Which was the Bigger Upset?

In the spirit of our blog name, a friday question for all of you: What was the biggest upset in college football during the last decade? I submit two candidates: Stanford over USC in 2007, or Appalachian State over Michigan from 2007.

MWC 2011 Preview: Colorado State Rams

It’s results time for Steve Fairchild in Fort Collins. Since leading Colorado State to a 7-6 record in his first year, including a bowl win, the Rams have posted back-to-back 3-9 records and suffered some big losses along the way. In their last two games of last season, for example, CSU was outscored by a combined 93-10 to a down BYU team and a worse Wyoming team.

Friday Flashback: UNLV shocks #15 Arizona State

9/13/2008
I remember watching the finish to this one. UNLV, fresh off a loss to ranked Utah the week before, stumbled in to Sun Devil Stadium to take on a ranked Arizona State program. The day of the game, a few Arizona State players weren't too shy about publicly overlooking the Rebels in the media. Who could blame them? Georgia was coming to town the next week. It cost the Devils. In a miraculous turn of events, the Rebels scored with seconds left on a great Phillip Payne one-handed snag. The Rebs later blocked a Thomas Weber kick in overtime to secure the win.

Highlights:



Not to mention a high dosage of hyperbole from the winning coach Mike Sanford: "UNLV football has not got the respect it deserves."

In a great moment right after the win, with emotions spilling over, you could tell what this one meant for Sanford. (At the beginning of the second clip)



As for Arizona State? Devils finished 5-7. I know, shocking stuff.

I thought UNLV was ready to turn things around. The Rebs had a good core (Clayton, Summers, Wolfe, Payne, Flair) and it seemed like Sanford had things improving. The Rebels followed this road win with a victory over Iowa State in Vegas. At 3-1, it looked like a bowl game would be on the horizon. A blowout loss to Nevada, a one-point defeat to Air Force, and a 7-point loss to ranked BYU were tough to overcome. Amazingly, UNLV was primed for a bowl berth if it could but win its last game, against lowly San Diego State. The Aztecs won going away. It was a type-and-shadow for the entire Sanford era.

MWC 2011 Preview: Wyoming Cowboys

When your team loses a lot of experience on both sides of the ball, it’s nice to know you have an experienced signal caller under center (or in the shotgun, at least). Such was the case for Wyoming, who was ready to roll for a third season with Austyn Carta-Samuels, the 2009 MWC freshman of the year.

That was, of course, until January 10, when the man Wyoming fans called ACS announced he was leaving the program.

WAC preseason media and coaches polls

The Western Athletic Conference released its preseason media and coaches polls today for the 2011 season:

MWC 2011 Preview: UNLV Rebels

Last year saw the UNLV Rebels in a definite transitional season. New head coach Bobby Hauck had taken the reigns with statements that the Rebels would no longer run the spread offense as instituted by Mike Sanford, but as the season began, Hauck found himself stuck between his own philosophy and vision, and the personnel on his roster.

Country Club Back In Session

Having been away from the inter-webs for the past couple of days, I haven't been able to comment on a specific idea brought forward by SEC Commish Mike Silve at the recent SEC Media Day festivities. In the midst of one of the most damaging off-seasons in college football history, Silve wants to change course. One of the specifics in which he feels the necessity to bring about change is the avenue of college qualifiers. Silve wants to increase the standard for academics in regards to new recruits. 

An excerpt:

Slive also wants an increase of the requirements for initial eligibility from a 2.0 grade-point average to 2.5 in 16 core classes and the restoration of partial qualifiers. Athletes who meet the old criteria but fall short of the new standards would be able to enroll on scholarship and practice but not compete during their first year.

I find this idea, while well intentioned, to be completely misguided. It is an affront to inner-city kids who, with the new stipulations, would have yet another barrier to cross in an attempt to attend University. Athletes are held to a tremendously high standard to begin with, an additional requirement is simply piling on. Is a 2.5 student really that much more qualified for college than a 2.0 student?

You wanna watch some smart dudes play pigskin? I hear the Harvard v. Yale matchup is a fantastic outing. Bring your polo.

Some of Silve's other ideas, the six-year scholarship window for example, are far better proposals. Let's table this one for now. Or better yet, send it to Washington and it will surely die in committee. 

MWC 2011 Preview: New Mexico Lobos

Happiness – that’s a word that hasn’t donned the lips of any Lobo football fan for two seasons. Head coach Mike Locksley took over a program that by most measures could be called successful, especially in a place like Albuquerque. New Mexico had been to 5 bowl games in 7 years under Rocky Long. After a bevy of off-the-field issues and two straight 1-11 campaigns, time for Locksley is running short.

MWC preseason media poll

The media at the Mountain West Conference's media days have just released its preseason poll:

	Team (first-place votes)	Points
1.	Boise State (28)	236
2.	TCU (3)	208
3.	Air Force	176
4.	San Diego State	160
5.	Colorado State	104
6.	Wyoming	80
7.	UNLV	77
8.	New Mexico	39

Pac-12 preseason media poll

The Pac-12 just released its preseason media poll. Does this coincide with your expectations of the season?

North	Team (First place votes)	Points
1.	Oregon (29)	239
2.	Stanford (13)	220
3.	Washington	142
4.	Oregon State	120
5.	California	110
6.	Washington State	51
South
1.	USC (24)	230
2.	Arizona State (13)	207
3.	Utah (4)	170
4.	Arizona (1)	140
5.	UCLA	89
6.	Colorado	46

More betting lines: over/under win totals

The Las Vegas Hilton also released betting lines for over/under win totals for a handful of teams. Here's how it shakes down:

Lunchtime Links: July 25

Here are a few stories from around the West for Monday, July 25:

Vegas Hilton posts early lines on Games of Year

The season is coming, folks. Once Las Vegas starts releasing betting lines on games, you can feel the fall coming in the air. (Okay, that's stretching it. Many of us are still sitting in above-95 temperatures, if not 100+.)

Nevertheless, it's an exciting time to see what the experts in Vegas think of your team. Below are all the matchups from the West and the odds as posted by the Las Vegas Hilton for the Games of the Year.

Comprehensive Rate That Uni Rankings

Today marked the finish of our Rate That Uni series that got us through the doldrums of the college football offseason. We, along with our friend John, had always found ourselves discussing the uniforms we saw on the field via Twitter, so thought we could turn it into a series to get some discussion going. We did get that discussion going, as well as stirring up some anger as well. As we've stated many times, we don't claim to be the ultimate fashion experts, these were just our opinions on what works, and what teams can do to improve their look. This is why we wanted to give you the opportunity to rate the uniforms yourself as well.

Below is a complete, comprehensive ranking of all the uniforms we rated from schools in the West. These are the results based on our panelists' grades. We will follow up next week with a final list of how you, the fans, rated the uniforms presented.

Rate That Uni: Sacramento State

Our final Rate That Uni destination is Sacramento. Read it. Vote on it.

Rate That Uni: Northern Colorado

Rate That Uni also makes a stop in Greeley, Colorado today for the Northern Colorado Bears. As usual, our panelists give their thoughts, and you can cast your vote.

Rate That Uni: Northern Arizona

Today finishes up our Rate That Uni series, both for the Big Sky and for all the teams out West. First up today is the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks.

The on-field excitement of conference expansion

Expansion Crisis 2010 did something unprecedented for college football: it made July exciting. If you are like us, we spent hours upon hours tied to the Internet, constantly checking Twitter into all hours of the night waiting for something to happen.

Beyond the excitement of the scenarios involved in conference expansion and re-alignment being discussed every July, I have found myself with a greater excitement (if that's possible) for the upcoming season. You know, when the games are actually played. This season we will get to see new matchups that have me looking forward to more games across the country.

Rate That Uni: Eastern Washington

We also make a stop today with the defending national champions at Eastern Washington. We know all about their field, what about the jerseys? Cast your vote at the bottom.

Rate That Uni: Portland State

Today we visit the northwest in our uni ratings series. First stop: Portland State.

Rate That Uni: Weber State

Traveling south from Pocatello to Ogden, we look at the threads of the Weber State Wildcats. Not too long ago, Weber State sported a purple-people-eater-type look with an all-purple home set. This has since changed. Did they make good changes? Read our thoughts and cast your vote.

Rate That Uni: Idaho State

The Rate That Uni Big Sky Tour takes its next stop in Pocatello to visit Idaho State. The Bengals have struggled on the field for quite a while ... but do they at least look good?

How Colorado and Utah fans view their "rivalry"

Kickoff from Colorado at Utah, 1916

In perusing different articles, blogs, and fan sites surrounding the new Pacific 12 Conference, I thought I was picking up on a theme regarding its two newcomers, Colorado and Utah. The two schools are picking up what is said to be a rivalry, but one that hasn't been played since 1962.

I thought I sensed a different attitude between Colorado and Utah fans with how they consider their new-old rival. It seemed to me that Colorado fans consider Utah a rival much more than Utah fans consider Colorado a rival. Poll time! We had two poll questions up over the past week, and here are the results:

Rate That Uni: Montana State

The other part of today's pairing is Montana State. Cast your votes for the Bobcats below! A special thanks to Tanner Gooch of the Big Sky Conference for providing us with all the photos.

Rate That Uni: Montana

It's time for the Big Sky uniform ratings. We kick things off with the conference powerhouse, the Montana Grizzlies. The Grizzlies have tended to look as sharp as they play. Read our thoughts and make sure to cast your vote at the bottom.

Weekend Links: July 16-18

Stories from over the weekend into lunchtime today:

Davey O'Brien Watch List

Here are players from the West on the Davey O'Brien Watch List, for the award given to the nation's best quarterback:

Matt Barkley, USC

Nick Foles, Arizona

Jake Heaps, BYU

Ryan Lindley, San Diego State

Andrew Luck, Stanford

Bryant Moniz, Hawaii

Kellen Moore, Boise State

Darron Thomas, Oregon

Jordan Wynn, Utah

Who will lead the Pac? Pac-12 off-season video

The Pac-12 posted this NFL-Films style preview video recently. Good stuff.

Lunchtime Links: July 14

Stories from the college sports scene for July 14:

Rate That Uni: Washington State

Now we look at the other side of the Apple Cup with the Cougars of Washington State. Wazzu has unveiled a bold new set of uniforms they will use for the upcoming season. How do you rate them?

Rate That Uni: Washington

Today marks the last day of the Pac-12 uniform battles as we venture to the Evergreen State. First up is the Huskies. Cast your votes!

Lunchtime Links: July 13

Links for your feasting on this Wednesday afternoon:

New football uniforms for Wyoming

If you haven't heard, Wyoming slightly revamped its football look for the upcoming season. The changes are slight but will add more diversity to the Cowboys' options.

Rate That Uni: Oregon State

The squad from Corvallis doesn't use nearly as many combinations as its Civil War rival in Eugene. Do you like the Beavers' look better? Read our thoughts and make sure to grade the set yourself!

Rate That Uni: Oregon

If you have been following our Rate That Uni series, you may have been waiting for this day: the day we discuss Oregon's football uniforms. They lead off our continued Pac-12 battles as we will post Oregon State today as well. Cast your vote on what is possibly the most polarizing set of uniforms in sports.

Rate That Uni: Stanford

Stanford battles Cal again, this time in uniform ratings. A way more classic look that Cal has to offer, which our panelists usually like. Make sure to cast your vote!

Rate That Uni: Cal

Today we move further up the coast in our Pac-12 uniform battles and start with California. Read what our panelists had to say about Cal's uniforms and cast your vote at the bottom.

Rate That Uni: USC

The second part of today's Pac-12 battle is the USC Trojans. Many hold these uniforms up as the epitome of college football jerseys. Do our panelists agree? Do you? Cast your vote!

Rate That Uni: UCLA

The Pac-12 uni battles continue as today we go to southern California. First up, the UCLA Bruins. Read our thoughts and make sure to vote at the bottom of the post.

Texas-Arlington set to join the WAC

Late last night, word started spreading of another piece in the expansion puzzle: the University of Texas at Arlington was invited and is ready to accept an invitation to join the Western Athletic Conference.

A lot of the legwork was done by @BobcatReport, a Texas State fan site. They discovered this agenda for the state university system of Texas's board of regents meeting. As you can see on the first page, the last item on the agenda is "U.T. Arlington: Approval of change in athletic conference membership to join the Western Athletic Conference."  The Bobcat Report also confirmed with the Southland Conference, UTA's current home, that the Mavericks will be joining the WAC.

Rate That Uni: Utah

The other half of today's pairing is Utah, who has found itself in a renewed rivalry with Colorado. Cast your vote! Does Utah have better uniforms than Colorado? Let us know!

Rate That Uni: Colorado

Continuing with the Pac12 rivalry pairs, today we have Colorado and Utah. Up first, the Colorado Buffaloes. Here are our thoughts, make sure to cast your vote at the end of the post so you can tell us if we got it right.

The Mount Rushmore of College Broadcasters

The ability to intelligently and coherently describe the game of college football is an artform. How many times on a fall Saturday have you yelled at the television screen as a result of poor commentary? Heaven knows I have. On the other hand, a gifter orator can bring a magnificent turn of events on the gridiron to an even higher plane of remembrance by describing the play in a way not soon forgotten. It isn't the quantity of words, but the quality of their delivery. So, who fits that description in today's game? Who are the best lead announcers in America?

Todd Harris to be The Mtn's lead play-by-play man

SportsByBrooks is reporting that Todd Harris will join The Mtn to be the new lead play-by-play voice to replace James Bates, who was hired by CBS. Todd Harris is a journalism graduate of BYU who has a variety of experience calling Indy car racing, college football, World Extreme Cagefighting, the World's Strongest Man competitions, and many other sporting events. Ironically, if Todd Christensen remains on the lead announcing team for The Mtn, it will be an all-BYU booth for the BYU-less MWC.

College Football: The Summer Blockbuster!

Friend of The Upset and sports columnist for The Standard Examiner Roy Burton has two entertaining pieces up on his blog. Mr. Burton (@RoyBurton) looks at some of the current and upcoming blockbuster movies of the summer and changes the plot to include some of your favorite sports stories and teams. It is an enjoyable read:

His introduction:

If you’re a movie fan as well as a sports fan, you’re probably as disappointed as I am that there aren’t many sports flicks in theaters this summer. So forget what you’ve read in other non-sports summer movie previews. Coming soon (i.e. never) to a screen near you...

You can view the posts here and here.

What movies can you picture as a sports epic? I personally like the idea of Karl Benson and the Deathly Hallows. Mr. Benson and his sad band of misfits, long-grieved by their nemesis, Craig "Voldy" Thompson, have reached a tipping point. With upstanding members of the Order of the Benson betraying the cause on an regular basis, it is a most desperate hour. WACWarts itself is under attack as Voldy and his band of blue-clad Death Eaters descend on the once sacred structure. The prophesy, "None can live while the other survives," is fresh in the minds of both sides. Most assume that Karl's time is numbered. Little does Voldy know that the Chosen Wizard has one more trick up his sleeve!

Rate That Uni: Arizona State

In the second part of our Grand Canyon State face-off is Arizona State. The Devils are implementing a new set of logos and uniforms for the upcoming season. See what our panelists said and cast your vote at the end!

Rate That Uni: Arizona

It's time to start our final set of uniform ratings: the Pac-12. First up is the Arizona Wildcats. The angrier Stoops has his team wear about every possible combination. Read our thoughts and make sure you cast your vote at the bottom.

Lunchtime Links: July 6

Stories from around the West today:

Rate That Uni: BYU

After a hiatus, we are bringing back our Rate That Uni series. Before we begin our foray into the Pac-12, we wanted to throw BYU in to cover them as they are the only western team we cover not included in the conferences. Make sure to cast your vote at the bottom!

How Comcast abused a market and now stands to lose the cable war with Utah sports fans

The year was 2006. Comcast had just assisted the Mountain West Conference in launching The Mtn., the first cable network to be dedicated to a collegiate conference. The new network combined with Versus and College Sports Television (CSTV, owned by CBS) to create a new television deal for the Mountain West Conference, who had declined overtures from ESPN to receive a weekday deal on the worldwide leader -- the deal the MAC now fills.

Out of this agreement, Comcast made a somewhat shady move to dominate a market: the Utah market. But now, after Expansion Crisis 2010, the WAC may not be the only organization set to lose from the deal.

The University of Utah...Hawks?

Will the Drum and Feather disappear? 

The time was 1970. Stanford University, which had been using the imagery of a Native American as its mascot since 1930, began to feel pressure from unhappy students and protestors claiming the logo was racially insensitive. Students on campus began a petition process to effect change and bring about a new mascot for the university. By 1972, Stanford made the change official and have since adopted the use of...you guessed it...a tree. I'll take Irony for 500, Alex.

A Utah Day Is This!

photo by Douglas C Pizac

The University of Utah is a member of the Pacific 12 Conference. A phrase which would have elicited laughing derision from college athletics in general just eight years ago has become a reality. And the Utes have earned their way to the top tier of college sports. It was not always so. How has this program gone from middling Mountain West member to a sure-fire Pac-12 success? Let's take a look.

New West Coast Conference logo

On this moving day of July 1, the West Coast Conference welcomes BYU into the fold and is using the occasion to re-brand with an updated logo. The logo has not yet been released on WCCsports.com, but the logo below has been spotted in the official WCC store:

We will still have to wait for the official release to see if there are secondary logos. For example, a logo for use on basketball courts that still says WCC with the wave extending below all three letters. Or, perhaps they are joining the trend of dropping the "conference" part for the symbol like B1G of the Big Ten and the block MW of the Mountain West.

Happy Moving Day: Links and Haikus

It's officially moving day in college football. And while we mean "moving day" because schools are moving conferences, each of the four western teams changing conference affiliation also have the opportunity to move up in status like the golf term connotes. Fans of each team celebrate a new start in a new home hoping it will bring greater success. So while you celebrate, here are some haikus and links for your moving day: