Book Log 2009 #4: The Pope's Children by David McWilliams

In 1979, Pope John Paul II visited Ireland, a notable moment for a small and very Catholic country, and it is the generation born in and around that visit - some 620,000 people - that McWilliams tags as the drivers of Ireland's economic boom, facilitated by Ireland's membership in the European Monetary Union, which gave the Irish easier access to low-interest German loans.

The book apparently goes on to talk about this generation's creativity and how they're reshaping the country, but as I quit after about 100 pages I can't vouch for that. While most reviews praise the book for its readability I had a very hard time getting even 100 pages in. The basic ideas and facts are repeated mercilessly, which while effective (I don't think I'll ever forget that 620,000 figure) is pretty irritating.

I'll admit to also being put off a bit in the way McWilliams describes this generation's behavior and tasts as it sounds like the Irish are becoming, well, Americans. And really, if I want to read about Lexus-driving GenX/Y assholes, I can pick up Boston magazine.

I'll admit I wasn't paying a lot of attention to when they formally named the government bailout TARP (for Troubled Assets Relief Program), but the name now has me thinking. If we'd taken the $700 billion and bought actual tarps - like this one - we could make one big tarp that would be 358,700,642,791,551 square miles in area. That much tarp could cover the Earth, which has a surface area of 196,935,000 square miles, 1,821,416 times. Or a little less when you consider you're wrapping a sphere with a huge square tarp. There's bound to be some waste.

As much as I'd like to avoid a depression, there's part of me that wishes we'd bought the big ass tarp.

(It should go without saying that someone should check my math.)

UPDATE! I went back and checked my own math, and found that I'd gotten it horrifically wrong. What I wound up calculating was the area for a tarp that would have 1 billion of those tarps per side, rather than one big tarp made up of a billion of these smaller tarps.

So I went back and did the math on making a tarp out of a billion of these tarps (actually about 50,000 fewer, in order to keep it a square). Said tarp would have a side of 3, 162, 200 feet, which results in an area of... 358,681.21 square miles. That would cover Texas with room to spare, which I'm sure would please a few people.

Book Log 2009 #2 and #3: The Black Tower and Mr. Timothy by Louis Bayard

I was kind of on the fence about The Black Tower, which revisits the mystery around France's Lost Dauphin, mostly due to relative indifference about French history. Thankfully, the book avoids most of the court intrigue you might expect and gives plenty of time to the main character, a struggling young doctor, and the criminal turned detective Vidocq (creating a good riff on the Holmes and Watson dynamic). There's also a bit of family drama, as the young doctor learns more about his father, a doctor turned lens grinder.

The father and son relationship is also a significant feature of Mr. Timothy, which follows a now grown-up Timothy Crachit, who is living in a house of ill repute in exchange for providing certain services to the madam (just not the ones you might expect). He struggles with the strained bonds of his family (parents and several siblings dead, and in infrequent contact with those still living), and chafes at the continued reliance on "Uncle N" for financial support. The discovery of two young girls, dead and branded with the letter G, sets him on a quest to figure out what happened to them.

Both books are filled with lavish period detail and characters strong enough not to be smothered by it. Mr. Timothy is a bit less action-oriented than The Black Tower, but makes up for it with peeks into the lives and history of the Crachit family. Both are well recommended.

Based on the number of entries, most of you may not remember that I put together an election prediction contest (or perhaps most of you do, and I just have a much smaller readership than the handful I assume still read this thing). It seems like it would be gauche to have the results announced after next week's inauguration, so here they are!

The contest had five parts:

Part I: Pick the winners by state. There were 104 possible points here, as I threw in Guam's straw poll to get the contest to a 200 point theoretical maximum. Two of us managed to get 101 points: myself and Brian Hight. The odd number comes from Nebraska's split, as I awarded half credit to all of us who predicted McCain's win but not the split (the wife got full marks for picking the split, but then got half credit for picking a split in Maine, too).

Part II: Pick the percentages. Here you got 10 points each if you correctly predicted the popular vote percentages for Obama and McCain, losing a point for every quarter-point off one was. Kudos here to the wife, who got 17 of a possible 20 points.

Part III: Pick the Senate winners. Ten races, two points each. In order to score this I've assumed that Franken will remain the winner in Minnesota, and I gave credit for Georgia where people picked Chambliss and those who went with "other" to represent the run-off. Taking all that into account, Craig Barker ran the table and picked up all 20 points.

Part IV: Pick the next five finishers in order. This gave the minor candidates some love, with each candidate in proper order giving 5 points, those one position off giving 3, and two positions off giving 1. The wife earned all 25 points here, correctly getting the order of Nader, Barr, Baldwin, McKinney and Keyes.

Part V: Yea or Nay? Seven yea-or-nay questions, three points each. They were:

Would Santa Claus get 100 votes in West Virginia? A guy in Nevada who legally changed his name to Santa Claus was a registered write-in candidate in West Virginia, meaning that any votes for him would be reported under his name. Not surprising for a state full of coal, he only garnered 59 votes.

Would the Democrats get a 60 seat majority in the Senate? A nay for this admittedly unlikely possibility.

Would the Democrats get at least 250 seats in the House? Aye, they did.

Would any location be decided by fewer than 1000 votes? Nay, nowhere was even close to that number (though Missouri's 3903 is pretty tight).

Would the Democrats win more gubernatorial races than the GOP? Aye, they did, 7-4.

Would McCain or Obama get at least 75 percent of the vote in any state? Limited to state given the expected big win for Obama in DC, the closest we got was the President-Elect's 71.85 percent in Hawaii. Nay.

Would Obama win Dixville Notch, New Hampshire? The traditional first in the nation voting location went with Obama, 15-6, so aye.

Our wacky prop bet winner was the Left Reverend Erik Corley, sweeping the field for the full 21 points.

Entrants were also allowed to "ballot stuff" five races out a select group of state Presidential and Senate races. I don't think everyone realized that there were Senate races in play, as more than one entrant didn't use all of their stuffing opportunities. Brian was the only entrant to get the 10 extra points.

So when the smoke-filled room cleared, what were the final totals?

Coen, S. 170
Hight 167
Coen, M. 164
Barker 158
Corley 154
Sorenson 115

So kudos to the wife, whose success later in the contest made up for her McCain-friendly state picking. It should be noted that Greg's score is the result of an incomplete entry. I'm sure he'd have done much better if he'd bothered to try.

Thanks to all who played, and see you in 2012!

Baby update!

We had our level II ultrasound last week, and it apparently went well. At least we're taking the doctor's word for it, as even at the higher level of resolution it was hard to tell which greyish blob was what body part (aside from the limbs, at least). We did get some decent profile shots of the head, though there's not much more you can say about it than (a) the baby does, indeed, have a head, and (b) it has the appropriate features in the appropriate places.

We did get to see the heart pumping away, which was pretty cool.

So while we're still at a higher risk for certain things, our low starting risk, coupled with the scan, suggests that our overall risk is still pretty low. I will say I don't think we were ever frantic about potential issues, between the assurances from our doctor and our short visit with the Crowley family, which gave us some frame of reference (and as an aside, Salome, you have my permission to get on your soap box in the comments as you see fit).

Coming back from the appointment we noticed that there was a police car blocking Huntington Avenue, which we thought was odd until we got to my office and heard about this. The ladder involved operates out of a station that abuts campus, and I can see the station house from my office. It's a sad enough story on its own, and it's looking to fester into something else between additional brake problems on fire equipment and the firefighters' union stepping in to ask the state police to inspect their trucks. More fun ahead, I'm sure.

But back to baby. Not much else to report other than the ultrasound. We still have no boy name (I don't think Zach Wamp is legally binding; sorry, Tennessee!), and we've not yet sucked it up and gone to Babies R Us to register for stuff. We've never liked that chain due to the very unusual way it is organized, and we've assumed that it becomes more intuitive once you are pregnant or have kids. Should we ever work up the courage to go back in we'll let you know if that's the case.

Book Log 2009 #1: Sun in a Bottle by Charles Seife

This chronicle of the quest to harness nuclear fusion for energy does an admirable job in both giving the history of man-made fusion - starting with the hydrogren bomb and going through recent "discoveries" like cold fusion and bubble fusion - and in talking about the science in a way that's both understandable and reasonably technical.

That being said, I did want a little bit more about hot fusion, tokamaks, etc. and perhaps less on cold and bubble fusions, even though both help to illustrate his point that a future with cheap, abundant and clean fusion energy is wishful thinking. Still, it's worth a look if this sort of thing interests you.

According to today's Sagarin rankings, UNC is ranked fourth in men's college basketball, while Harvard is 205th. The link to these two lies at number 58, which leads me to wonder what the greatest ranking difference is between a win against a highly-ranked team followed by a loss to a lowly-ranked team. Virginia losing to Chaminade in 1982 jumps to mind, though techincally I don't know if it'd count given that Chaminade isn't in division I.

This is probably something I could brute force, at least for the last few years, by looking at past seasons on ESPN, though I don't think there's any sort of Sagarin archive (not that I'm wedded to using his rankings, but it add to the fun when you can point to a 201 position difference between teams).

One unfortunate trend here over the last few months is the lack of posts that aren't college football or book related. There are a variety of reasons for this, most of which fall back on personal motivation to think of or find interesting things to write about.

I am happy to say, though, that this will not be a problem in 2009, or for many years after that, as the wife and I are expecting our first child in May. Feel free to celebrate or recoil in horror as you see fit.

Things have progressed relatively normally since we got official/medical confirmation that the oven was enbunned, as our doctor has been very positive about the various tests and examinations we've had to date. The only hiccup came in our last ultrasound, which uncovered an echogenic intracardiac foci, which can serve as a marker for Down's syndrome or other chromasomal disorders in a small number of cases.

We'd done a test in the first trimester to get an estimated risk for Down's and trisomy 18, and both were very low, so while we're likely to be among the vast majority of cases where there's no larger issue, we are getting a level II ultrasound this week just to check things out. Apparently the EIF thing is one of the ways to drive expectant parents crazy during the second trimester.

So, all things being equal, so far so good.

As far as gender goes, we expect the child will have one, but we're opting to not find out until the kid comes out. Doing this does prevent us from using our working titles - Owen for a boy, Rowan for a girl (say the potential full names out loud if you don't get why they're just working titles). So we're going with Little Coen for now, which I fear will stick as a nickname.

For actual names, we're going with Lucy Catherine if we have a girl. If it's a boy... we'll get back to you.

The wife is coping pretty well with things. She's past the nausea, thankfully, but she's traded that in for more frequent trips to the bathroom (a trade I think she'd make any day of the week). She's also achier than normal, and is finding it more difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position. She's also finding her work clothes are beginning to not fit, which she'd find more problematic if it didn't give her a reason to go shopping.

We're starting to evaluate the logistical end of things as well. We know what room we'll use as a nursery, but have yet to really get our heads around the quantity and variety of things we'll need to get to properly care for the kid. More on the joys and frustrations of buying furniture, clothing, and other miscellany as we go forward.

Part of me is still not quite realizing that this is, in fact, happening. There's another part that's more or less terrified. But then there's the third part that's looking forward to greeting a new person into our family, and I'm happy to say that's the part that's winning out.

The Blogalicious College Football Games of the Week

Monday - Texas v. Ohio State (at Glendale, Arizona). While everyone expects a whitewashing here, it should be noted that Ohio State has actually done pretty well recently when they've been playing in bowl games that don't decide the national title. Prior to their back-to-back BCS blowouts, they won four straight bowl games, three of which were, as this game, the Fiesta Bowl. That being said, this is also What Could Have Been, Part III, as Texas is going to do its best to show that they were snubbed and to get back some of the spotlight that Utah gained by winning the Sugar Bowl. So probably still a good beating for the Buckeyes. Score: Texas 57, Ohio State 28

Tuesday - Tulsa v. Ball State (at Mobile, Alabama). This has to be a little bit of a downer for Ball State, given that they went from a potential all-unbeated matchup with Boise State to the GMAC Bowl against Tulsa. Tulsa won last year's GMAC Bowl 63-7 over another MAC team, Bowling Green. Not a good sign. Score: Tulsa 49, Ball State 38

Thursday - Florida v. Oklahoma (at Miami, Florida). You've undoubtedly heard all the stories about how the BCS title game pits the unstoppable force of the Sooner offense versus the immovable object of the Gator defense. But I'd prefer to look ahead to next year, when Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow will match up as the starting QBs of the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs (I'll leave it to you to decide which QB ends up where). Regardless of the outcome, both will think back to better days, when they were winning Heismans and competing for national titles, rather than focus on the endless haze of sacks, pressures, and picking turf out of one's face mask. Savor the moment, gentlemen. Score: Oklahoma 31, Florida 27

Last Week: 5-5
Season: 75-51

Book Log 2008 #59: Jetpack Dreams by Mac Montandon

Fueled by memories of men dashing around in jetpacks as a vision of our future, Montandon sets out to find the people who are still trying to make the jetpack work, a mix of dreamers, tinkerers and, as demonstrated by a jetpack-related murder, the occasional psychotic. Beyond this, he also takes a little time to talk about the meaning of the jetpack as an icon of a future promised but unmet, where we don't have jetpacks, meals in capsule form, or other Jetson-like conveniences.

It's a fun book and worth the read, though at some of the sections more focused on his personal life things felt a bit draggy. But I suppose that'd be hard to avoid when your topic is jetpacks.

Book Log 2008 #58: Charlatan by Pope Brock

It's likely you've not heard of John R. Brinkley, but it's a pretty safe bet that our grandparents have. Brinkley operated a series of clinics (first in Kansas and later in Texas and Arkansas) where he transplanted glandular material from goats into people (mostly men) in order to boost virility. The only problem is that the procedure never really worked and that Brinkley wasn't really a doctor. But that didn't stop thousands of people from seeking out cures, which would later include other procedures and substances with about as much benefit.

This book chronicles Brinkley's rise and eventual fall at the hands of Morris Fishbein, a central character in the rise of the American Medical Association. It also illustrates how some of the things that Brinkley did to support his business - from running for governor of Kansas to estabilishing a "border blaster" radio station in Mexico - would later become established aspects of our lives. It's an engrossing story on several levels and well worth a read.

Book Log 2008 #57: Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin

I'd heard of Ian Rankin and his series of mysteries featuring Edinburgh-based detective John Rebus, but I didn't think to search any of the books out until Rankin showed up on an episode of No Reservations, where he took Anthony Bourdain to a chip shop. There was enough talk about the series and its depiction of the darker side of the city to make things click the next time I went to the library.

And I have to say I'm pretty glad things clicked, as I really enjoyed this introduction to the series. Now if only our library had more of the early books...

Book Log 2008 #56: The Riddle of the Third Mile by Colin Dexter

I read this installment of the Inspector Morse series over Thanksgiving weekend, and probably rushed it given how clueless I was about who committed the crimes (starting with decapitated torso fished out of the Oxford Canal). Still, enjoyable reading as always.

Book Log 2008 #55: The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi

Preston, an established mystery writer, moved his family to Florence looking to enjoy Tuscany and write his next book. Shortly after the move he met Spezi, a local journalist who mentioned that an olive grove next to Preston's house was the scene of one of a string of murders that targeted young couples parked in the countryside doing what couples do when parked in the countryside. With killer still at large, Preston found himself drawn to the case and to helping Spezi continue his investigation, which is detailed in the first half of this book.

The second half becomes something out of Kafka, as a combination of local law enforcement and conspiracy-minded cranks react to Spezi and Preston's investigations with arrests and other harrassment. While not in the same league as serial killing, the second half is shocking in its own way, at least to me as someone who takes freedom of speech and of the press pretty much for granted. The level of incompetence by the local authorities is also pretty staggering.

I can't say it's the best-written book in the world (I found something vaguely off-putting about the first half, and of course couldn't put my finger on it), but it's not like you can find this sort of true crime story just anywhere, so it's worth a look.

Book Log 2008 #54: Getting into Guinness by Larry Olmstead

Part history, part how-to guide, part critique, this book probably tries to be too much without ever really being any one thing. Still, what is presented is entertaining and, in the case of the critique, pretty enlightening. The tension between an interest and even a love for the book and the way it is currently being marketed (and perhaps mismanaged) is clearly shown, and keeps the book on an even keel. If you were ever interested in the book it's worth a browse.

(Quick aside, I'm clearing the decks of all the log entries I've not completed, so my apologies for the string of short, half-remembered thoughts about books I've read in the last six weeks.)

Book Log 2008 #53: Bottlemania by Elizabeth Royte

While it's easy enough to say that this book is looking to do for bottled water what Garbage Land did for trash, I don't think it's quite the same. Royte undertakes a very similar path, going out into the field to visit sources and the people behind the bottles, but I don't think this took as global a look as it could have. She spends a lot of time discussing the conflict between Nestle and various towns in Maine over obtaining water for Poland Springs, and it's a very interesting story, but I felt like there were other items - such as the marketing aspect of bottled water and the denigration of tap water - that would have benefitted from more attention.

That being said, the book does a very good job of demonstrating how something that most of us don't see as a problem could become a very significant one in the near future. Very much worth a read.

The Blogalicious College Football Games of the Week

Monday - Missouri v. Northwestern (at San Antonio, Texas). Missouri enters the Alamo Bowl a little down after a season which promised a title run and a Heisman shot for QB Chase Daniel ended in a blowout loss in the Big XII title game and no trip to New York for Daniel. Northwestern comes in from the other direction, as a national ranking and quality bowl match-up were wishful thinking back in August. And while a Wildcat win would be a good story, their 45-10 loss to Ohio State in the regular season suggests what they might get when facing the even more potent offense of a team that may feel like it has something to prove. Score: Missouri 55, Northwestern 21

Tuesday - Western Michigan v. Rice (at Houston, Texas). The Texas Bowl is probably the least interesting match-up of the day (though Maryland-Nevada in the Humanitarian Bowl isn't that far off), but I've chosen it as it's airing on the NFL network and not ESPN, which currently holds the rights to most of the minor bowls and, starting in 2011, will also have the BCS bowls. I don't know if a looming ESPN monopoly is enought to make you pick up whatever tier you need to get the NFL Network, but if you like offense, you may want to call your cable company now, as both of these teams were in the top 10 this year in passing offense and in the bottom quarter in passing defense (Rice was 10th worst). Score: Western Michigan 65, Rice 58

Wednesday (early) - Oregon State v. Pittsburgh (at El Paso, Texas). Our Bowl Week tour of Texas continues with the Sun Bowl. I've always liked the Sun Bowl, no idea why, really. It could be the history of the game (in its 75th year) or the close games that it's produced over the years (my favorite being Alabama's one point win over Army in 1988). I want to say that Oregon State will win pretty handily, but who am I to buck history? Score: Oregon State 24, Pittsburgh 21

Wednesday (late) - LSU v. Georgia Tech (at Atlanta, Georgia). Bad enough for LSU that they aren't playing in January, but add on that the Peach Bowl this year is basically a home game for Georgia Tech (who, unlike LSU, is nationally-ranked, a further indignity for the Tigers). Given their run over the past few years it's pretty reflexive to take LSU, even in a game like this, but there are two other items requiring consideration: the Yellow Jackets' triple option offense, which can scramble good defenses, and LSU's lack of a decent quarterback. Most years a LSU bowl loss would be a surprise, but not this year. Score: Georgia Tech 27, LSU 17

Thursday (morning) - South Carolina v. Iowa (at Tampa, Florida). The first college football game of 2009 is the Outback Bowl. It is not an auspicious way to start the new year, though both are theoretically big name teams who will travel. I mean, who the hell is going to choose to stay in Iowa over going to Tampa for a few days? Still, if you overdid it on Amateur Night, sleep in and catch the later games. Score: Alka Seltzer 45, South Carolina 13, Iowa 2

Thursday (afternoon) - USC v. Penn State (at Pasadena, California). The Rose Bowl, or as I like to call it, What Could Have Been, Part I. Both teams have one loss, just like Oklahoma and Florida, but if they played in different conferences or lost earlier in the season or whatever they could be playing for a national title. And, heck, perhaps if things break right the AP might throw us a bone. Score: USC 31, Penn State 21

Thursday (night) - Cincinnati v. Virginia Tech (at Miami, Florida). The Orange Bowl, or as I like to call it, the Quarrantine Bowl. I get the sense that the ACC and Big East champions are going to play each other pretty much forever unless one actually manages to go undefeated and be the only BCS team that's undefeated. Not necessarily a bad thing, but certainly an example of both leagues sowing what they've reaped (which I'm sure they'll reflect on as they cry into their huge piles of cash). Score: Virginia Tech 13, Cincinnati 3

Friday (early) - Texas Tech v. Mississippi (at Dallas, Texas). I also love the Cotton Bowl, for familial reasons. For 2009, I'm also looking forward to the bloodbath, as I expect Michael Crabtree to rack up more yards than Mississippi as a team (even though they'll probably do quite well given the Red Raiders' "defense"). Score: Texas Tech 71, Mississippi 30

Friday (late) - Utah v. Alabama (at New Orleans, Louisiana). The Sugar Bowl, or as I call it, What Might Have Been, Part II. The Utes are undefeated and even if they pull off the upset there's no guarantee that they'll get a share of the title. Alabama could win by 300 points and still not get a chance thanks to their loss to Florida in the SEC title game. Still, I hope this is a better game than last year's Sugar Bowl, which nearly set back the cause of non-BCS teams by a decade. Score: Utah 23, Alabama 21

Saturday - Buffalo v. Connecticut (at Toronto, Ontario). What is it with Buffalo teams playing in Toronto? Luckily for the Bulls, Turner Gill is a better coach than Dick Jauron (who has apparently survived today's bloodletting). So it'll be 1-1 for The City of Good Neighbors and 0-2 for us in New England (had the Bills gotten to play the Dolphins at home they'd have had a better chance of beating them, meaning that the Pats would have edged them out for the AFC East title by a game rather than losing it on divisional record. Thanks, Rog.). Score: Buffalo 24, UConn 12

Last Week: 3-2
Season: 70-46

The Blogalicious College Football Games of the Week

Tuesday - Boise State v. TCU (at San Diego, California). When you look at the 300 or so bowl games now contested, it seems odd that the best match-up may be one taking place two weeks before the "national title" game, but you can argue that that's the case here as you have two teams in the top 11 nationally, one of which is undefeated. That you have these teams in the Poinsettia Bowl and Cincinnati-Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl is a better argument against the BCS than anything involving Texas or Oklahoma. Score: Boise State 28, TCU 20

Wednesday - Hawaii v. Notre Dame (at Honolulu, Hawaii). Teams with 6-6 records are 2-1 in bowl games so far this season, which is good news for the 6-6 Irish. The bad news comes if you believe in patterns, as the 6-6 teams have gone win, loss, win. I miss having the Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Day, as it gave me something to do when I got stick of dealing with family. Christmas Eve is probably too early to start ignoring people. Score: Notre Dame 7, Hawaii 2

Friday - Florida Atlantic v. Central Michigan (at Detroit, Michigan). I still don't understand how playing in the Motor City Bowl isn't some sort of punishment, like it'd be the one bowl game you can play in if you're on probation or something. I'm sure the FAU kids will be thrilled to leave the Sunshine State to hang out in Detroit. They better put extra long johns in their swag bags. Score: Central Michigan 37, FAU 21

Saturday - West Virginia v. North Carolina (at Charlotte, North Carolina). These teams are playing in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, ironic given how their states' collective view of car care stereotypically doesn't extend much past cinder blocks. Now excuse me while I go pick my banjo. Score: West Virigina 40, North Carolina 31

Sunday - Northern Illinois v. Louisiana Tech (at Shreveport, Louisiana). An open letter to the Independence Bowl Committee:

Dear Bowl Committee,

I have two questions:

1. Can you bring back Poulin-Weed Eater as a sponsor? That was a fun name to say.

2. Northern Illinois - Louisiana Tech. Why?

Score - Louisiana Tech 10, Northern Illinois 9

Last Week: 0-4
Season: 67-44

The Blogalicious College Football Games of the Week

Before we get on to the games, I thought it worth noting that Northwest Missouri - whose best-known fan here is a member of the clergy - lost their fourth straight divison II title game, while one of the many heathens around here told the entirety of the evangelical Wheaton College (IL) to suck it, and they followed suit, losing to Mount Union. Pigskin is clearly not the reason for the season.

Saturday (morning) - Mount Union v. Wisconsin-Whitewater (at Salem, Virginia). This is the fourth consecutive year in which these teams will play for the Division III national title. And while that's pretty repetitive, the teams haven't played yet this season, which is more than you can say for the other Saturday morning game, the EagleBank Bowl, which kicks off bowl season with a Navy-Wake Forest rematch. So let's go with the relatively fresher option. Score: Wisconsin-Whitewater 37, Mount Union 35

Saturday (afternoon) - Colorado State v. Fresno State (at Albuquerque). It's the first New Mexico Bowl to not feature the University of New Mexico, thanks to the Lobos going 4-8 this season. Way to blow a sure thing! The Rams are just happy to be here, as they eked out a bid with a 6-6 record. Fresno, meanwhile, has to feel like this game will help right their 7-5 season, which ended by getting stomped by Boise State. As long as the hot air balloons make an appearance I'll be happy. Score: Fresno State 41, Colorado State 23

Saturday (night) - Richmond v. Montana (at Chattanooga, Tennessee). A tough call, as I always enjoy it when BYU winds up in the Las Vegas Bowl (I assume their fans spend the week shuttling between the Liberace Museum and their rooms), but as this is the closest we're going to get to an actual Divison I playoff championship, I'm going with it. Plus, we now get the age-old question answered: can a Spider beat a Grizzly? Score: Montana 37, Richmond 3

Sunday - Southern Mississippi v. Troy (at New Orleans, Louisiana). Try to catch some of this during the Giants-Panthers halftime, or at least arrange for something to get shipped on Friday to keep the R + L Carriers folks happy. Score: Troy 2, Southern Miss 0

Last week: 3-2
Season: 67-40

The Blogalicious College Football Games of the Week

Friday - Montana at James Madison. The only time these teams have played each other was in 2004, when the Dukes took the 1-AA title 31-21. So there's not a lot of history to go on, and both teams have played very well over the course of the season, each taking only one loss (JMU to Duke, Montana to Weber State). I'll do the semi-homerish thing and go with the team that plays in the conference that BU would be playing in if they still had football. Makes about as much sense as anything else I'd do. Score: James Madison 31, Montana 27

Saturday (noon) - Wheaton (IL) at Mount Union. Mount Union won its first Div III national title in 1996, and have only not made the title game since then three times. A win here would set up the first half of a potential fourth title game against Wisconsin-Whitewater, which I have to assume is going to happen. Score: Mount Union 47, Wheaton 18

Saturday (1 PM) - Minnesota-Duluth v. Northwest Missouri State (at Florence, Alabama). More semi-homerism in favor of commenters. Bridesmaids no more! Score: Northwest Missouri 57, Minnesota-Duluth 34

Saturday (2 PM) - Jackson State at Grambling State. No matter how you slice it, the Tigers are going to take the SWAC title. Score: Tigers 31, Tigers 23

Saturday (4 PM) - Richmond at Northern Iowa. ESPN has apparently run out of poker to show, as this will be on the WWL. Maybe they can get Lon and Norm to call the game; I'm looking forward to Norm's jokes comparing his ex-wife to various offensive linemen. Score: Northern Iowa 27, Richmond 10

Last week: 5-1
Season: 64-38