Way back on September 29, when the Tigers and Jayhawks were undefeated and ranked and Nebraska thought it was all big and bad because it played the Hokies tough in Virginia, I wrote of Phil Steele’s Super Computer. Oh, how we laughed! What does a stupid computer know about football anyway?

I thought it was time we checked in again with HAL to see what nonesense he was up to now. Below are HAL’s current projections with September predictions in parentheseseses.

North

1. Nebraska, 5-3 (7-1).
2. Kansas State, 5-3 (1-7).
3. Mizzou, 4-4 (5-3).
4. Colorado, 3-5 (4-4).
5. Iowa State, 2-6 (0-8).
6. Kansas, 1-7 (2-6).

HAL about blew a gasket when a winner was crowned in the KU/CU game. Recall that he had boldly predicted each team would lose. When that didn’t happen, some of his circuitry on his motherboard caught fire, but luckily, HAL’s servant, Phil Steele, was nearby – he’s always nearby – to put out the flames. HAL recovered to announce that midway through the conference season, KU projects to finish 1-7. The Jayhawks will be the sole loser in each and every one of its final games. Sucks to be KU.

Since September HAL has fallen in cyber-love with the Wildcats. It’s sick. From 1-7 to 5-3 and second in the North, and only then by virtue of a head-to-head loss to the Huskers. I am not sold on KSU as a real force in the North, but I’m not a super-computer either. KSU has beaten ISU, A&M, and CU. Not one win was a surprise – the fact that it killed A&M is mildly surprising, but A&M has shown itself to be all over the board this year.

HAL’s fling has caused a ripple effect derailing the Tigers. Before, HAL had predicted Mizzou would lose its first three games in conference and win the remaining games – a scenario that puts Mizzou in great shape in the North race. Sadly, its infatuation with Bill Snyder’s team has him alter course, picking Mizzou to fall to KSU rendering Mizzou one game off the lead. If we’ve learned anything from Euclid, it’s that Mizzou cannot lose to KSU and still win the North.

HAL is driving the Wildcat bandwagon, and in a big way. Still, he’s reluctant to give up on the Huskers and that embarrassing offense, who HAL says will only lose to OU the rest of the way. Phil Steele has a similar Husker lean as evidenced by his prediction that NU would beat TT 38-17. I mean, who does he think he is? Gene Claude?

Now, for the other division.

South:

1. Texas, 8-0 (8-0).
2. Oklahoma, 7-1 (7-1).
3. Oklahoma State, 6-2 (6-2).
4. Texas Tech, 4-4 (3-5).
5. Texas A&M, 3-5 (2-6).
6. Baylor, 0-8 (1-7).

HAL says this division is too boring to discuss. I agree.

We’ll check back with HAL in a couple weeks. Hopefully by then he’ll have the sense to end the KSU love affair. Nothing good can come from that.