEC self-perpetuate its perch atop the college football landscape while unbeatens like TCU and Boise State get the shaft. But the bowl band plays on.

Maryland (2-8) visits Wake Forest-- a team that needs a victory to wrap up a bowl berth. The Demon Deacons are led by Tanner Price-- who has a pair of wideouts (Chris Givens and Michael Campanaro) to stretch the field. The Terps' defense has had problems recently stopping anyone and everyone (40ppg in last five weeks). Offensively, what was a quarterback rotation is now simply CJ Brown and hold your breath-- walk-on Troy Jones and punt returner Tony Logan are the backups. Read that last sentence again. Terps tumble 44-27.

Virginia (7-3) turns to Tallahassee-- a place they've never won-- and needs to beat #23 Florida State in order to stay alive in the Coastal Division race. Perry Jones and Kevin Parks have powered the Cavalier ground game effectively this fall-- but haven't run into brick wall like the first in the ACC Seminole defense. Do you feel confident putting your Orange Bowl hopes in the hands of Michael Rocco? But if there's been one team that's been predictably unpredictable this fall- it's been Kippy and Buffy's alma mater. Cavs come up short 23-20.

Navy sinks San Jose State, Howard defeats Delaware State, James Madison falls at Massachusetts (they're not losing on Thanksgiving week), William & Mary beats Richmond.

Last Week: 6-1.
Overall: 59-25 (12-2 in closing month!)

Presto's Picks-- Thursday Night Thriller...

What is it about the Hokies and Thursday Night Football? Fried Turkey Legs... BEAMER BALL!... and Maroon and Purple rule like Cheers and ER. I initially wasn't a fan of the Thursday night game but have warmed up to it on the college front (still not a fan of NFL games on Thursday night... but whatever). And Virginia Tech seemingly has been at the forefront of Thursday night action from the beginning.

#9 Virginia Tech tangles with North Carolina and can wrap up the Coastal Division with a victory plus a Virginia loss at Florida State Saturday. While the Hokies boast the ACC's leading rusher in David Wilson, the Tar Heels are ranked third in the league in stopping the run. Bryn Renner doesn't throw for a lot of yards but is extremely effective when he does air it out (#1 in the ACC in passing efficiency). Logan Thomas has grown from a raw product to a quarterback with plenty of polish-- and UNC may be a more inviting target (last in the league in stopping the pass while rating 9th in pass defense efficiency). And oh my those Turkey Legs taste good. Hokies hang on, 30-24.

Coming up tomorrow-- full slate of picks with the "playoff bracket" you've been waiting for...

Redskins Rehash-- Are they on the clock yet?

Okay-- I've tried to avoid the obvious. Each week I try to dissect the Redskins' game with snarky comments and witty repartee... but we all recognize the obvious. This team is bad. This team won't be a contender or even a pretender this year. And there's a chance that next year might not be much better. Things are that bad. I didn't think that 5-11 ("not too good"--Steve Spurrier, before faxed resignation-2003) was a possibility... now 3-13 is mentioned with all seriousness after a 3-1 start.


So the Skins lost 20-9 in Miami. To a very bad team that was winless two weeks ago and will probably finish last in the AFC East (although Buffalo could fashion a classic second half collapse-- "nobody circles the wagons to finish under .500 like the Buffalo Bills!"). This was another game that was there for the taking and wasn't taken.



Turnoverasaurus Rex... still better than Beck-- Mr. Grossman threw two interceptions... including one on the supposed go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter. This after connecting on 7 of his first 9 passes in the first half. But at least he's throwing the ball more than ten yards downfield. John Beck is also the name of the actor who played "Mark Graison" on Dallas-- he was Pam's love interest after her divorce with Bobby-- and although you didn't mind the guy, you knew he just wasn't Bobby. I don't mind this John Beck, but I just know he's not an NFL quarterback.


Torain goes off the rails-- somehow the Dolphin defense knew how to stymie Ryan Torain: 10 carries for 20 yards... and a first half sequence from the 5 that lost three yards over five plays. Let the record show he did have a touchdown wiped out by a holding call-- but Roy Helu was introduced as an option a little too late.

Backup Plan? Ha!-- Don't be so quick to roast Mike Shanahan, because the fruits we are tasting were planted during the Vinny Cerrato era. With the recent injuries we learn further about the complete lack of depth developed over the last decade. A good organization's backups are almost good enough to be starters-- a bad organization's backups are almost bad enough to be out of the league.

Hankering for the IR-- rookie Leonard Hankerson tallied 8 catches for 106 yards in what appeared to be his breakout game. Unfortunately the game during which he went off on a tear also was the one where he tore the labrum in his right hip. So the Skins go to plan H or I at wideout.

Feeling Fredtastic... dropping-- okay, so everybody's favorite tight end dropped a pass in the numbers. Still, Mr. Davis recorded 3 catches for 28 yards-- and his prorated numbers are 76 grabs for 1043 yards. But he hasn't found the endzone in some time (second three game stretch without a touchdown); on a team desperately needing a go-to receiver in the red zone... he's not it.

Red-faced-- three trips into the red zone with no touchdowns to show for it. What's worse... the 0 for 3 or the fact that they got inside Miami's 20 just three times (one aided by a interception return)?

Grading the D on a curve--the Skins allowed just 20 points... but allowed 8 of 14 third down conversions. Jim Haslett's unit did provide a pair of takeaways that led to points... and Ryan Kerrigan continued his promising rooking campaign with a pair of sacks. But the leading tacklers were safeties Reed Doughty and Laron Landry: any time your DBs are making a lot of stops-- it's not necessarily a good thing.

Dissecting the division-- Despite the Giants loss at San Francisco, New York remains atop the NFC East as the # 3 seed. Dallas is alone in second place and their 4-2 conference record puts them ahead of Atlanta for 7th place in the NFC. Philadelphia stays in third place of the division but drops to #12 in the conference with their underwhelming loss to Arizona. And the Redskins remain in last place... now 13th place in the conference. Much closer to last place than the last playoff spot in the NFC.

All signs point North... with a West Surge--- both North Divisions continue their dominance-- the NFC is 23-13 while the AFC is 22-15 after ten weeks. Major props to the much-maligned NFC West-- going 4-0 to improve to a pedestrian 16-20. Not ideal, but decidedly better than the AFC South's 15-23.

College Football Corner-- the Confounded Confluence...

The middle weeks of November always make me shrug. As the excitement of Closing Month focuses on teams playing for conference or national championships-- or simply trying to become bowl eligible-- college hoops tips off its regular season. Isn't there enough going on? Can't they push back opening weekend one week? Not to pull my "old codger", but when I was young they'd wait until the weekend before Thanksgiving for games-and we liked it! It doesn't help now that just about everybody plays through the last week of November-- this isn't 1985 when the Big Ten was wrapped up before Turkey day. Instead, you have non-conference games that get shoved to the side because 1/12 of a football season (usually a conference or rivalry game) takes precedence over 1/30 of a basketball campaign (usually against a non-conference foe on a lower level). Which brings me to the Maryland-Georgetown womens showdown. Has the feel of a Saturday December tilt, right? The perfect appetizer to conference play? No-- the Terps and Hoyas get shoved into a Sunday slot where the Redskins and Ravens have meaningful games (okay, Skins fans-- humor me here). I know the audience for womens hoops and the NFL isn't exactly the same demo-- but if you schedule that game for early November you're almost asking for it to be buried under Skinsationalism and Ravens coverage (working on a Ravens hybrid word...I will take suggestions). Meanwhile, the college football season still has two more regular season weeks to sort out.

Maryland (2-7) punted four times in the first quarter allowed Notre Dame to score on four of their six first half possessions... and the second half wasn't much better: the Irish scored on their opening drive...and then returned a pick six. A broken arm would then end Danny O'Brien's year as the team falls 45-21. With two games remaining in the 2011 season, one wonders what happened to a 9-4 team-- and what will need to happen between now and next Labor Day to get this program on the right track. Terrapin Triumphs-- DJ Adams saw his most serious action since the West Virginia game, tallying 55 yards rushing and a touchdown while catching two passes... Alex Twine tallied 12 tackles with one sack... Nick Ferrara averaged over 40 yards a punt. Terrapin Troubles-- 3 of 12 on third down while allowing the Fighting Irish to move the chains on 10 of 16 opportunities... the run defense allowed almost 6 yards a carry when adjusted for sacks... and no turnovers generated against a Notre Dame team that has had trouble hanging onto the football. Next Up: Saturday at Wake Forest.


Virginia (7-3) made a team bowl-ineligible for the second straight week, defeating Duke 31-21 in a game that had every inkling of a letdown. Kippy and Buffy raised the bar once again for their tailgate: Mollydooker "Blue Eyed Boy" Shiraz with pepperjack cheese on triscuits. Cavalier Congrats-- Michael Rocco threw two touchdown passes while the defense held the Blue Devils to 34 net rushing yards. Cavalier Concerns-- 6 of 15 on third down led to 6 three and outs in twelve possessions... 6 penalties... and the lack of a first half knockout punch won't help UVa as it transitions from lambs to lions on its November schedule. Next Up: Saturday at Florida State.


#9 Virginia Tech (9-1) owns Closing Month and usually owns Thursday Night: the two forces collided in VT's 37-26 victory over Georgia Tech. This matchup has played like an ACC Semifinal since divisional play began: either the Hokies or Yellowjackets have played on the first Saturday of December. Hokie Highlights-- Logan Thomas threw three touchdown passes while running for two more scores... David Wilson ran for 175 yards... VT converted 10 of 16 third downs-- and on two non-conversions followed with moving the chains on fourth down. Hokie Humblings-- Guess who scored first? Yes, VT was blanked in the first quarter 7-0. I can't think of a better team worse in the opening period. And the start of the college basketball season already has me thinking about how Seth Greenberg's team is on the bubble. Next Up: Thursday against North Carolina-- bring the Turkey Legs.