Breathing Easier On the Left Coast

Listening to my wife read Ramona the Pest to our 6 year-old, I'm still jet-lagging from my 5th annual golf outing in St. Augustine.  The new hip responded brilliantly, though the rest of my body (as well as my overall game) felt my nearly 60 years age.  However, I was dubbed the "putting machine" after back-to-back par-birdie performance in the middle of my round on Saturday before running out of gas.  The only disappointment of the weekend was observing how few of my Sigma Chi brothers had a clue to the season's exploits of our beloved Dutchmen gridders.  Too busy swapping lies from the '70s to the amusement/boredom of our spouses.

Though I will refrain from gloating over Tuesday's election results, I am nonetheless breathing much easier than last week.  California voters approved a temporary tax increase that prevents my family income from shrinking by 15% this year, and defeated another that would have silenced my voice and those of my colleagues.  Best of all, due to the leadership of my brilliant wife, our local identified, supported, and helped elect an education-friendly school board candidate.

And now let's turn to Week #11 in college football.

Union (5-4) at RPI (5-3); last week W 51-7 vs. Merchant Marine.  It took MMA only 8 plays and 3:18 to draw first blood.  Then the Dutchmen threw, kicked, and ran for 482 yds. while spending less time on the field than the Sailors.  Union played spectacularly on both sides of the ball, demonstrating why it’s a solid favorite to retain the venerable Dutchman’s Shoes when the Garnet travel down Route 7 to take on the RPI Enginerds.  PICK:  Union, because we're ALWAYS better than RPI.

Air Force (5-4) at San Diego State (7-3); last week L 21-42 vs. Army.  BREAK UP THE BLACK KNIGHTS!!  The Academy is overwhelmed by an inspired Corps of Cadets both on and off the field.  OK, that’s taking a bit of literary license but it makes for happy nephews and gives extra meaning to this year's Army-Navy game.  This week the banged-up Falcons travel to “America’s Finest City”  to take on a very good Aztec team that crushed Army 42-7 in Week #2.  More significantly, they upset Boise State last week....and on the Blue Moss at that.  Sorry, brother…easy pickin’s at sea level.  PICK:  suddenly shocking San Diego State.

Army (2-7) at #24 Rutgers (7-1); last week W 42-21 vs. Air Force.  Despite the unexpected drubbing of Air Force last weekend, this is Rutgers…which is no Air Force.  Not much of a road trip, actually but sufficient to go back to West Point with the season’s eighth loss.  Greg Schiano may have taken his talents to the NFL, but the Scarlet Knights remain formidable.  PICK:  THE State University of New Jersey.

Navy (6-3) at Troy (4-5); last week W 24-17 vs. Florida Atlantic.  Suddenly the Mids are the hottest team east of Montgomery, AL.  FAU wasn’t much of a challenge, and Navy should handle a rebuilding Troy team that lost to the Owls just two weeks ago by seven.  I'll try to overlook the fact that Navy's two top RBs are named "Gee Gee" and "K".  PICK:  The resurgent Navy Goats.

BYU (5-4) vs. Idaho (1-8); last week idle.  Another meaningless notch on the Cougars’ belt, the Vandals pose no threat to BYU’s effort to become bowl-eligible in its first year of football independence.  By the way, it seems like every day I get a notification about a new series BYU is setting up with teams around the country to help fans forget this season full of cupcakes.  PICK:  BYU in a lackluster effort.

#21 USC (6-3) vs. Arizona State (5-4); last week L 51-62 vs. Oregon.  Where do I begin?  This week’s scandal:  equipment manager who let air out of the game balls during the loss to Oregon.  Of course, the typically classy Trojan staff threw the poor lad under the Figueroa Street bus, disavowing any knowledge, complicity, or responsibility for this heinous act.  In my world, this makes SoCal ripe for an upset, though the Sun Devils aren’t exactly considered a pushover anyway.  PICK:  Arizona State (just don't tell my mother-in-law I said so).

New Mexico (4-6) vs. Wyoming (2-7); last week L 7-35 vs. UNLV.  Like the aforementioned Idaho, Wyoming doesn’t play enough defense to keep pace with the Lobos.  One more victory on the horizon (Colorado State during Week #13) and this season’s doormat will get a phone call to go bowling.  PICK:  New Mexico.