Buzzmaster

  (4:00 PM)

We've got Beano!

Beano Cook

  (4:04 PM)

No. 1, last week, we were correct in our pick and I believe I'm plus-3 for the year. If not, then plus-2. We are done for the year picking games. We will do the title game in January.

Ken (Deep in the heart of ....)

Beano!!!! in your wildest dreams, did you think that Bama would dominate the Florida Gators the way they did?

Beano Cook

  (4:04 PM)

No. I thought they had a chance to win, but those things happen.

pk (boston)

Beano - have a pair of columbus/carolina hockey tickets - willing to trade for a pair of rose bowl seats - wanted to give you first chance of refusal - interested?

Beano Cook

  (4:06 PM)

Oh, that's a good deal, I would trade. I love the idea of going to Columbus to see a hockey game. Incidently, the Rose Bowl is an intriguing bowl game. OSU has a chance because SC isn't playing.

Beano Cook

  (4:06 PM)

Two spectacular QBs and two excellent coaches. For ones the Rose Bowl is going to be entertaining.

Confused fan (USA)

Is the TCU-BSU matchup a conspiracy by the BCS or a legit matchup?

Beano Cook

  (4:07 PM)

No. 1, I think it's unfair to pair those two teams together. I think America would like to have seen TCU play Florida and Boise State play Cincinnati. Do I think it was a conspiracy? I can't prove it, but if someone said it was, I might believe them.

J.B. (Dunmore, PA)

Aside from any of the BCS Bowls, are there any of the other bowl games that really have your interest?

Beano Cook

  (4:08 PM)

I haven't studied it that closely, but some of them are very entertaining. LSU-PSU will be a very good game, I think. There are so many of them it's unreal.

Dale (Sioux Falls)

How arrogant is Notre Dame to not play a bowl game? Shouldn't they play for the practice time alone?

Beano Cook

  (4:09 PM)

I don't know whether Notre Dame made the right choice or not, but they made it and that's their right. I don't say it's a bad decision or a good decision.

Beano Cook

  (4:09 PM)

The last time Notre Dame did this, the team played in a bowl game.

Beano Cook

  (4:09 PM)

But this is a different AD.

Sylvain (Calgary)

Hey Beano, Do you think Gerhart deserves the Heisman over Ingram? also do you think that they should invite somebody else over Tebow? maybe Spiller or Kellen Moore?

Beano Cook

  (4:10 PM)

No. I think Tebow should have been invited. I don't know who eles you would invite. I think Ingram will win, but I voted for McCoy, Ingram and Tebow.

Beano Cook

  (4:10 PM)

Just because Florida lost to Alabama, doesn't mean Tebow had a bad year.

Big T (West Point, NY)

Any shot for an upset in the Army-Navy Game this Saturday?

Beano Cook

  (4:10 PM)

Unlikely. I would like to see Army win this game one of these years. Navy just keeps winning.

Rob (New Olreans)

Beano, we need an early X-Mas present, so please give us your top 5 heading in to next season. Thanks and Happy Holidays!

Beano Cook

  (4:11 PM)

Well, I say right now, looking ahead, I would put USC, Ohio State. I'm not going to forget Florida or Alabama. Those four teams I would put in. I don't know about a fifth team.

Beano Cook

  (4:12 PM)

The reason I have Ohio State is that it's not a tough conference.

Tyler K. (State College, Pa)

Whta's your opinion of the Orange Bowl picking Iowa over Penn State?

Beano Cook

  (4:13 PM)

Iowa deserved it over Penn State. I don't see how you can say Penn State deserved it over Iowa. Iowa played a tougher non-conference schedule. Plus they beat Penn State.

Tim (Memphis, TN)

Tennessee vs. Va. Tech, what do you think? TN should be pumped but what about the Hokies?

Beano Cook

  (4:14 PM)

I presume VT would be favored. It's a big break for Tennessee to get ready for next year. They get to play Florida and Alabama both in Knoxville. A dark horse for next year will be Arkansas. I think they'll be pretty good next year.

Mike (London)

Surprised your not picking Notre Dame for next years top 5. You seem to pick them every year to be in the top 10! 10 and 2 every year. Have you gotten that right yet. One needs to try and keep emotion out of picking - don't you think??

Beano Cook

  (4:15 PM)

Very good. Look, on Notre Dame, forget academics. It has nothing to do with the disappointing performances they've given the last three years. Look at next year's schedule, for every home game, they should be favored. They play Navy on the road, which is really a home game.

Steve ((Indiana))

Merry Christmas Beano!!! I am looking at Notre Dame right now and trying to figure out which way they are going to go if not Kelly? who is going to get the next shot? Who would you pick!?!

Beano Cook

  (4:16 PM)

Brian Kelly, in my opinion, is going to be offered the job. I don't have anybody after that. I would look at Chris Peterson at Boise State.

Beano Cook

  (4:16 PM)

But I think Brian Kelly is going to get the job. I think Notre Dame knew that from the beginning. That's where they were when Stoops and Meyer turned it down.

Beano Cook

  (4:17 PM)

I thought Jim Harbaugh might be in the running. My prediction was Fitzgerald from Northwestern, but he's not going to be the coach.

Big T (State College, PA)

Is this the year the BigTen breaks out of its bowl slump?

Beano Cook

  (4:18 PM)

Could be. Penn State is pretty good. Iowa is good. It's hard to believe that Ohio State is the underdog to Oregon. But OSU could win this game. No matter what the Big Ten does, it's not as good as the SEC, Big 12 or Pac-10.

Ben (Carrollton)

Paul Johnson has done an incredible job at Georgia Tech. What are your thoughts on the Yellow Jackets?

Beano Cook

  (4:18 PM)

They're good. Georgia Tech-Iowa is a good game.

Beano Cook

  (4:19 PM)

Paul Johnson is very, very resourceful. He proved that at Navy.

David (Texas)

Is the Notre Dame job starting to look like a death warrant for coaches?

Beano Cook

  (4:20 PM)

Look, I said this 40 years ago. The only way Notre Dame doesn't win is if they don't pick the right coach. One of these days, they'll get the right one and win again. I thought Charlie Weis would do well. Obviously, I was wrong.

Francis (SemperFi, NC)

Does having the National Championship Game a week after the more traditional BCS Bowl take some excitement away from the earlier game, or generate excitiement in the town it's played?

Beano Cook

  (4:21 PM)

The championship game should be played after the bowl games. We should have a plus-1, but the people who run college sports some times don't get it. I thought we'd have a plus-1 after the 2010 season. Obviously, I was wrong. But we'll have one after the 2014 season.

Josh (Lincoln, NE)

Next year is your 25th year working with ESPN, right? Does it feel like it?

Beano Cook

  (4:22 PM)

Yeah, that's my 25th season. You're right.

Beano Cook

  (4:22 PM)

I'm old now and believe me, it won't be another 25 seasons. Not when you're 78. I'd settle for 10 more. That is, if ESPN will put up with me.

Beano Cook

  (4:23 PM)

My personal opinion is that when ESPN does all the BCS games, the public will love it. Nothing against Fox, but Fox does not have the feel for college sports the way ESPN does.

Casey (CA)

Everybody is righting Texas off. Is there that much of a difference between these two teams?

Beano Cook

  (4:24 PM)

Alabama is favored. We will find out. I think it's the best matchup we could have. Again, let me say that it's unfair that TCU and Boise State are playing each other. Maybe it is a conspiracy. TCU-Florida, BSU-Cincinnati. Two good games.

David (Catonsville)

Best game not in the BCS. I say PSU/LSU, but the Florida State/WVU was a good call. How much work did that take to arrange?

Beano Cook

  (4:26 PM)

I think that was obvious. That calls a lot of attention to that game. It's like Bear Bryant's last game was in the Liberty Bowl. If I recall, they had to build a special tent for the media after the game. Nobody is bigger than the Bear, but there will be a lot of interest. Bobby Bowden's a good guy. He's well-liked among the other guys. He has a good sense of humor. And I hope that someone at ESPN hires him and puts him together with Lou Holtz. Those two together would be a great combination. Humor. Good insight. Good arguments.

James (CA)

Was Alabama that much better than Florida or was it that Alabama had the game of the year and Florida was without the D-line stud?

Beano Cook

  (4:27 PM)

There have been games before between two outstanding teams and someone ran away with the game. They played the game and Alabama won. They dominated them in the second half and Nick Saban slept a lot better this year than after last year's game. As for Urban Meyer, he should look at it this way, Tiger had a worse week.

J.B. (Dunmore, PA)

They could put you with Bobby and Lou Holtz. I think that's some must see TV.

Nelson (DE)

Now that college football is winding down, what do you turn your attention to? I assume baseball "hot stove" news is not one of them?

Beano Cook

  (4:28 PM)

Yeah, I can't wait to hear what player the Yankees bought. We have college basketball and when that's over, we must suffer with baseball, reading about baseball.

Michael (USA)

Who is your Coach of the Year?

Beano Cook

  (4:30 PM)

Good question. I would say coach Kelly of Cincinnati. Al Golden of Temple. Coach Kelly of Oregon. Temple won 9 games in a row. That might be the single greatest feat of the season, especially when it's Temple.

Matt (Houston)

If Texas pulls off the upset in Pasadena, where does McCoy stand in the pantheon of college football QB greats? 46 wins is a lot of wins...

Beano Cook

  (4:31 PM)

Oh yeah. Win or lose, I think he's an outstanding college QB. Sometimes an athlete is a great athlete, even though the team doesn't finish No. 1. But that's the way it is today with the Internet, cable and all-talk radio. The American sports fan has become too cynical. He's well informed and probably more knowledgable than the sports fan or 30 years ago. You have to love a player whose first name is Colt. You have to root for him.

Troy (Pittsburgh)

If humans run the clock, doesn't it take 1 second to turn it off? Nebraska actually beat Texas.

Beano Cook

  (4:32 PM)

If I were a Nebraska fan, I would yell conspiracy. I think it was a little fishy. The officials knew what was at stake for Texas. They're not naive. They read the newspapers.

Beano Cook

  (4:33 PM)

If Texas wins the national championship, the person in charge of the clock should get a win.

Brandon (Utah)

Beano, could we see a split National Championship this year with TCU and the Texas/ Bama winner?

Beano Cook

  (4:33 PM)

No. There will be no split.

Tucker (Louisville)

Looking ahead to next season who would you have going to the Big 12 Championship Game and winning the conference? Oklahoma most likely should be back after a down year.

Beano Cook

  (4:34 PM)

I don't know. You have to figure Nebraska is not going to be tough to beat in the future in the North. The South, in most years will be the winner of the Texas-Oklahoma game.

JB (philadelphia)

hey beano, you think Suh or Gerhart have any chance at winning the heisman

Beano Cook

  (4:35 PM)

I think both of them will be in the top 5, but they both don't have a chance of winning. All of those players invited to New York deserves it. They're all great players. I think Ingram will win and McCoy second.

Mike (Los Angeles, CA)

To quote the illustrious Beano Cook from a few years ago...a GREAT comment: Notre Dame is like the Union Army. They just need a good general.

Beano Cook

  (4:37 PM)

If you said I said it, then I must have said it. There's some truth to that. I thought Weis was going to do it. Obviously I was wrong. I don't know much about what went on at Notre Dame, but I thought Weis tried to outscheme everybody. When you're at the 2 and it's first and goal, you don't try to go out wide with people, you just run it up the middle. He got too fancy.

Savai (Stockton, CA)

Beano - With so many bowl teams at 6-6, do you think the NCAA will go to the slate and revisit the bowl system? It is textbook bad football.

Beano Cook

  (4:37 PM)

No. If you didn't have 6-6, there wouldn't be enough teams. you can't have a losing record. If you didn't allow 6-6 teams, there wouldn't be enough.

Beano Cook

  (4:37 PM)

No. If you didn't have 6-6, there wouldn't be enough teams. you can't have a losing record. If you didn't allow 6-6 teams, there wouldn't be enough.

RS3 (Stamford CT)

Beano, thanks for chatting. Do you believe the Pac-10 will be a fairly open race next year or is the decline of USC this season simply an aberration?

Beano Cook

  (4:38 PM)

I think USC is the team to beat. That will be the case next year. It doesn't mean that SC is going to win it, but it will be tough to pick against them.

Jennifer (OH)

Beano - What do you think about Congress trying to force a college footbal playoff? I am not totally against a playoff but do not think Congress should be involved.

Beano Cook

  (4:39 PM)

I don't want Congress involved in anything. Congress is totally incompetent. America sleeps better when Congress isn't in session.

Beano Cook

  (4:39 PM)

There are more stiffs in Congress than there are in some cemeteries.

Jacob (Evansville)

What are your thoughts on Tennessee's future? you think they can contend for a Nat. Champ soon?

Beano Cook

  (4:40 PM)

Tennessee is one of those schools that can, but the problem is that they have to play Florida and Alabama and Georgia every year. And every so often, LSU and Arkansas. The SEC is the toughest conference.

J.B. (Dunmore, PA)

Mr. Cook: But why not get rid of some of the 34 bowls? Several of them must be losing money. Better to have fewer games with better teams, right?

Beano Cook

  (4:41 PM)

The good teams are going to be in these bowls. You're probably right, there are too many bowl games. But if they don't make money, they'll probably go under. Cable TV makes it possible to have all of these bowl games.

Matt (Philadelphia)

How disappointed will you be on New Year's Day not to see the Song Girls with the roses on their sweaters?

Beano Cook

  (4:42 PM)

Very disappointing. A bad way to start the new year. But I'm going to get to see the Duck from Oregon. I think the Oregon Duck is great. He leads the team out for home games on a scooter. You have to love the Duck. Who doesn't love the Ducks?

Buckley (Denver)

Speaking of dead corpses, what is your take on Lane Kiffen and the job he has done (or not done) at Tennessee?

Beano Cook

  (4:43 PM)

He had some good moments. They beat Georgia. They gave Alabama a tremendous game. Give him time.

Beano Cook

  (4:43 PM)

He had some good moments. They beat Georgia. They gave Alabama a tremendous game. Give him time.

Reid (New Orleans)

When do you see Michigan being back in College Football's elite again? I know Rich Rod had a huge drought of talent when he arrived but come on he has done a horrible coaching job.

Beano Cook

  (4:44 PM)

I think Michigan has the advantage of playing in a conference that isn't that tough. Non-conference schedule does include Notre Dame, but it seems the other games will be easy. I advise the coaching staff to get them back quickly, or a change will be made.

Beano Cook

  (4:45 PM)

Despite the greatness of the Michigan band, that isn't the reason fans come to games on Saturday.

Mike ((Tulsa))

Oklahoma, Stanford, Sun Bowl. Thumbs up or down?

Beano Cook

  (4:46 PM)

Oh, I like it. I like that game. It's a good way to end the year. That game is on the day before New Year's. I hope Jim Nantz is doing the game. If I recall, he usually does.

Bryan (Springdale,AR)

Any take on Arkansas' chances of beating Alabama for the SEC West title next year? Can Petrino really out-recruit and out-coach Saban?

Beano Cook

  (4:47 PM)

I think Arkansas, going into the 2010 season is the dark horse. The game will be played in Arkansas, as will the LSU and Florida game. If they play Florida next year, I don't remember. Arkansas is going to be good next year.

Chris (Pittsburgh)

Beano, is Cincy the 3rd best team in the country? They got luck to beat Pitt. How many schools from the SEC, Big12 and Pac10 would you say are better than Cincy?

Beano Cook

  (4:48 PM)

I don't know. Cincinnati is undefeated. They deserve to be high in the rankings.

Coug (Dallas)

Everyone is getting all caught up in the "magic" of Boise State. Do they really have a mustard dispenser's chance of competing with TCU??

Beano Cook

  (4:49 PM)

Yeah, I think so.

Ray (The Plains, AL)

Best first year Coach in the SEC: Dan Mullen, Lane Kiffin, or Gene Chizik?

Beano Cook

  (4:50 PM)

Dan Mullen, Mississippi State. It's virtually impossible to win at Mississippi State, but the win over Mississippi gets my vote.

Beano Cook

  (4:52 PM)

Does anybody have two good tickets to the next home game to the New Jersey Nets? I will pay top dollar. Will exchange two good tickets to the Final Four.

taylor (CHARLESTON)

GT in the preseason Top ten?

Beano Cook

  (4:53 PM)

I don't know. I'd have to look at the schedule and see who's coming back.

Beano Cook

  (4:53 PM)

I like the coach. I do like the coach. Everybody said his system would not work at Tech. Nonsense.

Bill C (NYC)

Beano I can get you those Nets tickets but I am not sure you are serious?

Beano Cook

  (4:54 PM)

I want to take three friends and impress them.

Travis C. (Lake Highlands)

Beano, only two more months before catchers and pitchers report? Are you excited? Can the Yanks repeat?

Beano Cook

  (4:54 PM)

Be sure to keep me informed as the date approaches. I will celebrate by taking arsonic.

Daniel (LA, Ca)

Do you see Oregon going to the NC game next year with their core players coming back?

Beano Cook

  (4:55 PM)

Oregon is a top 10 team going in. That QB, I love him. Maybe the most exciting player I saw all year.

Zach Rastall (Marinette, Wisconsin)

How good will Wisconsin be next year being that they have a fairly young team right now?

Beano Cook

  (4:57 PM)

Wisconsin is a tough team to figure. I don't know why. I don't think they get super material, but every so often, they get the right combination and win gamess. They will play OSU in Madison. They don't play PSU until the next year. I don't know. With a few breaks, they could be in the top 2 or 3 in the conference.

Beano Cook

  (4:59 PM)

We will do a chat next week. 4 p.m. ET. I don't know about the following week, Dec. 23, but we will definitely do one on the 30th. We might give you a Christmas gift early and not do one. Enjoy the Army-Navy game and the Heisman Trophy show on ESPN. Chris Fowler is the closest talent in the business right now to Jim McKay. I'm not saying he's Jim McKay, nobody is. But he's ESPN's answer to Jim McKay. Chris Fowler is the decathlon champ at ESPN. He can do any sport.