Sports Then and Now

In December the 2010 college football landscape lays wasted after a full season of all-out assault featuring vicious sacks and bone-cracking tackles.

The aerial attacks landed bomb after bomb as receivers somersaulted into opponents’ end zones to light up the scoreboard.

Finally, the victors have risen through the ranks undefeated to lay claim to the No. 1 ranking. This year we are sure––there can be no lingering doubts about who has the best football team in the nation? That indisputable team will be crowned on January 10th. Right?

On then to the anachronistic bowl system which will provide further clarity to the overriding question of who deserves to be playing in the final game of the season. It will all be clear at the end, won’t it, since we have the computer rankings – the infallible BCS?

If you believe this propaganda, you live in Fantasy Land. The All-Seeing Zultan spits in the eye of the BCS and the hordes of college football analysts pocketing millions of dollars who hawk this meaningless bowl system as scientific. Pah-leez.

These network and cable drones know no more than hapless Zultan who––like Chris Fowler–– wishes to see a true play-off system in place.

Crowning a national champion remains largely one huge popularity contest based on tenuous circuitous thought processes. You have major college football conference opponents generally playing a slate of cupcakes during the non-conference season––followed by beating each other up during a hard-fought schedule of conference games.

Because all the meaningful contests during the college football season are held between conference rivals, the only thing we really know for sure is which teams are the best in their respective conferences.

Ranking the conferences against each other is all smoke and mirrors. This year we assume the SEC and the Big Ten are the two best.  Based on what?  Scant statistical evidence if you ask me.

Why not give a berth to each team that has better than a 500 mark in their conference and send them off into a playoff system.  Details could be developed to enhance and complement the current bowl system and money could be made once again for everyone except the players who provide the game.  The irony never escapes the All-Seeing Zultan.

In the current bowl system, Zultan complains vehemently, Michigan State and Boise State, to name two, got royally clipped. Michigan State at 11-1 has every right to play their way into a national championship game––just as does Boise State, Alabama, Stanford, Ohio State, Wisconsin, TCU and on and on.

All teams ranked in the top ten or even the top 25 deserve a chance to go for the Championship. Because, realistically, how excited do you think Oklahoma or Alabama  is going to be playing in the Acme Chipped Beef Bowl after working all season for a shot at the top spot?

Zultan ended his regular season gig spinning in the Toilet Bowl, going down 4-6 in his last forecast where once again he picked against Auburn. Click here to find out all the winners who scored well against the All-Seeing One throughout the 2010 season as well as all other prize winners.

But here it is again – the great Zultan’s Bowl Challenge––a whole new contest and a new chance to win something.

Click here to enter your picks and let us see who is better at selecting winners––you or me, the Mighty Zultan, who promises either to come to your house and sing the theme song for Goldfinger or give you a prize worth something.

Actually anyone who does better than the Big Z will be entered into a drawing for $100 PayPal card and everyone who enters will be entered into a drawing for one of three $15 iTunes cards. These prizes provided by our sponsor Sports Then and Now.

Let the games begin!

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It the world of prognosticating, last weekend was not kind to college football’s omnipotent one as the Zultan of College Football proved that even the best can have a bad week.

The Minnesota Gophers, a thorn in the side of the Zultan all season, gave one final zing with a shocking win over the beloved Iowa Hawkeyes. Couples with the upset of Boise State by Nevada, the late comeback win by Auburn over Alabama and losses by Penn State, Purdue and Oklahoma State the result was a disappointing 4-6 week for the great one.

Yet, even when the Zultan was at a low point, his record was still equal or better than many of those who thought they would out-shine his talents.

Yes, there were 13 lucky soles listed below who posted a better week than the Zultan, but there were many who fared worse. It gives the all-knowing one at least a little glimmer of joy and hope as we look toward the upcoming bowls.

Even though the crystal ball showed a big crack late in the season, there is still plenty of time for the Zultan to repair his reputation with a strong showing in the second annual Sports Then and Now College Football Bowl Challenge.

Be sure to check back beginning on December 8th for the list of games and opportunity to win.

Speaking of winning, many have spent the entire fall trying every week to best the Zultan with the goal of posting enough weeks with a better record to earn the end of the season prize.

It was an exciting contest that came right down to the wire and ended just as the Big Ten has with a three-way tie. However, unlike the Big Ten that needs a computer to tell it which team will be considered its champion, the Champion of the Sports Then and Now College Football Contest was the competitor who shined the greatest in the weeks in which he defeated the Zultan. Read the rest of this entry →

Zultan's last college football forecast for the regular season.

Here we are at long last at the end of the season.

All the questions we had in September have been answered, for the most part. Some teams exceeded expectations while others fell short.

Most of the perennial favorites remained where they always reside––at the top.

For Week 12, Zultan failed three times––at Iowa, Nebraska and Miami. Miami lost by two touchdowns and Iowa and Nebraska, each by three points.  Besides sharing a border, the Hawkeyes and Huskers shared mutual pain as time ticked down irrevocably on their season.

A dozen did better than Zultan and guest prognosticator, Craig Bancroft. These prophetic soothsayers will be listed at the end of the article along with appropriate kudos.

Be sure to click here to match wits with Zultan himself for the last time in this regular season finale.

As the 2010 regular season fades into the history books, it is time to look forward to Bowl Season. It promises to be another sizzler.

But in the meantime let us look at lucky Week 13 picks:

Game 1: (24) Iowa at Minnesota

After another devastating loss to one of the big guys in the Big Ten, Iowa (7-4, 4-3 Big Ten) heads north to play the Minnesota Gophers (2-9, 1-6, Big Ten) at TCM Stadium in Minneapolis.

The Gophers finally won a Big Ten game on the road at Illinois.

Buoyed, Minnesota will be looking forward to a disheartened Iowa team sitting on their doorstep, poised for another loss.

Iowa, however, after suffering through a two-game losing skid, will be on a mission to end their season on a positive note by defeating the Gophers on the road.

Hopefully, the end result for the Hawkeyes will lead to another great Bowl game someplace warmer than chilly Iowa City.

Pick  Iowa

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Zultan buries his dreams of a Big 10 Championship for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

With as much dignity as he could muster, Zultan gathered up the sad remains of his shattered major award.

Later that night, alone in the backyard, the Great One buried it next to the garage.

Now I could never be sure, but I thought that I heard the sound of “Taps” being played, gently.*

The shattered prize being a Big Ten Championship for Zultan’s Iowa Hawkeyes, of course…

It was quite a Saturday for the Big Ten. Iowa and Illinois fell as Wisconsin stomped the life out of Indiana, crushing bones, sinew and dignity in the process.

Hard to haul yourself off the field and onto the next game after that whopping of 83-20. The Badgers deserve the big Axe for that one…

Northwestern’s 21-17 win over Iowa was just as devastating for the Hawkeyes and their fans, watching another promising season sink out of sight like the sun on the horizon after a long day. The Wildcats continue to have Iowa’s number year after year…

Illinois could not locate the game they left on the field in Ann Arbor as Minnesota came back to win in the closing seconds…

What about Minnesota!  The Gophers struck their own blow for the dignity of their team, their school and most especially for their seniors. As hard as it had to be on Illinois to lose that one, you must be happy for the Gophers to finally win a game in the Big Ten.

Zultan’s guest prognosticator in Week 11, Ryan Sparrow went 7-3 for the week, sadly missing on Iowa, Illinois and Arizona.  Those seven souls who managed to predict these upsets are listed at the end of the article with accompanying accolades.

Click here to outguess this week’s last guest seer of the season, Craig Bancroft, who issues the following predictions…

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Last week was not a good week to be a college football prognosticator.

Nine of the BSC Top 25 lost in Week 10.

In addition, two top ranked teams, Iowa and Nebraska were one play away from losing, but hung on to win against lower ranked teams who played more effective football for the better part of the game.

The reality of college football hit home last Saturday, underscoring that parity means there are no easy wins for any program, ranked or not.

No football team is guaranteed a win on any given Saturday. That is what makes college football so exciting to fans, players and the media.

It is also why the legion of sage soothsayers wear turbans––bald from pulling out their hair week after week.

This week offers another slate of critical clashes as another guest prognosticator Ryan Sparrow steps up to the plate to take a whack at Zultan’s appointed task––picking winners in Week 11.  Last week’s prognosticator Phillip Murphy suffered from near-miss syndrome which sent fifteen of you to the head of the class.  The list as well as the accompanying accolades are included at the conclusion of this article.

Be sure to click here to make your picks for Week 11––your opportunity to enjoy praise and prizes if you outguess the Mighty Zultan’s stand-in.  With less than a month remaining in the regular season, the chances for glory grow dimmer.  Take a chance now and join in the fun.

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Zultan's replacement does well in Week 9.

Zultan thanks his friends from Penn State for keeping guest prognosticator MAD in his place.

So far in two seasons Zultan has never achieved perfection – but at times the All-Seeing One has picked 90 percent.

The MAD Man filling in for Zultan in Week 9 did his best to bring ignominy to the Mighty One by hauling in a perfect score.

So close, MAD, and yet so far. Maybe next time!

The key event this past weekend, however, was the Hawkeyes’ BIG victory over the Michigan State Spartans, leaving a trail of carnage and mayhem in the Big Ten for all the pundits to ponder and pontificate about for the next week.

Way to go Hawks!

Only two people did better than guest prognosticator MAD in Week 9 and those perfect folks will be toasted at the end of this article.

We will also announce the next guest prognosticator for Week 11––as the season winds down, leaning toward another dramatic Bowl extravaganza.

Click here to make your choices for Week 10 to see it you can outguess the rookie Phillip Murphy sitting in Zultan’s hot-seat this week.

Wannabe Prognosticator Murphy has managed to outguess the surly seer five times this season––but more on that at the end of the article as well as the true identity of MAD.

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