As we finish the first month of the season, we have a lot to look forward to: some non-conference match ups, the start of play, and most importantly, no longer having to hear about how awesome USC is. What is amazing is that some people think Matt Barkley would have made a difference last week-- umm, really, what Ohio State game were those people watching? The kid is still a freshman, so regardless of talent, he's mediocre at best right now.
On to week four
1. Royster in the Spotlight: One of the day's marquee match ups is Penn State v. Iowa in Happy Valley. After surviving a scare against Northern Iowa, the Hawkeyes have turned in back to back performances against Iowa State and Arizona. The weather is supposed to be iffy, Iowa has a great front 7 that has forced 7 turnovers in its last 2 games, and Penn State is missing two starters on defense. That means that Penn State is going to need a big performance from RB Evan Royster. While Penn St QB Daryll Clark is great, in the Big 10 if you can't run you won't be able to set up the pass.
2. Let Down Week: Washington has spent the past week basking in the glory of its return to the Top 25, and consequently, its return to the Top 25. Now they travel to Stanford to play a Cardinal team that has emerged as a pretty good offense under sophomore QB Andrew Luck, who is completing 62% of his passes and has a 2:1 TD-INT ratio. Also, we saw how last week that Pete Carroll's teams tend to get really up for a big game, then have an immediate let down. Washington Coach Steve Sarkisian's mentor? Pete Carroll. Watch for the Cardinal to pull off the upset at home and for Washington to again be expelled out of the polls.
3. Magic Number is 31: I don't know the last time we saw a regular season game that pitted ranked, conference opponents that play such sharply different styles of football than Virginia Tech and Miami. After beat Georgia Tech at home, Miami showed that is is again a high-octane offense under QB Jacory Harris, who has completed almost 70% of his passes and 5 TDs in two games. Also, ESPN has drooled about how Miami has "its swagger back," because they challenged almost everyone short of the Dolphins after their big win last Thursday. Virginia Tech, on the other hand, showed last week that under Beamer Ball they can beat a ranked opponent while only having one competent drive on offense all game long. The Magic Number is in this game is 31: if the two teams combine for 31 points or fewer, advantage Virginia Tech. If its more, then look for Miami to win in Lane Stadium.
The same is true in the SEC, where defensive mastermind Nick Saban welcomes offensive genius Bobby Petrino and QB Ryan Mallett to Tuscaloosa. The difference in this game? Alabama can also score behind RB Mark Ingram and WR Julio Jones on a porous Hogs defense that just gave up 40 point to Georgia. 30 is still the magic number in this game, but it's a spread and not an over under. How many scoring drives can the Hogs actually pull off against Alabama and Mount Cody?
4. Next Big Upset?: We already read RAE's account of the week's big upset, unranked South Cakalaki beating #4 Ole Miss at home. The question is, who is the next team to lose? Iowa knocked Penn State out of title game contention last year, and seemed poise to white Penn State out of the championship again. Cal has the dreaded "trap game," as they travel to Eugene to play unranked Oregon in between match ups against Minnesota and USC. Ohio State hosts Illinois, a team that knocked off the Buckeyes at the 'Shoe two years ago under then sophomore QB Juice Williams on their way to the Rose Bowl. Houston plays Texas Tech at Cougar Town, one of the few teams that can match the Cougars in terms airpower.
My pick, though? I'm calling Mississippi State over LSU. I personally thank LSU is way overranked right now, MSU is putting up more points than ever under new coach Dan Mullen, and LSU already showed its defense can be gashed for big yards when they gave up 400+ against Washington. MSU will at least cover the spread, but I think LSU is going to be in trouble come the end of the day today.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Reflections on USC's biggest win...ever?
Going to the University of South Carolina can be a little frustrating when your entire existence doesn't revolve around the young men who don the garnet and black every week in the fall. While it's common for college football to be the only acceptable topic of conversation in many towns throughout the Southeast, you can look far and wide without finding a place where mediocrity is so celebrated as Columbia.
Because for all the hoopla that surrounds the Gamecocks, any honest fan knows that South Carolina football is, frankly, unworthy of the acronym it shares with Southern Cal. Having played since 1892, the Cocks have struggled to a .499 record (remember, that includes PLENTY of games against Wofford, Furman and SC State), including 4-10 in bowls, just one conference title (ACC, 1969), and most shameful of all, a 28 game deficit in the Clemson rivalry.
Yet for all the dissapointment that has marked Gamecock football over the years, you can't question the loyalty and enthusiasm of the fans. Every year, Columbia buzzes with anticipation over the upcoming season. Will this be the year that Spurrier's offense returns to the level of his halcyon days at Florida? Will the freshmen live up to their national reputation? Will Steven Garcia break the single-season SEC arrests record?
And each and every week, thousands upon thousands descend on the State Fairgrounds in south Columbia to watch the Gamecocks take on another opponent, dodging trains as they move from tailgate to tailgate in anticipation of the glory that they hope is shortly to come. Most times, it doesn't. But last night, glory finally arrived.
I was mostly looking forward to this game because of the fact that it gave my buddy Padrick, Ole Miss Law Class of '10, a chance to visit. But insane traffic, our inability to find his group, and the generally dirty conditions of the industrial area surrounding Williams-Brice Stadium made the tailgating, shall we say, less than Grove-like. When we finally reached the 29th row of the upper deck overlooking the South End Zone, the humidity, terrible view, and my pained feet had me a little rattled:
At least from our vantage, the game wasn't all that exciting. Neither offense seemed to be able to put together anything worth writing home about as pass after pass was dropped. Most frustrating of all was USC's red-zone incompetence, as the Cocks got inside the Ole Miss 10 THREE TIMES without managing to put the ball in the end zone, before Garcia tossed the ball to Patrick DiMarco for a 2 yard score midway through the 3rd. That made the score 16-3 and all of a sudden it became apparent that USC could win this game, contrary to my doomsday prophecies of the preseason ("3-9!"). The incomprehensible nonsense that is "Hotty Totty" was no longer assaulting my ears. Padrick was becoming frustrated. And for probably the first time I felt a hint of school pride in my 8th choice law school.
But the Rebels had some fight left in them. Just after the 10:00 remaining mark, NFL prospect QB Jevan Snead threw a gorgeous pass to Markieth Summers, who simply took off in what was the easiest-looking play of the evening. And just like that, the momentum seemed to shift back. Other than the 1 scoring drive, USC's offense was even worse in the 2nd half than the first. If they couldn't kill the clock, the door would be wide open for Ole Miss to walk right through for the victory.
And indeed it seemed like Snead was prepared to do just that. Dexter McCluster had 11 carries for 68 yards in the 4th quarter alone. The Rebels held the ball with 4 minutes to go and a TD would all but seal the deal. But somehow, someway, the Carolina defense showed that it is a unit that can hang with the best in the NCAA in 2009. On 2nd-and-10 at the Carolina 40, Darien Stewart tackled McCluster for a 4 yards loss. Already at airport levels, the noise in Williams-Brice increased exponentially at this point. On 3rd-and-14, Snead dropped back to pass, but was sacked by Cliff Matthews.
With the game on the line, Ole Miss took a much-needed timeout, which was of course extended for the benefit of ESPN2. At this point whoever runs the music made the wise decision to blast "Sandstorm," that classic of techno by Da-Rude (and if you think I'm not listening to it right now, you're crazy). The student section went ballistic, and the sight of them bouncing up and down in unison, while yellow-jacketed security guards formed a human chain in order to keep the undergrads off the field, was one of the most spectacular things I've ever seen in person. It really did give me chills.
After the timeout, the stadium exploded in noise in anticipation of 4th down. Perhaps as a result, the Rebels committed an illegal substitution and gave themselves another 5 yards. 4th-and-19, Snead dropping back to pass and looking for Shay Hodge...pass broken up by Stewart! The crowd goes ballistic. As Carolina took over on downs with just over a minute to play, I recall thinking even Garcia can't screw up a victory formation.
We had just seen, arguably, the biggest win in Williams-Brice history (excluding all Clemson games and Eastern State's victory over Georgia Tech in The Program). Never before had Carolina had a win at home over a top-5 team. Never. In 117 years of playing football. Later, as I watched law students dancing (badly) to Don't Stop Till You Get Enough in Five Points, I realized that, for last night at least, it was a Great Day to be a Gamecock.
Because for all the hoopla that surrounds the Gamecocks, any honest fan knows that South Carolina football is, frankly, unworthy of the acronym it shares with Southern Cal. Having played since 1892, the Cocks have struggled to a .499 record (remember, that includes PLENTY of games against Wofford, Furman and SC State), including 4-10 in bowls, just one conference title (ACC, 1969), and most shameful of all, a 28 game deficit in the Clemson rivalry.
Yet for all the dissapointment that has marked Gamecock football over the years, you can't question the loyalty and enthusiasm of the fans. Every year, Columbia buzzes with anticipation over the upcoming season. Will this be the year that Spurrier's offense returns to the level of his halcyon days at Florida? Will the freshmen live up to their national reputation? Will Steven Garcia break the single-season SEC arrests record?
And each and every week, thousands upon thousands descend on the State Fairgrounds in south Columbia to watch the Gamecocks take on another opponent, dodging trains as they move from tailgate to tailgate in anticipation of the glory that they hope is shortly to come. Most times, it doesn't. But last night, glory finally arrived.
I was mostly looking forward to this game because of the fact that it gave my buddy Padrick, Ole Miss Law Class of '10, a chance to visit. But insane traffic, our inability to find his group, and the generally dirty conditions of the industrial area surrounding Williams-Brice Stadium made the tailgating, shall we say, less than Grove-like. When we finally reached the 29th row of the upper deck overlooking the South End Zone, the humidity, terrible view, and my pained feet had me a little rattled:
At least from our vantage, the game wasn't all that exciting. Neither offense seemed to be able to put together anything worth writing home about as pass after pass was dropped. Most frustrating of all was USC's red-zone incompetence, as the Cocks got inside the Ole Miss 10 THREE TIMES without managing to put the ball in the end zone, before Garcia tossed the ball to Patrick DiMarco for a 2 yard score midway through the 3rd. That made the score 16-3 and all of a sudden it became apparent that USC could win this game, contrary to my doomsday prophecies of the preseason ("3-9!"). The incomprehensible nonsense that is "Hotty Totty" was no longer assaulting my ears. Padrick was becoming frustrated. And for probably the first time I felt a hint of school pride in my 8th choice law school.
But the Rebels had some fight left in them. Just after the 10:00 remaining mark, NFL prospect QB Jevan Snead threw a gorgeous pass to Markieth Summers, who simply took off in what was the easiest-looking play of the evening. And just like that, the momentum seemed to shift back. Other than the 1 scoring drive, USC's offense was even worse in the 2nd half than the first. If they couldn't kill the clock, the door would be wide open for Ole Miss to walk right through for the victory.
And indeed it seemed like Snead was prepared to do just that. Dexter McCluster had 11 carries for 68 yards in the 4th quarter alone. The Rebels held the ball with 4 minutes to go and a TD would all but seal the deal. But somehow, someway, the Carolina defense showed that it is a unit that can hang with the best in the NCAA in 2009. On 2nd-and-10 at the Carolina 40, Darien Stewart tackled McCluster for a 4 yards loss. Already at airport levels, the noise in Williams-Brice increased exponentially at this point. On 3rd-and-14, Snead dropped back to pass, but was sacked by Cliff Matthews.
With the game on the line, Ole Miss took a much-needed timeout, which was of course extended for the benefit of ESPN2. At this point whoever runs the music made the wise decision to blast "Sandstorm," that classic of techno by Da-Rude (and if you think I'm not listening to it right now, you're crazy). The student section went ballistic, and the sight of them bouncing up and down in unison, while yellow-jacketed security guards formed a human chain in order to keep the undergrads off the field, was one of the most spectacular things I've ever seen in person. It really did give me chills.
After the timeout, the stadium exploded in noise in anticipation of 4th down. Perhaps as a result, the Rebels committed an illegal substitution and gave themselves another 5 yards. 4th-and-19, Snead dropping back to pass and looking for Shay Hodge...pass broken up by Stewart! The crowd goes ballistic. As Carolina took over on downs with just over a minute to play, I recall thinking even Garcia can't screw up a victory formation.
We had just seen, arguably, the biggest win in Williams-Brice history (excluding all Clemson games and Eastern State's victory over Georgia Tech in The Program). Never before had Carolina had a win at home over a top-5 team. Never. In 117 years of playing football. Later, as I watched law students dancing (badly) to Don't Stop Till You Get Enough in Five Points, I realized that, for last night at least, it was a Great Day to be a Gamecock.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
OT Poll, Week 3
So after the wave of upsets, what does our Top 10 look like?
That's right, I said Top 10. Due to a popular demand built around our total comments of zero, we decided to expand our poll to include even more teams that will certainly be upset. Bleacher Report, here we come!
Brooks:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. Penn State
5. Cal
6. Ole Miss
7. Boise State
8. Miami
9. V Tech
10. Cincinnati
Hoogs:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. Ole Miss
5. Cal
6. Penn State
7. LSU
8. Miami
9. Virginia Tech
10. Oklahoma
Logs:
RAE:
1. Florida
2.Texas
3. Ole Miss
4. Bama
5. Penn St
6. Cal
7. Boise St
8. LSU
9. Miami
10. Cincinnati
OT Overall Poll:
1. Florida (40 points)
2. Texas (36 points)
3. Alabama (29 points)
4. Ole Miss (26 points)
5. Penn State (25 points)
6. Cal (18 points)
7. LSU (11 points)
8. Miami (9 points)
9. Boise State (8 points)
10. Virginia Tech (6 points)
11. Cincinnati (2 points)
12. Oklahoma (4 points)
That's right, I said Top 10. Due to a popular demand built around our total comments of zero, we decided to expand our poll to include even more teams that will certainly be upset. Bleacher Report, here we come!
Brooks:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. Penn State
5. Cal
6. Ole Miss
7. Boise State
8. Miami
9. V Tech
10. Cincinnati
Hoogs:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. Ole Miss
5. Cal
6. Penn State
7. LSU
8. Miami
9. Virginia Tech
10. Oklahoma
Logs:
1 Florida
2 Texas
3 Alabama
4 Penn State
5 Mississippi
6 Cal
7 LSU
8 Oklahoma
9 Va Tech
10 MiamiRAE:
1. Florida
2.Texas
3. Ole Miss
4. Bama
5. Penn St
6. Cal
7. Boise St
8. LSU
9. Miami
10. Cincinnati
OT Overall Poll:
1. Florida (40 points)
2. Texas (36 points)
3. Alabama (29 points)
4. Ole Miss (26 points)
5. Penn State (25 points)
6. Cal (18 points)
7. LSU (11 points)
8. Miami (9 points)
9. Boise State (8 points)
10. Virginia Tech (6 points)
11. Cincinnati (2 points)
12. Oklahoma (4 points)
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
What I Learned, Week 3
A big shake up in the top 25 this week. We saw a couple of upsets, teams that proved they weren't deserving of the top 20, and teams that showed were underrated. What were some of the most important lessons of the week?
1. Gotta Admit, They're Consistent: For the third year in a row, USC opened the season overwhelming a non-BCS school and then beat up on a major BCS school. And, for the third year in a row, they celebrated by losing their Pac 10 opener to a team that they should have been able to completely overwhelm based on talent alone. While a lot of credit is due to Washington and coach Steve Sarkisian, we are also seeing a fundamental flaw in Pete Carroll's approach to college football. His is an expert motivator that gets incredible emotion out of his team. Unfortunately, when you are dealing with 18-21 year old kids, there will always be a let down at some point because they simply cannot contain that level of energy for three straight months. While Carroll is arguably the best big game coach in America because of how jacked up he gets his team, he may need to reconsider his approach to the regular season by keeping his team more even keel.
2. No BCS Outsiders at the Final Dance: It appeared as if the BCS was finally going to have someone crash the title game party. BYU was one of the most highly preseason ranked non-BCS school, then jumped into the top 10 sooner than any non-BCS school after their week one upset of Oklahoma in Dallas. You could almost feel the urine that was running down the collective legs of the media in glee now that they could finally show the BCS was flawed when an undefeated BYU missed the game. Granted, the would have have the chance to vote BYU into the final game, more or less giving them the final say and who does actually make it into the game, but that's another matter. Anyway, with BYU getting its hip broken by geriatric Bobby Bowden and Utah losing to Oregon despite Orrin Hatch's guarantee of holy retribution for 2008. Combined with Boise looking vulnerable on the road against Fresno State, it appears as if we will have another title game pitting two BCS schools.
3. Lane Kiffin Actually Does Have A Purpose: Is that purpose to win football games? No, certainly not. But his Volunteers went into The Swamp as 30 point underdogs, and kept it to a 10 point spread and even threatened to take the game down to the last possession in the 4th quarter. In doing so, he showed many vulnerabilities that most people did not realize the Gators have. Florida's run defense was supposedly unpenetrable, but Tennessee gashed them for 117 yards without resorting to any misdirections-- it was pure power by their O line and strong running backs. They also showed how you can slow down Florida's vaunted offense. Tim Tebow cannot throw deep against D-1A teams (sorry, Charleston Southern an Jesus), so by playing cover 1 you can bring up a safety to slow Florida's run game and shut down the underneath routes. I'm not sure if anyone in the SEC can beat Florida in the regular season, but the myth that Florida was unstoppable was seriously challenged by UT this weekend.
1. Gotta Admit, They're Consistent: For the third year in a row, USC opened the season overwhelming a non-BCS school and then beat up on a major BCS school. And, for the third year in a row, they celebrated by losing their Pac 10 opener to a team that they should have been able to completely overwhelm based on talent alone. While a lot of credit is due to Washington and coach Steve Sarkisian, we are also seeing a fundamental flaw in Pete Carroll's approach to college football. His is an expert motivator that gets incredible emotion out of his team. Unfortunately, when you are dealing with 18-21 year old kids, there will always be a let down at some point because they simply cannot contain that level of energy for three straight months. While Carroll is arguably the best big game coach in America because of how jacked up he gets his team, he may need to reconsider his approach to the regular season by keeping his team more even keel.
2. No BCS Outsiders at the Final Dance: It appeared as if the BCS was finally going to have someone crash the title game party. BYU was one of the most highly preseason ranked non-BCS school, then jumped into the top 10 sooner than any non-BCS school after their week one upset of Oklahoma in Dallas. You could almost feel the urine that was running down the collective legs of the media in glee now that they could finally show the BCS was flawed when an undefeated BYU missed the game. Granted, the would have have the chance to vote BYU into the final game, more or less giving them the final say and who does actually make it into the game, but that's another matter. Anyway, with BYU getting its hip broken by geriatric Bobby Bowden and Utah losing to Oregon despite Orrin Hatch's guarantee of holy retribution for 2008. Combined with Boise looking vulnerable on the road against Fresno State, it appears as if we will have another title game pitting two BCS schools.
3. Lane Kiffin Actually Does Have A Purpose: Is that purpose to win football games? No, certainly not. But his Volunteers went into The Swamp as 30 point underdogs, and kept it to a 10 point spread and even threatened to take the game down to the last possession in the 4th quarter. In doing so, he showed many vulnerabilities that most people did not realize the Gators have. Florida's run defense was supposedly unpenetrable, but Tennessee gashed them for 117 yards without resorting to any misdirections-- it was pure power by their O line and strong running backs. They also showed how you can slow down Florida's vaunted offense. Tim Tebow cannot throw deep against D-1A teams (sorry, Charleston Southern an Jesus), so by playing cover 1 you can bring up a safety to slow Florida's run game and shut down the underneath routes. I'm not sure if anyone in the SEC can beat Florida in the regular season, but the myth that Florida was unstoppable was seriously challenged by UT this weekend.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
What I'm Watching For, Week 3
Another great week of football, intrigue and brief male nudity await today. Fortunately, at the end of this day we will finally be able to move past the Lane Kiffin- Urban Meyer feud, which has been the most overplayed offseason story line since debate over whether or not the Friends cast would come back for season six. Oh, right, Matt LeBlanc, you really may hold out on NBC for a better offer. Sure, just because the chimp's movie career has taken off fast than yours doesn't mean you're star is dying, it just means you're on the rise! Needless to say, Florida-Tennessee is not what I'm looking forward to this weekend.
What is on my Tivo then, you ask?
1. Black Shirts or Black Eyes?: When Bo Pellini was brought to Lincoln, he vowed to return the Cornhuskers to the glory days of the 80s and 90s under Tom Osborne. That means reviving the dormant walk on program, running the ball, and having a swarming defense known as the "Black Shirts." Unfortunately, he forgot that Osborne rose to national prominence by having the weakest schedule strength in the nation, running up the score, and prepping for the Orange Bowl in September. Pellini, on the other hand, has a brutal trip to Blacksburg to play some Beamer Ball against Virginia Tech. Last year, VTech QB Tyrod Taylor had the best game of his career as Ho-Ho-Hokie High V-V-VPI beat the Huskers in Lincoln 35-30. Blacksburg is as tough a place to play in the ACC, just above the storied grounds of Duke University and their Wallace Wade Crazies, and Nebraska brings in a QB playing his first career road game. That means Pellini needs his defense to step up and contain Taylor, or else Nebraska's fans will have to watch their own corn-holes.
2. Will We Reach USC's Corp Limit?: Coming off an emotional, last minute win against the Top 10 Buckeyes in Columbus, everyone in the nation had this game against Washington circled as a "trap game" for the Trojans. Now, I don't know who taught ESPN the phrase "trap game," but they should be shot in the face. Unless there is a secret door at the 50 yard line in Seattle that leads to the end zone, or it turns out the Christian Bale is really a twin playing offense and defense for the Huskies all along, it's not a "trap." The Viet Cong didn't schedule this week for the Trojans, their own AD did, and I don't think he did it for the story.
Terminology and semantics aside, this does look like a tough game for USC. Washington has improved dramatically with a healthy QB Jack Lockner leading the offense, the team is playing with more fire under coach Steve Sarkisian now the Lt. Cedric Daniels has finally left the Washington sidelines to become a colonel in the Baltimore PD, and they have home field advantage in their new stadium that only cost the school 4 distance swimmers and a gymnastics program. Also, considering both Sarkisian and the UW defensive coordinator came from USC, there is a pretty good chance they know what Pete Carroll wants to do. When you add in that QB phenom Matt Barkley is out and QB Aaron Corp is starting, it will be interesting to see how the Trojans replace Barkley's 45% completion percentage from last week. More importantly, last week's hero, Joe McKnight, is fighting off the flu and may not be 100%. A lot of potential in this game.3. Is Their a Just God: You would assume this involves the Notre Dame game, but as anyone who has watched the Fighting Irish play the last three seasons, we all know God walked away from that train wreck years ago. Instead, God is down in the Bible Belt. New coach Bobby Petrino seems poised to make a jump in the SEC this year with his team-of-the-week, the Arkansas Razorbacks. He is considered an offensive genius, and he has a stud QB talent in Michigan-transfer Ryan Mallet. Mallet was the #2 prospect in the country coming out of high school, behind only Jimmy Clausen. Arkansas hosts Georgia this week, a team that is apparently out to have the worst functioning ACL-to-Season Win Total of any bowl eligible team in NCAA history. It's Arkansas' last home game before going on the road to play Alabama, Ole Miss, Florida and LSU. More or less, it looks like this is their only shot at a major victory in conference.
If you will remember, however, Bobby Petrino is the coach who famously redefined class by breaking up with the Atlanta Falcons by passing the team a note after practice one day. He also interviewed for a job before his season was over at Louisville, and before the new school had even fired its current coach! Offensive aptitude aside, the man is a piece of crap. His squad may be good this year, but if there is a God who believes in justice, he will be an epic failure in this game and for the rest of his career as a coach.
4. Crabtree Still Have Eligibility?: One of the most exciting games of the 2008 season was the Texas-Texas Tech game that came down to a touchdown scored with 1 second left on the clock. Keep crying, Hoogs. Earlier this week, I saw a great breakdown of what Texas Tech did defensively last year against the Horns by Todd McShay. Basically, the Texas Tech game plan was the rush four with an emphasis by the DE's of getting off the line and keeping McCoy in the pocket. One linebacker was kept as a spy on McCoy, while the other 6 defenders dropped into pass coverage. There was an emphasis by the LB's and CBs to shut off the short passes, and the safeties played deep to avoid the big play. In effect, the defense took away McCoy's two biggest assets-- his accuracy and ability to make plays with his legs-- while forcing him to make the deep throws that he was the least effective at all year long.
This year, there will be even more pressure on the TT defense. The game is in Austin, the Red Raider offense is much more inexperienced, Texas has had a year to break down last year's film, and McCoy is a year older. If they can pull off a similar Herculian effort as last year, it could be three consecutive weeks of Big 12 Top 5 upsets. If they cannot, it may be 9 consecutive 50 point performances by UT at home against the Pirates of the Plateau-abbean. Terrible.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Big 10 Week 2 Review, Very Belatedly
So this is very late and should be a space actually used to preview the upcoming week, but I'm now finally emerging from my H1N1 nightmare and am able to write again. It was a big week for the conference, with one power rising, one falling, and one holding steady as we move one week closer to conference play.
1. Tressel Ball is Alive and Well: Sloppiness early? Kicking the field goal on 4th and 1 from the 1? Somehow relying on a botched punt snap for a safety to win? Punting the ball rather than kicking a 50 yard field goal to ice the game? This game was signature Tressel. He was conservative to a fault-- relied exclusively on running between the tight ends, playing field position, and avoiding blitzing as much as possible. The good news for the Buckeyes is that they did not embarrass the conference, losing 18-15 on a touchdown in the last minute to a Top 5 team is hardly a black eye on the Big 10, no matter what Pat Forde says.
This is not to say Ohio State wasn't disappointing. Everyone was ecstatic to see what Terrelle Pryor was capable of, especially after he showed flashes a brilliance in the USC game last year and apparently turned the corner as a leader in the Fiesta Bowl against Texas, but he failed to deliver. One terrific article said that this was not Pryor's fault, but rather the fault of Ohio State's playcalling, play design and scheming. The season and Pryor are both very young, however, so I still expect to see Pryor lay the groundwork for his 2010 Heisman Campaign before November ends.
And for those people who say Tressel should be fired, We Will Always Have Tempe delivers a smart, educated response in defense of one of the best coaches in college today. Obviously, this means it has been completely ignored by most of the mainstream media.
2. Penn State Is a Machine: I mean, my god. Darryl Clark again completed 67% of his passes, 7+ yards per completion and 3 TDs. They manhandled a "BCS Conference Opponent," ha, but seriously, they crushed another team without having to play their starters in the 4th quarter. I don't care if the score wasn't overwhelming, keeping your starters fresh for the end of the season will pay off against the big guns like Ohio State and . . . what was the other school that has traditionally dominated the conference and my soul . . . University of Something . . . Bo . . . . Lloyd . . . Brady . . .
3. MICHIGAN!!!: First, let's give credit where credit is due. Notre Dame is ridiculous on offense, has better talent than people give them credit for on defense, and really should end the season in the Top 15. Will they beat USC? No, but they may very well win the other 9 games left on their schedule and sneak into the BCS. New Year's Day at the very least.
BUT MICHIGAN! Simply put, this game put RichRod back on the map as a coaching genius. He looks brilliant for his freshmen recruiting class that included 4 starters on this team, for giving up on QB phenom Ryan Mallet and lettign him transfer to Arkansas in favor of recruiting his own guy in true freshman QB Tate Forcier, but also showed that he is not a one trick pony on offense. Everyone knows how he is the pioneer of the read-option run play out of the backfield, but he debuted some new wrinkles against a defense that thought they had the play figured out (hint, apparently they did not). More importantly, under the leadership of his super-accurate freshman, RichRod has shown a willingness to throw the ball as well. Michigan threw the ball 33 times for 240 yards, and only rushed the ball 38 times. RichRod has shown that Michigan is going to be a much more balanced spread offense at Michigan than he was at WVU, which means it is a team that will be even more dangerous on offense. Big 10 champs? No, not with a freshmen. But a January 1 bowl and going 2-1 against MSU, PSU and OSU are definitely possible.
Also, great article on the lives that players from Florida high school power-Pahokee High School leave behind when they go to college.
1. Tressel Ball is Alive and Well: Sloppiness early? Kicking the field goal on 4th and 1 from the 1? Somehow relying on a botched punt snap for a safety to win? Punting the ball rather than kicking a 50 yard field goal to ice the game? This game was signature Tressel. He was conservative to a fault-- relied exclusively on running between the tight ends, playing field position, and avoiding blitzing as much as possible. The good news for the Buckeyes is that they did not embarrass the conference, losing 18-15 on a touchdown in the last minute to a Top 5 team is hardly a black eye on the Big 10, no matter what Pat Forde says.
This is not to say Ohio State wasn't disappointing. Everyone was ecstatic to see what Terrelle Pryor was capable of, especially after he showed flashes a brilliance in the USC game last year and apparently turned the corner as a leader in the Fiesta Bowl against Texas, but he failed to deliver. One terrific article said that this was not Pryor's fault, but rather the fault of Ohio State's playcalling, play design and scheming. The season and Pryor are both very young, however, so I still expect to see Pryor lay the groundwork for his 2010 Heisman Campaign before November ends.
And for those people who say Tressel should be fired, We Will Always Have Tempe delivers a smart, educated response in defense of one of the best coaches in college today. Obviously, this means it has been completely ignored by most of the mainstream media.
2. Penn State Is a Machine: I mean, my god. Darryl Clark again completed 67% of his passes, 7+ yards per completion and 3 TDs. They manhandled a "BCS Conference Opponent," ha, but seriously, they crushed another team without having to play their starters in the 4th quarter. I don't care if the score wasn't overwhelming, keeping your starters fresh for the end of the season will pay off against the big guns like Ohio State and . . . what was the other school that has traditionally dominated the conference and my soul . . . University of Something . . . Bo . . . . Lloyd . . . Brady . . .
3. MICHIGAN!!!: First, let's give credit where credit is due. Notre Dame is ridiculous on offense, has better talent than people give them credit for on defense, and really should end the season in the Top 15. Will they beat USC? No, but they may very well win the other 9 games left on their schedule and sneak into the BCS. New Year's Day at the very least.
BUT MICHIGAN! Simply put, this game put RichRod back on the map as a coaching genius. He looks brilliant for his freshmen recruiting class that included 4 starters on this team, for giving up on QB phenom Ryan Mallet and lettign him transfer to Arkansas in favor of recruiting his own guy in true freshman QB Tate Forcier, but also showed that he is not a one trick pony on offense. Everyone knows how he is the pioneer of the read-option run play out of the backfield, but he debuted some new wrinkles against a defense that thought they had the play figured out (hint, apparently they did not). More importantly, under the leadership of his super-accurate freshman, RichRod has shown a willingness to throw the ball as well. Michigan threw the ball 33 times for 240 yards, and only rushed the ball 38 times. RichRod has shown that Michigan is going to be a much more balanced spread offense at Michigan than he was at WVU, which means it is a team that will be even more dangerous on offense. Big 10 champs? No, not with a freshmen. But a January 1 bowl and going 2-1 against MSU, PSU and OSU are definitely possible.
Also, great article on the lives that players from Florida high school power-Pahokee High School leave behind when they go to college.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
SEC Preview - Week 3
Hard to believe we're already 3 weeks into the season. At least that means that we're starting to get some decent rivalry games going.
Top of everyone's SEC viewing chart for this weekend will of course be the Tebow/ Tennessee game. The Vols' lackluster performance against UCLA last week did not exactly garner much hope that the Kiffin Era's first big win would come against the Gators. The offense gave Western Kentucky a thrashing, but the sloppy play against UCLA puts more expectations on the Vols' defense, which held firm and could potentially cause Tebow some problems in the air, but I doubt he'll have much difficulty slicing his way through them [Insert circumcision joke here]. This is the first game of a solid block of all 7 intra-SEC games for Florida.
With the way Georgia has been playing lately, the Razorbacks could give them a good game as the Bulldogs travel to Fayetteville. Should be a quality conference matchup that I'll be interested to watch, provided it's broadcasted.
On that note, The Alabama / North Texas game is being broadcast on the SEC Network, a regional red-headed stepchild of ESPN. I'm not expecting much from this game other than hoping to see some good improvement from McElroy.
The best of the worst matchup between Vandy and Miss. State should be either fun or awful to watch all depending on your viewpoint and standing in Congress.
As a resident of Louisville, I'm surprised to see little to no hype regarding this week's grudge match of UK/UL, but then again it's not basketball season and UK just came off a stunning bye week after their exhausting opener against Miami of Ohio. I think there's a tractor pull this weekend anyway.
Auburn / West Virginia is the other game to watch out for to see if Auburn is bouncing back and how bad WVU has gotten. I'm predicing at least 4 gang-related TV Timeouts.
That's about it for the SEC this week. Enjoy your weekend.
Top of everyone's SEC viewing chart for this weekend will of course be the Tebow/ Tennessee game. The Vols' lackluster performance against UCLA last week did not exactly garner much hope that the Kiffin Era's first big win would come against the Gators. The offense gave Western Kentucky a thrashing, but the sloppy play against UCLA puts more expectations on the Vols' defense, which held firm and could potentially cause Tebow some problems in the air, but I doubt he'll have much difficulty slicing his way through them [Insert circumcision joke here]. This is the first game of a solid block of all 7 intra-SEC games for Florida.
With the way Georgia has been playing lately, the Razorbacks could give them a good game as the Bulldogs travel to Fayetteville. Should be a quality conference matchup that I'll be interested to watch, provided it's broadcasted.
On that note, The Alabama / North Texas game is being broadcast on the SEC Network, a regional red-headed stepchild of ESPN. I'm not expecting much from this game other than hoping to see some good improvement from McElroy.
The best of the worst matchup between Vandy and Miss. State should be either fun or awful to watch all depending on your viewpoint and standing in Congress.
As a resident of Louisville, I'm surprised to see little to no hype regarding this week's grudge match of UK/UL, but then again it's not basketball season and UK just came off a stunning bye week after their exhausting opener against Miami of Ohio. I think there's a tractor pull this weekend anyway.
Auburn / West Virginia is the other game to watch out for to see if Auburn is bouncing back and how bad WVU has gotten. I'm predicing at least 4 gang-related TV Timeouts.
That's about it for the SEC this week. Enjoy your weekend.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
New Blog
I apologize for distracting from the topic that the Office Tailgate is dedicated to, but I started a new blog devoted to my favorite form of athletic competition, whose season kicks off 2 weeks from today. Check it out at http://4thmajorsport.blogspot.com/.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
OT Week Two Poll
Well, we have seen some shake ups in the Top 5 after Oklahoma State shat the bed against Houston and USC eeked out a win in the Horseshoe. So, how do the polls look now?
Last Week's Poll:
1. Florida (20 points)
2. Texas (16 points)
3. USC (10 points)
4. Alabama (8 points)
5. Oklahoma State (5 points)
And, now on to this week . . .
Brooks:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Alabama
5. Penn State
Hoogs:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Alabama
5. Penn State
Logs:
RAE:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Penn State
5. Alabama
Uncle D:
1. Gator
2. Bait
3. Bait
4. Bait
5. Bait
Translated as:
1. Florida
2. Longhorns
3. USC
4. Ole Miss
4. Alabama
So our official Poll for Week 2 comes to:
1. Florida (still a perfect 25 points)
2. Texas (20 points)
3. USC (15 points)
4. Alabama (8.5 points)
5. Penn State (5 points)
6. Ole Miss (1.5 points)
Last Week's Poll:
1. Florida (20 points)
2. Texas (16 points)
3. USC (10 points)
4. Alabama (8 points)
5. Oklahoma State (5 points)
And, now on to this week . . .
Brooks:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Alabama
5. Penn State
Hoogs:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Alabama
5. Penn State
Logs:
1 Florida
2 Texas
3 USC
4 Alabama
5 Penn StateRAE:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Penn State
5. Alabama
Uncle D:
1. Gator
2. Bait
3. Bait
4. Bait
5. Bait
Translated as:
1. Florida
2. Longhorns
3. USC
4. Ole Miss
4. Alabama
So our official Poll for Week 2 comes to:
1. Florida (still a perfect 25 points)
2. Texas (20 points)
3. USC (15 points)
4. Alabama (8.5 points)
5. Penn State (5 points)
6. Ole Miss (1.5 points)
Friday, September 11, 2009
What I'm Watching For, Week 2
I apologize if this is incoherent, well, more incoherent than usual, but I'm stuck in bed with the flu and images tend to blur together every now and then. Swine '09, catch it! Sorry, UNC, didn't mean for you to take that literally.
So what are the matchups I'm looking forward to watching in week two?
1. Neuhiesal v Kiffin: UCLA travels to Rocky Top to play Tennessee at 4 pm tomorrow. Both are storied programs that have fallen on hard times. Both are schools that hired young, energetic, but controversial coaches to rebuild the programs. Now, we get to see who is doing a better job. Rick Neuheisal is trying to rebuild the Bruins by going head-t0-head in recruiting with crosstown rival USC. Lane Kiffin is trying to set the record for most secondary violations in order to make us all forget that he was actually the awful coach of the Raiders. UCLA's win last year in the Rose Bowl was the highlight of their season, and both coaches could use a big non-conference win to show their fan bases that they have their teams back on track.
2. DE Brandon Graham v. Weiss' 'Max Pro': After both Michigan and Notre Dame won their season openers in convincing fashion for the same time since 2006, the national media is all over this game. While much has been made about both teams QBs, the real intriguing match up is going to be in the trenches. Michigan's best player is without a doubt DE Brandon Graham, he has led the team in sacks the past two years and is a projected first round pick. Notre Dame's failures on the O Line have been well documented the past two years, and Charlie Weiss tried to compensate for it last week by using a lot of maximum protection. It is expected that Weiss will put his tackle, guard and tight end all on Graham in an effort to slow him down. If Graham can beat the double and triple teams to get to QB Jimmy Clausen, Michigan will slow down the Irish and win. If he can't and Clausen gets all the time he wants, it will be a long afternoon for the boys in Blue.
3. Terrelle Pryor v USC Linebackers: USC-Ohio State is unquestionable the game of the week, and possibly the best non-conference match up we will see this season. For Ohio State to have any chance at winning, QB sensation Terrelle Pryor will have to have the best game of his career to date. He showed that he is an improved passer against Navy, but only ran the ball 6 times all game (once for a touchdown.) There will be too many broken plays against USC for him to stay in the pocket tomorrow, so he needs to be prepared to extend and make plays with his legs. USC has struggled against mobile QBs like Vince Young and Dennis Dixon in the past, so it will be interesting to see how they try to contain Pryor. My guess is that they will rotate a spy between their three linebackers and hope their speed is enough to keep Pryor in the pocket. If they do, USC is walking out of the Horseshoe 2-0 and in position to return to the National Title game. If they don't, the Big 10 will have it's first major non-conference win in five years.
So what are the matchups I'm looking forward to watching in week two?
1. Neuhiesal v Kiffin: UCLA travels to Rocky Top to play Tennessee at 4 pm tomorrow. Both are storied programs that have fallen on hard times. Both are schools that hired young, energetic, but controversial coaches to rebuild the programs. Now, we get to see who is doing a better job. Rick Neuheisal is trying to rebuild the Bruins by going head-t0-head in recruiting with crosstown rival USC. Lane Kiffin is trying to set the record for most secondary violations in order to make us all forget that he was actually the awful coach of the Raiders. UCLA's win last year in the Rose Bowl was the highlight of their season, and both coaches could use a big non-conference win to show their fan bases that they have their teams back on track.
2. DE Brandon Graham v. Weiss' 'Max Pro': After both Michigan and Notre Dame won their season openers in convincing fashion for the same time since 2006, the national media is all over this game. While much has been made about both teams QBs, the real intriguing match up is going to be in the trenches. Michigan's best player is without a doubt DE Brandon Graham, he has led the team in sacks the past two years and is a projected first round pick. Notre Dame's failures on the O Line have been well documented the past two years, and Charlie Weiss tried to compensate for it last week by using a lot of maximum protection. It is expected that Weiss will put his tackle, guard and tight end all on Graham in an effort to slow him down. If Graham can beat the double and triple teams to get to QB Jimmy Clausen, Michigan will slow down the Irish and win. If he can't and Clausen gets all the time he wants, it will be a long afternoon for the boys in Blue.
3. Terrelle Pryor v USC Linebackers: USC-Ohio State is unquestionable the game of the week, and possibly the best non-conference match up we will see this season. For Ohio State to have any chance at winning, QB sensation Terrelle Pryor will have to have the best game of his career to date. He showed that he is an improved passer against Navy, but only ran the ball 6 times all game (once for a touchdown.) There will be too many broken plays against USC for him to stay in the pocket tomorrow, so he needs to be prepared to extend and make plays with his legs. USC has struggled against mobile QBs like Vince Young and Dennis Dixon in the past, so it will be interesting to see how they try to contain Pryor. My guess is that they will rotate a spy between their three linebackers and hope their speed is enough to keep Pryor in the pocket. If they do, USC is walking out of the Horseshoe 2-0 and in position to return to the National Title game. If they don't, the Big 10 will have it's first major non-conference win in five years.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
OT Office Poll, Week 1
In the spirit of giving you useless information you never asked for in the first place, we give you our first weekly poll of the college football season. As always, our buddy RAE has given us a very important disclaimer when I asked him to submit his votes: "I would abstain if I were a member of the AP, because the early games are so meaningless." He raises good points, the polls do mean nothing until conference play starts because, to quote Mel Kiper and Todd McShay, we don't have a "substantial body of work" to draw from. But we try anyways, because we have no repurcussions since no one reads our blog at all.
So, here are our individual "Fave Fives." We give them to you upfront because we love Charles Barkley and hate the Coach's Poll.
Brooks:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Alabama
5. Oklahoma State/Penn State
Hoogs:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. USC
5. Oklahoma State
RAE:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Oklahoma State
5. Ole Miss
Logs:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. USC
5. Oklahoma State
So our official OT Poll is (1st place= 5 pts, 5th place=1 pt):
1. Florida (20 points)
2. Texas (16 points)
3. USC (10 points)
4. Alabama (8 points)
5. Oklahoma State (5 points)
So, here are our individual "Fave Fives." We give them to you upfront because we love Charles Barkley and hate the Coach's Poll.
Brooks:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Alabama
5. Oklahoma State/Penn State
Hoogs:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. USC
5. Oklahoma State
RAE:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Oklahoma State
5. Ole Miss
Logs:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. USC
5. Oklahoma State
So our official OT Poll is (1st place= 5 pts, 5th place=1 pt):
1. Florida (20 points)
2. Texas (16 points)
3. USC (10 points)
4. Alabama (8 points)
5. Oklahoma State (5 points)
PAC-10 Week 1 Review
Prior to this weekend, I did not know very much about the Pac-10. As the following poorly written paragraphs will attest, nothing has changed . . .
1. Oregone Conclusion
New Oregon head coach Chip Kelly suffered, arguably, the worst opening game defeat since Appalachian State brazenly kicked down the door to the Big House with their mud caked mountain boots two years screaming, “fuck your couch, Chad Henne!”
Granted, Boise St. entered the contest ranked higher than the Ducks and developed a Jesus ‘Complex’ after walking over their previous 49 opponents on the water colored terrain of Bronco Stadium. However, it is the manner in which Oregon was thoroughly outplayed and comported itself afterward that will linger throughout Kelly’s inaugural season in Eugene and erode the optimism that accompanied his ascendancy as coach.
No matter how many ways Phil Knight can egregiously dress that one up, Oregon, for a lack of a better phrase, threw up a nominally appropriate duck against the Broncos.
The Ducks had 16 fewer first downs, gained 209 less yards, and held the ball for only 17:28. But let’s forget all that. This performance would be excusable considering the following factors:
--The first game of the season
--New head coach
--On the road
--Higher ranked opponent
--Disorienting, reference lost on crowd Picasso Blue everywhere
-- Only semi-attractive cheerleader already engaged to Ian Johnson’s replacement
--As hostile a crowd Idaho can muster without being too impolite
But what will forever stigmatize the 2009 Oregon season is LaGarrette Blount’s desperate and obvious ploy to get a deal with Truwarier Records by punching Byron Hout after the game. Blount has been subsequently suspended from Saturdays for the remainder of the season, leaving Chip Kelly waddling to find someone who can replace his 17 rushing touchdowns from a year ago.
Blount’s antics literally leave Oregon punchless in the backfield and have them on the precipice of a 1-3 or 0-4 start as Purdue, Utah, and California all loom over the next three weeks. That should all but knock the Ducks Hout from contending in conference they could have won.
2. Barkley Keeps USC in Nation’s Five
If anybody in the USC huddle appeared to be lost last year, it’s only because he was staring directly into Mark Sanchez’s eyes. Fortunately for Pete Carroll, he doesn’t have to manage such distractions this season and can concentrate on more immediate challenges like catering his playbook to Freshman Quarterback Matt Barkley and updating his subscription to GQ.
Barkley played well in the Trojan’s 53 point cunt rubbing victory over San Jose St., however he will not benefit from playing against JUCO level (football) talent this week as USC travels to Horseshoe to play Ohio St.
If white knight QB Barkley falters, it is a good thing that USC’s tailbacks are slimming and can hide his inefficiencies. I anticipate Joe McKnight and Marc Taylor will run all over the Buckeyes this weekend lest Pete Carroll spends his Sunday eating ice cream while watching the Jet-Texans game.
3. The Cal Bear Report
Revenge is a dish best served cold. Nobody knows this more than Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen, who probably experienced conflicted emotions as Cal convincingly avenged last season’s defeat to his Terrapins.
During their impressive 52-13 rout over a BCS conference team, Cal showcased why they may be poised to make their first Rose Bowl in 51 years or LI, as expressed in Friedgen’s Under Armour Size.
Jahvid Best is a straight-up Benjamin Button-esque manchild and the Bears no longer have to worry about Nate Longshore throwing inexplicable, momentum-raping interceptions. I sincerely believe that if Cal can avoid a derailing loss over their next 3 games against Eastern Michigan, Minnesota, and Oregon, they will beat USC the first Saturday of October at home.
1. Oregone Conclusion
New Oregon head coach Chip Kelly suffered, arguably, the worst opening game defeat since Appalachian State brazenly kicked down the door to the Big House with their mud caked mountain boots two years screaming, “fuck your couch, Chad Henne!”
Granted, Boise St. entered the contest ranked higher than the Ducks and developed a Jesus ‘Complex’ after walking over their previous 49 opponents on the water colored terrain of Bronco Stadium. However, it is the manner in which Oregon was thoroughly outplayed and comported itself afterward that will linger throughout Kelly’s inaugural season in Eugene and erode the optimism that accompanied his ascendancy as coach.
No matter how many ways Phil Knight can egregiously dress that one up, Oregon, for a lack of a better phrase, threw up a nominally appropriate duck against the Broncos.
The Ducks had 16 fewer first downs, gained 209 less yards, and held the ball for only 17:28. But let’s forget all that. This performance would be excusable considering the following factors:
--The first game of the season
--New head coach
--On the road
--Higher ranked opponent
--Disorienting, reference lost on crowd Picasso Blue everywhere
-- Only semi-attractive cheerleader already engaged to Ian Johnson’s replacement
--As hostile a crowd Idaho can muster without being too impolite
But what will forever stigmatize the 2009 Oregon season is LaGarrette Blount’s desperate and obvious ploy to get a deal with Truwarier Records by punching Byron Hout after the game. Blount has been subsequently suspended from Saturdays for the remainder of the season, leaving Chip Kelly waddling to find someone who can replace his 17 rushing touchdowns from a year ago.
Blount’s antics literally leave Oregon punchless in the backfield and have them on the precipice of a 1-3 or 0-4 start as Purdue, Utah, and California all loom over the next three weeks. That should all but knock the Ducks Hout from contending in conference they could have won.
2. Barkley Keeps USC in Nation’s Five
If anybody in the USC huddle appeared to be lost last year, it’s only because he was staring directly into Mark Sanchez’s eyes. Fortunately for Pete Carroll, he doesn’t have to manage such distractions this season and can concentrate on more immediate challenges like catering his playbook to Freshman Quarterback Matt Barkley and updating his subscription to GQ.
Barkley played well in the Trojan’s 53 point cunt rubbing victory over San Jose St., however he will not benefit from playing against JUCO level (football) talent this week as USC travels to Horseshoe to play Ohio St.
If white knight QB Barkley falters, it is a good thing that USC’s tailbacks are slimming and can hide his inefficiencies. I anticipate Joe McKnight and Marc Taylor will run all over the Buckeyes this weekend lest Pete Carroll spends his Sunday eating ice cream while watching the Jet-Texans game.
3. The Cal Bear Report
Revenge is a dish best served cold. Nobody knows this more than Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen, who probably experienced conflicted emotions as Cal convincingly avenged last season’s defeat to his Terrapins.
During their impressive 52-13 rout over a BCS conference team, Cal showcased why they may be poised to make their first Rose Bowl in 51 years or LI, as expressed in Friedgen’s Under Armour Size.
Jahvid Best is a straight-up Benjamin Button-esque manchild and the Bears no longer have to worry about Nate Longshore throwing inexplicable, momentum-raping interceptions. I sincerely believe that if Cal can avoid a derailing loss over their next 3 games against Eastern Michigan, Minnesota, and Oregon, they will beat USC the first Saturday of October at home.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Big East Week 1 Review
I don't really know what to say here. The Big East opened up it's season . . . I guess. They played some games . . . I guess. They scored some touchdowns, field goals, and even won some games . . . I guess. I'm as thrilled to write this column every week as the guy dragged onto a double-date who just found out his blind date is the girl with "stability" issues. There will be moments of pure comedy that I won't wait to share with my friends, other moments when I'm terrified, but mostly it will be filled with moments where I just want to bang my head against a brick wall.
So, what happened in Week 1 in the Big East? This . . . I guess.
1. Cincinnati is Poised for a Repeat: Monday truly was 'Nati-day on the Big East. It truly was awesome-nest day of the week for Bearcat fans. In what was the conference match up of the week, Cincinnati tore apart Rutgers on Rutgers home turf. Coach Brian Kelly has never had a quarterback return for a second season in his tenure in the 'Nati, but his year QB Tony Pike finally returned for year two at the healm. He responded with a veritable 'Nati-pult, throwing for 362 yards and 3 TD's, and gave notice to the Big East that the Bearcats appear to be the team to beat this year in the Big East. Rutgers was picked by people like Kirk Herbstreit to win the Big East, and this was not a narrow victory. No one has been that chopped up this bad in central Jersey since Ralph Cifaretto.
2. Speaking of Rutgers . . .: Heads may be about to bowl here, since that opening game was an utter 'Nati-tastrophe. They gave up almost 600 yards, were outgained 2:1, and on top of that dismal performance also lost the turnover battle 3-1. Greg Schiano had a miracle season in 2006, and it seemed that Rutgers was on the verge of taking over the Big East. They were disciplined on defense, pragmatic on offense, and were building a recruiting pipeline to Southern Florida. Well, the Kansas City Royals also made a run at the Division Crown in 2003 and Seth Rogen is sleeping with Elizabeth Banks, so I guess sometimes crazy sh-t happens once. Once.
3. Pitt Can Run the Ball: Some ass-clown at the start of the year said that Pitt would be unable to run the ball and would be forced to pass this year. Well, apparently it pissed Pitt off, as Running Back Dion Lewis carried 20 times for 128 yards and 2 TDs. Yes, it was against Youngstown State, but Pitt can only compete at the highest levels if it can rely on a solid run game to run the clock and force opponents to play their preferred type of smash-mouth football. Having a true freshmen running back emerge in a big way in week one is a great sign of things to come this year for the Panther.
So, what happened in Week 1 in the Big East? This . . . I guess.
1. Cincinnati is Poised for a Repeat: Monday truly was 'Nati-day on the Big East. It truly was awesome-nest day of the week for Bearcat fans. In what was the conference match up of the week, Cincinnati tore apart Rutgers on Rutgers home turf. Coach Brian Kelly has never had a quarterback return for a second season in his tenure in the 'Nati, but his year QB Tony Pike finally returned for year two at the healm. He responded with a veritable 'Nati-pult, throwing for 362 yards and 3 TD's, and gave notice to the Big East that the Bearcats appear to be the team to beat this year in the Big East. Rutgers was picked by people like Kirk Herbstreit to win the Big East, and this was not a narrow victory. No one has been that chopped up this bad in central Jersey since Ralph Cifaretto.2. Speaking of Rutgers . . .: Heads may be about to bowl here, since that opening game was an utter 'Nati-tastrophe. They gave up almost 600 yards, were outgained 2:1, and on top of that dismal performance also lost the turnover battle 3-1. Greg Schiano had a miracle season in 2006, and it seemed that Rutgers was on the verge of taking over the Big East. They were disciplined on defense, pragmatic on offense, and were building a recruiting pipeline to Southern Florida. Well, the Kansas City Royals also made a run at the Division Crown in 2003 and Seth Rogen is sleeping with Elizabeth Banks, so I guess sometimes crazy sh-t happens once. Once.
3. Pitt Can Run the Ball: Some ass-clown at the start of the year said that Pitt would be unable to run the ball and would be forced to pass this year. Well, apparently it pissed Pitt off, as Running Back Dion Lewis carried 20 times for 128 yards and 2 TDs. Yes, it was against Youngstown State, but Pitt can only compete at the highest levels if it can rely on a solid run game to run the clock and force opponents to play their preferred type of smash-mouth football. Having a true freshmen running back emerge in a big way in week one is a great sign of things to come this year for the Panther.
SEC Week 1 Review
Is the SEC still the powerhouse that Verne Lundquist hopes it to be? Week 1 showed us a few things that may provide us with an answer by week 14.
1. Roll Tide Roll!
As a Tide fan, I was appalled by the first half of the Alabama Va Tech game. Not only because ABC somehow failed to bring their HD cameras with them to the game, but at the score as well. The stats of the game at halftime did not justify the tight score of 17-16. The end didn't justify the means, but did somewhat justify the stats. It was the sloppiest dominating game I've seen in a while. 498 O-yards to 155. Alabama's defense stepped up to the game. The secondary sealed off access to any decent gains, holding Tech to 91 passing yards and only 11 first downs. The D-Line did what they do best, stuff the run and contain an otherwise dangerously mobile QB. Positive issues: 1) McElroy looked to have a little first big game jitters, but actually performed pretty well for his first start since high school. 1 Pick, only 2 sacks, rating of 118, knew when to get rid of the ball (coughcoughPauluscough). He doesn't seem to like the pocket much though. Time will tell, he should only get better. 2) Julio Jones likes double coverage.
Negative Issues: 1) Discipline. McClain should be extremely happy he didn't get thrown off the field for his antics. I know we've all wanted to push a ref out of our way, but come on. 2) Discipline: Special Teams. The Tide's game against FIU next week will give us a clue how this discipline has improved.
2. Oh Georgia!
The whole Oklahoma State roster can change their last names to Sherman after the beating they gave the Bulldogs. Georgia is definitely missing Moreno after their running game never got off the ground and didn't even break 100 yards. This game was actually pretty fairly matched and was definitely touted to be a good solid game, which it was. Cox started out well, but couldn't find the end zone after the first quarter. The stats tell the story. The Georgia secondary couldn't stop the 2 passes for TD's that mattered after State's run game and 3 turnovers helped get them in position. Obviously Georgia's D needs some work and the offense needs to come together a bit more. Rebuilding....hope they can do it fast for Florida on Halloween.
3. The Kiffin Era Begins
Is there an announcer or analyst who didn't say that after the UT game?? I got pretty sick of hearing it. The first quarter of that game was about the worst football I've ever seen. I thought the Kiffin Era was going to be a short one, so I changed channels after the Vols stopped turning the ball over and finally scored....that and they were playing Western Kentucky. Yes, the Vols ran up the score........on Western Kentucky. It's good to see some life in the Vols on both sides of the ball. Definitely looking forward to seeing them in action against UCLA next week and Florida the week after.
4. Florida
I wonder how Jesus feels about his disciple running up the score like that? A very un-Christian act.
5. Come on!!!!
As much as we love opening weekend, couldn't there be more than just a couple games to watch? There's not as much you can tell from SEC teams beating the shit out of smaller schools. Yes, UK opened a can on Miami of Ohio....they're still going to be battling Vandy for last place.
6. The rest.
Uggghhhh, who the hell is going to beat Florida?? UT and UK racked up high scores against weak teams, LSU managed the Huskies, but that's about all you can say about it, South Carolina barely escaped NC State, Georgia has plenty of problems, and Florida State got knocked out of the top 25. Here's hoping Troy aims for the knees. Hoogs will pay someone now that Bradford's out and Colt can make a clear run for the Heisman. I'm hoping Arkansas's the sleeper. They've got one of the toughest schedules in the SEC and meet Florida after battling Georgia, Alabama, A&M, and Auburn. Thank God their bye week is week 2, they'll need rest before that. If they're still standing by week 7, they might be able to surprise them. Here's hoping.
Next Week:
Let's see how Tennessee preps for Florida against UCLA next week. Also, cheer for Mississippi State to take out Auburn. Plus, we'll see how bad off Georgia really is when the Cocks take on Cox between the hedges.
1. Roll Tide Roll!
As a Tide fan, I was appalled by the first half of the Alabama Va Tech game. Not only because ABC somehow failed to bring their HD cameras with them to the game, but at the score as well. The stats of the game at halftime did not justify the tight score of 17-16. The end didn't justify the means, but did somewhat justify the stats. It was the sloppiest dominating game I've seen in a while. 498 O-yards to 155. Alabama's defense stepped up to the game. The secondary sealed off access to any decent gains, holding Tech to 91 passing yards and only 11 first downs. The D-Line did what they do best, stuff the run and contain an otherwise dangerously mobile QB. Positive issues: 1) McElroy looked to have a little first big game jitters, but actually performed pretty well for his first start since high school. 1 Pick, only 2 sacks, rating of 118, knew when to get rid of the ball (coughcoughPauluscough). He doesn't seem to like the pocket much though. Time will tell, he should only get better. 2) Julio Jones likes double coverage.
Negative Issues: 1) Discipline. McClain should be extremely happy he didn't get thrown off the field for his antics. I know we've all wanted to push a ref out of our way, but come on. 2) Discipline: Special Teams. The Tide's game against FIU next week will give us a clue how this discipline has improved.
2. Oh Georgia!
The whole Oklahoma State roster can change their last names to Sherman after the beating they gave the Bulldogs. Georgia is definitely missing Moreno after their running game never got off the ground and didn't even break 100 yards. This game was actually pretty fairly matched and was definitely touted to be a good solid game, which it was. Cox started out well, but couldn't find the end zone after the first quarter. The stats tell the story. The Georgia secondary couldn't stop the 2 passes for TD's that mattered after State's run game and 3 turnovers helped get them in position. Obviously Georgia's D needs some work and the offense needs to come together a bit more. Rebuilding....hope they can do it fast for Florida on Halloween.
3. The Kiffin Era Begins
Is there an announcer or analyst who didn't say that after the UT game?? I got pretty sick of hearing it. The first quarter of that game was about the worst football I've ever seen. I thought the Kiffin Era was going to be a short one, so I changed channels after the Vols stopped turning the ball over and finally scored....that and they were playing Western Kentucky. Yes, the Vols ran up the score........on Western Kentucky. It's good to see some life in the Vols on both sides of the ball. Definitely looking forward to seeing them in action against UCLA next week and Florida the week after.
4. Florida
I wonder how Jesus feels about his disciple running up the score like that? A very un-Christian act.
5. Come on!!!!
As much as we love opening weekend, couldn't there be more than just a couple games to watch? There's not as much you can tell from SEC teams beating the shit out of smaller schools. Yes, UK opened a can on Miami of Ohio....they're still going to be battling Vandy for last place.
6. The rest.
Uggghhhh, who the hell is going to beat Florida?? UT and UK racked up high scores against weak teams, LSU managed the Huskies, but that's about all you can say about it, South Carolina barely escaped NC State, Georgia has plenty of problems, and Florida State got knocked out of the top 25. Here's hoping Troy aims for the knees. Hoogs will pay someone now that Bradford's out and Colt can make a clear run for the Heisman. I'm hoping Arkansas's the sleeper. They've got one of the toughest schedules in the SEC and meet Florida after battling Georgia, Alabama, A&M, and Auburn. Thank God their bye week is week 2, they'll need rest before that. If they're still standing by week 7, they might be able to surprise them. Here's hoping.
Next Week:
Let's see how Tennessee preps for Florida against UCLA next week. Also, cheer for Mississippi State to take out Auburn. Plus, we'll see how bad off Georgia really is when the Cocks take on Cox between the hedges.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
ACC Week 1 Review
So apparently I have no choice but to be the "ACC Guy" this football season. As you might have gleaned from my season preview, I have little (read: no) interest in how this conference fares on the gridiron. Regrettably, I attend an institution of higher learning in the SEC; hence most of the games I watch will fall in that dominion. But in the interest of educating myself and you, our dear readers, I will endeavor to provide a rundown of all that was in ACC football during the weekend just passed. So what did we learn?
(1) The conference (as a whole) sucks more than expected
Last year the conventional wisdom on ACC football was that it was the most competitive league, in which there were really no bad teams, with the paradoxical result that it couldn't get any respect. This year it looks like that won't be what the folks on ESPN say. The league went 4-6 in out-of-conference games this weekend. And two of those losses were against FCS powerhouses William & Mary and Richmond. State and Maryland lost to FBS schools South Carolina and Cal, respectively, but State's offense looked anemic and Maryland got absolutley PWN3D in Berkley by a margin of 39. Ouch.
(2) The Atlantic Division will be wide open
Florida State was the consensus pick to win the Atlantic, but after their thrilling defeat by the 'Canes it doesn't look like they'll run away with it. Of course, since State, Wake and Maryland also lost, it's unclear who will step up, but it's not a good sign for the 'Noles to open with a home loss, especially considering it could have been a W had the lunatic formerly known as the winningest coach in 1-A football saved A SINGLE TIMEOUT for the end of the game. Has he watched a football game in the last decade?
(3) Al Groh may not coach the remaining 11 games
Elite athletics have never been priority 1 at UVa. To their credit, they've managed to develop a strong overall Athletic Dept. while keeping the goal of being America's #1 public university foremost. Still, I don't think that Mr. Jefferson would approve of HIS university getting spanked by HIS alma mater (at home, no less!). I don't see any way that Groh makes it to next season, unless by some miracle he beats Virginia Tech. Which actually became more likely on Saturday night, because...
(4) Tyrod Taylor is not ready for the spotlight
The Virginia Tech Junior starting QB looked awful against Alabama in the Geo-Do on Saturday night. He was 9 for 20 for just 91 yards passing, but where he really suffered was on his feet. Though Taylor averaged 56 yards/game rushing in '08, the Crimson Tide confined him to negative 26. That is probably more the fault of the O-line than Taylor's, but combined with the fact that his passing game didn't develop over the off-season at all makes VPI's hopes of making the Orange Bowl much shakier.
(5) Miami will be much improved
The only conference game of the week was easily the best game. The U travelled up to Tallahassee for an early-90's throwback game, not in uniform style but rather in the sense that both teams played like they belonged among the nation's elite. The game was played on Monday night, which makes sense since all these players are payed as well as the pros. QB Jacory Harris led the 'Canes with 386 yards and 2 TDs but did suffer 2 INTs. The heroes of the game, however, had to be the defense. True, they allowed FSU to put up 34 points. But when the 'Noles had 1st-and-goal at the 2 with apx. 30 sec. to play, they put enough pressure on QB Christian Ponder to force 4 straight incompletes, sealing the win and a return (for now) to respectability.
Next Week: Clemson @ Ga. Tech. on Thursday highlights the schedule, but I'm most interested to see if Maryland will be the 3rd team to fall to a FCS powerhouse (JMU).
(1) The conference (as a whole) sucks more than expected
Last year the conventional wisdom on ACC football was that it was the most competitive league, in which there were really no bad teams, with the paradoxical result that it couldn't get any respect. This year it looks like that won't be what the folks on ESPN say. The league went 4-6 in out-of-conference games this weekend. And two of those losses were against FCS powerhouses William & Mary and Richmond. State and Maryland lost to FBS schools South Carolina and Cal, respectively, but State's offense looked anemic and Maryland got absolutley PWN3D in Berkley by a margin of 39. Ouch.
(2) The Atlantic Division will be wide open
Florida State was the consensus pick to win the Atlantic, but after their thrilling defeat by the 'Canes it doesn't look like they'll run away with it. Of course, since State, Wake and Maryland also lost, it's unclear who will step up, but it's not a good sign for the 'Noles to open with a home loss, especially considering it could have been a W had the lunatic formerly known as the winningest coach in 1-A football saved A SINGLE TIMEOUT for the end of the game. Has he watched a football game in the last decade?
(3) Al Groh may not coach the remaining 11 games
Elite athletics have never been priority 1 at UVa. To their credit, they've managed to develop a strong overall Athletic Dept. while keeping the goal of being America's #1 public university foremost. Still, I don't think that Mr. Jefferson would approve of HIS university getting spanked by HIS alma mater (at home, no less!). I don't see any way that Groh makes it to next season, unless by some miracle he beats Virginia Tech. Which actually became more likely on Saturday night, because...
(4) Tyrod Taylor is not ready for the spotlight
The Virginia Tech Junior starting QB looked awful against Alabama in the Geo-Do on Saturday night. He was 9 for 20 for just 91 yards passing, but where he really suffered was on his feet. Though Taylor averaged 56 yards/game rushing in '08, the Crimson Tide confined him to negative 26. That is probably more the fault of the O-line than Taylor's, but combined with the fact that his passing game didn't develop over the off-season at all makes VPI's hopes of making the Orange Bowl much shakier.
(5) Miami will be much improved
The only conference game of the week was easily the best game. The U travelled up to Tallahassee for an early-90's throwback game, not in uniform style but rather in the sense that both teams played like they belonged among the nation's elite. The game was played on Monday night, which makes sense since all these players are payed as well as the pros. QB Jacory Harris led the 'Canes with 386 yards and 2 TDs but did suffer 2 INTs. The heroes of the game, however, had to be the defense. True, they allowed FSU to put up 34 points. But when the 'Noles had 1st-and-goal at the 2 with apx. 30 sec. to play, they put enough pressure on QB Christian Ponder to force 4 straight incompletes, sealing the win and a return (for now) to respectability.
Next Week: Clemson @ Ga. Tech. on Thursday highlights the schedule, but I'm most interested to see if Maryland will be the 3rd team to fall to a FCS powerhouse (JMU).
Big 10 Week 1 Review
So, after that thrilling ACC showdown that went down the final minutes in Tallahassee last night, we can now begin to reflect on an outstanding opening weekend in college football. Whodathunkit, but actually putting compelling match ups against winning programs from opposing conferences actually spikes interest amongst fans and the media. I'm sure this also means teams like Oklahoma, Oregon and Georgia will never do it again. Let's reflect on what we learned this week in the Midwest.
1. Ohio State Has Problems: Ohio State had a great weekend in some respects. Terrelle Pryor showed that he is a developing into a true passing quarterback, and Brian Rolle's 2 point conversion interception and return showed that the linebacker core is going to reload and not rebuild. On the other hand, while I'm not one of those people that is screaming that this means Ohio State was exposed by only beating a quality Navy team 31-27, some problems did emerge. Most importantly, Ohio State is weak in the trenches. Ohio State was outrushed 186-153, despite being distinctly larger and stronger than the Midshipmen linemen. If Ohio State is going to beat a USC team next Saturday that ran all over San Jose State, they are going to need their offensive and defensive line make a huge jump in a short amount of time.
2. Illinois got Zook-er Punched: Illinois was supposed to show that their 2007 Rose Bowl bid was not a fluke this year. Tons of returning talent and a favorable schedule. SI's Stewart Mandel said on a St. Louis radio show the Illini were his dark horse pick to win the Big 10 this year. Then Illinois went out and laid an egg in the form of a 37-9 whoopin by a Missouri team starting a freshmen quarterback. Surprised? You wouldn't be if you read my Illinois preview. Or, you know, if you ever looked at his coaching career with Florida. This season looks like a classic underachieving Zook-led team.
3. Penn State Looks Awesome: I know it was a game, at home, against a terrible Akron team. That's fine. Point is, they were supposed to be an offensively talented team with a suspect defense. Then they outgained Akron 344 to 8 in the first half while the starters were in. Read that again. 344-8! If that doesn't scare everyone in the Midwest-- and the Pac 10 Rose Bowl Bid-- then you aren't paying attention.
4. Iowa, WTF?: First, the Big 10 only gets three teams ranked to start the year. Then, Iowa needs not one, but two, 2!, blocked field goals to beat frickin' Northern Iowa? Just go ahead an shoot yourselves now, Hawkeye fans.
5. Minnesota Is In For a Long Year: I can make a lot of jokes about how they almost lost to a team that was using a washed-up point guard as their starting quarterback. I won't. Point is, Minnesota is fitting a lot of square pegs in round holes this season. They recruited a bunch of players for the spread-- small, fast receivers and RBs-- that they are now trying to fit into a pro style scheme. Result? An inefficient offense that kept trying to throw deep with receivers that were smaller than their opposing DBs. Their passing game seemed as natural as Paulus' jump shot from 3. Couldn't resist.
6. MICHIGAN!: I don't think Big 10 Commissioner was more excited about a game than the Michigan blowout of Eastern Michigan. Yes, it was an average MAC team, but Michigan showed an offensive explosiveness and defensive tenacity not see in Ann Arbor since Michigan's 11-2 2006 season. The Big 10 is more exciting and more prestigious when Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State are all at the top of their game. Tate Forcier, Denard Robinson, Brandon Graham and Junior Hemingway all show that Michigan is closer to prominence. Rose Bowl? Unlikely. But bowl-- a win next week versus Notre Dame and it will be a definitive yes.
1. Ohio State Has Problems: Ohio State had a great weekend in some respects. Terrelle Pryor showed that he is a developing into a true passing quarterback, and Brian Rolle's 2 point conversion interception and return showed that the linebacker core is going to reload and not rebuild. On the other hand, while I'm not one of those people that is screaming that this means Ohio State was exposed by only beating a quality Navy team 31-27, some problems did emerge. Most importantly, Ohio State is weak in the trenches. Ohio State was outrushed 186-153, despite being distinctly larger and stronger than the Midshipmen linemen. If Ohio State is going to beat a USC team next Saturday that ran all over San Jose State, they are going to need their offensive and defensive line make a huge jump in a short amount of time.
2. Illinois got Zook-er Punched: Illinois was supposed to show that their 2007 Rose Bowl bid was not a fluke this year. Tons of returning talent and a favorable schedule. SI's Stewart Mandel said on a St. Louis radio show the Illini were his dark horse pick to win the Big 10 this year. Then Illinois went out and laid an egg in the form of a 37-9 whoopin by a Missouri team starting a freshmen quarterback. Surprised? You wouldn't be if you read my Illinois preview. Or, you know, if you ever looked at his coaching career with Florida. This season looks like a classic underachieving Zook-led team.
3. Penn State Looks Awesome: I know it was a game, at home, against a terrible Akron team. That's fine. Point is, they were supposed to be an offensively talented team with a suspect defense. Then they outgained Akron 344 to 8 in the first half while the starters were in. Read that again. 344-8! If that doesn't scare everyone in the Midwest-- and the Pac 10 Rose Bowl Bid-- then you aren't paying attention.
4. Iowa, WTF?: First, the Big 10 only gets three teams ranked to start the year. Then, Iowa needs not one, but two, 2!, blocked field goals to beat frickin' Northern Iowa? Just go ahead an shoot yourselves now, Hawkeye fans.
5. Minnesota Is In For a Long Year: I can make a lot of jokes about how they almost lost to a team that was using a washed-up point guard as their starting quarterback. I won't. Point is, Minnesota is fitting a lot of square pegs in round holes this season. They recruited a bunch of players for the spread-- small, fast receivers and RBs-- that they are now trying to fit into a pro style scheme. Result? An inefficient offense that kept trying to throw deep with receivers that were smaller than their opposing DBs. Their passing game seemed as natural as Paulus' jump shot from 3. Couldn't resist.
6. MICHIGAN!: I don't think Big 10 Commissioner was more excited about a game than the Michigan blowout of Eastern Michigan. Yes, it was an average MAC team, but Michigan showed an offensive explosiveness and defensive tenacity not see in Ann Arbor since Michigan's 11-2 2006 season. The Big 10 is more exciting and more prestigious when Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State are all at the top of their game. Tate Forcier, Denard Robinson, Brandon Graham and Junior Hemingway all show that Michigan is closer to prominence. Rose Bowl? Unlikely. But bowl-- a win next week versus Notre Dame and it will be a definitive yes.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The beginning of the wait...
So about 6 weeks ago our fearless leader asked if I'd write a preview of the upcoming ACC season, seeing as I'm the only contributor to have grown up in the area. "Great," I thought, "it'll be interesting to think about the conference in the post-Hansborough era. I then realized he meant the football and was stumped.
Because the ACC was, is, and always will be a basketball conference. Football is just a diversion between the end of NASCAR and Midnight Madness. Ask anyone who has lived in North Carolina in the past 60 years. In my opinion the conference sold its soul when they let Miami, VT and BC (seriously, Boston College?!), and what have they gotten in return? 3 poorly-attended games set in 2 of the sh*ttiest cities in America, Jacksonville and Tampa. Not exactly hotbeds of ACC fever. But it shouldn't come as a surprise, since sports in America today are soulless and all anyone cares about is tha almighty dollar. WHATEVER. On with the preview.
Caution: The following contains little, if any, actual football knowledge
Atlantic Division
Because the ACC was, is, and always will be a basketball conference. Football is just a diversion between the end of NASCAR and Midnight Madness. Ask anyone who has lived in North Carolina in the past 60 years. In my opinion the conference sold its soul when they let Miami, VT and BC (seriously, Boston College?!), and what have they gotten in return? 3 poorly-attended games set in 2 of the sh*ttiest cities in America, Jacksonville and Tampa. Not exactly hotbeds of ACC fever. But it shouldn't come as a surprise, since sports in America today are soulless and all anyone cares about is tha almighty dollar. WHATEVER. On with the preview.
Caution: The following contains little, if any, actual football knowledge
Atlantic Division
(1) Florida State
You didn't think I would actualy put up a picture of a Seminole, did you? Well then you were sadly mistaken, my friend.
The 'Noles joined the league in '92 and straight dominated for years. In fact they didn't lose to an ACC opponent until '97 I believe. However they seem to have slipped a bit over the past few years, mostly owing to the long, slow road into bewilderment that Bobby Bowden refuses to acknowledge that he is on. Seriously, has anyone listened to an interview with this guy in the last 5 years? He makes Uncle Junior look copos mentis.
But still, this is Free Shoes University and they must have recruited some decent players. Plus the O-line lost no-one to graduation (in fact it still doesn't have any seniors). That should give 2nd year QB Christian Ponder the security he needs to develop.
(2) NC State
How great are these two? I love the fact that State has a married couple as their mascots. And she's dressed like Betty Draper! Much love to Mr. and Mrs. Wuf.
Coach Tom O'Brien is in the 3rd year of his "it's not about the money" gig since fleeing the banks of the river Charles. Seasons 1 and 2 were underwhelming to say the least. The Pack opened last season across the street from my apartment against the mighty Cocks, where they were stomped on, 34-0. But the silver lining there was that freshman QB Russell Wilson was injured in the first half, before any points were actually scored. The Pack continued to stumble to a 2-6 start, but after a bye week they won their last 4 and earned a trip to Birmingham, AL, for the papajohns.com bowl (crowned "Worst Bowl Game in the World" by Deadspin!). Wilson was the first freshman QB to be named 1st team All-ACC and now expectations are high. State opens the season against the South Carolina again, this time in Raleigh, tomorrow night in fact. Will Wilson deliver on the hype? Who knows. Only one thing's for sure: They sure do have a damn ugly campus.
(3) Wake Forest
Yeah, he went there.The Deacs were the surprise champs of the first 12-team ACC football season and were rewarded with a drubbing in the Orange Bowl. Expectations were high as a true freshman QB started that year. Now Rily Skinner is a vet and looks to go out on a strong note. Wake has made 3 consecutive bowls and was just out of the conference championship running last year. But the defense lost 7 starters to graduation and was the better unit last year. Their first really challenging game shouldn't come until October, though, so perhaps a strong start will allow the Deacs to make another run at winning the division.
(4) Clemson
I know, I know, this is an ACC preview and not a forum for USC-Clemson trash-talking. But I think the terms of my student loan actually require me putting this picture up. I may have to re-check the fine print.Clemson is coached by Dabo Swinney, who was promoted last year after Tommy Bowden "stepped down" (read: was fired) midseason. True story: Swinney got his nickname because his older brother, when they were both toddlers, referred to him as "'Dat Boy." I wish I was making this up.
Anyway, this Clemson season will go the same as all the others: Their expectations will be way too high, people's jobs will be threatened, and everyone in Death Valley will be pissed...then they'll drive down to Columbia 2 days after Thanksgiving and beat the crap out of USC, and think they're a national power again.
(5) Maryland
Fear the Stairmaster...The Terps were just 4-4 in the conference last year, but the crazy thing about the ACC is that the league is so deep (or devoid of good teams, your choice) that they weren't that far off the pace. Maybe if Head Coach Ralph Friedgen can put down the cupcakes and draw up some decent plays they'll contend. But I give the edge to the cupcakes.
(6) Boston College
Sadly, this guy is out of eligibility.
BC heads into the season reeling. The head coach for the past two seasons (campaigns in which the Eagles won the division both times), Jeff Jagodzinski, flirted with the New York Jets, only to be told by the AD that even interviewing with them would cost him his job at BC. Neither party blinked, and Jagodzinski left (but ended up with the Bucs, as the Jets preferred the whirling dervish that is Rex Ryan). Combine that with massive graduation losses and the Eagles are looking down the barrel of a gun to start the season. Matt Ryan isn't coming through that door, folks.
Coastal Division
Side note: How stupid are these division names? This is my favorite conference and I have no idea who is in which division. What the hell is the difference between Atlantic and Coastal? Just another reason why the expansion of '05 sucked.
(1) Virginia Tech
"Thanks to all alumni who offer service within their communities, setting an example for the thousands of new students who join our Virginia Tech family each year." - Tom Tiller '69, Virginia Tech's VP for Alumni Relations, in the latest Alumni magazine.Looking back on the past decade of Hokie dominance, first in the Big East and now the ACC, it's easy to forget that their rise to power has as much to do with the scumbag on the left as it does with Frank Beamer. Okay, so maybe it's not so hard.
Still, you can't deny Beamer's craftiness. He was the first college coach to really make special teams a staple of the squad and it has paid dividends over the years. They have won FIFTY games in the last five years. Any guesses who else has done that? Southern Cal and Texas, that's it.
The defending Conference Champs have every reason to expect to make another trip to the Orange Bowl this season. Last year's tug-of-war for the starting QB job between Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon is over; Taylor is the leader by virtue of graduation. In the tradition of you-know-who, taylor rushed for an impressive 738 yards last year in addition to 1,036 in the air. Still, his completion rate was only 57% - not enough to get the Hokies to Pasadena for the BCS title game. But if he can improve his accuracy in this Junior Season, look for VPI to dominate the Conference and probably be the only ACC team to reach the top 5 all year.
(2) Georgia Tech
I don't care who you are or where you come from, you have got to love the Ramblin' Wreck.Junior RB Jonathan Dwyer leads the Yellow Jackets. The reigning ACC Player of the Year, Dwyer put up 1,395 yards in 2008. Having Dwyer in the backfield makes GT a dangerous option threat, which is exactly how Head Coach Paul Johnson likes it. But the conventional wisdom says that the rest of the league will be on to Johnson, now that he's in his 2nd campaign. But feast your eyes on this stat: 37 of the Jackets' 40 touchdowns last year were scored by freshmen or sophomores. That's a powerful load of offense returning. Expect some big things out of Atlanta this fall.
(3) North Carolina
"Carolina is going to represent, ya heard? BOO YAH!"
Confession: I made a wager on Chapel Hill to make the top 5 in any poll in either the 2009 or 2010 seasons. The stakes? $100. Hopefully the guy has forgotten about it, but I doubt it.
Was this a smart bet? Probably not. But can somebody explain to me why UNC can't be a national power in football? They compete at the national level in every other sport. They have a beautiful stadium. And they have purported super-coach Butch Davis at the helm. So maybe I'll win my bet after all. But probably not. Because in Chapel Hill Butch will always play second fiddle to Roy.
(4) Miami
How the mighty have fallen. Earlier this decade Miami had re-established itself as THE program in college football. Now they’re struggling to be mediocre in a slightly above average conference. My theory is that they put in a metal detector. The word on the U is that with new coordinators on both sides of the ball Head Coach Randy Shannon's squad will be more up to the task than the last two years. Still, something tells me the most exciting thing to happen on Saturdays at Landshark Stadium this fall could be a spirited rendition of "Fins."(5) Virginia
Ehhhhhhh. That about sums up the Al Groh era at Mr. Jefferson's University. Usually when a school hires an alum with NFL coaching experience on his resume, they expect greatness. With the exception of Chris Long's stellar career, it hasn't panned out that way in Groh's 8 years at the helm (has anyone seen him and Charlie Weis in the same place at the same time? Those last two sentences could apply in South Bend just as easily). The 'Hoos offense was 114th last year in PPG (16.1) - in case you were wondering, there are only 120 teams in the "Football Bowl Subdivision." So that's not good. And it doesn't look like the offense will improve much. Who's their best returning wideout? That'd be sophomore Jared Green, who had 12 catches for 144y last year. Good grief.
As a UVa fan since I was born within a quarter-mile of the Rotunda, I'd settle for a win against Virginia Tech. They were close last year, only falling by 3 in Blacksburg to a squad hell-bent on going to the BCS. But there's little to suggest that this year will be any different. The sad truth of the matter may be that it's just too hard to get 100 great football players in the school. Come to think of it, that's a nice transition to...
(6) Duke
I really don't have the energy to learn anything about this team. You know and I know that they're going to suck. If you need an interesting fact for your water cooler discussions, here's one: They hosted the Rose Bowl immediately after Pearl Harbor. So they've got that going for them. Which is nice.Champs: Virginia Tech
Random, Useless Rankings from a Self-Declared Fool
Well, we are in the last 24 hours before the start of the college football season. While some "instant classics" for ESPN like Indiana v. Western Kentucky start at 8, the season really begins at 10:15 when #14 Boise State hosts #16 Oregon on the SmurfTurf. So, as we count down the final hours, here are a series of senseless and unneccesarily bold predictions for 2009:
Predictions for the Top 5 Going into the Bowls: At the end of the regular season, my guess is the BCS Top 5 will look like this:
1. Florida: Honestly, at this point the media is so in love with this team that, like LSU in 2007, they could lose twice and still make the title game. What's really sad? The season is just now starting and I'm already bored of making fun of Tim Tebow and the fact that he touches infant penes in his spare time.
2. Texas: Unlike Oklahoma, they return a good portion of their offensive line so they will win the Big 12 and probably run the table. Also, they wear Orange in the Red River Shoot Out, making them the "home" team. Love that home field advantage in a rivalry game.
3. Ohio State: While I absolutely, positively do not believe a Big 10 team will be in the National Title Game, I do think Ohio State will run the table in the Big 10. That means that their only real chance for a loss is the Week 2 match up with USC, but even a loss there leaves ten weeks to move back up in the ranks. Even if they run the table, however, I don't see the voters letting the Big 10 play in any title game.
4. Oklahoma: Normally, I would say losing in mid-October to Texas would knock them out of the top five. However, that match up will have so much hype and I believe will be so close at the end of the game, that the voters will not heavily punish the Sooners. The Big 12 gets two teams into the BCS again, only this time Oklahoma will be the favorite in their match up.
5. USC: Somewhere in the 2001 Federal Budget, a law was snuck in and passed that guaranteed USC must be in the Top 5 in every pre-season and end of season voter's poll. When asked why they voted these teams so high, voters are required to always answer either a) because they have a Heisman contender or b) their defense is so "fast and aggressive." It's either that or Gitmo for the press.
Top 5 Teams That Will Surprise: What teams are we going to be talking a lot at the end year that are not getting a lot of hype now?
1. Oregon: They are ranked #16 right now, but with a win tomorrow over Boise on the road and a late season home game against the Men of Troy late in the season, they can be the surprise of the Pac 10. QB Jeremiah Masoli is also a beast, and I think may remind a lot of people of Dennis Dixon with his big play ability.
2. Michigan State: I said that MSU will be a better team than most think in my Big 10 season preview, and the Big 10 gods are helping them out. Every Iowa running back is falling like property values in that state (zing! Ha, topical), which means the door is open for MSU to win 9 games and be competitive in a bowl. 10 wins will put them in the Top 15 final poll, even though they are currently unranked.
3. North Carolina: Everyone is all about Georgia Tech coming out of the ACC this year, but I think you will see a lot of good stuff coming out of Chapel Hill this fall. It is Butch Davis' third year and he has already scored one bowl bid, and he would've won, if Pat White hadn't gone all "I'm a Better QB Than Tim Tebow" on the Heels in the second half. The Heels will play in January, and might even be in the Orange Bowl.
4. Nevada: Everyone is all about Boise State to be the "BCS Buster." Which, by the way, if Boise State makes the BCS, that will be four consecutive "busters" and five in six years. Can we finally retire this overused phrase then? Anyway, Nevada runs the pistol formation as well as anyone in the country and with a win over Notre Dame on Saturday and Boise State later in the season, they could win the WAC and push for the BCS.
The Overrated: What teams are not going to live up to their high expectations?
1. Ole Miss: This one time in college, my friend Andy did a ton of mushrooms and stared at a computer screen for four hours straight because he thought the colors were coming alive. He was really high. This is how most of America is on Ole Miss right now: high and hallucinating. Yes Jevon Snead is awesome, but remember Houston Nutt is their coach. Houston . . . Nutt. 0 career BCS appearances. Not going to start now.
2. Notre Dame: This one is their own fault. Well, them and Lou Holtz. Who said it was BCS or bust for the Irish this season? This team will be better, but will not win 10 regular season games. 8 and a bowl win, maybe 9 regular season, but ND will NOT be in the BCS this year. Worse for Notre Dame fans, they will be just good enough that the world's fattest internship will continue into 2010.
3. USC: How about this for a bold prediction? USC will lose twice and may, just may, miss out on the BCS entirely. Taking a true freshmen into the Horseshoe in Week 2 will not do well, and no matter how good your defense is Terrelle Pryor will score. On top of that, I think they will lose to Oregon on the road which could give the Ducks the Pac 10 title. How about that for disappointment, Prophylactics?
Top 5 Coaches: Who are the best in the sport going into this season?
1. Urban Meyer: 2 titles, 3 years, 1 giant douchebag. I hate the guy, but still, respect.
2. Pete Carroll: While his attempts to still look like a surfer are approaching pathetic, the man still recruits as well as anyone and the Pac 10 title may as well be titled over to him. Still waiting on his hit song, "Tedford, tell me how my ass taste" to drop.
3. Nick Saban: Did Alabama really go from crap to BCS in two years? My god. My only hope is that his star and Meyer's meet in the SEC Title game so often, they eventually Supernova and just destroy the entire SEC.
4. Bob Stoops: Would be higher if he won in the title game last year or or really any BCS game recently, but the man still has played in 3 Title games this decade.
5. Mack Brown: It's close between him and Stoops, and I know he has done well head to head lately, but Stoops has more BCS appearances total. Close, but sorry Horns.
Heisman Predictions:
1. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma: Archie Griffin's handshake in NYC with Sam Bradford will be even more tense and awkward than Dan Marino's with Peyton Manning after Super Bowl XLI.
2. Tim Tebow, Florida: I'm sure that even in defeat, he will be a leader and graciously help Bradford up the stairs to the podium. He later promises no one will work harder to get a 5th year of eligibility and avoid NFL failure than him.
3. Javid Best, Cal: Adorable that they invited a running back, but things get awkward when Lee Corso insists on calling him "Reggie Bush" throughout the evening.
487. Colt McCoy, Texas: The season looked so promising for this young QB. But after a devastating knee injury against Louisiana-Monroe, and an embarrassing series of scandals involving high stakes gambling on WNBA games hit the internet, the quarterback is forced out of the university entirely. Sorry, Hoogs.
Predictions for the Top 5 Going into the Bowls: At the end of the regular season, my guess is the BCS Top 5 will look like this:
1. Florida: Honestly, at this point the media is so in love with this team that, like LSU in 2007, they could lose twice and still make the title game. What's really sad? The season is just now starting and I'm already bored of making fun of Tim Tebow and the fact that he touches infant penes in his spare time.
2. Texas: Unlike Oklahoma, they return a good portion of their offensive line so they will win the Big 12 and probably run the table. Also, they wear Orange in the Red River Shoot Out, making them the "home" team. Love that home field advantage in a rivalry game.
3. Ohio State: While I absolutely, positively do not believe a Big 10 team will be in the National Title Game, I do think Ohio State will run the table in the Big 10. That means that their only real chance for a loss is the Week 2 match up with USC, but even a loss there leaves ten weeks to move back up in the ranks. Even if they run the table, however, I don't see the voters letting the Big 10 play in any title game.
4. Oklahoma: Normally, I would say losing in mid-October to Texas would knock them out of the top five. However, that match up will have so much hype and I believe will be so close at the end of the game, that the voters will not heavily punish the Sooners. The Big 12 gets two teams into the BCS again, only this time Oklahoma will be the favorite in their match up.
5. USC: Somewhere in the 2001 Federal Budget, a law was snuck in and passed that guaranteed USC must be in the Top 5 in every pre-season and end of season voter's poll. When asked why they voted these teams so high, voters are required to always answer either a) because they have a Heisman contender or b) their defense is so "fast and aggressive." It's either that or Gitmo for the press.
Top 5 Teams That Will Surprise: What teams are we going to be talking a lot at the end year that are not getting a lot of hype now?
1. Oregon: They are ranked #16 right now, but with a win tomorrow over Boise on the road and a late season home game against the Men of Troy late in the season, they can be the surprise of the Pac 10. QB Jeremiah Masoli is also a beast, and I think may remind a lot of people of Dennis Dixon with his big play ability.
2. Michigan State: I said that MSU will be a better team than most think in my Big 10 season preview, and the Big 10 gods are helping them out. Every Iowa running back is falling like property values in that state (zing! Ha, topical), which means the door is open for MSU to win 9 games and be competitive in a bowl. 10 wins will put them in the Top 15 final poll, even though they are currently unranked.
3. North Carolina: Everyone is all about Georgia Tech coming out of the ACC this year, but I think you will see a lot of good stuff coming out of Chapel Hill this fall. It is Butch Davis' third year and he has already scored one bowl bid, and he would've won, if Pat White hadn't gone all "I'm a Better QB Than Tim Tebow" on the Heels in the second half. The Heels will play in January, and might even be in the Orange Bowl.
4. Nevada: Everyone is all about Boise State to be the "BCS Buster." Which, by the way, if Boise State makes the BCS, that will be four consecutive "busters" and five in six years. Can we finally retire this overused phrase then? Anyway, Nevada runs the pistol formation as well as anyone in the country and with a win over Notre Dame on Saturday and Boise State later in the season, they could win the WAC and push for the BCS.
The Overrated: What teams are not going to live up to their high expectations?
1. Ole Miss: This one time in college, my friend Andy did a ton of mushrooms and stared at a computer screen for four hours straight because he thought the colors were coming alive. He was really high. This is how most of America is on Ole Miss right now: high and hallucinating. Yes Jevon Snead is awesome, but remember Houston Nutt is their coach. Houston . . . Nutt. 0 career BCS appearances. Not going to start now.
2. Notre Dame: This one is their own fault. Well, them and Lou Holtz. Who said it was BCS or bust for the Irish this season? This team will be better, but will not win 10 regular season games. 8 and a bowl win, maybe 9 regular season, but ND will NOT be in the BCS this year. Worse for Notre Dame fans, they will be just good enough that the world's fattest internship will continue into 2010.
3. USC: How about this for a bold prediction? USC will lose twice and may, just may, miss out on the BCS entirely. Taking a true freshmen into the Horseshoe in Week 2 will not do well, and no matter how good your defense is Terrelle Pryor will score. On top of that, I think they will lose to Oregon on the road which could give the Ducks the Pac 10 title. How about that for disappointment, Prophylactics?
Top 5 Coaches: Who are the best in the sport going into this season?
1. Urban Meyer: 2 titles, 3 years, 1 giant douchebag. I hate the guy, but still, respect.
2. Pete Carroll: While his attempts to still look like a surfer are approaching pathetic, the man still recruits as well as anyone and the Pac 10 title may as well be titled over to him. Still waiting on his hit song, "Tedford, tell me how my ass taste" to drop.
3. Nick Saban: Did Alabama really go from crap to BCS in two years? My god. My only hope is that his star and Meyer's meet in the SEC Title game so often, they eventually Supernova and just destroy the entire SEC.
4. Bob Stoops: Would be higher if he won in the title game last year or or really any BCS game recently, but the man still has played in 3 Title games this decade.
5. Mack Brown: It's close between him and Stoops, and I know he has done well head to head lately, but Stoops has more BCS appearances total. Close, but sorry Horns.
Heisman Predictions:
1. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma: Archie Griffin's handshake in NYC with Sam Bradford will be even more tense and awkward than Dan Marino's with Peyton Manning after Super Bowl XLI.
2. Tim Tebow, Florida: I'm sure that even in defeat, he will be a leader and graciously help Bradford up the stairs to the podium. He later promises no one will work harder to get a 5th year of eligibility and avoid NFL failure than him.
3. Javid Best, Cal: Adorable that they invited a running back, but things get awkward when Lee Corso insists on calling him "Reggie Bush" throughout the evening.
487. Colt McCoy, Texas: The season looked so promising for this young QB. But after a devastating knee injury against Louisiana-Monroe, and an embarrassing series of scandals involving high stakes gambling on WNBA games hit the internet, the quarterback is forced out of the university entirely. Sorry, Hoogs.
Monday, August 31, 2009
I Think We Just Blue Ourselves
As you saw from my previous post, I was beyond excited for the start of football season. I saw great live football, was catching up on season previews, and was even momentarily reflective on past experiences.
Then, I woke up to this.
I hate this damn game.
I really have way too many thoughts that are simultaneously conflicting and supporting to come up with any sort of coherent, flowing post. So, I will resort to bullet points instead. Judge me if you must, but it's all I'm capable of pulling off as of now.
1. Are you kidding me, RichRod?! Actually, no. My simultaneous disbelief and anger justify multiple interrobangs on this one. So here we go: ?!?!?!. (Yep, those are called interrobangs. I read good.) Back to my anger. Come on, Rodriguez! I don't know whether these are true or not, but for once I'd like to see Michigan football on the front page of ESPN for a reason other than "Massive scandal," "Embarrassing loss," or "Worse season ever." Just once, Coach. Just once.
2. How is this news? The folks at Mgoblog have gone into great detail tearing the article in question apart, so I will only provide you with my major problem with the article. Basically, the author of the article accuses Michigan of grossly violating the NCAA mandated time limits without actually describing what activities violated the rules. You say Michigan players were busy from 10-10 on Sundays. That's great, but how much of it were actual team activities? Not everything players do counts towards the NCAA time limits, so exactly what did they do each day that broke the rules? If you don't list them, and explain how each of these hours were in violation, you are not accurately reporting the facts. In its current format, all the author does is make clear that he reached a conclusion and then made sure the evidence fit the conclusion he wanted it to. Get the Pulitzer ready.
3. Again?! This has now happened to me twice in the last two years. In 2006, I started up grad school at one of the most storied and successful basketball programs in the country. A program that prided itself not just on winning, but winning the right way: they had never even been accused of a NCAA violation. They brought in a new coach who people assumed would be a great recruiter, game manager, and restore the program to glory. That coach was Kelvin Sampson, and the school was Indiana. Indiana fired Sampson a year later, suffered crippling sanctions, and is now struggling to build a 2010 recruiting class after the worse season in school history.
Fast forward two years, and you have almost the exact same situation at Michigan. You bring in a new, controversial coach that split the alums, suffer through a struggling season, and now make the school a laughing stock in the national media and punchline for asshole fans and bloggers everywhere. If this ends in sanctions and Michigan has to become college football's Alabama for this decade, I may burn the entire state of West Virginia to the ground.
4. Why is this a big deal? Andy Staples recently reflected on the slap on the wrist Alabama received for its textbook fiasco, and he pointed out that there is probably too much money on the table for the NCAA to really punish a program as prominent and profitable as Alabama-- or Michigan. The NCAA still hasn't done anything about that whole "Reggie Bush and Matt Leinhart Were All Paid By and Illegally Recruited For USC" thing, so the odds of Michigan getting punished are pretty small. Lost hour or so of practice time in the spring, maybe a fine, maybe a scholarship for one year if things get really out of hand. In the end, we are most likely making a huge deal out of nothing that really only accomplishes embarassing Michigan's players, coaches, students, alumni and fans.
5. Since Bo Schembechler died the day before the 2006 Ohio State game, Michigan has: lost to Ohio State twice, lost in the Rose Bowl, had the worst season in school history, and now faced an NCAA inquiry. Bo's death may turn out to be more tragic than the Day the Music Died (too soon, Big Bopper fans?).
In the end, after a day like today, I feel like I have already been to visit on Dr. Tobias Funke, and his unique practice that combines his skills as an analyst and a therapist.
Wake me when it's over . . .
Sunday, August 30, 2009
It's Almost Here . . . !
I love football. I know that I love it, and I know many may call it an unnatural love, but as August ends each year I still surprise myself with just how giddy I get. Take this weekend, for instance. I went a high school football game on Friday night, got up and watched the ESPN Gameday preview Saturday morning, and spent most of my Sunday afternoon watching classic Clemson games from the Woody Dantzler era on Turner Sports Network (only in Atlanta would "classic" and "Clemson" be used in the same sentence without a twinge of irony).
So, as we are now about to get into the season, I just want to share why I love Saturdays in the fall.
1. College Gameday: I know I just mentioned it, but I love this show. The dynamic that Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, and Kirk Herbstreit has is fantastic and their insights are also always spot on. They are also one of the few football groups that does not fall in love with a single conference, most notably the SEC, so they always provide a balanced look at the sport each week. Hangovers couldn't keep me away from this show when I was in college, so you know it is a big deal.
2. Tailgates: There is simply nothing better than firing up the grill, throwing some brats and burgers on, and cracking open at beer at 10:30 am, and lounging in the sun before a game. Tailgating is so pure, it really doesn't matter where you go to school. I have seen great tailgates at a basketball school (Indiana) and a school not necessarily known for having fun (Georgia Tech: where fun goes to die), so it really is an awesome tradition no matter where you are.
3. Student Sections: I am no longer a student, but I can still pass for a borderline-creepy grad student that allows me the ability to blend in around students, and there is nothing more fun for me than sitting in the student section of a game. You have people that are trashed, loud, and often profane. You get the usual cheers like "Bullshit" after a bad call, but also the truly unique like "Beat your defender like he's your girlfriend!" The alcohol also makes it tough to remember what's going on in a game, so student sections develop great traditions so they can function on muscle memory even while blacked out. Dangling keys, chants, elaborate arm movements, or going nuts after a touchdown with a group of 20,000 of your closest friends truly separates college football from any other sport.
4. Striking Up the Band: I do not get marching bands at all and actually think their uniforms are absolutely ridiculous and indefensible, but having a band at a football game always makes the experience more unique and enjoyable. There is nothing quite like sitting in a stadium, hearing the band start the fight song after a touchdown, and singing at the top of your lungs with 100,000 other people. But no marching. God help you if there's marching.
5. Apparel: I don't what it is about colleges, but they always come up with the best stuff for students, alums and fans to wear. I look forward to putting on my shirts and hats, depending on the weather and what clothes have become "lucky" this season. One of the great parts about living in Atlanta is that it is a big city that still thinks it's a college town. People in their early to mid 20s move to the city every year from all around the country, and when you walk around the city on fall Saturday's you will see shirts from almost every school in the country. You always feel an instant connection with anyone wearing the same shirt as you and it causes more random conversations with complete strangers than anything other than a quest for a 1 night stand.
What about you? What do you look forward to and love about college football?
So, as we are now about to get into the season, I just want to share why I love Saturdays in the fall.
1. College Gameday: I know I just mentioned it, but I love this show. The dynamic that Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, and Kirk Herbstreit has is fantastic and their insights are also always spot on. They are also one of the few football groups that does not fall in love with a single conference, most notably the SEC, so they always provide a balanced look at the sport each week. Hangovers couldn't keep me away from this show when I was in college, so you know it is a big deal.
2. Tailgates: There is simply nothing better than firing up the grill, throwing some brats and burgers on, and cracking open at beer at 10:30 am, and lounging in the sun before a game. Tailgating is so pure, it really doesn't matter where you go to school. I have seen great tailgates at a basketball school (Indiana) and a school not necessarily known for having fun (Georgia Tech: where fun goes to die), so it really is an awesome tradition no matter where you are.
3. Student Sections: I am no longer a student, but I can still pass for a borderline-creepy grad student that allows me the ability to blend in around students, and there is nothing more fun for me than sitting in the student section of a game. You have people that are trashed, loud, and often profane. You get the usual cheers like "Bullshit" after a bad call, but also the truly unique like "Beat your defender like he's your girlfriend!" The alcohol also makes it tough to remember what's going on in a game, so student sections develop great traditions so they can function on muscle memory even while blacked out. Dangling keys, chants, elaborate arm movements, or going nuts after a touchdown with a group of 20,000 of your closest friends truly separates college football from any other sport.
4. Striking Up the Band: I do not get marching bands at all and actually think their uniforms are absolutely ridiculous and indefensible, but having a band at a football game always makes the experience more unique and enjoyable. There is nothing quite like sitting in a stadium, hearing the band start the fight song after a touchdown, and singing at the top of your lungs with 100,000 other people. But no marching. God help you if there's marching.
5. Apparel: I don't what it is about colleges, but they always come up with the best stuff for students, alums and fans to wear. I look forward to putting on my shirts and hats, depending on the weather and what clothes have become "lucky" this season. One of the great parts about living in Atlanta is that it is a big city that still thinks it's a college town. People in their early to mid 20s move to the city every year from all around the country, and when you walk around the city on fall Saturday's you will see shirts from almost every school in the country. You always feel an instant connection with anyone wearing the same shirt as you and it causes more random conversations with complete strangers than anything other than a quest for a 1 night stand.
What about you? What do you look forward to and love about college football?
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Review, Harvard Beats Yale 29-29:
To those of you who haven't seen it, do so at your earliest convenience.
This trip takes is back to 1968 when Ivy League Football still held national significance. It tells about a little known (at least not to non-Ivy alumni) match-up between Harvard and Yale while both undefeated.
The Eli's were the hands-down favorite going into the game and looked to shock no-one until a complete collapse in the final 4 minutes of the final quarter lead to one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.
The film is a series of interviews of all players involved. They are all essentially "nobodys" as far as sports documentaries go. After football most obviously went the way of most Ivy League grads: law, business, Wall Street.
The background of the times and the stories of the players add to the fascinating story. 1968 wasn't the greatest of years in US History. It saw the assassinations of MLK and RFK, the siege of Chicago during the Democratic Convention, the Tet Offensive, all events which helped tear our country in two. It is great how the players explained that they were all different, held different political beliefs, but all came together as a team, as well as how all the left-wingers and Wall Street Types in the stands would come together each Saturday when football took over. One of Harvard's players had even just returned from a tour in Vietnam and was involved in the siege of Que Sanh.
Several of the players discuss their relationships with George Bush and Tommy Lee Jones (who played for Harvard) tells an anecdote of living with Al Gore that is priceless. My favorite though is the Yale Linebacker who is obviously a sucessful businessman, but is amazing to watch as he coldly and ruthlessly describes how he was trying to take the Harvard playmakers out of the game with ankle and knee blows, as if he was describing how he creates a spreadsheet.
So, Netflix, Blockbuster, whatever...just do it.
I won't go into too much detail, because I want you all to see it.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Big 10 Season Preview
Welcome to another great year of football in the heartland! We are here to talk about one of the country's most legendary and talked about conferences. Before we being, however, a brief explanation. I open with a picture of Donna Martin from 90210, because she encapsulates the Big 10. At the start of the 2009 Bowl Season, I wrote about how she was like the Big 10 in that while the Big 10 wasn’t the best conference in the nation, it still was pretty good. This time, I am going to amend my thesis. For fans like me, we are going to spend this season feeling a lot like David Silver.
The popular kids (SEC and Big 12) are having raging parties that we don’t get invited to, other guys (any freshman USC recruits) are dating sluttier girls that put out almost immediately. But people like me, who truly love Big 10 football, we are stuck in a long term relationship with Donna. Donna, the girl who no one would mistake for Kelly Taylor (and definitely, definitely not Valerie Malone). Donna, the girl who is saving herself for marriage while everyone else could . . . go . . . all . . . the . . . way.So, it’s going to be a frustrating year for the Big 10. The teams are overall down, and dear lord we hope that there will be no further BCS embarrassments. Good news is, that like David, we have found someone who will ultimately make us happy. Likewise. the Big 10 is finally in position for long-term success. They have five good coaches, have expanded recruiting beyond the Great Lakes region, and are now starting to schedule the same number of 1-AA cupcakes as the SEC and Big 12 to ensure bowl eligibility.
So, here are my predictions for the final Big 10 standings:
1. Ohio State: Ohio State lost a lot from last season’s team, but they still bring back the most talent at the most important positions. Their offensive line should be much better than last year with the addition of Michigan-transfer Justin Boren (aka Judas) opening holes for the run game. They return their entire two-deep on the defensive line and are always deep at linebacker (watch for the battle between senior Austin Spitler and freshmen Etienne Sabino for the MLB spot), and have two good returning running backs in Brandon Saine and Dan Herron. Most importantly, they bring back 2010 Heisman favorite Terrelle Pryor at QB.The big test for Ohio State nationally will be Sept 12 when they host the Trojans, a game the entire conference desperately needs Ohio State to win for street cred, since right now the Big 10 is the anti-Marlo Stanfield. If all the Big 10 has its name, then it’s screwed. The next tough test will be on the road at Penn State, a game that will ultimately decide who gets the conference’s Rose Bowl bid. Tressell gets another Big 10 title this year, but next year will be interesting.
2. Penn State: Penn State also returns a lot, particularly stud QB Daryll Clark and RB Evan Royster. They have also returned to the glory days of “Linebacker U,” with stud Navarro Brown returning this year and teaming up with a now healthy Sean Lee. The only reason Penn State will not repeat as Big 10 champ is that they lack strength along the offensive line. They lost 3 all conference selections from the previous year, and you cannot win in the cold Big 10 without a strong offensive line.Penn State decided to only schedule high school teams as their non-conference opponents, so their season hinges on whether or not they can run the table in conference. Their home game against Ohio State will obviously get the most national attention, but they should be careful not to look past Michigan on October 24. They haven’t won in the Big House since the late 90s, and if they don’t pull it off again this year, the Nittany Lions will be Capital Bowl-bound.
3. Michigan State: Most people are sleeping on how good Michigan State is going to be this year. Most of the attention in the media has focused on how MSU lost workhorse RB Javon Ringer, but they have overlooked what coach Mark Dantonio has built in East Lansing. Dantonio is Jim Tressell’s identical twin, and he wants MSU to mimic Ohio State. That means they will be loaded with talented running backs and a lot of big uglies on the O Line and the defensive front 7. It may not look great in photos, and it may not look great in bowl games, but he did win 9 games a year ago for a reason. Look for a similar output from the Spartans in ‘09.What will be interesting will be to see is whether or not MSU can get over the hump and win a game against the big guys on their schedule. Can they beat a newly re-loaded Michigan and Notre Dame? Can they hold home field against Penn State? Will they slip up against someone like Illinois? I don’t think these will happen, which is why they are sticking here in the 3 spot.
4. Iowa: Iowa is looking to build off it’s crushing 31-10 Outback Bowl victory over South Carolina, and possibly make its first run at the Big 10 title since 2004. They lose Shonn Greene, so they will have to be a more pass-oriented team under Jr. QB Jim Stanzi. They also return all 3 starters at linebacker, which should be huge for the defense. It’s a big year for Coach Kirk Firentz. After four years of mediocrity, he needs to show that he’s ready to take Iowa to the top of the conference again.On September 19, on national TV, Iowa will have the chance to show just how good they are when they play Arizona. If they win this game, the can ride the momentum through conference play. If they lose, the wheels could fall of early. They play at Penn State, at Wisconsin, at Michigan State and at Ohio State, however, so it looks like an 8 win season for the Hawkeyes with an Alamo Bowl bid.
5. Michigan: Coming off what was without a doubt the worst season in school history, Michigan will start its bounce back to the top of the conference in 2009. At Coach Rich Rodriguez’s last three stops—Clemson, Tulane, and West Virginia—the second year witnessed a jump to either 8 or 9 wins. While I’m not sure that will happen in the Big 10, the addition of freshman Tate Forcier, a healthy RB Brandon Minro, and an experienced O line that returns all five starters, will transform the Michigan offense by building a dominant run game.Michigan’s season hinges on how they play at home. Their second game of the year is at home against Notre Dame, they host Penn State a month later, and they close at home against Ohio State. If Michigan is ready to contend again, they need to win at least one of these three games. I think they will get one, and will pull off 7 wins and a bowl berth.
6. Illinois: On paper, Illinois should be a great team in 2009. Their passing offense should be awesome, as QB Juice Williams is entering his fourth year as a starter and has two stud WR to feed the ball to in Arrelious Benn and Jarred Fayson. The only problem? First, up until this point, the “forward pass” has pretty much mystified Juice (even if he got his completion percentage up to 58% last year, that’s still weak for a college player). The other major problem? Their coach is still f-cking Ron Zook. That means they will be unquestionably the most talented 7-5 team in the country.Illinois is another team that has a must win game for the good of the conference: their season opener with Missouri. If Illinois can beat a Big 12 team, then they have street cred. If not? Well, honestly, does anyone really think Ron Zook will win this? Look at the rest of their schedule. Tell me which game you don’t think, “I could see Ron Zook blowing this one.” Michigan? Minnesota? Northwestern? Purdue? Admit it, you don’t trust his teams in any of these. There is a reason for that. This team will have one great win, but will also drop 2-3 games against embarrassingly weak opponents.
7. Northwestern: This team is really, really hard to predict. Pat Fitzgerald is a great coach. He runs an awesome offense and takes teams with weaker talent and convinces them that they can compete with anybody, like he did in the Alamo Bowl last year when the Wildcats took heavily favored Missouri to OT. But can they really do it in back-to-back years? Pat Fitzgerald had two bad losing seasons before 2008, are they really good to win again, with the added pressure of increased expectations?The answer is probably not, but luckily their non-conference schedule is highlighted by a game at Syracuse, so they should be OK for bowl eligibility. They also avoid Ohio State and Michigan, which should help them. Overall, they should be solid but not great this year. 6-6 or maybe 7-5.
8. Minnesota: Well, it’s time to find out whether or not coach Tim Brewster belongs on Entourage. Up to this point, he has acted the part of Ari Gold: inexplicably positive, endlessly selling anyone who will listen to the positives they see in a failing client, and I think incredibly homophobic. Start that rumor. Tell everyone. The Golden Gophers return 10 players on offense including QB Adam Weber, which is good. The bad news is that they return 8 players from an awful defense. You need a good defense to be successful, and I’m not sure offensive coach/life coach Brewster has the gumption to turn that around this fast.The big news on their schedule is that for the first time in years, the Gophers will not play Michigan for the Little Brown Jug. On the plus side, they added South Dakota State, so, you know, at least they aren’t p---ies. They play at Ohio State, at Penn State, at Iowa and at Northwestern. They could easily loose all of these games. Minnesota is still another year away.
9. Wisconsin: Before I start, can I remind you that if it weren’t for a shanked extra point, Wisconsin would have lost to Cal Poly last year. Cal Poly. Not a typo. Not a misprint. No, you aren’t drunk. No, you aren’t hallucinating. Cal Poly.This year’s team is worse. Take a minute to process that. They return only 11 starters, including nothing on offense other than a crappy quarterback. Wisconsin is effed in the eh, and Sportscenter is ecstatic to welcome Brett Bielema to the Budweiser Hot Seat.
10. Indiana: As an alum, let’s be frank: Indiana will suck this year. Now that that is over, here is a preview for Indiana, courtesy of Midwestern Sports Fans:“For the first time in a while, news regarding Indiana basketball is starting to become consistently positive. Crean and Crimson indeed.
According to the Indianapolis Star, Indiana and Tom Crean recently received a verbal commitment from Christian Watford, a 6-8 small forward out of Birmingham, Alabama. Watford is ranked anywhere from No.12 to No.34 by various recruiting services. According to recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons, the commitment of Christian Watford moves Indiana into a tie for the top 2009 recruiting with North Carolina.
All I have to say is…hell yes!”
Yep, that’s a basketball preview. Trust me, it’s all the Hoosiers got.
11. Purdue: Purdue will be worse than Indiana. They were terrible last year under Joe Tiller and his spread offense, and now they have a new coach, a new offensive system, and a new QB to work out. Don’t even both looking at their schedule, just trust me on this one: there is a better than 50% chance that they go winless in conference play this year. Hope abounds in West Lafayette, but it won’t hit until 2011.
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