Cougs Tempt the Fates and Get a Fortunate Win

    Whew. Or, should I say: whewee!! The team was pretty much done in their own end zone. Fourth down, ten yards to go. Needing at least field goal position, more than half the field away. But at minimum ten impossible yards. The Cougar QB Retzlaff was sacked in the endzone. Game over. Undefeated season done in the second Saturday of November.

    But no! There was defensive holding on a Ute. By name of Zemaiah Brown, I think. Wow. The call gave BYU new life, in front of 50,000 frothing fans. The biggest ever in Rice-Eccles history. The city, and maybe stadium, of the future and past Winter Olympics. 2032? 2030? Whichever. This night, late enough to play into Sunday, it was the Holy War played out once more. First since 2021. Now BYU has won its own little intrastate rivalry streak. Two in a row. After their painful nine throughout the 2010s, against our religious school. Church versus state, the classic tail.

    The first half was riddled with errors and poor play. The favored Cougars of Provo trailed 10 to 21. If not for an interception that led to 3 points, and the fantastic kick-off return by Keenan Marion, the 3 consecutive touchdowns by the Utes would have meant a near-impossible come-back. Plus, BYU botched the clock at the end of the half, substituting poorly to lose precious time, lining up wrong to spike the ball. No chance at a field goal cut the lead a little.

    

    The second half started poorly, also, wasting timeouts to no avail, getting stuffed. Utah looked tough. They were. Especially on defense throughout the game.

    So, this was a lucky reprieve. Someone, today at work, walked by and said [BYU] stole it. I replied that sometimes "larceny is necessary."

    Kansas bombed away on formerly ranked Iowa State, so the next game, also a late nighter, may prove difficult in the Sunflower State. Manhattan? No, Lawrence! But, BYU handled the UCF threat, that beat (check that, narrowly lost to Arizona State) their opponent yesterday, so I think there is reason for optimism for the future.

    And more importantly, BYU football is now 9-0, highly ranked, and their dream season is alive. (Originally I thought that they had 10 victories, like IU. Three more games this month.)  Injuries? One more offensive lineman down, but maybe he could return. And targeting... Yes, did we? My other team, IU, lost a guy. More on another post about that. Maybe.

    Will Ferrin, the Cougar kicker, was the man to make the win finally count. After great movement to Roberts, Lassiter, and Ropati. More receivers needed to get involved. More should, like Kingston and a few more: Tight Ends Hill and Ma'ase, or Swanson.

    Wow. Lucky, fortunate, opportunistic. And alive in the leader position of the Big 12, undefeated and getting ready to go next. Game 11.

    What a year. Pretty flawless so far. This year, 2024, might just be the season to remember the most.

    Who knows? We do not, us loyal Cougar fans and followers.

    Kiem, the tackle or guard, was hurt. We now have a late-night game against Kansas, then Arizona State, and then Houston before a presumed Big 12 championship game in Arlington, Texas. I just read as of Tuesday that Connor Pay will come back to play the Jayhawks this Saturday, as Kiem may still be out.

    What can these Cougars do? Time will tell.

[EDITS added a few times]

The Bottom 259 -- How Many Had no Defeats before Friday, the first Week of the Season?

 102U Mass (1-0)--9610598

103North Texas (1-0)--9711299

104UC Irvine (0-0)--100108100

105Geo Mason (1-0)--101109101

106St Bonavent (1-0)--102111102

107GA Tech (1-0)--100

108103108Duquesne (0-1)--71108104

109Bradley (1-0)--93109106

110St Josephs (1-0)--102110105

111E Washingtn (1-1)--107125107

112UAB (1-1)--99112109

113Santa Clara (1-0)--107126108

114Notre Dame (1-0)--110118110

115Charlotte (1-0)--111121111

116S Dakota St (1-0)--113153113

117N Iowa (1-0)--114126125

118Villanova (1-1)--77118116

119Lipscomb (1-1)--98167112

120McNeese St (0-1)--74120115

121W Carolina (0-0)--114122114

122High Point (1-0)--116123117

123Oklahoma St (1-0)--118135119

124Michigan (1-0)--120152120

125Hofstra (0-0)--125133

126126NC-Wilmgton (0-0)--126132128

127Belmont (0-0)--119131131

128NC-Grnsboro (1-0)--118132118

129Wichita St (1-0)--122165122

130TX-Arlington (0-0)--116130123

131UCSD (0-1)--131145132

132Troy (1-0)--120139121

133Colgate (0-0)--133150135

134Arkansas St (1-0)--123134124

135N Florida (2-0)--129241129

136LA Tech (0-0)--117136127

137Stony Brook (1-1)--137166166

138Columbia (2-0)--138259138

139Tarleton St (0-1)--113139137

140Oakland (0-1)--115140133

141UC Davis (1-1)--141171149

142Akron (0-1)--124142134

143Davidson (0-0)--139143139

144Drexel (0-0)--137145144

145App State (0-1)--86145136

146Seattle (0-1)--120146140

147Louisville (1-0)--13821014

1148Montana (0-0)--142152142

149Towson (0-1)--147149147

150Wyoming (0-0)--143151151

151Mass Lowell (0-0)--145151146

152W Virginia (1-0)--143157145

153Chattanooga (0-2)--130153130

154Weber St (0-0)--152160152

155TN Martin (1-0)--149196163

156Sam Hous St (0-1)--128156143

157Lg Beach St (0-0)--157177162

158Harvard (1-0)--153215153

159Hawaii (0-0)--159178160

160La Salle (1-0)--156180156

161Morehead St (0-1)--127161155

162Furman (0-0)--146162148

163Rhode Island (1-0)--159200159

164Vanderbilt (1-0)--157166157

165NC-Asheville (0-1)--146165154

166S Illinois (0-1)--131174174

167Temple (1-0)--163188167

168Bryant (0-0)--154170169

169Tulane (0-0)--166175170

170Toledo (0-1)--136170158

171Kent St (1-0)--154202161

172Missouri St (0-1)--140180180

173E Tenn St (0-0)--156173164

174Miami (OH) (1-0)--155240165

175Ohio (0-1)--155175168

176Geo Wshgtn (1-0)--176204178

177Quinnipiac (0-1)--173186177

178Liberty (1-0)--160178172

179Wofford (0-0)--164179171

180Tulsa (0-0)--177191179

181Youngs St (0-0)--138181173

182E Carolina (0-0)--179197181

183Monmouth (0-1)--178192189

184Saint Louis (0-1)--161186186

185Rider (1-1)--184233184

186N Alabama (1-0)--173246182

187Utah Valley (0-0)--156187183

188St Peters (0-1)--185209185

189Texas St (1-0)--168189176

190St. Thomas (0-0)--187206187

191Ste F Austin (0-0)--163191190

192N Colorado (0-0)--192199197

193Cal St Nrdge (1-1)--193240199

194UC Riverside (0-1)--194215202

195Fordham (0-1)--194197195

196Fairfield (0-1)--174199196

197E Kentucky (0-0)--176216188

198Longwood (0-0)--183198191

199Gard-Webb (0-1)--190199193

200IPFW (0-0)--164200194

201Mercer (0-0)--188201192

202Missouri (0-1)--198206203

203W Kentucky (0-1)--144203200

204Pepperdine (1-0)--204260204

205Northeastrn (1-0)--205250209

206Austin Peay (0-0)--185222198

207Illinois St (1-1)--179252252

208UCSB (0-0)--208231210

209Fresno St (0-0)--203213213

210Georgetown (1-0)--210232215

211Abl Christian (0-0)--185211205

212Central Mich (1-1)--167214175

213Neb Omaha (1-0)--213290271

214Montana St (0-1)--214225214

215Stetson (0-1)--140215150

216Norfolk St (0-0)--205217217

217Wright St (0-1)--172217206

218Winthrop (0-0)--206218208

219S Mississippi (1-1)--193220201

220Rice (1-0)--214251216

221Murray St (0-0)--193231231

222Evansville (0-1)--187233233

223TX El Paso (0-0)--192223211

224CS Fullerton (0-1)--224245225

225Iona (0-1)--220255220

226Louisiana (0-1)--159226207

227Kansas City (0-0)--224239224

228Portland St (0-1)--226235226

229North Dakota (0-1)--229244234

230N Kentucky (0-1)--181230218

231Brown (0-1)--184251230

232AR Lit Rock (0-0)--212232227

233U Penn (2-0)--221261221

234CS Bakersfld (0-1)--234258241

235Grambling St (0-0)--201235222

236Cal Baptist (1-0)--208236235

237Cleveland St (0-1)--176237228

238Merrimack (0-0)--221240240

239Georgia St (1-0)--216239223

240Nicholls (0-1)--219240236

241TX A&M-CC (0-1)--217241239

242W Illinois (1-1)--194242242

243Queens (0-0)--214247219

244Marist (0-1)--236253243

245Idaho St (0-2)--245266255

246San Diego (0-1)--196246245

247WI-Milwkee (0-1)--189247212

248Delaware (1-1)--186256254

249Maine (0-1)--235249246

250Central Conn (0-1)--234257248

251Loyola Mymt (0-0)--243251247

252Fla Gulf Cst (0-1)--222253237

253N Hampshire (0-1)--228257251

254Jacksonville (0-1)--219265232

255Bowling Grn (0-1)--218255238

256IL-Chicago (0-0)--221259259

257Niagara (0-1)--253277253

258Denver (0-1)--258282261

259Radford (0-1)--238259249

260WI-Grn Bay (0-1)--207260250

261Kennesaw St (0-0)--232274244

262Portland (0-0)--259268260

263N Arizona (0-0)--263271264

264Canisius (0-1)--263279263

265UTSA (0-0)--255275262

266Middle Tenn (0-0)--231266258

267Marshall (0-0)--248267256

268Mercyhurst (1-1)--14363269

269Lamar (0-0)--248269267

270GA Southern (1-0)--262292266

271Binghamton (0-1)--264277274

272Mt St Marys (0-0)--272295275

273Chicago St (0-1)--272281273

274N Mex State (0-0)--254274270

275S Alabama (0-1)--223275265

276Oral Roberts (0-1)--276298282

277S Utah (0-0)--267278278

278TX Southern (0-1)--256278272

279Howard (0-1)--272281281

280TN State (0-0)--267286279

281Citadel (0-1)--276288277

282Utah Tech (0-1)--273284284

283Air Force (1-1)--270313311

284N Dakota St (0-1)--257284257

285Alcorn St (0-2)--263285280

286NC Central (0-1)--278286286

287Campbell (0-1)--287300288

288Sac State (0-0)--287304287

289Ball St (0-1)--276289283

290Presbyterian (0-1)--285291285

291DePaul (2-0)--291319314

292Wagner (0-1)--283293292

293Jksnville St (0-1)--252293268

294Lehigh (0-2)--289309301

295S Car State (0-0)--290296294

296SIU Edward (0-1)--287297293

297Beth-Cook (0-1)--280297289

298Jackson St (0-1)--284298290

299American (0-1)--299317303

300UL Monroe (0-1)--286300291

301Elon (0-1)--301312305

302SC Upstate (0-1)--296302296

303Maryland BC (0-0)--302305304

304Coastal Car (1-0)--295318300

305San Jose St (0-1)--262306306

306W Michigan (0-1)--287306298

307Florida Intl (0-1)--285307299

308Delaware St (0-1)--299308308

309Idaho (0-1)--302314302

310Albany (0-1)--283317312

311Boston U (0-1)--311315313

312Charl South (0-2)--294312297

313Bellarmine (0-1)--303325307

314Sacred Hrt (0-2)--311316316

315E Michigan (0-1)--306315309

316N Illinois (0-1)--294316310

317SE Louisiana (0-0)--308317315

318Navy (0-1)--318333318

319Lafayette (0-1)--319332321

320E Illinois (0-1)--316324319

321F Dickinson (0-1)--319322320

322Alab A&M (0-0)--310322317

323Dartmouth (0-0)--323330323

324Le Moyne (0-2)--302324324

325Wm & Mary (0-0)--325329329

326Army (1-0)--325348327

327Siena (1-0)--326356326

328Alabama St (0-1)--315328322

329TN Tech (0-1)--324337328

330Valparaiso (0-1)--305330330

331Central Ark (0-2)--323335325

332Manhattan (0-1)--332341332

333Hampton (0-0)--333334334

334Buffalo (1-0)--328350331

335NC A&T (0-1)--335338335

336Rob Morris (0-2)--323336333

337Holy Cross (0-1)--337345337

338NJIT (0-1)--330340339

339Cal Poly (0-2)--339350342

340TX-Pan Am (0-2)--338341338

341Ark Pine Bl (0-1)--329341336

342Morgan St (0-1)--327344344

343Old Dominion (0-1)--321343343

344NW State (0-0)--340345345

345Loyola-MD (0-1)--345353347

346LIU (0-1)--343346346

347Maryland ES (0-2)--344350350

348S Indiana (0-2)--345349349

349Florida A&M (0-2)--342349348

350Prairie View (0-1)--336350340

351New Orleans (0-1)--346351351

352SE Missouri (0-1)--349352352

353Lindenwood (0-1)--352354353

354St Fran (PA) (0-1)--354355355

355Incar Word (0-1)--352355354

356Pacific (0-0)--355357356

357VMI (0-0)--356359357

358Hsn Christian (0-0)--357358358

359W Georgia (0-2)--13359359

360Stonehill (0-1)--358360360

361Coppin St (0-2)--360363362

362IU Indy (0-0)--361362361

363Detroit (0-1)--362363363

364Miss Val St (0-1)--364364364

    I captured this before last night Friday's games, and some of the above teams finally won, and lost, and simply played. I was interested to see a few teams and schools that I did not know much about before. OH! I meant to go by Wegman's today. I was going to buy a basketball magazine...

        Mercyherst. Or, Mercyhurst. Lindenwood? I had confused that with a Virginia school lately, which is close to Radford, and even this second I forget it..

   I hope to cover the undefeated, which will get smaller and smaller as the days and weeks come.

    A healthy distraction? Maybe.

    QUICK REVIEW of the list of the bottom 363, which I misnamed at the time in the title... So many teams, but I would love to get a list of how many per state.

    Oh, West Georgia? Huh, that is new to me. And the proliferation of Division I schools and teams will grow, for now, into the near future.

    Then the 68 in March, and one remains in April.

    But likely not undefeated like the Indiana Hoosiers of 1976. That is okay. Winning the NCAA is good enough, with one or eight season losses, whatever.

    Most of us will lose at the end, and not advance to the champions' throne. And that is okay.

    We win by playing, learning, and participating.

    Thanks for sharing. And may the Hoosiers or the Brigham Young Cougars go all the way.

    Cheers.

    

    

Undefeated in 2024 and 2025 - Men's Basketball Hopes and Dreams - Part 1

Undefeated in 2024 and 2025 - Men's Basketball Hopes and Dreams

    Division one college basketball started Monday or Tuesday. Today is Friday; some of the 364 teams have not played yet. Many will play tonight, and certainly all by tomorrow. The season is underway, and there are maybe 150 undefeated teams now. Again, some are 0-0 as I write. Many are playing non-D-1 schools, which makes the math weird at times. But, here is a RPI list of the unblemished so far. 

    I have hopes for the Hoosiers and Cougars, as always. But not UConn! Nor Duke. Nor UNC nor Kentucky. Nor Kansas... The perennial blue bloods, and IU, a former killer, is among those wasted... For so long. 2013 was the promised year, and we faltered like wimps.  Like so many years that wound up, one and one, or not even making the tourney. Last years of Knight, then Davis, and Crean, and Miller... Now Woodson. Fourth year. We shall see.

    Let us start with the thus far victorious. According to TeamRankings. Not sure how solid they are. TeamRankings.com: Sports Predictions, Rankings & Stats

    1. Bucknell ! 2-0. If they make the Sweet 16 this spring I will buy everyone a candy bar. Are they in Philly?

    2. Iowa. 2-0. Hmmm... Solid year-in, year-out, producing pros, but they never sniff the Final Four, right?

    3. South Dakota. 2-0. Jack Rabbits? What conference is that? Big Sky? I have been scouring stories looking a seasonal magazine... Need to try a Harris Teeter. Well, Wegmans would be the answer. Yeah. Saturday on the way home...

    4. Wait.

    Not sure why Southern and Texas A&M Com (Commerce?) are 4 and 5 and both are 0-2. Weird. 

    6. (really fourth, I think). UCLA. 1-0.

    7. Colorado. 1-0.

    8. Connecticut. 1-0.

    9. Arizona. 1-0.

    10. Purdue 1-0.

    11. Utah 2-0.

    12. Stanford 1-0. Playing as we type. Beating Cal State Fullerton by twenty with two minutes to go. CSF had already lost, so 0-2 for them. Join Southern and TAM-Com.

    13. Houston. 1-0. Sampson. I left him out of my former IU coaches... And our former player at the end of that fateful 2008 season... The one who stopped Jordan at North Carolina. Oh, the lore.

    14. Gonzaga. 1-0.

    15. N. Carolina. 1-0. Against KU. Time now. (7:12)

    16. Oregon State. 1-0.

    17. Illinois. 1-0.

    18. Auburn. 1-0. Formidable lately.

    19. Tennessee. 1-0. Rebuild?

    20. Duke. 1-0. Schmook. Flagg is the ringer. From Maine? Yeah.

    21. Iowa State. 1-0.

    22. Oregon. 1-0. The one with green, not orange.

    23. Alabama. 1-0. Apparently good.

    24. Marquette 1-0. Catholic schools start much too late.

    25. Florida. 2-0. UCLA, Duke, Florida, UConn. The denominator? Back-to-back champs. Not common at all.

    26. USC. 2-0. No Bronny, no problem.

    27. Creighton. 1-0.

    28. Wisconsin. 2-0.

    29. Kentucky. 1-0. Boooooooh! Not scared, just "yuch".

    30. San Diego State. 1-0.

    31. St. Mary's 2-0.

    32. Michigan State. 2-0.

    33. Utah State. 1-0.

    34. Nevada. 1-0.

    35. N.C. State. 1-0.

    36. Kansas. 1-0. Playing UNC now! 7:10 pm.

    37. Clemson. 1-0. They have had some big men.

    38. Nebraska. 1-0.

    39. Northwestern. 1-0. Good luck, Cats. You always need it.

    40. Ohio State. 1-0.

    41. Pittsburgh. 1-0. The football team will better, I predict.

    42. Boise State. 1-0.

    43. Dayton. 1-0.

    44. Fla Atlantic. 1-0.

    45. Washington. 1-0. Welcome to the Big-Ten. I hope we crush you in Bloomington, and rip your heart out in Seattle.

    46. Baylor. NOT! 0-1. I saw some of the loss to 'Zaga.

    47. New Mexico. 1-0

    48. BYU. 1-0. Rise and shout! New coach, new championships!

    49. Colorado State. 1-0. Go, Rams! (Shout out to you, Captain A.)

    50. Texas Tech. 1-0

    51. California. 2-0. Mark Madsen? Yes. Now with the ACC.

    52. St. Johns. 1-0. My buddy played there.

    53. Seton Hall. 1-0.

    54. Virginia. 1-0.

    55. James Madison. 1-0.

    56. Miss. State. 1-0.

    57. Wake Forest. 2-0.

    58. Grand Canyon. 1-0. Newer and bigger, will join Mountain West.

    59. Indiana. 1-0. All the way!

    60. Drake. 0-0. Who knows? 

    61. (No: Texas A&M 0-1) 62. Texas Christian. 1-0.

    63. Va Tech. 1-0.

    64. Oklahoma. 1-0.

    65. Syracuse. 1-0.

    66. Yale. 1-0.

    67. Not TEXAS! 0-1.

    68. 69. Cinncy. 1-0.

    70. Washington State. 1-0.

    71. UNLV. 1-0.

    72. Boston College. 1-0.

    73. Kansas State. 1-0.

    74. Richmond. 0-0. Tonight, Spiders?

    75. Minnesota. 1-0.

    76. 77. Florida State. 1-0.

    78. Providence. 1-0.

    79. UCF. 1-0.

    80. Princeton. 1-0.

    81. Memphis. 1-0.

    82. VCU. 1-0. 

    83. 84. Penn State. 1-0.

    85. College of Charleston. 1-0.

    86. Samford. 0-0. Hmmmm...

    87. Mississippi. 1-0.

    88. Loyola Chicago. 2-0.

    89. Maryland. 1-0.

    90. Georgia. 1-0.

    91. Butler. 1-0.

    92. Cornell. 0-0. Esta noche, tal vez.

    93. Arizona State. 1-0.

    94. San Francisco. 1-0.

    95. 96. Xavier. 1-0.

    97. SMU. 2-0.

    98. Rutgers. 1-0.

    99. Arkansas. 1-0.

    100. LSU. 1-0.

    101. Miami. 1-0. 

    Okay, if the potential undefeated team is not in the above, which comes out to 90 or so now, then this chart is whack. Like 4 an 5, above. Has to be a mistake. Anyway, if I do this later, the list will have changed, and there will be less. Like, KU or UNC will lose in an hour or so. So...

        

    Could it happen this season? First time since IU in 1976? Doubt it. Probably will be all with at least one loss by mid-January. 2025. By the new/old President.