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Any team with 3 or more losses is long gone. New to this group are Florida & Tennessee.

It is not out of the question that a 2 loss team can win a National Championship (LSU in 2007) but it is farfetched. Auburn, Texas, Texas Tech, Arizona State, Baylor, Iowa

The Little Caesars Bowl in Detroit pitted Toledo (8-4) vs. Florida International (6-6) on a NFL Sunday the day after Christmas. Could you pick a worse time? Ford Field holds 65,000. The reported (i.e. alleged) attendance was 32,431.

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The Karma Bowl (aka: Independence Bowl) Last year the Georgia Tech (6-6) fans had a good laugh at Georgia for going to the Indy Bowl in Shreveport, La. The tables have turned, Nerds. Air Force (8-4) and GT are both running teams. So this game should be over by 7pm.    Dec. 27 ESPN 5pm

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Finally, some interesting games with worthier teams:

Champs Sports N.C. State (8-4) quarterback Russell Wilson had a breakout year throwing for 3,288 yards and 26 touchdowns. After three losing seasons, things finally seemed to be clicking for coach Tom O’Brien until the Terps lost the season finale to Maryland and the ACC Atlantic division title.  Despite being 9-3, West Virginia has been a bit of a disappointment. They were thought to be a lock for the conference champ in a weak Big East. But a 2-game hiccup in October dashed their hopes of a BCS game. The Mountaineers recently hired a coach-in-waiting, so who will the players listen to? Orlando, Fla. Dec. 28 6:30 p.m. ESPN

Insight I hope these two black & gold teams don’t get mixed up. Missouri (10-2) made some noise earlier in the season by upsetting #1 Oklahoma and going 7-0. Then reality set in with two straight Big XII losses (Nebraska, Texas Tech). Iowa (7-5) and QB Ricky Stanzi did not have the senior season they were hoping for. They hung the only loss on Michigan State this year but lost their last three (Northwestern, Ohio State, Minnesota). Tempe, Ariz. Dec. 28 10 p.m. ESPN

Hey, coach. Which team am I on again?

This was an odd weekend. There were not a lot of high profile games and no real upsets.

Several teams were on the brink of big upsets and blew it:

#5 LSU survived Ole Miss 43-36. The Rebels led 36-35 with under 5 to play.

#17 Iowa seemed pretty content to lead #9 Ohio State 17-10 in the 4^th because they could not stop the Buckeye offense after that while twice going three-and-out. Final: OSU 20 Iowa 17.

San Diego State was up on #23 Utah 34-24 but details are what usually separate good teams from not so good teams. After the Utes cut the lead to 3, they blocked a 4^th quarter punt and recovered it on the 3 yard line. You know what’s next.

Purdue on the brink of a big win over #12 Michigan State blew a 15 point 4^th quarter lead. The Spartans took the win 35-31.

HAHAs:

#8 Nebraska proved once again, they are NOTHING without quarterback Taylor Matrinez. Texas A&M wins 9-6.

The Big 10 looked like chumps this week. With Illinois playing Northwestern at Wrigley Field, it should have been a great celebration of college football, but they turned it into big friggin’ joke. First was the release of photos of the playing field showing one end line ¼ of a stride from a brick wall. Then the Big 10, Illinois and Northwestern officials knocked their three stooges heads together two days before kickoff and decided it was unsafe – this coming months after all had approved everything. Both teams were forced to attack the west end zone – even on a Northwestern interception return, the refs made the Wildcats go to the other end to kick the extra point – as well as sharing a sideline. The Big 10 looked like idiots.

I cannot sign-off without throwing out the HAHA of the Week: Lame Kiffin and his lame-o daddy D-coordinator lost to Oregon State 36-7. Pat Haden would be best served to give Kiffin and his goons (coaching staff) pink slips and start fresh in 2011.

After their debacle in Norman, Oklahoma, Florida State reeled off five straight wins against some lesser opponents and got themselves back in the rankings (#16). Then they traveled to North Carolina State and lost 28-24. Look for the Wolfpack to find their way into the Top 25. Look for the ‘Noles to be heading the other direction.

Miami lost Jacory Harris to injury and then decided to stop playing. Virginia almost blew a 24 point 4^th quarter lead settling for a 24-19 win. Losing your QB is no excuse. If the ‘Canes expect to be taken seriously they cannot lose to teams like UVa.

Missouri, Michigan State: welcome back to reality. You heard it here first. As predicted, Nebraska throttles Mizzou 31-17 and Iowa destroys Sparty 37-6. B’bye. Thanks for playing.

Georgia got a little big for their britches after three straight wins against some lame-o teams. Saturday they returned to Big Boy football and lost a close one to Florida 34-31 in OT.

It’s always good to see Lame Kiffin lose: Oregon 53 Southern Cal 32.

HAHA of the Week: Notre Dame loses at HOME to Tulsa – HAHAHA! The Dames are now 4-5 and will have to win two of their last three games to be bowl eligible. Those opponents are #8 Utah, Army (played at Yankee Stadium), and Southern Cal. ND will be lucky to win one.

I heard some announcer mention that when Missouri beat Oklahoma that they were acting like they had just won the National Championship. And that is exactly why they will lose on Saturday to Nebraska. Much like another game played in another city named Columbia a few weeks ago (South Carolina-Alabama), the underdog home team topped the #1 team and the city went crazy. Moron Mizzou fans stormed the field in celebration. You will NEVER see fans do this at schools of top tier programs because they expect to win these games. Therefore, I say, so sorry Tigers fans, you blew your wad and it is all downhill from here. Nebraska wins big.

On that note, Michigan State has overachieved and congratulations to them. Iowa puts an end to this silliness in Iowa City.

ESPN has never met a hyperbole they did not like. I understand they are in the business of getting eyeballs to their network but they are trying so hard to blow up the Southern Cal vs. Oregon game into something it isn’t. Matt Barkley is NOT Carson Palmer. He is closer to John David Booty. Oregon romps. Again.

UGA and their unrealistic fans just cannot except that they are not an elite team. Georgia has two National Championships, 1942 and 1980. They are still living off the fumes of the latter even though none of the current players were alive at the time and Mark Richt was backing up Jim Kelly at Miami (Fla). Long story short, UGA fans are insane. After losing four in a row, the Dawgs have won three in a row against the SEC bottom feeders and now they think they are hot sh*t. Florida is working on a surprising three game losing streak of their own. Coming off a bye week, I have a feeling the Gators will arrive in Jacksonville ready.