It was on November 6th, 1869, that Rutgers and Princeton played the very first college football game “on the banks of the Raritan” as the Rutgers fight song says. One of the things I love about college football is how far back its history goes. It feels odd to think that Ulysses S Grant was Continue reading
Tag Archives: Sport
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COLLEGE FOOTBALL!
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARDS FOR NOVEMBER 5TH
DANGER: Cougar on the prowl
Don’t let the dazzling smile fool you! This is Dianne Zajdel, known to her coworkers as “The Queen of the Cougars”, even though she thinks the term is “Kruegers”. Dianne’s Official College Football Team, the St Xavier University Cougars are still ranked number one in the NAIA poll, and for the 2nd time this season they will square off against the number 2 team in those rankings. This time around the Marian University Knights are the team occupying the number 2 spot. SXU is still coached by Mike Feminis, and since his Cougars are on the road that means he’ll be showing a bad movie on the team bus, a habit of his revealed by his players last season in their interview with Balladeer’s Blog. The Marian Knights, meanwhile, have been making me look like a gridiron Nostradamus following my prediction before the 2010 (yes, 2010) season that they were about to explode in a big way. The Knights have been showing that last year’s playoff run was no fluke and have been even more impressive this year with their number 2 ranking the highest in the team’s history. Both Marian and SXU come into this pigskin Armageddon boasting 9-0 records. While some people are Continue reading
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COOL FOOTBALL HELMET: SANTA MONICA COLLEGE CORSAIRS
Location: Tokyo, Japan. I’m kidding! – Santa Monica, CA
Site: http://www.smc.edu/Pages/default.aspx
Comment: “Raise the skull and crossbones, lads!” Pirate imagery is incredibly popular for sports teams and Continue reading
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NOTEWORTHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM OCTOBER 29TH
SOUTHERN NAZARENE RULES THE WORLD – The NAIA’s 20th ranked SOUTHERN NAZARENE UNIVERSITY CRIMSON STORM embraced the tradition of beating up on teams from supposedly higher divisions yesterday by taking it on the road and pummeling NCAA Division 2’s PANHANDLE STATE AGGIES 28-7. The Crimson Storm (love that name) improves to 7-2 for the year. Every week this season at least one NAIA team has defeated a team from D2 as well as taking down multiple teams from NCAA Division 3.
NUMBER ONE TAKES A FALL – In a collision of SCFA titans the top- ranked SADDLEBACK COLLEGE GAUCHOS fell on the road to the defending champs, the MT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE MOUNTIES in a magnificent 38-34 gridiron masterpiece. The Mounties were themselves ranked number one earlier in the season before falling to the RIVERSIDE TIGERS, who look to move up from number 2 now that the Gauchos have fallen.
NUMBER THREE TAKES A FALL – D2’s 3rd ranked BLOOMSBURG HUSKIES were stunned at home by the unranked C.W. POST PIONEERS. The final score was 24-21 in this game where Post proved they can indeed close out a big game after all. Congratulations to the Pioneers for persevering and notching the kind of signature win their program has been looking for for some time now.
NUMBER ONE SURVIVES A SCARE … AGAIN – For the 2nd week in a row the NJCAA’s top- ranked BLINN BUCCANEERS, where Cam Newton played his college ball before transferring to Auburn, had to survive a very tight game. The Bucs were on the road against the CISCO COLLEGE WRANGLERS who gave the number 1 team almost more than they could handle in a 39-37 Instant Classic.
OREDIGGERS KICK BEAR BUTT IN BUTTE – As Balladeer’s Blog noted yesterday, the number 24 ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE BATTLIN’ BEARS from the NAIA have been up and down all season to the point where you never know which team will show up. Yesterday they wore their Mr Hyde faces for Halloween, and the homestanding MONTANA TECH OREDIGGERS trounced RMC by a score of 34-14. This was just the 2nd victory of the year for the struggling Orediggers who improve to 2-7.
TOP 25 UPSETS – NAIA – In addition to RMC falling the 9th ranked ST FRANCIS (IL) FIGHTING SAINTS suffered a road loss to the Continue reading
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COOL FOOTBALL HELMET: GOLDEN WEST COLLEGE RUSTLERS
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Site: http://www.gwcathletics.com/
Comment: Rustlers is definitely a next- level cool nickname and those helmets are terrific. In fact, the team’s entire uniform is great, with green jerseys and gold pants like Oregon used to sport before they decided to change uniforms every week. GWC is still ranked and by the way, Michelle Continue reading
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NOTEWORTHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM OCTOBER 22ND
SOUTHERN OREGON RULES THE WORLD – Another Saturday, another NAIA college football team takes down a higher division opponent! This week the SOUTHERN OREGON RAIDERS joined the other NAIA teams in bringing down an NCAA Division 2 team in a gripping 31-28 win over the SIMON FRASER CLAN (as in Scottish clan). Simon Fraser is one of the Canadian institutions that compete in American intercollegiate sports divisions. The Raiders trailed 21-3 at one point before turning the tables on the Clan. Every week this season at least one NAIA team has toppled a D2 or higher team.
NUMBER TWO TAKES A FALL – NCAA Division 2’s 2nd ranked ABILENE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS lost on the road to the number 13 MIDWESTERN STATE MUSTANGS in a mind-blowing 70- 28 manhandling. If anyone outside the MSU locker room says they saw this coming, they’re lying, trust me. A nice trivia note is that Abilene Christian is where the fathers of Colt/ Case McCoy and Jordan/ Jaxon Shipley played their college football … and yes, they too were roommates, little dreaming of the tradition they were starting.
NUMBER ONE SURVIVES A SCARE – Meanwhile D2’s top-ranked DELTA STATE STATESMEN had to struggle to hold on at home against the 10th ranked VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS in a tight 36-33 affair. The number 1 team in D3 had a fight on their hands yesterday, also, as the defending champs, the WHITEWATER WARHAWKS, survived a road tussle with the 20th ranked OSHKOSH TITANS by a score of 20-17. Continuing this theme the NJCAA’s top ranked BLINN COLLEGE BUCCANEERS, where Cam Newton played his college ball before transferring to Auburn, also had a tough road fight against the KILGORE RANGERS, but improved to 8-0 with a 52-45 win.
TOP 25 UPSETS – NAIA – The number 8 AZUSA PACIFIC COUGARS fell at the LINDENWOOD LIONS in a 38-31 Instant Classic … The 17th ranked CUMBERLAND BULLDOGS needed a last- minute field goal to do it, but they upset the number 14 BETHEL (TN) WILDCATS in an unforgettable 36-34 gridiron duel … And the unranked CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS stunned the number 25 team, the SHORTER HAWKS, by a score of 35-10. Both teams now have identical 4-3 records.
TOP 25 UPSETS – NCAA DIVISION 3 – Continue reading
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARDS FOR OCTOBER 22ND
The NAIA’s 5th ranked MidAmerica Nazarene Pioneers (helmet at left) will host the number 7 Benedictine Ravens today in a crucial matchup in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. The Pioneers are the defending HAAC champs but Benedictine currently tops the conference standings. MNU will be led by quarterback Sean “How Bad” Ransburg as they take on the Ravens’ revered defense, which is 2nd in the nation in scoring and 4th overall.
The battle for the Frontier Conference title may well be decided today as the CC Fighting Saints are Continue reading
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COOL COLLEGE FOOTBALL HELMET: CONCORDIA (AL) HORNETS
Location: Selma, AL
Comment: That is one buff hornet! Not at all like those Continue reading
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLLS WEEK OF OCTOBER 17TH
The Blinn College Buccaneers (helmet at left), the team for which Cam Newton played before transferring to Auburn, are still ranked number 1 in the NJCAA Poll after holding on to win a 30-27 nail- biter with Trinity Valley this past Saturday. As expected the Delta State Statesmen are the new number 1 in D2 after they took down the previously top-ranked North Alabama Lions (coached by THE Terry Bowden) in last Thursday night’s overtime classic. No change to the number one teams in the other divisions covered by Balladeer’s Blog.
NAIA – 1. ST XAVIER UNIVERSITY COUGARS … 2. MARIAN KNIGHTS … 3. CC FIGHTING SAINTS (defending champs) … 4. GEORGETOWN (KY) TIGERS … 5. MIDAMERICA NAZARENE PIONEERS … 6. MORNINGSIDE MUSTANGS … 7. BENEDICTINE RAVENS … 8. AZUSA PACIFIC COUGARS … T9. MISSOURI VALLEY VIKINGS … T9. WILLIAM PENN STATESMEN … 11. ST FRANCIS (IL) FIGHTING SAINTS … 12. ST FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS … 13. ST AMBROSE FIGHTING BEES (love that name) … 14. BETHEL (TN) WILDCATS … 15. OTTAWA (KS) BRAVES … 16. VCS VIKINGS … 17. CUMBERLAND BULLDOGS … 18. DOANE TIGERS … 19. DAKOTA WESLEYAN TIGERS … 20. BETHANY SWEDES … 21. SOUTHERN NAZARENE CRIMSON STORM … 22. EASTERN OREGON MOUNTAINEERS … 23. NORTHWESTERN (IA) RED RAIDERS … 24. LANGSTON Continue reading
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NOTEWORTHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM OCTOBER 15TH
AZUSA PACIFIC RULES THE WORLD YET AGAIN – The NAIA’s AZUSA PACIFIC COUGARS went on the road and eviscerated NCAA Division 2’s DIXIE STATE RED STORM by a score of 48-19. Over the years Azusa Pacific has wracked up an impressive number of wins against upper division teams, even taking down Division 1’s San Diego Toreros in their own house in the 2010 season. And so far this season every Saturday has found at least 1 NAIA team upsetting a D2 team. Add to that the sheer number of D3 teams who have had their butts kicked by NAIA teams this year and you can easily say the NAIA has owned the NCAA this season.
WAYNE STATE’S WORLD – Both D2 teams called Wayne State were ranked and both were upset yesterday. The 4th ranked WARRIORS fell to the ASHLAND EAGLES 20-17 and the 25th ranked WILDCATS were knocked out of the rankings by the CONCORDIA-ST PAUL GOLDEN BEARS 27-24.
TOP 25 UPSETS – NAIA – Yesterday I had put the 4th ranked MISSOURI VALLEY VIKINGS on upset alert as they took it on the road against the number 9 BENEDICTINE RAVENS. For the 2nd week in a row number 4 took a fall as the Ravens handed MVC a 35-19 smackdown … The unranked BACONE WARRIORS knocked the number 23 NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE RANGERS out of the rankings with a 35-28 victory, just one week after the Rangers upset the then- number 10 SOUTHERN NAZARENE CRIMSON STORM.
TOP 25 UPSETS – D3 – The Continue reading
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