The Wiz of Odds

Front Page News

A look at selected front pages from Sunday's newspapers, leading off with the Daily Reflector's coverage of East Carolina's victory over Virginia Tech. Click an image for an enlarged view.

USC Goes the Rout at Virginia

If there are two teams ranked ahead of USC, they must play in the NFC East. The Trojans traveled cross-country Saturday and opened against Virginia before a record 64,947 at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville. A smothering 52-7 victory established USC — No. 3 in the Associated Press poll — as the real team to beat. Reader Greg was at the scene and sent this photo package.

The Cavaliers' hopes may have been inflated from he start.

Members of USC's marching band made the trip and likely played "Conquest" about 150 times.

A look at the picturesque setting before kickoff. Former Virginia standouts Tiki and Ronde Barber and Chris Long were in attendance.

The Virginia marching band forms a "V" before kickoff.

Cavalier quarterback Peter Lalich looks for a passing lane. He completed 18 of 35 for 155 yards.

Nothing like a pair of cheap sunglasses to help cut the glare.

Even Thomas Jefferson made an appearance at the tailgate.

No tailgate is complete without the proper table settings.

We're really not sure what is going on here. ...

If you attended a game and would like to share some of your images, the email address is dawizofodds (at) aol.com.

 

Tennessee

Tennessee is our 54th and last poster schedule for 2008. Apparently this poster went to the presses early, as it lists the date of the UCLA game as Sept. 6. The teams play Monday night at the Rose Bowl. The Alabama Birmingham game has been moved to Sept. 13. Thanks to Chris.

Kicking Off the Season in Atlanta

Reader Greg, a frequent contributor to the site, is taking in games at three different venues to open the season. His first stop was Atlanta for Thursday night's game between something called Jacksonville State and Georgia Tech. 

Tailgating season is back and these Georgia Tech fans appeared to be in midseason form.

If you misplaced your Yellow Jackets paraphernalia in the offseason, replacement parts were readily available.

A look at rush-hour traffic on the I-75/I-85 interchange through downtown Atlanta. Not many people using that carpool lane. ...

Where it all came down. A look outside Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field.

The scene inside. Built in 1913 by members of the student body, this is one of the oldest stadiums in the country.

After pregame warmups, it was time for the band to warm up the fans.

The Yellow Jackets emerge from the smoke and take the field for the start of the Paul Johnson era.

Despite the noncompetitive nature of the game, this cheerleader enjoyed being the center of attention.

Nightfall descends on Atlanta as the Yellow Jackets cruise to their 41-14 victory.

Historic Tech Tower, the main administration building on campus, was built in 1988, one of the first two buildings completed on campus.

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: Florida International

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 1 Florida International
Location: Miami.
Nickname: Golden Panthers.
Conference: Sun Belt.
Coach: Mario Cristobal, 1-11 in one season.
Division I-A history: Six seasons, 16-52.
Last bowl appearance: You're kidding, right? See Division I-A history.
Best record last five years: 5-6 in 2005.
Rank(ed) because: No better irony than Florida International winning its only game last season in the final game played in the Orange Bowl. The old Voodoo Palace is now a pile of rubble. That's a good description for FIU. In 2007, the Golden Panthers were involved in the embarrassing brawl with Miami. FIU is now 1-23 for the past two seasons.
Negative number: Before ending a 23-game losing streak with a 38-19 victory over North Texas in the season finale, FIU went 17 games without scoring more than 28 points. The Golden Panthers averaged 9.2 points per game during that stretch.
Possible victory: Dec. 6 in the season finale. Florida International hosts Western Kentucky, a I-A newbie which is ranked No. 119. If not battered into submission by the previous 11 games, these two teams could be deciding the coveted No. 120 ranking for the 2008 season.
Biggest blowout: Aug. 30, at Kansas. The Jayhawks' spread offense and quarterback Todd Reesing will be ready to slice and dice the FIU defense. Last year in Lawrence, KU rolled to a 55-3 victory. The locker room and the scoreboard should look familiar to the visitors.
Is there hope? In a few years, yes. Florida International moves into a new on-campus stadium this season. Cristobal likes how his team has improved in the weight room. There is lots of talent in South Florida so it figures some good players will wind up at FIU. The Golden Panthers also can look to fellow Sun Belt foe Florida Atlantic, a start-up program (2001) that went 8-5 last year and played in the New Orleans Bowl

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

UCLA

Since the NCAA adopted the divisional setup in 1978, only five I-A teams have not played a I-AA opponent. UCLA is one of those teams, along with Michigan State, Notre Dame, USC and Washington. Nothing easy about the Bruins' nonconference schedule in 2008. They open against Tennessee on Monday night in the Rose Bowl, then travel to Brigham Young on Sept. 13. Fresno State comes to Pasadena on Sept. 27. Thanks to Jana.