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Red River Rundown

Monday, October 6th, 2008

One of the greatest rivalry games in American sports is set to kick off this Saturday at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Since 1900, the two Big 12 rivals Oklahoma and Texas have played this game. Texas has intrastate rival Texas A&M and Oklahoma has intrastate rival Oklahoma State. But to Texas fans, their only true rivals are the Oklahoma Sooners. And for Sooners fans, the game that matters most is their annual tussle with the hated Longhorns. The showdown between the Longhorns and Sooners—known far and wide as the Red River Rivalry, has become one of college football’s best and most bitter rivalries.

This kind of history is what makes this Saturday’s game so special. It’s the first time in 17 years that both teams are unbeaten and for the first time since 2004 both are in the top five. The No. 1 Sooners (5-0, 1-0 Big 12) are led by sophomore QB Sam Bradford, while the fifth-ranked Longhorns (5-0, 1-0 Big 12) are guided by junior QB Colt McCoy. Both quarterbacks are Heisman Trophy candidates and the winner will probably have an even stronger candidacy. With personal aspirations aside, the winner of this game will determine the early favorite in the stacked Big 12 South Division, which also features No. 7 Texas Tech and No. 17 Oklahoma State. Needless to say, the winner of the 2008 Red River Rivalry will also help one team pursue a national championship.

Texas leads the all time series, although Oklahoma has had the upper hand in recent years. Last year Oklahoma won 28-21 in a back and forth showdown. Both teams coming into Saturday’s match up have put up gaudy numbers. Sam Bradford has completed 72.6 percent of his passes, with 18 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions, #2 in the country in pass efficiency. Colt McCoy has 79.3 percent with 16 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, he’s #4. When it comes to QB’s this season the Big 12 is the mother load with the above mentioned leading the way.

Documented Handicappers Prediction: This game has the potential to be as close as last year’s match up. This will be Oklahoma’s first real challenge and one wonders if their defense can contain the Texas offense. However, OU has outscored their opponents 103-3 in the 1st quarter this year and Texas has only allowed 9 points this year in the 1st quarter. The line came in at -7 and the DH staff looks for Oklahoma to set their team apart from the rest in this game.

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Tags: Big 12, College Football Rivalries, NCAAF, Oklahoma, Red River Rivalry, Texas
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2008 NCAAF Preview

Monday, August 18th, 2008

The month of August brings eager anticipation for all football fans as NFL training camp starts and the college football bands rehearse their fight songs while college football teams all across the country get ready to play. While most sports fans start to tire of watching MLB the football season is one of the most hyped sports seasons of the year. I think I speak for most fans when I say, football can’t get here quick enough!

The official NCAAF Top 25 rankings were recently released and they show as follows:

1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. USC
4. Oklahoma
5. Florida
6. Missouri
7. LSU
8. West Virginia
9. Clemson
10. Auburn
11. Texas
12. Texas Tech
13. Wisconsin
14. Kansas
15. Arizona State
16. Bringham Young
17. Virginia Tech
18. Tennessee
19. South Florida
20. Illinois
21. Oregon
22. Penn State
23. Wake Forest
24. Alabama
25. Pittsburgh

With Georgia running all over Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl it was pretty clear the young Bulldog team had a chance to be AP preseason #1 in 2008. Georgia will look to win their first national championship in 28 years. When you only play 12-13 games, the whole season comes down to schedules. In order to reach the national championship game you have to lose no more than 1 game (rare exception last year). The way the Documented Handicappers see it, the SEC is the best conference in the country hands down. With four schools representing the SEC in the top 10, Georgia will have their work cut out for them to stay #1. Georgia will have to play at LSU and vs. Florida in back to back weeks and throw in games at Arizona State and at Auburn and games against South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama, if Georgia lands in the top 3 at the end of the season they have earned it.

Ohio State, ranked #2, is coming off their second consecutive loss in the national championship game is returning 20 starters. OSU success typically comes from Big 10 dominance and great recruiting, but in no way face the week in week out competition that an SEC school goes through. Ohio State will face No. 3 USC in early September; however, USC has been bitten by the injury bug lately so this game could be favored in Ohio State’s direction. The Pac 10 has gotten better over the past few years with the emergence of Arizona State and Arizona, however, USC will emerge as the Pac 10 champion again and represent the Pac 10 in the Rose bowl, again.

The Big XII is a close second as the toughest conference. With representative such as Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Kansas, Oklahoma State and even Colorado, the Big XII is sure to deliver some exciting games this year. Texas Tech could be the surprise team of the Big XII and will surely put points up on the board. The Big XII South will prove to be tough competition with favorite Oklahoma set to square off against Texas and Texas Tech. Whoever emerges as the winner of the South will most likely line up against North winner and favorite Missouri.

With so many teams and great young players there is sure to be upsets and surprise teams. The Documented Handicappers have compiled a list of “Must Watch” NCAAF games this season.
Always expect the unexpected in college football, this is what makes NCAAF so great and fun to watch.

8/30: Clemson vs. Alabama
8/30: Missouri vs. Illinois
9/6: Miami(FL) at Florida
9/12: Kansas at S.Florida
9/13: Ohio St at USC
9/20: LSU at Auburn
9/20: Georgia at Ariz. St.
10/9: Clemson at Wake F.
10/11: LSU at Florida
10/11: Oklahoma vs. Texas
10/18: Kansas at Oklahoma
10/18: Missouri at Texas
10/23: Auburn at W.Virginia
10/25: Texas Tech at Kansas
10/25: Illinois at Wisconsin
10/25: Georgia at LSU
11/1: Georgia vs. Florida
11/13: Va. Tech at Miami (FL)
11/15: Ohio St at Illinois
11/15: Clemson at Florida St
11/15: Georgia at Auburn
11/22: Michigan at Ohio St
11/29: Kansas vs. Missouri

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Tags: 2008 NCAAF season, 2008 NCAAF Top 25, Big XII, College Football, SEC
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