College Football Picks Week 15

Ladies and Gentlemen –

We have come to the last week of the 2011 College Football Season.

The selections and follow-on articles this week will be a little light as I am on a promotional tour, but stay tuned.

In the coming weeks we will have Season Ending Awards and all Your Bowl Games.

And a few weekly “surprises” for you all this Christmas.
After all Santa has informed me that you have been “very” good this past year.

Don’t ever underestimate the reach of Your Favorite College Football Prognosticator

Enjoy your Picks…..

POST CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND REPLAY

With Conference Championship weekend left in Bedlam last week…
The CFB Wizard was 23 and 3 or 88% on Week 14. And that leaves The Wizard at 704 and 191 or 79% overall for the 2011 College Football Season.

It’s hard to believe I have picked 895 College Football games this season.
If I have forgotten to tell you lately…..

Thank you all for coming along on the ride with me this season.
I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoy bringing it to you.

You all make this column a labor of love and I thank you for that.

SOUTH GEORGIA FOOTBALL NEWS and VIEWS

Greetings from the heart of SEC Country!
I’m sorry about dropping out of sight last week but I was so devastated by the loss of Larry Munson that I volunteered myself for cooking duties at the annual Hanesworth family reunion that was held at the Little Olcmulgee State Park last weekend.
You just don’t get any better food fare than all that fried chicken, collard greens, and pecan pies and other fare that the ladies bring to this get together. That is, with the exception of the hogs we barbeque on the pits the night before the big event. We all know that the hometown Telfair Trojans’ season ended a few short weeks ago but we have some good news related to the Boys in Blue. The 2-A All Region Players were announced and Big Blue was well represented this year. Congratulations go out to Big Brandon Roberson, a Senior Offensive lineman, Junior Defensive Lineman Abraham Freeman, Zac “The Mac” Pitt a do everything Senior Linebacker, and Shifty Special Teamer Ladwam Mackley, also a Senior. Junior Running Back Devin Edwards, Sophmore Center Jacob Smith were selected to the second team. Also, a second team selection at Defensive Back was Ladwam Mackley, demonstrating this young man’s versatility.
Congratulations to these hard working young men who have represented us so well this year!!!

Saturday afternoon in Hot’lanta was the day of the Big Game at the Dome.
The SEC Championship, featuring the Champions from East, the Georgia Bulldogs, taking on the Behemoths of the West, the LSU Tigers, in a David and Goliath matchup for all the marbles.
The Red Clay Hounds came out of the gate fast and took a 3-0 lead early, for an early knock down of the Bayou Bengals. It could have been worse as a sure touchdown was dropped in the end zone, but the Field Goal was an early warning to the yellow cats that the Pups were in it to win it. Coach Mark Richt reached into his bag of tricks and stunned the Bayou Bengals by recovering an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff and was set to draw more blood.
However a missed Field Goal left the Canines’ fate in the hands of the defense. Then late in the 1st quarter, Aaron Murray hooked up with shifty Aaron White to go up by ten on the Tigers. In the meantime, the defense was holding the Feline’s to numerous 3 and outs as it looked like if the Hounds could keep up the mo, the upset would be on. But it wasn’t to be. Maybe the pressure was too much for some of these fiesty hounds, as there were numerous drops and miscues that kept the Cow College off the board for the rest of the game. And this fact is what allowed the Swamp Cats the opening they needed to claw their way back into the game and walk away with a 42-10 victory and the SEC Championship. Congrats to the Dawgs, Coach Richt, and Bulldog nation for a great season.

Meanwhile, over by Eagle Creek, the Statesboro Birds were hosting the Old Dominion Monarchs in an FCS championship game that saw over 100 points combined put up on the scoreboard. The Eagles scored on 8 of 10 possessions, and needed every point they got, in holding off a pesky OD team intent on upsetting the 3rd ranked FCS team in the nation. This game was a see-saw battle for most of the day, with each team matching each other score for score much like a couple of heavyweight boxers. But, the Blue Birds defense finally got a stop on the determined Monarchs as they stuffed a 4th and 1 attempt at the Eagles’ 40 yard line. The birds then drove to the Monarchs 2 yard line but were stopped by a fumble. On the next ODU drive, the Monarchs had a miscue of their own, as Lavelle Westbrooks picked up a fumble to give the Eagles another possession. In the end, the Statesboro Blue Birds walked away with a 55-48 win in a game that was in doubt to the end. Next up for the Eagles are the Maine Grizzlies who dispatched App State. Hopefully the mystique of Paulson Stadium will prevail again as the Eagles are 31-3 in postseason play at the “Prettiest Little Stadium in America.”

Up in Charlotte, the Clemson Tigers were looking for a little redemption and consistency as they were trying to right the ship after a big loss to instate rival South Carolina. The heat got turned to white hot on Friday as Gamecock commentator Todd Ellis made a comment that somehow got attributed to Coach Steve Spurrier and the response by Tiger Head Coach Dabo Swinney went right for the jugular. And the Tigers obviously came out with a chip on their shoulder as they swapped blows with the Gobblers in the first half but then put the game away in the second half with 28 unanswered points. The Orange Cats cruised to a 38-10 victory over the Turkeys and earned a spot in the Orange Bowl with the win.

Meanwhile, in Stillwater, Oklahoma the Cowboys broke the Sooners like a 2 year old gelding in a 44-10 shellacking of Oklahoma.
This game was never in doubt as O.K. St broke out to a 24-3 lead and never looked back.
The implications of this game were enormous and puts the BCS National Championship game selection committee in a quandry.
Will they go for the rematch with Bama and LSU? Will they decide that winning that Conference Championship by OK State is enough to put them in the National Championship Game? I guess the answer, according to the BCS bowl committee is an Alabama vs LSU deathmatch for the Heavyweight Championship of the World!!!
This will be better than Mr Wrestling #2 and Andre the Giant in one of their grudge matches from a bygone era.

That’s it for this week from Telfair County.

For those of you that sent The Wizard an email questioning my whereabouts last week; thank you.
Hope everyone’s team wins and you have a great week. And remember; make sure you support your local High School Athletics.
These are your future collegians of tomorrow.
Until next time,
I’m Harley Hanesworth

A BRIEF COLLEGE FOOTBALL COMMENTARY

As you all know by now I don’t mix and match my sports, ater all this column isn’t intended to be the Golden Corral of Sports, were you can get a side plate of soccer with ranch dressing to go along with your college football and then have a selection of NASCAR and Basketball for desert.

No, this column is and will always be about college football.

So I want to talk about one former college football player here.

He was one of the greatest college football players to ever play the game.

He now plays in the National Football League

He is the fodder for comedians and the national media.

The “national” sports media seemingly hates him and do you know why?

Because he’s a good guy, yeah I said it; because he’s a “good” guy
His name is Tim Tebow.

Before you start to roll your eyes and say “Here he goes again”

Let me say this…..

In this age of “professional” sports were its “all about me”
It’s impotant to know that there is at least one guy that is above it all.

With permission from Peter King of Sports Illustrated I reprint this brief article on former Florida Quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and his closing comments after last week’s victory.
Before I let Tebow go, I asked him if anyone after the game — coaches, players, execs — had said anything memorable to him.
“Everybody was happy,” he said, “but I’ll tell you one thing that happened during the week that I remember … ”
Good, I thought. John Fox, maybe, sidling up to him and saying something sportingly profound like, “Son, we’re going to ride that left arm and those legs to the Super Bowl.”

” … I had an opportunity to talk with a kid named Blake Appleton, from Florida, on Thursday. He’s a leukemia patient who’s just been moved to hospice. And after the game, when I was being interviewed on TV, I got to say his name. That’s what I’m proud of today. I let him know people cared about him. I let him know God has a plan for him.”
And that was the end of the Tebow interview.

He had to rush to get on the bus to the airport. Except …
“Have a good day, Mr. King. And God bless you”

EDITORS NOTE: Enough said…..

THE GAMES

Friday December 9th

Northern Iowa at Montana
This game played in beautiful balmy Big Sky Country is the second round of the playoffs in this division of College Football.
It’s going to be a battle in the trenches in the frozen tundra.
As the Good Lord intended football to be played…..
GRIZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ 28-21

Saturday December 10th

Division II Playoffs
Delta State at Pittsburg State
I know the Gorillas (Yes, I said “Gorillas”) of Pittsburg are favored in this game.
But I am an Okra Man
FIGHTING OKRA 31-28

Army and Navy
This classic matchup is what college football is all about
The name alone brings to mind some of the finest players to ever play the game.
But more than that, it has forged some of the greatest leaders this country has ever known.
May it always be so
GO NAVY 24-17

Montana State at Sam Houston State
The Bobcats are hotter than a stolen pistol but….
Sam Houston is the Hero of San Jacinto and Republic of Texas…
Yeah, it’s like that with me
SAM’S CATS 34-17

Grambling State at Alabama A&M
I have nothing but love, admiration and respect for the Great Grambling football program.
But I can’t go against my Alabama Boys….
BULLDOGS 24-21

Maine at Georgia Southern
I cannot in good conscience pull for any team that is ten miles from the Arctic Circle and promotes “baby seal beating” as an extracurricular activity.
I have too many Navy SEAL friends that would be disappointed in me if I endorsed that kind of behavior.
SOUTHERN EAGLES 38-21

Lehigh at North Dakota State
I cannot and will not pick any school that sounds like it was named after a “smart ass” rich kid.
THUNDERING BISON 34-17

Enjoy Your Games….

And one other thing….

Wednesday 7 December was the 70th Anniversary of the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor.

It was “A Day that will Live in Infamy”

I haven’t forgotten that day and I know others haven’t either, but one thing bothers me.

A dear friend of mine sent me this philosophical question in an email:
This Wednesday will be the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. And here is the key ….

70 years later we still call it the “Japanese” attack.

But 10 years after 9/11 political correctness dictates that we can’t call that the Islamic attack on America.

God Bless the Boys of 1941 and all the Boys and Girls that answered their country’s call to War after the Islamic Attack on our Country.

Don’t Forget Them

RTR

THE CFB WIZARD

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