Bob Bowlsby is a Great Choice

The Big 12 Conference hit a home run last week when it hired Bob Bowlsby as new commissioner.

Twelve to 18 months ago it seemed everybody was fleeing the Big 12, now the conference lands one of the country’s most respected college athletics leaders.

Bowlsby did an outstanding job as athletic director at Stanford. He helped lead a program that stresses academics and athletics. Bowlsby could have stayed at Stanford probably for a long time, but apparently he wants the challenge of guiding a league that is finally heading in a positive direction.

Many wondered if the Big 12 would survive after Colorado and Nebraska left. Then Missouri and Texas A&M did the same. There were rumors that if Texas and Oklahoma left, it was the end of the league. But both schools recommitted. Now, TCU and West Virginia are coming on board this year. The skies are turning blue in Big 12 land.

Interim commissioner Chuck Neinas had a big hand in saving the conference. Bowlsby’s job is to make the Big 12 an elite league again. All signs point to that happening with this home run hire.

Baylor's Women's Basketball Train Keeps Rolling

The Baylor women’s basketball team is chasing a NCAA title and history.

If the Lady Bears are stressed about the process, they didn’t play like it Monday night. Baylor earned a trip to the Final Four with a 77-58 drubbing of Tennessee.

Guard Odyssey Sims led Baylor with 27 points. Yes, Virginia, the Lady Bears do have other weapons beside Brittney Griner. Griner made her presence known however. The 6-8 post player scored 23 points, collected 15 rebounds and nine blocks. She is hard to stop when near the basket and she is the most intimidating shot blocker in the women’s game.

Griner left the game early literally and figuratively. She was replaced late in the game and figured to watch the rest from the bench. But with 49.6 second left Sims and Tennessee’s Shekinnia Stricklen exchanged words and shoves which resulted in Griner and a couple teammates leaving the bench to act as peacemakers. Leaving the bench is a definite no-no in college basketball. So Griner and her teammates were banned to the locker room.

There will be no future suspensions in the incident which is good news for Baylor. The Lady Bears have a Final Four semi-final date with Stanford Sunday.

With two more victories, Baylor will not only win its second national championship but finish with a 40-0 record—the most victories in a season for women’s or men’s competition.

Stanford's Andrew Luck Runs Out of Luck

I was cheering for Stanford Saturday night against Oregon. The Stanford boys are easy to embrace: Andrew Luck, true student-athletes and an outstanding academic institution.

But, you knew heading into the game, the Cardinal faced a difficult test. Stanford had recently survived against Southern Cal in a wild overtime game and frankly it looked vulnerable. Plus, Oregon is a fast and athletic team.

All these factors made it feel that Stanford’s undefeated season would come to an end. The hutch was correct. Match, set, Oregon 53-30.

The game was never close unless you count 0-0. Stanford quarterback Luck is indeed a great talent. But the poor guy needs help. Too many mistakes, took many dropped passes and out-of-sync overall play doomed the Cardinal.

Stanford’s national championship hopes are basically gone. It has fallen to ninth place in the BCS. It’s difficult to leapfrog a number of teams this time of year. The Cardinal need a football miracle and I don’t think it will happen.

But regardless, Stanford will remain an interesting team to watch. Luck is the reason Stanford has won nine games so far this season. With some other luck, they could have been 10-0.

Watch Some College Football Saturday

There is a number of interesting college football matchups tomorrow (Saturday).

Stanford is the No. 1 team on upset alert this week. The Cardinal has visions of playing for a possible national championship, but this week’s game at Southern California (USC) should test Stanford’s resolve. The probation-ridden Trojans are in the unusual spoiler role and would like to put a blemish on this Andrew Luck team.

Is Kansas State for real? We will find out this week when the undefeated Wildcats host Oklahoma. It’s a bad time to play the Sooners after Texas Tech upset Oklahoma last Saturday. If the Sooners still want to cling to small hopes of a national championship, they cannot lose any more games.

Undefeated Oklahoma State hopes to continue its push for a national championship when the Cowboys host Baylor. The Bears can score points but probably cannot stop the Cowboy offense. This game could end up 73-55.

Has Michigan State come down from its miracle win over Wisconsin? The Spartans travel to Nebraska tomorrow and it should be a tight one. Both are one-loss teams but the Spartans are undefeated in Big Ten Conference play.

Wisconsin hopes to avoid another loss this week. The Badgers travel to Ohio State Saturday. The road was a pitfall in East Lansing last Saturday, but one-loss Wisconsin needs to rebound if it wants to compete for a conference championship game.

What games are you watching this weekend? What team do you think should be on upset alert?

Good for Stanford's Andrew Luck

Stanford ‘lucked' out yesterday when quarterback Andrew Luck announced his was returning to school and postponing his entrance to the National Football League (NFL).

Luck may have been the No. 1 player taken in the draft but decided to continue working on his architectural design degree and of course, play football at the California school.

I say good for him. Enjoy the full college experience. Have fun. Earn your degree. Continue learning life lessons in a college environment. You can always work. The college life at a youthful age only happens once.

Luck is obviously an outstanding football player and a good student. He’s at Stanford. Isn’t that termed the Harvard of the West? Athletics and academics are serious business at Stanford. Luck is a student-athlete in the full sense of the term.

Stanford’s successful season was one of college football’s feel good stories. And with Luck returning, that success could definitely continue next season. Maybe Luck’s decision might convince his much sought-after coach (Jim Harbaugh) to return to northern California too.

Jim Harbaugh Should Stay in College

Stanford football coach Jim Harbaugh is one sought after fellow.

Last night, he helped guide the Cardinal to a win over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl that cemented an amazing 12-1 record. I stated yesterday that TCU’s Rose Bowl win was the biggest new story of 2011, well Stanford’s season is 1b.

Stanford’s success has led to many Harbaugh suitors. Rumors have Harbaugh linked to NFL jobs like San Francisco and Denver and at his alma mater, Michigan. Harbaugh is in a good professional spot.

Obviously, Harbaugh needs to do what’s best for him and his family. But I would like to see him stay coaching in the college ranks. From a distance, Harbaugh seems like a good guy. He cares about his players. He’s a tough but fair coach. Why not continue to make a difference in the lives of young men 18-22?

Harbaugh should really weigh the quality of life issue. College football is a business, but pro football is really, really a business. In the sports world, it’s tough to beat a Saturday afternoon or night at a college football game. It’s a great experience.

The college game needs guys like Harbaugh. Do us a favor Jim and keep making your living on Saturdays in the fall.

Happy New Year

I want to provide you warm wishes for a great 2011. The year 2010 is about in the books here in the middle section of the United States. Lots of interesting stuff happened in the college sports world in 2010 and look for the same in 2011.

I'm thinking the Stanford women's basketball team will remember 2010 for a long time. The Cardinal will recall that Dec. 30 it ended Connecticut's 80-game win streak.

This Iowa-Penn State Matchup Looks Lopsided

While most TV sets will air either Oregon-Stanford or Florida-Alabama, most sets in Iowa and some in Pennsylvania will turn to the game in the corn state.

Iowa and Penn State have staged some close games over the years with Kirk Ferentz usually besting Joe Pa. By the way, Ferentz being a Pennsylvania native probably takes great delight in beat the Lions.

Most expects don’t give Penn State much of a chance in this one. The Hawkeyes have too many weapons on both offense and defense. And with a non-experienced quarterback, Penn State figures to lack in scoring production against that tough, tough Iowa defense.

But maybe Joe Pa likes his underdog status. He can sneak through the backdoor rather than go through the front. Some people question whether Joe Pa has the athletes anymore, so a surprise in Iowa City would be more notable.

Iowa already has an unexpected losing falling to Arizona a couple weeks ago. The Hawkeyes want to get back into the national picture and setup the game with Ohio State in the near future.

Ferentz will have Iowa ready.

Stanford-Oregon Game Should be a Dandy

One of the most interesting games this Saturday takes place in Eugene, Oregon, when Oregon hosts Stanford.

Let’s face it. This is a real road game for most folks in the country. It’s on the West Coast, but the TV folks have it scheduled for a decent time for the entire country.

You have to like the storylines for this Pac-10 contest.

Oregon is the higher ranked team and playing in front of loud, rowdy fans. The Ducks have gained a national following in recent years winning consistently. But they pardon the pun, duck out of a big game on occasion. This is a big game.

The Stanford Cardinal is a media darling this season. You will catch them via ESPN, Sports Illustrated and other outlets. Stanford’s coach, Jim Harbaugh, is a rising coach and many wonder how long he will reside at Stanford. Harbaugh played for Bo Schembechler at Michigan. Enough said. He is a tough guy with an ability to coach today’s athlete.

Stanford needs this victory to reinforce its “We’re a major player on the national stage now” chant. Oregon has the most to lose in this game for reasons stated already (home field, higher ranking). Therefore, they need the win to show folks they are more than Phil Knight’s boys and wild uniforms.

I’m not making a prediction in this one, but I think the Cardinal has a good shot of winning.