I have this notion.

This hunch if you will, that Boise State is about to lose. Sounds crazy, I know. But the thing about a stunning upset? Nobody's really going to talk about it. So, let me tell you why this can happen. And why this most likely won't.

1) Hawaii is freaking spectacular through the air.
The worst aspect of their game is in terms of completion percentage. 64.0% is good for 31st nationally. Then it's 11th in terms of yards per attempt, and they are the best in the world in terms of passing touchdowns, touchdown to interception ratio, and passing yardage. It's awesome numbers. And there's no reason why it can't continue.

2) They generate turnovers.
You need to be a ballhawking team if you're looking to shock the world. And Hawaii is talented at winning the turnover battle. 26 turnovers is good for 2nd in the country. A turnover margin of 11 is good enough for 4th. If this is to happen, you need to find success in this respect. Boise doesn't make many mistakes, but Hawaii can take advantage.

3) They make with the first downs.
218. Tied for 3rd. More first downs than Auburn and Baylor. Good for 11th in terms of per game. That means these kids sustain drives. And lord knows they will need to do it.

And yet? Because it's Boise State, and the game is in Boise. There are real reasons for this to be the fever dreams of someone desperate for content.And not just because it's a road game for the Rainbow Warriors.

1) They're 111th in Rush Offense.
Which is legitimately terrible to be sure, but the fact of the matter is that they weren't exactly likely going to get untracked against Boise State's 2nd ranked Rush D. There's gonna be a lot of off tackles for a yard and a half up in there.

2) They give up a bunch of sacks.
20 sacks in 9 games. Kinda terrible, it's tied for 88th in the nation. Though they have overcome this when they faced teams that generate sacks like Army and Fresno State, but Boise State is the sort of team where they have additional power to their defense. See point #1 for further proof. See point #3 for further further proof.

3) Boise State is a step up in Passing D weight class.
They're 8th in Pass Yardage. And as such? They are a few ticks better than Army and Fresno State. And a lot of ticks better than a USC. It's an unknown how exactly Hawaii is going to work against a defense such as this. Then again? Army and Fresno State gave up a combined 54-86 with 719 yards and 6 scores against an interception.so Hawaii could bring something to the table.

So what does it all mean. It means that Hawaii is probably going to have a game much like their game against USC, without USC chasing points from the two point conversions. Boise State's going to have a solid game. But Hawaii will be hanging around. Hanging around.

They'll be in a situration, a 4th and 4 from the 33, down by like 9. And it'll be midway through the third quarter. They hit the situation, and they'll go down to the wire. They don't?

They cover. Barely.

In Which I Discuss Matters of Trappery in the SEC

You want to see where the top teams of the SEC can get taken down? You do? Bless your heart. We’re going to show you where you can look for an upset and we can do it…

http://ping.fm/c9Llk

Please do enjoy.

Serious baseball question...

How difficult is it to teach a player a breaking ball? I say this with the least amount of snark possible. It's a question I'd like to know.



It's a question Eulogio De La Cruz would like to know as well. The Padres designated him for assignment today. And it's a question that intrigues me, because you see so many relievers who don't have even one pitch like his fastball who manage a long career. But now he has a chance to be going on team #4. His fastball means that it's going to happen.

But he can't lock into the second pitch. And until he does? He will keep bouncing from team to team.

Maybe the White Sox can work the miracle.

Another Reason for people to trust John McCain?

He voted against American divestment from South Africa during the "heyday" of Apartheid.

Six times.

And let's see what sort of system McCain fought to keep alive, shall we?

1. An amendment to the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act of 1949 prohibited marriage between persons of different races.

2. An amendment to the Immorality Act of 1950 made sexual relations with a person of a different race a criminal offence.

3. The Population Registration Act of 1950 formalised racial classification and introduced an identity card for all persons over the age of eighteen, specifying their racial group.

4. The Suppression of Communism Act of 1950 banned the South African Communist Party and any other political party that the government chose to label as 'communist'. It made membership in the SACP punishable by up to ten years imprisonment.

5. The Riotous Assemblies Act of 1956 prohibited disorderly gatherings.

6. The Unlawful Organisations Act of 1960 outlawed certain organisation that were deemed threatening to the government.

7. The Sabotage Act was passed 1962, the General Law Amendment Act in 1966, the Terrorism Act in 1967 and the Internal Security Act in 1976.

8. The Group Areas Act, passed on 27 April 1950, partitioned the country into different areas, with different areas allocated to different racial groups. This law was the basis upon which political and social separation was constructed.

9. The Bantu Authorities Act of 1951 created separate government structures for blacks. It was the first piece of legislation established to support the government's plan of separate development in the Bantustans.

10. The Prevention of Illegal Squatting Act of 1951 allowed the government to demolish black shackland slums.

11. The Native Building Workers Act and Native Services Levy of 1951 forced white employers to pay for the construction of housing for black workers recognized as legal residents in 'white' cities.

12. The Reservation of Separate Amenities Act of 1953 prohibited people of different races from using the same public amenities, such as restaurants, public swimming pools, and restrooms.

13. The Bantu Education Act of 1953 crafted a separate system of education for African students under the Department of "Bantu" Education.

14. The Bantu Urban Areas Act of 1954 curtailed black migration to cities.

15. The Mines and Work Act of 1956 formalised racial discrimination in employment.

16. The Promotion of Black Self-Government Act of 1958 entrenched the NP's policy of separate development and created a system of nominally independent "homelands" for black people.

17. Instead of all Native delegate systems founded under the Natives Representative Act of 1936, schemes for "self–governing Bantu units" were proposed. These national units were to have substantial administrative powers which would be decentralised to each "Bantu" unit and which would ultimately have autonomy and the hope of self-government. These national units were identified as North-Sotho, South-Sotho, Tswana, Zulu, Swazi, Xhosa, Tsonga and Venda. In later years, the Xhosa national unit was broken further down into the Transkei and Ciskei. The Ndebele national unit was also added later after its "discovery" by the apartheid government. The government justified its plans on the basis that South Africa was made up of different "nations", asserting that "(the) government's policy is, therefore, not a policy of discrimination on the grounds of race or colour, but a policy of differentiation on the ground of nationhood, of different nations, granting to each self-determination within the borders of their homelands - hence this policy of separate development."

18. The Bantu Investment Corporation Act of 1959 set up a mechanism to transfer capital to the homelands in order to create employment there.

19. The Extension of University Education Act of 1959 created separate universities for blacks, coloureds and Indians. Under this act, existing universities were not permitted to enroll new black students. Fort Hare University in the Ciskei (now Eastern Cape) was to register only Xhosa-speaking students. Sotho, Tswana, Pedi and Venda speakers were placed at the newly-founded University College of the North at Turfloop, while the University College of Zululand was launched to serve Zulu scholars. Coloureds and Indians were to have their own establishments in the Cape and Natal respectively.

20. The Physical Planning and Utilisation of Resources Act of 1967 allowed the government to stop industrial development in 'white' cites and redirect such development to homeland border areas.

21. The Black Homeland Citizenship Act of 1970 marked a new phase in the Bantustan strategy. It changed the status of the black so that they were no longer citizens of South Africa, but became citizens of one of the ten autonomous territories. The aim was to ensure whites became the demographic majority within South Africa by having all ten Bantustans choose "independence". Not all the homelands chose to become self-governing. Those who did choose autonomy were the Transkei (1976), Bophuthatswana (1977), Venda (1979) and the Ciskei (1981).

22. The Afrikaans Medium Decree of 1974 required the use of Afrikaans and English on an equal basis in high schools outside the homelands.

Sure. John McCain has judgement to lead. Sarah Palin is a Maverick. The Republicans have a Will and Persistence to lie to you. And Corey Hart is negative clutch.