If you want my Keys to the Game for the Auburn Tigers and the Oregon Ducks in the BCS Championship game tonight, they can be found here, on the Business Insider.
This week in college football was a mixed bag of sorts. The headlines were split between coaching changes and the final bowl games. It is the weekend's national headline, however, that hits home, and leads off this week's Monday Musings.
1. The Arizona Shootings. While there is never a good time for what happened in Arizona over the weekend with U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, it couldn’t have happened at a worse time for college football. The BCS National Championship game will be played in Glendale, AZ tonight. How will this event impact the BCS national championship game? As of 10:53 A.M. Eastern time, the BCS has not made any announcement on its official website regarding the shootings and what might be done for security or otherwise. While the shootings were in Tucson (2 hours south of Glendale), it is 100% appropriate and in order for the pre-game program to be adjusted one or two minutes to offer condolences and hold a moment of silence for everyone who was affected.
2. 4-2. Teams from the BCS non-AQ conferences were 4-2 against teams from AQ conferences. Air Force beat Georgia Tech in the Independence Bowl, Central Florida beat Georgia in the Liberty Bowl, Nevada beat Boston College in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, and TCU highlighted the non-AQ victories by beating Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. Only Southern Mississippi (lost to Louisville in the St. Petersburg Bowl) and East Carolina (lost to Maryland in the Military Bowl) failed to beat their AQ conference opponents.
3. Who needs a coach? Michigan fired Rich Rodriguez last week, but they can’t seem to find anyone to replace him. Who would have thought the Michigan job would ever be so undesirable? Jim Harbaugh is not interested. Brady Hoke doesn’t seem to meet their standards. Les Miles? He is going to need some pretty big reasons to leave Louisiana State after he was …
4. Validated. Even with the national championship in 2007, Les Miles struggled to win over the LSU faithful. He struggled with an 8-5 and a 9-4 season the next two years. With the big win over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl, Miles has an 11 win season with HIS players, and likely a top 10 finish. He also led LSU to its best start (7-0) since 1973 (9-0).
5. Hoping to get lucky. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, in a bold move, decided to return for his senior season. Recent history shows that he will be lucky to maintain his projected number one pick status. Jake Locker has seen his draft stock drop significantly this year. Colt McCoy had the same thing happen to him. Sam Bradford suffered an injury and was extremely lucky to recover in time for the draft. Tim Tebow also had a scare with a concussion. Matt Leinart dropped from the number one pick to the 10th overall pick. Now with Jim Harbaugh leaving for the NFL, another set of risks and unknowns is thrown into the mix. Luck will be very lucky to keep his lofty draft position after playing one more year.
6. Suicide coaching hire. Incoming Florida Gators coach Will Muschamp proved one thing this week: he is a defensive genius. That is the only reason I can think of that would make him want to hire beleaguered former Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis as his offensive coordinator. Why anyone in the college ranks would trust their offense to Weis is a mystery to me. Weis belongs in the NFL. Hiring Weis could be suicide to Muschamps’ tenure at Florida, and it hasn’t even started.
7. Wake me up from this nightmare. Coaching the Maryland Terrapins might be some aspiring college coach’s dream job. That aspiring coach better be one who plays with a round, orange ball. For new Maryland coach Randy Edsall to call coaching the football team his dream job makes me think he is having a nightmare. What makes Maryland any different from UConn? He is going from one basketball school in a basketball conference to another. Hurry, somebody pinch that guy.
8. Exposed. Most of us learned our lesson back in September when Virginia Tech lost back-to-back games to Boise State and James Madison. The BCS had to learn the hard way. Stanford exposed Virginia Tech, the ACC automatic qualifying champion, with their 40-12 shellacking in the Orange Bowl last Monday night. Should have pitted the Hokies against UConn. Both the Orange and Fiesta bowls would have been better attended and more competitive.
9. Make the most of it. Knowing they would not get to play again until October next season, the infamous “tattoo 5” for Ohio State made the most of it. They were all key players in the Buckeye’s first bowl win ever against an SEC team--Arkansas, 31-26. Fortunately, those first five games next year will be played against much inferior competition.
10. Who needs a coach? Part 2. The Pittsburgh Panthers lost incumbent coach Dave Wannstedt when he was fired at the end of the season. They lost newly hired head coach Make Heywood literally days later when he was arrested. Going into the BBVA Compass Bowl they still didn’t have a coach. That didn’t seem to matter as the Panthers sent the Kentucky Wildcats back to the blue grass state with their tails between their legs, 27-10.
Showing posts with label Pittsburgh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pittsburgh. Show all posts
Monday, January 10, 2011
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Weekly Trivia: 2009-10 Bowl Challenge Cup
The answer to last week's trivia question, "What other FBS conferences (in addition to the Big Ten) had a three team tie for the conference championship?" is the Big East and the WAC. Uconn, Pitt, and West Virginia all had 5-2 conference records in the Big East. Hawaii, Boise State, and Nevada all had 7-1 conference records in the WAC. You could even throw in the Big 12 South, if you wanted; Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M all had a 6-2 conference mark.
One of the newer traditions in college football is the Bowl Challenge Cup awarded to the conference with the best win percentage in bowl games. This week’s trivia question is:
For more trivia questions, visit the Trivia page.
One of the newer traditions in college football is the Bowl Challenge Cup awarded to the conference with the best win percentage in bowl games. This week’s trivia question is:
Which FBS conference won the Bowl Challenge Cup in 2009-10?Leave your answer in the comments section. The answer will be revealed next Wednesday when a new question is asked.
For more trivia questions, visit the Trivia page.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Monday Musings: Auburn Tigers' Hail Mary Says It All
The final weekend of College Football was a good one. Whether is was conference championship games, rivalries, conference championships (minus a predetermined "championship game"), or bowl positioning being played out on the field, there was enough of everything to keep us talking for two weeks until the bowl games start.
1. That says it all. After South Carolina scored a TD to close the gap with Auburn to 21-14 with seconds to go before halftime (South Carolina would get the ball to start the second half), Cam Newton throws a 51-yard hail mary touchdown. That play sums up everything you need to know about Newton and Auburn for Heisman and national championship talk. Newton’s play has been magical, and Auburn has gotten all the breaks.
2. First time for everything. TCU is going to the Rose Bowl. The Horned Frogs replace Oregon in the Rose since the Ducks are going to the National Championship game. Florida International University is going bowling (Little Caesars). The Golden Panthers were co-Sun Belt Champions. After years of struggling while playing very, very hard non-conference schedules, it pays off as FIU won six games in conference.
3. Worst BCS team ever? Connecticut at 8-4 is not in the BCS top 25. To the best of my knowledge, that is unprecedented. Florida State is the only other four loss team to play in BCS games. The Seminoles did it twice. In 2002, Florida State had a 9-4 record going into Bowl season. However, three of those losses were to Notre Dame (10-3), Miami (12-1), and North Carolina State (11-3). None of those losses were blowouts. In 2005, Florida State had to beat 10-1 Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game to get to the BCS. They also beat a 9-2 Miami team. I can’t build any case for UConn, except that they won the Big East three-team tie breaker. Their best win out of conference is 2-10 Vanderbilt. Beating West Virginia (9-3) 16-13 in overtime is the Huskies’ best win. None of the teams that Connecticut lost to won more than 8 games—and that was Temple from the MAC.
4. More Ammo for Rich Rod Supporters. This is a discussion that will rage on all the way through January 1 when Michigan plays Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl. Michigan beat Connecticut in the season opener. That would be BCS Fiesta Bowl bound Connecticut. Can’t say that Michigan didn’t beat anybody this year. Of course, all this really means is that if Rich Rodriguez was still coaching in the Big East, his team would probably be Big East Champ.
5. MAC Attack. Northern Illinois was a juggernaut the last few weeks. The Huskies had scored 71, 59, and 65 points their last three games. That didn’t intimidate the Miami (OH) Redhawks. Miami came out the 26-21 winner for the MAC championship.
6. Overcome with nerves. Knowing that a national championship game appearance was at stake, Oregon played nervous. They turned over the ball twice in the first five minutes of the game. UConn was up by 10 points with 13 minutes to play. The Huskies blew the lead and needed a 52 yard field goal with 17 seconds to play to secure its first BCS berth.
7. Total Dominance. USC has had, by all accounts, a down year. The Trojans haven’t had a 5 loss season since 2001. UCLA couldn’t beat their cross-town rivals then, and they couldn’t do it now. The Trojans beat the Bruins 28-14 this year.
8. Block that Kick. The crowd loves to chant this phrase. The Arizona Sun Devils delivered. Twice. Correction, James Brooks delivered. The first block sent the game to overtime. Brooks' second blocked point-after-attempt gave the Sun Devils the win over rival Arizona.
9. Broncos Bounce Back. A week after seeing their hopes for a national championship and a BCS bowl shattered, Boise State rebounded with a 50-14 win over Utah State. Probably doesn’t do much to make them feel any better about the week before.
10. Dion does it, finally. To say this has been a disappointing year for Dion Lewis would be an understatement. He had 695 yards rushing on the season coming into the season finale against Cincinnati (he ran for 1,799 last year). He had only rushed for 100 yards in a game twice. He exploded for 261 yards and 4 TD on Saturday.
1. That says it all. After South Carolina scored a TD to close the gap with Auburn to 21-14 with seconds to go before halftime (South Carolina would get the ball to start the second half), Cam Newton throws a 51-yard hail mary touchdown. That play sums up everything you need to know about Newton and Auburn for Heisman and national championship talk. Newton’s play has been magical, and Auburn has gotten all the breaks.
2. First time for everything. TCU is going to the Rose Bowl. The Horned Frogs replace Oregon in the Rose since the Ducks are going to the National Championship game. Florida International University is going bowling (Little Caesars). The Golden Panthers were co-Sun Belt Champions. After years of struggling while playing very, very hard non-conference schedules, it pays off as FIU won six games in conference.
3. Worst BCS team ever? Connecticut at 8-4 is not in the BCS top 25. To the best of my knowledge, that is unprecedented. Florida State is the only other four loss team to play in BCS games. The Seminoles did it twice. In 2002, Florida State had a 9-4 record going into Bowl season. However, three of those losses were to Notre Dame (10-3), Miami (12-1), and North Carolina State (11-3). None of those losses were blowouts. In 2005, Florida State had to beat 10-1 Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game to get to the BCS. They also beat a 9-2 Miami team. I can’t build any case for UConn, except that they won the Big East three-team tie breaker. Their best win out of conference is 2-10 Vanderbilt. Beating West Virginia (9-3) 16-13 in overtime is the Huskies’ best win. None of the teams that Connecticut lost to won more than 8 games—and that was Temple from the MAC.
4. More Ammo for Rich Rod Supporters. This is a discussion that will rage on all the way through January 1 when Michigan plays Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl. Michigan beat Connecticut in the season opener. That would be BCS Fiesta Bowl bound Connecticut. Can’t say that Michigan didn’t beat anybody this year. Of course, all this really means is that if Rich Rodriguez was still coaching in the Big East, his team would probably be Big East Champ.
5. MAC Attack. Northern Illinois was a juggernaut the last few weeks. The Huskies had scored 71, 59, and 65 points their last three games. That didn’t intimidate the Miami (OH) Redhawks. Miami came out the 26-21 winner for the MAC championship.
6. Overcome with nerves. Knowing that a national championship game appearance was at stake, Oregon played nervous. They turned over the ball twice in the first five minutes of the game. UConn was up by 10 points with 13 minutes to play. The Huskies blew the lead and needed a 52 yard field goal with 17 seconds to play to secure its first BCS berth.
7. Total Dominance. USC has had, by all accounts, a down year. The Trojans haven’t had a 5 loss season since 2001. UCLA couldn’t beat their cross-town rivals then, and they couldn’t do it now. The Trojans beat the Bruins 28-14 this year.
8. Block that Kick. The crowd loves to chant this phrase. The Arizona Sun Devils delivered. Twice. Correction, James Brooks delivered. The first block sent the game to overtime. Brooks' second blocked point-after-attempt gave the Sun Devils the win over rival Arizona.
9. Broncos Bounce Back. A week after seeing their hopes for a national championship and a BCS bowl shattered, Boise State rebounded with a 50-14 win over Utah State. Probably doesn’t do much to make them feel any better about the week before.
10. Dion does it, finally. To say this has been a disappointing year for Dion Lewis would be an understatement. He had 695 yards rushing on the season coming into the season finale against Cincinnati (he ran for 1,799 last year). He had only rushed for 100 yards in a game twice. He exploded for 261 yards and 4 TD on Saturday.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Poll Results: Which Team Was The Most Overrated?
The poll has closed for the question, "Which team was the most overrated?" The Utah Utes ran away with this one with 68% of the vote. Pittsburgh and Iowa both got 14% of the vote. Baylor grabbed the last 4%.
Thank you to everyone who voted. Don't forget to vote in this week's poll: "Who will win the Big XII?"
Thank you to everyone who voted. Don't forget to vote in this week's poll: "Who will win the Big XII?"
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 1, 2010
The race is still wide open after week one. Several players posted eye-popping stats, however, they were playing vastly inferior competition. While some players had un-Heisman worthy performances, I don't plan to take anyone off the list until week 3. It is very rare that a player has an outstanding game every time he steps on the field. I added a section at the end called "On the radar." These are players who shined but were not on the original list. If they continue to play the way they did Saturday, then they will be added to the list soon. Terrell Pryor, Christian Ponder, Jacory Harris, Ryan Mallett, and Case Keenum form the lead pack right now, but Matt Barkely would be my early leader simply because Hawaii was a more formidable foe. Those who need to step it up are Jaquizz Rodgers, Jake Locker, Ryan Williams, Dion Lewis, and Landry Jones.
Mark Ingram, Alabama
2009: 271 rushes, 1,658 yards, 17 TD
2010: --
Last: Did not play vs. San Jose State
John Clay, Wisconsin
2009: 287 rushes, 1,517 yards, 18 TD
2010: 17 rushes, 123 yards, 2 TD
Last: 17 rushes, 123 yards, 2 TD
Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech
2009: 293 rushes, 1,655 yards, 21 TD
2010: 21 rushes, 44 yards, 2 TD
Last: 21 rushes, 44 yards, 2 TD
Jaquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
2009: 273 rushes, 1,440 yards, 21 TD
2010: 18 rushes, 75 yards, 1 TD
Last: 18 rushes, 75 yards, 1 TD
Dion Lewis, Pitt
2009: 325 rushes, 1,799 yards, 17 TD
2010: 25 rushes, 75 yards, 1 TD
Last: 25 rushes, 75 yards, 1 TD
Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 17-25 (68%), 247 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT / 8 rushes, 17 yards
Last: 17-25 (68%), 247 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT / 8 rushes, 17 yards
Jake Locker, Washington
2009: 230-395 (58.2%), 2,800 yards, 21 TD, 11 Int / 112 rushes, 388 yards, 7 TD
2010: 20-37 (54.1%), 266 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int / 11 rushes, 29 yards, 1 TD
Last: 20-37 (54.1%), 266 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int / 11 rushes, 29 yards, 1 TD
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
2009: 225-403 (55.8%), 3,627 yards, 30 TD, 7 Int
2010: 21-24 (87.5%), 301 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int
Last: 21-24 (87.5%), 301 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int
Christian Ponder, Florida State
2009: 227-330 (68.8%), 2,717 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT
2010: 12-14 (85.7%), 167 yards, 4 TD, 1 Int
Last: 12-14 (85.7%), 167 yards, 4 TD, 1 Int
Jacory Harris, Miami
2009: 242-406 (59.6%), 3,352 yards, 24 TD, 17 INT
2010: 12-15 (80%), 210 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Last: 12-15 (80%), 210 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Landry Jones, Oklahoma
2009: 261-449 (58.1%), 3,198 yards, 26 TD, 14 INT
2010: 17-36 (47.2%), 217 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int
Last: 17-36 (47.2%), 217 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 18-23 (78.3%), 257 yards, 5 TD, 0 Int
Last: 18-23 (78.3%), 257 yards, 5 TD, 0 Int
Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M
2009: 296-497 (59.6%), 3,579 yards, 30 TD, 8 Int / 145 rush, 508 yards, 8 TD
2010: 28-40 (70%), 322 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int
Last: 28-40 (70%), 322 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 23-38 (60.5%), 215 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Last: 23-38 (60.5%), 215 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Case Keenum, Houston
2009: 492-700 (70.3%), 5,671 yards, 44 TD, 15 INT
2010: 17-22 (77.3%), 274 yards, 5 TD, 2 Int
Last: 17-22 (77.3%), 274 yards, 5 TD, 2 Int
ON THE RADAR: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State; DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma; Daniel Thomas, Kansas State; Andrew Luck, Stanford; Greg McElroy, Alabama; Denard Robinson, Michigan; Cameron Newton, Auburn
Did you miss the College Football Haven Week 1 Top 25? Check it out here
Mark Ingram, Alabama
2009: 271 rushes, 1,658 yards, 17 TD
2010: --
Last: Did not play vs. San Jose State
John Clay, Wisconsin
2009: 287 rushes, 1,517 yards, 18 TD
2010: 17 rushes, 123 yards, 2 TD
Last: 17 rushes, 123 yards, 2 TD
Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech
2009: 293 rushes, 1,655 yards, 21 TD
2010: 21 rushes, 44 yards, 2 TD
Last: 21 rushes, 44 yards, 2 TD
Jaquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
2009: 273 rushes, 1,440 yards, 21 TD
2010: 18 rushes, 75 yards, 1 TD
Last: 18 rushes, 75 yards, 1 TD
Dion Lewis, Pitt
2009: 325 rushes, 1,799 yards, 17 TD
2010: 25 rushes, 75 yards, 1 TD
Last: 25 rushes, 75 yards, 1 TD
Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 17-25 (68%), 247 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT / 8 rushes, 17 yards
Last: 17-25 (68%), 247 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT / 8 rushes, 17 yards
Jake Locker, Washington
2009: 230-395 (58.2%), 2,800 yards, 21 TD, 11 Int / 112 rushes, 388 yards, 7 TD
2010: 20-37 (54.1%), 266 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int / 11 rushes, 29 yards, 1 TD
Last: 20-37 (54.1%), 266 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int / 11 rushes, 29 yards, 1 TD
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
2009: 225-403 (55.8%), 3,627 yards, 30 TD, 7 Int
2010: 21-24 (87.5%), 301 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int
Last: 21-24 (87.5%), 301 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int
Christian Ponder, Florida State
2009: 227-330 (68.8%), 2,717 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT
2010: 12-14 (85.7%), 167 yards, 4 TD, 1 Int
Last: 12-14 (85.7%), 167 yards, 4 TD, 1 Int
Jacory Harris, Miami
2009: 242-406 (59.6%), 3,352 yards, 24 TD, 17 INT
2010: 12-15 (80%), 210 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Last: 12-15 (80%), 210 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Landry Jones, Oklahoma
2009: 261-449 (58.1%), 3,198 yards, 26 TD, 14 INT
2010: 17-36 (47.2%), 217 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int
Last: 17-36 (47.2%), 217 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 18-23 (78.3%), 257 yards, 5 TD, 0 Int
Last: 18-23 (78.3%), 257 yards, 5 TD, 0 Int
Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M
2009: 296-497 (59.6%), 3,579 yards, 30 TD, 8 Int / 145 rush, 508 yards, 8 TD
2010: 28-40 (70%), 322 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int
Last: 28-40 (70%), 322 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 23-38 (60.5%), 215 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Last: 23-38 (60.5%), 215 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Case Keenum, Houston
2009: 492-700 (70.3%), 5,671 yards, 44 TD, 15 INT
2010: 17-22 (77.3%), 274 yards, 5 TD, 2 Int
Last: 17-22 (77.3%), 274 yards, 5 TD, 2 Int
ON THE RADAR: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State; DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma; Daniel Thomas, Kansas State; Andrew Luck, Stanford; Greg McElroy, Alabama; Denard Robinson, Michigan; Cameron Newton, Auburn
Did you miss the College Football Haven Week 1 Top 25? Check it out here
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Preseason 2010
The collge football season can’t get underway without looking at who might win the Heisman Trophy. Last year was supposed to be the year of the quarterbacks: Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, and Tim Tebow. It turned out to be the year of the running backs with Alabama’s Mark Ingram edging out Stanford’s Toby Gerhart by the slimmest margin in history. While Ingram is back, the race is wide open this year.
Jake Locker and Terrell Pryor are getting the most publicity right now, but they will have plenty of company. Several players made a name for themselves last year, and with big performances this year they could be sitting in New York come December. Others showed that they have the tools to be successful and put themselves on the Heisman radar. If they play to their potential this year, they could be handed a ticket to New York as well.
Here is the College Football Haven preseason Heisman Hopefuls (of course, this list is ALWAYS subject to change and players will be added and dropped as the season progresses).
Mark Ingram, Alabama
2009: 271 rushes, 1,658 yards, 17 TD
2010:--
Last:--
John Clay, Wisconsin
2009: 287 rushes, 1,517 yards, 18 TD
2010:--
Last:--
Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech
2009: 293 rushes, 1,655 yards, 21 TD
2010:--
Last:--
Jaquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
2009: 273 rushes, 1,440 yards, 21 TD
2010:--
Last:--
Dion Lewis, Pitt
2009: 325 rushes, 1,799 yards, 17 TD
2010:--
Last:--
Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010:--
Last:--
Jake Locker, Washington
2009: 230-395 (58.2%), 2,800 yards, 21 TD, 11 Int / 112 rushes, 388 yards, 7 TD
2010:--
Last:--
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
2009: 225-403 (55.8%), 3,627 yards, 30 TD, 7 Int
2010:--
Last:--
Christian Ponder, Florida State
2009: 227-330 (68.8%), 2,717 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT
2010:--
Last:--
Jacory Harris, Miami
2009: 242-406 (59.6%), 3,352 yards, 24 TD, 17 INT
2010:--
Last:--
Landry Jones, Oklahoma
2009: 261-449 (58.1%), 3,198 yards, 26 TD, 14 INT
2010:--
Last:--
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010:--
Last:--
Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M
2009: 296-497 (59.6%), 3,579 yards, 30 TD, 8 Int / 145 rush, 508 yards, 8 TD
2010:--
Last:--
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010:--
Last:--
Case Keenum, Houston
2009: 492-700 (70.3%), 5,671 yards, 44 TD, 15 INT
2010:--
Last:--
Did you miss the College Football Haven Preseason Top 25? Check it out here
Jake Locker and Terrell Pryor are getting the most publicity right now, but they will have plenty of company. Several players made a name for themselves last year, and with big performances this year they could be sitting in New York come December. Others showed that they have the tools to be successful and put themselves on the Heisman radar. If they play to their potential this year, they could be handed a ticket to New York as well.
Here is the College Football Haven preseason Heisman Hopefuls (of course, this list is ALWAYS subject to change and players will be added and dropped as the season progresses).
Mark Ingram, Alabama
2009: 271 rushes, 1,658 yards, 17 TD
2010:--
Last:--
John Clay, Wisconsin
2009: 287 rushes, 1,517 yards, 18 TD
2010:--
Last:--
Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech
2009: 293 rushes, 1,655 yards, 21 TD
2010:--
Last:--
Jaquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
2009: 273 rushes, 1,440 yards, 21 TD
2010:--
Last:--
Dion Lewis, Pitt
2009: 325 rushes, 1,799 yards, 17 TD
2010:--
Last:--
Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010:--
Last:--
Jake Locker, Washington
2009: 230-395 (58.2%), 2,800 yards, 21 TD, 11 Int / 112 rushes, 388 yards, 7 TD
2010:--
Last:--
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
2009: 225-403 (55.8%), 3,627 yards, 30 TD, 7 Int
2010:--
Last:--
Christian Ponder, Florida State
2009: 227-330 (68.8%), 2,717 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT
2010:--
Last:--
Jacory Harris, Miami
2009: 242-406 (59.6%), 3,352 yards, 24 TD, 17 INT
2010:--
Last:--
Landry Jones, Oklahoma
2009: 261-449 (58.1%), 3,198 yards, 26 TD, 14 INT
2010:--
Last:--
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010:--
Last:--
Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M
2009: 296-497 (59.6%), 3,579 yards, 30 TD, 8 Int / 145 rush, 508 yards, 8 TD
2010:--
Last:--
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010:--
Last:--
Case Keenum, Houston
2009: 492-700 (70.3%), 5,671 yards, 44 TD, 15 INT
2010:--
Last:--
Did you miss the College Football Haven Preseason Top 25? Check it out here
Friday, August 27, 2010
5 Step Drop: 2010 Big East Conference Football
For a time this offseason, it looked like the Big East conference would cease to play college football after this year. The Big East has survived and now has the chance to show, on the field, that it belongs as one of the sport’s premier conferences.
1. Who will win the conference? Pittsburgh Panthers. Using a signature Dave Wannstedt defense with an offense centered around Dion Lewis, Pitt will win the conference for the first time since 2004.
2. Who is the best player returning? Dion Lewis, Pittsburgh. The fab-freshman broke onto the scene last year with 1,799 yards (5.5 yards per carry) and 17 touchdowns. He rushed for over 100 yards in 10 of 13 games in 2009.
3. Which team will be the most improved? Louisville. New head coach Charlie Strong will take the first steps this year to right the ship. His defensive background will have a lot to do with this. Louisville surrendered 30 or more points in seven games (all losses) last year.
4. What will be the biggest surprise? Despite being the best player returning, Dion Lewis will not lead the Big East in rushing. This conference is full of strong runners. In fact, the leading rusher from all 8 Big East schools is back in 2010. No longer a secret, Lewis will have to fight for every yard this year. He will still have a good year. This is more about the overall strength of running backs in the Big East than it is about Lewis not producing.
5. Which coach is on the hottest seat? Doug Marrone, Syracuse. Okay, so he isn’t really on the hot seat, but he is the default choice. All Big East coaches are new to their school or they are having enough success that their jobs aren’t in jeopardy. In his first season (2009), Marrone led the Orangemen to four wins, which was their most in one season since 2006. He needs to show some progress this year, which might be difficult with a new starting quarterback. Unless Syracuse completely bombs the season, Marrone’s job is secure for 2011.
1. Who will win the conference? Pittsburgh Panthers. Using a signature Dave Wannstedt defense with an offense centered around Dion Lewis, Pitt will win the conference for the first time since 2004.
2. Who is the best player returning? Dion Lewis, Pittsburgh. The fab-freshman broke onto the scene last year with 1,799 yards (5.5 yards per carry) and 17 touchdowns. He rushed for over 100 yards in 10 of 13 games in 2009.
3. Which team will be the most improved? Louisville. New head coach Charlie Strong will take the first steps this year to right the ship. His defensive background will have a lot to do with this. Louisville surrendered 30 or more points in seven games (all losses) last year.
4. What will be the biggest surprise? Despite being the best player returning, Dion Lewis will not lead the Big East in rushing. This conference is full of strong runners. In fact, the leading rusher from all 8 Big East schools is back in 2010. No longer a secret, Lewis will have to fight for every yard this year. He will still have a good year. This is more about the overall strength of running backs in the Big East than it is about Lewis not producing.
5. Which coach is on the hottest seat? Doug Marrone, Syracuse. Okay, so he isn’t really on the hot seat, but he is the default choice. All Big East coaches are new to their school or they are having enough success that their jobs aren’t in jeopardy. In his first season (2009), Marrone led the Orangemen to four wins, which was their most in one season since 2006. He needs to show some progress this year, which might be difficult with a new starting quarterback. Unless Syracuse completely bombs the season, Marrone’s job is secure for 2011.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Lessons Learned from Conference Expansion
Now that most of the dust has settled from conference expansion, let's see what we have learned.
1. Notre Dame is not the most powerful school in the country. That designation now belongs to Texas. Texas was able to turn college football on its head and then put it back on its feet, all in less than one week. The Longhorns had grown men fearing for their futures and desperately begging Texas to keep the status quo. Most importantly, Texas was able to leverage more money and control in the Big 12.
2. Expansion is all about money. Being good in football or basketball took a back row seat to other factors like the size of a school's local media market, the number of television sets that watch a school's games, and the impact on travel costs. Each conference did not hide that they would not expand if the current membership would not receive as much TV and other monies. Schools that have not fielded competitive teams in years (Colorado) were viewed more favorably than schools that win more than anyone else (Boise State). Schools that are very logical additions geographically (Pitt) are being rejected for schools that expand the conference footprint (Nebraska).
3. There are no loyalties. Each school will do what is best for it. While conferences were created to better the collective group, that won't stop one part of that group from leaving if a better offer comes along. Utah, with a BYU grad as school president and a former BYU player as its head football coach, had no concern about the impacts of its move on BYU and the rest of the Mountain West. Colorado couldn't accept the Pac-10's invite fast enough to throw Baylor to the curb. While doom and gloom was being forecasted for Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, and Iowa State, Nebraska happily jumped to the safety of the Big 10. The Boise State Broncos probably have not thought twice about how the WAC will be the Sun Belt of the West once they leave.
4. The Pac-10 is properly situation on the left coast. I, for one, was shocked to see the way certain schools in that conference openly opposed the addition of religious schools like Baylor and BYU. Come on, this is sports we are talking about. Why are you going to let liberal ideas get in the way of a good sports competition? Each conference has its own identity, but it is hard to find another conference that cares more about its identity than the Pac-10.
5. The power of the people. From the outset last December, all conferences proclaimed that this would be a 12 to 18 month process. That did not stop fans and media from talking about expansion and postulating expansion scenarios. Facts and data were being thrown out left and right arguing the merits of School A vs. School B. Demands for updates and leaks to the media fueled the fire. The people were heard and a mere six months later, the Big 10 and Pac 10 have made their moves (as well as the Mountain West, but that was more reactionary). The Big 12 is uncertain what it will do, but be assured that whatever timetable is set will be sped up by the people pushing for a resolve.
1. Notre Dame is not the most powerful school in the country. That designation now belongs to Texas. Texas was able to turn college football on its head and then put it back on its feet, all in less than one week. The Longhorns had grown men fearing for their futures and desperately begging Texas to keep the status quo. Most importantly, Texas was able to leverage more money and control in the Big 12.
2. Expansion is all about money. Being good in football or basketball took a back row seat to other factors like the size of a school's local media market, the number of television sets that watch a school's games, and the impact on travel costs. Each conference did not hide that they would not expand if the current membership would not receive as much TV and other monies. Schools that have not fielded competitive teams in years (Colorado) were viewed more favorably than schools that win more than anyone else (Boise State). Schools that are very logical additions geographically (Pitt) are being rejected for schools that expand the conference footprint (Nebraska).
3. There are no loyalties. Each school will do what is best for it. While conferences were created to better the collective group, that won't stop one part of that group from leaving if a better offer comes along. Utah, with a BYU grad as school president and a former BYU player as its head football coach, had no concern about the impacts of its move on BYU and the rest of the Mountain West. Colorado couldn't accept the Pac-10's invite fast enough to throw Baylor to the curb. While doom and gloom was being forecasted for Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, and Iowa State, Nebraska happily jumped to the safety of the Big 10. The Boise State Broncos probably have not thought twice about how the WAC will be the Sun Belt of the West once they leave.
4. The Pac-10 is properly situation on the left coast. I, for one, was shocked to see the way certain schools in that conference openly opposed the addition of religious schools like Baylor and BYU. Come on, this is sports we are talking about. Why are you going to let liberal ideas get in the way of a good sports competition? Each conference has its own identity, but it is hard to find another conference that cares more about its identity than the Pac-10.
5. The power of the people. From the outset last December, all conferences proclaimed that this would be a 12 to 18 month process. That did not stop fans and media from talking about expansion and postulating expansion scenarios. Facts and data were being thrown out left and right arguing the merits of School A vs. School B. Demands for updates and leaks to the media fueled the fire. The people were heard and a mere six months later, the Big 10 and Pac 10 have made their moves (as well as the Mountain West, but that was more reactionary). The Big 12 is uncertain what it will do, but be assured that whatever timetable is set will be sped up by the people pushing for a resolve.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
WEEK IN REVIEW, Feb. 28-March 6
First, to follow up on last week's inquiry. The new excessive celebration penalty is still just a proposal. It was passed by the NCAA Rules Committee and will now go before the Playing Rules Oversight Panel. I am unable to find the date that that panel will consider this rule, but my guess is that the panel will support it and it will go into effect in 2011. To clarify the rule, the only change that it will bring is for "taunting gestures" on the way to the end zone. The penalty will be assessed from the spot of the foul and the points will be taken off of the board. Celebrations after a player crosses the goal line will still be dead ball fouls and assess on the extra point or kickoff. I agree with this proposed rule change, in principle. Any violation of the rules that happens in the field of play while the play is live should be charged that way. My problem with the rule is the language. What exactly is a taunting gesture? Some are obvious, but others are not. Can this rule be invoked if an official thinks that a player is taunting the fans? Are their rules of proximity and direction? If a player is 15 yards away from the nearest defender can any gesture really be interpreted as being directed at the defender? If the ball carrier has his back turned to the defender can any gesture by the ball carrier be interpreted as taunting the opposing player? The possibilities are endless. I am all for sportsmanship, but the language of this proposed rule needs to be clarified before it is implemented.
Now, on to this week.
1. The big event this week was the commencement of spring ball for some schools. Yes, you read that right. The first official day of spring is still two weeks away, but teams have already started practicing. That includes Air Force. Why the cadets have already started spring football beats me. I can understand if teams in the south want to get an early start to beat the heat, but Air Force is in Colorado Springs with an altitude well over 5,000 feet, plus the Academy is situated up against the mountains. I used to live in Colorado Springs and it doesn't get warm until May. Can the practices really be that effective? Maybe President Obama is going to deploy all the cadets on a top secret 3 month mission later this month, so the only time to do spring ball is now.
2. If you didn't believe it already, expansion is imminent for the Big-10. A report is out confirming what we all suspected. This is being done for money. As a side note, the report lists Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Missouri, and Rutgers as the prime candidates.
3. The NFL scouting combine concluded. Nothing too earth shattering happened there. Just one more step in the process. Players impressed, players disappointed, but with pro days and individual workouts for another month and a half, a lot of changes in projections will be made.
Those are the stories that stuck out to me. Go ahead and use the comments section to weigh in on them or put forth your own take on additional stories that you are following.
Just one other thing to add, I am working on a series of posts on the BCS, so in a not too distant week I will have daily editorials about the BCS.
Now, on to this week.
1. The big event this week was the commencement of spring ball for some schools. Yes, you read that right. The first official day of spring is still two weeks away, but teams have already started practicing. That includes Air Force. Why the cadets have already started spring football beats me. I can understand if teams in the south want to get an early start to beat the heat, but Air Force is in Colorado Springs with an altitude well over 5,000 feet, plus the Academy is situated up against the mountains. I used to live in Colorado Springs and it doesn't get warm until May. Can the practices really be that effective? Maybe President Obama is going to deploy all the cadets on a top secret 3 month mission later this month, so the only time to do spring ball is now.
2. If you didn't believe it already, expansion is imminent for the Big-10. A report is out confirming what we all suspected. This is being done for money. As a side note, the report lists Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Missouri, and Rutgers as the prime candidates.
3. The NFL scouting combine concluded. Nothing too earth shattering happened there. Just one more step in the process. Players impressed, players disappointed, but with pro days and individual workouts for another month and a half, a lot of changes in projections will be made.
Those are the stories that stuck out to me. Go ahead and use the comments section to weigh in on them or put forth your own take on additional stories that you are following.
Just one other thing to add, I am working on a series of posts on the BCS, so in a not too distant week I will have daily editorials about the BCS.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
MORE CONFERENCE EXPANSION THOUGHTS
Since conference expansion usually takes months and years to happen, this will probably be a hot topic until September. There are about a million angles to take on this topic. Today, I will elaborate on three: TCU going to the Big 12, the Big 10 targeting ACC or SEC teams, and the impact on the BCS.
1.TCU to the Big12
Since it appears that the Big 12 is going to be hit by either the Big 10 (Missouri or Nebraska) or the Pac-10 (Colorado) the Big 12 will need to replace one or two schools, or shrink to 10 teams. TCU seems to be a perfect fit geographically and competitively. It doesn't hurt that TCU has tradition with several Big 12 schools as a former Southwestern Conference (SWC) member. That, however, is the exact reason I would be leery, if I were TCU, to join the Big 12. TCU was kicked to the curb while the then Texas Governor struck a deal to bind membership of one state school to the inclusion of three others. In other words, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Baylor are a package deal. If one is in they all are in, if one is out they all are out. As the last one in, TCU would be the first one out if the Big 12 ever decided another rising team (Houston, Tulsa) became more desirable in the future and rather than increase to 13 teams it wanted to stay an even 12. Then again, this is TCU, who was rejected by the other eight teams in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) ten or so years ago when they left the Western Athletic Conferenc (WAC). When the MWC came calling five years later, TCU fully embraced reuniting with the eight schools who felt they were better off without the Horned Frogs.
2. Big 10 targeting ACC or SEC schools
Everyone seems set that the Big 10 will expand with either a Big 12 North team or with a Big East team. Money seems to be the biggest reason behind this round of expansion talks, and the Big 10 seems to be on par with the SEC in that regard, even if the performance on the field has not reflected it. Isn't there a middle of the pack SEC team that would provide just as much added revenue as Missouri or Pitt and would also want to go to the Big 10 to compete better in football? Kentucky would help Big 10 basketball and Kentucky football might fare better in the Big 10. It is also situated nicely geographically. What about Boston College from the ACC? Huge media market, and no strong roots in the ACC. Georgia Tech? The Yellow Jacket's big rival (Georgia) is already in a different conference, and the Atlanta media market would be a nice catch.
3. The Impact on the BCS
Lost in all of the conference expansions and realignments is how this impacts the "solid" foundation of the BCS. The BCS formed itself on the premise that the best football teams were in the ACC, SEC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, and Pac-10. The ACC and Big East realignments last decade resulted in three teams (Louisville, Cincinnati, and South Florida) that were originally considered outsiders to become insiders. By the time this potentially catacalysmic round of conference expansion finishes we could have another three teams "promoted" to the BCS level. Who says that these six teams (the former three and the hypothetical future three) were the most deserving? It is unfair if a team like Boise State is left out of automatic qualification status, but a team like South Florida gains automatic qualification status. Boise State has done everything in its control (win on the field), but South Florida has all the uncontrolable variables (location, media market). Conferences expand for money, but the BCS was designed, on the surface, to get the top two teams to play each other. With a new composition, who says the Big 10, Big 12, Pac-10, ACC, SEC, and Big East of 2012 will be worthy of the automatic qualification status they gained in 1998? The BCS should be null and void and a new system put in place after the conference expansions conclude, unless, like conference expansions, the BCS is really all about money.
1.TCU to the Big12
Since it appears that the Big 12 is going to be hit by either the Big 10 (Missouri or Nebraska) or the Pac-10 (Colorado) the Big 12 will need to replace one or two schools, or shrink to 10 teams. TCU seems to be a perfect fit geographically and competitively. It doesn't hurt that TCU has tradition with several Big 12 schools as a former Southwestern Conference (SWC) member. That, however, is the exact reason I would be leery, if I were TCU, to join the Big 12. TCU was kicked to the curb while the then Texas Governor struck a deal to bind membership of one state school to the inclusion of three others. In other words, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Baylor are a package deal. If one is in they all are in, if one is out they all are out. As the last one in, TCU would be the first one out if the Big 12 ever decided another rising team (Houston, Tulsa) became more desirable in the future and rather than increase to 13 teams it wanted to stay an even 12. Then again, this is TCU, who was rejected by the other eight teams in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) ten or so years ago when they left the Western Athletic Conferenc (WAC). When the MWC came calling five years later, TCU fully embraced reuniting with the eight schools who felt they were better off without the Horned Frogs.
2. Big 10 targeting ACC or SEC schools
Everyone seems set that the Big 10 will expand with either a Big 12 North team or with a Big East team. Money seems to be the biggest reason behind this round of expansion talks, and the Big 10 seems to be on par with the SEC in that regard, even if the performance on the field has not reflected it. Isn't there a middle of the pack SEC team that would provide just as much added revenue as Missouri or Pitt and would also want to go to the Big 10 to compete better in football? Kentucky would help Big 10 basketball and Kentucky football might fare better in the Big 10. It is also situated nicely geographically. What about Boston College from the ACC? Huge media market, and no strong roots in the ACC. Georgia Tech? The Yellow Jacket's big rival (Georgia) is already in a different conference, and the Atlanta media market would be a nice catch.
3. The Impact on the BCS
Lost in all of the conference expansions and realignments is how this impacts the "solid" foundation of the BCS. The BCS formed itself on the premise that the best football teams were in the ACC, SEC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, and Pac-10. The ACC and Big East realignments last decade resulted in three teams (Louisville, Cincinnati, and South Florida) that were originally considered outsiders to become insiders. By the time this potentially catacalysmic round of conference expansion finishes we could have another three teams "promoted" to the BCS level. Who says that these six teams (the former three and the hypothetical future three) were the most deserving? It is unfair if a team like Boise State is left out of automatic qualification status, but a team like South Florida gains automatic qualification status. Boise State has done everything in its control (win on the field), but South Florida has all the uncontrolable variables (location, media market). Conferences expand for money, but the BCS was designed, on the surface, to get the top two teams to play each other. With a new composition, who says the Big 10, Big 12, Pac-10, ACC, SEC, and Big East of 2012 will be worthy of the automatic qualification status they gained in 1998? The BCS should be null and void and a new system put in place after the conference expansions conclude, unless, like conference expansions, the BCS is really all about money.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
I HAVE MADE IT BIG
I have officially made it big. ESPN has found my questions important enough to include them as part of the weekly podcast with Ivan Maisel and Beano Cook. For those who don't know, Beano Cook is a walking encyclopedia regarding college football. He is from Pittsburgh, PA, and he worked many years with the University of Pittsburgh athletic department. That gave me the idea to ask through email that he justify Pitts' number 3 ranking to start the 1984 college football season, which would further validate BYU's national title that year. Well, his response was disappointing. I thought he would pull out some great facts like how many players from that team went on to play in the NFL, or that they finished 1983 really strong (similar to the way Ole Miss finished 2008 and was ranked in the top 5 earlier this year), or that a star player was injured. You can listen to it yourself to hear what he said. It is the ESPNU College Football (CFB)Podcast for 10/28. It starts at the 17:44 mark of the podcast. You can find it under the "MEDIA" section on the ESPN College Football Home page, or go to: http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/archive?id=2557385 and look for ESPNU CFB 10/28.
Monday, September 28, 2009
BCS: Oklahoma--The Original Ohio State
In recent years, I have been surprised by how the college football world has turned on Ohio State and placed them in a catagory of their own. After the first national championship game loss to Florida following the 2006 season, Ohio State was only put in the same game the next year against another SEC team because no one else in the automatic qualifying conferences had one loss. After LSU beat Ohio State that year Ohio State was black listed and cries were being made that even an undefeated Ohio State should not be considered for the national championship game implying they had lost the privilege. The next year came, 2008, and Ohio State was overwhelmingly beat by USC early in the year (no one seemed to care that Chris Wells, Ohio State's star running back was injured) and the Buckeye's were further tarnished, as well as completely eliminated from the national championship, even if they won the rest of their games. As I witnessed all of this happening, I wondered why Ohio State was judged so harshly, even when they were not the first to disappoint in BCS championship games, and had a better historical record in BCS games than another team: Oklahoma. Oklahoma has been some what of a teflon team. Consider the following results:
- 2003--Oklahoma was obliterated by Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship game 35-7, yet somehow, they remained in the top 2 of the BCS rankings. USC was number 1 in both the AP poll and the USA Today (Coaches) poll, but they did not play for the national championship. Oklahoma went on to lose to LSU in the national championship game.
- 2004--Oklahoma was one of three undefeated teams (USC and Auburn were the others) from the "Big Six" conferences. Again, Oklahoma qualified to play in the national championship game. This year, Oklahoma lost 55-19 in the national championship game leaving everyone wishing undefeated Auburn had gotten the chance to play USC instead.
- 2006--Oklahoma was playing Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. This marked the first time that a team from outside the "Big Six" conferences was playing a recognized national power in a BCS bowl game. (Utah's opponent in the 2004 Fiesta Bowl--Pittsburgh--was no where near elite status.) The BCS now had its chance to legitimize its witholding automatic qualification to conference champions outside the "Big Six" conferences. Rather than carrying the BCS banner proudly, Oklahoma lost to Boise State.
- 2007--Playing a West Virginia team that did not have its head coach (Rich Rodriguez had already left to start coaching Michigan) and that had lost embarassingly to Pittsburgh in the last game of the season, Oklahoma played its way to a 20 point loss.
- 2008--Oklahoma lost to Texas in the regular season. At the end of the year, despite identical win-loss records, Oklahoma held a higher BCS ranking and qualified for the Big 12 Championship game, which they won, and that win propelled Oklahoma into the BCS championship game over the team that had beaten them, as well as a slew of other one-loss teams that could argue they deserved to play in the championship game. Continuing their trend, Oklahoma lost to Florida.
- 2009--Now to start this year, Oklahoma became the first team ranked in the top 5 to lose to a team outside the "Big Six" conferences when it lost to BYU.
Does it seem fair to anyone that Oklahoma's failures have not blighted their perception, whereas Ohio State's failures have? The worst part of it all is that Oklahoma usually has been surrounded by controversy as to whether it should be in these games. Nevertheless, they could not win to silence their detractors. Ohio State on the other hand, was undefeated and had beated two teams during the season that were ranked number 2 when they played in 2006, and, as previously noted, Ohio State had the best record in the nation in 2007. In 2008, when most teams were being criticized for scheduling weak non-conference opponents, Ohio State went on the road against a top 5 team, without the heart and soul of their offense. To clarify, my point is that if we want to be so harsh on Ohio State (I don't disagree that Ohio State should be handicapped for their recent blunders) we have to be just as harsh, or harsher on Oklahoma. Furthermore, teams outside the "Big Six" conferences are expected to go undefeated just to play in a BCS bowl; the BCS championship game isn't even an option. Judging by past performance, everyone needs to seriously question: does an undefeated Oklahoma deserves to be in the national title game? In my judgment, Oklahoma should be disqualified from playing in the BCS championship game, and Oklahoma should have to go undefeated to play in one of the other BCS bowl games. Under that condition, Oklahoma can restore the privilege of playing in the national championship game by posting a winning record in its next 5 BCS bowl games. The point is, if the College Football world is going to establish a judgment system for the BCS and its National Championship game then the whole College Football world needs to be put through the same judgment process.
Friday, August 28, 2009
USA Today Top 25 Preseason Poll
When the preseason USA Today Top 25 (Coaches Poll) was released a few weeks ago, the coaches, definitely unintentionally, poured fuel on the fire that is BCS debate. The Mountain West Conference (MWC) had three teams ranked while the Big East had none. TCU was number 17, Utah was 18, and BYU was 24. The leading vote getter for the Big East was Cincinnati which would be number 29 if the rankings went that high. The BCS debate reached new proportions at the end of last season. The last thing that the BCS needed was for preseason rankings like this. Keep in mind this is the USA Today poll, which is part of the BCS formula.
Before going on, I am one who feels the MWC is better than the Big East and the MWC Champion can hold its own with the “Big Six” conference champions. I would love to see multiple MWC teams ranked above the Big East champion at the end of the year. However, MWC/“mid-major” fans need to temper our jubilee. First, a whole season needs to be played. Preseason expectations don’t put points on the scoreboard. Second, the Big East champion will be ranked at season’s end. How high? No one knows.
The Big East has no clear favorite. This is what the preseason USA Today Top 25 is reflecting. As I noted, Cincinnati was number 29 with 90 points, followed by Pittsburgh at 30 with 64 points, West Virginia at 31 with 55 points, and Rutgers at 32 with 51 points. It looks like most voters have at least one Big East team in their Top 25. They just don’t agree on which one is the best. As the season progresses, and one team separates itself from the others, the points that these four teams share will migrate to the one with the separation. The point total for these four teams is 260 points, which would be good for number 21 in the poll. At this point, the voters feel the Big East champion will be the 21st best team in the country. This is still good news for MWC fans, because two teams are still ranked above 21. Come season’s end, though, there is a 95% chance the Big East champion will be closer to number 12 than 21. Last year Cincinnati was ranked number 12 in the final BCS polls, as well as the final regular season USA Today poll. With an 11-2 won-loss record, that ranking can’t be criticized; it just was not foreseen in August. Expect the same this year, unless the Big East champion has three or four losses.
What’s the bottom line? Yes, the perception of the MWC is improving, but they have to back it up on the field. The MWC is in a position to have its champion ranked higher than the Big East champion again this year, but the MWC champ’s won-loss record will need to be two losses maximum.
The USA Today Top 25 can be found at: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/usatpoll.htm
Before going on, I am one who feels the MWC is better than the Big East and the MWC Champion can hold its own with the “Big Six” conference champions. I would love to see multiple MWC teams ranked above the Big East champion at the end of the year. However, MWC/“mid-major” fans need to temper our jubilee. First, a whole season needs to be played. Preseason expectations don’t put points on the scoreboard. Second, the Big East champion will be ranked at season’s end. How high? No one knows.
The Big East has no clear favorite. This is what the preseason USA Today Top 25 is reflecting. As I noted, Cincinnati was number 29 with 90 points, followed by Pittsburgh at 30 with 64 points, West Virginia at 31 with 55 points, and Rutgers at 32 with 51 points. It looks like most voters have at least one Big East team in their Top 25. They just don’t agree on which one is the best. As the season progresses, and one team separates itself from the others, the points that these four teams share will migrate to the one with the separation. The point total for these four teams is 260 points, which would be good for number 21 in the poll. At this point, the voters feel the Big East champion will be the 21st best team in the country. This is still good news for MWC fans, because two teams are still ranked above 21. Come season’s end, though, there is a 95% chance the Big East champion will be closer to number 12 than 21. Last year Cincinnati was ranked number 12 in the final BCS polls, as well as the final regular season USA Today poll. With an 11-2 won-loss record, that ranking can’t be criticized; it just was not foreseen in August. Expect the same this year, unless the Big East champion has three or four losses.
What’s the bottom line? Yes, the perception of the MWC is improving, but they have to back it up on the field. The MWC is in a position to have its champion ranked higher than the Big East champion again this year, but the MWC champ’s won-loss record will need to be two losses maximum.
The USA Today Top 25 can be found at: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/usatpoll.htm
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
DEFENDING THE 1984 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
The end of the 2008 College Football season saw the only undefeated team in the country Utah finish number 2 in the Associated Press poll. Now the 2009 season is dawning and Sports Illustrated’s Stewart Mandel has questioned “BYU pulled off a miracle 25 years ago; will it ever happen again?” That is in reference to BYU’s 1984 National Championship. Why is it that 25 years later critics still want to invalidate the title BYU earned?
Its time to get defensive and justify, once and for all, BYU’s 1984 National Championship.
Its time to get defensive and justify, once and for all, BYU’s 1984 National Championship.
1.WON-LOSS RECORD. In 1984, BYU was 13-0 and the only undefeated team in the country. Why the controversy? Not only did the University of Washington have a loss (11-1), the Huskies were not even Pac-10 champions; therefore, why would they be the national champion? (Fun fact: BYU beat Washington 31-3 in 1985.) The University of Florida (9-1-1) had two blemishes on its record. Why would they be considered the champion over a team with no blemishes? Florida actually had three blemishes—NCAA rules violations. Even if they had been voted number 1, any reputable poll would have stripped Florida of the title, just as the Southeastern Conference (SEC) did.
2.CONSENSUS NUMBER 1. More recently (2003, 1997, 1991 and 1990) the major college football polls could not agree who was number 1. BYU, however, was a consensus number 1. The Associated Press, the United Press International (UPI), Sports Illustrated, CNN-USA Today, the Football Writers of America all voted BYU number 1. Why should we dispute a championship that so many experts agreed on?
3.BEAT THE NUMBER 3 RANKED TEAM. To start the year, BYU went on the road to Pittsburgh, the number 3 ranked team, and won. Critics like to point out that Pittsburgh finished the year a disappointing 3-7-1, but they forget to point out that 11 Pitt players were drafted in the next three NFL drafts, including Bill Fralic (second overall pick, 1985) and Chris Doleman (fourth overall pick, 1985). Why wouldn't you rank a team with so much pro talent number 3? On opening day in 1984, the Pitt team (known then as “the Beast in the East”) believed that it was number three and played with that confidence. By losing, that confidence was shattered. College football is largely based on players’ mental psyche. An opening game upset loss can damage that psyche for an entire season, or at least bruise it and cause the season to be a disappointment. (For example, Michigan started 2007 season losing to Appalachian State, followed by a blowout loss to Oregon.) The mental psyche factor is also seen yearly come bowl season when teams who were dominant during the season play flat and lose to inferior competition. If anything, this Pittsburgh game is a testament to BYU’s superior mental psyche. They were on the road, playing the number 3 team, the game was a live, nationwide telecast on ESPN, the game was the first start for quarterback Robbie Bosco. Plus, BYU’s win exposed Pitt’s weaknesses and gave every other Pitt opponent confidence that they could win.
4.WON ITS BOWL GAME. BYU played Michigan in the Holiday Bowl. Critics argue that this was a 6-5 Michigan team that BYU beat only 24-17. Well, Michigan was ranked number 3 earlier in the year. Then injury struck. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan’s starting quarterback broke his arm. This goes a long way in explaining Michigan’s poor won-loss record. (Fun fact: Michigan ended 1985 ranked number 2.) While the Michigan offense was mediocre, the Michigan defense was strong (only two opponents scored more than 21 points). During the game, BYU lost its quarterback Robbie Bosco to injury for a series. He returned and played the rest of the game with an injured knee. In the game, BYU committed 6 turnovers, including a fumble at the goal line. You are not supposed to win when you commit 6 turnovers (the popular explanation for Florida losing to Ole Miss in 2008 was Florida’s THREE turnovers). Yes, BYU could have made a statement by winning 38-3, but it didn’t. However, what it did do—win despite playing with its star QB injured and despite turning the ball over 6 times—may be just as impressive, and it exemplifies what makes a team a champion: to overcome all obstacles and find a way to win no matter what. Kind of like the 2002 Ohio State National Championship team; they didn’t win pretty, but they didn’t lose either.
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