Today's Bowl Picks

My best bets today are probably Notre Dame and South Carolina. I have been 50-50 on bets and so I hope I hit the Notre Dame one. Their defense has been playing great ball and welcomes back Ian Williams to the front wall. Miami is so inconsistent that if they are "on" then this should be a classic game. As for the Gamecocks, I just think that they are a level above FSU. I went with USF and Georgia in the other two games.

View From Bennett Avenue

Jim Tressel blew it. Yes he was trying to address the reality that one or more of the players penalized for selling merchandise and receiving improper benefits could easily play in the Sugar Bowl and then enter the NFL draft--and therefore go unpunished--by passing on his right to disallow them from suiting up for the bowl game in exchange for a pledge that they return next year. And, of course, they all made that pledge. But he should suspend players for the bowl game if he feels they deserve it, or not suspend them if he feels it is not justified. Using the chip of playing in New Orleans to encourage these players to return is unseemly. And it is wrong. As soon as he heard about what they did he should have suspended them immediately. Then the NCAA would have added 1-3 games next year on top of it. Instead we have a circus.
Let me also address the notion that the rules the players broke are light ones as they owned the items they sold. And yes this is not as bad as their breaking into someone's apartment and selling stolen material. But, like the Cam Newton situation, if you do not crack down on this behavior you are encouraging other student-athletes to do the same and encouraging boosters from loading up prize athletes with money. And selling items they earned from football is making them quasi professional athletes. And, finally, the lack of respect they showed OSU football was a disgrace.

New York State of Mind

Although that was a bs call at the end of the Pinstripe Bowl, I am here to celebrate the afternoon sweep by two New York State programs, Army and Syracuse. Army upset SMU in Dallas earlier today and then Syracuse held off the KSU Wildcats in the Bronx. Throw in the fact that former Fordham QB John Skelton is 2-1 as a starter for the Arizona Cardinals and times are high here in the Empire State.

Bowl Update and Picks

See, it sucks playing in your own stadium for a bowl game. and SMU is showing it by losing 16-0 at half.
Meanwhile I have decided to protest the number of bowl games by not going to the nearby Pinstripe Bowl. I am also protesting the building of the new Yankee Stadium too. That said I like Syracuse and the under.
I also like UNC and Nebraska later today and 2 more unders. Let's go defense.

Reclamation Bowl

SMU and Army are in a bowl game. That is a stunning statement, or would have been just a couple of years ago. These two programs had been left for dead after years and years of losing. But new coaches--and these two teams are proof about the power of the head man--June Jones at SMU and Rich Ellerson at Army have done a terrific job of straightening out these former doormats.

Neither team has a shot at the top 25 this year, of course. But the turnaround has begun. Each team is looking at today's Armed Forces Bowl as a way to continue the good vibes from the season. SMU is aiming for the Conference USA title next year while Army has Navy and Air Force to beat in 2011. While both programs will lose senior leaders next year, they return underclassmen at the skill positions including QBs Trent Steelman of the Cadets and Kyle Padron of the Mustangs. It is great that both programs have some hope.

Of course I hate the fact that SMU is playing at home. Still Army is gutsy and will come there to represent the armed forces well. The contrast in styles--there I said it--should be fun to watch.

and kudos to Jones for having his ponies play in black to honor servicemen everywhere. They will be watching from around the world and will be glad for the respect shown.

View From Bennett Avenue (and picks too)

What is to make of the situation out of College Park regarding the head coach of Maryland football? Well for one, the fact that the media cares little could be construed as proof that a change was needed. That is, coach Ralph Friedgen needs to go because Maryland football is so completely under the national radar that the firing of the recently named ACC coach of the year can produce nothing more than a yawn.

But the situation is really about perception. The big shots at Maryland believe they can magically lure a big-name coach who will make Terp football relevant. That the empty fannies in the seats are not a reality in a pro football town without tradition of college football Saturdays as the priority of 60,000 people. That Friedgen's level of success, in which they were a game away from the ACC championship this year after struggling in 2009, was somehow insufficient at what is, and what will always be, a basketball school.

But we have seen this before at other schools that think they should be competing with the big boys. How can Maryland be as successful as some of the schools they compete with, like Florida State and Clemson, who sit in the middle of great recruiting zones at places in which football is king. And let's say they do well with this hire--how would they keep the guy if he is successful? Let's face it, they kept Friedgen after he went 31-8 in his first three years because of his appearance.

So anyway good luck to them. But perhaps they should have asked Kansas how happy they are after year one without Mark Mangino. Or Minnesota in the three years since they canned Glen Mason.

Although I am rooting for Friedgen to go out a winner, I am taking the points with ECU. I like that one a lot. Ditto Oklahoma State, while Baylor is another I like today.

Today's Bowl Picks

We are overdue a quality bowl game and the squads at the ChampsSports Bowl may deliver. The match-up of West Virginia and North Carolina State is one with an obvious meeting of dynamic QBs in Geno Smith of the Mountaineers and the underrated Russell Wilson of NC State. And, of course, we can witness Wolfpack coach Tom O'Brien trying to outwit the staff of the Mountaineers, his former rivals from his Boston college days. O'Brien was a whiz this time of year, while West Virginia has won four of their last five post-season contests. This game should be a good one. I took the Pack and the points.

Tonight we also have the Insight Bowl and I am unsure what to make of this game. I feel that Missouri has been overrated all season, while Iowa has suspended both its leading rusher (Adam Robinson) and second leading receiver (Derrell Johnson-Koulianos) for drugs. The big mystery is whether the Hawkeyes bounce back from a dreadful finish to the season without these two stars or fold up the tent. I did pick Iowa, but am more confident in the under.

Bowl Picks

I went with Georgia Tech today, plus 3. I'll probably end up rooting for Air Force, however, but either way I welcome a game that is not a contrast in styles. What I mean by that is that every time these teams face off against an opponent the announcers focus on the contrasting styles between option teams and their opponents without properly analysing the type of offenses these teams run. So, hopefully today's crew can describe how the teams are different and the ways each has prepared for the other. One advantage for Georgia Tech is that coach Paul Johnson won his last five games (2003-07) versus Air Force as head man at Navy. That is a streak he would like to keep going; so too Georgia Tech's 14 straight years with a winning record. But, the Yellow Jackets have lost five straight bowl games, so we are guaranteed the end of at least one streak.

Both teams are hoping to welcome back injured offensive leaders as Tech QB Josh Nesbitt (broken arm) and Falcons HB Jered Tew (broken fibula) are both expected to play. Whether or not they are factors, the reality is that both teams will run, run, and then run some more. a match-up of the team ranked number one in the nation in rushing (Tech at 327y per) and number two (Air Force at 318y) should be compelling.

View From Bennett Avenue

Well it seems clear that television ratings are driving the decisions being handed down by the NCAA this season. How else to explain that Cam Newton and the Buckeye Five are playing in bowl games? And this "I didn't know?" defense is unbelievably lame. But again, once the decision is made to let these kids help drive television ratings, an excuse has to be drummed up. And so sportswriters ran around talking about some supposed "loophole" in the NCAA rules regarding Newton, despite the fact that it is pretty clear about not selling your services and that parents and guardians are considered the same as the player when it comes to recruiting, and now with these jokers the school comes out publicly to state that they did a poor job explaining a rule that is common sense. Let's see, you do not get paid to play and your are not allowed to even have a job during the school year, but you can sell your uniforms and trinkets and get free tattoos? Yeah right. It is a sad lie to make that to cover up cheating you admit the players are morons. You see Ohio State, it is one or the other. You are cheating or are stupid.
The other excuse being handed down for these kids is that times are tough and that they did this for their families. But a closer look at the crimes pops holes through that one. I have no idea about the finances of any of the families involved but an aspect of the charges are that Terrelle Pryor and others received free tattoos. I am unsure how the families could eat the ink on their sons' arms but maybe they know something that I do not. And this goes back to the compliance issue for OSU. If you are going to say that some of your kids are so poor that they need to sell stuff to help their families, then why didn't the presence of hundreds, possibly thousands, of dollars worth of tattoos not sound an alarm? If they are so poor that they need to sell this stuff then they cannot afford tattoos. And if they are too poor to afford tattoos, but have tattoos, then they got them for free.
The NCAA must come down hard on this as it is very easy to sell memorabilia today and a booster or agent could easily offer a kid more than a jersey or ring is worth to keep the kid happy. But by avoiding the bowl game, the NCAA is basically saying that seniors or underclassmen who could go pro--like Pryor--can break the rules and still play in a glamorous bowl game. Meanwhile I lost the little respect I had left for Ohio State and coach Jim Tressel after the way they handled Maurice Clarett.

And Tonight We Like...

Utah getting more than two TDs. And the over.
Now about Rex Ryan's wife's foot fetish...

Another Bowl Pick

Well we have had three bowl games to date--were any of you paying attention so far?--and all three produced routs. With so many games still to play you cannot blame anyone for moving on to something else. I certainly cannot point any fingers as I did the same.
So hopefully tonight's game will deliver some suspense. I like Louisville to cap a great week (scooped up two former Miami recruits including QB of the future Teddy Bridgewater) by beating Southern Miss by more than the FG spread.

Bowls Picks: Part 1

Am a bit late and so will not count my BYU pick in game one. It is 31-10 at the moment, although there is plenty of time for a UTEP rally. Fortunately I got my bet in on the Cougars and on the over 50. The over was my best bet for today. I also like Fresno and Ohio today.

View From Bennett Avenue

A recent theme this time of year has been the importance of the 15 days of practice bowl teams get to prepare for their game. That these extra two weeks are unbelievably important to the future of the program, or at least that is what we hear from the head coaches of 6-6 teams trying to justify a post-season appearance.

But if that is true, why don't all programs get December practice time? After all, who needs extra practice time more than the teams who did not make a bowl game? Shouldn't Washington State get to improve in December as much as Oregon? It is like the draft order of professional leagues being reversed with the best teams picking highest. Give the Cougars some extra practice time!

MAC Raided Again

Fans of Pittsburgh football must have been a bit anxious this month as the program looked for a successor to coach Dave Wannstedt. Would athletic director Steve Pederson make the right call or do something boneheaded like choose the equivalent of Bill Callahan, as he did at Nebraska? It did not look good at first as Pederson--and how does he keep getting big jobs?--did not seem ready to replace Wannstedt, despite the buzzards circling around his coach since the team started the season 2-3 with wins over New Hampshire and FIU and losses to Utah, Miami and Notre Dame. Once West Virginia routed the Panthers 35-10 on Thanksgiving Friday, the ability for Wannstedt to save his job was long gone. But Pederson was not ready to pounce on both Al Golden, the head coach at Temple, and Dana Holgorsen, the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, who were rumored to be Pitt's top two choices as soon as Wannstedt resigned in early December. Worse still, West Virginia lured Holgorsen to Morgantown and Pederson had better hope that the Mountaineers do not hit a home run with that choice.

And so Pitt turned to Miami of Ohio head man Mike Haywood and gave him a five year deal. Now Haywood is a much different hire than Callahan as he does not have an NFL background and will not install an offense totally ill-suited to the talent at Pitt. He is an excellent recruiter, who has ties to Texas, and will install discipline to the Panthers program. Which is all well and good but I do not know if his two years at Miami were enough for him to establish Pitt as a Big East power. While Haywood's RedHawks impressively won their last five games, including three straight on the road and a huge showdown with Golden's Temple before upsetting Northern Illinois in the MAC title game, his record out-of-conference leaves something to be desired. Yes they hung with Florida early and even beat a lousy Colorado State team, but routs at Missouri and especially Cincinnati were rough. The Bearcats are a big rival of Miami and only finished 4-8 this year, but one of those wins was a 45-3 shellacking of Miami in mid-season.

That is only one game and hopefully Haywood will have the Panthers playing good ball from day one. With Notre Dame, Iowa and Utah on the schedule next year, he'd better be the best man for this job.

Sunshine State Hires

Now let me get this straight. Florida once went to a second-tier school to hire an ambitious, offensive-minded head coach (Steve Spurrier) and hit a home run. After a great run he moved on and the school hired an excitable defensive guy without head coaching experience (Ron Zook). That did not go so well. After he was fired the school then pounced on another ambitious offensive-minded head coach from a second-tier school (Urban Meyer) and hit another home run. He then retired. So, now needing to hire a new head coach, Florida again hired an excitable D guy without head coaching experience (Will Muschamp). Good luck.

As for Miami, I am a big Al Golden (pictured) fan and like the hire. He will recruit brilliantly and get the Canes D back to its past high level. For his sake I hope he recovers some of the recruiting losses Miami has suffered since firing coach Randy Shannon. It will be good to see the rivalry develop between the big 3 Florida schools and their new coaches.

View From Bennett Avenue

Every time I go to events honoring football greats the thank you speeches inevitably touch on the crucial role played by parents in the development of each athlete. The sacrifices and lessons imparted each shaped these individuals as much as god-given talent. And so it is a bit sad that the past two Heisman winners could not share the moment in person with their fathers--fathers who both loved their sons--for negative reasons. Hopefully this trend will not continue.

Remember When

I mentioned Jim Young the other day in such a positive light that I do not want his head to swell. And so 25 years after it happened, here is one of the more memorable recent Army-Navy clashes and a game that must still bother Young.

December 7, 1985

Navy 17 Army 7 (Philadelphia): On day he finished 7th in Heisman vote, Navy (4-7) TB Napoleon McCallum (in photo in other action) completed illustrious career with award-worthy show. McCallum rushed for 217y as Midshipmen outgained Army (8-3) on ground by 313y to 192y. Middies' finest moment was 58y drive on last possession that ate more than 5 mins of clock and ended with clinching 26y FG by K Todd Solomon. Navy's D highlight came late in 1st H with GLS that cost Army services of QB Rob Healy, who suffered separated shoulder on 4th-and-1 rush for no gain from Navy 2YL. GLS kept score tied at 7-7, where it stayed until 4th Q when Navy FB Chuck Smith scored winning 5y TD run with 8:26 left. Cadets FB Doug Black was held to 64y rushing to fall 50y short of consecutive 1,000y seasons. McCallum set NCAA records with 7,172y all-purpose and 1,137 plays all-purpose.

Army would go on to beat Illinois in the Peach Bowl to finish with nine wins for the first time since 1949. So Coach Young and his Cadets did gain some satisfaction that season--at least as much as you can get without beating Navy.

View From Bennett Avenue

I have a lot more to say about Urban Meyer but will save that for later. After all, his story ebbs and floes.

I wanted to drift back to the NFF press conference from the other day. Once the inductees and then Bill Cosby and Tom Brokaw spoke, the free-for-all to secure interviews before the next phase of the presser begins. It can be crazy. My main concern was Sam Cunningham, but he was surprisingly busy. I would have introduced myself to Marie Tillman, but she was nowhere to be seen. With many of the heavy hitters of college football journalists in attendance, plus a couple of tele-journalists, I tend to spend my time with the forgotten inductees. After all, my emphasis is on the history of the sport and therefore any Hall of Famer is a worthwhile story. And there was poor Mark Herrmann being ignored as any Purdue player from the era between the Bob Griese/Leroy Keyes teams from the late 1960s and Drew Brees would be. After I chided Herrmann for not getting an analyst gig with fellow Boilermakers Griese and Gary Danielson busy as such, we talked about his recruiting (wanting to stay local he chose Purdue over Notre Dame because he could play right away...as a Notre Dame fan I am forced to wonder how good the Irish could have been in 1979 and 1980 when they were rock solid everywhere but at QB) and about his coach Jim Young. Young and Hermann began at Purdue at the same time and together they rebuilt a program that had slipped to mediocrity after the heights of the late 1960s. By year two they were 9-2-1, beginning a string of three years that produced a 28-7-1 record with three final poll rankings and three bowl wins. Herrmann had nothing but praise for Young, who he credits with both his development as a future Hall of Fame quarterback and with instilling ideals in all of the Boilermakers of that era.

After finishing with Herrmann, I waited nearby Cunningham who was being interviewed. But there was a camera crew nearby so I needed to get something accomplished about a book i am proposing that would need a lengthy interview with Sam the Bam. And so, fortunately for me, I was able to spend some time with Charles Young, a classmate of Cunningham's at Southern Cal and a fellow member of the Hall of Fame. Despite being both a Trojan and an Eagle, Young is a great guy and instantly offered his services to introduce me to Cunningam. That had to wait until the current college players, finalists for the Campbell Trophy that honors a healthy mix of athletic achievement, academic success and community service, spoke. Once they finished--and the award went to DE Sam Acho of Texas (see Texas did win something this year)--I was able to talk to both Cunningham and Young for a long time about the book project, which as Cunningham points out, hopes to be accurate about the integration of the SEC. I'll write more about Sam the Bam and this book project in the off-season, after I do a full interview with the talented back.

Urban Meyer

What's to say? Once again he is not only stepping down as Florida coach but is talking about priorities and need to be with family. But why paint himself into that corner? And then when he takes the Denver Broncos job we will all come down on him again. And of the big three college football programs in Florida, Jumbo Fisher is now the coach with the longest tenure--1 year.
Hopefully for Meyer's family's sake he will spend more time with them. And hopefully for Mississippi State they will not have to look for a new coach this winter. It is my prediction that they will. I also feel that this will make Miami hasten their search so that the new guy can poach some Gator recruits. All's fair in love and coaching.

National Football Foundation Press Conference

I attended the National Football Foundation press conference for the annual awards ceremonies and Hall of Fame inductions yesterday, which went well despite the frenetic pace of the morning. I do not envy the media relations staff of the NFF as there is a lot to do in a limited amount of time. Phil Marwill and his crew do a great job keeping the flow going and balancing the needs of the media with the needs of the honorees. I was fortunate to not only get a great deal of material from comments made by the next class of Hall of Famers and the current student athletes honored for their current ability to excel at school and football while also contributing community work, but through interviews with some of the honorees in attendance. Most importantly I laid the groundwork for a future book, but more on that at a later date.
The event began with a presentation on the future 50,000 square foot home of the Hall of Fame, which is scheduled to break ground in downtown Atlanta in August of 2011 with a March 2013 scheduled opening date. The building certainly looks impressive and the ability to pair future inductions ceremonies with the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic every late summer make the decision to move the Hall from South Bend to Atlanta a brilliant one.
Next up, the next class of Hall of Famers plus special award winners Bill Cosby and Tom Brokaw. Two members of the class are no longer with us and North Carolina State great DT Dennis Byrd was represented by his son David and Arizona State's (and the country's) Pat Tillman was represented by his wife Marie. The others all expressed their humility and sense of joy at being honored, with former Arkansas lineman Ronnie Caveness, whose hat was bigger than former Navy DB Chet Moeller, getting the biggest laugh (not really for what he said but his general good-ol'-boy demeanor). Many of those being inducted stressed the importance of teammates, family and coaches, while former Colorado LB Alfred Williams, one of the youngest of the group, admitted that he broke down on his radio show when told that he made the Hall of Fame. Gene Stallings also got a laugh for knocking today's cream puff scheduling mentioning that while at Texas A&M his non conference schedule was LSU at Baton Rouge, Ohio State in Columbus and Michigan in Ann Arbor (I looked it up in The USA TODAY College football Encyclopedia--makes a great Christmas gift!--and the year was 1970 and is Aggies did beat LSU that season). Bill Cosby then went on a comic rant making fun of his playing days before Tom Brokaw finished that portion of the morning in his usual style.
I have to get to the library now but will delve into some of the interviews I conducted and mention the scholar-athletes honored yesterday.

Bowl Line-up: First Glance

My goal this year is to pay attention to all bowls featuring a match-up of teams with winning records. In other words skip the contests featuring 6-6 clubs as they have no reason to be rewarded with post-season play. So New Mexico Bowl, showcasing 6-6 BYU and 6-6 UTEP on 12/18? Sorry, but I will be watching college hoops or making eggnog or buying presents. Beef O' Brady's Bowl on 12/21? Not only do I have no idea what that means, but 6-6 Louisville does not merit December watching (until next year as the program is turning around). Little Ceasar's Bowl featuring 6-6 Florida International? Nope (and how has this game survived?). The next one is the toughest one as Air Force and 6-6 Georgia Tech square off in what could be an interesting Independence Bowl game on 12/27. So I may cheat there. But the double header on 12/29 of the Military Bowl and Texas Bowl with 6-6 ECU and 6-6 Illinois respectively? They are easy to pass on. Another potential dilemma occurs the following day wen Army takes on SMU in the Armed Forces Bowl. Right now the Cadets are 6-5 but Navy still looms on the schedule. Later that day I will skip the Holiday Bowl, annually one of the better bowl games, as it features 6-6 Washington getting crushed by Nebraska for the 2nd time this season. On New Year's Eve I will focus in on the Sun Bowl at the expense of the Meineke Car Care (with 6-6 Clemson) and Liberty (6-6 Georgia) Bowls. January 1 is thankfully free of .500 teams, but it is sad that 5 teams sporting 7-5 records get to play on that day including one (Michigan) whose coach may get canned. And later in January a 6-6 Middle Tennessee team is somehow playing in a bowl game that I will skip as too a 6-6 Kentucky squad. Sorry, but by then I will be burned out on games. Although if I am still alive in my bowl pool...

What We Learned Yesterday

The seemingly inevitable did occur as Auburn and Oregon locked up undefeated seasons and expected spots in the BCS title game with generally easy wins. I firmly believed that Auburn was getting into the championship game with a close loss, but now we do not have to worry about it. TCU does get a nice consolation with the Rose Bowl and it will be interesting to see how they plan to stop the steamrolling Wisconsin offense. Oklahoma needed a full game's effort to subdue rival Nebraska, who wrapped up their Big 12 play. Meanwhile kudos to both Virginia Tech and Connecticut who both rebounded from poor starts to the season to wrap up conference titles. This is new territory for the Huskies, who are expected to draw Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. I'll comment later when the full bowl roster is determined.

Mighty MAC

Miami stunned Northern Illinois with 26-21 victory last night, winning on late 33y TD pass from frosh QB Austin Boucher to WR Armand Robinson. Boucher was making only his third career start yet was dominant performer on night, completing 29-46 for 333y with TD and 0 INTs. Robinson caught 14 passes for 176y. The RedHawks defense was also instrumental to delivering the win by holding Northern to only 92y net rushing. Huskies QB Chandler Harnish did throw 3 TD passes in defeat and laid a 4th in his receivers' hands that was dropped in 2nd half (leading to a punt).

It was funny seeing Miami in the role of underdog and the announcers talk about what a great story they are after finishing 1-11 last year. But Miami is arguably the traditional power in the conference and indeed this title was their MAC-best 15th overall. Remember Miami earned the moniker "cradle of coaches" for being affiliated to the following as players or coaches or both: Paul Brown, Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, Paul Dietzel, Ara Parseghian, Sid Gillman, Weeb Ewbank, George Little, Bill Mallory, John Pont, etc. Of course much of their tradition is a bit old now, but back in 2003 with some guy named Roethlisberger at QB Miami won 13 straight games after an opening loss to Iowa and finished 10th in final AP Poll. It has been up-and-down since then with last night being a very big up.

I am a big fan of the MAC and they are a conference that has been negatively effected by the BCS (without 90% of television analysis discussing what teams will play in the BCS Title game there is no room for competitive conferences playing quality football but lacking a program good enough to rise to BCS prominence). Hopefully they can open some eyes this bowl season.

Picks

I won't bore you with my lousy picks but do hope the games this weekend are good ones. Hopefully we will enjoy an upset or two. I'll be back with picks for the bowl games.

NCAA is a Silly Place

I have to give the NCAA credit for one thing. They obviously could not care less what other people think of them.
Announcing that Cam Newton was eligible for both the SEC title game and Auburn's bowl game, while making it okay for Heisman voters to cast their votes for the young quarterback, was considered a huge positive for college football. At least I assume that was the behind-the-door reasoning that came to this poor decision. If the decision was not based on helping the sport's television ratings, then what was it based on? Common sense? No way. The NCAA found evidence that Cecil Newton offered his son's services through a peddling agent to Mississippi State. But they ruled that since there was no evidence that Cam knew about the deal, nor that Auburn did anything wrong, they are ruling him eligible and slapping the dad on the wrist. Auburn can go ahead and continue their charmed season.
The reasons this is a stupid ruling are myriad. For one thing, your father is an extension of you when it comes to recruiting. All decisions are made by the family together and the onus should have been on Cam to prove that he did not know anything about pay-for-play offers. Secondly, we have to assume that Cecil also shopped his son to Auburn. That is what everyone outside of southern Alabama thinks. Is the NCAA already finished investigating Auburn? If so, that was rather quick and will not assure fans of the sport that the NCAA exhausted all avenues in this regard.
But my biggest problem with this ruling is the message sent to players, their families and schools/boosters that cheat. The NCAA came down hard on Dez Bryant to not only punish the receiver (and cynics will say ensure Texas's undefeated regular season) but send a message to players: do not lie to the NCAA. Then this summer the NCAA dropped the hammer on USC. The message: establish your program in a way that makes compliance, not cheating, easy. So now they can make a statement about the selling of star players to colleges. But despite finding evidence that Cam was offered to MSU, the NCAA dropped the ball. The message: continue to sell your kid to programs but keep him ignorant of the situation and keep the number of people in the know about the offer to a minimum.
This is a ridiculous ruling.

Heisman Chatter

Unless something stunning happens soon, the truth about Cam Newton will not be known by the time votes are due. That is a shame because voters understandably are torn about picking the best player or picking the best player who will not one day have to give back the trophy.
With his performance in the Auburn rally against Alabama, Newton wrapped up any "most outstanding player" awards out there. The Heisman is a different story thanks to the troubles of 2005 winner Reggie Bush. And all of the evidence out there points to Newton being guilty. He is not even defending himself, but keeping quiet. And no one has proven to me that the growing number of people with information about attempts to sell Newton's services to Mississippi State have a reason to lie. The Bulldogs are building a nice program under head coach Dan Mullen. Why risk a good situation with a host of made-up stories about a guy playing for Auburn?
Of course there are plenty of voters who believe that Newton should have been able to sell his services. And others who do not care what the best player does off the field as long as he is the best player on it (even if he cheated to become the best although that does not seem to apply here).
Me? I'd vote for Kellen Moore.

Big East Update

The announcement that TCU will join the Big East conference for all sports is the big news of the day for the beleaguered conference. With four-loss Connecticut one win from a BCS spot, the rest of the country would prefer that the Horned Frogs join the Big East immediately. But the future, if not the present, is not so bleak for the continuously disrespected group.
For one thing, the improvement this year of Louisville and Syracuse made the conference more competitive from top to bottom. Of course, that is bad for the overall impression of the group as the conference lacks a couple of pushovers to help pad the record of the top boys. But for the conference's future, the return of Syracuse and Louisville to the living will be a boon to a conference needing publicity. The Cardinals, and Cincinnati, need to earn the Big East respect in the Midwest while establishing a football rivalry on par with the one they have in basketball, and Syracuse needs to be good to garner media attention for the conference as a whole in New York City, which feeds the huge number of Orange fans living in the metropolitan area information when the team is good. West Virginia, which is ranked and still alive for the BCS berth, and Pittsburgh are close to be ready for higher rankings but may need coaching changes to achieve that level of success. South Florida (which added the Miami pelt to the one they earned over FSU last year), Rutgers and UConn just have to continue doing what they are doing.
The conference is not as bad off as people think. We will find out in two years when TCU begins play. If they struggle they could prove that the level of play was good. But of they succeed the conference can enjoy a program worthy of the BCS title game. It is a win-win for all.

Book Review

The Gipper

by Jack Cavanaugh

Skyhorse Publishing

Fall 2010

Quick now, what does the name Stan Keck mean to you? Ralph Scott? Tom Woods? Iolas Huffman, Herb Stein, Don Lourie? The wonderfully named Gaylord Stinchcomb? Charles Way? These gentleman were consensus football All Americans in 1920 and the last two were good enough halfbacks to bump a third star player to the fullback spot for the All American team despite his never playing that position. That player was George Gipp of Notre Dame and to say he outshone his teammates on this squad or his own undefeated Notre Dame team is an understatement.

But why do we know the name George Gipp but not Don Lourie, who quarterbacked Princeton to a 6-0-1 record before becoming a success businessman (president of Quaker Oats) and public servant (Under Secretary of State for Administration under Eisenhower, himself a near contemporary from the collegiate gridiron)? As Jack Cavanaugh makes clear in his insightful biography, Gipp became one of the most famous athletes in 20 century sports for a perfect storm of factors that swirled together over the decades to produce an almost mythical embodiment of the ultimate athlete.

But as Cavanaugh makes clear, Gipp was an all-too-real person. Filling out some of the humanity behind the myth, Cavanaugh makes clear that Gipp had his share of foibles but then, as now, the celebrity status he enjoyed first locally and then nationwide helped swipe a lot of the negative away. Draft dodger? Gipp somehow was given a military salute at his funeral. Indifferent student who rarely attended classes? Gipp was commended for his studies at his funeral. Of course the true irony was that a pool hustling, class avoiding jock was a key figure in bringing national glory to Notre Dame, a school that truly represents the values of Catholic higher education.

But as Cavanaugh points out there really was not anything anyone could do to stop Gipp's development as a football player nor his local celebrity. He was an immensely gifted athlete who proved himself to be a team player. Sure he was coached by the great Knute Rockne, becoming his first star player. But Rock really just had to point Gipp toward the playing field. That is no knock on "Rock" as some players are just that good and he was smart enough to get out of his star back's way. Plus the great coaches need to coach up the lesser talents to help their stars succeed. The role Rockne played in giving Gipp legendary status came later. And Rockne did help establish Notre Dame as the type of football power that could produce a star like Gipp with his pass catching skills while a player for Notre Dame, specifically in the upset of Army in 1913 that elevated a solid but little known nationally program from Indiana into a team to be reckoned with on the national stage. Then Rockne the head coach built the Irish--or Westerners or Hibernians or one of a few nicknames that were thrust on the team then--into a national power.

So Gipp had the skills, Rockne the genius and the two together the results to elevate a regional power into a national power. Another factor in the elevation of Gipp into a legendary figure was the year, 1920, that he became consensus All American. The nation was emerging from a horrific war and was looking to relax and have some fun. The Gipp who could stay up late playing cards and shooting pool and then dominate games ten hours later was just the kind of guy we were looking to emulate. He was handsome, intelligent, charming and possessed a confidence that proved irresistible. The possibilities were endless for Gipp, as the country.

Which, of course, made his death--just a couple of weeks after his final playing appearance against Indiana--all the more tragic. Gipp died from a severe, unchecked-until-it-was-too-late case of strep throat in the era before antibiotics. That he went from starring on the field that fall to dying before the year ended was stunning to the public, even one grown used to death after the war and recent flu epidemic. Gipp had transformed from star athlete to tragic hero.

The Gipp story through the end of his life explains why he became a national figure. But despite his good looks, immense athletic talent (baseball was probably his best sport and he would have pursued major league baseball opportunities in the spring of 1921) and then tragic death, George Gipp probably would not have remained a household name today, 90 years since his death, without other factors. For one thing, Notre Dame had to remain a national power. Thanks to Rockne's successful coaching the small college from Indiana did remain a great team through his coaching run and then stuck with the demands of the sport, even through some difficult times. The Notre Dame football story, with Gipp as one of the key figures, gets repeated like no other program's. The Irish past, thanks to a host of top writers who helped promote the team, became the college football history for a huge segment of the nation. And so millions more people have heard of Gipp, Rockne and the Four Horsemen but could not place end Brick Muller, who led Cal to the 1920 national championship. And a key element of that history is a speech, pep talk if you will, that Rockne gave to his team nearly eight years after Gipp died. The "win one for the Gipper" speech and subsequent upset over Army in 1928 not only did wonders for the status of Rockne, but reinforced Gipp as a mystical figure to be called upon when times were difficult. As much as this is a biography of Gipp the man, and Cavanaugh has plenty of stories about his home life in Laurium, Michigan and his days as a pool hustler in South Bend plus a bit of a doomed love life for our hero, this book is also a telling of how Gipp's story became larger than his own life. And that speech is a crucial element of Gipp the legend.

But of course there was one more card to be played. Ronald Reagan had to beat out a host of promising young actors to play Gipp in the movie Knute Rockne All American, a movie that stamped Gipp as a doomed hero for a new generation, and then had to eventually become president of the United States, where he continued to use the "win one for the Gipper" line he said in the film 40 years earlier.

And so the real Gipper (rarely, if ever, called that when alive) lives on. He has joined the pantheon of greats of American sport. Not bad for a 25-year-old with a skill at toting the leather. And this book, despite some repetitions, gives justice to that celebrated hero. Being able to use old interviews he conducted years ago, when former teammates and friends of Gipp still lived, Cavanaugh gives us a glimpse into not only Gipp's life but the power of fame. It is well worth reading for anyone interested in not only the history of college football but the role of celebrity in American life.

View From Bennett Avenue

Overall I believe the games played at Wrigley Field and Yankee Stadium were successful, although Northwestern and Army may beg to differ. The only obvious complication was the end zone near the ivy at Wrigley, although the game played in the Bronx in November at night could easily have been a lot colder and more miserable for those in attendance. Unfortunately neither game proved to be competitive, which was really a shame for the battle of Illinois as that game is always under the radar even if the teams are decent. It will never be mistaken for Ohio State versus Michigan, or even Wisconsin versus Minnesota, but the instate rivalry should become a better one. And after witnessing the incredible lack of interest in the Army-Notre Dame rivalry from the mid 1970s until recent times, it was good to see that some of that excitement was back. It will never be 1946 again (and didn't Lujack look great yesterday? And yes I am gushing), but at least people should care about a slice of college football history.

And so these games are good for the sport. I don't know if we will see Wrigley again thanks to the end zone problem (how did the Bears once play there?), but Yankee Stadium will remain a venue and others will follow suit.

Picks

Ahhh. I am running out of time to give you my picks.
So here goes (please excuse the brevity):
Wisconsin -4.5 against Michigan
Oklahoma State -24 vs KU
Iowa +3 against OSU
Northwestern +8 against Illinois
Cal +7 vs Stanford
BYU -30 against NM
Arkansas -3 vs Miss State
Tennessee -9 vs Vandy
Rutgers +13.5 at Cincy
SD State +3 against Utah
My best bets are Wisconsin, Okie State, Cal, BYU, Tenn and RU
Enjoy the slate

Remember When

It was only a few short years ago that the Big East was riding high, having rebounded nicely from the departures of Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College to still produce quality football and elite teams. In 2006, in fact, Big East members West Virginia and Louisville were ranked no. 3 and no. 5 nationwide respectively in early November thanks to being both 7-0 as the season wound down. The two programs were matched up on a Thursday night on November 2nd and both teams sparkled under the lights--at least when they were on. Here is the recap, as found in The USA TODAY College Football Encyclopedia:

LOUISVILLE 44 West Virginia 34: Big East battle of unbeatens was O parade as both Ds were nearly invisible. West Virginia (7-1) won hollow triumph: 540y to 468y in O stat battle. Leading 16-14 at H but frustrated in its inability to cash TDs instead of K Art Carmody's 3 FGs, Louisville (8-0) seemed to come alive at same moment half of lights went out in Papa John Stadium. After exchange of TOs in semi-darkness of early 3rd Q, West Virginia started series at its 13YL, and on 1st play, star RB Steve Slaton (18/156y, TD) lost FUM. Cardinals LB Malik Jackson scooped it up for TD RET and 23-14 lead. Slaton went to sideline with limp left arm, and Mountaineers soon were forced to punt from own 6YL. Short punt was returned by streaking Cards WR Trent Guy for 40y TD. QB Pat White (13-20/222y and 23/145y, 4 TDs rushing) marshaled WVU for gutsy 92y TD march, mostly using his own runs, to 30-21 deficit. On 1st snap of 4th Q, however, Louisville QB Brian Brohm (19-26/354y, TD) tossed TD fade pass to 6'6 WR Mario Urrutia (6/113y). Slaton was back for WVU's next series that resulted in White's power-run TD that resembled 1950s Single Wing play. Cards quickly negated that score with another one of their own. It came on 5y run by big frosh RB Anthony Allen (12/47y, 2 TDs) and provided 44-27 lead with 10:19 left.

With victory Louisville moved up to no. 3 in BCS ranking. But there was yet another undefeated Big East team lurking, Rutgers, and the Scarlet Knights bounced the Cardinals from the top ten with a 28-25 win one week later. But Rutgers would lose twice more before season ended and Louisville ended up the Big East champion with 6-1 mark. They went on to beat fellow upstart Wake Forest in Orange Bowl to close out glorious season with final 12-1 record.

Big East Update

I find it funny that the Big East bashing that annually occurs this time of the year is no different than any other year. Of course, this year the conference has not impressed while in the past it was not nearly as bad as national pundits and fans would lead you to believe. Yet the silly bashing done in the past has not worsened, proving that the bashing was done without any pretense to fact or an actual viewing of Big East game. They disliked the Big East whether the conference was good or bad.

Either way, the very competitive league does have to crown a champion and that program will secure a BCS spot. Pittsburgh is currently the leader at 3-1, but the Panthers have to play two of their remaining three games on the road against South Florida tomorrow and Cincinnati in December. Pitt is 1-3 on the road this year. With their one remaining home game being rival West Virginia, the Panthers are not even close to wrapping up the league title.

Syracuse is currently in second place in the conference at 4-2, which is stunning. The revival of the Orange program under head coach Doug Marrone is crucial to the conference as they have a legitimate presence in New York City--thanks to a strong alumni group there--and have the tradition needed to attract national interest. They only have one remaining game in conference, tomorrow night's clash with UConn in the Carrier Dome, and need to win it and then get some help. For one thing they need Pitt to lose twice as the Panthers have already beaten Syracuse or a three-way tie that could eliminate head-to-head as a factor. Either way they need to win and while they are at it beat former conference rival Boston College next week. The conference needs as many wins against members of other BCS conferences as possible. Win both and then the bowl game and Syracuse will have won ten games. Unbelievable. But let's not get too ahead of ourselves.

Of the remaining contenders, South Florida, at 3-2 in the conference, is the most intriguing as they are not only on a three-game win streak but play their remaining two Big East games at home against Pitt and Connecticut. They also have a crucial non-conference game remaining at Miami on November 27. The always talented Mountaineers of West Virginia cannot be counted out, sitting at 2-2, although they have road games against improved Louisville and Pitt next up on their schedule. After beating West Virginia and Pitt in back-to-back weeks, UConn cannot be completely dismissed either. They are a long shot however due to the fact that they still have to play both Syracuse and South Florida on the road. In four road games this season the Huskies are 0-4 and have been outscored by a combined 113-50.

The remaining schools are all hoping to become bowl eligible. Everyone has something to play for and there should be some compelling action--not that anyone outside the conference will tune in.

Cam Newton-Again

The stakes are certainly high regarding the eligibility of Cam Newton. Auburn is undefeated and would not be undefeated without Newton. They still have to play Alabama in the Iron Bowl, South Carolina in a rematch for the SEC title and X in a bowl game, possibly the BCS championship game. Newton is also a favorite for the Heisman Trophy.
The NCAA is supposedly putting this issue on the front burner. But based on what we have seen in the past, it will be hard to expect any resolution to this controversy before the Alabama game. And, let's be clear, if the NCAA had punished Southern Cal in a more timely fashion for the benefits received by Reggie Bush, it is very possible that the Newtons would not have tried to sell Cam's services (if in fact they did) nor would Auburn or its boosters paid cash for a player (if in fact they did).
Remember if the Newtons did try to sell Cam to Mississippi State, he can be ruled ineligible for Auburn even if they did not pay him. And, of course, if there is proof that Auburn has paid the guy then this whole season goes up in smoke. And if e was paid then the NCAA must act swiftly to punish the Tigers. Severely.

MAC Love

While the MAC has yet to recover the glory days from recent memory when star players and up-and-coming coaches dominated the action, the product on the field is still compelling. Tonight is a big match-up between Ohio and Temple, who are locked in a three-way tie for first place in the East at 5-1 with surprise team of the conference--Miami of Ohio. Temple has the toughest road to hoe in that they host Ohio tonight and then play at Miami next Tuesday. Still they know that if they win out they are in, to probably face Northern Illinois in the title game as NIU has a 1.5 game lead over Toledo with two to play out West. That game would allow the Owls to avenge their only MAC conference loss this season as the Huskies scored the final 21 points of the game to beat Temple 31-17 back in October.

Thanks to a rout of Miami on October 23, Ohio also can claim the MAC East crown by winning out. The final game for the Bobcats is Thanksgiving Friday at Kent State, who is 3-2 at home on the season (only 4-6 overall). The Golden Flashes have outgained Ohio in each of the past three seasons, although only winning once, last year, in that span.

Miami needs some help while taking care of lowly Akron this weekend. The easiest situation for them is to have Temple win tonight and then beat the Owls next week. Either way the turnaround for Miami this season under coach Mike Hayward has been impressive after the Redhawks went 1-11 last year.

Meanwhile NIU just keeps humming along behind a rush attack that is tenth in the nation with a 261y average, leading the way for an offense that has produced at least 28 points in all six of their MAC wins. Senior running back Chad Spann has rushed for 1,070y and 15 TDs, while QB Chandler Harnish (pictured) has thrown for more than 1,600y and rushed for an additional 700y. Coach Jerry Kill may be the next MAC coaching star, although of course that will mean his moving on to the Big 10.

Service Academy Glory

Do you remember the heat Notre Dame took a few years ago because they had all three service academies, Air Force, Army and Navy, on its schedule? Would any BCS power line up today for something similar? No. 1 ranked Oregon, who scheduled Tennessee but also Portland State and New Mexico? Auburn, who did play Clemson out-of-conference, but also Arkansas State, Louisiana Monroe and Chattanooga?

No way. As Ohio State, who edged Navy last year, and Oklahoma, who struggled with Air Force this year, learned, there is no benefit to playing these teams and much too much to lose. What the powers do get is the ability to teach their five and four star recruits some humility after film sessions that show them struggling with the likes of QB Ricky Dobbs of Navy (listed in Phil Steele's preseason guide as the 142nd QB of his high school class) or QB Trent Steelman of Army (no. 245 in his class) or QB Tim Jefferson of Air Force (no. 390 in his class! And that is just at QB.) The service academies are back and looking forward to bowl season.

How did it get this way? Well for one thing serving your country in the military is not looked down upon anymore as it was, in some parts of the country, back during Vietnam when the academies started to slip athletically. Second, there is a lot more support monetarily as no one looked at woeful records by programs representing our military as a positive example of our fighting spirit. Thirdly, coaching has saved the day as Air Force coach Troy Calhoun learned under Fisher DeBerry in the late 1980s and both Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo and Army coach Rich Ellerson fell from the Paul Johnson tree of coaching. And the fourth, and main, reason for the success of these teams is the option attack that they use which is difficult to execute--but a bit easier for students used to the regimen of their daily lives--and difficult to defend. All three academies now run some form of wishbone or option attack and dare defenses to stop them. A huge advantage is that no BCS team is going to spend enough time preparing for them at risk of losing to a bigger named opponent the following week who throws the ball all over the field. Oklahoma defenders were recruited to stop Colt McCoy and Garrett Gilbert of Texas, Taylor Potts of Texas Tech and Zac Robinson and Brandon Weeden of Oklahoma State, not Tim Jefferson of Air Force. I am sure many of his teammates agreed with Sooners LB Travis Lewis when he said this of trying to cope with the Falcon attack that had just scorched OU for 458y: "I never want to see this kid of offense again."

And you know what? They probably won't. Until more teams go back to running some form of option, the bigger teams will shy away from scheduling the academies. What was once considered an easy win is a lock no more. But, of course, there will always be bowl games where despite having multiple weeks to prepare, Missouri and Houston were routed by Navy and Air Force last year. Good luck to those teams chosen to face the three academies this postseason.

What We Learned Saturday

I am unsure if anyone had great expectations for yesterday's college football "card" (and, no, I did not watch the fight last night)? Absent the huge match-ups of top ten teams we had grown accustomed to, the day would need competitive performances from some teams below the radar for us, as fans, to have a fun time. And that is exactly what happened.

Northwestern got the ball rolling with a stirring comeback of all things--the Cats have lost twice this year in big games thanks to allowing rallies--to nip Iowa at the wire and eliminate the Hawkeyes from the Big Ten race. That QB Dan Persa was lost for the season on the play just added to the drama. Fortunately this game was exciting as Wisconsin was clubbing seal cubs on another ESPN outlet at the same time.

But then in a span of a few moments in the afternoon, Ohio State, Auburn and TCU were all losing by a couple of scores. They did all rally to win, and at night both Oregon and Stanford won closer games than expected, but the excitement--from noon until late at night--stayed with anyone fortunate enough to have tuned in. All five of the underdog teams in question, Penn State, Georgia, San Diego State, Cal, and Arizona State respectively, played with heart and all put a scare into teams still clinging to BCS title game aspirations. But then plenty of other teams without hopes of reaching the BCS title game played with spirit too, like South Carolina who whacked Florida to earn the SEC East crown or Virginia Tech, who looks determined to win another ACC crown. Or how about North Carolina State, Maryland and, yes, Syracuse, who all won their seventh game of the year.

Days like yesterday are proof that the college football game is not broken.

Paul's Picks

I had a brilliant performance two weeks ago to pull my season record to 22-23 and then had another brilliant week seven days ago only to have computer problems and not get the picks in on time. So here goes for this week:
Iowa (-10) at NORTHWESTERN:
Some programs just have the number of another. And no I am not speaking of dominance by a power over an also-ran but when a middling-to-good program consistently tops one considered better than them. Take the Wildcats, who have upset Iowa in four of the past five years. They have a very good team and must have learned from their late meltdowns against Michigan State and Penn State. The Hawkeyes are good but not 10 points on the road good. Pick: Northwestern +10
Kansas State at MISSOURI (-13)
Although Missouri has won four straight in the series the games have been closer than the score would indicate. KSU can run on anyone and veteran coach Bill Snyder did not let them bask in the sun this week after their big performance against Texas. Pick: KSU +13
Utah (-6) at NOTRE DAME
This is an odd spread, based solely on the hangover effect after Utah got whacked last week against TCU. But that would have been a factor if they lost close. By getting routed, the Utes need to show a national television audience that they are one of the better teams in the country. Last year they followed all three of their losses with impressive wins. Notre Dame meanwhile is struggling to keep healthy bodies on the field. Pick: Utah -6
Stanford (-6) at ARIZONA STATE
While this has the makings of a trap game, coming in between Stanford's huge win over Arizona last week and their rivalry game against Cal next week, coach Jim Harbaugh has these guys playing such hard-nosed football that it is not a worry. Last year the game in between their upset of Oregon and Cal was the USC game and all The Cardinal did was whack the Trojans 55-21. They are getting no mention nationally despite an excellent year and will take out their frustrations on the game Sun Devils.
Tulsa at HOUSTON (over/under 76)
Last year these teams combined for 91 points; in 2008 it was an even 100. Pick: Over 76

Remember When

With all of the craziness swirling around the Auburn football program, Remember When will look back on the 1957 national champion Tigers, who went undefeated en route to claiming the national title despite being on probation for...you guessed it, buying players. Now the money being claimed today, and actually no one has yet to say that Auburn bought Newton but that people representing him solicited money from Mississippi State, is a lot more than what Auburn was caught paying back in the day but the money earned today from the sport is a lot larger too. There is a lot riding on the play of these kids and a lot of pressure for programs to succeed. As we wait for more information on the current situation, here is a key win by Auburn over Mississippi State from 11/9/57 as recapped in The USA TODAY College Football Encyclopedia:
AUBURN 15 Mississippi State 7 (Birmingham): Seeking its best record since going 7-3 in 1947, Mississippi State (5-2) scored 1st when it caught powerful Auburn (7-0) D napping late in 2nd Q. On 3rd-and-4, Bulldogs sub QB Tom Miller rolled left and targeted E Ned Brooks, who slipped deep and into clear at Tigers 25YL. Brooks romped uncontested for 57y on TD pass play that became only 3rd TD allowed by Auburn in season to date. Essentially, Miller's surprise pass was only gaffe all season for mighty Plainsmen D. Maroons HB Bubber Trammell had bolted for 16y gain on game's 1st scrimmage, but Mississippi State made no other first downs all 1st H other than its TD. As 2nd H opened, Auburn blazed 76y in 11 plays to FB-K Billy Atkins' 2y TD dive and tying kick. Tigers soph C-LB Jackie Burkett stormed in on Bulldogs P Bill Schoenrock, and E John Whatley followed to block punt for safety for 9-7 edge in 4th Q. Atkins added another TD after FUM REC was secured at Maroons 10YL.
Auburn was ranked no. 3 in country at time, needing upsets (Notre Dame over Texas and Rice over Texas A&M) and convincing wins over lowly Florida State and Alabama to overcome voter reluctance in becoming title winner despite probation.

Say It Ain't So, Cam

With the latest allegations thrown Cam Newton's way--that he cheated on numerous occasions at Florida--it is becoming apparent that the only way to stop Cam Newton is to derail him with off-the-field stuff. What's next? That Cam was invented by NASA? That he was 5'7, 180 until four years ago when he started taking certain "supplements"?
I do not know what is real and what is not regarding these allegations. Coach Gene Chizik's defense was pathetic. Loudly chanting that Newton is "eligible" was specious at best. Yes, we know he is eligible. Reggie Bush was eligible when we first heard allegations thrown his way.
Meanwhile Rece Davis kept wondering out loud if Newton had already wrapped up the Heisman. Ummm, he is being accused of shaking down schools while deciding where he would transfer to. Just a few months removed from Bush returning his Hesiman and voters are going to run to give the prize to a guy who has already been arrested for accepting stolen merchandise and then has been accused of soliciting money for the privilege of suiting him up? That is crazy.
What bothers me the most is that this crap can potentially overshadow a fine season.

TCU An Outsider?

The Horned Frogs are good--just in case anyone still wondered. They whipped Utah every which way, chasing the Utes from the BCS discussion while making a strong case for themselves as worthy of a title shot. Are they better than Boise State? Who knows. The two programs appear to be pretty even. Do they have a better shot than Alabama of reaching the BCS title game? They do now.
One thing I find funny is the "outsider" status of TCU, which is based solely on their current status as a member of a non-BCS conference. But the Horned Frogs are a traditional power having won national championships under coach Dutch Meyer in the 1930s and Southwest Conference championships under Abe Martin in the 1950s. The program fell on hard times and had some pretty pathetic seasons in the 1970s and '80s, but you cannot hang an outsider tag on them because they had to be rebuilt. The reality is that some teams have been considered "haves" because of the conference they play in and others "have nots" because of the conference they play in but the reality is sometimes different than the accepted truth. TCU is proud of their history and proud of their recent dominance. They recruit Texas hard and pay their coaches well. Like Boise, they play football to win games--many schools do not--and they are very successful at it. Unlike Boise, they should not be considered an outsider.

Big 12 Round-Up

Baylor beat Texas. In Austin. I just thought that I remind everyone of that occurrence, from Saturday, as the news is slow to get out these days. Baylor last beat the Longhorns in 1997 and last beat them on the road in 1991 (Ah the Southwest Conference). And yes sir, the Bears are currently in first place in the Big 12 South by a half game over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. And it is November. The Bears have a fine coach in Art Briles, great quarterback in Robert Griffin, nifty running back in Jay Finley and a defense that is exceeding expectations. Griffin's return from a torn ACL has gone extremely well so far as he has already thrown for 2,592y with 20 TD passes and rushed for 410y and 7 more TDs. In a conference loaded with star players, he may be the mosy dynamic. Of course two tough games await Baylor in Oklahoma State in Stillwater and Oklahoma at home (and the Bears cannot overlook Texas A&M either), but these Bears will be bowl-bound for the first time since 1994. These are heady times in Waco.

Although Nebraska and Missouri are still tied atop the Big 12 North, the Tigers will need some help due to the Cornhuskers not only owning the head-to-head tiebreaker but possessing an easier schedule the rest of the way. Still, there is plenty of football yet to be played.

What We Learned Yesterday

Auburn and Oregon both held serve yesterday to remain atop the polls. Each team avoided the upsets that have been decimating the top ten lately, riding explosive offenses to 50-pt totals against decent conference opposition. Yes USC fans, that is really all you are these days. And two undefeated pretenders, Missouri and Michigan State, lost as expected in tough spots. And so we enter November with three undefeated non BCS teams in Boise State, TCU and Utah and all sorts of questions remaining about who the best teams are in 2010. Every week is an elimination tournament for the national title race while rearranging conference battles. Next week we have the battle for supremacy in the MWC between Utah and TCU with the loser also being bounced from BCS title game consideration and a SEC West showdown between Alabama and LSU that will send the loser packing. You have to love this time of year.

Remember When

The Penn State-Michigan clash tonight is not getting too much pub, but that has not been the case in the recent past. Although the series has been dominated by the Wolverines, here is a battle pitting then no. 3-ranked Penn State versus no. 5-ranked Michigan from October 15, 1994 as recapped in The USA TODAY College Football Encyclopedia:

Penn State 31 MICHIGAN 24: Battle in "The Big House" drew 106,382, 3rd largest crowd to date in collegiate history. On the verge of putting verdict away, early-striking Penn State (6-0) collected mostly FGs and led 16-0 before K Remy Hamilton put Wolverines (4-2) on board at 16-3 before H. TB Tyrone Wheatley, who had only 9/11y rushing in 1st H, exploded for 67 and 21y TDs on consecutive series, and, in span of 4:19, Michigan suddenly jumped into 17-16 lead. Nittany Lions answered with QB Kerry Collins (20-32/231y, 3 TDs) passing for TD and 2-pt conv at end of 86y foray. After WR Amani Toomer (7/157y) set up 24-24 tie with 38y catch, Penn State forged ahead for good with 2:53 left: WR Bobby Engram made toe-in-bounds catch, TB Ki-Jana Carter (in photo, left, with Collins, center, and TE Kyle Brady) ran 26y and Engram caught 16y TD. Toomer maneuvered himself all alone at Lions 5YL, but lost his bearings and long pass drifted off his fingertips. Michigan soon evaporated possession on 4th down INT by Penn State DB Brian Miller.

Paul's Picks

Once again my lousy picking is deflating my interest in writing a long post. I am now at 17-22 for the season. Enough said.
Wake Forest at MARYLAND (-5.5)
Although neither team is a threat for a ranking or meriting much attention, the spread is implying that Maryland is decent. This is a pick based solely on noticing a spread that seems too high. Oh, and Wake does have some talent on defense. Pick: Wake +5.5
Vanderbilt at ARKANSAS (-21)
Pad the stats time for the Razorbacks. Pick: Arkansas -21
Akron at TEMPLE (-29)
I am including this game just so I can type a -29 next to Temple. Pick: Temple -29
Missouri at NEBRASKA (over/under 55)
Although I like Nebraska in this game-like everyone else--I am impressed enough with Missouri's defense to shy away from giving the points. But I do like the under in what should be a defensive struggle. Pick: Under 55
Cal at OREGON STATE (-3)
Cal has played four home games this season, winning them all by average 47-9 score. They have played three road games, losing them all by average margin of 16. This game is on the road and features the second half of the season Beavers, who are always good this time of year. Pick: Oregon State -3
Michigan at PENN STATE (+3)
How did Michigan get back into the rankings? Because they did not drop their third straight game(they were off)? Penn State wins third straight in rivalry once dominated by Michigan. Pick: Penn State +3

Boise Blues

One of the elements fueling the rise of Boise State football to prominence has been their frequent appearances on ESPN, based on their and the WAC's willingness to play games on any day of the week to suit the television schedule. But now that the Broncos are a top 3 program, is this still helping them?

I wonder. There is certainly an element of desperation to playing games on a Tuesday (they beat La Tech 49-20 last night). Or, to be honest, any day other than Saturday and maybe Thursday (but do not make it a habit). Boise has five more games this season and three of them are to be played on a Friday night, all to be aired on ESPN. Being on ESPN a majority of the season is a definite plus but playing on Friday nights hurts.

Of course, Boise is leaving the WAC after this season and it is the WAC's low-level status that is fueling these scheduling decisions. The Mountain West, which will include Boise starting in 2011, plays a great majority of their games on Saturday, but they do not have a deal with ESPN. Instead Boise fans will have to find their games on Versus or CBS College Sports. Boise will be on ESPN in the future when they play on the road against a team from a conference that has an ESPN contract--like Mississippi next September. So being on television will not be the problem (and they'll make close to $1 million a year more than they do under the current WAC contract). But fans will definitely have to work more to see their games and I bet the regular college football viewer will tune in for Boise's games against TCU (if they stay) or Air Force, but not the lesser lights. There is too much competition on a Saturday.

The other problem facing Boise as they search for more respect is that ridiculous blue field. What once was a way for the team to stand out is now a reason to point fingers at them for getting an unfair advantage by wearing blue uniforms. But more importantly they do not look like a national power when playing at home. I have a hard time watching a full game when they play at home and I assume a great many traditionalists do not even bother. Although Boise playing a great majority of their games on Saturday will be a reality beginning next season, the blue turf is here to stay.

What We Learned Saturday

Being a big fan of major upsets, I am very happy right now. Every week another over-rated big power falls by the wayside and every week the "experts" drum up support for the latest BCS conference flavor. Auburn is no. 1 in the latest BCS ranking? The Arkansas back-up QB came off the bench and tore that D to shreds. All of these teams have flaws and it will be interesting to see who survives the rest of the action. Michigan State and Missouri, for example, will be hard-pressed to win this weekend (at Iowa and at Nebraska respectively). And we still have to have at least one stunning upset, whereby a team with a mediocre record knocks off a top 5 squad. How about Mississippi beating Auburn Saturday? All of that should make it a little easier for Alabama to climb back into the mix and for at least one non BCS squad--and there are three ranked in the top 7--making the title game.

And to be honest, there has been so much discussion about these non BCS conference teams that it will almost be a let-down if the BCS title game does not pit one them versus a more traditional power. And the ratings between Alabama and Boise would be huge. We'll see. It is only October 25.

There were quite a number of big games this past weekend in regards to conference action and I will break down each conference as the week goes on. It has been an exciting year and the final stretch promises some big-time action.

If You Root For Enough Teams...

There is nothing quite like sports to capture the highs and lows of life. Yesterday my wife and I went to the new Giants Stadium (hard to judge as we had good seats) to witness Navy run through and over Notre Dame. Being a fan of the Fighting Irish since birth, the game was a complete disaster. The Midshipmen dominated the action. But being that it was college football, we had plenty of fun tailgating with friends including long-time supporters of this blog Jim Johnson and Steve Feeley.

And in true sports fashion, the low of the afternoon was erased by the evening as the San Francisco Giants nipped the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 to win the National League pennant. Like Notre Dame, the Giants are a team I root for because of my father. And so it was great to see a team given little chance of winning, emerge victorious against the two-time defending NL champs. And so even though another Notre Dame season appears lost, the Giants are four wins away from an improbable championship--their first since 1954. They were given little chance that year too.

Go Giants!

Remember When

Today's Georgia Tech-Clemson match-up is a bit under the radar, despite being the rematch of last year's ACC Championship. But 20 years ago this battle, featuring two Top 20 teams, was a key game in Georgia Tech's stunning drive to a co-national championship. Here is a recap of the game, played on October 13, 1990, as written in The USA TODAY College Football Encyclopedia:

GEORGIA TECH 21 Clemson 19: Yellow Jackets (5-0) won 9th straight over 2 years, jumping to 14-0 1st Q lead on 2 TD passes by QB Shawn Jones (pictured emerging heroically from some mist). Clemson (5-2) fought back on 4 FGs by K Chris Gardocki, his 44y boot narrowing gap to 14-12 in 4th Q. On following KO, Georgia Tech soph RET artist Kevin Tisdale went 87y to Tigers 13YL to set up TD run by RB T.J. Edwards. Tech staged GLS when LB Calvin Tiggle (19 tackles) made 4th down stop, but later allowed their 1st TD all year when Clemson QB Chance Cameron scored with 3:27 left. Gardocki missed 60y FG try with 1:00 to play.

The Yellow Jackets remained out of the national title picture despite this victory, and then fell to no. 16 overall on October 29 with tie to UNC. Unbelievably, they worked their way up to a shared championship with a great November, including an upset of top-ranked Virginia, and then Citrus Bowl win over Nebraska.

Pac 10 Update

Oregon's offense is good. Real good. Their defense? We need more evidence.

The cumulative record of the seven Oregon victims to date: 16-28 (11-27 if we take out Stanford). So let's not get too ahead of ourselves with the Ducks, who still have Washington and Arizona at home and road games against USC, Cal and Oregon State this season.

Also, can UCLA go back to their normal uniforms? We have given up on Oregon and their ever-changing but always ridiculous Nike efforts. But the Bruins?

Paul's Picks

Let's make this quick as I have to pick up my daughter from school.
I am now 15-18 for the season, which stinks. Here are the picks for this week:
Georgia Tech at CLEMSON (-5)
The Yellow Jackets pulled off an unusual sweep of an opponent last season by beating Clemson in the regular season and in the ACC title game. These two squads will not be meeting in December this year and this game will decide if the Tigers can beat coach Paul Johnson, who has now won 3 straight close games against them while at Tech. Game should be competitive and I will take the points. Pick: Georgia Tech +5
Michigan State (-6) at NORTHWESTERN
This is an awful scheduling spot for the undefeated Spartans as they are well overdue for a let-down following the late, crazy win over Notre Dame on 9/18, their head coach's heart attack that evening, the upset of Wisconsin on 10/2, the beating of Michigan 10/9 and then homecoming last week with the coach returning. That is a lot for kids. Add in the Northwestern spread attack, which is quite different than the one the Illini threw at them last week, and the reality that Iowa awaits them next Saturday, and Sparty should be in trouble against a game bunch of Cats. Pick: Northwestern +6
Syracuse at WEST VIRGINIA (-13.5)
While I love the effort the Orange give, they are not yet ready to handle a supremely athletic team on the road. The Schwartzwalder Trophy remains the property of the Mountaineers for a ninth straight year thanks to Geno Smith, Noel Devine, Jock Sanders, and company. Pick: West Virginia -13.5
Oklahoma (-3) at MISSOURI
The Sooners own this series, winning 19 of the past 20. And we are not talking about Barry Switzer running it up against an undermanned Tigers bunch a generation ago, but ranked Mizzou teams from 2006, 2007 (twice), and 2008 losing to Oklahoma by double digits. Yes no. 1 has fallen two Saturdays in a row, but the Sooners learned that lesson and will be focused. Pick: Oklahoma -3
Nebraska (-6) at OKLAHOMA STATE
I will give the Cowboys credit for one thing. Like Missouri this weekend, Oklahoma State has chosen this tough conference opponent as its homecoming foe. That takes balls my friends. But, it will not produce wins. Like Missouri, OSU has not beaten anyone even remotely sniffing the top 25 at the moment. And the Huskers are a bit angry after last week's loss. Plus the Nebraska seniors remember when the Cowboys rung up 45 points on them in 2007, the last time these two programs squared off. The Huskers will have their revenge and Oklahoma State's slide into Big 12 also ran status begins tomorrow. Pick: Nebraska -6
Alabama (-16.5) at TENNESSEE
Turn away children. Turn away. Pick: Alabama -16.5

SEC Report

Quarterback Cam Newton's excellent season is coming as no surprise to many college football experts who were well aware of Newton's singular talents and the ability of Auburn offensive coordinator Guz Malzahn to exploit them. Well, maybe no one expected him to be this good. Newton is the scary combination of an athlete with all the gifts who also works hard and studies the game. Basically he has it all, including the "it" factor that few athletes possess but that those who do can just will themselves or their team to victory. Newton has many more huge games to still perform in, including this Saturday against LSU, but all signs point to his continuing to be a dominant player for 2010 and beyond.

All of this has got to be killing Florida coach Urban Meyer, who recruited Newton to Gainesville for the 2007 season. Newton beat out fellow frosh John Brantley for the back-up job to Tim Tebow and was developing into the rare replacement for a legend who could keep up the high standards of his predecessor. All was fine and dandy until November of 2008 when the then redshirted Newton was arrested for stealing a laptop. Later it was revealed that Newton bought the already stolen computer and did not do the actual stealing. Still the damage was done despite all of the other crimes committed by fellow Gators. You see, none of those guys was trying to replace the sainted Tebow.

Meyer, of course, would have welcomed him back. He knew that the Gators offense that was built for Tebow was perfect for Newton and not for Brantley--as we are all seeing this year. But Tebow surprised many by deciding to return for his senior season last year which prompted Newton to leave Gainesville. To be as good as he is and sit around for a third year--all while being labeled a felon--would have been a waste for someone as good as Newton. And so he signed on with Blinn Junior college in January of 2009. After leading Blinn to the juco national title Newton signed on with Auburn on December 31, 2009. Happy New Years Tiger fans!

And so while the Florida offense struggles, the Auburn offense dazzles. Amazingly Newton both leads the SEC in rushing and is second in the nation in passing efficiency. He will be tested by the LSU defense this weekend that features a host of great athletes. And if Newton ever smashes into the equally massive DT Drake Nevis, the sound created will boom out to neighboring states.

Old-time Football

I returned to the Yale Bowl this past weekend to watch Fordham lose to the home team 7-6. Yeah, that's right. 7-6. There were two huge plays for the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter as sub QB Brook Hart threw a 29y TD pass to WR Jordan Forney for a 7-6 lead and then DT Chris Dooley blocked a go-ahead FG attempt to end final Fordham drive into Yale red zone. Yale is now 4-1 on the season as they look to compete for the Ivy title while the Rams fell to 2-5.

While the stirring action on the field was on a break, it was time to look around the old dame for signs of its past glory. You need a lot of imagination. It's place as an inspiration to other fields and stadiums is evident by how much of its age shows through. The Yale Bowl was shaped by digging out the bowl shape--with the field in the middle--and then putting the fans on the pitch heading up to the perimeter as inspired by similar fields in Ancient Rome. And when you walk through the portals to get to your seats (mind the splinters) you can imagine yourself in Rome for a brief moment. But to truly remember its days hosting football powerhouses, one would have to return when Harvard is in town and the now 61,000 capacity is stretched. But the game served our purpose, which was to enjoy a great fall day with family and friends. This was my daughter Pilar's fourth game and she had fun with her friends. They especially enjoyed running onto the field after the game (not as vandals but partaking in a Yale tradition). So while the glory days are long gone--and a Fordham-Yale match-up would have been one to watch 75 years ago--the Yale Bowl can still put a smile on a kid's face.

What We Learned Saturday

Yet another exciting Saturday of college football as Wisconsin stunned Ohio State, Steve Spurrier and Florida both lost and Nebraska still has some work to do to become a national title contender.

With the game at night Camp Randall was rocking even more than usual and no. 1 Ohio State was knocked down at the opening bell thanks to WR David Gilreath's 97y scoring return of opening kickoff. They then were further beaten down by allowing two TD runs by big RB John Clay, who rushed for 104y. The Badgers dominated in the trenches early in putting the Buckeyes in a deep 21-0 hole. But the Buckeyes showed some mettle by reeling off 18 straight points over the course of the middle of the game. Unfortunately for them, Wisconsin showed even more mettle by answering with the game's final 10 pts. The reward for Wisconsin? A trip to Iowa; the Hawkeyes have won six of the last eight games played in that series.

Florida has lost three straight games. As someone who really does not like Urban Meyer, I was pretty happy about the game effort turned in by Mississippi State. I also did not see the outcome as some huge upset as the Gators have had issues all year and the Bulldogs have been playing tough since hiring head coach Dan Mullen away from Meyer's staff (more about that later in the week). Meanwhile Auburn is getting a lot attention as they remain undefeated, but come on now. Arkansas brought in a little-used back-up--albeit a talented kid--and he ripped apart their defense. If QB Cam Newton was merely good, Auburn would have a couple of losses.

Meanwhile, how well did Mack Brown sleep last night? Texas went from annual national title contender to also ran after two losses. But the team gave a more complete effort than in either of their losses and should be back on track for future dominance. The Huskers, meanwhile, showed that an over-reliance on a freshman QB can sometimes haunt you. The bigger issue--as it well may be for Auburn soon--is that a fast rise from good-to-solid, at times mediocre--to suddenly great is difficult for a collection of kids. Nebraska went from a 2-TD dog to Texas last year to a 10-pt favorite this year. The team could not handle their sudden thrust into that position. Head coach Bo Pelini has to get his charges re-focused quickly as Oklahoma State and Missouri are next up for the Huskers. They are a combined 12-0.

So it was another great day for college football. Meanwhile the big game today for the NFL? A battle of over-rated "powers" Minnesota and Dallas.

Remember When

Big game tonight in the Big Ten, which inspired this look back to October 27, 1962 when Wisconsin was the higher-ranked team entering this match-up, as recapped in The USA TODAY College Football Encyclopedia.

OHIO STATE 14 Wisconsin 7

Before 85,640, Ohio State (3-2) elbowed way back into Big 10 race. Buckeyes scored 1st on QB Joe Sparma's 21y pass to HB Paul Warfield (pictured). Wisconsin (4-1) tied it in 2nd Q with surprise maneuver. After DB Jim Schenk's INT, Badgers ran plunge, then quick pass without huddle: QB Ron VanderKelen's 47y TD to HB Jim Smith. Trio of Ohio FBs combined to take advantage of personal foul on 57y 4th Q drive. FB Dave Francis appeared to be punched, and officials walked off PEN to Badgers 29YL. FBs Dave Katterhenrich and Bob Butts alternated driving to 1YL, and QB John Mummey sneaked over.

Loss chased Wisconsin out of nation's top ten, but Badgers recovered to win conference.

Paul's Picks

With last night's loss I have dropped to 14-16 on the season. Just call me Mr. Mediocrity.
The picks for thie weekend, using the lines from usatoday.org are as follows:
Iowa (-3) at MICHIGAN
Yes I am dumping on Michigan. But until their defense improves--and now top DE Mike Martin is banged up--I will continue to pick against the Wolverines. Pick: Iowa -3
South Carolina (-4.5) at KENTUCKY
A number of people are focusing on this spot as a tough one for South Carolina following the team's huge upset of Alabama last week, but remember that Kentucky put out a great deal of effort in playing Auburn so well. They have to be coached up too and the advantage in that department goes to SC coach Steve Spurrier, who is 17-0 lifetime versus Kentucky. Pick: South Carolina -4.5
Arkansas at AUBURN (-4)
A crazy series of late gets much more attention due to the SEC West standings. Game should be fun and I'll take four in a shootout with one of the nation's best passing attacks. Pick: Arkansas +4

Paying Players? Oh My!

There is much, much too much ado being made about allegations thrown out by former player's agent Josh Luchs in Sports Illustrated this week. Luchs admits to paying players throughout a career that roughly spanned the past 20 years. But the majority of players have long disappeared from the sport's memory bank and the crimes mentioned seemed rather lame. Jonathan Ogden is a big name--and big guy--but he just took one concert ticket. Ryan Leaf paid back the money he took. Some players admit to taking cash and others deny or refuse to talk, but we already know a great many football players take money. Some players were paid to play college football in the 19th century, so the problem has been with the sport since its infancy. To be honest, reading the article just made the business of being a sports agent rather pathetic. I have no interest in that aspect of the sport.
That said, I do want it cleaned up a bit. Paying players will never go away. But perhaps making it harder to do so will make some guys like Leaf become more diligent in his preparation as there will be no payoff until he makes the pros. And the playing field will be somewhat leveled between the schools with big bankrolls and the ones with smaller ones. And the positives to playing the sport--like character building, teamwork, achieving goals, etc--will outweigh the negatives, like prostituting yourself for an immediate payday. One would hope.