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Cheer up, Penn State fan. According to our own Adam Collyer, we’re not out of the playoff race just yet. And if you don’t buy any of his argument, then consider this: after having our guts ripped out in Columbus, we now know what our intestines look like. How many folks can say that on a Tuesday morning? Not many.
Not enough? You need more positivity? Well, not to beat a dead horse, but we have no current pedophilia scandals (knock on wood). So we’ve got that going for us, which is nice.
In other words, things could be, and have been, much, much worse, friends. Let’s take a gander at this week’s slate of games.
Big Ten
| AWAY | HOME | STADIUM | Midfield | Nose Bleeds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #3 Ohio State | Iowa | Kinnick | $103 | $69 |
| #7 Penn State | #24 Michigan State | Spartan | $96 | $50 |
| Minnesota | Michigan | Michigan | $72 | $51 |
| Illinois | Purdue | Ross-Ade | $59 | $36 |
| Maryland | Rutgers | High Point Solutions | $78 | $24 |
| #4 Wisconsin | Indiana | Memorial | $35 | $43 |
| Northwestern | Nebraska | Memorial | $84 | $22 |
Can JK Dobbins get the corner on Josey Jewell? Tune in at 3:30 pm ET to find — lol, you already know the answer is yes. But you can still grab a prime seat for around $100 to watch it live and in person.
Why would Indiana Hoosier nose bleed seats cost more than lower level midfield seats, for a game against #4 Wisconsin? That wouldn’t seem to make sense, would it? FALSE. It makes complete sense. If you’re seated too close to the die hard Hoosier fans at midfield, you’re likely to get blood on your clothes as they perform seppuku, after they (presumably) choke away a 4th consecutive conference game. Once you add in the replacement cost for your jeans and sweatshirt, those midfield seats are priced just right.
This week’s cheapest conference ticket (since Illinois is away)? You might think it would be Purdue hosting the Illini - two moribund programs drowning in depression and ineptitude. Wrong again. No, friends, it’s a Nebraska home game.
Good luck in retirement, Mike Riley.
Top 25
| AWAY | HOME | STADIUM | Midfield | Nose Bleeds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #8 Oklahoma | #11 Okie State | Bonne Pickens | $245 | $170 |
| Texas | #10 TCU | Amon G Carter | $654 | $100 |
| #6 Clemson | #20 NC State | Carter-Finley | $208 | $159 |
| South Carolina | #2 Georgia | Sanford | $164 | $146 |
| #19 LSU | #1 Alabama | Bryant-Denny | $356 | $95 |
| #18 Stanford | #25 Wazzu | Martin | $150 | $100 |
| Oregon | #12 Washington | Husky | $171 | $77 |
| Wake Forest | #5 Notre Dame | Notre Dame | $140 | $58 |
| #16 Auburn | Texas A&M | Kyle Field | $125 | $51 |
| #13 VATECH | #9 Miami | Hard Rock | $185 | $33 |
| #14 Iowa State | West Virginia | Milan Puskar | $95 | $44 |
| #23 Arizona | #17 USC | LA Memorial Coliseum | $56 | $24 |
| #15 UCF | SMU | Gerald J Ford | $22 | $12 |
| #22 Memphis | Tulsa | H.A.Chapman | $18 | $10 |
| UMASS | #21 Mississippi St | Davis Wade | $10 | $3 |
| Nevada | Boise State | Albertsons | $50 | $27 |
Way back in 2011, as we were drowning in our aforementioned scandal tears, Texas Christian University finally knocked off Boise State to win the Mountain West conference title. Boise State finished the year 11-1, ranked #7, while TCU (thanks to an early season upset) turned in an 11-2 mark, and a #14 ranking after beating LaTech in the San Diego County Credit Union Bowl (Mountain West bowl tie-ins aren’t the greatest).
Six months later, TCU garnered an invitation to the Big XII to replace Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri, and Texas A&M. (Tall order). Thanks to that lifeline, this week the Horned Frogs - despite coming off a road loss at Iowa State, and despite being the same team they were 6 years ago - are now ranked 10th nationally, hosting Texas for premium dollars at Amon G. Carter Memorial Stadium. Boise State? They’re the same plucky team, too. But they’re unranked in this Power 5 world, hosting a no-name Nevada squad, charging half a hundred, rather than half a thousand, for those midfield specials.
It pays to have alums in state legislatures. (And not to be located in Idaho).
This week’s gobsmacker goes to Climpsin at NC State. Knock me over with a feather. $159 just to get in the door at NC State? That’s the North Carolina State Wolfpack? Playing football? Really? I don’t believe you.