Wednesday, December 23, 2009

My Crystal Ball Says...

...that I know what will happen in this week's key games. Always remember that I'm right, and your team sucks.





It's bowl time.

12/23/2009  Poinsettia Bowl  -- California vs Utah
 My pick: Utah

12/24/2009  Hawaii Bowl  -- Nevada vs SMU
 My pick: Nevada

12/26/2009  Little Ceasars Bowl -- Ohio vs Marshall
My pick: Ohio

12/26/2009  Meineke Car Care Bowl -- Pittsburgh vs North Carolina
My pick: North Carolina

12/26/2009  Emerald Bowl -- USC vs Boston College
My pick: Boston College

12/27/2009  Music City Bowl -- Clemson vs Kentucky
My pick: Kentucky

12/28/2009  Independence Bowl -- Georgia vs Texas A&M
My pick: Georgia

12/29/2009  Champs Sports Bowl -- Miami vs Wisconsin
My pick: Miami

12/30/2009  Humanitarian Bowl -- Idaho vs Bowling Green
My pick: Idaho

12/30/2009  Holiday Bowl -- Arizona vs Nebraska
My pick: Nebraska

12/31/2009  Armed Forces Bowl -- Houston vs Air Force
My pick: Houston

12/31/2009  Sun Bowl -- Oklahoma vs Stanford
My pick: Stanford

12/31/2009  Texas Bowl -- Missouri vs Navy
My pick: Navy

12/31/2009  Insight Bowl -- Minnesota vs Iowa State
My pick: Iowa State

12/31/2009  Chick-fil-A Bowl -- Virginia Tech vs Tennessee
My pick: Virginia Tech

1/1/2010  Outback Bowl -- Auburn vs Northwestern
My pick: Auburn

1/1/2010  Gator Bowl -- West Virginia vs Florida State
My pick: West Virginia

1/1/2010  Capital One Bowl -- Penn State vs LSU
My pick: LSU

1/1/2010  Rose Bowl -- Oregon vs Ohio State
My pick: Oregon

1/1/2010  Sugar Bowl -- Florida vs Cincinnati
My pick: Florida

1/2/2010  International Bowl -- South Florida vs Northern Illinois
My pick: South Florida

1/2/2010  Papa Johns.com Bowl -- South Carolina vs Connecticut
My pick: South Carolina

1/2/2010  Cotton Bowl -- Ole Miss vs Oklahoma State
My pick: Mississippi

1/2/2010  Liberty Bowl -- Arkansas vs East Carolina
My pick: Arkansas

1/2/2010  Alamo Bowl -- Texas Tech vs Michigan State
My pick: Texas Tech

1/4/2010  Fiesta Bowl -- TCU vs Boise State
My pick: TCU

1/5/2010  Orange Bowl -- Georgia Tech vs Iowa
My pick: Georgia Tech

1/6/2010  GMAC Bowl -- Central Michigan vs Troy
My pick: Troy

1/8/2010  BCS Championship -- Alabama vs Texas
My pick: Alabama

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Moments in College Football History

In tribute to the Army-Navy game, I decided to write about one of the many significant moments in the long history of the Army football program, but which one? After a bit of digging I stumbled on this story, and had no idea how absolutely fascinating it would be...

Tonight, We Will Know If You Are Warriors

On November 9th, 1912, the Carlisle Indians walked on to Cullum Field at West Point for a much-anticipated game against the Army Cadets. The team from the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania had become something of a media sensation.  They were in the midst of a three year stretch during which they would compile a record of 33-3-1.

Legendary coach Glenn "Pop" Warner had taken advantage of the game's evolving rules, and developed an offense that was as entertaining as it was successful. He employed the forward pass as effectively as any team of the time, and had perfected the "single wing" formation.  Now, he was about to reveal a new twist to the Cadets, and the college football world.

Eastern city-dwellers had become fascinated by this team that, like their proud ancestors, incorporated speed, stealth, and deception into their plan of attack.  And, of course, the Carlisle squad included Jim Thorpe, only four months removed from winning gold medals for the pentathlon and decathlon in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm.

Born on a small Sauk and Fox Indian reservation outside of Prague, Oklahoma to a half-Irish and half-Indian father, and a half-French and half-Indian mother, Jim Thorpe was drawn to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School because of its reputation in sports, football in particular.

The Carlisle Indian Industrial School had been founded in 1879 by Captain Richard Pratt.  After serving in the Union army during the Civil War, he had commanded the 10th Cavalry Regiment - the now famous Buffalo Soldiers - and employed many Native Americans as scouts.  Recognizing the plight of plains Indians, he became convinced that the best way to end the hostilities with white settlers, and the government, was to force them to abandon their heritage and assimilate into the "majority" culture.  "Kill the Indian, save the man," Pratt would say.  By 1902, the Federal government had established twenty-six Indian boarding schools designed to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to survive in the white man's world.


By the time Thorpe began playing football, coach Warner had already achieved considerable success at Carlisle, and was responsible for a number of innovations that would fundamentally change the game.  He had enhanced the use of the forward pass, and was the first to employ the screen pass.  He developed the spiral punt, the use of shoulder and thigh pads, and special helmets.  He created the single wing formation and the hidden ball trick.

Thorpe added speed and agility to an already accomplished backfield.  On the very first carry of his career, he hesitated, and was tackled for a loss.  On the next play, he ran for forty-five yards. 

Warner's offense used misdirection like no other coach had.  When Carlisle beat perennial powerhouse Harvard for the first time, in 1907, a Boston Herald story on the game said, "Only when a redskin shot out of the hopeless maze ... could it be told with any degree of certainty just where the attack was directed."

Warner was the first to encourage his team to use audibles and hand signals, enabling them to communicate more readily while aligning, often with words or gestures unique to Native Americans, and baffling to their opponents.  With Thorpe's athletic ability added to the equation, the effect was intimidating.

It was a finely-tuned offensive machine that arrived in West Point in 1912 with a 9-0-1 record, the only blemish being a scoreless tie with Washington and Jefferson College in an uninspired effort that had irritated Warner.  But, on this November day, he was certain his Carlisle Indians would find inspiration.

The Army squad also brought an impressive resume to the field.  They were in the midst of a four year period in which they would compile a record of 28-5-1.  No fewer than nine future generals were on the 1912 team.  Among them was a slightly undersized, but powerful athlete named Dwight Eisenhower.  They played fierce defense, having surrendered just thirteen points in the four previous games combined. 

This game would match Army, and the nation's best defense, against Carlisle, and their high-scoring offense, but the underlying implications were far more significant.  If anything symbolized the Native American struggle against intrusion from white settlers and their conflict with the government, it was the Army. 

Only twenty-two years before, in 1890, the last major confrontation between the Army and Native Americans occurred when soldiers from the 7th Cavalry surrounded a Lakota camp and massacred 146 men, women and children near Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota.

Although Carlisle began fielding football teams by 1893, fear of open hostility had kept them from scheduling games against Army.  Despite being among the top programs of their era, the two teams had met only once prior to 1912, a 6-5 Carlisle victory in West Point in 1905. 

When they lined up for the opening kickoff in the 1912 game, it was not only two of the best teams of their day, but old adversaries from bitter battles of the past.  In the locker room beforehand, Warner told his players, "Your fathers and your grandfathers fought their fathers. These men playing against you today are soldiers. They are the Long Knives. You are Indians. Tonight, we will know if you are warriors."

Some versions of the story say he also told his players to "remember Wounded Knee."  In any event, the intent was clear.  He wanted them to know that this was not just one of the biggest games of the year in college football, it was an opportunity for revenge.

As the teams emerged from the locker rooms on a cold, gray day, Dwight Eisenhower paced the Army sideline eyeing Jim Thorpe.  Eisenhower had become the leader on a team of leaders, mostly through sheer determination.  In those days, players stayed on the field for offense and defense, and, although he was a solid halfback, it was as a linebacker that Eisenhower hoped to, literally, make his biggest impact that day.

Months before, when he had first learned that Carlisle would be paying a visit to West Point, Eisenhower had begun dreaming about tackling Thorpe in a way that would leave a lasting impression.  If he could intimidate him, that would be great.  If he could knock him out of the game, that would be even better. 

On at least two occasions in the first half, Eisenhower hit Thorpe as hard as he could, once forcing a fumble, and once combining with one of his teammates in a collision that left all three players dazed on the ground.

At first, Army used their superior strength and size to overpower the Indians, taking a 6-0 lead after scoring a touchdown and missing the extra point.  The Army players were, on average, four inches taller and twenty-five pounds heavier than the Indians.  But the Carlisle offense was a blur of motion and trickery, and the Cadets were soon running all over the field trying to make sense of it, and trying to stop it.

A New York Tribune correspondent wrote, "The shifting, puzzling, and dazzling attack of the Carlisle Indians had the Cadets bordering on a panic.  None of the Army men seemed to know just where the ball was."

The standard formation of the day had two halfbacks and a fullback in the backfield, behind the  quarterback.  It was a power formation that could concentrate blockers in one area for maximum effect.  But Carlisle had begun using a single wing formation developed by Warner.  One of the halfbacks would line up just behind the line of scrimmage on the shoulder of the tackle.  Aligning that way would put him outside the defensive end, giving him a good angle to throw a block, but also giving him room to escape from the backfield to catch a pass.  And it gave him time to build a head of steam if he were to run around the opposite end behind the line of scrimmage on a reverse.  Basically, it was the earliest incarnation of the spread offense.

Now Warner decided to unleash the latest variation on his offense.  The Indians had worked on it all summer, but had chosen not to show it until now.  They wanted "the soldiers" to be its first victim.

They broke the huddle and shuffled into a standard alignment, but, on a signal from quarterback Gus Welch, shifted into a "double wing."  Alex Arcasa, at right halfback, shifted to a spot outside the right tackle.  Thorpe, at left halfback, moved outside the left tackle.  The Indians then embarked on a series of reverses, double reverses and fleaflickers.  No one had ever seen anything like it.

A New York Times story on the game reported, "Thorpe tore off runs of ten yards or more so often that they became common."   He would rush for nearly 200 yards on twenty-four carries.  He scored twenty-two of Carlisle's twenty-seven points.

Eisenhower would never get the knockout blow he hoped for.  Early in the second half, he lunged at a sprinting Thorpe, but, in a remarkable display of agility, Thorpe stopped in his tracks and watched as Eisenhower crashed into his own teammate. Although he didn't know it at the time, Eisenhower had ruined his knee trying to make the tackle, and effectively ended his football career.  Unable to continue, he spent the rest of the game in the locker room, furious.

They had kept the game close, trailing 7-6 at halftime, but the exhausted Cadets were unbable to move the ball in the second half.  They couldn't even manage a first down as Carlisle pulled way to win 27-6.

After the game, reporters asked Army team captain Leland Devore about Thorpe's performance.  "He is super-human," he said.  "That is all.  There is no stopping him."

The Indians would finish the season at 12-1-1.  A 34-26 loss at Pennsylvania cost them a national championship. 

The Carlisle Indian Industrial School was closed in 1918, and the property was used as a hospital for wounded soldiers returning from World War I.  The Carlisle Barracks are now the home of the Army War College.

Jim Thorpe would go on to play professional football, baseball and basketball, but the man often considered to be the greatest American athlete of the twentieth century struggled later in life, particularly during the Great Depression.  He was stripped of his Olympic medals in a controversy over his amateur status (they were reinstated in 1982).  Failed marriages and trouble with alcohol plagued him. 

When he died in 1953, he was living in a trailer home in Lomita, California.  His family received a telegram from the White House, condolences from president Dwight Eisenhower.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Silly Video of the Week

Watch these Vermont high school football highlights closely at the 1:30 mark as Mount Mansfield beats Otter Creek on the last play, and you'll see a lesson learned the hard way.

 

Upon Further Further Review (Week 14)

Pressure

By the time we have reached this point in every college football season for the past several years, I am tired, so I know the players and coaches involved must be exhausted. 

The physical grind is as tough as ever, but, these days, the psychological toll of being one of the top programs is absolutely ridiculous. 

I thought of this as I got the news Sunday night that Florida head coach Urban Meyer had checked into a hospital in the early morning hours after the Gators lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship game.  "I've lost a lot of weight this season," he said. "I just have to take better care of myself. It's been a tough season. A great season, but a tough season."

If there is one big difference between this year's Gators, and the championship teams of the past, it is the fact that they started at the top this year, rather than coming from behind. The pressure mounted weekly, and the media feeding frenzy was so persistent and shameless that I was actually embarassed for my former colleagues in the world of sports journalism.

Tim Tebow's concussion had to be the most scrutinized sports-related injury ever.  It literally got to the point where sports news websites would write an entire story just to tell us that there was nothing new to report.  I thought it was stupid at the time, and I said so.

Then, one Florida player is arrested, and it is immediately splashed on websites across the universe and scrolling across the bottom of the screen on each of ESPN's many channels.  Meanwhile, half of the Michigan State squad storms  a party like members of a goon squad, and assaults a room full of people.  Two players were kicked off the team, and eight others are suspended for the Spartans' trip to the Alamo Bowl against Texas Tech.  But, somehow, that gets buried at the back of the sports section.

I suppose there are rewards that come with riding the top of the rankings for most of the season, but the effect of the pressure, apparently, can  be enough to require hospitalization.


When Every Game Matters

I understand the desire to establish a college football playoff in the FBS (Division I).  On the surface, it seems like the American way.  Let them decide it on the field.  Play until there is only one team standing. 

But part of what makes major college football exciting is the fact that every game really does matter.  In past years, top teams could recover from an early loss, but not this year, not in a season in which five unbeatens still remain at the end. 

The stakes are enormous, and the pressure intense.  And look what we ended up with at the end; an SEC Championship game that was basically a play-in for the BCS Championship game; a Big 12 Championship game that meant all or nothing for Texas, and was obviously pretty important to Nebraska too; Oregon and Oregon State playing for the right to go to the Rose Bowl, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, and Georgia Tech and Clemson fighting to the bitter end for the top spot in their respective leagues, East Carolina squeaking by Houston to win Conference USA.

It was an exciting ending to an intriguing regular season.  And it was all the more intriguing because every game mattered.


Bandwagon Update

Since I proclaimed my new-found love for Idaho and Richmond back on October 27, they have had their share of struggles.  It appears that I do not have the luck of the Irish.  Or anybody else.  And neither do the teams that I adopt.


The Vandals lost four of their last five games, but still managed to finish 7-5, and earn a trip to the Humanitarian Bowl to play Bowling Green

While I'm sure head coach Robb Akey would have preferred a stronger finish, it is still the most regular season wins for Idaho since they went 7-4 in 1999.



Although they still have the coolest helmets ever, Richmond had some struggles of their own.

After starting the season with a win at Duke, and charging to an 8-0 record, the Spiders lost at home to Villanova on November 11, and then lost to Appalachian State in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs, finishing the season at 11-2. 

The biggest loss,though, may have come yesterday, when it was announced that head coach Mike London would be leaving to take the head coaching job at the University of Virginia.

Monday, November 30, 2009

With Tebow, We Are Witnessing History

Saturday afternoon, when I walked into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field, I knew I was about to be part of something special, but I didn’t really know how to define it. It was a feeling for which I had yet to find the right words, but the first thing I saw put it into perspective. Stadium cameras captured the image of a woman holding a sign, and the picture appeared on the giant video screens in each endzone: “We are witnessing history.”

It was Senior Day, the final home game for twenty-four Gators whose accomplishments will be scattered in Southeastern Conference and college football record books for years to come. And it was the last hurrah for Tim Tebow, the quarterback whose own tears as he was introduced before the game prompted an outpouring from tens of thousands of adoring fans. I might not have believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself. After my eyes dried up.

I didn’t say much to anybody during the game. The 37-10 drubbing of arch rival Florida State didn’t really require audience participation. The outcome was never in doubt. I clapped quite a bit, cheered occasionally. Mostly, I watched. I looked around. I soaked it in.

During the second half, each time the Gator offense lined up for a play, little points of bright, white light exploded everywhere in the crowd. First dozens, then hundreds. The flash bulbs of those wanting to capture the memories.

Like most of the 90,907 people in attendance, I stayed until well after the game was over. Even Seminole fans lingered. Moments like that don’t happen too often.

Tim Tebow has endured more scrutiny than anyone his age should. His late-September concussion attracted media attention like no other sports-related injury ever. Some fans at opposing schools have even come to despise his constant presence in print and on television. They question his Christianity, insisting it is just for show. Surely, there is a different Tebow in there somewhere, one that is just like so many high-profile athletes; greedy, selfish, flawed. Surely, he is just using the limelight for his own gain. If not, how could he end up on ESPN so often?

I’ll tell you how. Because he is such a good story.

Tebow seeks the light, but not that kind of light. He is as competitive as any athlete I have ever seen, but he still wants you to realize there is more to life than just winning games. He is a young man who refuses to compromise in an age when everything is negotiable. He wants to help make the world a better place in an age when people have a hard time believing anyone could really want such a thing. If there are Tebow haters out there, it is not because they don’t want to be constantly reminded of what he is, but because they don’t want to be constantly reminded of what they aren’t.

If I stood for anything when I was twenty-two, it was probably my right to wear obscenely torn blue jeans, and not visit the barber as often as I should. Mission trip to the Phillipines? Not likely. Visiting prisoners? Or sick kids in the hospital?  Sorry. Try again.


I am not someone who has strong religious convictions, and I am not claiming to agree with everything he preaches, but I respect the fact that, for him, it’s not an act. It’s genuine. He lives according to his beliefs. And he cares in a way that few people ever bother to. In the Gator Nation, he has really made a difference.  Head coach Urban Meyer said, "I've never seen anything like it. He's made ‘unselfish’ kind of a cool thing."

So, Gator fans, myself included, stayed on Senior Day to watch Tebow make the rounds of the stadium wall one more time, wanting to give back some of what we have been given. It was worth the wait.

Even though he has won a Heisman Trophy, and been part of teams that won two SEC championships and two national championships, he is not the best athlete ever. He is not even the best quarterback ever, at least in terms of pure physical skill. But he may the best ever at pushing the people around him to be better. On the field. And off.

It will be interesting to see where Tebow ends up when his college career is over. Wherever he goes, we'll be watching.

After all, we are witnessing history.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Upon Further Review (Week 12)

When Irish Eyes Aren't Smiling
 
Nothing is going well at Notre Dame these days.  There is even a rumor that a group on a religious pilgrimage to South Bend saw teardrops falling from the eyes of Touchdown Jesus.

Things are so bad that quarterback Jimmy Clausen was sucker-punched by an angry fan in a local restaurant on Sunday. 

A Notre Dame fan. 

The latest word is that the shiner he sustained won't keep him from playing at Stanford on Saturday, where he and his teammates are likely to get more of the same.

But, if the alleged experts are correct, it appears the Charlie Weis era is coming to an end.

The Notre Dame faithful seem to feel they have a divine right to a superior football team, but they keep picking the wrong guy to lead the reformation.  Since 1996, when Lou Holtz departed after eleven seasons with a 100-30-2 record, his three successors have combined to go 91-65.

Under Weis, the Irish are 1-11 against ranked teams, and currently 35-26 overall, which means not only do they fail to win the big games, but they sometimes struggle to win the little ones. 

Something has to change.  And soon.

The alleged experts tell us that Notre Dame's reputation alone will always provide a strong pull for recruiting, but I'm not sure that's true.

Think about this for a minute.  If you are an eighteen year old senior in high school now, and you probably didn't really start consciously watching college games on television until you were twelve or thirteen, that means your first meaningful memories of Notre Dame football were seeing them suffer through seasons of 5-7 (2003) and 6-6 (2004), and then watching them fire their second coach in four years.

Meanwhile, USC, Florida, Alabama, LSU, and Texas have been racking up wins and owning the airwaves.

Weis may or may not have been the wrong guy for the job, but Notre Dame has really been led down the wrong path by the people above him.

Meddling from the university president and its board of trustees has made the job of athletic director at Notre Dame a difficult one. When Tyrone Willingham was fired after just three seasons, it was against the wishes of then athletic director Kevin White. It is interesting to note that he was the first Irish coach in 47 years to be fired before his initial contract had expired. 


From 1914 to 1987, Notre Dame had a total of six athletic directors. When Jack Swarbrick was hired last year to take over for White, he became the fourth AD since '87. If you count George O'Leary, who was fired just five days after his hiring, when it was discovered he had taken some creative liberties with his resume, Weis is the fourth football coach hired since Holtz left.

Something's clearly not right.

Cutting Weis loose will be expensive - the buyout on his contract is rumored to be as much as $18 million - but the cost isn't purely financial. Notre Dame's reputation has suffered along the way, and continues to suffer. It's not the dream job it used to be. Already, Florida's Urban Meyer, once thought to be a prime candidate, very quickly, and very publicly, removed his name from any further speculation.

Several other names have been tossed around, and it will be interesting to see what happens, but, however it turns out, Notre Dame fans had better hope that the next guy is one that can make them happy for a long time, because, right now, Irish eyes aren't smiling.

The Bone Head Call of the Week


I've thought for a while that LSU coach Les Miles was a dunderhead, and I have said so.  Saturday, he went out of his way to prove it.

If you didn't see the loss to Mississippi, you missed some of the most inexplicable clock management ever committed by an alleged coach.  It was so mind-bogglingly dumb, that it's hard to even explain.

With 1:17 remaining, LSU scored a touchdown to make it 25-23.  The two point conversion failed, but the Tigers recovered the onside kick.

After completing a pass to the Rebel 32 yard line, LSU, almost unbelievably, went backwards 16 yards on the next three plays - an incomplete pass, a sack for a nine yard loss, and a screen pass that lost seven yards.

But here's the really unbelievable part.  Facing a fourth and 26, coach Miles allowed 17 seconds to tick off the clock before somebody somwhere on the LSU sideline realized they hadn't managed to use their last timeout.

There were nine seconds left.

After the timeout, quarterback Jordan Jefferson miraculously completed a pass to Terrance Toliver at the Ole Miss five yard line.  The first down momentarily stopped the clock, but, with no timeouts remaining, the Tigers scrambled to the line of scrimmage hoping to spike the ball and kick a field goal.

There was one second left.


A)  You can't spike the ball with one second left.

B)  If they hadn't allowed the 17 seconds to tick away earlier, there would have been plenty of time to line up, spike the ball, and kick the winning field goal.

At first, Miles said he "thought" they had called a timeout.  Then, he admitted that he "didn't know what to do" after precious seconds had ticked away.

The game ended in pathetic confusion when the ball was whistled ready for play at the Rebel five, and the lonely second ticked away.

If anybody in Baton Rouge is wondering, I'd gladly take $3 million a year to stand on the sidelines looking like a deer in headlights.

I don't look good in purple and gold though...

Friday, November 20, 2009

My Crystal Ball Says...

...that I know what will happen in this week's key games. Always remember that I'm right, and your team sucks.



#25 California at #17 Stanford - Head coach Jim Harbaugh has Stanford playing with attitude.   They are getting a bit obnoxious about it too.  It's kind of like the bratty little middle school kid down the street that starting taking steroids and working out, and showed up in high school ready to kick your ass.  ESPN.com's Ted Miller says their style of play may even be going a bit beyond the rules.  On his Pac 10 blog, he writes, "There are a few more pokes and grabs and punches in the pile-up and scrum at the line of scrimmage than in the past when Stanford suited up."  But nobody seems to care about that if your name isn't Brandon Spikes.  Note to all the alleged experts who spent two weeks villifying Spikes:  check Dictionary.com for the word "hypocrite" and then get back to me.  After scoring a total of 106 points in the last two games, Stanford has become the new favorite topic in the college football world.  The fact that those points came against Oregon and USC makes it particularly intimidating, especially if you're a California team that managed only a field goal against both of those teams.  The Golden Bears will be without running back Jahvid Best who is still out after suffering a concussion two weeks ago on one of the scariest plays of the yearShane Vereen has been an adequate replacement for Best, but quarterback Kevin Riley is mistake-prone, and Cal's defense is lousy (71st in total defense).  The Stanford offense has turned into a juggernaut behind Toby Gerhart, the nation's third leading rusher. All of this points to a Stanford win.  And possibly a hefty dose of eye gouging.  Fear the Tree.

#11 Oregon at Arizona - I've watched Arizona play once this year, in last week's loss at California, and I was not impressed.  How this Wildcat squad managed to beat Oregon State and Stanford earlier in the year, I have no idea.  Oregon is 6th in the nation in rushing offense, and LaMichael James has 100 or more yards rushing in each of the last five games.  But Arizona is a respectable 21st in rushing defense.  Wildcat quarterback Nick Foles has somehow put up some decent numbers, but, to me, he is most notable for his Bonehead Play of the Week back in Week 6,  Both teams are still alive in the Pac 10 race.  Both need to win out.  Arizona plays well at home - their three losses all came in road games - but I think the  Ducks win the game, and also win the competition to see which team has the ugliest uniforms.

#8 LSU at Mississippi - For some reason, Mississippi seems to be a popular pick here.  Even the oddsmakers in Vegas have the Rebels as a 4 point favorite.  I don't get it.  LSU may not be flashy, but they still have great athletes.  Their only losses came at the hands of two of the top three teams in the land.  One thing is certain; they will tackle Dexter McCluster better than Tennesee did.  Speaking of Tennessee, have I mentioned recently that Lane Kiffin is not only a classless loudmouth, he's a lying classless loudmouth?  I did?  Good.  Anyway, let me throw out some amazing statistics for you.  LSU's offense may be rather pedestrian, but their defense has allowed only three rushing touchdowns this year.  That ties them with Florida and Texas for tops in the nation in terms of fewest rushing touchdowns allowed.  And they continue to improve;  they haven’t allowed a touchdown on the ground in their last six games. Also, it should be noted that LSU has prevailed in each of their last four trips to Oxford, which will mean absolutely nothing this Saturday, but it sounds like I know what I'm talking about when I say that.  Or type it.  Mississippi is a team that doesn't play well when saddled with expectations, and everyone seems to expect them to win this one.  I don't.  I think a healthy Jordan Jefferson at quarterback (he missed last week's game against Louisiana Tech with a sprained ankle) can avoid the Rebel pass rush, and I think the Tiger defense will return Jevan Snead to the state of mediocrity he was enjoying before the Tennessee defense rolled over for him.  Speaking of Tennessee, have I mentioned that Lane Kiffin is a lying, classless loudmouth?

Kansas at #3 Texas - Mark Mangino is immense.  What I mean to say is he's immensely proud of the turnaround he has managed at Kansas.  A team that was a perennial doormat in the Big 12 suddenly found itself at 12-1 after the 2007 season, and proud owners of an Orange Bowl victory. And you better believe he is proud, or he will thump you in the chest, and berate you in front of your teammates.  But, after a 5-0 start to this year, the Jayhawks have now lost five in a row, and, suddenly, they stink.  A visit to Austin, Texas is not likely to provide a cure for stinking.  The Longhorns have been, rather quietly, issuing a good old Southwest-style beatdown to everybody they have played.  They continue on the collision course that, in all likelihood, has them meeting the winner of the SEC Championship game for all the marbles.  Everybody knows about Texas QB Colt McCoy and his darling roommate Jordan Shipley.  You probably don't know that Kansas signal caller Todd Reesing has some pretty respectable passing numbers too.  It won't help.  Kansas will continue to stink.  And Texas will continue to issue good old Southwest-style beatdowns.  At least until they play for all the marbles.

Florida International at #1 Florida - The key question in this game is, if you're Urban Meyer, how long do you leave Tim Tebow out there?  You don't want him to spend an entire Saturday on the sidelines getting rusty when you have the Seminoles coming to town next week for a big rivalry game.  But, let's face it, the Gators could probably win this game with me playing quarterback.  Florida fans would like to see future star John Brantley get some work.  Florida International is coming off a big win over the North Texas Mean Green and... Okay, okay.  Forget the hype.  This is likely to be horrible, one-sided game that will be about as interesting as watching paint dry.  One thing I have learned is that, when I need something interesting to say, I find an obscure, but fascinating statistic.  The SEC blog on ESPN.com tells us, "The No. 1 team in the AP poll hasn't lost a November home game to a team with a losing record since 1961. That year, a 2-4-1 TCU team knocked off No. 1 Texas in Austin on Nov. 18."  The FIU Panthers are 3-7, and not likely to add another footnote to the college football history books against the Gators this weekend.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Staying on Top is Harder Than You Think


The world of college football is an unpredictable one.  Scratching and clawing your way to the top - or near to it - is extremely difficult, and the stay there is often short-lived.

Consider the case of coach Bob Stoops and the Oklahoma Sooners.

At this point last year, the Sooners were 9-1.  They had recovered from their loss at Texas on October 11, were ranked 5th in the BCS standings, and were awaiting a visit from second-ranked Texas Tech.

When the Sooners demolished the Red Radiers 65-21, they jumped Florida in the BCS, up to third.

The stage was set for a dramatic finish, and the Sooners capped the regular season with a 61-41 win over in-state rival Oklahoma State in Stillwater, and a 62-21 beating of Missouri in the Big 12 Championship game.

The Big 12 win gave Oklahoma enough extra weight in the computer rankings to pass Texas, and, when Florida knocked off top-ranked Alabama in the SEC Championship game, the Sooners found themselves at number one, waiting for an invitation to the national championship to arrive in the mail.

The offense had scored 702 points in 13 games - 54 points per game - and, appropriately, quarterback Sam Bradford won the Heisman Trophy.

Fast forward a year.

In the 2009 season opener, Oklahoma lost Sam Bradford to a shoulder injury, and lost a neutral site shocker to BYU, 14-13.  Without Bradford, the offense appeared to be in neutral. 

Wins over Idaho State and Tulsa restored some of the Sooner faith, but a 21-20 loss at Miami on October 3 made it clear that blocking was becoming an issue.  Three starters from last year's championship offensive line had departed.  By then, it was also clear that star tight end Jermaine Gresham's knee injury would sideline him for good.

With freshman Landry Jones at quarterback, Oklahoma managed a few more wins, lost a close one, 16-13, to Texas, and then arrived in Lincoln to play Nebraska on November 7.  The offense that had scored more points than any other team in college football history in 2008 could manage only a measley field goal as the Sooners lost 10-3.

Oklaohoma is now 6-4, with games remaining at Texas Tech and at home against Oklahoma State.  A 6-6 season is not beyond the realm of possibilities.

This is the reality of college football today.  The loss of just a couple of key players can be the difference between dominating and self-destructing.

Most people know this intuitively - ask Florida fans how long they held their breath while Tim Tebow was sprawled motionless on the turf in Lexington - but seldom has it been as apparent as it is with this Sooner squad.


This is what makes Florida's achievements remarkable in this age of parity and unpredictability.

The Gators have now won 20 in a row.  It is the nation's longest current winning streak, and includes a 24-14 upset of Oklahoma in last year's national championship game.  They have a shot at back to back national championships.  If they can keep winning. 

It won't be easy.  The Nebraska teams of 1994 and '95, the last back to back national champs - and the best college football teams I have ever seen in person - won 26 in a row before losing the second game of the '96 season at Arizona State.

While fans of the 10-0 Gators were admittedly nervous about Tebow's recovery, the really scary thing is knowing that Florida - like any great college team - is always just a couple of plays or a couple of players away from 6-6.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Upon Further Review (Week 11)

Surrender. On Two. Ready. Break.

Some folks in Big Ten country want us to believe that Saturday's game between Iowa and Ohio State
proved that the Buckeyes are a worthy conference champion, and the Hawkeyes deserve an at-large BCS bowl bid.

I guess the Big Ten has to have some sort of champion.  I don't know why they expect the rest of the college football world to care about a league that still hasn't figured out how many teams belong to it.


But an at-large BCS bid for Iowa?  Seriously?

Saturday's game was a 27-24 affair, decided in overtime.  While it sounds like it should have been exciting, it was most noteworthy for the fact that, once the score was tied at 24 late in regulation, neither team made a serious attempt to win.

Given the ball on their own 18 yard line with 2:37 remaining, Buckeye coach Jim Tressel managed to run five plays - three of them handoffs - to gain a grand total of 13 yards before punting to Iowa.

Then, Iowa, after fielding the punt, had the ball at their own 33 yard line with 52 seconds and two timeouts remaining.  With a great opportunity to try to get into position for a game-winning field goal, Hawkeye coach Kirk Ferentz decided to run out the clock and hope for the best in overtime.

This was two teams playing not to lose.  And it was truly pathetic.

Midwest football is about as exciting as boiled cabbage anyway, but this display of mediocrity prompted CBS Sports.com writer Gregg Doyel to suggest that the Big Ten banner should be a white flag.

Ohio State, by virtue of winning the league, will stumble into the Rose Bowl, and probably lose badly to whatever Pac 10 opponent they face.  But do we really need to reward this Iowa team with a BCS bowl berth?

Let's examine their resume.

They beat Arizona 27-17 in Iowa City on September 19. 

It seemed like a good win at the time.  But the Wildcats are now 6-3, and they end the season with Oregon, at Arizona State and at USC.  That looks like a 7-5 finish to me.  Maybe.

The following week, Iowa beat Penn State 21-10 in Happy Valley

Again, it seemed like a good win at the time.  But let's tell it like it is.  Joe Paterno has been a class act for his entire coaching career.  He has kept the Penn State football program mostly clean while achieving frequent success on the field.  In my view, he has earned the right to coach there until giant, hairy cockroaches take over the Earth, if that's what he chooses to do.  But that doesn't, in any way, mean that this year's Penn State squad is good.  Their most impressive win is over Temple.  The Owls.

On October 17, the Hawkeyes beat Wisconsin

They are a very respectable 8-2, but, upon closer examination, they lost to the only two ranked opponents they played.  Translation: the Badgers are great in games that don't matter.

Otherwise, Iowa struggled with the likes of Northern Iowa (a 17-16 win) and Arkansas State (a 24-21 win).

So that brings us back to Saturday's game in Columbus.  In a tie game, with the league title and its associated Rose Bowl berth on the line, Kirk Ferentz ordered his team to cower in the huddle and then take a knee.

In what was possibly the most appropriate ending for such a display of gutlessness, Iowa managed to lose 16 yards on their first three plays in overtime, and throw an interception on 4th and 26.

Ohio State took over and ran the ball three times, gaining three entire yards, before trotting the kicker on to the field for the game winner.

So Ohio State (9-2), with a game remaining at Michigan, managed to back into a Rose Bowl.  And Iowa (9-2), with one game remaining against Minnesota, may have backed into a Fiesta Bowl simply by being the second least courageous team in the Big Ten.

It doesn't seem quite right.

There's a little part of me, though, that wants to see Iowa in the Fiesta Bowl against Boise State (10-0) - the scenario that seems most likely right now. 

At least the Hawkeyes would find out what it's like to face a team that always plays to win.

Bulls in September. Puppies Afterward.

 South Florida coach Jim Leavitt has a problem.  He needs to find a way to make his players understand that the season lasts all the way through November.  His teams have gained national recognition with fast starts, but also gained a reputation for slow finishes.

Since 2007, the Bulls are 13-0 in games played in September, but 11-13 in the rest of their games, including 6-10 in the month of October.  And it's not because they've played nothing but patsies early in the year.

On Septmber 8, 2007, they won 26-23 at Auburn.  On September 12 of last year, they beat a highly-regarded Kansas team in Tampa 37-34.  This year, they beat Florida State 17-7 in Tallahassee on September 26. 

But, after starting the season 5-0, they've now lost three of their last four, and Thursday's game against Rutgers was one of the worst performances I've ever seen from a college football team.

The Bulls (6-3) managed only 159 yards of total offense in the game, had four turnovers, and were totally overwhelmed by a Scarlet Knights team that really doesn't have many stars.

Afterward, Leavitt said, "They just beat the dog out of us."

With remaining games against Louisville, Miami, and at Connecticut, the Bulls are hoping there's at least a little dog left.

Friday, November 13, 2009

My Crystal Ball Says...

...that I know what will happen in this week's key games. Always remember that I'm right, and your team sucks.


#25 West Virginia at #5 Cincinnati - Like many college football fans, particularly those in SEC country, I am inclined to view any team from the league we jokingly call the Big Least as just another pretender.  West Virginia (7-2) has a good running back in Noel Devine, but he sprained his ankle when the Mountaineers nipped Louisville 17-9 last week.  Quarterback Jarrett Brown sprained his ankle too.  That's not good news for a team that is 7-2, but hasn't managed to beat anybody that is actually good.  It's hard to know what to think about Cincinnati (9-0).  They are off to their best start since 1951, when they won nine straight games before losing to Xavier.  I hate to get into comparative scores, but, this year, they hit the road and beat the same Oregon State team that has now beaten Stanford and Cal. Regular readers of this blog will know that I am a Mardy Gilyard fan, not just because he's a great receiver, but because, last year,  he made one of the kindest gestures I've ever seen in a college football game.  Here's the thing that really intrigues me.  Quarterback Tony Pike opened the year putting up great numbers (128 of 199 passing for 1633 yards with 15 TD's and 3 INT's).  Then he gets hurt, and sophomore Zach Collaros takes over and does even better (76 of 100 passing for 1229 yards with 10 TD's and 1 INT).  That's truly remarkable.  The Bearcats will win.  Not necessarily because they are great, but because they are playing the Mountaineers.  Another pretender from the Big Least.
 
#10 Iowa at #11 Ohio State - People in Big Ten country still believe that Iowa (9-1) has a chance of being an at-large BCS team after they lose to Ohio State (8-2).  And they will lose to Ohio State, so that's not really the issue here.  What concerns me is that a state that is well-known for the importance of its early primaries in presidential elections contains so many people who are apparently insane.  The Hawkeyes managed to win their first nine games, but they barely scraped by so often that the question wasn't if they would lose, but when.  In last week's loss to Northwestern, quarterback Ricky Stanzi injured his ankle badly enough that it required surgery.  You might think that other stars on the team would pick up the slack, but they don't have any.  So we're left with an Ohio State team that will clinch the Big Ten title Saturday when they beat Iowa.  They're not going to play for the national championship, but they'll be in the Rose Bowl against the winner of the Pac 10.  That's actually excellent news for Buckeyes fans who can comfort themselves with the knowledge that they won't have to sit through another beatdown at the hands of an SEC team. 
 
Stanford at #9 USC - I don't like USC (7-2), and I'm glad to see them suffering through a season in which they have sustained two losses.  So far.  Of course, there are many teams that would like to "suffer" through such a season.  The Trojans have won the last seven Pac 10 titles, but this year's crown is still up for grabs.  They've also won 47 of their last 48 games at home.  The lone loss in that stretch was Stanford's colossal upset in 2007, when they were 41 point underdogs.  Quarterback Matt Barkley is talented, but sometimes plays like the freshman that he is.  Last week at Arizona State, he completed just 7 of 22 passes, but the defense added a score on a pick six, and USC managed to win 14-9.  Despite what the alleged experts keep telling us, the defense isn't up to the usual standards either.  They are currently ranked 38th.  Among the defenses ranked ahead of them... Duke.  I'm not kidding.  Stanford (6-3), meanwhile, looks more like a Big Ten team of old than a Pac 10 patsy.  They have a strong offensive line, and a big, physical running back in the form of Toby Gerhart who is, rather quietly, the 2nd leading rusher in the nation.  Stanford also has Andy Luck, an effective passer with better than average escapability and a great name.  The alleged experts said Oregon couldn't just line up and run right through the Trojan defense two weeks ago.  But they did.  I think Stanford can do the same thing.  If they can avoid a letdown after last week's shootout win over Oregon, the Cardinal will prevail again.  Fear the Tree.
 
#16 Utah at #4 TCU - I've watched TCU (9-0) play a few times, and I'm convinced they are a well-coached team that can be competitive with anybody out there.  They have competent running backs, an efficient passer in Andy Dalton, and a defense that ranks 3rd behind Texas and Florida.  On top of that, Jeremy Kerley leads the Mountain West in kick returns and punt returns.  Utah (8-1) holds a 5-1 edge in the series, and managed to ambush TCU 13-10 in Salt Lake City last year, but, this season, they haven't been as impressive as the 2008 squad that also ambushed Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.  Since losing at Oregon in September, they've won six straight, and won nine of their last ten road games, dating back to last season.  But they've also changed quarterbacks in mid-season, replacing struggling junior Terrance Cain with promising freshman Jordan Wynn.  With the conference championship and a BCS bowl berth at stake, I think the Horned Frogs win convincingly.
 
#1 Florida at South Carolina - Every good Florida fan knows that there is always reason to fear the old Head Ball Coach.  They remember all too well how South Carolina snuck up on the Gators, and scored a 30-22 win in Columbia in 2005, Urban Meyer's first year at Florida.  And Spurrier has said that he will take more control over the play-calling Saturday in an effort to jump start his offense.  They averaged just 12.3 points in the last four games, after averaging 27.3 in the first six.  Quarterback Stephen Garcia is sharp at times, but inexplicably bone-headed at other times.  They are still 19th in total defense, and should present a challenge for a Florida offense that is having a hard time making big plays.  But, likewise, Florida's 2nd ranked defense should stifle the Gamecocks.  Florida has already clinched the SEC's Eastern Division, and just needs to survive until the huge showdown with Alabama.  Rainy weather could be a factor, but that should favor Florida and their ground game.  When in doubt, I'll take any team with Superman at quarterback.  This is one that will make their fans nervous for a while, but the Gators will win.



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Thursday, November 12, 2009

Sneak Preview of Gators Uniform

This is a sneak preview of the special Nike Pro Combat uniforms the Gators will wear in one of their remaining home games.

If I were a betting man, I'd guess it would be on November 28 against Florida State.

Nike T-shirts under the pads will bear the slogan, "Finish the Mission."

(Photo from Friends of the Program.net)

Moments in College Football History

"If You're Smart, You'll Run"

In honor of Veteran's Day, I decided to revisit one of the most famous days, and one of the most famous players, in University of Illinois football history.

On October 17, 1924, the university held a ceremony to dedicate a brand new home for their football team. Illinois Memorial Stadium was named to honor citizens from that state who had died in World War I.

But it was October 18 that would prove to be a day to remember.

The Michigan Wolverines were in town for a huge clash between two teams who had finished the previous season unbeaten. 

Awaiting the opening kickoff for Illinois was a junior named Harold "Red" Grange.

He returned it 95 yards for a touchdown.

He had shown great promise the year before, rushing for 723 yards and 12 touchdowns in just eight games, while helping the Illini finish unbeaten and win a national championship.

But on this one autumn day in Champaign, he became the toast of the college football world.

The opening kickoff return had shocked Michigan. They'd given up only four touchdowns in the previous two seasons combined. But before the first quarter was over, Grange would also have touchdown runs of 67, 56 and 44 yards.

Illinois coach Bob Zuppke rested his star in the second quarter (in those days, if you came out of a game, you couldn't go back in until the following quarter), but Grange took the field in the second half to run for a touchdown and pass for another.

By the time the game ended, Grange had rushed for 212 yards, passed for 64 yards, amassed 126 yards on kick returns, and was responsible for all six Illini touchdowns in a 39-14 victory.

It was one of the greatest single-game performances in the history of college football, and prompted Chicago American sportswriter Warren Brown to call Grange "the Galloping Ghost."

He went on to have a productive senior season at Illinois, and played several years in the fledgling National Football League, mostly with the Chicago Bears.

In 2007, when ESPN named their Top 25 Greatest Players in College Football, #1 was Red Grange.

When asked how he had managed to be such an elusive ball carrier, his answer was simple, "If you have the football and eleven guys are after you, if you're smart, you'll run."

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Another Day, Another Gouge

It will be interesting to see how the college football world reacts to the news that eye gouging and dirty play isn't limited to someone named Brandon Spikes.

While reviewing video of a play during which a Florida State fumble was recovered by Clemson, someone on Tomahawk Nation.com, an FSU fan site, noticed that Tiger defensive end Andre Branch (#40 in orange in the video below) doing some gouging of his own on Seminole guard David Spurlock (#79 in white).

Watch carefully to the left of the fumble action...



For every alleged expert who claimed to be surprised and offended that such behavior occurs on the field, what are you going to say now?  Shouldn't you be just as surprised and offended at this?  Or does it only matter when it's one of the best defenders in the country on the nation's number one team?

I'm not saying this kind of thing is pretty, and I'm not saying it should be condoned, but if you are aren't willing to openly admit that it is relatively commonplace, you don't know the game well enough to have any credibility with me.

Let me ask you a question.  Do you think the plastic visors that some players fasten to their facemasks are there to help them see?

It only takes a few minutes of searching before you find examples like the video below.  It's Ohio State linebacker Curtis Terry (#55 in white) giving Florida's Tim Tebow a one-two punch before stepping on him.  All of this while Tebow is laying on the ground.  Why do you think Tebow wanted so badly to score that last touchdown in the BCS Championship Game after the 2006 season?



I assume the alleged experts will climb back on their high horses, and demand that Andre Branch be suspended.  And he should be.  For now, it's in the hands of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney

But I hope they don't pretend that this is a sudden "rash" of bad behavior that was rare until recently.

One thing is certain.  When I watch college football on television this weekend, I will do so the way I have always done it.  With the sound turned down.