Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week of 11/28/2011

Now in its 6th season, Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of November 28, 2011:

1. LSU (SEC Champion)
2. Alabama (At Large SEC)
3. Oklahoma State (Big 12 Champion)
4. Stanford (At Large PAC 12)
5. Virginia Tech (ACC Champion)
6. Houston (C-USA Champion)
7. Oregon (PAC 12 Champion)
8. Boise State (At Large Mountain West)
9. Arkansas (At Large SEC)
10. Michigan State (Big 10 Champion)
11. Oklahoma (At Large Big 12)
12. TCU (Mountain West Champion)
13. West Virginia (Big East Champion)
14. Arkansas State (Sun Belt Champion)
15. Northern Illinois (MAC Champion)
16. Louisiana Tech (WAC Champion)

Dropped out: Louisville (#15, Big East Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
SEC (3), Big 12 (2), Mountain West (2), PAC 12 (2), ACC (1), Big 10 (1), Big East (1), C-USA (1), MAC (1), Sun Belt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Louisiana Tech at (1) LSU
(9) Arkansas at (8) Boise State
(12) TCU at (5) Virginia Tech
(13) West Virginia at (4) Stanford
(11) Oklahoma at (6) Houston
(14) Arkansas State at (3) Oklahoma State
(10) Michigan State at (7) Oregon
(15) Northern Illinois at (2) Alabama

Round 2
(8) Boise State vs (1) LSU
(5) Virginia Tech vs (4) Stanford
(6) Houston vs (3) Oklahoma State
(7) Oregon vs (2) Alabama

Round 3
(4) Stanford vs (1) LSU
(3) Oklahoma State vs (2) Alabama

Championship Game
(2) Alabama vs (1) LSU

Porter Out At Memphis?

Several media outlets, including The Commercial Appeal and ESPN, are reporting that Larry Porter has been dismissed as the head coach of the Memphis football program.  Porter was hired because of his ties to Memphis (played football for the Tigers) and his recruiting skills at Oklahoma State and LSU. Memphis fans quickly learned that being an ace recruiter at top 5 football schools doesn't guarantee the leadership skills needed to be a head football coach. In Porter's two seasons, the Tigers have finished with a 3-21 record.

So who will be the next head coach? Rumors are flying that Houston Nutt may be in line. This would be a horrible choice. Nutt may have been a solid coach at one point, but he is past his prime.

The better option would be Arkansas State head coach Hugh Freeze. The former Briarcrest coach is familiar with Memphis and would have the support of some of the major donors.

How much longer can the Memphis athletic department survive under the less-than-stellar leadership provided RC Johnson? 

Thanksgiving, Football

I hope everyone is having a Happy Thanksgiving weekend! As usual, the best parts of the holiday are family time and food. Unfortunately, the new trend is to see how much violence will transpire during Black Friday activities. The stories, just out of Memphis, this year are priceless. Little old ladies getting shoved to the ground to save $10 on a gift. Come on people. Do it online, it is much easier.

Will today be Larry Porter's last day at the head coach of the Memphis Tigers? The Tigers are 35 point under dogs as they travel to Hattiesburg to take on Southern Miss in the annual Black and Blue game. A victory over the Golden Eagles may save Porter's job, but it is safe to say that new coach should be running the show next year. Hopefully not Houston Nutt and hopefully with a new athletic director.

Here's the picks for this week.


Last Week: 4-2
Season: 50-22 (69%)

Southern Miss over Memphis
Alabama over Auburn
Michigan over Ohio State
Tennessee-Knoxville over Kentucky
Tennessee Titans over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
New Orleans Saints over New York Giants
Weekly Liberty Bowl Projection: Southern Miss vs Tennessee-Knoxville
Houston should win Conference USA. If the Cougar's finish 13-0, they will be in Sugar Bowl. This opens up the door for bowl officials to invite Southern Miss. Another option may be for bowl officials to take a Big East team. The Vols should lock up a bowl bid today with a win over hapless Kentucky.

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week of 11/21/2011

Now in its 6th season, Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of November 21, 2011:

1. LSU (SEC Champion)
2. Alabama (At Large SEC)
3. Arkansas (At Large SEC)
4. Stanford (At Large PAC 12)
5. Virginia Tech (ACC Champion)
6. Oklahoma State (Big 12 Champion)
7. Boise State (At Large Mount West)
8. Houston (C-USA Champion)
9. Oregon (PAC 12 Champion)
10. Michigan State (Big 10 Champion)
11. Oklahoma (At Large Big 12)
12. TCU (Mountain West Champion)
13. Arkansas State (Sun Belt Champion)
14. Northern Illinois (MAC  Champion)
15. Louisville (Big East Champion)
16. Louisiana Tech (WAC Champion)

Dropped out: Clemson (#7, ACC Champion), Cincinnati (#13, Big East Champion), Nevada (#16, WAC Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
SEC (3), Big 12 (2), Mountain West (2), PAC 12 (2), ACC (1), Big 10 (1), Big East (1), C-USA (1), MAC (1), Sun Belt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Louisiana Tech at (1) LSU
(9) Oregon at (8) Houston
(12) TCU at (5) Virginia Tech
(13) Arkansas State at (4) Stanford
(11) Oklahoma at (6) Oklahoma State
(14) Northern Illinois at (3) Arkansas
(10) Michigan State at (7) Boise State
(15) Louisville at (2) Alabama

Round 2
(8) Houston vs (1) LSU
(5) Virginia Tech vs (4) Stanford
(6) Oklahoma State vs (3) Arkansas
(7) Boise State vs (2) Alabama

Round 3
(4) Stanford vs (1) LSU
(3) Arkansas vs (2) Alabama

Championship Game
(2) Alabama vs (1) LSU

Music Notes, Huey's Tamales, Football

Chilli &Tamales from Huey's

Two great bands are in town this weekend. Drivin N Cryin is playing at the Hi-Tone tonight and Reckless Kelly is playing at Newby's on Saturday night.

The quest for the best tamales in Memphis made a stop at Huey's. The tamales pretty good, but I couldn't tell if it was the tamale, the loads of chilli they were swimming in or a combination of both. Either way, I recommend them.

Memphis Best Tamales Rankings (as of 11/17/2011)
1. Bosco's Sqaured - Black Bean & Goat Cheese Tamale
2. Jack Magoo's - Miss Sherry's Tamales
3. Huey's - Chilli and Tamales

With all of the negativity aimed at Conference USA football, it's hard to believe that the Conference USA championship game may be a "play in" for a BCS birth. Say what? With the Big East Champion likely to be ranked behind the Conference USA or Mountain West champion, it opens the door for Houston and Southern Miss from C-USA and TCU from the Mountain West. By rule, they will only have to finish in the Top 16 of the final BCS standings.If Houston wins out, they are definitely in. It will be interesting to see how things will play out if TCU and Southern Miss both win out. Both teams have two weak regular season games remaining, but USM will most likely play Houston in the C-USA championship game. A Golden Eagles win over the Cougars may boost them into the Top 16. Either way, who would have thought that a C-USA team would be in the running for a BCS game.

After a brief hiatus, both Memphis and Mississippi have returned to ESPN's Bottom 10.

Here's the picks for this week.

Last Week: 5-1
Season: 46-20 (70%)

Marshall over Memphis
Arkansas State over Middle Tennessee State
Arkansas over Mississippi State
Vanderbilt over Tennessee-Knoxville
Houston over SMU
Tennessee Titans over Atlanta Falcons

Weekly Liberty Bowl Projection: Southern Miss vs Vanderbilt

Houston should win Conference USA. If the Cougar's finish 13-0, they will be in Sugar Bowl. This opens up the door for bowl officials to invite Southern Miss.Vandy is looking like the best choice from the SEC.

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week of 11/14/2011

Now in its 6th season, Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of November 14, 2011:

1. LSU (SEC Champion)
2. Oklahoma State (Big 12 Champion)
3. Alabama (At Large SEC)
4. Oregon (PAC 12 Champion)
5. Oklahoma (At Large Big 12)
6. Arkansas (At Large SEC)
7. Clemson (ACC Champion)
8. Virginia Tech (At Large ACC)
9. Stanford (At Large PAC 12)
10. Houston (C-USA Champion)
11. Michigan State (Big 10 Champion)
12. TCU (Mountain West Champion)
13. Cincinnati (Big East Champion)
14. Arkansas State (Sun Belt Champion)
15. Northern Illinois (MAC Champion)
16. Nevada (WAC Champion)

Dropped out: Boise State (#5, Mountain West Champion), Penn State (#12, Big 10 Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
SEC (3), ACC (2), Big 12 (2), PAC 12 (2), Big 10 (1), Big East (1), C-USA (1), MAC (1), Mountain West (1), Sun Belt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Nevada at (1) LSU
(9) Stanford at (8) Virginia Tech
(12) TCU at (5) Oklahoma
(13) Cincinnati at (4) Oregon
(11) Michigan State at (6) Arkansas
(14) Arkansas State at (3) Alabama
(10) Houston at (7) Clemson
(15) Northern Illinois at (2) Oklahoma State

Round 2
(8) Virginia Tech vs (1) LSU
(5) Oklahoma vs (4) Oregon
(6) Arkansas vs (3) Alabama
(7) Clemson vs (2) Oklahoma State

Round 3
(4) Oregon vs (1) LSU
(3) Alabama vs (2) Oklahoma State

Championship Game
(2) Oklahoma State vs (1) LSU

Downtown Dining Week, Football

Memphis' 3rd Annual Downtown Dining Week takes place next week (November 14 - 20, 2011). Enjoy three-course dinners or special offers in participating Downtown restaurants all week!

Memphis fans give R.C. Johnson a ton of hell for his perceived mishandling of the Tigers athletic department, but it's safe to say everyone is happy that there isn't a Penn State situation going on off of Highland. Wow, what a mess in Happy Valley. Everyone involved in the football program should be fired at the end of the season. Penn State's educational accrediting board (Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools) should also place the school on probation for allowing the athletic department to hold too much power over the university's administration and leadership.


Here's the picks for this week.

Last Week: 4-2
Season: 41-19 (68%)

Centre College over Rhodes
Memphis over UAB
Georgia over Auburn
Oregon over Stanford
New Orleans Saints over Atlanta Falcons
Tennessee Titans over Carolina Panthers

Weekly Liberty Bowl Projection: Houston vs Vanderbilt

Houston looks to be the class of Conference USA, although Southern Miss may give them problems. Let's give Vandy a shot to come to the Bluff City. The Commodores have a little fight in them this year.

Memphis Wins Championship, Rudy Gay All-Star Game Update, New Cooper Young Restaurant

Congratulations to the Memphis Tigers women's soccer program for having an undefeated regular season (21-0-1) and winning the Conference USA Championship. As a #4 seed, they will host Tennessee-Martin Saturday at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex at 7pm. The winner will move on to face the winner of Dayton and Louisville.

Tickets are still available for Rudy Gay's All-Star Game tonight at the DeSoto Civic Center. Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Tyreke Evans, John Wall and more are expected to play. Proceeds from the game will benefit the Flight 22 Foundation, Gay's non-profit organization that raises funds for childhood education.

A new restaurant will be opening at the corner of Cooper and Young. Mulan Chinese Bistro will be opening the space that used to be the home of Blue Fish and The Reef. The restaurant will feature two styles of Chinese food, described as American-Chinese food and Szechuan-style food. Mulan should be open in the next few months. It's good to see another restaurant opening in the Cooper-Young area.

Nutt Out In Oxford, Jack Magoo's, Tamales

It is being widely reported that Houston Nutt will announce his resignation effective at the end of the season at Mississippi at a 2pm presser. The big question is why did it take so long? Nutt should have been let go last year. It appears that athletic director Pete Boone will also be a casualty. Here's the short list of names I'm hearing to replace Nutt...Terry Bowden (HC at North Alabama), Hugh Freeze (HC at Arkansas State), Skip Holtz (HC at South Florida), Mike Leach (former HC at Texas Tech), Gus Malzahn (OC at Auburn), Kirby Smart (DC at Alabama) and Kevin Sumlin (HC at Houston).

Memphis fans and boosters should get the same ball rolling, especially if Memphis loses to UAB this weekend.

I had the opportunity to go to Jack Magoo's over the weekend to watch football games. Located on Broad Avenue, Jack Magoo's is a great place to gather for drinks, grab a bite to eat and to watch sports. There isn't a bad view in the place.

Speaking of Jack Magoo's food, I noticed there were tamales on the menu, so I gave them a try. They were a little spicy, but overall were very good. I'd definitely get them again, but Bosco's still has the lead.

Memphis Best Tamales Rankings (as of 11/7/2011)
1. Bosco's Sqaured - Black Bean & Goat Cheese Tamale
2. Jack Magoo's - Miss Sherry's Tamales

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week of 11/7/2011

Now in its 6th season, Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of November 7, 2011:

1. LSU (SEC Champion)
2. Oklahoma State (Big 12 Champion)
3. Stanford (PAC 12 Champion)
4. Alabama (At Large SEC)
5. Boise State (Mountain West Champion)
6. Oregon (At Large PAC 12)
7. Oklahoma (At Large Big 12)
8. Arkansas (At Large SEC)
9. Clemson (ACC Champion)
10. Virginia Tech (At Large ACC)
11. Houston (C-USA Champion)
12. Penn State (Big 10 Champion)
13. Cincinnati (Big East Champion)
14. Arkansas State (Sun Belt Champion)
15. Nevada (WAC Champion)
16. Northern Illinois (MAC Champion)

Dropped out: Nebraska (#9, At Large Big 10), Toledo (#14, MAC Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
SEC (3), ACC (2), Big 10 (1), Big 12 (2), PAC 12 (2), Big East (1), C-USA (1), MAC (1), Mountain West (1), Sun Belt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Northern Illinois at (1) LSU
(9) Clemson at (8) Arkansas
(12) Penn State at (5) Boise State
(13) Cincinnati at (4) Alabama
(11) Houston at (6) Oregon
(14) Arkansas State at (3) Stanford
(10) Virginia Tech at (7) Oklahoma
(15) Nevada at (2) Oklahoma State

Round 2
(8) Arkansas vs (1) LSU
(5) Boise State vs (4) Alabama
(6) Oregon vs (3) Stanford
(7) Oklahoma vs (2) Oklahoma State

Round 3
(4) Alabama vs (1) LSU
(3) Stanford vs (2) Oklahoma State

Championship Game
(2) Oklahoma State vs (1) LSU

Best Tamales, Rudy Gay All-Stars, Football

Black bean and goat cheese tamale @ Bosco's

What's the best place in Memphis to get tamales? I know there are many restaurants in town that sell great tamales, but I haven't nailed down the best one yet. I'm going to hit up a few restaurants of the next few weeks to find out who the winner is. The first stop was at Bosco's for their black bean and goat cheese tamale. Even without meat, it was a tasty tamale. Where's should I go next?

Rudy Gay's charity all-star game is looking like it could me a must see event if you are a professional basketball fan. With big names like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul, it will have a NBA all-star game feel. Last I heard, tickets are still available. 

Yet another round of conference realignment was in the rumor mill this week. It appears that the Big East wants to add Conference USA members Central Florida, Houston and SMU as all sports members, Mountain West members Boise State and Air Force as football only members and Navy as a football only member. Once again, Memphis has been looked over in the process. If the Tigers had a .500 football team, Memphis would easily be on the list. There has to be a way to put more focus on the football group while maintaining a top-notch basketball program. Here's to hoping the next version of Conference USA and the Mountain West can still provide a quality of football that can get a look at BCS AQ inclusion.


Here's the picks for this week.

Last Week: 4-2
Season: 37-17 (69%)

Birmingham Southern over Rhodes
Mississippi over Kentucky
Arkansas State over Florida Atlantic
Alabama over LSU
New Orleans Saints over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cincinnati Bengals over Tennessee Titans

Weekly Liberty Bowl Projection: Houston vs Vanderbilt

Houston looks to be the class of Conference USA, although Southern Miss may give them problems. Let's give Vandy a shot to come to the Bluff City. The Commodores have a little fight in them this year.

Vanelli's, Rudy Gay, Memphis Airport

I had the opportunity to re-visit Vanelli's Deli in Germantown yesterday and I can't wait to get back. If you make the drive out east, try The 'Ami, a sandwich with pastrami, genova salami, filzette salami, Provolone, green pepper, red onion, lettuce, tomato and Vanelli's Italian dressing. Something new on the menu is the muffaletta.

Here's an early thank you for Rudy Gay for setting up a basketball exhibition game. The Grizzlies had a ton of moment coming off of last year's play off run, but the sizzle has faded away with the current NBA lockout. Details of the game will be announced later today, but of right now the game is rumored to be on November 8 at the Desoto Civic Center.

For the longest time, Larry Cox, president and CEO of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority, has said that Memphis has some the most competitive airfare prices in the country. Memphis travelers have often wondered if Cox was confused. Apparently it's not just Memphians who feel we are getting hosed at the airport. An annual convention is moving to Kansas City because of the growth of the convention and because "the flight costs were an issue. Memphis is one of the most expensive airports in the country." As Delta continues to reduce capacity in and out of Memphis while raising prices, Cox and the rest of his team need to find other carriers to increase flights to and from Memphis and put pressure on Delta to reduce fares. It's time to bring competition to the airport that will benefit all parties (the airport, airlines and travelers), not just FedEx and Delta.