Kevin Brewer's Season III TECH BOWL PREVIEW
The matchup is set. There won't be two weeks of media hype. In the TFFL, we just like to get it on. Week 16. Tech Bowl. Be there. Aloha.
The top-seeded Jayhawks will take on the third-seeded Bottlerockets in one of the most bitter rivals in all of sports. There's the Bears-Packers. The Yankees-Red Sox. The Giants-Dodgers. Oregon vs. Oregon State. And the Jayhawks vs. the Bottlerockets, TFFL's own version of the Hatfields vs. the McCoys.
But first -- how they got here:
The Jayhawks took out Hominy Swampers, the surprise team of the second half of the season, by 16 points. The 'Hawks were favored by nine and covered. The Swami told you to take the Swampers and the nine points, but then again, the Swami looked like Walter Mondale in '84.
In the other bracket, the Bottlerockets pulled off one hell of an upset of the Collard Greens, the league's points leader, by 18 points. Here's one thing the pundits forgot: The 'Rockets are 8-0 on the road while playing on grass as the underdog in an elimination game.
The Swami is now 3-3 against the line with one game left. This is what I like to call a must-pick game.
Down the stretch, the Jayhawks have relied on Randall Cunningham and the Seahawks D. But this is the Big One. They have to have a more balanced attack. Brett Favre's off-year has kept the Bottlerockets from being a truly great team. They have also looked cocky and have talked a lot of trash in the papers this week. The 'Rockets used a lot of fire power last week in what may have been their Tech Bowl. Take the poised-and-ready Jayhawks and give the seven points.
BOWLING, ANYONE? The Pro Bowl selections came out this week, and the Collard Greens led the TFFL with five selections: Randy Moss, Jimmy Smith, Doug Flutie, Terrell Davis and Jamal Anderson.
Here are the rest of the breakdowns:
The Jayhawks (3): Randall Cunningham, Chris Chandler, Eddie George
The Bottlerockets (2): Garrison Hearst, Cris Carter
Hominy Swampers (3): John Elway, Ed McCaffery, Mark Chmura
The Weathermen (3): Vinny Testaverde, Antonio Freeman, Wesley Walls
Carolina Killers (3): Marshall Faulk, Eric Moulds, Shannon Sharpe
Berserkers (3): Steve Young, Barry Sanders, Jason Elam
T-Bird 2 (2): Jermaine Lewis, Jerry Rice
Gamblers (3): Gary Anderson, Keyshawn Johnson, Ben Coates
What do these numbers mean?
a. It is a pretty balanced league
b. Nothing. They are based on reality football; this is fantasy
football.
c. The Collard Greens should win or their defense will have a lot of
explaining to do.
d. Fred Taylor was snubbed.
e. all of the above.
OTHER NOTES: The announcers for Tech Bowl have been set. Bill Murray will do the play-by-play, and Mr. T will provide analysis and paralysis. The sideline reporter will be the San Diego Chicken.