College Football Week 4

While many top 20 teams continue to fall, the ladies of Alabama support the Crimson Tide as they continue to stay in the top 5. Alabama has proven to be worthy of their ranking. However Florida and Texas are my two teams that may find themselves being knocked off in the within the next three weeks. Florida must play at LSU in two weeks while Texas takes on Oklahoma in the Red River ShootOut in three weeks.

Talk in the press box following the Hawkeye upset of Penn State focused on ABC's decision to carry the Iowa - Michigan game on the 10th. Other options for the prime time game that week include Baylor at Oklahoma as well as Florida at LSU. However CBS has the first option for the SEC showdown, and if they pass, the broadcast would move to ESPN as ABC cannot show an SEC game in prime time. If that game does appear on cable the broadcast team of Musberger and Herbstreit will be live in Baton Rouge. However a matchup of undefeateds in Iowa City would be tough for ABC to pass up.

A score that went with little notice over the weekend had Idaho beating Northern Illinois in Dekalb. This is the same NIU team which upset Purdue the week before and pushed Wisconsin to the final minute. Idaho moves to 3-1 in the WAC and makes a statement for the improved football competition in the non-BCS conference. A potential key match-up comes in the second to last game of the season when the Vandals travel to Boise to take on the top 10 Broncos.

Early Look at the Bowls

The bowls have been announced and the Hawkeyes are heading back to Tampa, Florida and the Outback Bowl for the third time since 2003. This has become a fan favorite for many Iowans and those that I have spoken to are excited about a return trip. I'm looking to returning to Hat Tricks, a earlier Night Out on the Town. The match-up is with the "Ole Ball Coach," Steve Spurrier. The former Florida Head Coach should have his hands full in trying to stop Iowa running back Shonn Greene.

A look at other bowl games.

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl--BYU v Arizona. Is there not a worse fit for team and bowl than Las Vegas and Brigham Young? This will be the fourth straight trip to Vegas for the Cougars. Its a good thing the game is already sold out.

Independence Bowl--Louisiana Tech v Northern Illinois. This game is the only bowl on national tv that night. It was originally to pit a representative from the Big 12 and SEC, but neither had enough eligible teams. This is definitely not the match-up those in Shreveport were looking for, but on the other hand, not many want to spend the holidays in Shreveport.

Hawaii Bowl--Hawaii v Notre Dame. How is that for a reward? A 6-6 Irish team is able to travel to the islands to take on a very tough Hawaii team. It isn't very Christmas-like to place the Irish on the 24th. There will be little Christmas cheer for Notre Dame from this college football fan.

We'll pick on the Big Ten's bowl games as December progresses. My inital prediction is that the conference will not have a winning record. The teams with the best opportunity for victory are Iowa and Michigan State.