Gameday

12:54 p.m.
We won at Ameristar and Majestic this morning.  That's looking realllly good, 'cause the first half of the early games is looking grim.  Ohio State is up by a precious few, and we are giving 18.  Terrell Pryor got hurt in the first half, and OSU looks lethargic. While there's no wager involved on the 'Cats, I've been watching Northwestern @ Minnesota, and NU looks like crap, with penalties and bad tackling and blown coverages.  I went to CBSC and got another jolt:  the Army is up 21-13 over Temple at halftime.  The next 90 minutes need to bring some happiness. 

1:11 p.m.
Temple is now trailing 28-13.  Past is prologue, indeed.  Terrell Pryor has returned to the game in Champaign, but the game has not returned for Ohio State.  Still a 4 point lead.  Northwestern scored on its opening possession of the second half and promptly missed the PAT.  Illinois just picked up  a face mask penalty, and in the great tradition of dopey Illini players under RZook, the kid who committed the infraction is dancing and gyrating in celebration, oblivious to the referee's flag fluttering to the ground behind him.  Even when they're playing well, the Illini are hard to like.  Pryor just completed a 15 yard pass, too.  Go, Bucks!
Ah-ha!!! Army 28, Temple 21!  OSU is going for a 4th and 1...close...close...measure...1st down!  Go, Bucks!

1:30 p.m.
Field goal for Ohio State.  17-10.  This ain't gonna get it done. Temple is showing a little more, still same score though.  Long pass......out of bounds, damn.  Another pass, incomplete.  Now it's 3rd and...20??? Temple goes offside, now it will be 3rd and 25.  Third down, long pass, Army pass interference, first down for Temple. Back on BTN, field goal, Illinois, now it's 17-13 with four and a half to go.  Bad.

1:46 p.m.
Northwestern scored on ESPN, while back on BTN, Ohio State is grinding away on the ground with a four point lead and 2 1/2 minutes to go. We're screwed. Over on CBSC, Temple has tied the Knights at 28, and it's very early in the 4th quarter. Back to BTN, OSU has now scored to make it 24-13, though the announcer insists that it's a ten point lead. Dope. 1:54 to go. A defensive TD is our only hope.

1:58 p.m.
It's over.  Ohio State 24, Illinois 13.   2 star loser, damn.

2:24 p.m.
The  'Cats squeaked it out, 29-28.  Whew!  Over at West Point, Temple banged its way to a 42-28 lead, but Army has scored to close to 7 with less than 2 minutes to play.  Temple covers the onside kick.  No big mistakes, puh-leez, we need a W.  Running play-timeout-running play-a pitch out, what the hell are you doing!! It's ok, he's down safely, :17 to go after the time out--kneel down would you??? NO, goddamn it the QB rolls out and FINALLY, IT'S OVER, and we book a 1 star victory.

6:04 p.m.
There was no TV for Ball State @ Central Michigan.  I've been checking scores on the computer.  I feel like the guy who told the helmsman of the Titanic "it's just a little ice, we'll be fine".  Ball State 31, CMU 17.  Disaster.  4 star crap-a-roo.  Only Iowa is left.  I plan to watch the Andy Griffith Marathon instead.  I can't take any more failure.

8:48 p.m.
Halftime in Iowa, and the Hawks are up 17-3.  I would like to be giddily optimistic, but these are the times that try bettors' souls.    It's not Shakespeare, but the quote is apropos: It ain't over 'till it's over.  Joe Paterno is looking spry.  He and Howard Schnellenberger are going to get together after the season at the Cracker Barrel and try to remember where they parked.  Very cool visual  from programmed behavior in the Iowa stadium: whole sections of people are dressed in black, with adjoining sections dressed in gold.  Elsewhere, USB is leading Boston College, ugh.  Stanford is leading the Ducks, as Two Gun predicted.

9:02 p.m.
The Iowa defense just held off PSU on 4th and goal from the 1, video replay confirmed, and Joe Paterno looks dejected.  Not that he ever looks giddily optimistic.  The best commercial of the day just played for the umpteenth time and I laughed again.  It's the Allstate "Mayhem" guy sitting on the roof : "I'm a satellite dish."  Hilarious.  Not to Joe, though.


10:04 p.m.
Iowa returns a late INT for 6 and we cruise to victory, and a much needed victory at that.  The Ducks are beating up Stanford, but no more for me today. 

Nighty-night.