I've been remiss

I admit it.

I've been remiss in my duties as best female sports blogger recently.

I'll try harder.

Here are some thoughts: Oregon is good. I can admit it. They make the NCAA look like a video game. It's awesome. I wish I liked the Ducks so I could get excited about their play. However, I hold to the opinion that they will not finish the season undefeated.

Related to Oregon, I find it disconcerting to turn on the television and see Jeremiah Masoli playing for Ole Miss. It's distracting...but damn he is good. Even if he is a drunk-driving thief. The Rebels, who are now some sort of new mascot to prevent the whole "we are racist creeps" theme.

Which brings me to my favorite ESPN ad of the season:

Seriously it's amazing.

In other news Boston College actually won yesterday. This is amusing for two reasons: one, we are terrible. Two, my best friend Laura's little brother Paul went to Clemson, and every year when we beat Clemson (because it literally seems like it's every year) he throws some sort of monster fit and refuses to tailgate after the game because he has to walk off his anger. And I like the idea of sad Paul wandering BC's campus in a Clemson T-shirt.

Speaking of walking off your anger, I made the error of watching the end of the Notre Dame - Tulsa game yesterday at the old folks home, where it's generally not acceptable to go on an expletive-laced tirade.

I'd like to, if I thought that anything I yelled would make anyone figure out how to make a team that perennially features some of the best, most highly recruited players in the country...play like winners.

Here's a start: hey coach, don't ask your freshman quarterback to throw into the end zone on 2nd and 8 with 2 minutes remaining at the 19 yard line when you're down by 1 point. Literally all you need to do is run the ball through the middle, line up a field goal for one of the best field goal kickers in America, and be done. It doesn't have to be pretty; I'd rather you win by 2 than win by 6, if it means you win. Which, ummm, you didn't. You lost to Tulsa.

Let's have a look at Tulsa: this is a football team that is 2-2 in Conference USA play. So to be clear, this is a team that has lost to Southern Methodist and got one of its wins over Central Arkansas.

I believe this is the end of Notre Dame football tradition. While I believe Notre Dame football has long been dead, the idea that a Fightin' Irish football team could lose to something called the Golden Hurricane (singular, which I believe makes it worse) indicates that any allure of this football program is gone.

Finally I just want to tell you that if you haven't seen Cam Newton play football, get yourself to a television next weekend. This guy (who is the QB for Auburn) is awesome to watch. At least as fun as LaMichael James to watch, and since he's not a Duck it's easier to be psyched to watch him succeed.

Also, he's not bad to look at either:

Thank you, Cam Newton. In the midst of a season wherein my teams are shameful and Oregon fans are being incredibly but predictably annoying, I salute you for making football-watching fun.

I am in hiding

Some of you may be saying, "Gee, Sheila. Why haven't you been posting your deep thoughts on college football recently?"

My answer: I am boycotting football that actually matters to me. I was so embarrassed by the Notre Dame - Boston College game, or as my friends referred to it, the Battle of Who Is Worst, that I just couldn't bring myself to write about college football.

Every year I think, 'This year I won't take it personally.'

Every year I am wrong.

I take it personally that two years ago my alma mater thought it was a good idea to fire Coach Jags because an NFL team wanted him. I take it personally that instead of hiring a real coach, BC's AD decided to go with the easy, cheap decision and take on Tom Selleck lookalike. I take it personally that the punter is averaging more yards per game than the quarterback.

Furthermore, I take it personally that Notre Dame still is able to recruit the top (able-to-read) receivers and quarterbacks in the nation, then can do nothing with them.

I take it personally that I have to live in a state where the Ducks also live, and as a result I have to listen to Ducks fans all season. And I have to watch the Ducks actually look really, really good.

Anyway, I'm trying. I promise.

Here are a few thoughts for you to chew on until Saturday:

--There are 11 freaking undefeated teams in the top 25 right now. The top ones are Ohio State and Oregon, but really there are a whole lot of good teams out there that could shape up to play some good ball down the road. Michigan State? I mean, I hate the Spartans but there's nothing better than a team playing for a sick coach. Or how about LSU? Damn they looked good last weekend. And Nebraska could win out the regular season and be shut out of the national title game too.

--Boise State and TCU: guess who no longer cares? Me. They're good. They are. I just still can't get behind teams that get to play their schedules each season. Even with OSU. I still can't root for them until they're playing decent teams week in and week out. That means I can't allow them to go into the ACC either, because the ACC is awful.

--Finally, here's something I totally disagree with: Eugene, Ore. being #3 on a list of best college football towns. Chapel Hill, NC ahead of Gainesville? No one even knew UNC had a football team til like 2 years ago. And they cheated to become a real football team. Speaking of, UVA? They have a football team? I am alarmed by this list. All I can guess is that they were just referring to "college towns" rather than "college football towns."

Have the writers been to Eugene? Because if they did they didn't leave campus.