My First Marathon: Fly, Fight, Win

Or, the 4-hour clash between body and mind


After the marathon, as we made our way through the crowds of people - the limping, the exhausted, the jubilant - I heard someone behind me make an observation.  "You know how people say that if you can run a half, you can run a full marathon?" he said.  "That is a lie.  That is like... a totally different race."

Pre-race:

The walk to the start line of the Air Force Marathon was a chilly mile.  We followed the stream of runners through the dark, stumbling ahead like a horde of the undead.  Eventually, we came up to the starting area, passing by the last bit of the course and finish line.  Planes lined the finish like slumbering giants.  I tried to imagine what it would feel like, hours later, to run through the rows of enormous jets and cargo planes and finally cross the finish.  But I did not let my mind linger on the thought.

We spent the hour or so leading up to the race waiting with a friend and his mother, who were running the marathon together.  It was her first time doing the 26.2 mile race as well.  We kept each other company until it was time to find our respective starting spots.

The sun was just starting to peek over the trees as runners readied their watches and moved towards the start.  The gun went off with a boom, startling many of us, and the first athletes began their journeys.

I crossed the start line and hit the button on my watch to begin the workout, and thought to myself: Here we go.

Part 1: Fly

I started at an easy pace.  It felt funny, walking after only five minutes, but I knew it was part of the plan.  I was going to do a run-five/walk-one pattern from the start.  I knew there was a big hill in the first couple of miles, so I figured that was alright.  My legs were a bit stiff, but overall my body was receptive to the idea of a run.

Miles 1-2

OK.  We're going for a run.  Feeling good.  That's a big hill.  Good thing it's early.  OK, at the top?  Nope.  OK.  Still going up.  That's OK.  Feeling good.

I made it to the top of the hill and picked up the pace a bit.  But at that point I made a conscious decision to ignore my pace the best I could.  I would run at what felt comfortable.  I payed no attention to mile markers.  I kept an eye on the time on my watch to know when to walk and run, but that was it.  I told myself I was just out for a morning run... with a few thousand other people.

Miles 2-11

Alright.  A long run.  Still feeling good.  A little bit of knee pain but nothing too bad.  I'm sure we'll be done soon.  Nothing to worry about.

The first part of the race went by quickly.  I got water at every stop whether I felt like I needed it or not.  There were a lot of spectators as we passed through Fairborn, but otherwise there was not much crowd support.

Part 2: Fight

Miles 11 - 17

Ow. Knee hurts. Are we almost done? Hey!  13.1 miles! We're done! We're done, right? Hey, you saw that sign for 13.1 miles, right? Hi. Hello. Hello? Hello! This is really starting to hurt. Hello?

The middle part of the race is when my knee really started to hurt. Every time I walked it seemed to get worse. And starting to run after walking was painful but the pain subsided after running a few minutes. Then, I would walk and it would start again. I decided to start phasing out the walking and see how that went. The pain during walk breaks got worse. I reasoned that maybe I should cut out the walk breaks altogether. I could just run the last 9 miles, right?  I decided to foolishly give it a try.

Miles 17 - 18

We are running a lot. Hey, does that mean we're almost done? It must! I bet the finish line is right around the corner! All right!

Miles 18 - 21

WE ARE GOING TO DIE. YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT? IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?

After four miles of running without breaks, the pain in my knee was almost unbearable. But I was afraid that if I stopped running I would not be able to start again or (worse yet) that I wouldn't even be able to walk to the finish. Around mile 21 I reached a hill that made up my mind for me. I had to walk.

Miles 21 - 21.5

Yay! Walking! We must be done! Why are we going up this hill?

It took 5 minutes to walk up the hill but after the short break and some encouragement from another runner, I was ready(ish) to run again.

Miles 21.5 - 25

WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? WHY ARE YOU STILL RUNNING? THIS IS NOT FUN ANYMORE.

It took varying amounts of running and walking to make it through the next few miles. I would run until I felt like I couldn't possibly run anymore. Then I would walk until I felt like I had any amount of energy to run. And so I would run, despite every part of my body asking me to stop.  I did that for about four miles.  The overall feeling of the race during this section was different than anything else I had experienced in my years of running.  There was a sense of camaraderie among all of us out there.  Like survivors after a global disaster, we were the last ones left.  But we made it this far, and we were not going to give up.  We banded together and lifted each other up.  We were going to make it.

Part 3: Win

Miles 25-26

Adrenaline! Pain! Adrenaline! Woo-hoo! Going to die! Yes! Pain! Adrenaline! Just keep going!

From mile 25 on I was just running on pure adrenaline.  I stopped taking walk breaks again and just pushed harder, knowing it was almost over.  As long as I kept moving, I could do it.  My legs fought me but I just kept on moving.

Miles 26-26.2
ADRENALINE!!!!

As I approached the finish, I barely noticed the planes.  I didn't look at the spectators that lined the fences leading up to that beautiful white banner.  I just stared straight ahead at that banner with those glorious words: FINISH.  But it wasn't glory I felt, it was relief.  I raised my hands over my head as I crossed the final timing mats, and the overwhelming feeling I had was relief that it was over.

It wasn't until a minute or two later, as I received my finisher's medal, that it fully sank in.  I had just run a marathon!  The grand-daddy of foot-races, and I had conquered it.  Not only that, but I finished just under my goal of 4 hours with a time of 3:59:46.  I got my post-race food and collapsed on the grass, amid other worn out runners.

As I sat there, munching on a slice of pizza and a banana, I thought to myself: eh, that wasn't so bad.

College Football Week 5 Bold Predictions

1. NC State shocks Florida State

Yes, Jameis Winston is back this week.  And NC State has yet to face an opponent with a pulse this season.  But, throw out the win against Citadel and the Seminoles have an average margin of victory of six points.  They have also lost multiple key defensive players to injuries.  The last time Florida State played in Raleigh?  A 17 - 16 defeat at the hands of the Wolfpack.  This year they do it again, 29 - 27.

2. Washington takes down Stanford

Washington comes into this game averaging 41.3 points per game.  On the other side of the ball, Stanford is the best nationally, allowing only 4.3 points per game.  One thing's for sure, we will learn a lot about these Huskies on Saturday.  Washington holds the home-field advantage, and took the win two years ago when they last played Stanford in Seattle.  And don't be fooled by the Huskies' first two games against sub-par competition, which were scary close.  This team is better than that and will show it this weekend with a 17 - 13 win over the Cardinal.

3. Ohio State scores twice on defense/special teams vs Cincinnati

The Buckeyes haven't scored on defense since a fumble return against Navy in week 1, and have yet to score on special teams.  They were close last week, on a blocked punt that ended up back in the hands of Kent State.  This week, Dontre Wilson finally takes a kick return to the house, and the defense records a pick-six to spark a big second half for Ohio State.  Bearcats hang tight for the first two quarters but can't keep up.  Ohio State wins 42 - 24.

4. Michigan's six-figure attendance streak comes to an end

If it wasn't bad enough for the Wolverines, a miscommunication between Coca-Cola and the university led to a promotion where fans could get two free tickets with the purchase of a pair of Cokes.  The deal is an embarrassment and an insult to season ticket-holders, even if it wasn't officially OK'd by the university.  To make matters worse, the Big House's streak of games with attendance over 100,000, which has stood for almost 30 years, is still in jeopardy.  The game against Miami (Ohio) tallied only 102,824, the lowest in almost 20 years.  And that was before losing 26 - 10 at home vs Utah.  This week's attendance with Minnesota in town could be even lower, possibly dipping below the six-figure mark.  But they still get the win, 27 - 23.

5. Wisconsin racks up 100-billion rushing yards against South Florida

Last week, the Badgers ran for an astonishing 644 yards against Bowling Green.  South Florida gave up 315 yards on the ground against NC State, who do not possess a rushing attack even close to Wisconsin's.  OK, so I don't really think they will tally 100-billion rushing yards, but I could see them going for 400+ in another blowout win.  55 - 17, Badgers.

College Football Week 4 Recap

1. At least one of the top 5 4 teams in the AP poll goes down

There were several close games at the top, but no upsets.  Florida State squeaked by Clemson, 23 - 17 in overtime, after struggling all night without Jameis Winston. QB Marcus Mariota led Oregon past a tenacious Washington State, 38 - 31.  Alabama's first half mistakes kept Florida in it, but ultimately they pulled away in the second half with a strong performance by QB Blake Sims.  West Virginia matched Oklahoma point for point in the first half but were unable to keep up with the Sooners in the second half.

2. Miami upsets #24 Nebraska

Nebraska came to play, and running back Ameer Abdullah had a strong performance to notch a 41 - 31 victory.  The Cornhuskers racked up 343 yards on the ground and looked nothing like the squad that struggled to put away McNeese State a couple weeks prior.  Until further notice, this undefeated Nebraska team may be the team to beat in the Big Ten.  Circle the Oct 4 match-up with Michigan State; it's going to be a good one.

3. Virginia Tech continues free-fall with a loss to Georgia Tech

The Hokies took yet another loss, getting beat 27 - 24 by Georgia Tech.  You have to wonder if things would have turned out differently if the match-up with Ohio State was later in the season.  Would they still have had the juice to pull off the upset?  We will never know.  What we do know is that unless Virginia Tech gets their act together quickly, they may be headed for a long season.

4. Georgia running back Todd Gurley accumulates 100+ all-purpose yards in the first quarter vs Troy

Gurley only touched the ball six times through the entire game, so he did not even reach the 100 yard mark by the end.  The truth is, with a 66 - 0 beat-down of Troy, Georgia didn't need him to do much.  The Georgia running back took it easy this week, but will likely see more work next week as the Bulldogs start conference play against Tennessee.

5. Jameis Winston makes it through the weekend without getting into any more off-field trouble

This was actually almost a bust.  If my prediction had been that Winston would not do something stupid, I would have been wrong.  Because, despite the fact that Winston's suspension was extended to a full game, he came out for pre-game warm-ups in full pads, as if nothing had changed.  Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher sent him back to the locker room to change, but it left everyone a bit confused.  But, he didn't actual get into any real trouble, so this pick was accurate.

Week 4 record: 2 - 3
Overall record: 8 - 12

Other headlines from week 4:

B1G Rebound

A strong set of performances in the Big Ten this week won't erase the poor showings in the season thus far, but it may help with the league's image, at least a little bit.  The day was highlighted with Indiana upsetting 18th ranked Missouri and Nebraska's ten point win over Miami in prime-time.  Other impressive victories included Iowa over Pitt, Maryland over Syracuse, and Rutgers over Navy.  The conference held a 12-1 record for the week.  The one sore spot for the Big Ten was Michigan's collapse at home vs Utah.  Which brings me to my next point...

Pivotal Point for Michigan Wolverines

After an embarrassing home loss to Utah, Michigan is now 2-2, owns the nation's worst turnover margin at minus-10, and has not scored an offensive touchdown against their two toughest opponents.  Throw in the fact that they were shut out by Notre Dame and have seemingly gotten worse each year under head coach Brady Hoke, and many are calling for change.  If the Wolverines don't turn their season around right now with vastly improved play against Big Ten opponents, specifically in terms of offense and ball-security, you can be sure change will come.  At this point I think there are only two ways Hoke can keep his job: First, if he can beat Michigan State and/or Ohio State.  Losses to both these rivals, especially if they are blowout losses like the one against Notre Dame, may be enough to send Hoke packing.  Second, if he doesn't beat at least one of these two rivals he has to win every other remaining game on the schedule, including a bowl game.  That would make their final record 9-4, and an improvement from the last two seasons.  If neither of these goals are met, you can bet Michigan will have a new coach by the end of the year.

California Karma

Arizona trailed Cal 43 - 45 with only seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter, when Cal's official team shop sent out an email celebrating the win, announcing a sale on store merchandise because of the victory.  Moments later, Arizona's QB completed a game-winning 47-yard Hail Mary TD pass as the final seconds ticked off the clock. Whoops.  At least the store later confirmed that the sale was still on despite the snafu.

The Beast

While out for a run, it’s not unusual to encounter wildlife. On many occasions I have spotted deer or rabbits, squirrels, etc. Never before have I feared for my life - until this summer.

It was during my 13 mile training run that I first encountered the foul beast. I had planned to run on the bike path up to the Rail Trail, then along the trail and back home to get my full distance. The path goes through Hilliard Municipal Park and along several lightly wooded sections in the same area. There is one such section that I would later know as the den of the monster. But on my first pass through, I ran by blissfully unaware of the horrors that lie within. My run went well, but it was a hot, sticky day. As I came back through the park, nearly finished with my 13 miles, I considered stopping to refill my water - which was getting dangerously low. But I decided instead to turn around a little later and come back for water, so I wouldn’t have to stop before completing the run. This decision would come to haunt me. I entered the section of trees and brush just south of the park, not knowing what was to come on that fateful morning.

I first heard a clicking noise. Unsure of the source, I continued on. Then a black specter started to enter my peripheral vision. First on the left, then the right, then left again, and so on. The clicking got louder and I could feel an awful presence. Then I heard it. It was not exactly a hiss, but I can think of no other word to describe it. It was the noise of a lifetime of suffering and hatred, expelled in one terrible shriek. The sound was not of this world, but some other dark dimension. And with that horrible sound, the creature swooped at my head. I ducked, and when I looked up it was perched on a nearby tree, still clicking and watching me. I ran past, shocked and a little confused at what had just transpired. Then I remembered my plan: half a mile left to go, I was supposed to turn around now to get more water at the park. It was another two miles (at least) to home, and drenched in sweat, panting heavily, I had no choice but to go back and refill my water bottle.

I convinced myself that the encounter with the bird was just a weird fluke. I told myself that the sound it made was really not that terrible, that I had just imagined it. But as I entered the same area of winding path through dense trees the encounter was the same. Click, click, click as the animal swooped closer and closer until finally making that awful sound and diving at my head. I ran past, my arms over my head, and didn’t stop until hitting 13.1 miles. I replenished my water supply and then worked up the courage to again venture through the beast’s lair. I reasoned that perhaps it would not bother me if I was walking. Maybe it took my running as a sign of aggression, I thought. I was wrong.

It attacked me again, this time the experience just lasted longer because of my reduced speed. I hurried past the best I could, and came home to tell Becky of the experience. But I don’t think she quite knew exactly what I had been through, or could even begin to imagine the sound it made. That is, until she herself experienced it.

A week later, Becky was going out for her 13 mile training run. I was biking alongside her to keep her company and carry her phone, some food, and extra water. As we came up to the same section of trees, we saw that there was a sign posted right in the middle of the path. It read: “BEWARE. Aggressive Bird.” As we passed I looked at Becky. “Oh my god…” I said. “It’s the bird. It’s the bird I told you about.” She laughed, and said “What? Oh, aggressive tern?” She had been focused on her run and misread the sign as "Aggresive Turn," and thought I was making a joke: a play on the words turn and tern. “No” I said. But it was too late; we were in the den of the beast. “Bird. Aggressive Bird.” And then there it was, clicking and swooping towards Becky. Then it made the noise. That wretched noise that would make death itself shudder and weep. It flew at her head. We escaped, but it was then that my vendetta began against that winged demon.

As we came back through the park near the end of Becky’s run, I stopped to use the bathroom. She continued on and indicated that she would run on the road, in order to avoid the horrible creature. I later learned that even on the road, away from the trees, the monster still attacked her. Even passing by its domain was a violation, I guess. When I came to its lair, I was ready to fight. I swiveled around on my bike as it came at me from different directions, keeping its distance this time. When it finally hissed and dove at me from behind, I flailed my arms wildly behind my head. I felt feathers hit my hand. It wasn’t a hard blow, but it was enough to defend the assault. I rode a little ways and then stopped and looked back. The winged demon was still following me, but from a much safer altitude. “You want a piece of me!?” I shouted up at it. It had no response, so I rode off to catch up with Becky.

The following week was my 15 mile run. We planned to go the same route. Becky was biking with me this time, but had to fill up her tires for the first portion of my run. So I was again alone when I came to the warning sign. I clutched my water bottle in my hand, ready to use it as a weapon. I jerked my head around waiting for it to attack, but nothing happened. I passed through without incident. There was a man fishing at the pond, who must’ve saw me emerge from the woods, wielding my water bottle like a battle axe, who stared at me as though I was crazy. But I didn’t mind, and just continued on with my run. Shortly after that I spotted something on the path. Bright red chunks and the first thing that popped into my head was that the horrific creature had killed some animal and feasted on its entrails. It turned out to just be some watermelon someone had dumped, and I let out a heavy sigh of relief. A bit later, Becky caught up to me, and I learned that she too passed through unscathed.

It was a tough run, but I kept my mind on the frightful creature. And when the time came to pass through the wooded section again, I was ready for it. But there was no clicking. No terrible sound. No attack. I finished my run and then realized what I had done. It was the farthest I had ever run in my life. This accomplishment meant something. It dwarfed even a victory in a skirmish with the awful avian. Whatever terror and pain that thing could try to inflict it was nothing compared to the grueling 15 miles I had just endured. And perhaps the creature knew this. Perhaps, with this revelation it fluttered off, back to whatever realm from which it came. Or maybe, it was still there, waiting. Silently perched, watching for something smaller to come by - perhaps a child or small dog - something it could more easily pick up with its talons.  I can't say for sure, as I never saw the bird again.

Since then I have run several distances beyond the 15 miles of that day. And each one seemed more taxing than the previous. Tomorrow I face the real beast: 26.2 miles. I will go in fighting. Whatever happens, I will keep my head held high.  I will not be defeated.

College Football Week 4 Bold Predictions

1. At least one of the top 5 4 teams in the AP poll goes down

Auburn already survived a scare from Kansas State, but the game was close up to the end.  Florida State plays without star QB Winston for the first half against Clemson.  Oregon looks like a lock to beat Washington State but may be overlooking the Cougars' #1 ranked passing attack.  Alabama faces Florida in a SEC match-up where anything can happen.  Oklahoma takes on a battle-tested West Virginia team without really being tested thus far themselves.  I think one or more of these teams gets knocked off the top of the rankings this weekend.

2. Miami upsets #24 Nebraska

Maybe this isn't that bold of a prediction, given the Big Ten's struggles this season.  Nevertheless, the Cornhuskers are 8 point favorites at home against the Hurricanes.  If we see the Nebraska team that barely scraped by McNeese State, Miami will win this one hands-down.  Otherwise, it will be a close game, but I still give the edge to Miami, 31 - 28.

3. Virginia Tech continues freefall with a loss to Georgia Tech

The Hokies will be looking to rebound after a surprising loss to East Carolina.  This is another game they should win, so it's all about the mentality coming into this game.  Will they use the loss as motivation to work harder this week and prepare against a ho-hum opponent?  Or will they be down on themselves after such a letdown coming off of the big win against Ohio State?  I could see a lack of motivation here, but we'll see.  My guess is 23 - 20, Georgia Tech.

4. Georgia running back Todd Gurley accumulates 100+ all-purpose yards in the first quarter vs Troy

If I didn't think Georgia would have a 50-point lead by halftime, I'd be calling for 400+ yards for their Heisman candidate running back through all four quarters.  Instead, watch for Gurley to have a big first quarter against a Troy team that has let opponents run all over them in their first three games.  Look for Gurley to have a couple good returns, combined with some long runs, to easily eclipse 100 yards in the first quarter, before Georgia puts him back on the shelf.

5. Jameis Winston makes it through the weekend without getting into any more off-field trouble

This may be my boldest prediction yet.  Despite some amount of effort (presumably), Florida State quarterback Jameis Winson can't seem to stay out of trouble.  His latest act of inexplicable bone-headedness involved him standing on a table on campus and screaming obscenities.  Winston won the Heisman and led the Seminoles to a national championship last year, and will try to repeat both feats this year.  But while his play-making ability on the field is undeniable, his decision-making ability off the field is highly questionable.  His QB rating was 184.8 last year, and is 157.4 so far in 2014, but his maturity level hovers around that of a 12-year-old boy.  NFL scouts will undoubtedly take note of his strong arm, but critics are quick to point out his thick skull and apparent lack of moral compass.  Luckily for Winston, his behavior is only deemed half-wrong by Florida State, based on the half-game suspension.  And he may still have a bright NFL future ahead of him, given that horrible people can still have a lucrative career in football, as has been proven.

College Football Week 3 Recap

1. Southern Miss loses to Alabama by less than 45 points

As predicted, Alabama blew out Southern Miss, but not as badly as Vegas projected. More importantly for the Crimson Tide, they may have finally settled on a starting QB in Blake Sims. Sims led Alabama to a 52 - 12 victory, well under the spread and my 45 point prediction.

2. Penn State beats Rutgers by double-digits in Big Ten opener

The Nittany Lions came away with a win but it was about as close as they come. Penn State rallied late, after being down by 10 at halftime, to pull out a victory in the final minutes. But the Scarlet Knights showed that they will not be pushovers in their first season in the Big Ten.

3. Georgia falls to South Carolina

Nailed this one. Not only did South Carolina beat Georgia, but they did it with a score eerily close to my prediction. My score prediction : 34 - 31. Actual score : 38 - 35. I should have taken this one to Vegas. Take-away from this one: the SEC East is wide open.

4. Buckeyes bounce back and put up 50+ points

Looks like I actually underestimated Ohio State on this one. The Buckeyes were angry and it showed, as they clobbered Kent State 66 - 0. I was right that we would see improvements in all 3 phases of the game as well : the defense played lights-out and there were big plays on special teams. But while the offensive numbers looked similar to 2013, the way the Buckeyes earned the yards was vastly different. Barrett threw for over 300 yards and tied a school record with 6 TD passes. And it was more about getting the ball out quickly to various play-makers out in space, as opposed to relying on the quarterback or one running back to carry the team. We'll see in a few weeks if these are tangible improvements or if this can just be attributed to the difference in level of competition.

5. USC coach Steve Sarkisian calls his mother down to the field because: Mom, the refs are being mean to me!

As far as I know, Steve's mom didn't come down to the field, but it couldn't have hurt if she did - USC needed all the help they could get in this one.  Unranked Boston College shocked USC in a 37 - 31 victory.  If Mrs. Sarkisian wasn't successful in swaying the referees to help out the Trojan's cause, perhaps she could have slipped on a jersey and provided extra run support (The Eagles racked up 452 rushing yards against USC.)

Week 3 record: 3 - 2
Overall record: 6 - 9

Other headlines from week 3:

A B1G disaster: Part II

There wasn't as much visibility as in week 2, but several Big Ten teams had the opportunity to earn a bit of respect back for the conference with wins over other Power 5 teams.  In actuality, we saw Minnesota and Illinois get blown out.  Indiana lost to MAC foe Bowling Green.  Iowa gave in-state rival Iowa State their first win of the season.  Purdue put up a fight against Notre Dame but were unable to keep up in the second half.  Maryland lost a nail-biter to West Virginia.  If the Big Ten wants to be taken seriously, they need to start winning some of these games.  The only Big Ten victories this week (aside from Penn State's win over conference opponent Rutgers) came against winless teams from weaker conferences.  Heading into week 3, there were 8 undefeated Big Ten squads, which is already somewhat low after only two weeks of football.  After week 3, only 2 Big Ten teams remain undefeated.  This is unacceptable.

Hokies head-scratcher

When Virginia Tech upset Ohio State, the initial reaction was to say that the Hokies were back.  Beamer Ball was alive and well, so VT shot into the rankings.  A week later, Virginia Tech lost to East Carolina and we are all left wondering about the true identity of the Hokies, and by extension, Ohio State.  Are the real Hokies the ones that came in to Columbus and out-played the mistake-prone Buckeyes for sixty minutes?  Was the loss to East Carolina a fluke?  It was a classic trap game scenario, right?  Or is Virginia Tech just not that good?  What does that say about Ohio State then?  Can the loss to the Hokies be attributed to a young team succumbing to the pressure of an early-season night game against a quality opponent?  Or are there still lingering problems with this year's Buckeyes?  Only time, and more football, will tell.

And the Oscar goes to...

Arkansas State's Booker Mays, who turned in the performance of a lifetime as part of a fake punt against Miami.  He may not have been successful in distracting the other team, and the play failed miserably, but you've got to give the guy credit for trying.  The play is apparently called "The Fainting Goat."  You'll see why:

College Football Week 3 Bold Predictions

1. Southern Miss loses to Alabama by less than 45 points

Vegas puts the spread on this one at 48, and on the surface, it looks like the Crimson Tide are more than capable to deliver.  The Golden Eagles lost their season-opener against Mississippi State, 49 - 0.  They went 1 - 11 last year.  Against the #3 team in the country, they will get demolished.  But Alabama doesn't look quite as dominant this year.  It will still be a blowout, but maybe not as bad as predicted.  Alabama wins 48 - 6.

2. Penn State beats Rutgers by double-digits in Big Ten opener

The Nittany Lions are riding high after learning they will have the opportunity to participate in the postseason this year.  Saturday's game against Rutgers is the first conference match-up of the season and first ever for newcomer Rutgers.  The Scarlet Knights will come in excited and ready to play, but Penn State pulls away in the second half behind another strong performance from QB Hackenberg.  Penn State comes out of  New Jersey with a 35 - 23 victory, still riding high.

3. Georgia falls to South Carolina

Gurley does everything he can to win this one, but it's not enough in a venue that has given the Bulldogs serious problems recently.  They travel to South Carolina to open up conference play, looking to knock off their second straight ranked opponent.  On paper it looks like Georgia has the advantage, but I think South Carolina finds a way to win this one at home.  South Carolina takes it, 34 - 31.

4. Buckeyes bounce back and put up 50+ points

Ohio State will have a lot of frustration to work out after last week's devastating loss to Virginia Tech.  Kent State will be the poor recipient of said frustration, as the Buckeyes look to prove they still belong in the top 25.  This offense finally starts to look like the one Ohio State fans remember from 2013, as they get the run game going to compliment J.T. Barrett's arm.  Improved play across the board on offense, defense, and special teams earn them an easy win, 52 - 14.

5. USC coach Steve Sarkisian calls his mother down to the field because: Mom, the refs are being mean to me!

In last week's match-up between USC and Stanford, USC athletic director Pat Haden came down to the field to argue with the referees over an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Sarkisian, apparently at the coach's request.  Don't expect to see Haden, who is also on the college football playoff selection committee, even near the field this week after taking extreme criticism (as well as a hefty fine) for overstepping his bounds.  But if Sarkisian gets in another tricky situation with the refs, don't be surprised to see Mrs. Sarkisian on the field having it out with the officials.

College Football Week 2 Recap

I mentioned that these are BOLD predictions, right?

1. Michigan State holds Oregon to 24 points or fewer in a B1G statement win

The Spartans held their own in the first half, carrying a 24 - 18 lead into the locker room.  But a huge second half for the Ducks trashed this prediction.  Either Michigan State's defense is not as good this year, or Oregon is just that explosive.  Ducks ran away with this one, 46 - 27.

2. Notre Dame vs Michigan goes to two or more overtimes, ending the long-standing series in thrilling fashion

Couldn't have been more wrong here.  Not only was this not a close game, but it was a blowout of historic proportions.  Notre Dame beat Michigan 31 - 0 in their final scheduled match-up, the Wolverines' first time being shut out in 30 years.  This one could sting in Ann Arbor for quite a while.

3. Ohio State's defense records four or more sacks against Virginia Tech

Looks like I should have gone with Virginia Tech's defense on this one instead.  The Buckeye's offensive line was exposed in a shocking upset at the hands of the Hokies, in which they gave up 7 sacks.  Ohio State has a ton of work to do before conference play starts, not just on the O-line.  Between dropped passes, botched coverage in the secondary, and missed field goals, a lot was left to be desired in Ohio State's first regular season loss under Meyer.  The defensive line may have put together the strongest performance of any unit in the loss, but they still came up short of my prediction, registering only 2 sacks.

4. Another key Wisconsin player sits out because he might be injured, or maybe not, but he probably just feels kind of funny

Obviously this didn't happen, but QB Stave is still not ready to play apparently.  McEvoy did perform a lot better this week, though it remains to be seen if that is actual improvement or just the result of facing an FCS defense that over-committed to stopping the run.  On the flip side, running back Melvin Gordon was healthy enough to play but couldn't get anything going.  In fact, none of the Badger's running backs were able to do much.  What is going on in Madison and the rest of Big Ten country?

5. Florida Coach Will Muschamp's decision to un-suspend players sparks new trend among coaches

I got one right!  As predicted, loads of players at Georgia, Indiana, Cincinnati, and many more teams on bye sat out this week.  It's not clear what any of these players did to justify missing playing time in non-existent games, but it's good to see coaches taking action.  Seriously though, if a coach thinks a player should be suspended, then he should suspend him and stick to the decision.  Muschamp suspending these players and then letting them play before the suspension is served makes him look weak and turns the original punishment into a joke.  He needed the players back for playing Eastern Michigan?  Really?


Week 2 record: 1 - 4
Overall record: 3 - 7

Other headlines from week 2:

A B1G disaster

Teams from the Big Ten have taken plenty of heat recently for under-performing on the big stage, but the once-great conference may have hit an all-time low this week.  Three of the top teams in the league (Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State) were in the spotlight Saturday night and lost their games by a combined score of 112 - 48.  Nebraska needed a last minute touchdown to beat McNeese State (no, that's not a typo.)  Purdue and Northwestern both lost to MAC teams.  Maryland, Iowa, and Illinois all needed 4th quarter rallies to overcome mediocre competition.  Top-to-bottom, the Big Ten looks weak.  There's still a lot of football to be played, but at this point it seems unlikely that a Big Ten team will end up with one of the four playoff spots.

Ball State falls

Two weeks into the season and one of my 2014 predictions is already a bust.  I knew Iowa would be one of the tougher games on the Cardinals' schedule, so I'm not overly surprised.  The craziest part is that Ball State looked primed to pull of the upset, up 13 - 3 late in the 4th.  But Iowa came storming back to score two touchdowns in the last 2:52 to come up with a miraculous win.  A victory for the Cardinals may have given them a major momentum boost going into conference play. It's anybody's guess where Ball State goes from here.

Penn State can go bowling again

The NCAA has ended Penn State's postseason ban two years early, making them immediately  eligible for a bowl game,  Big Ten Conference title, or even a playoff berth (assuming they play well enough to be considered for any or all of those things.) I think this is the right move.  The University is moving forward and making positive changes in the wake of the Sandusky scandal.  The vacated losses should stay vacated - part of this is on Joe Paterno regardless of what his family claims.  But continuing to punish the kids and new coaches at Penn State is unnecessary. Let them play.  Let them move on.

College Football Week 2 Bold Predictions

1. Michigan State holds Oregon to 24 points or fewer in a B1G statement win

The Ducks had an explosive offense in 2013, averaging 45.5 points per game, and look to continue that trend this year.  But on the other side, Michigan State's defense also ranked among the best in the country in 2013.  If you look at how Stanford has beaten Oregon in recent years, it's been with a suffocating defense and bruising ground game, coupled with an efficient quarterback.  The Spartans look very similar to those Cardinal teams and could be poised to pull off the upset as well.  MSU wins 31 - 24.

2. Notre Dame vs Michigan goes to two or more overtimes, ending the long-standing series in thrilling fashion

The Fighting Irish and Wolverines won't meet again after this year, at least for a while, so forget about betting lines and statistics going into this one.  Don't look at the rankings (or lack thereof) of the teams involved.  This game is going to be all about the emotions, and they will be running high on both sides.  Look for this one to go down to the wire, possibly into double OT or beyond.

3. Ohio State's defense records four or more sacks against Virginia Tech

The Buckeye defense was gashed on the ground against Navy, but this week the Silver Bullets don't have to worry about defending the pesky triple-option attack.  Against a more traditional offense their veteran defensive line can get a strong pass-rush going and look to really disrupt the Hokie's quarterback.  I could see them putting VT quarterback Michael Brewer on the turf four or more times.

4. Another key Wisconsin player sits out because he might be injured, or maybe not, but he probably just feels kind of funny

First, running back Melvin Gordon didn't play, but we were told he wasn't injured, but actually he was injured.  Then quarterback Joel Stave lost the starting job to Tanner McEvoy, and then he was injured, but now he's not.  According to Stave, he's not hurt, but says: "Right now, my arm is just not working the way I'd like it to, I guess. I don't know what it is."  Hopefully this ambiguous sense of part of one's body not working quite right, possibly, is not contagious.  But if more of the Badgers start going down with these kind of non-injury injuries, their season could be in trouble.  I'd hate to see any more of their players unable to play, because, I don't know, something just feels kind of off, ya know?  Something feeling a bit odd can take someone out for the season, so I'd hate to see that.  Wisconsin should be on close look-out for these kind of things this week, even though their game against Western Illinois shouldn't be much of a contest.

5. Florida Coach Will Muschamp's decision to un-suspend players sparks new trend among coaches

As head football coach at the University of Florida, sometimes you have to bring the hammer down when players act up.  Muschamp did just that with his no-nonsense approach to discipline that other coaches around the country will be sure to emulate this week and throughout the season.  The Gator's coach originally suspended three players for the season opener against Idaho, but the game was rained out and will not be rescheduled.  All three players will be back for next week's game against Eastern Michigan, because clearly, sitting out a game that was never played should be adequate punishment.  On top of that, "they've handled a lot of other things for (Muschamp)."  Wow.  Harsh.  I predict other coaches to follow suit, by keeping players from participating in games during bye weeks, cancelled games, or other times when no one else is playing (weekday mornings, after football season is over, etc.).  Expect to see numerous players from Georgia, Indiana, Cincinnati, and other teams on bye this week to have players sitting out.  If there are games cancelled because of weather, I wouldn't be surprised to see more guys miss time.  Sometimes tough love is the only way.

College Football Week 1 Recap

First, a look at how I did on my bold predictions for week 1:

1. Oklahoma State upsets Florida State.

This one hurt, because Oklahoma State really did have a chance to beat the Seminoles.  The young Cowboys gave it their all and kept it close right up to the end.  They were one more big play or one less mistake from making me look really smart. But in the end, Florida State triumphed, 37 - 31.

2. Three or more FBS teams fall to FCS opponents.

So close, and yet, so far.  Of the four teams I put on upset alert, two lost and the other two scraped by with a combined margin of victory of only six points.  Most notable is North Dakota State's complete domination of Iowa State (ND State's fifth straight victory over an FBS squad). Other close FBS/FCS games: E Michigan over Morgan State (31 - 28), South Florida over Western Carolina (36 - 31), Texas Tech over Central Arkansas (42 - 35), and Iowa over Northern Iowa (31 - 23).  But close doesn't cut it, which means my prediction fell one short.  Sigh.

3. J.T. Barrett produces 250+ yards of offense in his debut as Ohio State's starting QB.

Finally, an accurate pick!  J.T. Barrett came through in a big way for the Buckeyes, leading them to a 34-17 victory over Navy.  The entire offense started slow, going into halftime with only six points.  But after an 80-yard TD pass to Devin Smith, things started to open up for Ohio State.  Barrett finished with 226 yards passing and 50 rushing, putting his total at 276 yards.

4. Auburn's plan for Nick Marshall will involve him missing only one series against Arkansas.

I admit I was dead wrong with this one.  Jeremy Johnson filled in well for Marshall, so that may have been a factor.  The biggest difference for the Tigers in the second half was their defensive play, not the QB switch.  Regardless, coach Malzahn kept Marshall on the sideline the entire first half, making my prediction a complete bust.

5. Josh Shaw doesn't save a child from drowning - again ("I would do it again").

Yeah, he didn't do that... again.


Ouch.  2 - 3 record in my first week.  Hopefully I can improve on that this week.  Now, some other takeaways from week 1:

Todd Gurley is an absolute beast and will be a Heisman contender this year if he continues playing like he did on Saturday

Gurley set a school record of 293 all-purpose yards, including an electrifying 100+ yard kick-off return for a touchdown.  He added 198 yards rushing.  Opposing defenses will have a hard time stopping him this year, even if they load the box.  It's still early, but if any non-QB has a shot at the Heisman, it could be the Junior running back out of Georgia.

Texas A&M will be fine this season without Johnny Manziel

Kenny Hill kept the Aggie offense rolling without missing a beat.  Not only did he fill in magnificently for the recently departed Manziel, he broke his single-game passing record.  If he can continue to post numbers like that he will also enter the Heisman conversation.

Wisconsin can run, but the Badgers need improved quarterback play to compete in the Big Ten

The Badgers posted 268 rushing yards against the Tigers, but quarterback Tanner McEvoy went 8 of 24 for 50 yards in his first start.  Once LSU adjusted their defense to stop the run, Wisconsin was unable to move the ball.  That, combined with a second-half collapse on special teams and defense gave LSU the win in a marquee non-conference match-up.  Wisconsin will have to get a reliable passing game going to compliment their running game if they hope to have any chance to play for a Big Ten title this year.

The play-off race is wide open at this point

Early front-runners in the national title hunt looked very beatable.  Florida State, Alabama, and UCLA showed their imperfections in close wins over un-ranked non-conference opponents.  Ohio State had a slow start before pulling away late vs Navy.  Auburn went into halftime tied with SEC bottom-feeder Arkansas and needed second-half defensive adjustments to take the win.  It's only week 1 so some of these teams may just need a week or two to start coming together.  Only time will tell who is a real contender and who is ranked based on pure hype.  Which brings me to my final point...

The current rankings are bogus, but really don't matter anyway

I have to admit, as an Ohio State fan I was a little peeved when I first saw the new AP rankings come out.  The Buckeyes dropped three spots, from #5 to #8.  Now, I could argue the reasons that this is absurd.  I could point to a 34 - 17 victory over a talented Navy team which many experts think may win 10 or 11 games this season.  I could compare this win to Florida State's and Alabama's lackluster performances (they didn't budge in the rankings).  Or Michigan State's complete domination of FCS foe Jacksonville State (yippee).  Don't get me started on Oregon's and Oklahoma's blow-out wins over teams who each racked up 4 wins last year (Navy had 9).  None of those teams fell in the rankings (Michigan State moved up).  But I'm not going to do that (OK, yeah, I guess I already did).  Because these rankings don't matter, especially this early.  As long as Ohio State (or whoever your team may be) is still undefeated, arguing about the rankings is pointless.  Any unbeaten team (from one of the Power Five conferences) is virtually guaranteed to make the playoffs.  Additionally, the selection committee will have their own criteria which (hopefully) will be totally separate from other sets of rankings.  So this is the first and last time I will talk about rankings, at least until the end of the season, before the final rankings are released.