Sports Then and Now

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 →

Cam Newton led Auburn back against Alabama and proved his own the field accomplishments are worthy of the Heisman Trophy.

For now, the championship picture in college football seems a bit clearer, but with one week left there is still time for a mess to develop at the top of the standings.

Comebacks Set Contenders Apart

For a team to truly be deserving of being considered the best team in college football they must be able to come back from adversity and also be able to withstand the challenge from opponents who are playing at the top of their game.

Both Auburn and Oregon solidified their positions at the top of the BCS rankings by taking the best shots from Alabama and Arizona, respectively, and still coming out on top.

The rally by Auburn from a 24-7 halftime deficit probably secured the Heisman Trophy for quarterback Cam Newton and potentially will propel the Tigers into the BCS title game regardless of the outcome of their conference championship tussle with South Carolina.

Oregon made some miscues in their opening half against Arizona, but proved in the second half that they have one of the most explosive offenses in the country. They will have a challenge at Oregon State, but if they cannot win that game on the road then they probably don’t belong in the national title conversation.

Conversely, Boise State is no longer in the national title picture because they could not withstand the second half rally by host Nevada. The Broncos nearly remained undefeated, but a missed field goal at the end of regulation and another in overtime proved too much to overcome.

Some are now saying the Broncos were a fraud and never really deserving of consideration for the BCS Championship Game. It is likely that if Boise State played in the SEC or Big Ten they would have a difficult time winning every week, but they would still be a contender for conference titles and BCS bowl bids. Under the current landscape, Boise State has to finish undefeated to have a chance at even making a BCS bowl and that seems highly unfair as they are certainly better than the best teams from either the Big East or ACC and better than anyone in the Pac 10 other than Oregon. 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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Typically, the Hawkeyes seldom score a victory against the Buckeyes.

It is that time in the college football season when hope may have begun to fade for those teams whose ambitions exceeded their ability to deliver—whose luck has run out.

Often, it is hard not to relive those accumulated missed tackles, extra points and dropped passes.

This inclination might allow disappointment to saturate a team’s outlook in the one or two remaining games because winning now seems not to make a difference.

A single victory cannot take you to that pinnacle you imagined in your future at the beginning of the season.

This is a state of mind that a good coaching staff immediately nips in the bud because every time a college football team walks out on the field, the players make a statement about themselves, their program and the school.

Ending well is every bit as important as beginning well. Kirk Ferentz and staff will bring that point home.

As to the charge of being a “spoiler,” winning games is the goal each and every game during the entire season. Iowa has as much to play for against Ohio State as they did against Northwestern.

Each week the team that wins, is a spoiler.

So being called one now is redundant. Every contest this weekend will celebrate some spoiler’s victory at the end of the game.

The goal to win is exactly what will inspire the Iowa Hawkeyes to upend the Ohio State Buckeyes in Week 12.

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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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