BLOGPOLL BALLOT #5a

Rank	Team	Delta
1	LSU	—
2	Oklahoma	—
3	Southern Cal	2
4	Florida	—
5	West Virginia	2
6	California	1
7	Texas	1
8	Ohio State	4
9	Penn State	4
10	Wisconsin	2
11	Boston College	15
12	South Carolina	14
13	Oregon	13
14	Louisville	5
15	Rutgers	2
16	Arkansas	6
17	Hawaii	1
18	Cincinnati	1
19	South Florida	1
20	Alabama	6
21	Kentucky	5
22	Georgia	8
23	Michigan State	3
24	Clemson	3
25	Georgia Tech	3

BLOGPOLL BALLOT #4

Rank	Team	Delta
1	LSU	1
2	Oklahoma	3
3	West Virginia	2
4	Florida	—
5	Southern Cal	2
6	Texas	1
7	California	1
8	Wisconsin	—
9	Louisville	—
10	Arkansas	3
11	UCLA	4
12	Ohio State	—
13	Penn State	3
14	Georgia	3
15	Nebraska	3
16	Hawaii	1
17	Rutgers	2
18	South Florida	3
19	Cincinnati	7
20	Michigan State	3
21	Clemson	3
22	Georgia Tech	3
23	TCU	3
24	Auburn	10
25	Washington	1

Discussion:

• I didn’t move West Virginia down; I moved LSU and Oklahoma up to where I thought they belonged.
• The Texas/Cal swap is because I like the way Texas pulled itself together and started taking it to TCU in the second half.
• Most of the rest of the movement in the poll stems from vacuums created by TCU, Auburn, Virginia Tech (who have NOT looked like a top 25 team AT ALL in their two games), and Boise State.
• I have officially purchased a ticket for the Brian Kelly Greatness Express, and I’m guessing that after losing to Northern Iowa 24-13, Iowa State is wishing they’d bought a ticket for the BKGE too.

TRYING TO BE CHARITABLE TO A MUCH-MALIGNED PORK PRODUCT

I’ve never seen even one second of The Sopranos, meaning that all I can talk about is the incipient Spam-related turf war between Burger King and McDonald’s:

For many Americans, spam is a four-letter word for unwanted e-mail. In Hawaii, Spam is a beloved comfort food, with cans of the gelatinous pork bricks found in virtually every cupboard.

Hoping to cash in on Hawaii’s love affair with the pinkish meat product, Burger King Corp. last month began offering Spam for breakfast — going head-to-head with rival McDonald’s Corp., which has been featuring Spam in the islands for years.

Burger King is offering the Spam Platter — two slices of Spam nestled between white rice and scrambled eggs. The fast-food giant also offers the Croissanwich or Biscuit Sandwich with Spam.

I grew up eating Spam–occasionally, and mostly at my grandparents’ house–and was actually out of high school before I realized that some people thought the stuff was gross. I was amazed to learn a few years ago that Spam is tremendously popular in many of the Pacific Rim nations. In Korea they even give Spam as gifts. That’s done here in the US as well, though mostly by college students who have been invited to birthday parties for people they really don’t like all that well.

I’m not expecting Spam McMuffins or a Whopper with Spam, Spam, Spam, eggs, bacon, sausage, and Spam at my local drive-thru any time soon. But it would be nice if Spam, the product, got a little more love than it does.

I THINK I WROTE THIS IN A PREVIOUS LIFETIME

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish a happy 73rd, 165th, 240th, 679th, 914th, 2,342nd, and 16,511th birthday to Shirley MacLaine.

(S)ELECTION DAY

On the same day my beloved North Central Conference gets fitted for a toe tag comes word that Iowa has apparently found a new head basketball coach, with a press conference expected by about this time tomorrow. Irresponsible speculation is our specialty around here, so let’s examine the possibilities–who’s the next guy for the Hawkeyes?

Kirk Speraw, head coach, Central Florida: Lots of folks are just assuming it’s him at this point. Speraw is a former Hawkeye player who comes endorsed by the last unquestionably good head basketball coach in Iowa City: Lute Olson. Personally, right now, I don’t think it’s him. Don’t ask me why; I just don’t. Speraw’s hiring would probably cause Iowa message boards to implode–”Oh, great, another guy named Kirk that nobody’s ever heard of”–and some people might even call that a bad thing.

Reggie Theus, head coach, New Mexico State: This would be a certain attention-grabber and, honestly, Theus may be the only candidate anybody out there has actually heard of. Theus has done okay for himself recruiting kids to come to Los Cruces; recruiting to Iowa City might be easier. However, this would be a “novelty hire” and everyone would more or less know that Theus wasn’t going to be a long-term answer in Iowa City.

Rick Majerus, professional head-coaching candidate: He’s been offered free burritoes for life by Panchero’s Mexican Grill if he takes the job. I only wish I was making that up. I don’t think he’s a serious candidate.

Steve Lavin, ditto: No burritoes for him, though.

Todd Lickliter, head coach, Butler: A last-minute possibility, but I’m not sure Iowa wants to tab a Missouri Valley coach again.

Lon Kruger, head coach, UNLV: Says he’s not a candidate. We all know what that means.

Tom Crean, head coach, Marquette: Supposedly being reported by a radio station in Omaha. I have my doubts, but I report what other people report, you decide what other people decide.

Somebody Else, somebody else: Here’s my pick. A total surprise candidate. I guess we’ll find out.

PING ANYBODY

Hey, I’m back. Our little encounter with norovirus is now far behind us, and we’ve returned from our Greek Orthodox Christmas in Iowa. Given the number of encounters we’ve had with bad luck traveling in January, however, we’re now thinking about celebrating one of two new holidays:

1. Fiscal Christmas (June 25), or
2. Chreaster (variable).

Meanwhile, we call your attention to this post, wherein we predicted that Urban Meyer would play for (but not necessarily win) a national title sometime in his first two seasons at Florida. Ignore me at your own risk.

DEAR S. CLAUS

That nasty intestinal virus was definitely not on anybody’s list.

LAND HO HO HO

Merry Christmas from TBP!

LIKE WE SAID . . .

. . . there is no way Rich Rodriguez is going to Alabama.

Hey Bama fan: Wanna know why you can’t find or keep a coach? Look in the mirror . . .

HAWKPOCALYPSE NOW

Tough times to be Hawkeye, these are. First of all, the university is getting dangerously close to a no-confidence vote directed at the Board of Regents, who thus far have failed to hire a president to replace David Skorton. Not even the intervention of your next president, Gov. Tom Vilsack, has been able to settle the situation. The Board of Regents apparently wants to hire someone with significant past experience in health care administration, reflecting the significance of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Outside observers are calling for someone with a more traditional academic background, suggesting instead that a vice-president could be hired to serve as a liaison between the administration and UIHC. At the center of it all is Regents president Michael Gartner, whom you may remember.

Meanwhile, The Haircut has no idea why one of his players transferred to Silo Tech. But don’t worry; everything’s fine in Iowa men’s basketball . . .