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QUESTION OF THE WEEK |
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JANUARY 6, 2008 |
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QUESTION - Give me four images your remember from this season.
They don't have to be the "biggest" or "most important"
images. Just four things that, for whatever reason, you distinctly
remember. |
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S 1) app st blocked field goal -
there are a handful of memorable snapshot moments that resonate deeply with
cfb fans: flutie's hail mary, cal and the stanford band, and more recently
prothro's catch on the back of the defender. these are the kind of plays that
are instantly recognizable and remain in fans' memories for years. for cfb
fans, another such snapshot moment was added to the list when app st blocked
a potential game-winning field by michigan and ran the ball down the field as
time expired. the play capped one of the most unnforgettable upsets in cfb
history and had all the utter surprise and pandamonium of flutie or cal/stanford. 2) ark vs bama - mcfadden
churned out yard after yard, especially in the 2nd half when he essentially
dominated the entire tide defense while blowing off huge chunks of yards
every carry. but in the final minutes, sitting on the bench with a mild
concussion, the hogs could not earn a 1st down and bama scored the
game-winning td with just seconds remaining. the bama crowd erupted as it was
the 1st time bama had one a come-from-behind game since pre-shula. after the
game, i thought mcfadden was the easy frontrunner for the heisman. it's easier to remember it because i
was there. 3) lsu's fake field goal - this
play was everything that's great about cfb. the #1 team in a dogfight. at
night in the sec. big name coaches. unexpected, momentum-changing play.
90,000 people (plus 100 players and coaches) smiling and having fun. 4) mcfadden losing the heisman
- for the 2nd consecutive year mcfadden finished 2nd in the heisman voting.
what was certainly a "just glad to be here" attitude in 2006 had
become a "i want to win this thing" attitude in 2007. he had more
ammunition (stats and notoriety) and less competition (no clear-cut favorite)
than the previous year. i don't think anyone in cfb was more heisman-worthy
than dmac this year. and by the look of frustration and disappointment on his
face after the ceremony, i think he'd agree with me. |
I 1. lsu's fake fg
versus south carolina. just when you think you've seen it all in
football this play is something completely foreign to myself. from the
perfect placement of the no-look over the shoulder flip right in stride to
the beffudled expression of spurrier afterwards the play was as unique as
i've seen in a long time. |
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DECEMBER 30, 2007 |
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QUESTION - there's always unrest with the bcs because many cfb fans
feel the bcs never gets it right: should lsu have been #2? did hawaii deserve
to be invited? was kansas the right pick over mizzou? should the rose bowl
have selected illinois? considering these 4 examples, discuss whether or not
the 2007 bcs got it right. |
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S for the record, i'm a bcs fan. the
thought of a playoff does not excite me. lsu at #2 - along with
lsu, oklahoma and georgia had the strongest resumes for the #2 spot. lsu got
the nod in voter's minds because they had the most talent, won the toughest
conference, did not lose "in regulation", and because espn analysts
said lsu should get the nod. my only complaint with lsu at #2 is that during
the previous week voters had georgia ranked well ahead of lsu. during any
other week of the season, georgia would have moved to #2 and lsu to 5 or 6.
but for the final rankings, lsu jumped 5 spots (and over 3 very good teams in
ou and uga) with a ho-hum win over tennessee. if the rankings matter every
other week, then they ought to matter even more during the final week. kansas at large - kansas did
not deserve this bid as much as missouri did. mizzou beat kansas head-to-head
(quite convincingly) and only lost to oklahoma (albeit twice). mizzou was
also ranked higher in the bcs. the bcs should not make a habit of rewarding
teams like kansas who play nobodies to pad their record. however, kansas was
not undeserving and played exceptionally well in the upset win over vatech in
the orange bowl. hawaii at large - hawaii
deserved this bid. of course, i realize that someone had to invite hawaii according to bcs by-laws but hawaii belonged
anyway. azst was the only team with a complaint and the devils won most of
their games against the bottom-half of the p10 and couple of cupcakes.
generally i don't like non-bcs schools playing in the bcs. but this year
there was not an obvious replacement for hawaii. however, hawaii should have
been made to play kansas so vtech and uga could have played. illinois at large - illinois
deserved this bid. illinois had a strong season, beat the #1 team, and were
the most intriguing of the available teams. again, the only competition for
this spot came from azst and illinois had the better resume. also, i have no
issue with the rose bowl wanting to preserve the b10/p10 matchup when
possible. there will be years when the rose bowl will feature uninteresting
teams (see washington/purdue in 2000), but the tradition is an important
feature of this game. so, did the 2007 bcs get it right?
almost. mizzou has a gripe, but the tigers also had 2 chances to beat
oklahoma and answer any doubts - they lost twice. |
I as you pointed out there
are several different examples to look at in analyzing the effectiveness of
the bcs. while addressing those examples, i will state the bcs almost got it right.
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DECEMBER 23, 2007 |
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QUESTION - Name the three most powerful men in college football.
These can be anyone related to CFB (players, media, etc). |
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S when i think powerful i think influential. so,
here are the 3 most influential people in college football (not necessarily
in order).
hm - jim delaney (b10 commish), miles brand (ncaa
president) |
I 3. Jim Delaney:
There is little doubt that the fans and media will continue to plead for an
overhaul of the current CFB postseason. Network television can arrange
and propose anything they would like and it still will not be their
decision. Instead the answer will utlimately and exclusively come down
from the university presidents and subsequently the respective commissioners
of each conference. There is no more powerful and
influential conference in college athletics than the Big Ten. And there
is no more high-profile commissioner than Jim Delaney. Any
revamping-big or small-to the present system will flow through all of the
commissioner's offices and Delaney will again be at the front of this
discussion with incredible clout on any decision. |
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DECEMBER 16, 2007 |
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QUESTION - our teams (arkansas and michigan) hired 2 new coaches this week
(something that probably won't happen again in our lifetimes). so the
question is simple, what do you think about your new coach? |
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S despite the length of the search
process (3 weeks), the number of public rejections (tuberville, bowden,
grobe, butch davis, etc.), the manner in which it ended (a 10:30 pm presser
carried live on espn with hog fans woo-pigging), and the raping that arkansas
and the new head hog received from almost every conceivable media outlet, i
can honestly say that i'm satisfied with the hiring of bobby petrino. i make no promises about what petrino
will do at arkansas or that he'll even do it for very long. he made an early
exit from atlanta (but personally, i'm more bothered by his departure from
lville) which has to make you question his longterm committment to the hogs.
and winning in the sec is not easy. the sec west alone is positively
lethal with 4 coaches who've coached in bcs bowls. to win, petrino will have to
outcoach good coaches on fall saturday's and outrecruit good recruiters every
other day of the year. i don't doubt his x's and o's - he
built a deadly offense at lville and was a head coach in the nfl. but i don't
know about his recruiting. while the hogs are the main attraction in
arkansas (after wal-mart), the state
doesn't produce enough sec-caliber talent alone to sustain a top 15 program -
unlike alabama and louisiana. so
petrino will have to recruit the southeast and texas, something he's never had
to do (though he has recruited florida). but, i'm not satisfied with his hiring
because he's certain to win or because he's certain to stay. i'm satisfied
with his hiring because he's certain to be a good coach that's not houston
nutt. there are 2 parts to that: 1) arkansas got a bigtime coach. while
espn jerkoffs poked fun at the hogs and said the normal garbage "hire a
coordinator" and "know who you are", arkansas went out and
hired a bigtime coach. the arkansas brass didn't panic when they heard "no"
from other candidates, didn't second-guess the status of the job, didn't
compromise their initial criteria. instead, the arkansas brass went out and
hired a bigtime coach. i was satisfied because arkansas, at least for one
evening, acted like a bigtime program and hired a bigtime coach. 2) the nutt era is over. anyone with a
pulse knew it needed to be over. the text-message scandal, the mustain saga,
the demotion of malzahn, the fans ordering flyover banners, the questioanble
coaching, etc. consider that darren mcfadden won back-to-back doak walker
awards and twice finished 2nd in the heisman race and he was often an
afterthought on messageboards that were burning with stories about nutt's
antics. nutt distracted and polarized the entire state and i'm satisfied that
the attention can now return to the on-field hogs rather than the off-field
hog. whether petrino can win at arkansas
and whether he stays at arkansas remain to be seen, but for now i'm satisfied
that he's here. there's also an interesting aside. it
takes a unique man to be the head coach at arkansas. someone who can yell
woo-pig-sooie with genuine pride (and not with embarassment or while
smirking). someone who can travel with billionairres 15 minutes from campus
(hello mr. walton, mr. tyson, and mr. hunt) and shake hands with cotton
farmers 5 hours across the state. someone who can handle backwoods local
media on a daily basis but only occassional, passing interest from national
media. and someone who believes deep down that arkansas can win championships
(whether or not that actually happens). whether he can do these also remains
to be seen. |
I The recent hiring of Rich
Rodriguez has consumed my thoughts this week. While most media outlets
and the UM faithful have praised the hire as a "home run" I have
taken a slower approach to this development. I will undoubtedly give
Coach Rod the benefit of the doubt and will begin his tenure as a
supporter. However, I cannot express my opinion of the hire any better
than stating, "I'm nervous."
That is a death sentence
for next year. |
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DECEMBER 9, 2007 |
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QUESTION - make a cfb confession that you have been hiding for a
while. |
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S as is often true, this confession
isn't so much to you as it is for me. and, quite frankly, until recently i
didn't even know it needed to be made. as long as i can remember i've been a
michigan fan. jamie morris was my absolute favorite
player. i loved him so much that i made joe morris (the former syracuse
standout, ny giants superbowl winner, and jamie's older brother) my 2nd
favorite player just because they were related. i can still remember flipping through
sports illustrated and seeing a full page picture of tony boles (i remember
what the picture looked like - boles in midstride). even in elementary school in arkansas
i could spell schembechler without blinking. i used to run and dive onto our couch
in south carolina pretending to be desmond catching a fade pass in the endzone. to this day, part of my disdain for
nebraska comes directly from the kicked ball in the mizzou/nebraska game in
'97 that led to an undeserved split national title. in short, my college football identity
has always included michigan. heck, for a while my identity was michigan. so it's been hard to realize, and even
harder to admit, that michigan isn't part of my college football identity
anymore: i'm a michigan fan, but not a michigan man. it began when i started school at
arkansas. i became an arkansas fan and, over time, an sec fan. the first time
i realized that my michigan identity was seriously being threatened was
during the '99 citrus bowl (arkansas vs michigan). you and i watched that
game together and i openly rooted or arkansas in your basement. at the time i
rationalized it as the standard "i root for michigan unless they're
playing arkansas". but that wasn't it. as our sec/b10 debate intensified over
the years so did my love for arkansas and the sec and my admonishment for the
b10. and while i tried desperately to separate michigan from the b10, it was
always hard to do. working at alabama and becoming a crimson tide fan only
made it harder. though my michigan identity has been in
question for some time (as you can attest), it's only been the last week or
so that the full meaning has set in. until now i hadn't considered or
admitted that it was gone. but your email last week created an undercurrent
and this week's question (conveniently) brought things to the surface. but it wasn't just your email, there
was one other thing too. last year, when rich rodriguez was set
to become the new alabama coach i was unsettled and unhappy. i had followed
the situation intently from the moment shula lost to miss st and i did not
want rodriguez at alabama. i didn't want him at alabama because i thought
alabama was better than "coach rod". i joyfully screamed at the tv
when he backed out at the last moment. this year, when rich rodriguez was set
to become the new michigan coach i was infinitely less interested. it was like a scientific experiment
had been conducted with my college football identity. all the variables
perfectly controlled - the same coach, the same timeline, the same drama. the
two conditions of the experiment were nearly identical and the outcome was
obvious: the biggest event in michigan football
in 10 years and i was like a casual observer, an outsider curious about what
was happening. |
I in the past year or so both
of us have made a few big strides in the world of sports. we've come to
an "understanding" that pleases us both in the epic A-Rod v. Jeter
debate. I have confessed that the sec is the better cfb conference than
the b10. you lobbed back a genuine admission that michigan-ohio state
game is the biggest rivalry. it was a progressive last calendar
year. well, i am about to add to that confession list. and while
the confession may not rival the "sec does indeed rule" confession,
it is on the same tier. it is a big admission.
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DECEMBER 2, 2007 |
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QUESTION - mcfadden, tebow, daniel, and brennan were all invited to
nyc for the heisman ceremony. who deserves the heisman? |
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S the definition of the heisman is
fluid, it changes with every voter. some will vote for the best player,
period. some will vote for the best offensive player. some will vote for the
best skill position player. some will vote for the best player on the best
team. some will vote for the most valuable player. some will vote for the
player with the best stats. some will vote for the player with the most
recognizable name. and on and on. personally, i'll use prom-king style
criteria and vote for the player with the coolest car. the winner then, as
everyone knows, would be darren mcfadden - in a runaway (in case you
have doubts, see below). http://www.withleather.com/post.phtml?pk=3393 with my vote would be the requirement
that mcfadden drive to the front door of the downtown athletic club in this car
on saturday afternoon in nyc and get out in a white tux, white hat, and white
shoes. he should then toss the keys (with a huge gold #5 for a key ring) to
the valet and say something so awesome that i coudn't possibly know what it
would be. darren mcfadden is just that cool
(he's also this cool): http://www.withleather.com/post.phtml?pk=4245
and it's not just me, mcfadden would
win prom king at every college across the country - even over everyone's
hero, pretty-boy tim tebow. sure tebow already has the golden smile, and a
girlfriend who has 2 heisman's hiding under her shirt (in case you have
doubts, see below), on his resume. http://www.withleather.com/post.phtml?pk=1894 while those are cool, ebow is still no
mcfadden. of course, the heisman is not simply a
coolness award. it's reserved exclusviely for dominant cfb players and
mcfadden is that, too. he runs, passes, catches, pitches, blocks, tackles,
and returns. he's a frekaish specimen and a 100% pure football player. mcfadden is in the conversation with
herschel and bo for the best rb in the history of the sec. he holds the
record for the most yards ever gained by an sec back (321 vs scar this year)
- and neither herschel nor bo shared the backfield with another 1000 yard
rusher and neither had to overcome a non-existent passing game. mcfadden also
has more yards from scrimmage than any other back in sec history. sec greats are in a league of their
own. mcfadden belongs in that league. tebow doesn't. tebow and brennan certainly deserve
heisman consideration for putting up increadible numbers and daniel deserves
respect for rewriting mizzou history. but mcafadden deserves the heisman for
being a better football player than everyone else. |
I The Heisman Trophy has
evolved into a rather anti-climatic presentation in which the result seems
alreay known. I am sure Tebow will win the award tonight and I am guessing
history does not serve him well. A few past examples as to why Darren
McFadden deserves the award.... |
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NOVEMBER 25, 2007 |
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QUESTION - What will be the four biggest storylines of CFB on January
9th? |
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S 2007 was the best season ever it started opening weekend with a historic
upset and ended with the #1 and #2 teams losing on the last day of the
season. in the weeks between, it was utter chaos. #2 regardless of the outcome in the title
game, the conversation that started saturday night about who should be #2
will continue for years. there are plenty of candidates: a) georgia - ranked #4 in the polls
prior to the final weekend and winners of 6 straight. b) kansas - only 1-loss team in the
discussion from a bcs school. c) vtech - 2-loss acc champ and a late
game collapse against bc away from just 1-loss d) lsu - 2-loss sec champ with both
losses in 3-ots and beat vtech by 40. e) usc - 2-loss p10 champ. f) oklahoma - 2-loss b12 champ. for me, it's georgia. if the same
events that transpired this weekend had transpired on any other weekend the
dawgs would have moved into the #2 spot in the polls with zero discussion.
that should be even more true (and not less true) on the weekend that
determines the bcs title game. death to the bcs the playoff dorks will use this season
(like every other season) to boo-hoo about the bcs. there seems to be the
mentality that if there's any uncertainty then it's clear a playoff is
needed. i'm of the opposite mindset, i say if there's any uncertainty then
it's clear there's a bcs needed. everyone believes that ohio st is #1, few
would argue that now. the question is who, from a list of about half a dozen
teams, is #2. well, that is exactly what the bcs is
designed to determine. kansas with 1 loss but a weak schedule? georgia who
didn't win the sec over lsu who did? the bcs ensures 2 things: 1) that people
will still be talking about the #2 team decades from now (especially in
kansas, and since the jayhawks would likely get their doors blown off if they
actually played in the game it's best that the fans will be able to complain
about not playing in it and live with the disillusion that they might have
won) and 2) that the season matters. it matters that usc lost to stanford. it
matters that kansas didn't beat a ranked team. it matters that georgia didn't
win the conference. mcfadden wins the heisman yes, tim tebow and kevin smith amassed
incredible numbers and yes chase daniel did too AND took mizzou to
unprecedented heights. but, as should be the case, the best player wins the heisman,
and not the best numbers. mcfadden wins it over everyone else for the same
reason that woodson won it everyone else: he's better. the end of the season controversy is
how tebow (who had more rushing tds) and smith (who had more rushing yards
than anyone, ever), may have deserved it more. get ready for the term
"mc-heisman". |
I 1. the bcs.
this is a boring yet predictable answer. the bcs gets talked about
every year at the end of the season. this will be different as we are
likely (hopefully) about to crown a two loss team that lost at home late in
the season to an unranked team as the national champions. while i
remain a bcs supporter, |
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NOVEMBER 18, 2007 |
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QUESTION - list your top 3 candidates for the michigan job. include
your rationale for each candidate and any positives and negatives about the
candidates. |
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S while these may not be the most
popular (or even the most likely) candidates, they are the candidates i'd
like to see high on the list. 1) dennis green - green is
considered one of the top minds in the game and has ties to the midwest and a
history in the b10 (played at iowa and coached at nwu). it's been widely
speculated that he would return to the college game in 2008. green would keep a pro-style offense
in aa whihc means he would be attractive to the typical michigan recruit -
eventual pro-prospects. though i don;t know for sure, green seems to be
respected in the coaching communnity and seems to coach with integrity.
however, green also has some much needed fire - see last year's "the
bears are who we thought they were" comments. michigan fans desperately
need a spark to awaken the program and re-energize the fan base. green would
be able to put together a 1st-class staff (see former assts tony dungy and
brian billick). and this is crucial: green has the
added advantage of being a black man with a national reputation who coached in
the nfl. personally, i think that all 3 characteristics are major selling
points on the recruiting trail - and the next michigan coach has to have
outstanding recruiting success. my only concern with green is that
he's been out of the college game for 20 yrs and he might not fully
understand teenagers, graduation rates, etc. but i would gladly take that risk
because college football will someday have a dominant black coach who changes
history and green has a chance to be that kind of coach. 2) paul johnson - johnson is a
winner. and he wins on a grand scale. he returned ga southern to dynasty
status in the late 90's when he won 2 1-aa national titles, 5 conference
titles, and never won fewer than 10 games in just 5 seasons. he then returned
navy to respectability by managing 4
consecutive bowls, 35 wins in 4 years (the most since 1905-08), and the naval
academy's 1st victory over notre dame in 40+ years. johnson coaches, and wins, with
integrity and class. he's a dynamic offensive mind whose teams dominate
opponents by running the ball with toughness. johnson is underspoken so he wouldn't
be an exciting choice for the fan base. and he'd have to prove that he could
recruit on a national level. but, he easily meets all the criteria for a
michigan head coach, he would honor um's tradition, and there is no doubt in
my mind that he would win big in aa. ps - in 1999, johnson's georgia
southern team beat tressel's youngstown st team by 35 points to claim the
1-aa national title. 3) norm chow - chow is a lifetime
assistant who's offenses have been among the most progressive, explosive, and
overwhelming in cfb for 35 years. he's tutored 4 heisman winners and numerous
elite college and pro qbs (lienart, palmer, mcmahon, rivers, detmer, young,
sarkisian, etc.). he's even-tempered, respected, and respectful as a coach
but projects an obvious, straightforward confidence. and though michigan's offense has not
traditionally been an issue, hiring chow would ensure 2 things: 1) that
michigan would have a better offense than ohio st would have a defense, and
2) that chow would hire someone to exclusively run the defense (much like
stoops did for spurrier). there would certainly be some concerns
with chow as head coach: no head coaching experience, no power running game
that is typical of b10 teams, especially michigan, and no defenseive
background. but those may not be fatal. 35 yrs with elite cfb head coaches
(lavell edwards and pete carroll) gives him more coaching experience, and a
more established reputation, than just about anyone on the list of
candidates. and he's been in the nfl. reggie bush and lendale white managed
ok in chow's most recent cfb offenses. and, as already stated he could hire
th best dc in the country and just stay out his way. |
I This list is as of right
now. Subject to change drastically over the coming weeks...
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NOVEMBER 11, 2007 |
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QUESTION - The next few weeks are big for both of us. Our teams
(Alabama and Michigan) play hated rivals that have recently controlled the
series. These games inject a present and steady dose of anxiety coupled
with impatience. As a 33 year old man this the closest feeling I have
to being a 5 year old on X-mas eve. In short, these are great weeks
unlike any other throught the rest of year. Therefore, get inside my
head. I'll get inside yours. What are you thinking about this
game? Are you confident? Perhaps scared? Nervous? Are
you bracing yourself for how to handle the aftermath if you lose? I'll
move past the steely disposition you present and unveil
what you really are thinking. You do the same for me. |
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S the michigan/osu game is not played in
isolation. any thoughts surfacing this week about this weekend's game started
long ago. this week's thoughts didn't happen all at once. instead they
happened gradually, over time and across many situations. anyone who wants to
understand lucas' thoughts today, has to understand his thoughts yesterday.
lucas' psyche was not constructed over night. yesterday: michigan and osu have played just
about every year for the past century. during that time the 2 have become
bitter rivals in what is rightly considered the best rivalry in sports. the
series has always been competitive, but michigan has maintained a comfortable
edge in overall wins. this only added to michigan's already elite status in
cfb. even during the pinnacle of the hayes era in the '70's, osu's best
years, michigan was able to split the series. when current coach carr took
over for then coach schembechler in the '90's he promptly won 8 of 11 in the
series. this was impressive considering that osu was in the national title
hunt almost every year during that time. carr even managed two things schembechler did not - a
national title and a heisman winner. at that time michigan was a premier
program in cfb with tradition, class, and some modern relevance and hardware.
if you grew up a michigan fan during this era, as lucas did, you had never
experienced a losing season (you rarely even saw more than 2 losses in a
whole season) and had flat-out owned your rival. the lopsided series under carr's
direction eventually cost osu coach john cooper his job, even though cooper's
'95 and '96 teams entered the michigan games undefeated with a shot at the
national title. cooper and osu lost both games. at that time, even 4-loss
michigan teams were beating osu's title contenders. this was a great time to be a michigan
fan. in cooper's place osu hired a
relatively unknown jim tressel (not jon gruden, but jim tressel). however,
what initially appeared to be a marginal hire would quickly appeared to be
the undoing of michigan football. under tressel, osu began eroding michigan's
stronghold on the series, michigan's stature in the cfb world, michigan's
pipeline to talent, and the very sanity and confidence of the michigan fan
base - lucas included. it started immediately. in his first
address to the student body tressel promised a victory over michigan in ann
arbor. 1 year later a 5-loss osu team made good on that promise. 1 year after
that osu dismissed michigan again on the way to a national title. in 2 short
years tressel had exorcised every demon that cooper had created in the osu
fan base. some would even say he sent them 200 miles north. michigan fans
were so stunned by the swift reversal
of fortunes that only now, in 2007, is the seriousness and urgency of falling
further and further behind osu finally really setting in. tressel has now beaten michigan 5
times in 6 years and his teams have been a serious player in the national
title conversation in 1/2 of those years. today: but 2007 was supposed to be michigan's
year. michigan was 11-2 in 2006, returned seniors at key positions, had a
favorable schedule, and had osu coming to ann arbor. during the preseason
there were even whispers of national title. meanwhile osu was supposed to
limp into the season after a humiliating loss in the national title game and
losing a heisman winning qb. this was the year for michigan to
prove that the last few years were a mere anomoly, a slight correction in the
overall series to account for the cooper years, and to prove that it wasn't
losing ground to osu. so it isn't hard to imagine lucas'
thoughts this week as a 10-1, highly ranked osu team comes to ann arbor to
play a 3-loss michigan team. he's thinking, "what's going on?
why is osu having the year michigan was supposed to have?" so naturally, with questions like
this, lucas is nervous. he's a little nervous about the game itself: that
henne won't play, that hart won't be 100%, that carr will get outcoached,
etc. but he's a lot more nervous about the bigger implications: the evidence that
the osu program is head and shoulders above the michigan program - even when
michigan has a sr qb and rb and even when the game is played in ann arbor. in this case a loss versus osu means
more to lucas than a win versus osu. a win means relief - maybe these 2
program aren't really all that far apart. but a loss means it impossible to
ignore just how different these 2 programs have become. lucas is already thinking that osu has
the season that michigan was supposed to have. but perhaps more seriously, lucas is
thinking that a loss this week indicates that osu has the program, and the
place in cfb, that michigan was supposed to have. |
I Timeline: Monday,
November 19th, 3:03 pm
I'll be fine. |
|
NOVEMBER 4, 2007 |
|
|
QUESTION - lsu, oregon, oklahoma,
and kansas are all vying for the #2 ranking in the bcs. give a reason
why each of them should get. give a reason why each of them should not. |
|
|
S kansas the jayhawks are 1 of 2 undefeated bcs
teams (#1 ohio st being the other). everyone else in this discussion has 1
loss. that alone should earn a top 2 bid this late in the season. the only
thing limiting kansas' is an unconvincing schedule which will include only 1
ranked team when the season ends. oklahoma occasionally, the sooners have
actually looked the part. they thumped miami and beat texas and mizzou in
back to back weeks. during those games oklahoma looked worthy of an nc bid.
but those wins were bookended by a head-scratching loss (colorado) and a dangerously
close win (iowa st) versus to 2 bad teams. neither of which made ou look like
the # 2 team in the country. oregon the ducks resume is essentially
identical to the sooners, except that the ducks have a slightly better loss
(to cal). the michigan, usc, and azst wins could ultimately be against top 10
teams. and they have a heisman candidate. those could be the best 3 wins of
any 1-loss team when the season ends. the problem for this team is the
defense. giving up 27 to houston, 31 to stanford, and 34 to washington leaves
critics wondering how the ducks could ever beat a team they couldn't
outscore. lsu lsu is 5-1 against ranked teams with
the lone loss to a top-20 team on the road in 3 ot's. the consensus is that
the tigers have the most talent in cfb. and while that doesn't win games, it
does win pollsters. they can win games late with defense (see alabama), with
offense (see auburn), and with coaching (see florida). the knock on lsu is
that the differential on the scoreboard rarely reflects the differential on
the roster. the backup qb is a 5-star recruit and they're 2-deep on the
d-line. yet every week inferior teams like kentucky, alabama, and s carolina
are going right to the wire with lsu. lsu is the #2 team until they lose, but
that might not be far off. |
I LSU Pro: Preseason
rankings. LSU was ranked either #1 or #2 in nearly every preseason
publication for a reason. They are a talented and respected program who
entered the season as a NC contender. They have done enough to keep
that respect, and subsequent ranking, in comparison to the other contenders. Con: Lack of style
points. LSU could easily have 3-4 losses if given a few breaks went the
other direction. Yes, Florida ('06) and Ohio State ('02) used a similar
path to the NC, but rankings have long penalized teams for ugly wins.
The Tigers should be held to the same criteria as their invincibility has
diminished every passing week. Oklahoma Pro:
Consistency. Outside of their hiccup in Boulder the Sooners have
largely taken care of business in a methodical and often convincing
fashion. While others (South Fla, BC) have come and gone, and yet
others (LSU) have created weekly drama, the Sooners have looked their part
the entire season. Con: The Big
Win. The wins over Miami and Texas have since lost a great deal of
their luster. The Missouri win was nice, but certainly a struggle and
played in Norman. OU lacks the signature moment they can fall back for
ammunition supporting their case. Oregon Pro: The sexy
factor. Oregon touts the Heisman trophy winner and a very balanced
offense. They've played in four big games this year, winning three, and
are viewed as an offensive juggernaut with the flashy Nike uniforms.
The Ducks, despite previously shuffling in obscurity, are now
suddently a brand name with national appeal and exposure. Con: Their defense
(and past image). For starters, their defense has hardly been
intimidating. Maybe high scoring affairs are the rave in the PAC 10,
but it hardly inspires confidence that Oregon could stop Chris Wells.
Or handle the diverse attack of Oklahoma. And their image does not
help. Do you really think Oregon's o-line could handle LSU? A
deeper look at the Ducks reveals a sexy team with some bigger holes than many
might have realized. Kansas Pro: Recent
play. The Jayhawks are playing better every week. The last three
wins have either come against respectable teams or they've beaten downtrodden
teams in convincing fashion. The Hawks seem to be relishing, not
panicking, in their newfound environment. Con: Respect.
Kansas could beat Oklahoma by 20 tomorrow and most still would not believe in
them. They are Kansas, and that will be rightfully held against
them until they give us further notice they should be held in a different
regard. |
|
OCTOBER 27, 2007 |
|
|
QUESTION - In order, list the five
teams most likely to make the BCS title game. |
|
|
S 1) ohio st - a buckeyes
appearance in the title game is quickly becoming a reality. beaver stadium was
supposed to the 1st true test and osu didn't even break stride in dismissing
psu. home games vs wisconsin and illinois are now virtually gimmes. the
season finale with michigan is the lone obstacle, and ohio st would probably
be a 4 pt favorite if the game was played today. the defense has yet to
surrender more than 17 pts and the offense is steadliy improving. 2) oklahoma - the sooners
finish the season with 4 unranked teams (tamu, okst, baylor, and ttech) - 3
of them home games. the b12 title game could be mildly interesting but does
anyone really think that either mizzou or kansas is seriously ready to be the
b12 champ? 3) oregon - with a tough
conference and no conference title game, a p10 team has a legit chance of finishing
among the top 2 bcs spots. oregon and azst have essentially the same
opponents remaining on the schedule, but the ducks get the nod over azst
because they play orst instead of usc. plus, the ducks offense is more
frightening. 4) wvu - the mountaineers,
especially white and slaton, seem to be hitting their stride and they have a
manageable schedule down the stretch. only 1 of the 4 remaining games is on
the road (at cinci) and only uconn is currently ranked. if pollsters don't
penalize the conference, wvu will be in the discussion until the last minute. 5) bc - for the record, i don't
think bc has more than a 1% chance of going undefeated (which will be
required for an acc team to make the bcs title game), but any team that can
come back in the final 2 minutes to beat vtech in blacksburg has a chance. qb
ryan is good enough to beat good defenses (e.g., fsu and miami) and outscore
good offenses (e.g., maryland and clemson). the acc title game is yet another
potential land mine, likely having to beat an earlier opponent for the 2nd
time. |
I 1. Oregon:
The Ducks are looking more and more like a legitimate NC contender. The
schedule includes a bye and zero noteworthy games down the stretch. The
Ducks win out and they're likely in. Given their improved consistency
this season and explosiveness on offense they might be my #1 pick to win the
whole thing. 2. Oklahoma:
OU will maintain solid BCS points if they win out. A bunch of solid,
but very beatable, opponents remain with a potential slaughter in Kansas
awaiting in the conference title game. OKST looks like the largest
obstacle at this point. 3. West Virginia:
The Mounties are quietly lurking and waiting for others to slip. The
schedule is tricky with a now very important tilt awaiting verus
Connecticut. A team we all long forgot about still will remain a face
in the title hunt. 4. LSU:
This team is on borrowed time. That or they are copying the 02' Ohio
State script. My guess is that LSU squeaks by Arkansas and into the
conference title game only to get blitzed in Atlanta. They are running
out of gas and looking more and more vulnerable by the week. 5. Ohio State:
Michigan will beat Ohio State. |
|
OCTOBER 20, 2007 |
|
|
QUESTION - fast forward to december
and predict the conference title game matchups for the sec, b12, and acc and
explain why. |
|
|
S acc = wake forest vs virginia this will have the lowest tv ratings
of any championship game in history. wake has the easiest remaining
schedule of the legit contenders in the atlantic - only clemson and uva have
winning records. wake is also a very difficult team to prepare for because
they are well-coached, have an unorthodox offense, and the name on the jersey
says "wake forest". that last feature alone is enough to beat
clemson. uva does not have an easy remaining
schdule, but neither does anyone else in the coastal. and uva's 2 toughest
opponents (vtech and wake) travel to charlottesville - a stadium known for putting
opponents to sleep. the season-ender versus tech will likely be for a birth
in the title game. b12 = kansas vs texas kansas has a manageable schedule with
a home game versus mizzou to end the season that will likely determine the
b12 north champ. the jayhawks catch a major break as the game is a the 2nd of
back-to-back road games for mizzou. after back-to-back losses earlier in
the season the 'horns fell off the radar but a 4-game slate that includes 0
ranked teams to end the season sends them to the title game. the best defense
in that group? tamu, by far. colt mckoy will look like a heisman candidate
and texas will be vying the mack brown's 2nd b12 title in 3 years - and 1st
without vince young. sec = flor vs lsu the wild, wild east is still wide
open. 5 of the 6 teams have 2 conference losses meaning that a 3-loss team
will likely go to atlanta and tiebreakers will play a role. scar and flor
have the inside tracks as neither has loss to another 2-loss east team. the
winner of their head-to-head match in a few weeks will determine the east
champ. scar will be returning home after back-to-back road games vs tenn and
ark, and will be beat up. florida will be fresh off a trip to vandy (yawn)
and ready to go. florida wins the game and the east. the west is lsu's to lose. road games
at bama and at ole miss are manageable and a season-ending game baton rouge
vs arkansas ought to be a sec west party. the wild card here is miles. he's a
loose cannon on the sideline and could derail a national title bid with a
single moment of idiocy. the crucial game, obviously, is at bama. and while
many will see this as an upset alert, i don't. saban still gets 90% of the
credit for this team and miles and commpany have been waiting 2+ years to
show saban (and the cfb world) what they've become without him. they make the
most of their chance on nov 3rd. |
I Big 12: Missouri versus
Oklahoma The North is a two horse
race. Yet Kansas will face two tough roadies and a neutral site with
Mizzou perhaps for the North bid. I cannot name one player from Kansas
and am guessing they fall off the map and likely out of the top 25 by bowl
season. The balance of the Tigers will prevail. OKST is a legitimate
contender in the South and the season-ending battle against OU might determine
the bid. OU has a few hurdles left, but still have the most talent of
the teams still challenging. A looming tilt with Tech is dicey for OU,
but a game Stoops is well versed in preparing for. This rematch is a
ripe possibility to knock OU out of the NC game. ACC: Virginia Tech versus
Clemson Both VT and UVA has tough
roads ahead and they also conclude the season against one another.
Similar to Kansas, I cannot name one player on the Cavalier squad. Tech
has a proven and potent defense that should lead them through this trek,
potentially with one more loss, but enough to land the Coastal bid. UVA
does not have a gimme left. The Boston College
implosion will begin this week against VT. It'll contine with two
tricky road dates and visits from both FLA schools. I'd be shocked if
they got through this with less than two losses. Wake will remain a
pesky contender, but for once we'll see Clemson play well late in the season
largely a result of a very manageable home stretch to the schedule. SEC: LSU
versus.......um.....hmmm.....Florida The much anticipated
LSU-Bama game will go a long way in determining the West
representative. If Bama wins they appear to be a very likely choice
even with a loss to Auburn. MY gut, however, tells me LSU has just
enough in the tank to survive until Atlanta. In looking at the
"mental dynamics" of the Bama-LSU game I think the Tigers will have
more motivation and and internal spite than Alabama. The East is a
crapshoot. This thing could potentially result in a four way tie.
For now, I will eliminate KU and Tennessee while readily admitting both may
still play huge roles down the stretch. I will also eliminate SC due to
two very tough games (@TN, UF) and a still scarey date with Arkansas.
That leaves UGA and Florida and this is when I toss the schedules out
the window. Florida is clearly a better team than Georgia and should
make that very clear this weekend. The remaining game in Columbia will
be very intriguing, but even a loss might get the Gators through to
Atlanta. The East is nearly impossible to decipher at this point.
|
|
OCTOBER 13, 2007 |
|
|
QUESTION - Explain
three CFB related items you were wrong about this year. |
|
|
S the b12 - 4 b12 teams
were in my preseason top 15; with texas, nebraska, and texas a&m all
being ranked ahead of what i thought would be an above average (but not
special) oklahoma. so far oklahoma has been very good while the other 3
programs are crumbling at record pace. i showed mack brown respect by
believing his success wasn't 100% due to vince young. wrong. i had faith that
this was finally the year for callahan and fran to disprove the doubters.
wrong again. adding insult to injury, i had zero faith in the "pinkel
express" at big bad mizzou and was convinced ron prince would be another
mike gundy - a coach way in over his head. gene chizik has been terrible at
iowa st, i thought he'd be decent. dan hawkins has been decent at colorado, i
thought he'd he terrible (again). i did not give kansas a 2nd thought. of the
12 teams in the b12, i have so far been wrong on 10. if gundy and okie state
roll off 5 wins in a row, you'll know exactly why . . . because i thought
they didn't have a chance. on a positive note, i think i'm safe
with baylor. lsu & usc - it wasn't
hard to predict that lsu and usc would have at least one loss; both had
monster schedules. and to their credit both could finish the season with just
1 loss. but i (like lots of other people) bought the hype that lsu and usc
were head and shoulders, knees and toes better than anyone else in cfb.
"they might lose," i thought, "but not to stanford and
kentucky". wrong. so far lsu has genuinely looked the part of the #1
team, but certainly not yet looked like juggernaut. a ho-hum game against
tulane, a last minute drive to beat a florida team that lost to auburn, and a
3-ot loss to kentucky. and though kentucky is a fine team no one is fooled
into believing that kentucky has the coaching staff or thet players to
legitimately be on the same field with lsu (and rightly so). lsu is probably
the best team in cfb, but the rest of the cfb is mush closer than i thought.
of course, compared to usc, lsu might be mistaken for a juggernaut. usc has a
stunningly bad loss to stanford and underwhelming performances against p10
bottom-feeders washington and arizona. again, both lsu and usc could
ultimately prove 1 and 2, but for now neither is the dominant force i
initially expected them to be. john david booty - my preseason
heisman pick has been exceedingly average. he excites no one, he minimizes
the endless supply of playmakers around him, and we haven't heard a single
story about him partying with snoop dog or plowing tara reid. this guy
doesn't belong in LA as the usc qb, he belongs in indiana selling vacuum
cleaners (and he'd probably be average at that too). |
I 1. The manner in
which USC is playing: Allow me to explain.
I am not surprised that USC has a loss. I am not surprised they have
had a couple close P10 wins. However, I am shocked how lackadasical
they've appeared this season. The Stanford loss (at home, nonetheless)
was the perfect recipe for a wake-up call and instead resulted in
another listless show at home against a terrible Arizona squad. Carrol
has loads of talent and the weekly depth chart battles in practice
should provide for a motivated group. Instead there appears to be some
deeper issues with this squad. I am still not sold they are a bust, but
get ready for some to annoint the absence of Lane Kiffin as a bigger loss
than we thought. 2. The Michigan
offense as a juggernaut: This has been so difficult
to watch this season. What appeared to be a balanced and lethal unit
has revealed itself as a predictable and excruciatingly stale unit to watch.
Henne continues to throw head scratching interceptions and Manningham appears
better suited for Clemson or FSU football. To boot, OC Mike DeBord
has scaled this show back to a vintage 1976 Bo Schembechler coached team
that refuses to take chances and embraces 3rd and short. My
biggest fear is that this present coaching staff, if back next year, has
leaned way too heavily on Mike Hart and will clueless how to
adapt next season. 3. Louisville Even if Kragthorpe was not
the real deal I figured he could keep this ship afloat for at least one
season. Oops. It has to be so depressing being a Louisville
fan right now. You've got the best player since Johnny Unitas on
the field. A player/recruit you'll likely never land again. And
you suck. At least they have the basketball identity to fall back
on. But if I am their AD I take a long look at replacing
Kragthopre after this year. Sometimes a new hire lets you know
immediately they are the wrong choice. |
|
OCTOBER 6, 2007 |
|
|
QUESTION - give midterm grades to
each of the teams in the sec/b10. |
|
|
S kentucky = (A+) - being 6-1 and ranked in the top 10 is
previoulsy unimaginable territory for kentucky football. the wins over lville
and ark were solid, but the win over
lsu was scintillating and proved 100% that kentucky merits respect. the loss
to scar is respectable. lsu = (A) - a dominating performance against vtech, a
gritty win over a good scar team, and one for the ages versus florida give
the tigers the 3 best wins of any top
10 team. the loss to kentucly appears to be a respectable loss. s carolina = (A) - it's not surprising that spurrier is
winning at scar. what's surprising is that he's doing it with defense and a
steady, controlled offense. the one belmish on the record was a very
respectable loss to the nation's #1 team. auburn (B-) - the win versus florida and the loss to miss
state essentially cancel each other out. there are marquee games left on the
schedule, but the way cox and company have played on offense that's not a
good thing. miss st = (C+) - state is 4-3. that's 4 wins and 2 losses.
the 4 wins are the most sly croom has ever had in a single season. the
chances are high that state will lose 6 straight to end the season, but for
now they've beaten auburn (with a walkon qb) and own a winning record. florida = (C) - the gators crime is that they've been
average. but as defending national champs, with the all-everything qb, elite
playmakers on both sides of the ball, and the "it" coach average
isn't enough. a home loss to a bad auburn team and blowing a 4th quarter lead
at lsu leaves florida .500 in conference. georgia = (C-) - the dawgs have yet to log a quality win
(okst and bama are the best 2) and stafford is hot and cold. fortunately the
schedule in oct and nov sets up to give the dawgs a good combination of easy
wins and ranked opponents. tennessee (C-) - the georgia win has things looking up and
the schedule is very friendly down the stretch (bama is the toughest road
game), but it's hard to ignore the beatings the vols received from cal and
flor. alabama = (C-) - expectations soared when bama beat
arkansas on a last-second td. but consecutive losses to georgia and fsu and a
lack-luster effort vs houston have tempered things since. technically the
tide is still on track to match preseason expectations, but the offense has
really sputtered and the defense has shown vulnerability. vandy = (D) - vandy is still vandy but a win over ole miss
and a few exciting players (dixon and bennett) has to count for something. arkansas = (F) - 300+ yds rushing a game with 2 backs that
are averaging 100+ yds per game isn't enough if it doesn't translate to wins.
the hogs have relinquished 4th quarter leads in all 3 of their losses - just
when a power running game ought to be in control. ole miss = (F) - yah yah football. yah yah brent shaffer.
the coach o experimenter is failing. some initial buzz, loud yelling, and few
4-star juco kids led to nothing. as
did the addition of a few u-miami rejects coaches. coach o will be back in
so-cal this time next year. |
I A+: Indiana: Given their sad
past and traumatic offseason this program should be getting more
attention. They have not beat a good team yet, but being one win from
bowl eligibility this earler is quite a feat. A: Ohio State: This is
depressing. They look like the same team as last year, just different
players on offense. Two nice road wins and maybe the best defense in
the land. If OSU does not have a rebuilding year this season when will
they ever? A-: Illinois: The infusion of
talent appears to be paying off quicker than imagined. Two steady wins at
home and the only loss was a close affair against an unbeaten and ranked
opponent. Illinois has a long ways to go still, but they've grabbed
everyone's attention in the B10. B-: Wisconsin: They've
underachieved and are rightfully viewed skeptically by everyone in the
country. Yet they remain a factor in the B10 with several key games
remaining. I have a feeling Wisky won't fade away quietly. C+: Purdue: At least give
Purdue some credit for creating buzz albeit short-lived. They still
don't belong with the Big Boys, but have held onto their spot as a
middle-tier B10 with a few playmakers. Painter will enter next season
as the best returning B10 Qb. C: Michigan State: We've seen this
story before albeit with a different twist. Instead of a flukey offense
MSU is relying on a sound running game and an uncanny ability to rush the
passer. A bowl game and win over Michigan will more than suffice for
this fan base. C-: Penn State: It must be
incredibly frustrating to be a PSU fan lately. The 5 star QB fails to
improve. The star RB is suspended. Off the field incidents,
including the coach, are defining this season. That, and there is
little rationale hope of a nice turnaround this season. PSU gets a
break because next year should be "their year". D+: Michigan: A legendary and
unforgettable upset and a historic shellacking in the Big House are what
marks this season and partially Carr's legacy now. What was thought to
be a juggernaut offense is nothing more than Mike Hart off the left tackle.
Even when UM wins they look bad. This team has been an enormous
disapppointment and we all have that nagging feeling that more is ahead. D-: Northwestern: A failing grade is likely
deserved, but the Cats are cut some slack due to the injury of Terrell Sutton
and a win in East Lansing. This is a young team with no direction for
now or the future. E: Iowa: Ouch. Not
only are the Hawkeyes losing, but they are losing bad. Salt in the
wound for blowing another contest to ISU and at home to Indiana by 18.
The offense would have trouble moving the ball in the MAC and the Ferentz
shine is 100% gone. Back to reality in Iowa City. E: Minnesota: You get what you
deserve. This goes to not only the AD, but also the fans who clamored
Mason could not "take them to the next level." Neither can
Coach Brewster, but he can take a couple of levels the wrong direction.
I find enjoyment out of this situation. |
|
SEPTEMBER 30, 2007 |
|
|
QUESTION - Using your own personal criteria,
in order who are the top 8 CFB coaches? Provide rationale for
each. |
|
|
S top 8 coaches
3) jim tressel (holding steady) - he does
everything a great coach should: he wins titles, beats his rival, monopolizes
in-state talent, and keep the program off probation. 4) bob stoops (going down) - stoops stock
has fallen slightly over the past 3 years with untimely losses and renegade
players but he still gets top talent, wins the conference, and beats his
rival 5) urban meyer (going up) - meyer is
becoming the new stoops by hoarding talent and winning early, but it's still
too early to put him hirer on this list (after all, he did lose to mike
shula) 6) nick saban (holding steady) - gets
nfl-quality talent, has nfl-quality schemes, hires top assistants, and his
impact at lsu was legendary (he created enough momentum to keep lsu a top-5
team for 3 seasons AFTER he left) 7) frank beamer (going down) - beamer's
engineered 8 10-win seasons in 12 years and he gets extra credit for doing
this at a school with no winning tradition and a limited recruiting base, but
he has yet to avoid a mid-season loss or 2 8) brian kelly (going up) - think meyer +
tressel. he's won smaller division titles (like tressel) and he's won
immediately at new schools (like meyer) |
I 8. Paul Johnson:
Does a lot with a little. Owns his fiercest rival, beats Air Force, and
is competitive against Notre Dame. All while coaching kids who are on
campus for reasons other than football and does so in a rustic, old-fashioned
manner that is impossible not to appreciate. 7. Bob Stoops:
OU has gone 5 straight years without a winning record prior to Stoops
arrival. He won a NC two years later and in the last five years has
attended the Rose, Orange, Fiesta, and Sugar Bowls. Would be higher,
but OU's elite shine has worn off a bit. 6. Nick Saban:
No coach in the country dictates respect with their demeanor more than
Saban. A football intellect raised under the disciplined and
stoic eye of Bill Billichek. Until he proves otherwise Saban will
always carry the belief that he is smarter and more prepared than however is
on the opposite sideline. 5. Dennis Erickson:
Just hear me out for a second. Do you have any doubt if Erickson were
at USC, Florida, or Oklahoma that they would become an immediate CFB
power? Would USC be any different if Erickson were hired instead of
Pete Carroll? Erickson is a miniature version of Jimmy Johnson, Steve
Spurrier, and Pete Carroll. Confident, brash, savvy, and fully able to
motivate a group of punks immediately. 4. Jim Tressell:
Likely the most organized and detailed coach in CFB. Preaches the
basics and wins with defense and special teams. His teams are
fundamentally sound, physical, and disciplined (at least on the field).
If he did not coach OSU I might actually like him. Until then I want to
reach through the television and strangle his ass. 3. Urban Meyer:
If he were a CEO Ford Motor would have already hired him. He possesses
the ability to turn around anything and do it quickly. His signature
moment (obviously) was totally outclassing Jim Tressell in every angle of
coaching (preparation, game planning, motivation) of last year's NC
game. Young, highly competitive, and able to recruit as well as anyone
outside of Pete Carroll. 2. Pete Carroll:
His credentials speak for themselves. However, what I admire most about
Carroll is that those underneath him become instant hot commodities.
His wisdom of the game is evident by the attention and respect his assistants
get after working with him. Norm Chow, Eddie O, Lane Kiffin, and likely
Steve Sarkisian are all guys who were relative unknowns (except Chow) but
ended up with high profile gigs after being with Carroll. The man has
it all. 1. Steve Spurrier:
The godfather of present day coaches. Spurrier is building a very
competitive program at South Carolina, but most impressive is that he is
doing it with defense, a running game, and a methodical passing game.
He has adapted brilliantly to the talent he has been forced to use at South
Carolina. |
|
SEPTEMBER 23, 2007 |
|
|
QUESTION - what do we know so far? |
|
|
S what's known: 1) getting a new coach doesn't promise
a anything. for azst and mich st things are looking up. for unc and stanford nothing
has changed. for lville and minnesota things are getting worse. 2) the difference between #1 and #119
is shrinking. every year the upsets are more frequent and more shocking. app
state over michigan was just another example of it. 3) the big east is what we thought it
was . . . a weak conference. why? no defense. even a team with a little
defense, like s flor, can win the conference. 4) it's hard to fake being great. wake
forest, steve slaton, and charlie weis, are among those former superstars on
their way back to earth. what's expected: 1) everyone will lose. ou and wvu have
already obliged. wisconsin will shortly. usc, osu, and lsu will eventually. 2) the hesiman winner will come from
the sec. mcfadden, woodson, and tebow are the most likely candidates. 3) the bcs title game will feature at
least 1 team that no one is talking about. bc, wisc, osu, and cal will be the
names moving to the front of the line this month. 4) brian kelly at cincinnati will be
the national coach of the year. |
I What we've learned... 1. Defense is
paramount. Without a fast, athletic, and attacking defense you are a
pretender in the NC discussion. 2. Despite renewed
optimism things still have not changed at Miami, PSU, TAMU, and FSU. 3. LSU is the best team
in the SEC by far. 4. The Heisman Race
is shaping up to be one of the better races in recent memory. 5. We should quit
waiting for Anthony Morelli and Brandon Cox to mature. They are what
they are. And while we're at it we should quit waiting for Chan Gailey
and Dave Wannstedt to impose their NFL knowledge on the CFB world. They
also are what they are. 6. We still don't
know anything about Clemson, MSU, and Oregon yet. What we should expect... 1. Expect the LSU-UF
game to be billed as "The Game of the Year" only to be trumped
later by a more exciting Bama-LSU game and the more
meaningful USC-Oregon game. 2. Expect OSU and
Rutgers to hang around awhile in the NC hunt due to their running game and
defense. Consequently, it is a matter of time before UF, WVA, and Cal
are exposed as pretenders. 3. Kentucky is not a
fluke. The Wildcats will not only continue to excite, but also
challenge for a January 1 bowl. 4. WVA will collapse
and finish with three losses. MSU will actually start to play good
teams and the Dantonio shine will wear off quickly. 5. At the end of the
year Dennis Erickson might look like the best new hire of the group. 6. OU will play LSU
in the BCS Title Game assuming LSU survives the SEC Title Game. A one
loss USC team and unbeaten Rutgers team will also be in the conversation. |
|
SEPTEMBER 16, 2007 |
|
|
QUESTION -
Take the following... 1. CFB program 2. CFB current player 3. CFB current coach 4. CFB fan base and compare it to its NFL equivalent. For example, the Detroit Lions are the
Michigan State Spartans because they annually taunt us and make us believe,
yet they continually reveal themselves as nothing more than a shitty team
void of any character, leadership, or development of talent. |
|
|
S 1) vtech = denver broncos - a
team that rarely receives preseason attention yet always seems to factor into
the postseason discussion. often has a roster full of unknown role players.
the consumate over-achiever. the occassional an elite player (like vick or
elway) can catapult them into the title-hunt. 2) brian brohm = carson palmer
- an elite, franchise type qb. directs a powerful offense that has
to outscore every opponent to win. can put up 34 points (or 45) and 5 tds and
still lose. golden boy. 3) kirk ferentz = jeff fisher - has the
reputation of being a great coach but has really never done aything and the
closest he got took a miracle play. 4) arkansas razorbacks = atlanta falcons -
fans undeservedly expect more. always average. never get elite coaching,
instead get coaches on the way up (who never pan out) or on the way down.
rarely get elite players (mcfadden + vick), and there's usually not enough
other talent to matter. best qb has better legs than arm. |
I |
|
SEPTEMBER 9, 2007 |
|
|
QUESTION -
is this weekend's um/nd game more important for michigan or notre
dame? |
|
|
S michigan, easy. 2007 was already a rebuilding year for notre dame,
who was destined to have true freshman scattered all over the field (notably at
qb). added, nd was an average team last year even with an explosive offense.
contrast that with michigan. 2007 was supposed to be national title run, led by upperclassmen at the most visible
position - upperclassman who had been considered top nfl prospects and who
had led michigan to an 11-0 start in 2006 and a spot in the national title
discussion even after the final bcs poll. the game is bigger for michigan
because they have more to lose. no matter what happens this week, notre dame will
still have a below-average team when it faces usc, ucla, msu, purdue, etc.
there's still no proven talent on this team and it'll be worse than many of
the remaining teams on the schedule. a victory over michigan won't change
that. michigan on the other hand still has all the talent that earned them
preseason top-5 ranking and all the coaching that led to an 11-0 start just
last year. the ingredients are there to win the b10, play in a bcs bowl, and
finish in the top-15. the game is bigger for michigan because they have more
to gain. |
I By a whisker this game is
more important for Michigan for the following reasons... 1. This was supposed
to be a rebuilding year at Notre Dame. Nobody had high expectations for
them entering this season. UM was ranked #5 preseason. Notre Dame
never expected to win this game and UM never expected to lose this game. 2. The game is in Ann
Arbor. It is always tough losing to a rival. However, it is even
harder to swallow when it is at home and you are staring at visiting their
joint the following year. 3. Despite the mild
rumblings Charlie Weis is safely employed. Lloyd Carr is sitting on the
hottest seat in CFB. While a win over ND won't cure much, a lose will
add ample fuel to a fire that is already out of control. 4. Michigan still has
something important to play for. Realistically ND is playing for a spot
in a mid/late December bowl game. Important, but hardly a key storyline
in the world of CFB. While unlikely, UM could still end up in a January
1st bowl game. Beating ND will help their resume' and give the team
potentially something to build upon entering conference play. 5. The history of UM
football. Notre Dame, Miami, USC, Alabama, Oklahoma,
Nebraska, Florida, and nearly every other CFB powerhouse has endured a
very poor 2-3 (or more) year stretch in our lifetime. Michigan has
not. While this season is largely shot, their is still some pride with
our bowl streak, non-losing season streak, and our dignity. We
don't want that stretch. Our consistency is our signature
and a 7-5 season is forgotten quicker than a 4-8 season. |
|
SEPTEMBER 2, 2007 |
|
|
QUESTION -
Michigan football just endured an "interesting" week. Listed
below are some key figures in the middle of this shitstorm. Take a guess
what each is thinking this very moment. 1. Lloyd Carr 2. Ron English 3. Chad Henne 4. Bill Martin (AD) 5. Mary Sue Coleman (Prez) 6. Michigan Season Ticket
Holders |
|
|
S 1) carr - what carr says: "we'll go back
to basics and be more focused next week". what carr thinks: "an
early season, non-conference loss is nothing new. if we win
the b10 and go to the rose bowl then the fans will be happy and
saturdays loss won't mean anything". 2) english - this is the toughest one
because i think he's the only one looking backwards. "how did we
lose? people are going to blame me and i don't know how to fix the
problem." 3) henne - "we can still win the
national title. we'll beat nd, psu, wis, and osu and people will be so
impressed that they'll vote us in over usc or lsu." 4) ad martin - "i hope nobody
important stops donating money". 5) president coleman - "martin better
hope that nobody important stops donating money". 6) ticket holders - there's not consensus
among the season ticket holders. 1/2 are conservative alumni
who combine careful decision making with deep, firm maize
& blue loyalty. they remember the national title drought, are
cordial to notre dame fans, and still think the rose bowl is the
ultimate prize. they want carr to win more but are generally happy with the
state of the program (even after this week). and 1/2 are plain
old fans who combine knee-jerk decision making with raw fanaticism. they
believe michigan should be 12-0 every year, believe carr is 110% responsible
for everything, and refuse to own anything red. they want carr fired
yesterday and pete carroll in his place tomorrow ("why not us",
they'll say). |
I 1. Carr.
Many have pegged last Saturday as the final straw for LC. While it
makes logical sense, I am not so sure. Carr has a lot of JoePa in
him. I can see that defeat making him more stubborn and more likely to
leave on his own terms. Carr is likely very defensive and also very
naive right now. 2. English.
Nobody has fallen harder than Ron English. He has been the odds on
favorite to replace Carr since his magical 10 game stretch last year.
Now that is nothing more than a fantasy and he could be looking for a new job
next year if LC retires. English is scared, uncertain, and confused right
now. How did this all go so wrong? 3. Henne.
He is essentially the equivalent of an upcoming free agent in his walk
year. If he produces big he is a 1st rounder with guaranteed
money. A few more App State performances and he might be a 6th round
flier. I would guess Henne (rememeber, he was not elected a captain) is
looking more at his future than this present season. While they are
certainly connected, Henne is likely oblivious to the monumental upset and
more pissed that his draft stock just took a major hit. 4. Bill Martin.
Martin is in an interesting situation. His primary worry must be
if LC is going to retire at the end of this season and make his job
easier. He is starting his short list of coaches, debating what
direction to go, and receiving plenty of outside advice
from influential boosters. Yet, in the back of his mind he is
scared to death that LC might not retire, thus putting him in an
awfully tough spot. 5. Mary Sue
Coleman. She is simply glad it is not her mess to oversee.
She likely got over the upset before the evening news. If Martin asks
she'll interject a bland opinion on the topic, but would prefer to not
be consulted. 6. Season
Ticket Holder: The majority of them are people like me.
They love the sport and the team, but did not attend UM or donate heavily to
the program. They are rightfully pissed and bored with the idea of
going to the Oregon game. Most will continue to attend because
their tickets are worthless on the street. They still harbor the
delusional thought that we could run the table, but will resort to
bitching about Carr if the season spirals out of control and debating
whether Urban Meyer or John Gruden is the better replacement.
They won't hesitate to re-order tickets next year and will cite data from the
Fielding Yost era to proclaim UM's greatness when getting poked fun at. |
|
AUGUST 26, 2007 |
|
|
QUESTION -
briefly preview the 2007 sec or b10 conference season. |
|
|
S teams the 2007 version of the sec is deep through the
middle with 9 potential bowl teams, but has only 1 real national
title contender in lsu. a major question will be whether les miles can
maneuver a talented lsu team through the sec schedule - including a date
with alabama. as many as 6 of the remaining 8 teams could be vying for jan 1
bowls. fresh off a national title, florida has the
pieces to repeat in the east but will have to fend off
tennessee and georgia, both very talented teams with huge unknowns (tenn =
offense, uga = defense). upstarts kentucky and vanderbilt have a
chance to play spoiler along the way and s carolina is a darkhorse to appear
in the title game. lsu is the preseason pick to win the west, but
auburn will be in the mix until the end - as they have been each of the last
3 years. arkansas might have been a popular upset pick if it weren't for
the offseason drama in fayetteville. so that role has gone
to alabama and 10 returning offensive starters. neither mississippi
team will be a factor. players darren mcfadden is the headliner and preseason
favorite for the heisman and doak walker (again). and nfl types are high on
lsu d-lineman glenn dorsey and tyrus jackson, kentucky qb andre
woodson, and florida d-end derrick harvey. but the real story in the sec
this year is a bevy of unproven qbs. tim tebow and matt flynn are
probably the top 2 qbs in the sec (after woodson) and neither has ever
started a conference game. if mcfadden can repeat his sophmore campaign he'll
be the lead name on heisman lists. but with all the distractions in
fayetteville, a 2nd doak walker will have to do. coaches nick saban's arrival at bama is enough to win 10
games (at least some fans say so). 1 of those wins is expected to be against his
former lsu recurits and now coach les miles. miles has yet to maximize the lsu talent and a loss to saban
(and a less talented bama team) would be devastating. sly croom is in his 4th
year at miss st and has yet to win 10 games total and the occassional upset
(2004 vs florida, 2006 vs bama) have done little to satisfy the fan base.
croom's would be the hottest seat if not for the bizarre happenings involving
houston nutt at arkansas. but nutt has a cure in mcfadden + jones, croom
doesn't. finally, ed 'the ogre' orgeron plateued as a head coach in just 2+
seasons. don;t be surprised if orgeron's career win-list is shorter than
brent schaffer's (who is now a wr). so what happens? florida beats auburn in the sec title
game. mcfadden wins his 2nd doak walker (but no heisman) and sec player of
the year. and saban spoils lsu's national title hopes. tubberville wins sec
coach of the year. scarolina sneaks into a january bowl and finishes ahead of
tenn and uga. |
I Ten items that should summarize the
upcoming B10 season well... 1. Biggest Game: Penn State at Michigan. The Game
and the UM-UW tilt in Madison will certainly play huge factors.
However, this September tilt will dicate early pole position in the
conference. 2. Coach on the Hot Seat: Joe Tiller. No B10 coach is in a
make-or-break season. However, Tiller resides on the warmest
seat. Purdue fans should judge with caution and be thankful for what
they have. Is losing a bowl game worse than missing a bowl game? 3. Team with the most to
prove: Michigan. In short, beat Ohio
State. In 08' UM will be in a rebuilding year and traveling to
Columbus. A loss this year might be the toughest to ever swallow in the
Carr era. 4. Don't buy the hype: Illinois. I've said it before and
I'll say it again. Zook still has to coach this talent. Give him
the San Diego Chargers and he makes the Alamo Bowl. This is still a
team that lost to Syracuse, Indiana, Northwestern, and barely beat Ohio last
year. 5. Hardware: The B10 will contend for nearly every
major piece of CFB hardware available. In the end, they'll come home
with the Thorpe, Outland, and in an upset the Doak Walker. 6. Remember them in 2008. Northwestern. The Cats will
struggle to hit a bowl, albeit still possible, but Fitzgerald has a young
nucleus that will peak in 08. The Cats are not far behind what Walker
set in place. 7. Most underrated player: James Hardy. The IU WR would he
a household name, and potential All-American, if he played at a good program.
Keep an eye on him in the NFL. 8. Most overrated player: Dan Connor. Can we stop with the
lovefest for white PSU 'backers. Make his name D'Angelo Soloman and put
him on Iowa and he doesn't crack the honorable mention B10 for
linebackers. King and Scirrotto are the most valuable pieces to the
Nittany Lion defense. 9. Biggest Storyline: Anthony Morelli. PSU has gained
momentum as a trendy B10 contender. Partly due to their trio at WR,
partly due to their schedule, and largely due to Morelli's
"breakout" game against TN last year in the Outback. Morelli
has the most to gain (and besides a couple of heraled seniors in A2) the most
to lose this season. 10. What happens? Michigan and PSU hit the BCS
circuit. OSU and Iowa peak late and beat SEC teams come bowl
season. Purdue, Wisconsin, and Michigan State go bowling. |
|
AUGUST 19, 2007 |
|
|
QUESTION -
Predict the winners of the following season-ending awards... 1. Heisman (top 5) 2. Thorpe 3. Biletnikoff 4. Doak Walker 5. Outland 6. Butkus 7. John Mackey 8. Davey O'Brien |
|
|
S 1) heisman = john david booty -
the trojans will have 4 winners in 6 years (3 being qbs) next 4 = b) darren mcfadden - hogs won't win enough
games for dmac to bring home the prize (a 2nd doak walker will do) c) desean jackson - desmond howard
plus peter warrick minus free shoes d) colt brennan - the numbers will be
too gaudy to ignore e) colt mckoy - will blow through the
b12 like a renegade booster 2) jim thorpe = tom zbikowski -
voters throw irish a bone 3) fred biletnikoff = dj hall -
the tide receiver will have a monster year, lead the sec in most wr
categories, and be too hard to ignore come december 4) doak walker = darren mcfadden
- dmac will fall short of the heisman but be the 1st repeat winner in a
decade 5) outland = demario pressley -
his game will explode under the obrien watch 6) dick butkus = dan connor -
psu will win big with a steady, timely defense led by connor 7) john mackey = chase coffman
- if mizzou is going to challenge for the b12 coffman has to be a major
weapon 8) davey obrien = brian brohm -
rare though it is, brohm will win the obrien and not be invited to nyc |
I Heisman: 1. Brian Brohm:
Despite playing in the still evolving Big East, Brohm gets love for two
reasons; he came back for his senior season and he is regarded as a top-level
NFL prospect. A top 10 finish for Louisville won't hurt either. 2. JD Booty: His name and
program will exceed his ability and numbers. At the end of the day the
voters will realize he is solid, but not elite. 3. Andre Woodson: My
darkhorse. Woodson is fun to watch and will generate a lot of attention
as the dynamic leader of an improved KU squad. 4. Steve Slaton: Perhaps
the safest bet to get invited to NYC. 5. Mike Hart: Nothing
flashy, and as a result not a true contender, but his lifetime achievements
will generate the respect vote. Notable Omission: Darren
McFadden: As you've stated prior too many obstacles to overcome.
Plus, there have been huge expectations placed upon his shoulders. If
he disappoints, even a bit, it would put a huge dent in his chances.
Heisman winners nearly all exceed their preseason expecations. Biletnikoff: Desean Jackson: In
short, a stud. Outland: Jake Long. He was
voted the B10's best o-lineman last year. Not #3 overall pick Joe
Thomas. Davey O'Brien: Brian Brohm. Should
win in a landslide. Mackey: Chase Coffman: Rarely
is a tight end the best offensive weapon on a team. If Mizzou succeeds
this year Coffman will generate a mild buzz. Thorpe: Malcom Jenkins: The B10
will not be a great passing league this year and a lockdown like Jenkins
may approach double digit INT's. Butkus: Rey Maualuga: He'll
be the face of what looks like a nasty Trojan defense. His penchant for
the highlight reel big hit will separated him from other notable candidates. Doak Walker: Mike Hart. In an
upset, Hart will finish the year with a big game (and a win) over Ohio State
and leave a nice image with the voters. |
|
AUGUST 12, 2007 |
|
|
QUESTION -
list 5 bold predictions for the upcoming 2007 cfb season. |
|
|
S 5 bold predictions (sec style): 1) the sec west will have 3 new coaches in 2008
- byebye coach croom, coach nutt, and coach orgeron. in tribute,
here's a summary of the break-up talk: a) to coach croom, from miss st - it's not
you, it's me. i've gotta clean myself up before i can be serious with someone
again. b) to coach o, from ole miss - you
knew we could never be serious. we had some fun, but
now i'm ready to settle down. c) to coach nutt, from arkansas - i've had enough
of your games. i don't know how to figure you out, but i know
i deserve better. 2) mcfadden won't win the heisman - too
many variables to overcome. felix jones will get lots of carries, arkansas
will have 4+ losses, hogs have never had a heisman winner, mcfadden must stay
injury-free, hogs have no passsing game to distract defenses, nutt-saga
storyline will distract the media, and on and on. 3) auburn will win the sec west and scar the
sec east - lsu and flor are getting all the preseason pub, but aub
has better coaching and a more seasoned qb than lsu and is
not breaking in a new oc, a new qb, wrs, and rbs. ditto for scar
and flor (except flor has a better staff). 4) tebow will have a major sophmore slump -
in 2006, leak was a star and tebow was a novelty act. tebow made
his name on 4-5 qb draws per game. he was never asked to orchestrate a
game-winning drive. never asked to complete a 4th and 13. never asked to
audible at the line. there are major growing pains ahead for tebow. 5) 8 sec teams will be bowl eligible -
since a 6-6 mark equals bowl eligibility this may not be all that 'bold', but
ark, scar, tenn, aub, bama, lsu, flor, and uga will all receive bowl invites.
kent, vandy, and ole miss could also be in the running. 8 will be the most
ever for any 1 conference. |
I 1. The Big East
will again enjoy an exciting season with a huge OOC upset (South FLA over
Auburn), two teams ranked in the top 12 and a Heisman Trophy winner. 2. Kentucky
will beat a ranked SEC team at home. Likely Florida or LSU. 3. Mark Dantonio
will struggle to get to 6-6 and then get whipped in the Motor City Bowl by an
in-state MAC school. 4. CJ Gamble
will emerge as the best tailback option at USC and enjoy huge
success while Joe McKnight will compliment him well as a 3rd down
back. SC will again play in the NC game, but will win four games by
less than a touchdown with their lone loss coming at AZST late in the
season. They'll hold off a one loss Big East team to make the NC game
and the BCS will again grab all the headlines with the ensuing controversy
over a team making the title game after losing late in the season. 5. The SEC
will be annointed the best conference through the regular season because
their fans will tell us so. However, the B10 and B12 will have similar
success with the ACC lagging behind the rest. Bowl season will dictate
this title and the SEC will again have a mediocre bowl record. |
|
AUGUST 5, 2007 |
|
|
QUESTION -
Name five comparable CFB things entering this season that are HOT and NOT
(meaning not too hot). Essentially you'll list 10 separate items. |
|
|
S 1) preseason hot = idiot sports
commentators - sports opinions are a dime a dozen: i have them, you
have them, my mom has them. so it should be no surprise that the
opinions that receive air time are the ones that: a) come from idiots, b)
come from idiots who scream loudly or c) come from former players who are, by
definition, one step below idiots. while this a painful and obvious
fact, the number of idiot commentators still grows rapidly (thanks espn
& fox). the clear and dangerous consequence of this is that each
idiot is now louder, dumber, unyielding, and undeservedly confident to: a)
bully/persuade the lesser idiots around them and b) drum
the audience into submission. not = taking a chance -
paradoxically, while there are louder, dumber commentators those commentators
take fewer and fewer chances with their picks. even though college football
has more parody now than ever before, preseason rankings and heisman hype
have almost no variety. everyone picks the same team bcs champ and the same
heisman winner. do you want to know what the 2007 season will be like? usc
will win the bcs title game against lsu and mcfadden will win the hesiman.
don't believe me? look at any one of dozens of preseason mags and any online
top-25 poll. it's so unimaginative it's idiotic (which is no surprise
because idiots are making the predictions). and those predictions always pan
out, right? after all, in 2006 didn't brady quinn win the heisman
and ohio st win the national title? the result of these 2 simulatenous
forces is a bunch of idiots with no insight who make the same predictions and
then see who can scream it the loudest. apparently, the loudest person is the
most right. 2) postseason hot = plus 1 - a plus 1 game is a
real possibility. the people who matter (i.e., presidents) really do like the
idea of adding games. understand this, they don't like the idea of adding 3
games in a playoff system. however, they will add: 1) a 12th regular season
game, 2) a conference title game, and 3) a plus 1 game. not = playoff - any
playoff talk is 100% driven by media and fans, and it usually involves
complaining. translation: it isn't going to happen. the people who
matter are not talking about a playoff. the reason: money. when someone
with real cash starts talking, the topic will heat up. 3) conferences hot = sec - it may be temporary, but
could a conference receive any more love than the sec is receiving
right now? as many as 8 teams are in the top-25 conversation, the title game
thumping of osu is still fresh, it was a banner recruiting
season, the #1 pick in nfl draft, the #1 heisman candidate. it's good to
be the sec. not = acc - this cannot be what the acc
commish envisioned. he must have seen huge money for an annual mia/fsu
conference title game, multiple national titles, and overtaking the #1 spot
in college fball from the sec. in theory, the
acc had everything: great football, great bball, and great
academics. in practice though, mia and fsu each had 6 losses in 2006,
wake forest beat a 5-loss gtech team to win the acc title, and vtech
(initially an afterthought) has been premier program. 4) sec hot = sec coaches - saban to bama. spurrier
to scar. meyer to flor. tuberville, richt, fulmer. when your 7th best coach
is fresh off back-to-back jan bowls and your 8th best is fresh off a
conference title game appearance, you know your strong. no other
conference has 8 fan bases legitimately expecting 8-win
seasons from their teams. not = sec qbs - this is probably the
weakest, most unproven crop of sec qbs in years: eric ainge, casey dick,
brandon cox, matt stafford, tim tebow, jp wilson, blake mitchell, michael
henig, brent shaffer, matt flynn, the vandy guy, and andre woodson. it's so
bad the kentucky qb is getting the most pre-season pub for 1st team
all conference. 5) b10 hot = b10 expansion - the conversation
definitely creates buzz. who'll get invited: texas, tennessee, kentucky? will
notre dame join. a b10 title game. a new tv market for the b10 channel.
maybe the new team will challenge mich and osu for the b10 title. not = b10 expansion - the conversation goes
flat almost immeditaely. the b10 commish backsteps. notre dame laughs at the
invitation. names like texas and kentucky are quickly replaced
by names like pitt and iowa st. cable companies aren't interested in the
b10 channel. |
I 1. Hot: ESPN's
CFB coverage. The Disney corporation might make bad movies, but
they do CFB better than anyone. Lee "Sunshine Scooter" is
quietly carving out a cult-following with his antics and, like him or not, is
certainly one of the more distinguished CFB personalities of our
generation. Herbstreit is widely regarded as one of the brighter and
most connected CFB personalities in the media. And the foursome of Gene
W, Feldman, Forde, and Maisel are very well-written on ESPN.com. Not: CBS' CFB
coverage: NBC was the first CFB television dinosaur and
CBS is not far behind. Sticking to one brand, in this case the SEC, is
a certain recipe for falling ratings. But showcasing this brand with
such...ahem...."distinguished" personaliites as studio host Tim
Brando and commentator Verne Lundquist hardly reaches the younger audience
that CFB caters. Think local news in rural Kansas and that is what CBS
coverage has evolved into. The poorly written Dennis Dodd on Sportsline
only deepens their outdated and sagging coverage. 2. Hot: Appealing
OOC games: Bama-FSU. Miami-OU. TAMU-Miami. New
and competitive OOC games are rare, but when two legit top 25 teams sign on
for a home and home for the first time it creates an excitement that
builds until toe meets leather. They are great appetizers leading
up to conference play. Not: Border
Wars/Rivals: The phrase "border war" was once a key
element in OOC scheduling as a territorial battle for regional supremacy lay
at wait. No longer. Yes, some still exist in-conference, but in
generally those once anticipated contests have given way to scheduling in
places (TX, CAL) in which a program can become more visible and ultimately
recruit better. 3. Hot: Michigan's
Offense: You would be hard pressed to find a more balanced and
explosive offense across all units in the country. UM
could possibly boast an All-American at QB, RB, WR, and OL. I
cannot recall a sexier offense at UM in my lifetime. Maybe the 99'
outfit at UM would compare, but that is debatable. Not: Michigan's
Defense: Where do I start? There best player is a 5th year LB
who has largely underachieved at UM. The secondary is laughable to the
point where they will rely on a true freshman immediately and their
"shutdown" CB got torched last year by OSU and USC. The
d-ends are a collection of talent waiting to stay healthy and reach their
promise. D-line is adequate at best anchored by good, but not great,
Terrance Taylor. Look at the offense and then think the opposite. 4. Hot: Karl
Dorell, Jim Harbaugh and Dennis Erickson: A new breed of
coaches are starting to emerge in the PAC 10 waiting to take their turn and
upending the USC dynasty. Dorell just bought an extra 3 years with his
win over cross-town rival USC last year while also building a very
potent defense at UCLA. Erickson brings in loads of experience and
inherits a respectable and potentially lethal situation at ASU.
Harbaugh, while I think he is a jackass, has certainly got the Cardinal being
talked about again and appears like an energizing hire for a proud yet
dormant program. Not: Jeff Tedford,
Mike Belotti, and Mike Stoops: All three of these coaches have
either disappointed or flattened out. Their reputations have peaked,
and in some cases collapsed, and we are beginning to understand that they
won't go any higher (Tedford), their glory days are over (Belotti) or they
were never cut out for the gig (Stoops). 5. Hot: The
Big East Revival: They might still be the 6th best BCS conference,
but lets at least give the Big East some credit. They've exceeded our
expectations. 3-4 Big East teams could be ranked this year, they've
done well in their bowl games, and have supplied some big-time talent both on
the field (Brown, Slaton, Rice) and on the sidelines (Leavitt, Schiano,
Rod). Not: SEC Homerism:
Any smart CFB mind will surely give the SEC their justified credit.
However, there is a disturbing trend gaining steam from south. Memo to
all SEC fans: If your team sucks or disappoints then deal with
it. Yet, too many SEC fans cling to their "conference" as a
crutch when their team sucks. If I see one more Alabama or TN fan
bragging about FLA's win over OSU last year I am going to barf. Because
FLA beat OSU means nothing about your team. Because you have to play
LSU this year means nothing. Go play them. But when you lose and
your team sucks again please spare me the rationalization that your team
"plays in the toughest conference". When this happens, and
you again are forced to brag up the 4-5 good teams in your conference because
your team sucked again, please look at your team first. Anyone recall
that Arkansas and Tennessee lost to B10 teams last bowl season? I barely
do because I was thinking about Michigan football. SEC fans need to
adopt a similar approach. |
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