THIS and that to chew on over lunch: All I want for
Christmas?
Irish vs. DevilsOK, so the college football season is only three weeks old, but it's never too early to start thinking about bowl games.
No, I don't think the Rainbows will be playing in one, but there will be two here Christmas Day and already it looks as if there will be some good matchups available.
The Jeep Aloha Bowl will be the first of the two. As it stands now, it will pit a team from the Pac-10 against an at-large team. The Jeep O'ahu Bowl is the nightcap. It'll pit a team from the WAC against a team from the Pac-10.
Let's speculate a little, shall we. The Aloha Bowl matchup intrigues me to no end. Arizona State has already lost a Pac-10 game, is 0-2 and isn't likely to play in the Rose Bowl.
But the Sun Devils have an explosive offense and could finish 8-3 or 9-2, no problem.
They'd make a nice opponent for, oh what the heck, Notre Dame?
Now that's an at-large team.
The Irish have upset Michigan and lost to Michigan State. They play ASU in Tempe Oct. 10, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't be up for playing them again.
It's a television matchup made in heaven -- or is that hell? Notre Dame vs. the Devils on Christmas Day. Holy, moly. No pun intended.
The O'ahu Bowl promises to be a good one, too. Right now, it looks like Southern Cal or Oregon against the team that wins the WAC. That's bound to be Air Force, Colorado State or Brigham Young. (Hmmm. All defectors. Imagine that. But that's another matter).
Air Force and Southern Cal sounds good.
Mele Kalikimaka.
After all the talk about players leaving and bad-mouthing player-coach relationships, it looks as though Dave Shoji has another group of big winners on the floor.
Heather Bown is a nice, skilled, all-around player. Veronica Lima is a great addition. Jenny Roberts, Jessica Sudduth and Nikki Hubbert are solid holdovers from last year, and Heidi Ilustre has raised the level of her game.
Could be the Wahine aren't going to miss the players that left or graduated or just weren't happy to begin with.
Shoji's amazing. The guy wins only 25 times last year, a few of his players leave the program and people start to wring their hands.
Shoji, meanwhile, goes out and gets some great new talent and the Wahine are back in the upper echelon where they belong.
That's big time.
Here's hoping the Rainbow football team finally has its offensive line in place.
Offensive success at any level begins with your ability to run the ball consistently.
Offensive coordinator Don Lindsey has been trying to make that point since the day he moved to that side of the ball. When it's third and two, the Rainbows should know they're going to run the ball and get a first down nearly every time.
Getting the five guys up front in sync and playing together is a challenge that often goes unnoticed. But it's the most important aspect of offensive football, bar none.
The Rainbows have settled on Kynan Forney, Andy Phillips, Chris Smith, Dustin Owen and Kaulana Noa to get the job done.
I like all five of those guys.
Backs and receivers get all the glory, but without the five hosses pulling in the same direction there isn't an offense in the world worth a nickel.
The Rainbows ground game -- and their pass blocking -- should only get better from here on in.
Call me silly, but Utah had best be prepared.
