Thursday, September 17th

• Clemson at Louisville 6:30 pm ESPN - an ACC game in Louisville to open Week 3 of College Football

Friday, September 18th

• Florida State at Boston College 7:00 pm ESPN - another ACC in Week 3 ...
• Idaho State at Boise State 8:00 pm CBSSN - The Broncos look to get back to winning vs. an FCS program, after a tough road loss in Week 2 at BYU ...
• New Mexico at Arizona State 9:00 pm PAC-12 Network - final Sun Devils tune up before Pac 12 play opens up ...

It's Monday, as the New Year nears!

Some will be working on Monday, December 30th, while others will be playing ...

Armed Forces Bowl:
Middle Tennessee vs. Navy at 10:45 a.m. on ESPN (HD)
Anchors away!

Music City Bowl :
Georgia Tech vs. Ole Miss at 2:15 p.m. on ESPN (HD)
Go Yellow Jackets in Nashville!

Alamo Bowl :
Oregon vs. Texas at 5:45 p.m. on ESPN (HD)
Final swan song for the Longhorns coach Mack Brown in San Antonio!

Holiday Bowl:
Arizona State vs. Texas Tech at 9:15 p.m. on ESPN (HD)
Pac 12 vs. Big 12 night cap in San Diego!

Creighton advances in The Wooden Legacy with opening round win; while Iowa wins in Battle 4 Atlantis on Thanksgiving

FULLERTON, Calif. -- Devin Brooks had 23 points off the bench and Doug McDermott added 27 as No. 20/18 Creighton routed previously unbeaten Arizona State by an 88-60 score to open play at the DirecTV Wooden Legacy on Thursday night.

Creighton improved to 5-0, while Arizona State fell to 6-1. Creighton advances to play San Diego State on Friday at 8:30 pm Central in a winner's bracket game. The Aztecs defeated College of Charleston, 72-52, earlier in the day.

Iowa Rallies Past Xavier in OT

Hawkeyes don't grab first lead until overtime before downing Muskateers, 77-74

NASSAU, Bahamas -- It's not about how you start, but how you finish. The University of Iowa men's basketball team overcame a 15-point second half deficit to down Xavier, 77-74, in overtime in its first game in the Battle 4 Atlantis.

"With the team we have out there, we're so deep and versatile, we're in any game, whether we're down 20 at home or down 10," said junior Gabriel Olaseni. "We always have the ability to come back because we have so many guys and coach trusts us.

"We always thought we could win this game."

Senior Roy Devyn Marble
 scored 30 points to lead
 Iowa to a 77-74 overtime victory over Xavier.

After ending regulation tied at 69, the Hawkeyes took their first lead via a pair of Olaseni free throws. The Muskateers knotted the game at 73 on a fast-break layup by Justin Martin with 2:21 remaining, but sophomore Mike Gesell had a quick answer, putting the Hawkeyes back on top with a short floater just 14 seconds later.

1st 2nd OT Final #23 Iowa (6-0) 30 39 8 77 Xavier (5-1) 37 32 5 74 • Box Score   |  Attendance: 2,258  Statistical Leaders  •Roy Devyn Marble - 30 points, 10-23 FG, 4-10 3PT  •Zach McCabe - 11 points, 3 rebounds  •Gabriel Olaseni - 10 points, 11 rebounds, 8-9 FT  Stats at a Glance IOWA XU  FG Percentage 35.3 39.1  3-Point FG Percentage 26.1 25.0  FT Percentage 67.6 64.3  Total Rebounds 45 49  Points in the Paint 29 38  Points off Turnovers 22 19

An Aaron White put-back layup following a pair of Hawkeye misses made the score 77-73 with 1:34 remaining before Xavier's James Farr made 1-of-2 from the charity stripe to make it a three-point game with 1:17 left. Iowa survived three Muskateer 3-point attempts in the final 10 seconds to hold on for its sixth win to start the season.

Senior Roy Devyn Marble scored a season-high 30 points -- one shy of a career-high -- making 10-of-23 field goal attempts and four 3-pointers. The guard made just 6-of-11 free throw attempts before sitting the final six minutes because of severe cramping.

"The thing I liked about him was how aggressive he was from the start," said UI head coach Fran McCaffery. "We were clearly sideways offensively, and we couldn't get anything to fall, couldn't get a 3 to fall, were fumbling the ball and got down 11-2. It didn't seem like it was going to be our night offensively. Then he puts us on his back and goes for 30."

Senior Zach McCabe scored 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting, White scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds, and Olaseni notched a his first career double-double, finishing with 10 points and 11 rebounds. He was 8-of-9 from the free throw line.

"Everybody that was out there contributed," said Marble. "I knew they were going to get it done, even though I went out. I told them to keep being aggressive."

Iowa shot 35.3 percent from the field, making 24-of-68 attempts. The Hawkeyes went 6-of-23 (26.1 percent) from 3-point range and was 23-of-34 (67.6 percent) from the free throw line.

Xavier shot 39.1 percent (25-of-64) from the floor, 6-of-24 (25 percent) from long range and 64.3 percent (18-of-28) from the free throw stripe. The Muskateers won the rebounding battle, 49-45, but committed 19 turnovers. Justin Martin paced Xavier with 15 points, and he was one of four Muskaeteers in double digits.

Xavier led 37-30 at the break and extended its lead to 41-30 a minute into the second half. The Muskateers pushed their lead to a game-high 15 points (47-32) on a three-point play by Semaj Christon with 15:56 remaining and led 55-42 with 12:13 to go.

"In the huddle there was no panic," said McCaffery. "There was 15:56 to go, so there was plenty of time (left). We just have to keep chipping away at it. It can't go from 15-to-22; it has to go from 15-to-8. That's what happened."

With 10 minutes to play, Marble drained a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 10 (55-45) and ignite a 12-0 Hawkeye run to cut the lead to 55-54 with 7:21 to play. White followed with a fast-break dunk and Marble hit a second triple to make the score 55-50. Two Marble free throws cut the lead to three before senior Melsahn Basabe's fast-break dunk made it a one-point game.

Iowa trimmed the lead to one point a second time (60-59) before clawing its way back to even the game at 67 via a Gesell jumper with 1:41 to play. After two Isaiah Philmore free throws put the Muskateers back on top, an Olaseni layup evened the game at 69 with 54 seconds to play.

Xavier missed two layups before turning the ball over on its final possession of regulation, giving the Hawkeyes the ball with 24 seconds to play. Iowa went to McCabe, but his shot was blocked by Matt Stainbrook with six seconds to go, sending the game to overtime.

Iowa came out of the gates slow, falling behind 11-2 to start the game. The Hawkeyes trailed 37-30 at the half, and Xavier added to its lead with two free throws and the ball before a second came off the clock in the second half when McCaffery was whistled for a technical foul heading into the locker room at the break.

"Last year, I don't think we would have been able to pull (a game like this) out," said Marble. "I was on the bench and I told the guys these are the games we have to win. When we came out, they were ready to finish the game."

The Hawkeyes (6-0) will face the winner of the Tennessee/UTEP game Saturday at 6 p.m. (CT). The game can be seen live on the NBC Sports Network.

Creighton Feasts On Sun Devils at Wooden Legacy

Arizona State scored first before Creighton answered with a 7-0 run that included hoops from McDermott, Will Artino and Jahenns Manigat. McDermott continued his hot hand, scoring 10 of CU's next 13 points as the Jays built up a 20-9 lead. Two more buckets from Brooks made it 24-9 at the second media timeout, an eerie similarity to last season's 27-9 hot start by the Bluejays.

The Sun Devils fought back, getting a trio of three-pointers during a 9-0 run to close within 30-24 before Brooks took over. The reserve guard helped bring CU's offense back to life, scoring the next eight points, to allow the Jays to extend its lead back to double-figures.

Creighton would lead 45-31 at the break, getting 16 points from McDermott and 13 more from Brooks. The Jays shot 55.2 percent in the opening half, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc, and outrebounded ASU 19-17. ASU was led by nine points by Jahii Carson in the first half.

Manigat buried a three-pointer on CU's first possession of the second half, Austin Chatman followed with two foul shots, and Manigat a reverse lay-up to make it 52-31 with 18:08 to play. ASU quickly sliced the deficit in half, scoring the next 10 points in a span of 1:49, to make it 52-41.

Just as he did in the first half, Brooks rose to the occasion off the bench. The Harlem, N.Y., native scored seven points in just over a minute, pushing CU's lead to 61-42 and forcing a Sun Devil timeout.

Creighton continued to apply pressure, as Wragge had a pair of three-pointers surrounded by four McDermott points as the lead reached 73-51 with 7:36 left.

McDermott led all scorers with 27 points, including a perfect night in 10 attempts at the line. In the process, he became CU's first player in 45 years (Bob Portman) to open a season with five straight games of 20 or more points. Brooks had a career-high 23 points in just 19 minutes of work, sinking of 9-of-11 field goal attempts, and 4-of-4 shots from long-range. The Bluejays shot 53.4 percent on the night, including 12-of-25 (48 percent) from long-range, and also sank 14-of-16 attempts from the line.

ASU was paced by 15 points from All-America candidate Jahii Carson, though Carson made just 5-of-12 attempts and had five turnovers. Jermaine Marshall and Richie Edwards both had 12 points for the Sun Devils. Jordan Bachynski, who entered the game with six straight double-doubles, got in early foul trouble and finished with season-lows four points and two rebounds in 18 minutes. The Sun Devils made 37.9 percent of its shots from the field and were 9-of-20 at the line.

NOTES: Creighton extended its streak of games with a three-pointer to 650 when Jahenns Manigatdrilled a triple with 17:33 left in the first half ...Creighton has won 60 straight games when building a double-digit lead at any point, including tonight ...The loss was the second-largest at ASU under seventh-year coach Herb Sendek ... Isaiah Zierden had a key four-point play late in the first half, just the fourth in 115 games with Greg McDermott as CU coach ... Doug McDermott has now scored 20 or more points in seven straight games dating to last season. 

It's Happy Thanksgiving: Yes, we can talk College Basketball now

College Basketball has been on, since early November, but as a big College Football fan ... it a little ahead of our natural sports clock.

Today is Thanksgiving, so we are thankful our two teams, #20/18 Creighton and #23 Iowa, tip-off with basketball games this evening. As the Thanksgiving arrives, the blending of both basketball with football is easier to enjoy.

Packers @ Lions to kickoff the Thanksgiving afternoon ... than the Hawkeyes and Bluejays in the evening on the hardwood!

It's time for a little business: College Basketball over the Thanksgiving holidays!

Creighton all-American, senior forward Doug McDermott,
an Iowa native, leads the Jays upward in the two College Basketball polls,
after jumping off to a 4-0 start in 2013-14.

The Creighton basketball team has a historic season in 2013-14, as coach Greg McDermott, along with all-American son, Doug, help transition the Jays from the MVC to the Big East Conference. The Jays have picked up back to back solid wins at St. Joseph's and vs. Tulsa, after two cupcakes to open the season at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha.

 Doug McDermott became Creighton's first player to open the season with four straight 20-point performances since Cyril Baptiste in 1969-70. Creighton is now 44-0 all-time in home games on or before Nov. 26th

Tonight on ESPN2 at 10 p.m., the undefeated Creighton Jays (4-0) will  play in The Wooden Legacy against the undefeated Arizona State Sun Devils (6-0) in a rematch of last year's Holiday week tournament in Las Vegas.

Iowa senior SG
Roy Devyn Marble
leads the Hawkeyes
against Xavier with a
6 p.m. tip off on NBC Sports.

Prior to Creighton-Arizona State, the undefeated Iowa Hawkeyes (5-0) will square off with Xavier Musketeers (5-0) in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis from Paradise Island, The Bahamas on NBCSports (DirecTV 220) at 6 p.m.  Butler, Creighton and Xavier are all new members of the Big East Conference in 2013-14.

"We're playing very well, but we've beaten teams everybody expected us to beat," said Iowa coach Fran McCaffery of Iowa's 5-0 start. "Now we're playing teams that people aren't sure if we're going to beat. (I want us) to go out and play well against those teams and compete in a way that exemplifies our capability moving forward."

For the first time this season, Iowa will square off against competition that can match-up athletically and depth-wise. The Hawkeyes have 10 players averaging at least 15 minutes per game.

"This is a field where you have more teams like us in terms of they have 10 good players," said McCaffery. "It is going to be an interesting three days for us."

Below is a team-by-team rundown of the Battle 4 Atlantis field. Iowa will play Xavier today, UTEP or Tennessee on Friday and one team from the group of Kansas, Villanova, Wake Forest and Southern California on Saturday

"I am very excited," said sophomore transfer Jarrod Uthoff, who played at Cedar Rapids Jefferson. "It should be a great test for us, playing Xavier, Tennessee or UTEP, and if we win those two, probably Kansas."

Plenty of teams this week will be looking to move up into the polls.  Iowa, Kansas and Creighton all will seek to remain or stay at a high level.

Xavier (5-0)
Xavier is currently 5-0 after downing Abilene Christian, 93-65, on Nov. 25. The Muskateers are led by guard Semaj Christon, who averages 16.4 points and five assists per game. Christon was a 2012-13 Kyle Macy Freshman All-American. Matt Steinbrook averages 10.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and has 13 blocks. Xavier has advanced to the NCAA Tournament in seven of the last eight seasons, which includes three trips to the Sweet 16 and one Elite Eight appearance.

Tennessee (3-1)
The Volunteers have reeled off three-straight victories since falling to Xavier, 67-63, in their regular-season opener. Tennessee has three players averaging in double digits with Jordan McRae leading the team with a 21.5 scoring average. Jarnell Stokes (11.5 points, 8.3 rebounds) and Antonio Barton (10.8 points) also average 10+ points. The Vols have played in the postseason in each of the past eight years, which includes back-to-back appearances in the National Invitation Tournament under head coach Cuonzo Martin.

UTEP (3-2)
The Miners bring a 3-2 record to the Bahamas with both losses coming to New Mexico State. UTEP has four players averaging in double figures with McKenzie Moore leading the team with 14 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists, while Vince Hunter adds 10.2 points and 7.4 rebounds. The Miners are led by former Iowa State head coach Tim Floyd.

Kansas (4-0) - Ranked #2 nationally
The Jayhawks are currently ranked second in both the Coaches' and Associated Press polls and bring a 4-0 record into the Battle 4 Atlantis. Kansas defeated fourth-ranked Duke, 94-83, in the Champions Classic on Nov. 12. The Jayhawks are led by freshman Andrew Wiggins (16.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and sophomore Perry Ellis (16.8 points, seven rebounds). Kansas has made 24-straight NCAA Tournament appearances -- the longest streak nationally -- and won nine-straight Big 12 regular season titles.

Villanova (4-0)
The Wildcats bring a 4-0 record into the tournament following an 84-80 victory over Delaware on Nov. 22. Villanova has three players averaging in double figures with JayVaughn Pinkston pacing the team at 20.3 points per game. James Bell averages 18 points and seven rebounds, while Darrun Hilliard chips in 14 points to go along with a team-best 17 assists. The Wildcats have played in the NCAA Tournament in seven of the last eight seasons.

Wake Forest (5-0)
The Demon Deacons are 5-0 this season under fourth-year head coach Jeff Bzdelik. Wake Forest has four players averaging double digits with Codi Miller-McIntyre leading the way with 18.6 points and 24 assists. Big man Devin Thomas averages 14.4 points and an ACC-best 11.6 rebounds. The Demon Deacons haven't played in the NCAA Tournament since 2010.

Southern California (4-1)
The Trojans have reeled off four-straight victories since falling 78-65 to Utah State in their season debut. USC has three players averaging in double figures with Byron Wesley pacing the squad with 19.8 points and 8.8 rebounds. The Trojans are led by first-year head coach Andy Enfield, who led Florida Gulf Coast to the Sweet 16 last season.

Two Big East programs, Xavier and Villanova are among the Battle 4 Atlantis participants, so Creighton fans may want to take a sneak peak of two teams that will be coming to CenturyLink during the conference schedule in 2013.

Happy Thanksgiving, Black Friday and the holiday, shopping weekend!

• Creighton at The Wooden Legacy
• Iowa at the Battle 4 Atlantis
• Iowa @ Nebraska in the Heroes Game III on Friday at 11 a.m. on ABC for College Football

NFL debuts on Thursday post Labor Day

Thursday, September 5th  has College Football:

Florida Atlantic at East Carolina 6:30 p.m. FS1 (HD) - A C-USA contest, as the Pirates host the Owls, as they join the conference.

Sacramento State at Arizona State 9:00 p.m. PAC-12 Network (HD) - This would be a huge FCS upset, if Arizona State goes down as another FBS program welcomes a FCS school on campus.

FCS schools upset eight FBS programs in Week 1, so who goes down next?

But, 2013 NFL season debuts as the Super Bowl champions, the Baltimore Ravens travel to the Denver Broncos for an AFC Showdown on NBC tonight at 7:30 p.m.

Could we witness a Major Upset on Thursday Night College Football?

Thursday, October 18th

Houston at SMU, 7:00 p.m. on FSN affiliates (HD) - a Thursday night C-USA showdown... Go Mustangs, as former SWC foes meet in Dallas

#2 Oregon at Arizona State, 8:00 p.m. on ESPN (HD) - The Sun Devils look to earn there way into the Top 25, as leaders of the Pac 12 North and Pac 12 South meet in Tempe.  Do the Ducks stay clean for BCS title run?

Thursday Night College Football: October 11th

Thursday, October 11th

• Western Kentucky @ Troy, 6:30 p.m., ESPNU (HD)/ espn 3
• Texas-El Paso @ Tulsa, 7:00 p.m, FSN Affiliates (HD) / FCSC (cable)
• Arizona State @ Colorado, 8 p.m., ESPN (HD)

A batlle in the Sun Belt, the Conference USA and the Pac 12 highlight Thursday night football in College Football.  None of the teams are Top 25 programs currently, though Arizona State be getting closer to breaking the Top 25.  The Sun Devils are 2-0 and leading the Pac 12 South currently.  Colorado is 1-1 in the conference.

Western Kentucky is 1-0 in the Sun Belt, while Troy is 2-1 in the conference.  Huge game for both programs in the hunt for the '12 Sun Belt title.

Tulsa is 3-0 in the C-USA West, while UTEP is 0-2 in the conference.  Who will pick up this important conference Thursday night game?

Friday Night College Football: Though we may love the game; we must remember it's only a game!

Football is clearly a game. After attending a disappointing prep football game at Kingston Stadium in Cedar Rapids, we noticed a shocking story. News of a fallen 23 year-old, who collapsed during a workout at his high school football field and track.

If anything would bring about pause, that football is just a game. Our thoughts and prayers go out to former Iowa safety Brent Greenwood, his family and the extended Hawkeye family near and far.

You don't expect to see a young man in headlines, like this.

Brett Greenwood in intensive care - ESPN
Ex-Hawkeye, PV star Greenwood collapses - Quad City Times
Former Steeler UDFA Brett Greenwood Collapses After Workout - Behind the Steel Curtain -
Former Steelers undrafted free agent S Brett Greenwood was hospitalized Friday in Iowa City, Iowa, ...

In College Football on Friday night, there were two games on ESPN and both them certainly ended with some excitement.

• In Louisville on Friday night, a non-BCS conference school upset a BCS conference school, when FIU (2-0, 1-0 Sun Belt) held on to beat Louisville (1-1) by a score of 24-17. Florida International coach Mario Cristobal is in his fifth season, as head coach. This victory is the Panthers first win over a BCS program, since starting football in 2002. Cristobal played his college football at Miami-FL.



• Friday night closed out, with a Top 25 battle in the desert in Tempe, as #23 Arizona State (2-0) beat #24 Missouri (1-1) in OT 37-30. Coach Dennis Erickson, in his fifth season at ASU, works his way off a warm seat, with a solid win over the Tigers. Missouri closed the 2010 season in the Desert, with a bowl loss in the Insight to Iowa 24-27. Erickson coached at Miami-FL, while Cristobal was four year letterwinner at the U.

As we head into the weekend of the 10Th anniversary of 9/11, our thoughts and prayers are with many. Whether it be a 23 year-old fallen athlete, those who lost loved ones ten years ago or those impacted by the challenges of today's world.

peace

Oregon 60, UCLA 13 in Thursday night College Football in the Pac 10

#2 Oregon certainly has an offense today, in contrast to the performance in Boise in the 2009 season opener. After Thursday night's performance in Eugene, it may be getting harder and harder to not vote Oregon #1 right now in College Football.

Why Oregon will beat UCLA on Thursday - ‎ESPN (blog)
This week the Oregon Ducks will play their first-ever game as AP No. 1, but don't expect the Ducks' stay at No. 1 to be short-lived. Since No. ...
No. 1 Ducks romp over UCLA 60-13 ‎ - The Associated Press

Interesting to see that Colorado and Utah will be joining both Arizona and Arizona State in the same division of the Pac 10, soon to be Pac 12. The Pac 8 has come a long way and it is a little interesting that the four newest members are all in the same division ...

Conference reveals two-division setup for football as Pac-12 - The Statesman Journal
It's a whole new world in the Pac-10, er, Pac-12 Conference ...

peace

2008 Preseason AP Football Poll released...

We were driving back from Kids Day at the University of Iowa yesterday, when the news was reporting the release of the Preseason AP Football Poll for 2008.

Less than 14 days for Hawkeyes fans, Panther fans and less than 12 days for Cyclone fans for kickoff of the 2008 College Football Season. Plenty of work out of the State of Iowa, since no preseason love in the FBS for either Iowa or Iowa State by AP pollsters, unlike Michigan State, Arizona, Nebraska and Notre Dame, who were among the others receiving 2 or more votes.

1. Georgia (22) 11-2 1528 2
2. Ohio State (21) 11-2 1506 5
3. Southern Cal (12) 11-2 1490 3
4. Oklahoma (4) 11-3 1444 8
5. Florida (6) 9-4 1415 13
6. Missouri 12-2 1266 4
7. LSU 12-2 1135 1

8. West Virginia 11-2 1116 6
9. Clemson 9-4 1105 21
10. Auburn 9-4 968 15
11. Texas 10-3 966 10
12. Texas Tech 9-4 786 22
13. Wisconsin 9-4 771 24
14. Kansas 12-1 707 7
15. Arizona State 10-3 631 16
16. BYU 11-2 590 14
17. Virginia Tech 11-3 578 9
18. Tennessee 10-4 509 12
19. South Florida 9-4 496 NR
20. Illinois 9-4 483 20
21. Oregon 9-4 366 23
22. Penn State 9-4 293 NR
23. Wake Forest 9-4 227 NR
24. Alabama 7-6 89 NR

25. Pittsburgh 5-7 85 NR

Iowa will travel to face #25 Pittsburgh and #20 Illinois this season, while hosting #13 Wisconsin and #22 Penn State. Northern Iowa will open the season at #16 Brigham Young, while Iowa State hosts #14 Kansas and #6 Missouri in Big 12 play. Of course, the above rankings are only preseason and the 2008 college football season will clearly shake out some things before all is said and done.

Is Georgia #1? The Bulldogs in the SEC, will face #24 Alabama, #18 Tennessee, at #7 LSU, #5 Florida in Jacksonville, at #10 Auburn, with a trip at #15 Arizona State before the Top 25 tour in the SEC. It could be a rocky road for the Bulldogs in '08 in making it from preseason #1 to BCS Title Game participant.

The match up of #2 Ohio State at #3 USC on September 13th is certainly the game of the early 2008 season. A win for the Buckeyes would be huge for their title hopes in '08. If it is #1 Georgia vs. #2 Ohio State in the BCS Title Game this year, look for the Bulldogs to get the monkey off their backs vs. the SEC. Georgia is one SEC team that the Buckeyes appear capable of matching up with.

In addition to Georgia-ASU and OSU-USC this season, there are some other great interconference games this year between preseason Top 25 teams: #6 Missouri vs. #20 Illinois (Opener), #10 Auburn at #8 West Virginia, #9 Clemson vs. #24 Alabama (Opener), #14 Kansas at #19 South Florida, though the 12 game season format doesn't encourage enough of them. But, there will always be some good intraconference match ups to look forward to and plenty of opportunities to see the final Top 25 shake out.

peace