Monday, October 31, 2011

2011 Gus Rankings: Week 9

Here are this week's Gus Rankings. Oklahoma State finds itself on top after both LSU (2) and Alabama (3) had byes. Oklahoma (4) and Stanford (5) round out the top 5.

There is an equally ferocious fight for the bottom spot. One-win Tulane and UAB are currently tied for the final spot, outpacing winless Idaho and Indiana.

At this point, it is fun to see how the BCS stacks up against the Gus Rankings. The top 5 teams with the biggest gains in the BCS compared to Gus are as follows (i.e., Gus says are overrated BCS-wise):

1. Wisconsin (11 spots)
2. Arkansas (7)
3. Arizona State (6)
3. Oregon (6)
5. Kansas State (5)

And the top 5 teams with the biggest gripe against the BCS vis a vis Gus (i.e., Gus says are underrated BCS-wise):

1. Penn State (6 spots)
2. Auburn (5)
2. Houston (5)
4. Clemson (4)
4. Michigan (4)

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

2011 Gus Rankings: Week 8

Here are this week's Gus Rankings. LSU remains at the top, followed by Alabama and Oklahoma State, with Boise State and Clemson tied for the fourth spot.

There are 8 undefeated teams left in college football; the first seven spots in the Gus rankings are occupied by undefeated teams. In the six spot is Stanford followed by Houston at seven. The lowest ranked team still without a loss is Kansas State at #12.

At the other end of the rankings, Idaho has taken over the final spot from UAB, winners of their first game last weekend.

Conference rankings are as follows (average team points):

1. Big 12: 8.60
2. SEC: 7.42
3. ACC: 3.17
4. Big 10: 3.17
5. Pac-12: 2.42
6. Big East: 0.88
7. Mountain West: -2.50
8. Conference USA: -3.92
9. Sun Belt: -5.33
10. Mid-America: -6.14
11. WAC: -8.75

Monday, October 24, 2011

Sargent and Sims Press Conference



Although I encourage you to watch the entire video, I want to draw attention to the following quote from Sargent:
So here's a phrase that you hear; it's partly about language. You hear that US fiscal policy is unsustainable. You hear that over and over again. You actually hear it from both parties. And that can't possibly be true because government budget constraints are going to make it sustainable. So what they mean is that certain promises that people have made about taxes, entitlements, medicare, medicaid---those are incredible. They are not going to fit together. So the US fiscal policy is sustainable. It's very uncertain. It's uncertain because it's not clear which of these incredible promises are going to be broken first.

UPDATE: Peter Schiff engages in some creative editing to make it appear as if Sargent and Sims are know-nothings. Schiff uses an awkward pause and disclaimer by Sims (wherein Sims cautions the audience not to take the views of the two newest Nobel Laureates in Economics as irrefutable) to suggest Sims avoids the question. Schiff then skips from 15:35 to 16:13 (during which Sims presents his view) where Sargent says "I don't have much to add to that ... I was hoping he was going to ask about Europe." As the above quote captures, Sargent goes on to discuss his view of recent fiscal policy.

Schiff then manipulates a humorous move by Sargent---requesting a question about Europe and then, when the question is asked, deferring to Sims---to appear as if Sargent knows nothing about Europe as well. The audience recognized the humor with laughter and applause.

Shame on you, Schiff.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

2011 Gus Rankings: Week 7

Our apologies for the missing Gus Rankings from last week...but we're back! Here are this week's rankings. (For those interested, here are the rankings from Week 6.)

LSU holds the top spot, one point ahead of Alabama. Boise State and Oklahoma State tie for third, and Oklahoma rounds out the top five.

On the other end of the rankings, UAB has taken a commanding lead for last place. The Blazers are 23 points on the wrong side of zero, with Memphis and Idaho giving chase four points back.

Conference rankings are as follows (average team score in parenthesis):

1. Big 12 - 7.10
2. SEC - 5.67
3. Big 10 - 2.92
4. ACC - 2.75
5. Pac 12 - 1.75
6. Big East - 0.75
7. Mountain West - -1.63
8. Conference USA - -4.00
9. MAC - -4.62
10. Sun Belt - -4.67
11. WAC - -7.38

Juicing the Mitchell: World Series edition

It's been a harrowing few months-- politicians have been keeping the blinders on and pressing forward on economic matters. Or taking vacations. Either way, we've been woefully devoid of Luther's Juicing the Mitchell...

...until now!

Four U.S. senators and health officials from the cities hosting the World Series are urging the baseball players union to agree to a ban on chewing tobacco at games and on camera.

The senators, including No. 2 Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois, and health officials from St. Louis and Arlington, Texas, made the pleas in separate letters, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

Monday, October 03, 2011

2011 Gus Rankings: Week 5

Here are this week's Gus Rankings. Alabama ascends to the top spot after their win over Florida, followed by Clemson, Michigan, LSU, and a tie at fifth between Illinois and Texas.

At the other end-- the bottom of the rankings has become a logjam! In a season where Memphis and Indiana have fought valiantly over the final spot, they find themselves tied this week along with UAB and Idaho.

Conference rankings are as follows (average conference score provided):

1. Big 12: 3.5
2. SEC: 2.92
3. ACC: 1.33
4. Pac-12: 1.25
5. Big 10: 1
6. Big East 0.875
7. Mountain West: -0.38
8. Conference USA: -2.08
9. Sun Belt: -2.44
10. Mid-American: -2.60
11. WAC: -4.25