The Wiz of Odds

Let the Voting Begin for Poster Primary No. 8

For newbies to the site, here is the background on the contest. Each year, the Wiz displays poster schedules of Division I-A teams. But this year, in an attempt to keep things fresh, it was decided to put the posters up to a vote of fans to determine the Wiz Readers' Choice Poster of the Year.

One problem: With roughly 70 posters in hand, it was necessary to thin the herd before a final vote. Thus, the idea of poster primaries came to be, with each primary having seven posters. This is the eighth primary, and there are enough posters in hand for two more primaries. The winner of each primary will advance to the final.

Contestants in this round: Louisiana State, Western Kentucky, Temple, South Carolina, Nevada Las Vegas, Georgia Tech and Michigan. Click here to view all of the candidates on one page.

Voting for each primary will remain open until two days after the last poster has been displayed. Then the finalists will be determined and voting will begin for the Wiz Readers' Choice Poster of the Year. That poll will remain open for one week.

Voting continues in the other primaries. Let's break it down:

Primary No. 1: This is a two-poster race between West Virginia and Iowa State. They are separated by about 240 votes.
Primary No. 2: Texas Tech has a lock on this primary and will advance to the final.
Primary No. 3: Michigan State extended its lead over North Carolina. North Carolina State and Missouri were expected to be factors but their campaigns never got started.
Primary No. 4: Surprising Louisiana Tech has a commanding lead over Colorado. Florida State is a distant third, followed by the Florida.
Primary No. 5: Middle Tennessee maintains its lead over Bowling Green. Washington, Wisconsin, Auburn and Kansas State are getting blown out.
Primary No. 6: Penn State has an 800-vote lead over Iowa. Brigham Young is third and Houston fourth.
Primary No. 7: Oklahoma is clinging to its lead over Louisiana Lafayette.

Louisiana State

The Tigers decided to go old school with their poster schedule. Jason Feirman, the publications director for LSU sports information, explains: "The senior players took part in a photo shoot in Tiger Stadium during the spring and their poses were inspired by staged action shots from LSU players in the 1960s and '70s. In an effort to capture one of the traditions of LSU football, this year’s promotional campaign is 'Like Knights of Old', which represent the first four words of the school’s official fight song — Fight for LSU. This campaign will be used on items such as the football poster, schedule cards, website advertising, season tickets, as well being used on the new video board in Tiger Stadium." Also thanks to Michael!

Western Kentucky

The newest member to Division I-A is finding out how tough life can be playing against the big boys. The Hilltoppers were only 2-10 in 2008, with the two victories coming against Division I-AA opponents Eastern Kentucky and Murray State. The 2009 season is expected to be just as rough and tumble for Western Kentucky, with forecasts calling for only one or two victories. Thanks to Lindsay!

Temple

It wasn't the start Temple was looking for Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Field. The Owls played host to Division I-AA Villanova in the inaugural Mayor's Cup game and lost, 27-24. This was a game Temple needed to win if it hoped to earn a bowl bid. Accomplishing that goal will be difficult considering that next on the schedule is a trip to Penn State, meaning a likely 0-2 start. Thanks to Kevin!

South Carolina

A year ago, the Gamecocks opened with a 34-0 victory against North Carolina State. The teams meet tonight in Raleigh, and Steve Spurrier's team is a five-point underdog. South Carolina has faded down the stretch the past two seasons. The 2007 team lost its last five after a 6-1 start. In 2008, the Gamecocks dropped their last three, the closest loss coming by 17 points. Spurrier is 28-22 at Columbia, and the schedule-maker has cut him no favors this fall. After tonight, South Carolina travels to Georgia before homes games against Florida Atlantic, Mississippi, South Carolina State (Division I-AA) and Kentucky. A 3-3 start is likely before the teeth of the Southeastern Conference schedule. Thanks to Dawn!

Nevada Las Vegas

Statistic of the day, thanks to to Paul Myerberg of the New York Times: Only 41% of students at Nevada Las Vegas graduate within six years, according to a report by the Nevada Policy Research Institute. OK, so the Gaming Management Major offered at UNLV isn't as easy as people think. Becoming proficient in this field requires a lot of hands-on experience, so perhaps it's better to spend time at the tables and sportsbooks instead of the classroom. Besides, there's nothing like learning money management skills at a young age and picking up a few bad habits in the process. Thanks to Mark!