| 'Bad' Gophers
I can tell you pretty easily why Iowa's going to crush the Golden Gophers. Come to think of it, I can boil all the many reasons down into two very simple, accurate words: Minnesota's bad.
Real bad.
You know, saying it like that wouldn't be too nice, but it's too late for kind words because the truth hurts, and I have more numbers than a Swiss Bank account to back my bold words.
The Gophers are not only last in the Big Ten in scoring and total defense, they are also last in all of college football in total defense, giving up 548.5 yards per game and are 112th in scoring defense at 37.8 points allowed per game. Minnesota's pass defense and rush defense - which are both bottom in the Big Ten - rank 118th and 115th respectively.
To put it nicely, it's easier to get a first down on the Gophers by running offensive plays than it is to get a fresh set by virtue of receiving the opening kickoff of any given half - Minnesota gives up 25.3 first downs per game.
Business news in brief
BATESVILLE, Ind. Hillenbrand ups 2008 forecast Hillenbrand Industries Inc. said Thursday it expects higher revenue in fiscal 2008 and set a wide range for its earnings per share. The company expects profit between $2.99 and $3.27 per share on revenue between $2.1 billion and $2.17 billion. In fiscal 2007, the company earned $3.07 per share on revenue of $2.02 billion. Hillenbrand also said it expects Hill-Rom capital sales in the range of $99 million to just under $1 billion, Hill-Rom rental revenue between $435 million and $454 million, and Batesville Casket revenue between $677 and $694 million. Hillenbrand stock closed Thursday at $56.38, up 9 cents for the day. CINCINNATI New regional exec National City Corp. has named Rick Rokosz as the retail market executive in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
(AFX UK Focus) 2007-11-19 16:00 GMT: TFN NEWS BRIEFING: Banking and insurance highlights to 15:45 GMT
2007-11-19 15:30:18 French insurer Axa pays out for Armenian genocide PARIS (Thomson Financial) - The French insurance company Axa paid out the sum of 1 mln usd (680,000 eur) Monday, as the first instalment of a 17.5 mln usd settlement to compensate life-policy holders killed in the Armenian genocide. 2007-11-19 15:18:25 European Payments Council promises initial SEPA components ready by January 08 FRANKFURT (Thomson Financial) - Gerard Hartsink, chairman of the European Payments Council, reiterated that the first wave of services which make up the single European payments area (Sepa) will be ready in January 2008, but said more countries need to set a fixed deadline for the scheme's implementation. 2007-11-19 14:54:13 : PartnerRe Ltd. board oks boost of buyback authorization to 5M shares Fixes typo NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - PartnerRe Ltd.
Seven walk from Rock as bidders line up
Northern Rock, the stricken UK lender that set today as a deadline for bidders to tender takeover offers, has revealed seven of its 12 directors are stepping down from the bank's board with immediate effect and chief executive Adam Applegarth will leave at the start of next year. .
CURRENCIES: Dollar Mixed But Sticking To Narrow Ranges Ahead Of Fed Forecasts
SAN FRANCISCO (Dow Jones) -- The dollar was mixed against its major counterparts Monday, losing some ground as stocks extended losses, but it held to narrow ranges against most rivals as investors were reluctant to take aggressive new positions in a Thanksgiving holiday-shortened week. On Tuesday, the U.S. Federal Reserve will release the minutes of its Oct. 31 meeting as well as its new economic forecasts through 2009. "Tuesday's inaugural release of the Fed's three-year forecasts should, by design, reveal a relatively encouraging growth path for inflation and output," predicted Michael Englund of Action Economics. Investors will be searching the forecasts for clues as to whether or not the central bank will cut interest rates again to follow up its total of 75 basis points of cuts made since mid-September.
World Bank calls for broader access to finance in developing countries
The World Bank called on Tuesday for broader access to finance in developing countries, saying failure to provide more households and small and medium enterprises with the financial services they need acts as a brake on development.
Between 50 percent and 80 percent of adults in many developing countries have inadequate access to financial services, according to a new World Bank policy research report entitled "Finance for All, Policies and Pitfalls in Expanding Access."
While noting the micro finance industry's progress in delivering credit to poor people, the report called for a broader financial strategy that delivers services to all excluded people and firms.
Inclusive financial systems ultimately benefit the poorest people and the smallest firms the most, by creating more jobs, raising incomes, and generating more opportunities for small businesses, the report said.
New OneCards to be reissued
Sacramento State's OneCard Center will issue new OneCards to all students, faculty and staff from Oct. 25 until Nov. 10. The cards will be distributed in the building formerly occupied by the Hornet Bookstore last semester.
Students can pick up OneCards based on the first letter of their last name.
The following times are scheduled:
A through I - Oct. 25 through Oct. 30
J through Q - Oct. 31 through Nov. 5
R through Z - Nov. 6 through Nov. 9
Students who did not pick up their cards on the assigned dates, regardless of their last name, can pick up their cards on Nov. 10.
Old OneCards will be deactivated on Nov. 12.
The new OneCards offer more services. In 2005, an individual's Social Security Number was encoded on the magnetic strip of the card.
The SNP and the mystery of the vanishing bobbies
THE Scottish Government suffered a major and embarrassing setback yesterday when Kenny MacAskill, the justice secretary, admitted his long-awaited plan to put an additional 1,000 police on Scotland's streets might not deliver a single extra officer. The SNP came to power in May promising to create 1,000 "new" police officers. .
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