QUESTION OF THE WEEK
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JANUARY 11, 2009
QUESTION – This week 5 of cfb’s most high profile qbs (all underclassmen) either decided to enter the nfl draft or to stay in school (i.e., bradford, sanchez, mccoy, tebow, stafford). Evaluate each one’s decision.
S sanchez - good decision - with 3 other high-profile, highly-draftable qbs deciding to stay in school sanchez's decision was a no-brainer. he's got limited experience as a college qb, limited mobility, and he doesn't strike me as a top-flight qb. but he'll benefit from being 1 of the top 3 qb prospects in the draft and some team will select him higher than he deserves (i.e., top 15) and higher than he'd be selected next year (i.e., early 2nd round). 4 months from now he'll have a 20 million dollar contract for a bad team (e.g., matt lienart, alex smith, joey harrington, etc.) mccoy - bad decision - he's a smart qb, he has a live arm, he's mobile, and he's incredibly accurate. he was easily the best player on the texas offense and texas didn't have a dominant tailback or a game-breaking receiver - there was just mccoy. he would have been a first round pick in this draft and he may have had more upside than any other qb in the draft. he could have been competing for a starting spot in 3 years (e.g., brady quinn, jason campbell, rex grossman, etc.) stafford - good decision - when you're projected to be the top pick at your position and possibly the top pick in the draft then you leave school. and for stafford, there's nothing to return for anyway. stafford had a fairly non-descript year but somehow escaped criticism. his numbers were good, not great. his team underachieved and didn't beat any top-tier teams. another year might just expose stafford as a guy with talent who's missing the "it" factor (e.g., jamarcus russell, david carr, etc.) tebow - good decision - this was not a hard decision to make, but it a good one nonetheless. tebow loves college and college loves him. nfl-types don't necessarily love tebow (yet). it's not obvious that he'll be a good nfl qb. there are question about his arm, throwing motion, durability, and his qb iq (since he is coming from a spread offense that features the run). my guess is that someone will take a chance on him but not necessarily as a qb - more as an athlete/football player (e.g., matt jones, antonio gates, drew bennett, etc.) bradford - bad decision - would likely have battled stafford and a couple o-lineman for the top overall selection. given that bradford has a weaker arm and is smaller (shorter and skinnier), stafford still would have gone earlier thus protecting bradford from the lions and giving him a shot with the rams or chiefs. bradford will be an average nfl qb, but he'll likely hold onto a starting job for 2-5 years (e.g., byron leftwhich, kyle boller, etc.)	I 1.  Stafford:  Good move.  Stafford is a bust waiting to happen.  Right now he gets looked at as a guy with great physical tools.  If he returns to UGA and has another "eh" season he gets looked at as a someone not maximizing his abilities.  Stafford was wise to strike while the iron is hot.  Some team will draft him because he has a rocket for an arm and ignore everything else. 2.  Sanchez:  Mostly a bad move.  By leaving early (and having Bradford stay) Sanchez may be the first QB taken.  But he has only started 16 games all with superior talent to his competition.  I think Sanchez could have used another year to gain experience.  He'll still get drafted high and will make lots of money.  If this is purely a business move it makes sense.  But I think he has jeopardized his effectiveness in the NFL.  3.  Tebow:  Wise move.  This is easy.  Tebow would be a borderline 1st round pick.  His skill set does not transition well to the NFL.  I like the kid and in the right situation he might be a decent NFL QB.  In the wrong situation he'll suck.  Why not come back and try and cement yourself as one of the greatest in modern CFB.  This is a no-brainer, and I wonder if Tebow is even that interested in the NFL.  I see him trying it, but moving on quickly and eagerly to something different. 4.  Bradford:  Dumb move, but I admire it.  If Bradford is coming back to win a NC it is a bad move.  Oklahoma's o-line loses a lot, Texas wil be loaded, and it is hard to anticipated Stoops rmaking back-to-back NC runs.  My guess is Bradford likes the lifestyle of a college kid in Norman over the pro life in Detroit.  I get it.  But the 09 OU team will have holes and Bradford's stats and NFL stock will never be higher. 5.  McCoy:  No-brainer.  McCoy is a gutty kid with intangibles.  I'm not sure what the NFL dratnicks think of him, but he has everything in place for a memorable '09 season and the opportunity to sky-rocket up the NFL draft charts.  This makes as much sense as Tebow's decision.  It's a slam dunk.  And personally, I would not mind seeing this kid in Detroit someday.
JANUARY 4, 2009
QUESTION – Boston College just fired Jeff Jagodzinski because he interviewed with the NYJ against their request.  Did you like the old school approach of BC?
S did i like the old school approach? yeah, why not. boston college seems to know exactly the kind of coach they want: someone who wants to be there, is not too expensive, and who wins more than he loses. there should probably be more schools like bc in cfb (i.e., schools that accurately know their place in the cfb hierarchy). bc isn't looking for national titles every year and isn't paying $4 mil for a coach and isn't aspiring to be a proving ground for nfl guys. they want a solid, steady coach who can oversee and solid, steady program. they want someone like tom obrien. obrien was there 10 yrs, went 5-3 vs notre dame, and went to 8 straight bowls (no jan bowls though). obviously they decided that jadgodzinski was not going to be the next obrien. maybe it was his interest in the jets that made bc skeptical about his commitment or maybe he had already done some questionable things that made bc doubt that he was the right guy and his interest in the jets was simply another example in a long line of doubts. whatever it was, the minute the ad knew that he had the wrong coach was the same minute he should have started searching for a new one. i also liked it because it added a little cfb variety to a week full of flor/ou talk.	I At first I liked it.  Then I really thought it was stupid.  Allow me to expand. Initally this reminded me of Bo Schembechler pointing his finger at a March press conference and sternly saying, "I don't want an Arizona State guy coaching Michigan.  I want a Michigan man coaching Michigan." BC was being a trail blazer and starting a new trend in dealing with the increasingly mobile and curious college football coaches.  I liked it until I realized.... The NY Jets are a promotion.  A big promotion of Chestnut Hill.  Listen, I understand this might have been a violation of his contract.  This may have gone against what he said during an interview.  I get the moral ground of this debate.  But the guy won 20 games and went to the ACC title game.  And recruiting is in full swing.  And did I mention this was the NY Jets job? If he makes a habit of this my attitude would be different.  If he went to interview for the Clemson job my attitude would be different.  But this is an obvious promotion.  And BC can obviously be a stepping stone job for any good, hungry coach.  BC needed to know their place in this hierarchy.  It is more likely this explodes in their face than it ends up looking smart.
DECEMBER 28, 2008
QUESTION – list 3 of your more memorable bowl games and what made them special.
S 1) neb / flor, 1996 fiesta bowl - this is one of the first non-michigan bowl games that i can remember (bama / mia was the first) and marked my entrance into serious college football fandom. the weeks leading up to the game was full of predicitons, including hance's prediction that florida would run nebraska out of the stadium. but i didn't see it. nebraska was too physical on both sides of the ball and would eat up clock with the triple-option offense. so i made the opposite prediction - that nebraska would win in a route. the game was close for a quarter until the huskers exploded for 29 2nd quarter points and the route was on. nebraska would go on to win 62-24 in a game that featured tommy frazier doing anything he wanted to including an iconic 75-yard run in which he broke 7 tackles while shredding the gator d. seeing spurrier spike his visor wasn't near as satisfying as watching hance swallow his pride. 2) ark / mich, 1999 citrus bowl - to begin the season i was a michigan fan attending school at arkansas. but as the season unfolded i became more and more of an arkansas fan and by mid-october (when clint stoerner fumbled away a victory over the #1 vols) i was hooked. the hogs would finish the season 9-2 and earn a birth in the citrus bowl, opposite a michigan team who won the national title in 1997. that 1997 season marked the peak of my michigan fandom. who knew that in less than 1 year i would be cheering against the wolverines. i certainly didn't. even minutes before kickoff, sitting at luke's apartment, i wasn't sure who i'd be cheering for. but once the ball was kicked my heart went to arkansas and i called the hogs over and over again. the game was competitive with michigan always staying 1 td ahead until a late pick sealed a 45-31 victory. from that moment forward i was an unwavering hog fan and a loyal sec fan and assumed my position in the 5-year war of conference supremacy (sec vs b10) that followed. 3) ark / tex, 2000 cotton bowl - this was the first college football game to kickoff the new millenium. i was in tuscon arizona which made it a 10 am start. i literally woke up on the couch, turned on the tv, and watched kickoff. it was nutt's 2nd year as head coach and my 2nd year as a student and i was officially an avid fan all season. the hogs finished the season 7-4 and accepted an invitation to the cotton bowl to meet texas, arkansas most hated rival. the 2 teams had not met since they were swc foes in the early 90's. texas was heavily favored, which was no surprise considering that texas had more talent and historically contorlled the series. but on this day it truly was a new millenium. the hogs put together one of the most dominant defensive performances in recent history sacking the texas qb (applewhite) 8 times before knokcing him out of the game and holding the horns to -27 yards rushing. of offense, the hogs ran the ball like kings blowing with cedric cobbs blowing off chunks of yards behind a massive o-line. the freshman would eventually be named mvp of the game and my mind fantasized about him owning the sec for 3 more yrs and winning he heisman. after the 27-6 pummeling, nutt provided the icing on the cake by flashing an upside down 'hook em horns' sign to the hog fans in attendance. hm - tex / usc, 2004 rose bowl; bama / mich, 2000 orange bowl; flor / msu, 2000 citrus bowl	I 3.  2003 Miami v. Ohio State I remember watching every snap of this game in a bar in K-Zoo with Hance.  In what started as a coronation/formality for Miami ended in one the most shocking well-played games I've ever seen.  From McGahee's blown ankle, Clarett's strip, Miami's clutch kick, to the controversial call at the end this game had my attention every second.  I also recall the entire bar rooting for Ohio State except Hance and I.  We were outnumbered, but still very demonstrative in our support for Miami.  I can admit five years later that Ohio State was the better team that evening. 2.  1993 Michigan v. Washington I am limiting myself to one Michigan game.  The biggest reason this was special was because UW had humiliated Michigan the previous year in the Rose Bowl.  We were decided underdogs in the sequel again, but a huge day by Wheatley and TE Tony McGee are what sticks out the most.  I was at Matt Anderson's watching this game.  Late in the 4Q UM went to punt with a TD lead and under 2 minutes left (I believe).  The punt was blocked by UW and they set up shop at midfield with plenty of time left.  I panicked, freaked out, etc.  4 incompletions later Gary Moeller had his 1st Rose Bowl win. 1.  1993 Alamama v. Miami This game is significant for two reasons; 1.  George Teague's strip of Horace Copeland remains my favorite play ever in CFB.  2.  This game marked a monumental shift I how I presently view CFB.  I was at Scott Weber's house for this game (later the same day as game #2).  And I was fully rooting for Miami at the time.  I loved their swagger and arrogance.  I fully expected them to kill Alabama.  But as Bama pushed them around almost immediately I began to appreciate (and jump off the Miami bandwagon......just for the evening) the vintage nature of Bama.  Soild defense.  Potent running game.  Old-school uniforms.  These are all traits I embrace today in CFB.  Bama's blowout of Miami started my transformation of a kid who embraced Miami and other renegade programs to embracing a more traditional outfit.
DECEMBER 21, 2008
QUESTION – List three things that will determine the outcome of the Florida-Oklahoma title game.
S 1) dan mullen - where will his head be? not on gameday necessarily, that's easy. but every day between his announced hiring at msst and kickoff of the bcs title game. every time he calls a recruit for msst, or call potential asst coaches for his staff, or watches tape of returning players is time he won't be focused on beating ou. having 2 jobs can be done, nebraska coach bo pelini did it just last year for lsu. but it's risky. i'm surprised meyer didn't take over play calling and tell mullen "good luck and goodbye". by the end of the night though, he might wish that he had. 2) gator secondary - this unit finished the 2007 season ranked 11th in the sec and among the worst in the nation. in 2008 this unit ranks in the top-20 nationally in pass defense, though they haven't necessarily faced a stern test. the best passing attack flor saw all season was . . . haw? uga? ark? all teasm that ou would pass circles around. the question is whether the gator secondary has improved as much as the numbers suggest or whether they are ripe to be exposed. 3) in-game adjustments - both are great coaches and both will prepare for the others strengths and tendencies. but both will also add new wrinkles to their own team. so it may be the unexpected things that determine the game.how will ou compensate for murray's loss and will meyer be able to adjust? how will flor use tebow and will stoops be able to adjust? my own best guess is that stoops is a little more thick-headed and that meyer is a little more innovative giving the gators a slight edge on in-game adjustments.	I this is an interesting game to analyze.  i don't think the running game will be a huge factor.  i don't think time of possession will be critical either.  special teams and turnovers always matter, but i don't think they define this game.  this should be high scoring game that will hinge on three critical aspects, both mental and physical.... 1.  florida pass rush - obvious yet easily the most important component of the game.  ou has an offense that can be deadly, but it needs time to develop.  this is what killed osu a few years ago.  in many ways if uf does not get to bradford they will lose.  it can be that simple. 2.  trick plays - both teams will get big plays.  likely several big plays.  but stoops and meyer are both gamblers who will want to show-off  on the big stage.  don't be surprised if a trick play (fake punt, halfback pass) is the most talked about play after this over. 3.  sooner psyche - ou has to put behind them their recent bowl transgressions.  you could see it in ohio state last year.  the minute lsu got up on them they hung their head and thought "here we go again."  ou has to be confident, intense and most importantly resilient.  uf will be ready.  we know that.  ou is the mystery.  if they are still thinking about boise and wva they will get blown out.
DECEMBER 14, 2008
QUESTION – which new coaching hire was the best, which was the worst, and which hire might be the most surprising?
S best hire - brady hoke, sdst i'm not saying that this hire is a guaranteed success, but before 2008 ball st had exactly 1 season with double-digit wins in the history of the program (1976) and had never finished the regular season ranked. hoke delivered ball st it's greatest season in school history, by far. on that fact alone every school with an opening should have had him on their list. turner gill got most of the pub, but hoke had a much better season. mac coaches with seasons like this nearly always go straight to bcs jobs. kelley from cmu to cinci. hoeppner from mia to ind. sdst got a steal by convincing hoke to use them as a potential stopover before the bcs. and why not? it worked for utah with urban meyer. worst hire - dabo swinney, clemson i'm not saying that this hire is a guaranteed failure, but clemson has a proud, loyal fan base (even for an average coach), manageable expectations, and is in a winnable conference. lots of good young coaches would have jumped at this job. muschamp would have been a great hire. also charlie strong. even fulmer and tuberville would have been upgrades (and may have come cheap after cashing fat buyout checks). so, to settle on someone with no head coaching experience and no coordinator experience seems foolish. i can understand being energized by his enthusiasm and obvious desire for the job, but that doesn't mean you hire the guy. surprise hire - paul rhodes, iowa st no one is going to bring a national title to ames iowa. heck, most people wouldn't even bring their in-laws there. so by calling this a potentially surprising hire i'm saying that rhodes might do better than expected. first, he's an iowa guy so he'll be sincere when talking to recruits and he won't always have 1 foot out the door or 1 eye on the next job. second, he's a defensive guy and in the b12 (like everywhere) defenses will beat offenses. the problem has been that no one has had a defense, especially in the b12 north. it would not surprise me if, in 5 yrs or so, neb and iast were shutting down teams like mizzou and kansas.	I 1.  Coach who will pan out... Brady Hoke:  SDST This hire reminds me a bit of Kelly to Cincy or O'Brien to NCST.  Yes, it is a step up, but not much.  SDST just hit the jackpot.  Not that Hoke is an awesome coach, but but he is certainly a nice addition for a program like SDST.  And, he'll be coaching in an area loaded with prep talent and weak admissions standards.  Hoke will load up on JUCO kids, PAC 10 leftovers, and start building a renegade program with will soon factor into the Mt West race. 2.  Coach who will not pan out... Steve Sarkisian:  UW There are a lot of choices for this title.  Sarkisian might make more sense if it were SDST.  But UW is a big time gig.  They should be able to land a proven, up and comer.  Instead they take a desperate grab at a young guy simply because of where he coached.  This will implode immediately and Sarkisian will never sniff a bowl game. 3.  Keep your eye on... Dabo Swinney:  Clemson In a way, I kind of give Clemson some credit for this hire.  They had someone inhouse they liked.  They did not get declined by countless candidates and settle on Swinney.  They admired what he had done the final 6 games and liked the idea of stability over overhaul.  Clemson should be lauded for this hire.  They looked orgranized.
DECEMBER 7, 2008
QUESTION – Give a top 8 list of the most disappointing things of the 2008 season.  These "things" can be anything CFB related.
S these are not necessarily listed in order. 1) spurrier - spurrier was considered the 2nd greatest coach in sec history when he originally left florida. but after 4 years at scar, spurrier is 28-21, including 15-17 in sec play, 1-3 vs clemson, and he has not won more than 8 games in a season. spurrier finished the '08 season getting destroyed by florida (by 50 pts) and losing to an average clemson team led by an interim coach. for comparison, over the same 4 years urban meyer is playing for his 2nd national title at florida and over the 4 years that preceded spurrier, lou holtz and scar were 25-22 with a 9 win season. 2) undefeated non-bcs schools - just lose. just lose 1 game in the regular season so no one has to hear some idiot like mark may talk about your stupid team. just lose. 1 game. doesn't even have to be a conference game, in fact it's better if it's a non-conference game against an average bcs team. lose to ncst. lost to colorado. lost to kentucky. then everybody wins. you can still have a great season and fans who don't give a crap about your team (read: every cfb fan outside a 10 mile radius of your campus) won't go insane listening to: a) analysis of your roster of nobodies or b) idiots saying that you deserve a shot at the big boys. 3) the sec - plenty of conferences were down this year (p10, beast, acc, B10), but it could be argued that none fell further than the sec. the last 2 national titles have helped bolster the sec's repuation, but it was always the strength of the middle teams, the 2nd-tier, that set the conference apart. not this year. flor and bama were elite, true. but, no one else was even close. uga? got blasted by both flor and bama and lost to gtech. tenn? lsu? aub? they combined for 19 losses and 2 coaches got fired resigned. all the sudden the 'cyclical' arguement seems a little more credible. 4) b12 choosing ou over texas - yes there were 3 1-loss teams, all losing each other and so the normal tie-breakers were insufficient. yes oklahoma played atougher schedule and won more convincingly. but the b12 should be embarassed that it allowed 2 important non-conference games (ou beating tcu and cinci) to determine its conference champion. non-conference games should not be used to determine conference standing. but by using the bcs this is what the b12 allowed. record vs common conference opponents or margin of victory in the head-to-head matchups should have been used. 5) bad big games - sure there were good, big games like texas/ou, texas, ttech, psu/osu, and flor/bama game. but most of the big hyped games were terrribly bad. consider that: bama/clem was a route, lsu/aub was pathetic, usc/osu was a runaway, uga/azst was a mismatch, bama/uga was a blowout, flor/lsu was a beatdown, tex/mizz was a joke, uga/flor was embarassing, ou/ttech was a laugher, ou/okst was a pummeling, ttech/okst was disasterous, and on and on. 6) coach rod's debut - first, no michigan team should ever go 3-9. none. ever. under no circumstances. new offense, wrong players, unlucky, expectations too high, blah, blah. the worst record in mich fball history is rod's fault. period. second, even a bad mich team should beat toledo, be competitice, and get better as the season progresses (not lose 8 of the last 9 games or lose by a total of 67 pts in 3 losses to your rivals). still being bad in game 12 is rod's fault. third, when the team is bad, take responsibility and don't blame the fans or players. passing the blame to everyone else is rod's fault. 7) clausen + weis - 2 years of the '10-year prospect' and the offensive genius have yielded 15 losses, the most in school history over any 2 year span, and a bid to the hawaii bowl. personally, i love it. but an nd fan ought to have his face buried in porcelain for every second during the month of december. 8) espn - college fball is espn's best product (except for maybe sportscenter). yes, monday night fball is big, but it's 1 game a week and has been at espn for 1 year. the nba is gay. college bball isn't great until march, when it's on cbs. so, logically, if cfb was your best product then you'd have your best people covering cfb, right? well, not if your espn. espn has lou holtz, mark may, and lee corso as the lead faces and voices of its cfb coverage and analysis. of all the things that might be disappointing in any given cfb season, none are more predictable and more deflating than to have those idiots suck all the joy out of pre- and post-game fandom.	I In order, the 8 most disappointing things of the 2008 CFB season..... 8.  Lack of good games:  What was the best game of the year?  T Tech v. Texas?  PSU v. OSU?  It seems almost all the marquee games fizzled and it is difficult to remember a game that immediately sticks out as the best....or even really good. 7.  ESPN Gameday: It is probably because I am older with kids.  But regardless I find little appeal to this show anymore.  I have determined I don't like Fowler.  Herbstreit is revealing himself as more politician than unbiased analyst.  And Corso........eh.  I cannot imagine there will ever be a time in my life where I give one thought to what helmet/mascot corso unveils.  6.  Scott Schafer: He is Michigan's new defensive coordinator.  By calling him mediocre would be doing a disservice to the word mediocre. 5.  Big Time Running Backs: Shonn Greene just won the Doak Walker.  Did you know who Shonn Greene was a month ago?  Wells, Hill, Devine, Moreno, Murray and the list goes of RB's who for a variety of reasons failed to live up the hype. 4.  Rivalry Games: It seems outside of OU-TX all the big rivalries this year were dilluted.  UM-OSU was the worst in years.  USC-ND failed again to make a splash.  UF-UGA was over by halftime.  FSU-Miami can be relegated to a 2nd tier rivalry game now.  Maybe the Iron Bowl took on more significance, but even that game was hardly compelling. 3.  The Big 10: The Big Ten is like that corvette that has been in the barn for 5 years.  It has potential, but it could use some much needed shine.  Once again we described the B10 as "a down year."  Once again the B10 was null and void by Thanksgiving.  Once again the big dogs on the B10 are double digit underdogs in the BCS bowls.  MSU is facing a superior UGA team.  NU will get murdered by Mizzou.  The conference needs a spark.  A splash.  It needs to be tinkered with now. 2.  Mark Richt: Close your eyes and think about your image of Richt this summer.  Good guy, winner, class act, and it is only a matter of time before he gets a NC.  Now what is your image?  Richt is closer to Miles and Fulmer than he is to Meyer and Saban.  I like Richt, but his stock took a significant hit this season...despite winning 9 games.  1.  Auburn: We could do this CFB Challenge until we are 75 and I doubt there will be a worse preseason #1 pick than my Auburn pick this year.
NOVEMBER 30, 2008
QUESTION – november always accelerates the discussion of a playoff in college football - usually by media types and coaches who are not currently ranked #1 or #2 in the bcs. seems most everyone wants to determine the BEST team in cfb "on the field". well, i'm proposing something radical: keep the bcs the way it is for the top 8 teams and then create a playoff to determine the WORST team in cfb "on the field". everybody wins, college presidents get their bowls and cfb fans get their playoff. the playoff would consist of bottom 8 teams including 1 team from each bcs conference and 2 at large bcs bids (based 1st on overall record then on conference record). the games would be played between the end of the regular season and the start of bowl season (at neutral sites that don't typically host bowl games, preferrably where there's snow, e.g, chicago, denver, new york). this would give the really bad teams a chance to earn a little extra money from tv and ticket sales and get a few more practices. below is this year's bracket. in this week's question, project how the bracket would unfold with the losers advancing. 2008 CFB PLAYOFF national quarter finals game 1 (played at edward jones dome, st louis) 1) wash (p10) 8) msst (sec) game 2 (played at heinz field, pittsburgh) 4) ind (b10) 5) syracuse (beast) game 3 (played at the metrodome, minneapolis) 3) wash st (at large) 6) mich (at large) game 4 (played at lincoln financial field, philadelphia) 2) iowa st (b12) 7) duke (acc) national semifinals game 5 (played at invesco field, denver) loser game 1 versus loser game 2 game 6 (played at soldier field, chicago) loser game 3 versus loser game 4 national finals (aka the toilet bowl) game 7 (played at giants stadium, new york) loser game 5 versus loser game 6
S (fyi - because real football is played on saturday's, this tourney features all friday games) ROUND 1 game 1: msst 2 / wash 0 - the friday morning headline read "black friday". it was a historic match-up, the first time ever that 2 black head coaches who no longer had their jobs faced each other in a game that meant so little. wash coach willingham and msst coach croom met at midfield during pre-game warmups for a handshake (which, incidentally, was eventually featured in every ncaa publication). of course, the presidents and boosters from both schools were proud to witness this scene. after all, together they had until recently employied 1/2 of ncaa's black coaches; though neither felt enough confidence in their coach to actually support him. this pre-game moment was by far the most memorable of the day. after the opening kickoff nothing happened for 43 minutes before wash's deep snapper chucked a snap through the endzone and into the 3rd row for a safety. then nothing happened for 17 more minutes and msst won the game. when asked why they had won, state players said it was because they had "the real" black coach, not some guy who coached "at standfords and noderdame". game 2: ind 30 / cuse 3 - mistaking this for a basketball game, nearly 50,000 people bought tickets to the game. those who stayed were the lucky ones. fans that day saw a historic battle between the indiana 'marching hundred' band which played an n-sync montage and 'the pride of the orange' syracuse band which played a tribute to cher. when it was over, everyone agreed that the pride's version of 'if i could turn back time' was a show-stopper. however, this was somewhat ironic considering that the both cher and syracuse football were at their best in the 60's. as for the game, the orange were soundly trounced by the hoosiers (to which cuse bball jim boeheim was quoted as saying "keith smart is gay"). game 3: mich 12 / wash st 0 - having never played in the metrodome, the wash st players were distracted and spent the entire 1st half standing on the sideline yelling and then listening for their echoes. and although the score was still tied 0-0 at the half, the tactic of not even stepping onto the field had allowed the michigan offense to earn a couple first downs behind nick sheridan's passing (3/13 for 27 yards) and to really take control of field position. the 2nd half would be similar except that wash st was finally able to make it to the field. unfortunately, this only made matters worse as the michigan offense found it's stride amassing nearly 100 total yards in the 2nd half alone and handly winning the game. it marked the first time in history that a team had been worse when on the field than when off the field. game 4: duke 77 / iowa st 13 - iowa st's gameplan was to dress exactly like usc in hopes of sending the blue devils fleeing the stadium in every direction fearing for their lives. unfortunately, the dukies have ACT scores that are roughly 3 times that of the cyclones and so the plan failed miserably the moment anyone who knows anything about cfb (even dukies) saw the idiotic iowa st helmet. the ensuing consequence was that the boys from new jersey, uh durham, put a city-boy ass-whipping on the boys from aimes. after the game, blue devils players were overheard saying something about biochemistry. Semi-Finals game 5: cuse 3 / wash 0 - the question leading into this game was which team's offense would successfully make it from the locker room to the sideline. the answer . . . neither. in a stratgey seldom seen in modern football, the 2 punters spent the first 59 minutes on the field simply trying to out-punt each other for field position. you might guess that, having had more punts in a single season than any punter in the history of cfb, the huskie punter would have had a distinct advantage. however, you would have been wrong. a season worth of punting punting had had a terrible effect on his knees and by the end of a grueling 59 min punt-off, the huskie punter collapsed on his wobbly legs giving the cuse a chip-shot game-winning field goal. lame duck coaches willilngahm and robinson were widely criticized for the stratgey until some fans made the point that it was the first time either coach had actually exercised good judgment. game 6: wash st 9 / iowa st 7 - according to both eye-witnesses (who happened to be the 2 qb's moms), this was the game of the decade and both qbs played like heisman winners and were very handsome. unfortunately, the network that had agreed to broadcast the game (ahem espn des portes) instead decided to play a re-run of an old episode of the stephen a smith show translated into spanish; so no one actually saw the game. Finals game 7: wash 7 / iowa st 0 - rightly called the squabble for "worst place", this match-up came down to the team that wanted it less. and on this day, iowa st, having never had a single positive moment in the history of its program, and having the average cfb fans not be able to name a single iowa st alum, and having to hope every single day that someday they'll wake up and not be iowa st, wanted it less. famous alum and local hero ________ (insert some unknown name here) was proud of the effort his cyclones gave saying . . . something drunk and incomprehensible.	I Game 1 @ STL:  Wash v. Miss State Huskie fans are jacked to be the #1 seed.  Fans come in support wearing shirts claiming "The Best of the Worst...We're #1".  Willingham in the past has always flashed his index finger in the air after a TD as a sign he wants to go for the extra point.  This game, however, he keeps his index finger extended all game as a salute to their lofty seed.  Miss State gets pissed for the lack of respect and bury U-Dub. Miss State 39  Washinton 6 Game 2 @ Pittsburgh:  IU v. Syracuse IU is thankful for the extra practice and briefly consider throwing the game to get more practice.  "Cuse shows up without a coach.  After 36 penalties, 21 of which are too many men on the field, Syracuse quits and refuses to come out after halftime.  When informed this meant they advanced and would have to play again they recruit a fan to coach the the 2H.  After the rout Hoosier faithful proclaim this "one of the greatest days in IU Football history."  DVD's and framed paintings commemorating event are the rave for Indiana kids over the holidays.  Indiana 17  Syracuse 0 Game 3 @ Metrodome: WSU v. UM Rodriguez is humiliated to be in this position.  During the Monday presser Coach Rod gets testy and equates this game to driving a Ford Pinto.  When asked to clarify he states, "Everything Ford makes is shit and they outta go under."  Michigan 28  WSU 27 Game 4 @ Philadelphia:  ISU v. Duke Instead of voting for them in the coaches poll, Steve Spurrier does Duke one better this time:  He serves as offensive coordinator for the playoffs.  After completely stomping ISU is a classless and humiliating manner Spurrier boasts, "Me and ole' coach 'Cut gunno get us Meechigan next week."  When informed that he won and his participation is over (and that UM was done as well), Spurrier throws down his visor and mumbles a few incoherent words about Jeremy Foley. Duke 77 ISU 13 Round 2 Game 5 @ Denver:  Washington v. Syracuse When Willingham is told Syracuse does not have a coach it finally dawns on him that he has been fired as well.  Confused and uncertain he applies for the 'Cuse job.   Since the last 16 applicants have denied Syracuse they figure what the hell and take a chance on Willingham to bring back "decency and respect" to their program.  Willigham is coaching against a UW team without a coach......and he still loses. Washington 26  Syracuse 15 Game 6 @ Chicago:  WSU v. ISU In a game that lacks any and all excitement, credibility, and name value the promoters of this event get creative.  Ryan Leaf will coach WSU and Larry Eustachy will coach ISU.  Excitement builds.  By the 3Q Leaf is on his 4th chew and has already screamed at a reporter, managed a QB rating of 12.6, and is fat as hell.  Eustachy is too busy putting the moves on the 1st chair flutist in the ISU band.  Once Eustachy "scores a few digits" from the remainder of the band he gets back to coaching and pulls off a late win. ISU 8  WSU 7 Title Game @ New York:  Syracuse v. Washington State The Big Apple scores the title game!!  In an act of desperation leading up to this game WSU hires Mike Price back.  Shit, if KSU can do it so can we.  The only problem is that Price spends all week at the strip club drinking vodka and tonics.  Willingham, still searching for answers after last week's loss, reverts back to holding up his index finger all week.  He gives his team a stirring pre-game speech about how 'Cuse football is the best show in New York.  Nobody buys it.... WSU 22  Syracuse 6
NOVEMBER 23, 2008
QUESTION – Three part question... 1.  Predict who the writers will nominate as CFB coach of the year. 2.  Who would get your vote for coach of the year? 3.  Who won't get much consideration for coach of the year, but has quietly done a great job?
S 1) saban (bama) – several coaches have significantly exceeded preseason expectations, but only saban is in position to make a serious run at a national title doing both makes him an easy choice. the tide began the season ranked 24 in the ap poll and projected to finish 3rd in the sec west. now they're 1 win away from a bcs title game birth. hm – paterno (psu) 2) johnson (gtech) - if i could actually vote i would vote for saban, but in the spirit of variety i'll argue for johnson - who is also deserving. johnson has tech at 9 wins (including a win over uga) and nationally ranked. but what's truly impressive is that johnson is doing it in the midst of a dramatic change in offensive philosophy. not impressed? just ask mich and aub fans how easy it is to install a new offense. hm – kelly (cinci) 3) nutt (miss) - he shouldn't be on the short list for any national awards, but nutt has the rebs at 8-4 (with the 4 losses coming by a total of 19 pts) and engineered a win over #2 florida at the swamp. including the 45-0 beating of rival msst on thurs (which caused state coach croom to resign), nutt's team beat every sec west team except #1 bama, will finish 2nd in the west, and likely play in a jan 1 bowl. hm – peterson (boise)	I who will win: saban:  and he should win the award.  nobody had bama in the preseason top 25.  few had them higher than 3rd in their own division.  they were nothing more than a young, wait and see program.  couple that with the return of a legendary power and saban's high name value and this is a recipe for attention and postseason hardward. who would i vote for: brian kelly:  it's not the bcs bid i am that impressed with.  the big east was worse than anticipated this year.  but doing it with 4 different qb's is simply amazing.  few top 10 teams, if any, would have survived this year had their starter been injured.  none would have made the top 25 had they used 4 starters throughout the season.  it is further evidence that kelly will be rubbing elbows with the big names soon. who quietly did a nice job: mack brown:  you're initial reaction is likely..."duh."  but rewind to the beginning of the season.  tx was 3rd in the b12 south.  nobody gave them a chance to beat ou let alone contend for the nc.  colt mccoy was forgotten about.  what separated brown from stoops, leach, carroll, and meyer is that he was not supposed to be here.  texas was supposed to be 9-3 and largely irrelevant.
NOVEMBER 16, 2008
QUESTION – just about anything can (and probably will) unfold over the last 3 weeks of the cfb season. if you were God, how would you have the next 3 weeks unfold?
S i’d treat these last 3 weeks like a 3-course meal. drinks = bama beats auburn by 30 course 1, appetizer = colt mckoy wins the heisman. a close race ends with the non-system qb winning the award. ou and texas tech have procuded record-breaking qb after record-breaking qb for years. heupel, white, bradford. kingsbury, symons, harrell. at least texas plays to the strengths of its qb, vince young preceeded mckoy and the 2 qbs could not be different. i’d reward mckoy for beating bradford, playing well in the loss to Harrell, and not benefiting from a ‘system’. course 2, entree = bama beats flor in the sec title game and earns a spot in the bcs title game. tex edges ou and ttech for a spot in the b12 title game and then beats mizzou for a spot in the bcs title game. the other bcs games would follow like this: rose: usc v psu – the game might not be great, but these 2 unis on the same field would be worth seeing sugar: flor v uos – not that anyone want to see osu vs the sec again, but orange: gtech v cinci – not a marquee matchup the coaching matchup and the contrasting offensive styles would keep me interested fiesta: ou v utah – the sooners versus an underdog in a bowl game tends to lead to an instant classic course 3, dessert – bama beats texas in a thriller as saban’s defense out-schemes muschamp’s defense	I If I were God down the stretch of the CFB season, I would have three things happen... 1.  I would have Joe Pa retire.  We could end this annual saga by feeling good about his ending.  And with the PSU gig open it would give us something additional to analyze and talk about. 2.  I would have a razor close Heisman Finish between McCoy, Bradford, and Harrel.  The Big 12 has provided a historic season with QB's this year.  In many ways this should go into the record books as a truly unique season in the B12.  The last close Heisman race we had was 01' when Crouch beat out Grossman.  I'd like to go into the Heisman presentation having no clue who will and giving all three B12 signal-callers an equal chance.  3.  Most importantly, I would have good BCS bowl games.  At least as good as possible.... NC Game:  USC v. Florida Rose:  OU v. PSU Sugar:  Bama v. OSU Orange:  FSU v. Cincy Fiesta:  Utah v. Texas If you include Utah and Cincy, which you have to, these are the best potential matchups the BCS can offer.  I can say that I would watch all of these games.
NOVEMBER 9, 2008
QUESTION - In order, list the top 10 Heisman Finishers with brief explanation.
S an interesting note: heisman voters are divided into 6 regions across the country and the southwest region includes folks from ok and tx. the outcome could be that the b12 candidates split the votes pretty evenly and, if there were a strong candidate elsewhere (e.g., tebow or sanchez), then that player could make a surprise run at the trophy. but this year, there is no such player. so, the candidate who gets the most national attention has a real advantage. 1) mckoy, tex - great numbers in every game, even the loss 2) bradford, ou - lost to mckoy 3) harrell, ttech - a loss down the stretch and the "system" label cost him votes ----- invite line ----- 4) crabtree, ttech - maybe the most deserving, but will be overshadowed by qbs 5) daniel, mizz - faded down the stretch but still has video game numbers 6) tebow, flor - numbers are down from last year, but still impressive 7) ringer, msu - will lead the nation in scoring and have a monster game vs psu 8) johnson, tulsa - will get some votes for having stats like the top dogs 9) brown, uconn - will lead the nation in rushing 10) reesing, kansas - see johnson	I 1.  Sam Bradford:  Here is a vote that he overshines Harrel next week.  Plus, he is the most efficient of the three in the B12 South.  Not sure who attends B12 title game from the South if there is a three way tie.  Whoever it is gets a huge opportunity when the other B12 QB's will be at home. 2.  Graham Harrell:  Great story and huge passing yards earn him and invite yet a surprisingly distant gap between Bradford.  I'll bet voters reward him, but are hesitant to annoint a system QB the award. 3.  Colt McCoy:  Texas peaked too early.  McCoy is the most well-rounded of the group, but the attention has been off TX since the T Tech loss. 4.  Tim Tebow:  Forgotten and has no chance to win the award.  But UF is gaining steam by the week and will likely be a major player in the NC hunt when votes are granted. 5.  Michael Crabtree:  Name outshines performace this year.  Good numbers, but not deserving of an invite. 6.  Darryl Clark:  Is there a team in the country who sits in a better media spot than PSU?  Clark is gone from the national stage, but not forgotten. 7.  Knoshon Moreno:  Numbers are still hovering around the top 10.  In an area of the country that may want to "reward one of their own" don't be shocked to see Moreno emerge with more votes than thought. 8.  Chase Daniel:  Simply not enough room for Daniel to be much higher. 9.  Brian Johnson:  West coast voters will recognize the quiet leader of a potentially unbeaten team who could be revisiting the BCS. 10.  Mark Sanchez:  Similar to Moreno.  A big name with a good, but quiet season.
NOVEMBER 2, 2008
QUESTION - clemson, kstate, washington, syracuse, or tenn: which is the best job and who gets it?
S for the record, i agree that clemson is the best job. and for nearly the same reasons you listed. but, for variety's sake, i'll make the argument for tennessee. tennessee will be viewed as the best job because it has just about everything elite cfb jobs have: money, power, tradition, passion, facilities, rivalries, 1st tier status, a stellar conference, and loyalty to 1 coach for 17 yrs. of course there are downsides like limited in-state recruiting talent, very high expectations, and stiff competition - coaching against richt, meyer, spurrier, and saban every year. but those won't affect most the decisions of most bigtime coaches. the names on the early short list like butch davis, mike leach, and brian kelly are used to winning big and recruiting obstacles and won't flinch at the prospect of those in knoxville. seriously, is recruiting to tenn harder than recruiting to ttech or cmu? does unc draw from a talent-rich state? is leach scared of stoops or mack brown? was davis scared of bowden or spurrier in their prime? coaches that consider taking the tenn job will see it as a major upgrade from their current employer and, as fulmer showed, a chance to land 1 of the 20 jobs in cfb where winning a national title is a real possibility (unlike at ttech, unc, or cinci which combine for 0 national titles in 150 yrs). some of the other options are good jobs with real upside. clemson has passion and a winnable conference, but limited tradition and 2nd tier status. washington has location and reasonable expectations, but no in-state talent and fan apathy. while some of the other jobs are among the worst in the bcs. kstate and syracuse are essentially part of a cfb wasteland. tenn is relevant in cfb and should land a relevant coach. the top target seems to be butch davis but the odds are that he'll stay at unc; same for leach at ttech - though the vols will likely make private overtures to both coaches. for my money, kelly should be next on the list. he wins (even a national title level), he's young, he recruits, and he would take the job. kelly is not a natural fit in the sec because of his offense-first philosophy and midwestern roots so he won't be a longtime hire, but he'll matter-of-factly get the program headed back in the right direction and leave amicably in a 5 years for a better fit (e.g., illinois, msu, etc.)	I At first thought I pegged Tennessee the best job. Better tradition. Competing in the SEC. More visible fan base, stadium, and somewhat national appeal. The Tennessee job has a lot of the characteristics that Clemson and UW lack. And, unlike most, I am not scared off by the lack of instate talent. Sure, it is a disadvantage, but Tennessee has the potential to be a national draw. However, what scares me away from the Tennessee job are two people: Urban Meyer and Mark Richt. In order to be successful at Tennessee you need to hold court with these two programs. Right now it is not close. The thought of getting hammered for the next few years in by these two CFB giants, while trying to gain traction, is hardly appealing. UT fans will be patient....to a degree. I don't like my chances of getting the Vols back up to par with UF and UGA in three years. Maybe five years, but that could be too late. Tennessee is out. For me personally the UW job has a lot of characteristics I like. A classy and beautiful university with a solid academic pedigree. A football program with enough tradition to make this job relevant. A fan base that has expectations, but not unrealistic expectations. And a conference slate that is hardly daunting. A bowl game within 1-2 years is certainly a possibility. Top 3-4 in conference is reasonable almost immediately upon arrival. The possibility to win is very advantageous. This is a great place to bring my family and settle down for the next decade. We'd make a few Sun Bowls, maybe a couple Holiday Bowls, and if things ever really broke right.....a BCS bowl. Yet, something is missing. The intense fanhood is lacking. The laid back approach of P10 football simply taking too much away from the experience. This is a relaxing job, but it lacks the greatest element of cfb...........passion. Therefore, while I dislike Clemson, I annoint there job the best. It is the best for two reasons: 1. The league is totally up for grabs. Not only could I be playing BCS games within a year, I could be playing NC games within three years. The possibility of rampant early success is certainly attainable. 2. The experience is similar to the SEC.........minus Meyer, Richt, Saban, Tubs, etc. In short, people in Clemson treat their football similar to those in Athens and T-Town. It is important. Very important. As coach you be spared no expense. You'd be treated like royalty around campus (assuming you won). And every home Saturday you'd be in front of a rabid group of faithful followers who made the experience different and more satisfying than Washington.
OCTOBER 26, 2008
QUESTION - Give me one reason Alabama will play in the NC game.  And give me one reason they won't. I'll do Penn State.
S three reasons why bama will play in the bcs title game: 1) schedule - what started the year as a vaunted conference and a minefield schedule has actually been pretty tame, and the easiest games may be ahead with lsu, msst, and auburn left sporting 3 of the worst offenses in recent history. that leaves only the florida game standing between bama and the title game. 2) defense - and in a 1 game, winner-take-all scenario . . . defense (i.e., alabama defense ranked in the top 5 nationally) generally beats offense (florida offense ranked in the top 10 nationally). 3) saban - the defensive edge is even greater when it's a saban-coached defense facing a gimmicky offense. saban lives to smother these highly ranked, high-powered offenses (01 vs tenn, 03 vs ou, 08 vs uga). two reasons why bama won't play in the bcs title game: 1) florida's offense - yes, defense beats offense but florida can score 30 pts on a bad day (e.g., the loss to ole miss) and the bama offense has been too innconsistent to count on for 30 pts. 2) joepa - the coaches poll makes up 1/3 of the bcs formula and the harris poll (made up of lots of cfb personalities) makes up another 1/3. there could be strong sentiment to rank penn st into the title game, especially considering that bama's final record could include only 2 victories over top 25 teams (the same as psu).	I Why Penn State can make the NC game... In a word..balance.  PSU's offense is as balanced as it comes.  They have a trio of veteran playmakers at WR.  They have a QB who soon will generate Heisman buzz (invite only) because he limits mistakes and has massacred teams through the air and by foot.  Need a ground game?  PSU is 2nd in the country in rushing TD's and Evan Royster is a competent back who can get the tough yard.  PSU's possesses an all-big 10 kicker and leads the Big 10 in kick return average.  The point is this......PSU does not have a glaring weakness on offense. Why Penn State won't make the NC game... In a word....coaching.  Do you really have faith in this coaching staff?  The head man is a vintage model who watches from the press box and is awaiting offseason surgery.  His DC is a crusty and loyal partner of 30 years.  The OC is an old man Florida fired two decades ago.  I give them a world of credit for this start, but I canot imagine this braintrust has the knowledge or endurance to navigate a nc game.  Imagine if they get there.  Picture Joe Pa matching wits with Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, or Pete Carrol?
OCTOBER 19, 2008
QUESTION - give the following midseason sec/b10 player and coaches awards: 1) coach of the year 2) coach on the hot seat 3) offensive player of the year 4) defensive player of the year 5) game of the year 6) most surprising team 7) most disappointing team
S coy - saban bama is 8-0 and ranked #2 in the country and hae dominated their toughest opponents, something no one predicted. johnson at vandy and nutt at ole miss get a courtesy consideration. hot seat - tuberville auburn was a preseason top 10 team and picked by many to win the sec west. now he tigers sit at 4-4, don't have a qb, and have fired their oc. fulmer will likely follow tubs out the door. off poy - percy harvin florida has the only sec offense that generates any kind of national buzz and tebow's numbers are down. harvin can score returning, runing, and catching. def poy - brandono spikes the florida lb leads the gators in tackles and seems to make every play, big or small. bama's terrence cody is running a close 2nd. goy - bama/uga so far, this has been the biggest statement game of the year. it wasn't a classic, but it established a pecking order no one could have guessed. ultimately, florida georgia will prove more pivotal. surprise - bama the defense is smothering and the offense is powerful and no one has come close to beating the tide. and this is a team most picked 3rd or 4th in the sec west, on the edge of the top 25, and projected into a december bowl. disappointment - auburn a loss to arkansas, a blowout loss to wvu on national tv, a fired oc, no qb, and on and on. the preseason darling may miss a bowl.	I 1.  pat fitzgerald.  joe pa is the obvious choice, but i have a nagging feeling that is not going to last.  fitzgerald has already accomplished something and perhaps more impressive. 2.  rodriguez.  i would have said ferentz two weeks ago, but a thrashing of wisky at home and a likely bowl bid (and a sex scandal that ended) likely will keep him secure.  rodriguez is not going to be fired, but will under suffocating pressure next year and likely won't measure up by then. 3.  daryll clark:  leading the #3 ranked team with precision and smarts.  produces through the air and on the ground.  he's accumulated 19 td's and a passer rating of over 150. 4.  aaron maybin:  laurinitis is the lame predictable pick.  yes, he leads the conference in tackles.  but maybin, an unknown prior to the season, leads the b10 is sacks (10), tackles for loss, and has forced three fumbles.  he has anchored a nittany lion defense that is near the top in the conference. 5.  psu at osu.  this week baby, and there is not an a close second. 6.  minnesota:  the gophers, coming off an absurdly poor '07 season, is 6-1 and fresh off a win at illinois.  the qb-wr combo of weber and decker might actually generate a little buzz entering next season. 7.  wisconsin:  while we were at hance's the badgers had beaten fresno state and were ranked in the top 10.  osu had been smoked earlier that evening and psu had yet to emerge.  at that moment wisky was the team to beat in the big ten.  now they are winless in the big 10, pj hill is averaging less than 100 yards a game, and they are possibly the oldest team in the b10.  this was their year and it ended up being anything but.
OCTOBER 12, 2008
QUESTION - What team has been the most disappointing this season?
S the most disappointing thing this season has been a lack of good, big games. the one exception was the texas/ou game. other than that, very few of the hyped games have been even remotely interesting. consider these examples: 1) bama/clem - the tide steamrolled the tigers in a 34-10 game that wasn't that close 2) lsu/aub - the 26-21 score was close, but both offenses were anemic 3) usc/osu - a promising beginning ended typically for both teams . . . trojans win big while buckeyes lose big 4) uga/azst - a 27-10 dismantling by the dawgs 5) bama/uga - not even michael vick would beat a bulldog as bad as the tide did 6) flor/lsu - miles promises that "no one would play harder" than lsu . . . who promptly gave up 50 and lost by 30 7) tex/mizz - chase daniel is exaclty what texas' d-line did all night as the horns cruised to 25 pt win there are certainly plenty of teams (e.g., clem, aub, wvu) and players (e.g., moreno, tebow) who have thus far have been disappointing, but the lack of good games that matter is far more upsetting.	I most disappointing team.... the auburn tigers auburn returned their entire o-line, two capable running backs, and the 2nd most starters in the sec.  throw in a favorable schedule and the makings were ripe for an bcs bowl game.....at least.  instead they fired their sexy new 0-coordinator, lost at home to two rebuilding teams, lost at vandy, and survived an epic 3-2 thriller at miss state.  their big win was against an ailing tennessee squad at home and even that was not pretty.  some programs like azst and tennessee you can forgive because they'v endured sporadic success the past 5 years.  other schools like clemson wisky are simply hard to totally buy into.  and as disappointing as the michigan season has become nobody carried lofty expectations this year.  but auburn had all the ingredients.  the proven track record.  the reliable head coach.  the favorable slate.  remember how appealing this thursday game with wva was two months ago?  i would think a 6-6 closing record for a legitimate sec contender is very realistic at this point.
OCTOBER 5, 2008
QUESTION - in 07, the teams projected to play in the bcs title game seemed to change every week. there were even weeks in november when neither osu nor lsu were projected to play in the game. for this week's question, list 2 teams that are not currently being projected as title game participants who will be in the mix when the season ends and 2 teams that are currently being projected as title game participants who won't be in the mix when the season ends.
S teams that will be there: penn st - the game at osu is the real obstacle for this team. every other game is manageable and one a national title caliber team should win. so whether this team will be in the title discussion at the end of the season depends exactly on whether they can beat the buckeyes in columbus. i think they can. osu has certainly shown that they are beatable at home letting both ohio and troy hang around until the 4th. and, no one (except maybe michigan) will know terrelle pryor as well as penn st will. is psu can shake their typical road blues, for 1 week, they can beat osu in columbus. florida - the only ranked team left on their schedule is uga and the gators historically own that series (except of course for last year). saturday night the offense was explosive and the defense made plays. tebow is becoming a threat as a passer and the return game is deadly. an 11-1 florida team could be playing in the sec title game for a spot in the bcs title game. teams that won't be there: texas - the horns play 4 ranked teams over the next 5 weeks (2 on the road, and possibly a b12 title game) and anyone watching the red river rivalry (or anyone who's familiar with mack brown) knows that texas will not likely win all 4 games. on saturday, ou was the better team (by far) and texas needed a critical sooner injury (reynolds) and some favorable calls to pull the game out. an inconsistent running game and mack brown's coaching will eventually cost the horns. alabama - call it pessimism, but the tide aren't nearly as good as they're playing. there's a reason most experts had bama finishing 8-4 (though those experts will be wrong): lack of depth, too many freshman, and an unproven qb. the depth and freshman will become evident during he last 6 weeks and the qb may become an issue when bama finds itself in a close game that wilson has to win. the kentucky game was the closest thing yet to a close game and wilson was 7-17 for 106 yds and a pick.	I teams that won't be discussed as the season progresses..... 1.  oklahoma:  same ou different year.  how they managed to stay at #4 is odd to me.  the little bit i watched of the texas-ou game they sooners looked faster, more physical and destined to win......yet they lost.  i am not going to guess what their issue may be, but this team seems destined to be a two loss team and fade from the national scene before december.  keep your eye in two weeks when they visit k state. 2.  georgia:  in their home win over tennessee uga looked solid.  maybe even good.  but they hardly had the moxie or appearance of a team ready to climb the polls from here on out.  a tough slate, injuries to the o-line, and a conference with at least two better teams should end the dawgs nc talk soon. teams that aren't being discussed, but will be discussed..... 1.  missouri: the home loss to okst is bad.  for now it has put mizzou and chase daniel on the back-burner of cfb.  but the okst loss had everything to do with a team that just watched texas (their opponent this week) look great on television while the tigers were watching in their hotel room.  this was a distraced team looking and thinking ahead.  the tigers are every bit as explosive and will get potentially two great opportunities (tx and maybe ou) to showcase the okst loss was a fluke. 2.  ohio state:  i say this with reservation because i don't have a feeling yet who will win the osu-psu game in two weeks.  psu has looked awfully good.  but osu is in the process of "re-packaging" themselves.  the bitter loss to usc earlier is gradually being replaced with a team forming a new identity.  wells is back at full strength and running well and the pryor has looked impressive thus far for a 19 year old.  osu, while still unlikely, can present its new idenity and 11-1 mark come december with more of a flare than we ever thought possible.
SEPTEMBER 28, 2008
QUESTION - Urban Meyer and Pete Carrol both took a lot of heat this past week.  Who deserves the criticism more?
S carroll should get more heat - the expert consensus is that usc always has the deepest, most talent team in the cfb. yet, despite the talent, carroll's team has established a reputation of losing at least 1 game a year to an less talented, usually unranked team (e.g., orst in 08, stan in 07, orst and ucla in 06, etc.) each loss becomes harder to describe as a fluke and easier to describe as a lapse in coaching - one that reoccurs every season. the ole miss loss was meyer's 1st to an unranked team.	I meyer or carroll?  who deserves more heat... allow us to take a closer look at what ails each coach. meyer:  it is becoming apparent that meyer's spread option is ill-suited to dominate the sec.  yes, he can jump in line and join lsu, uga, auburn, and now bama for sec bragging rights.  but the lofty goals envisioned by uf faithful simply will not germinate under meyer's present system.  he lacks a consistent running game.  his defense is erratic.  and his system lacks the toughness in crunch time.  nothing was more obvious of this than tebow's qb draw out of the shotgun on 4th and one.  can you say soft? carroll:  there has been a growing knock on usc players in the nfl as being too passive.  take your pick (mike williams, leinart, cody, jarrett, colbert, etc), but usc players appear to lack the nastiness and focus needed for the next level.  despite his numerous strengths it appears that carroll has passed on this approach.  usc lacks the weekly focus and drive and it has become a routine.  stanford, ucla, or oregon state twice......usc has lacks the discipline and motivation from their coaching staff.  carroll himself has gotten too comfortable.  who deserves more heat?  pete carroll.  i can excuse a coach for schematical errorors.  i can respect that fact that meyer is working his tail off, but his approach needs tinkering (or an overhaul).  but i cannot excuse a coach for loafing.  a coach who fails to properly prepare his team mentally.  a coach takes things for granted.  carroll has created an atmosphere that is fostering diappointment.  he gets away with it because on the grand stage they are legitimate, but it is now a habit that usc is unable to stay focused for an entire season.
SEPTEMBER 21, 2008
QUESTION - in late september of 2004, the ap poll had auburn ranked #8 in the country and utah ranked #14. both were 4-0 at the time and would finish the season undefeated, but neither would play for the national title. usc and oklahoma, who also finished the season undefeated, were ranked #1 and #2 all year. at the time, alabama fans laughed and said "that would never happen if alabama were undefeated" and byu fans probably said the same thing. now, in late september 2008, the ap poll ironically has alabama (auburn's in-state foe and chief rival) ranked #8 and byu (utah's in-state foe and chief rival) ranked #11. both are 4-0. and, as of this moment, usc and oklahoma are undefeated and ranked #1 and #2. it's a big if, but if all 4 teams go undefeated who plays for the national title?
S sure enough, i didn't even get to answer the question before eveything changed. usc lost and bama rose to #2. but assuming this weekend hadn't happened, then the two bcs title opponents would have been ou and bama (and they still may be). this question can't be answered without considering how the bcs rankings are generated: 1/3 coaches poll, 1/3 harris media poll, 1/3 computers. so the question is which 2 teams have the best chances of finishing atop the bcs rankings? even if the computers had byu ranked #1, the coaches and media wouldn't. byu's chances of finishing in the top 2 are 0%. the coaches and media would drool over usc. they'd report that "usc has 40 future nfl players" and the team with "the most talent" would continually get the benefit of the doubt, even after close games. only the computers would have usc ranked somewhere other than #1. usc's chances of finishing in the top 2 are 50%. the coaches and computers would drool over ou. the playstation numbers and wide margins of victory in a tough conference would be too hard to ignore. only the national media would have their doubts citing the usc blowout in 2004 and losses to boise st and wvu. ou's chances of finishing in the top 2 60%. the computers and media would drool over bama. the computers would love the strength of schedule and the media would love the "bama's back" and the "dominant sec" angles. only the coaches would be skeptical with general disdain for saban and the sec in the back of their minds. bama's chances of finishing in the top 2 65%. much like 2003 when ou and lsu edged usc, 2008 would see ou versus bama for the title.	I through a few steps i'll come up with an answer.... 1.  byu is out.  it would not matter how well they played.  the cougars would be a complete non-factor if usc, bama, and ou all finished unebeaten.  and, yes, it is fair.  spare me the mountain west is decent talk.  2.  this would be decided on style points.  if any of these teams took a 2002 ohio state approach to winning games they would be out.  3.  let's analyze the resume of teams beaten.  a point for a good team and a half point for a decent team: a.  usc:  ohio state, oregon, azst, cal:  2.5 b.  bama:  clemson, uga, lsu, auburn:  3.5 c.  ou:  texas, tcu,  t tech, nebraska:  3 4.  usc is more respected more than anyone.  if the trojans went unbeaten their "street cred" would weigh significantly on the polls. 5.  alabama would be adored by the media and consequently tough to not include.  legendary power back on the scene is always appealing.  this would help come voting time. 6.  ou has the most prolific offense of the group and best chance to put up gaudy numbers.  the sooners can woo the voters easier than anyone else. 7.  usc would become stale but maintain a declining lead as the season progressed.  however, fair or not, when oklahoma beats a great mizzou team and bama clips a high-profile uga or florida team in their conference tilt the usc lead would evaporate.  a poor schedule coupled with a couple of impressive wins while usc was sitting at home would be the difference.  ou would play bama.
SEPTEMBER 14, 2008
QUESTION - If McCain and Obama were CFB coaches what coach (past or present) would they be?
S mccain = jim grobe, wake forest grobe has become a successful coach despite recruiting modest talent and selling run-of-the-mill facilities. he succeeds by coaching the right way: he redshirts freshman, develops qbs, emphasizes the run, has sound special teams, and plays good defense. it also helps that he coaches at a time when the acc is down. any other time and he'd be right in the middle of the pack, still doing things the right way, but not receiving near as much attention. cfb fans have learned to trust grobe; his teams will be well coached and upset-minded. but cfb fans have also learned that grobe has a ceiling. given his limitations he'll always be good but never be great, an acc title at his best and 5-7 with lots of close losses at his worst. school like wake forest want him, schools like michigan don't. also considered frank beamer and tom obrien. obama = rich rodriguez, michigan rodriguez is innovative and promotes change. he's had tremendous success at a moderate cfb program and has shined in many of his brief moments in the spotlight. rodriguez' teams play with a unique style and a swagger that clearly starts with the head coach. over the past 3-4 yrs rodriguez has been the hottest name in coaching. however, despite his reputation and success, there remain some questions about whether his program will translate to the upper-echelon of cfb (e.g., where's the defense?). there seem to be two main opinions on answering this question: 1) that he will be a collosal failure or 2) that he will be an phenomenal success - there are very few opinions in the middle. he'll either be great or terrible in what is arguably the most envied, visible position in the cfb world, head coach at michigan. also considered mark richt and turner gill.	I Barack Obama = Jim Harbaugh Good looks and an engaging conversationalist.  More noted for their potential and "what they could be" rather than actual accompishments, yet despite a developing track record they are both granted significant respect within their ranks.  Both are rumored for biggers jobs someday and are adored in California, but get mixed reviews in Michigan. John McCain = Phil Fulmer Appearance is the killer.  Despite solid credentials and a long-standing record within their professions they have many detractors.  Their reputation lags behind their record and both are known for controversial statements.  They have offended their conference and party cohorts, but always seem to have enough resiliency to survive the difficult times.  Their supporters are in the south, but Florida will continue to be a sore spot.
SEPTEMBER 7, 2008
QUESTION - with big non-conference matchups this week (i.e., texas and notre dame) and the conference schedule just around the corner, what are your thoughts so far about your new coach (i.e., petrino or rodriguez), the on-the-field play, and the outlook for the rest of the season?
S setting aside the initial excitement of having a coach other than nutt. and setting aside the recruiting wins. and setting aside what petrino accomplished at lville. setting all that aside, i am luke-warm to him so far. it's clear he has a kind of level-headed intensity and that he demands perfection. and both characteristics seem to project well in the longrun. but in the shortrun, it seems like very few players have bought in so far. in 2 games vs west illinois and la-monroe, the hogs have needed improbable 4th comebacks (both 10+ pts), at home, to win. and while casey dick has progressed into a completely different qb, everyone else seems to have digressed: the o-line is lethargic, the wrs are dropping balls, the defense seems lost against the pass, and the rbs are average. and while 4th quarter comeback wins are exciting, there's a strong sense of foreboding for fans when they're needed to beat to the likes of w-ill and la-monroe. as of right now, the hogs look like a team that will get blown off the field this week vs texas and many of the games that will follow (including tulsa). there's likely to be incremental improvement throughout the season and maybe even a surprise win. but i'm not expecting any other player or position to progress the way casey dick has at qb, and obviously qbs are petrino's specialty. unless that happens, this team will not be .500 in sec play and will not make a bowl.	I by most measuring sticks this has been a disappointing start to the rich rodriguez era.  a unflattering win over miami (oh) sandwiched between a home loss to a mountain west opponent and a double digit loss to a bitter rival.  hardly the results we've grown to embrace.  yet, i am quietly intrigued by rodriguez's start.  here is why.... 1.  he is working with very little on offense:  it is hard to get upset with a cupboard this empty.  yet he is managing with  freshman sprinkled all over the offense.  2.  they are improving:  against utah michigan could not run the ball across the street.  two weeks later they ran very effectively against notre dame with a true freshman.  the same utah game featured twp terribly inept qb's.  so inept i would not have been surprised if they were not invited back next year.  last week one of them (threet) looked confident and faily solid. 3.  he preaches what i want to hear:  you cannot listen to a rodriguez presser without him stressing the need to play fast and physical.  two things carr never mentioned and his teams sorely lacked.  i think in time rr's team will play with a constrained attitude.  something this program has needed for over a decade. now, the outlook on the rest of the season is not as rosey.  our goal was to keep the bowl streak intact and have some success against our rivals.  msu appears to be the most winnable of the remaining rivalry games and that is very dicey.  more importantly, pulling out six more wins is unlikely.  i count one that should be a lock: toledo.  after that they all are scarey.  i see 4-8 or 5-7.
AUGUST 31, 2008
QUESTION - out of bowden, wannstedt, and kragthorpe who is more stressed out?
S kragthorpe for 2 reasons: 1) he may lose his job - bobby petrino left a top-5 team, heisman candidate senior qb, and very lofty expectations in lville. that he didn't win in year 1 raised immediate questions about his ability to coach this team and these players. but opening the season with a 27-2 defeat at the hands of your cross-state rival does not signal that things are improving over time. 2) he may lose his career - krags was a rising star when he took over hot lville program with plenty of talent and a winnable conference schedule. those jobs are rare. even more rare though are the jobs that await a coach who succeeds at a school like lville. the kind of job that has a natural recruiting base, tradition, facilities, and can pay $2.5 million salary. krags was on the inside track to one of those jobs (his name came up for both ark and bama in 2006). now the chances are small that he'll save the job he has and next to nothing that he'll ever land an elite job. as for the other 2, bowden would get overtures from other, comparable schools (e.g., ark ofered him a job last year) and wannstedt is still a "pitt" guy and still generally well-liked.	I dave wannstedt for a few reasons.... 1.  remember jerry rice in a broncos uniform?  joe montana for the chiefs?  it was their desire to squeeze one last ounce out of a fading career.  the end was near and they knew it.  dave wannstedt might as well be wearing the odd looking #19 broncos jersey right now because the end is near.  there is no mid-major job awaiting him.  maybe coordinator gig in the nfl, but even that seems below the well-established wanny.  he is in the twilight of his career and the conclusion might be a bit abrupt.  his extension will likely keep him around, but the pressure and criticism is sure to mount. 2.  pitt was supposed to be a player this year.  a trendy top 25 pick with a star-in-the-making at running back.  and this is different than clemson and l'ville.  clemson was supposed to be a major player.  they were going to enter the elite tier.  louisville just wanted to be decent again.  pitt has never made a bowl under his leadership.  they sought, and expected, something they felt was coming three years ago.  it appears it still may not come. 3.  they lost to a mac team.........at home.  clemson and louisville at least have some excuse.  clemson lost to what appears to be a very underrated and nasty alabama team.  louisville lost on a few big defensive plays to another sec team.  but losing to bowling green at home in a year you expect to challenge for the big east is a bad loss.  and a bad sign. 4.  pitt has talent.  wanny has recruited well.  he has "his players."  yet even moderate and respectable success appears light years away.
AUGUST 24, 2008
QUESTION - give a brief sec/b10 preview and predictions including records, final standings, notable upsets, and all-conference performers.
S east standings 1) florida - gators finish 7-1 in conference with the only loss at tenn. gators win the east and play for the sec title in atl. tebow has monster year. 2) tenn - vols finish a surprising 6-2 with losses to auburn and scar. tenn beats uga in athens. foster leads conference in rushing. 3) uga - uga finishes 5-3 with losses to flor, tenn, and aub. stafford disappoints and moreno disappears. 4) scar - cocks finish 4-4 with losses to flor, ole miss, lsu, and uga and a win over and tenn. gamecock offense surprisingly average, again. 5) vandy - dores finish 1-7 with a win at ken. competitive in most games. 5) ken - cats finish 1-7 with a win at bama. loss of woodson is more than obvious. west standings 1) aub - aubie finishes 6-2 with losses to lsu and bama. auburn wins the west and plays for the sec title in atl. late loss to bama takes aubie out of national title conversation. 2) lsu - tigers finish 5-3 with losses to bama, uga, and flor. inconsistency at qb slows offense all season. defense is awesome. 2) ole miss - rebs finish 5-3 with losses to flor, aub, and lsu. nutt named sec coach of year. jevon snead is newcomer of the year. 4) bama - tide finish 4-4 with losses to uga, ken, ole miss, and tenn. mid-season slide forgiven with late-season wins over lsu, auburn. tide freshman are key in november. 5) miss st - the bulldogs finish 3-5 with wins over vandy, ken, and ark. major upsets at lsu and at tenn fall short on late turnovers. anthony dixon is lone offensive bright spot. 6) ark - hogs finish 1-7 with a win over kentucky. transition to petrino is not smooth with too few playmakers. notable upsets tenn > uga, ken > bama, bama > lsu & aub sec title florida beats aub 30-23 for meyer's first win over tuberville in an uncharacteristic game where florida features a power running game and controls the clock while auburn features the spread. all conference performers tim tebow (flor) earns offensive player of the year award while putting up similar stats to 07. arian foster (tenn), percy harvin (flor) and jevon snead (ole miss) also get votes. brandon spikes (flor) earns defensive player of the year with 100 tackles and 10 sacks. sen'derrick marks (aub) and rolando mclain (bama) also get votes. arian foster (tenn) leads the conference in rushing with 1700 yards. anthony dixon (msu) is second with 1500. rolando mclain (bama) leads the conference in tackles, rick jean-francois (lsu) in sacks, and derek pegues (msu) in ints.	I Final Standings Ohio State 8-0  Penn State 6-2 Wisky      5-3 NW         5-3 UM         4-4 MSU        4-4 Purdue     3-5 Illinois   3-5 Iowa       2-6 MN         2-6 Indiana    2-6 1st team B10 Skill position QB:  Curtis Painter RB:  Beanie Wells and Tyrell Sutton WR: Derrick Williams and Arrelius Benn Offensive POY:  Wellls, but Sutton will put up better numbers Defensive POY:  James Laurinitis, but Vontae Davis will leave early and be drafted higher Game of the Year:  OSU v. Wisky will get the billing, but OSU will roll and the game in hindsight will be irrelevant.  Upset Alert:  OSU @ Illinois.  This game will not generate significant buzz for two reasons:  1.  Illinois will be Jeckyl and Hyde this year.  2.  Nobody thinks the upset will happen again.  Illinois has the stuff to get up for a big game and could create an instant rivalry against OSU with another good game. Upset Alert II:  Michigan @ Minnesota.  Back to back conference roadies for a young offense could be a killer.  Plus Minnesota should be slightly better and the 'Dome is always a tricky atmosphere. Team that will disappoint:  Iowa.  Despite an easy slate Iowa will end the year every bit as bad as the bottom dwellers Minnesota and Indiana. Team that will surprise:  Northwestern.  This typical outfit in Evanston will score points and Fitzgerald will emerge as a respected headset.  Household name by November:  Martavious Odoms, Michigan.  The rookie slot receiver will showcase blazing speed, big play ability on special teams, and will end the year as Michigan's best offensive threat.  Think Santana Moss at Miami. Household name you'll forget about by November:  Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State.  Yes, he is supposed to play a decent role this year.  The obvious comparison is Tebow as a freshman.  Won't happen.  He'll get junk time, but will be remembered more for his inaccurate arm and penchant for turnovers than anything this year.  Big plays against bad teams, but a clipboard in the games that really matter. Will a coach get fired?  No, but Ferentz will be firmly on the hot seat in 2009. Big story that will emerge as the season progressess:  The PSU defense will outshine OSU and rank in the top 10 nationally. Heisman Hopeful?  Wells will contend all year and Tyrell Sutton will garner some respectful love, but nobody else will be mentioned by mid October. Biggest OOC games with "B10 Needs To Win Meter" (10 being highest)...... 1.  OSU @ USC:  6.5 2.  Wisky @ Fresno:  9 3.  Utah @ Michigan:  7 4.  Oregon State @ PSU:  9.5 5.  Oregon @ Purdue:  8 When the dust settles where will the B10 rank amongst the BCS conferences?  Probably 3rd.  The SEC and B12 will likely battle for the #1 spot, but the 3-6 temas of the B10 will emerges as better than those of the remaining leagues.
AUGUST 17, 2008
QUESTION - Give three bold predictions for the '08 season.
S first, picking something not to happen isn't usually very bold. for example, saying tebow won't win a 2nd heisman or uga won't win the national title isn't bold because the odds already suggest that those things won't happen. there are 100 capable heisman winners and tebow is just 1 of them. likewise, there are a dozen possible national title contenders and few if any have as tough a schedule as uga does. in the end, it's often more bold to predict a rare thing hapening than a rare thing not happening. so these bold predictions are about rare things happening. second, i've already made a few bold predictions for this season in my answers to previous questions (e.g., kragthorpe and ferentz will be fired by season's end, caleb king will eventually be starting for knowshon moreno, and wvu and kansas will finish the season unranked). here are a few more (1 coach, 1 team, 1 player): the '08 season will be the last for paterno and bowden - it's only fitting that these two coaching antiques be retired together. of course neither coach will want to leave only to let the other finish with more career victories. however, the larger probelm is that neither fanbase wants to watch their football program sink to new lows while waiting for grandpa to get off the couch. bowden and paterno's "retirements", much like their 80-year-old bodies and their ability to mentor a qb, won't be pretty. they've already satyed too long. ohio st will lose the national title game -considering what's happened the past 2 seasons this may not seem like a bold prediciton, but it is. making the title game is tough and once your there there's still a chance you win. so if uos doesn't get there or gets there and wins then this prediction is spoiled. while it's unlikely that uos would face another sec team in the title game (which would make the game a near lock for that sec team), whoever faces uos will have a significant psychological advantage from the moment the teams are chosen. one that uos is not accostumed to overcoming. tebow will win a 2nd heisman - i understand that the 2-heisman honor is sacred, being accomplished only once, but keep in mind that: a) winning as a sophmore was unprecedented and tebow did it (over a well-desrving 2nd place finisher in mcfadden) and b) archie griffin wasn't that great, especially in year 2. but, what will help tebow most is the attrition of other preseason candidates. chris wells will have a ho-hum game against usc and won't be heard about again until michigan and he won't even lead his conference in rushing. chase daniel is from mizzou (not exactly a heisman mecca) and is not likely to match tebow's stats in a similar offense. wvu will struggle under the new coach and that story will overshadow pat white's stats. and while other candidates falter, tebow will be be putting up monster stats, the kind that can't be simply explained away. he'll rush for tds, throw for tds, and his team will win plenty of big games. when voters vote tebow will be the name that they can't explain away.	I 1.  tyrell sutton will lead the b10 in rushing at first glance this seems like a ho-hum prediction.  sutton was after all the b10 freshman of the year in 2005.  yet the b10 is headlined by beanie well and pj hill.  two bruising backs who seems locked for over 1200 yards and double digit td's.  however, the 'cats should feature a snappy passing attack this year in a system that will generate space for the now healthy sutton.  sutton will best both in rushing yards and snap up first team all b10 honors will wells. 2. sean glennon will be permanently benched by midseason glennon is the gutty leader of va tech who is supposed to supply the aerial attack for the hokies.  however, with his top 4 wr's gone and brandon ore dismissed the mildly talented glennon will receive little surrounding assistance.  with an offense stuck in neutral beamer will demote the senior and dust off his 1999 playbook.  tyrod taylor is the heir apparent and will inject a needed spark to their offense although on a full-time basis. 3.  rutgers will miss a bowl with arguably the worst special teams in cfb and the absence of perhaps their greatest player ever the knights will take their lumps this year.  i count eight games that rutgers could realistically lose this year (fresno, unc, navy, wva, cincy, pitt, usf, l'ville) with five of them falling on the road.  this is a program that has generated a louded buzz than deserved and will gradually begin to enter the realm of an iowa or maryland.  the ceiling was reached before the fans and media realized it.     honorable mention:  noel devine wins the doak walker
AUGUST 10, 2008
QUESTION - What 3 coaching match-ups are you most looking forward to in '08?
S for me, it's rare that the 2 coaches in a college football game are the headline. program vs program (e.g., alabama vs auburn? sure. conference vs conference (e.g., sec vs b10)? yes. a top 10 team vs another? you bet. defense vs offense (e.g., usc vs uos)? of course. but coach vs coach? hardly ever. there have been exceptions though (e.g., spurrier vs meyer) and there will be a few this year too. petrino vs nutt - an obvious choice. when he left arkansas, nutt must have felt like a genius. he got another sec job, more talent, a higher salary, a $3 million-ish buyout, and he left a vacancy in fayettevilee that no one seemed to want. nutt must have felt equally like an idiot when the hogs hired petrino. in petrino arkansas paid a higher salary, got a better, smarter, and more highly-regarded coach, and mended a fractured fanbase. the irony, of course, is that petrino is exactly the kind of coach that nutt believed he was, but wasn't. petrino truly knows football - especially offense - and he's capable of building an top-tier program (not that he will, but he can). nutt was a motivator (not an x's and o's coach) and ceilinged out at 8 or 9 wins. and this is what makes this year's match-up so interesting. the game is in fayetteville, so it'll be like nutt going to his ex-girlfriend's wedding. in the back of your mind you were thinking "she probably still loves me, she has to want me back, she must be heartbroken" and then you see her smiling and laughing and talking about having kids with some with a guy who's better-looking and more successful than you. that's must see tv. saban vs miles - the storylines for this game will be great, even if the game itself isn't. and with a few sparks, this game could really explode. of course there's saban returning to baton rouge. and there's the natural rivalry between bama and lsu. but there also could be some sensational pregame chatter between coaches ("la-monroe is good, alot of our walk-ons transfer there" or "still haven't got my ring") and players ("when i look at alabama i see the past, when i look at lsu i see the future" or "why would i go to lsu, saban's at bama"). or and if someone suggests that miles won a title with saban's players. or if miles' salary of $1000 more than saban becomes a topic. saban vs tuberville - for all the off-the-field attention that saban is generating (forbes mag, #1 recruiting class, 10 off-season arrests, etc.), on-the-field he's still 7-6 and has a 2-4 overall record vs tuberville. at some point saban's aura won't be enough and he'll have to win games. and that starts with auburn who owns a 6 game winning streak in the series and, again, has a much better team. bama fans think that a bumper crop of freshmen and a $4 million coach should end the streak. but don;t let that small fact convince you that the pressure is on saban alone. anyone paying attention can see saban taking hold of this state. the media cover him, the fans believe, and the recruits are committing in droves. if tubs wants to secure any respectable future for auburn he must continue to win this game.	I this question was both thought-provoking and frustrating.  i found it difficult to gauge whether i was interested in the coaching matchup because it was an important game or because the two coaches offered intrigiung storylines against one another.  in the end i combined the two... 1.  urban meyer v. mark richt for obvious reasons this is the first answer that popped into my head.  richt is getting more preseason love.  meyer is still stewing over last year's uga celebration.  on the surface, it appears that uga has more pressure in this game.  think again.  meyer is adored within the coaching ranks.  he is viewed as uber competitive and driven to the highest levels.  coaches with meyer's pedigree do not lose games that.....1.  they lost last year.  2.  they've publicly stated they have issues with the opposition.  meyer must win this game to validate his name value, to reassert his position within the sec, and most importantly to remind uga who controls this series.  i will be intent on watching how meyer and richt handle the pressure of this stage, but more importantly how meyer himself responds in a suffocating situation that he has partially created.  2.  rich rodriguez v. mark dantonio you knw rodriguez would appear somewhere on this list.  dantonio has publicly made it his mission to dethrone michigan.  he does not hide his agenda and has attempted to take a page from tressel with embracing the rivalry verbally.  rodriguez has stayed clear of noisy comments and has even included the msu rivalry in the same sentence as the ohio state rivalry.  in short, they've taken opposite approaches.  dantonio risks looking like a rambling fool if he continues to talk a big game only to annually lose.  rodriguez risks the utter demise of losing to michigan state conistently.  rr has never been known as a big game coach.  this is a huge game for both coaches and how they match wits on game day this year should go a long way in pointing the direction of one (msu) and providing a glimpse of the other (um). 3.  bill stewart v. tommy tuberville it is my feeling at some point this season stewart will get exposed.  i would like to be around when it happens.  this tilt has all the makings of a media blitz.  recall l'ville-wva on thursday night a couple years ago?  same idea.  there is a good chance one team is still unbeaten (possibly both) and featuring two top 10 teams that have never played.  juicey!  this won't be the first rodeo tuberville has been a part of.  it will be stewart's however.  stewart will be dealing with a pressure-packed stage with everything on the line against a team that likely has more talent and a more seasoned coach.  not exactly like playing uconn.  this will be a vital test to gauge the ability of stewart.
AUGUST 3, 2008
QUESTION - Predict Alabama's entire season with a score and brief description for each game.  I'll do Michigan.
S predictions on alabama's 2008 season. clemson (8-30, alanta) - the tide get a slightly overrated tiger team before they hit midseason form. a stingy d and a couple of timely catches are the difference. alabama wins 19-17. tulane (9-06, home) - a ho-hum game that dampens the spirits of the crimson tide faithful. alabama wins 23-10. w kentucky (9-13-08, home) - a game that is still uncomfortably close in the middle of the 3rd quarter eventually turns into a route. alabama wins 35-7. arkansas (9-20-08, away) - an offensive, pass-happy shootout that exposes alabama's questionable secondary. alabama wins 45-31. georgia (9-27-08, away) - coming off back-to-back road wins (vs spurrier and azst), the dawgs come out unfocused and sloppy. alabama hangs around until the end and misses a game-winning field goal in the final minutes. alabama loses 23-24. kentucky (10-04-08, home) - feeling overconfident after a close-call with the nation's #1 team the tide lay a major egg against the cats. jp wilson throw 3 picks and the tide defense is on the field all afternoon. alabama loses 13-21. ole miss (10-18-08, home) - following a week off, the tide comes out flat. the rebs lead from start to finish in a game where they are more physical, more focused, and more intense. alabama loses 17-35. tennessee (10-25-08, away) - the tide catch the vols at the wrond time, just as tennessee is hitting on all cylinders and the tide are in free fall. alabama loses 38-13. a 4th straight conference loss for bama has the local and national media asking serious questions about the $4 million man. the touted freshman class has yet to match the hype. jp wilson looks like a sophomore, not a senior. it's a bama fans worst nightmare. however, while it's not clear at the time, this loss is a major turning point in the tide's season. what follows in november is a change in philosophy and a change in urgency. freshman start to make plays, jp wilson's starts trying to do less, and the defense intensifies. arkansas st (11-01-08, home) - bama comes out energized and explosive. controls the line of scrimmage. the running game is strong, the offense is creative, and jp wilson is efficient on limited attempts. the defense is smothering. alabama wins 45-3. lsu (11-08-08, away) - bama enters tiger stadium focused and poised; not overconfident and not intimidated. saban is measured, all business. a frenzied atmoshpere and an overhyped tiger team quickly fizzle and bama takes control. the tide are perfect in every phase of the game. alabama wins 27-6. miss st (11-15-08, home) - coming off the high of winning in baton rouge, bama manages to stay composed in starkville and end a 2-game skid to dogs. the score is closer than the game. alabama wins 20-10. auburn (11-28-08, home) - bama's earlier defeat of lsu put auburn in position to win the west, and auburn hasn't lost to bama since 01. but novemeber has brought a sense of change in the air. people all over the state recognize that a historic shift in the direction of both programs is taking place. from the opening kickoff of the game auburn seems overwhelmed, desperate. questionable play-calling, uncharacteristic penalties, broken plays. the score is close through the first half with bama slowly beginning to win most of the small battles. field position, extra yardage, broken tackles, timely sacks. a long, clock-eating td drive ends the 1st half with bama up 14-3. the 2nd half is more of the same. alabama wins 27-9. bama finishes 3rd in the west thanks to the 4-game losing streak but has become the talk of the sec having beaten 2 top-10 teams in 3 weeks. bama plays in the peach bowl, wins, finshes 9-4 and ranked #19 in the nation, saban signs a top-5 class, and bama becomes a dark horse pick by many to win the 2009 national title.	I 1.  utah 28  michigan 17 wolves trail 21-3 at half and plays an even 2h.  2 qb's, 5 rb's, and 10 freshman see significant minutes and the optimism some um faithful carried into the season is gone an hour into kickoff. 2.  michigan 24  miami 21 a see-saw affair ends with a thrilling 43 yarder at the gun.  the exciting conclusion overshadows the fact that michigan looks very average heading into the meat of their schedule. 3.  michigan 14 notre dame 13 don't buy the nd hype.  um's defense steals the show with 6 sacks as clausen throws over 50 passes.  michigan gets its ground game off life support and is aided by two long receptions. 4.  wisconsin 27  michigan 10 hill as a quiet 100 yards, but um's offense gets too risky and throws three 1h interceptions.  a 7-5 season becomes the goal in ann arbor. 5.  michigan 13  illinois 10 michigan throws only 15 passes and wins a tight game playing "lloyd ball" with a conservative approach and an emphasis on not turning the ball over.  it works. 6.  michigan 39  toledo 21 we generally beat mac teams with ease.  for the first time all season the fanbase can enjoy a convincing victory as sam mcguffie introduces himself with a 100 yard game in garbage time. 7.  penn state 21  michigan 7 game is not as close as the score indicates.  psu's d-line mandhandles michigan all evening and wears out a defense that has been on the field too long.  the streak versus psu ends at 9. 8.  michigan 21  michigan state 20 in typical msu fashion, they lose another game to michigan they should not.  entering the contest ranked with hopes of a january 1 bowl game hoyer throws two critical 2h interceptions.  the last coming to donovan warren inside michigan territory with under a minute to play. 9.  purdue 31  michigan 24 michigan's offense plays its best game of the year against a quality opponent, but painter leads a gutty effort and shreds the um defense with surprising regularity.  a good game, but a frustrating loss.  10.  minnesota 28 michigan 10 for the first time all season rodriguez faces genuine heat.  um looks lost inside the dome and implodes in the 2h.  the young offense fails its first attempt in back-to-back road games in the b10 and the season appears to be headed towards disappointment.  11.  michigan 27  northwestern 17 n'western enters the tilt with an offense in groove and only a 1.5 point underdog.  michigan defense is up to the challenge however, as bacher is under steady pressure and sutton's long gain all afternoon is 11 yards.  martavious odoms busts a quick slant pattern into a 55 yard td and exhibits breathtaking speed in the process.  martavious becomes my favorite player. 12.  michigan 14 ohio state 9 just hear me out.  on the surface this game looks like a death sentence.  but so was bo's debut in '69.  so did the streets/biakabutuka wins.  my guess is that tressel approaches this game with a not so normal arrogance.  he'll want to KILL rodriguez and will assume the win.  a careless and overly confident buckeye team turns the ball twice on their first two possessions and as the um confidence grows the osu playbook will change.  rodriguez becomes the most adored 7-5 coach ever at michigan.
JULY 27, 2008
QUESTION - name 3 coaches currently on the hot seat and play out their seasons: who survives, who gets the axe, and who's on the edge right up until the bowl game?
S kirk ferentz - there was a time when ferentz was one of the hottest names in all of coaching. he was rumored to be in the mix for nfl head jobs and on the shortlist for elite cfb programs (flor, lsu, nd, and even mich). at the height of his popularity, ferentz was both a masterful coach (31 wins from 02-04), with a reputation of getting more out lesser players, and a wealthy coach (signing a contract which pays him $3 mil per season, that's more than tressel makes). but oh how the mighty have fallen. his program at iowa has more arrests this summer than wins in the past 2 (bowl-less) seasons. what happens - a pathetically weak schedule and a respopoestable number of returning starters keeps ferentz fate in limbo all season. but a highly-publicized arrest leading up to a bowl loss forces the iowa's hands. in a surprising move, iowa dumps ferentz and hires brian kelly from cinci. phil fulmer - it's not often that a national title winning coach finds himself on the chopping block. but then, its not often that a national title winning coach is as disliked as fulmer. some diehard vols fans even want fulmer to lose games just to have a good reason to fire him. what fulmer always manages to do though is win enough games, or enough important games, to keep his post. case in point, a mediocre vols team that finished with 4 losses managed to play lsu in 07 for the sec title. what happens - same as usual, fulmer has a surprising year and keep the wolves at bay. with uga and flor getting national title hype, tenn will float under the radar most of the year. by the time fans start talking about the vols they'll be into their famously soft november schedule. a final note, fulmer's last top-5 recruiting class are seniors this year . . . steve kragthorpe - when bobby petrino departed lville for atlanta he left 2 noteworthy things: 1) a legacy as one othe great offensive cfb coaches and 2) an 11-1 team that had been a play away from playing for the national title in 06 and a heisman-potential, nfl-quality starting qb. most experts thought kragthorpe was walking into a no-lose situation. but kragthorpe proved those experts wrong by losing 6 games. what happens - by midseason it'll be undeniably clear that kragthorpe is simply not a good fit at lville and a proactive ad will pull the plug. kragthorpe never won over his lville team and bad losses and uninspired play won't be easily ignored by fans. ultimately though, this should be seen as a testament to what petrino did at lville (and not what kragthorpe didn't do), and as an illustration of just how thin the ice is for life on the edge of bigtime cfb. louisville had its taste of the elite, like boise and hawaii and others, but the truth is that those programs are almost always an injury or a bad hire away from returning to the nobodies. west virginia may be headed that way in 08.	I 1.  ty willingham why:  he is a morbid 11-25 at washington with a losing record versus washington state.  plus, ty has exactly one (i find this amazing) verbal recruit for the 09' class.  washington, deservedly or not, has much higher expectations and its fanbase rightfully believes it can attract a high profile coach to seattle.  willingham faces the toughest odd of any present coach to return in 2009. what happens:  his fate is determined immediately.  uw faces oregon, byu, and oklahoma to start the season.  not only will they lose all three, but likely will get smoked in all three.  the washington brass will announce that tw will not return next season the week before the washington state game in hopes to invigorate some pride and emotion against season ending tilts with wsu and cal.  it won't work.  2.  mike stoops why:  in his four years at arizona this once high-profile coach is 17-29 at arizona with no bowls and three consecutive losses to azst.  in a league desperatly searching for a counter to usc's present dominance stoops has underwhelmed.  at the same time their instate rival is re-invigorated, ucla has made a big-name hire, and stanford is making baby steps towards respectability.  arizona is a weak football program, but a school that has success in other sports and will not annually settle for 5-7 seasons. what happens:  stoops survives....but barely.  the 'cats return 10 players on offense and have a qb (willie tuitama) who should generate some buzz.  az gets a pathetic ooc slate that should generate 3 quick victories.  it is not unrealistic to think arizona could manage a .500 record in conference with the pac 10 appearing to be very weak this season.  a garbage bowl is on the horizon and that can be interpreted as progress.  stoops' fate is up in the air late in the season, but a win over oregon state in week 11 gives him a bowl and one more year. 3.  tommy bowden why:  disappointment and dissapointment.  yes, bowden does claim a solid winning percentage, recruits well, beats south carolina, and goes bowling.  not a bad resume.  but bowden has created something that will haunt him; expectations.  it is better to be 9-4 and overachieve then 9-4 and disappoint.  this season is the climax to what he has built and nothing short of a bcs bowl will suffice.  what happens:  the usual happens.  clemson will get out of the gate strong, but head-scratching losses to wake forest, boston college, and south carolina will define the season.  another peach bowl is a weak consolation prize for this program.  when cj spiller announces he'll leave early for the nfl draft if bowden is fired the fanbase and administration don't bat an eye.  bowden is fired prior to the peach bowl.
JULY 20, 2008
QUESTION - Predict the top 5 Heisman finalists, in order, with a reason why they will win it and a reason they won't win it.
S 1) chase daniel will win because: mizzou sets up to have a dynamite season and daniel will be the unquestioned (senior) leader on a team that knows how to win, he'll be able to put up great numbers in a suddenly offense-first conference won't win because: name the last mizzou heisman winner . . . (crickets chirping) . . . and one misstep will ruin his campaign (a poor showing vs nebraska, a loss to kansas, a 3-int game) and a pinkel team can't have 2 good seasons in a row, can it? 2) sam bradford will win because: he'll put up other-worldly numbers on a team that will challeneg for the national title and he plays a position that has won beofre at a school that has won before won't win because: he's a sophmore and sophmore don't win (despite tebow's 07 vistory) and certainly don;t win in back-to-back years; plus bradford will lose to daniel and mizzou 3) chris wells will win because: wells will likely be the best (most recognizeable) offensive player on what many believe to be the best team and he'll have respectable stats won't win because: he'll have a sub-par showing in the usc game and ohio st will falter down the stretch and wont even lead his own conference in rushing 4) tim tebow will win because: tebow will have another outstanding statistical year and the gators will be in and out of the national title conversation all year won't win because: even with a good year tebow can't match last year's stats and florida will miss the sec title game with a late loss as tebow's body wears out 5) pj hill will win because: wiscy will surprise everyone this year and hill will lead the b10 in rushing won't win because: hill won't get enough national exposure, he'all split midwest votes with wells, and his big-yardage games will come against inferior opponents (and he'll be terrible against osu)	I 1.  Chris Wells Will win because he is very talented and on a team that will allow him the freedom to shine.  He plays behind a great offensive line and his QB and WR's are reasonable enough to give him space Will not win because people are tired of Ohio State.   Give the voters outside the midwest a different option and they'll take it. 2.  Noel Devine Will win it because he will put up not only sick numbers, but also electrifying footage.  Devine will be the most exciting player in the country on an offense that will cater to him. Won't win it because he has to overcome and then share the spotlight with a high-profile teammate.  3.  Tim Tebow Will win it because everyone loves and respects Tebow.  He has a cult-like following and is respected as a person more than a player.  He is probably the most visible. Won't win it because Archie Griffin's status is something pundits are not excited to give away.  In my opinion, Tebow will have to have little competition (similar to the year Troy Smith won it) if he is going to repeat.  CFB is a tradition rich sport and proud records are difficult to unseat. 4.  Graham Harrell Will win it because quietly Texas Tech is earning some national respect.  Once thought of as a fluffy, system school the Red Raiders are generating top 10 buzz by many this preseason.  Harrell can post Colt Brennan stats, but with more respect. Won't win it because there are too many other good players in the Big 12.  Bradford, Murray, Daniel, Crabtree, and possibly others will be difficult competiton.  And, at the end of the day, Texas Tech is still is still in Lubbock, Texas and will have the "little boy" stigma. 5.  Demarco Murray Will win it because he is a fresh face on a team that appears to be loaded heading into this season.  Murray is still a relative unknown and thus does not enter the year with unrealistic expectations or preconceived images.  He gets to create his own identity this year.  Plus, he is a great bet to lead the B12 in rushing and OU is an even better bet to win the conference. Won't win it because Bradford will generate more buzz initially.  Bradford threw for 36 TD's and completed 70% of his passes last year.  Hardly a recipe for feeding Murray 30 times a game.
JULY 13, 2008
QUESTION - with opening kickoff right around the corner (fall practice is just weeks away!!) it's time to turn our attention to the '08 season. give me 3 (relatively) unknown players that will become household names in '08. and as a sidebar, give me well-known player that will be forgotten by october.
S i'm going to stay in the sec . . . 1) greg hardy, d-end ole miss - hardy is already known in sec circles. in '07 hardy stormed onto the scene as a menacing force on a terrible team. in his first full seaason hardy managed 10 sacks and 60 tackles - all while spending most of the year in former coach o's (aka the ogre) doghouse. the change in coaching staffs might affect hardy some, by new dc tyrone nix has been the architect of tough defenses at so miss and s car and should give hardy plenty of chances to get to the qb. 2) brad lester, rb auburn - if tigers rb coach eddie gran can take kenny irons from defensive back to all-conference running back then imagine what he can do with a real runner. lester is a typical tough auburn runner with a noce for the endzone. he would probably have been a household name his junior year but grade issues kept him off the field most of '07. he has good hands, great feet, and won't have to block (his weakness) as much in the spread offense. lester will be a 1000+ yard rusher and the slate is full of big games and coming-out parties (lsu, tenn, wvu, georgia, bama). 3) caleb king, rb georgia - when king signed with georgia in 07 many considered him one of the best backs to ever come out of the state of georgia - often being compared to the legend hershel walker. king had over 2700 yards rushing his senior season (a top 5 total in the state's history) and was expected to start for the dawgs his freshman year. however, the emergence of knowshon moreno allowed georgia to redshirt king. now, with the buzz surrounding moreno and stafford boiling over, the whole conference will be dialed in the stop them. don;t be surprised if king slips in under the radar ans slowly wins the job from moreno. forgotten by october . . . knowshon moreno, rb georgia - it's very difficult for a rb to dominante the sec in back-to-back years (mcfadden was the excpetion); the coaches are too smart, the defenses are too good, and the breaks aren't usually there twice. i'm going out on a limb and predicting that moreno can't handle the added attention and hype, underperforms on the field, gets frustrated, and ultimately loses his job to king. remember justin vincent from lsu? exactly or ken darby from alabama? exactly.	I 1.  dan lefevour:  cmu quarterback ever heard of him?  last year he became the 2nd qb ever to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000.  he is only a junior and i suspect this year will be his coming out party to the world of cfb.  cmu should contend for the mac title and lefevour is on the verge of joining roethlisberger and pennington as all-time great mac qb's. 2.  noel devine:  wva running back i realize this selection does not fit entirely well within the guidelines.  given devine's much hyped recruitment he is already a household name.  yet, expect devine to exceed the hype this year.  he was a better rb than slaton last year and i consider him a more realistic heisman contender than pat white.  devine has more shake to him than any running back since barry sanders and should flourish immediately in morgantown as the starting tailback. 3.  everson griffen:  usc defensive end usc will go as far as its defense will allow it.  the offense appears to be a complete work in progress while the defense boasts a trio (maualuga, cushing, mays) of likely nfl first round picks.  griffen will soon form a quartet as impressive as we've seen in cfb in a while.  he was a prep standout who played extensively as a true freshman.  once the sacks begin the pile up griffen, along with the usc defense, will become much respected and known. forgotten about by october... 1.  todd reesing:  kansas quarterback this is largely based on two things; 1.  kansas might be decent this year, but a return trip to the bcs is not going to happen.  2.  the b12 is loaded with high-profile quarterbacks.  as a result, kansas will quickly be left for dead by the national media after they lose at south florida.  reesing might have a good year, but it will be a quiet year.  honorable mention:  mark sanchez, chase daniel, rudy carpenter, and spiller/davis.