Auburn and FSU Prove That It Pays to Schedule Down

Finally after many years of crap out-of-conference scheduling by a majority of major conference powers there began to be some backlash against the practice earlier this year. Even in the mighty SEC we had writers knock the lesser opponents that litter SEC schedules while fans began to rumble about paying top dollar for tickets against opponents that leave something to be desired. Of course the schools attacked for doing this practice were chosen without consistency--Louisville and Ohio State for example received the lion's share of abuse--and we ended up in the national title games with two programs that refuse to play a challenging schedule. But instead of anger against those two there is more of a sense of "well at least Ohio State did not make it" and that is awful. Florida State, which cannot even claim to play a strong in-conference schedule, played Nevada, Idaho, FCS member Bethune-Cookman and Florida. Now some would say that playing Florida is brave but that is only true when the Gators are good and scheduling three guaranteed wins and at worst a 50-50 game is ridiculous. This is especially so when you also play the programs in the ACC that are regional squads at best and should not pose a problem to a national program like FSU. Miami and Clemson are the only programs with aspirations to compete for major bowls every year and Miami is currently in a strange place due to the NCAA investigation. How could FSU not go undefeated? Auburn played Washington State, Arkansas State, FCS member Western Carolina and Florida Atlantic. You could argue that if they played a tougher schedule they would not have made the title game since they barely beat WSU at home in game one. SEC teams always get a pass because of how tough it is to play in the conference but wins over Arkansas, Mississippi State and Tennessee were not impressive and the Tigers barely beat the good but not great Mississippi, Georgia and Texas A&M squads. The outlier is Alabama but that is a rivalry game. Auburn did have to beat Missouri in the conference title game but again they were rewarded for not playing anyone early in the season. What's ironic is that these teams once played each other during a time period, not long ago, when major conference teams played tough schedules. I'll break down the former Auburn-FSU rivalry, one that was sacrificed 20 years ago once Florida state joined the ACC.

Saban Sticks Around

Saban stays...and gets more money. What a surprise. Tide fans breathe asigh of relief. Teas fans? Not sure how they feel. If Texas could have pulled Saban away from Alabama then what would that say about the future of the sport where the Longhorns could outbid anyone even the Tide? I also found it funny that folks were talking about the notion that Saban is a builder and would have been attracted to rebuilding Texas. Ummm, it's not Indiana or Kansas or Colorado. The Longhorns did nearly reach a BCS game this season. Meanwhile who is next for Texas?

National Football Foundation Awards Press Conference

As usual it was an outstanding morning spent at the Waldorf at the NFF press conference for award winners, incoming Hall of Famers and honored players. The number of people who were honored is long so I will stick to my impressions. Roger Goodell won the Gold Medal and while he may or may not be a worthy winner his presence dominated the Q and A session that followed as all of the questions focused on the NFL. This is a college event and I want the focus solely on the college game. There was also a military feel to the awards as General Ray Odierno and former Green Beret and current Texas long snapper Nate Boyer were both honored. As for the players it is always bittersweet to see some players who I grew up watching now aged and a little less nimble. Still it is outstanding to see that these outstanding players and coaches are universally humbled by becoming members of the Hall. As an historian my favorite moment was when former Navy and Temple coach Wayne Hardin made reference to his former coach Amos Alonzo Stagg. That he could be honored at the same time as the current players who were born 60+ years after Hardin and 130 years after Stagg shows the true reach of the NFF. What else? I joked with new Hall of Famers Percy Snow and Orlando Pace about the recent Big Ten championship game. Snow was quite proud while Pace admitted he had his bags packed for the BCS title game. I also enjoyed talking Florida football with Danny Wuerffel and the old days with Steve Meilinger, who mentioned that football in his days (50s and 60s) was more gentlemanly that today's game. The current players who finished the event did not prove Meilinger's point as they were, al usual, an outstanding collection of young men who combine football skill with academic success. Penn State lineman John Urschel, who is working on his second masters, won the Campbell Trophy that night. Head over to the NFF site for more quotes and information.

BCS Bowls Locked In

It has been a long season but once again college football delivered an exciting year full of big games, star players and surprising results. Thanks to the seemingly annual late November collapse of teams ranked too high, the match-up in the BCS title game features one team, Florida State, that played at championship level all season and another, Auburn, that while representing the SEC, still was not expected to compete for any kind of title as recently as October 1. But the Tigers are now on a roll, having won nine straight games including four SEC games away from home and one, against Alabama, in which they were big underdogs. Despite that run they will be big underdogs again, but the time for predictions will come at a later date. The Seminoles meanwhile have barely flinched all season, destroying one opponent after another. They do not have many weaknesses. As for the other BCS match-ups, of which more will be written at a later date, the committee did okay for themselves. Missouri and South Carolina are perhaps the biggest absences but they could not be considered as each conference can only have a maximum of two teams and Alabama was clearly number two for the SEC. In mid-season it seemed guaranteed that the Pac 12 would have two teams but the conference ended up with only one legitimate squad with Rose Bowl bound Stanford. As for that Rose Bowl, traditionalists should have their day as Michigan State and Stanford have both ridden the ability to hit hard to the top of their respective conferences. It should be a good game for the old black and white Magnavox that is taking up room in your parents' attic. The Fiesta Bowl will feature Baylor, one of the teams that squandered a late chance to reach the title game, against a Central Florida program that has had a chip on its shoulder all season. The Sugar Bowl will feature two history-swashed programs in Alabama and Oklahoma with the entire nation predicting that one of them will win. Folks have assumed OU would fade away all season and they are the one program that nobody discussed as a possible BCS team back in November despite their pedigree. We may see why in January. The Orange Bowl matches two similar teams in Ohio State and Clemson who both choked up their biggest game of the year (Clemson dropped their second biggest game for good measure). To be honest, I will be watching the Cotton Bowl being played that night between Missouri and Oklahoma State first, this game second. There will be more than enough football to watch this winter. There will also be more than enough time to discuss the match-ups--once the regular season actually ends this Saturday with the Army-Navy game.

Fresno Bounced From BCS Needs To Refocus

It is not meant to be easy. When the BCS expanded by a game to, in part, reward schools from less respected conferences for great seasons they did so to honor those who went the distance. So play great all season but miss late FGs and you go from BCS bowl to some game played the day after Christmas. Fresno is the latest team to fall to a rival late in a close, pressure-packed game that wiped out any hopes for a BCS bowl. But while that would have been a first for the program the main goal all year should have been the conference championship and that will be on the line next week. So shake it off Fresno and focus on the real prize. As for San Jose the outcome helps the team forget what has been an under-achieving season. They may now go bowling but yesterday's game proved that they should be better than 6-6.

Today's Picks

Yesterday I went 5-0 (both unders, Texas, Miss state and Miss State on ML) and did not tell you about it. So I am not telling you about today's picks either. Good luck and enjoy the action.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a great turkey day everyone.

Baylor Screwed Themselves

It will be interesting to see if Baylor can keep humming along this season with tonight's game in Stillwater. An impressive victory along with their already impressive season will prove that the Bears deserve a national title shot this season. But, being that we all know that only two teams can go, if Baylor finishes the regular season undefeated and still does not get a BCS championship game berth, then the only people to blame would be their coaching staff and athletic administration for the team's September out-of-conference schedule (Wofford, Buffalo, Louisiana Monroe). Lousy out of conference scheduling was a theme this season with fingers finally beginning to point at SEC programs and more emphatically at Louisville (do you remember when they were a national title contender?) and Ohio State. But Baylor was under the radar at the beginning of the season and only brought attention to themselves by scoring 69, 70 and 70 in the three games mentioned above. Now Baylor had not originally scheduled Wofford, currently 5-5 overall and fourth in the Southern Conference, but when SMU cancelled their meeting with Baylor earlier this year the Bears were left scrambling. That's understandable, but SMU, who themselves played Texas Tech, Texas A&M and TCU before beginning conference play, would have sounded a little better than Wofford but are currently 4-5 and would have done nothing to change the appearance of Baylor looking to avoid anyone who could challenge them prior to conference play. That's nothing against either program, or solid Buffalo and Louisiana Monroe programs, but Baylor's on-the-rise program needed a statement September victory. Actually, so too Louisville and that would have been a much-anticipated early-season contest. The Cardinals played Ohio, Eastern Kentucky, Kentucky and FIU instead and not one college football fan cared, even with Kentucky. Baylor probably would have won that game and would be sitting much better now. But at least Baylor crushed the lesser programs on their schedule, including conference lowlights West Virginia, Iowa State, KU and Oklahoma (just kidding Sooner fans!). Ohio State played a weak schedule and did not even look good against most of it, including teams like Cal and Illinois that just are not very good. If Baylor wins out then they should be ahead of Ohio State and ready to pounce if Alabama and Florida State falter.

Today's Picks

Ugh. 91-80. Ugh. Hawaii +6 CMU -13 MSU -7 Cincy over 59 Duke -7 Illini -7 KSU -5 ECU-6 Minny +17 Michigan +6 A&M +4.5 Notre Dame over 54 Marshall over 54 Kentucky +25.5 Vandy +3 USF +4.5 Okie State +8.5 Boise over 57 Good luck

MAC Football Update

Well here we are, mid-week, and the biggest game in the MAC schedule for the week takes place tonight in Toledo. Should Northern Illinois win tonight they would wrap up the conference's West division. With so much riding on their possible perfection this season--although it appears that may not be good enough for a BCS spot unless Fresno State loses--the Huskies need to not only beat Toledo but look good doing so--plus rout Western Michigan in their season finale and then beat the East winner in the MAC title game. Of course, there is a problem with that scenario. The Rockets. Toledo has not only won five straight games and seven of eight, they have gone down to the wire with Northern Illinois in each of the last two seasons. Two years ago Toledo lost this series clash 63-60 and last year the teams were tied in the final minute when Quarterback Jordan Lynch led Northern on a nine play, 66-yard drive for the winning score in a 31-24 BCS-preserving victory. So what about tonight? Toledo will attempt to keep the ball out of Lynch's hand by running behind frosh sensation Kareem Hunt, who has rushed for 127y, 114y, 168y and 186y since moving up the depth chart. With a top-notch offensive line they just might be able to pull that off. But...there really is no stopping Lynch, a player who topped 9,000 career yards last week. In the team's biggest out-of-conference match-up, against Iowa week one, Lynch enjoyed a 141.5 QB rating. In the team's biggest conference game to date, last week against Ball State, he passed for 345y and rushed for 123y. He is not only a superstar but one who plays his best when the pressure is the greatest. the pick is for more heartbreak for Toledo in a game that will not be deiced until the end of the fourth quarter if not OT.

Today's Picks

84-71. I can do better. Today: Central Michigan -3 Central Florida -17.5 Troy +28 Va Tech -16 UNC pick em SMU -15 Duke +3.5 Cuse +38 Georgia +4 Texas +3 MSU -6 Houston +16.5 South Carolina -14 USC +4 Oregon State +14.5 Hawaii-SD ST over 60 Good luck

Jordan Lynch is Unstoppable

You have to feel for Ball State. Despite the presence of Mr. Lynch on the opposing sideline, the Cardinals fought for the entire way in a huge MAC game only to somehow lose by 3 TDs. Lynch's play--and he completed 26-32 for 345y and 2 TDs and rushed for 123y and 2 more TDs--forced the visitors to be near perfect and for most of the game they were. But then Lynch threw a 36y TD pass to WR Da'Ron Brown with 5:49 left and soon after the Huskies defense had a 4th-and-one stop in their own territory and Ball State was going home unhappy. With the win Northern Illinois's BCS hopes remained. The Huskies are focused on not only defending their MAC crown but returning to a BCS bowl to remove the stinging memory of last year's blowout loss to Florida State in the Orange Bowl. With Lynch the Huskies are a threat to anyone. But with a game next Wednesday at Toledo the Huskies cannot look too far ahead. They would also have a MAC conference title game to play assuming they make it. And of course they are not just competing with their MAC brethren but against a Fresno State program that is neck and neck with them in a fight for one possible BCS bowl bid.

Today's Picks

Well I sit at a mediocre 76-64. But for good luck I am going with the family to the Fordham game and since the Rams are undefeated their magical season should rub of on me. Here goes: Cincy -8 Wake Forest +35 Penn State +3 Missouri over 57 Florida under 42 Tennessee +8 UNC -13 Syracuse +5BYU +8.5 Michigan -7 Duke -10 La Tech -17 Houston +12 Wash -12 Bama -13 Good luck

Tonight's Slate of Games

Now I understand the need of the smaller conferences to play some games during the week to be able to get television coverage not available on Saturday or barring that even get some local excitement. But who is going to show some love for tonight's Troy at Louisiana-Lafayette game, kicking off at the same time (7:30) as Oklahoma-Baylor and ending during the first half or so of the Oregon-Stanford game? That will be a tough one to watch for even the biggest fan of either team. But I digress (and admit that I'll probably watch some of that game). If Baylor routs Oklahoma, a team they have not been favored over since 1998, then they have to be mentioned as a BCS title hopeful. That won't do them any good mind you as the big three have a stranglehold on those spots but it will begin to legitimize a season for the Waco bunch that has been characterized by points scored over mediocre, at best, opponents. And so I took OU, to lose by 5-7. And in the Pac 12 the Oregon Ducks are a few years ahead of Baylor in the respect game but must answer Stanford's game plan from last season to remain in the before mentioned big three. Stanford will attempt to smack Oregon in the mouth again this season and unless Oregon either takes it better or even fights back, their season will be derailed again. They have been thinking about this for a long time but they are who they are and so I picked Stanford, to lose by 3. And I also took Troy, to lose by 10. Dogs all around.

College Football Recap

Week one of November has passed without too much drama. The big guys held serve and the only ranked teams to lose (Miami, Texas Tech and Michigan) did so to other ranked teams. Miami was the highest ranked team to fall but they didn't embarrass themselves too much and really need to be happy with a 7-1 mark at this point in the season with all the nonsense swirling around the program. The key for the Canes is shaking off this loss and refocusing immediately as they play a now desperate Virginia Tech and a sky high Duke the next two weeks. The Coastal Division of the ACC still needs to be secured and Miami is still the leader. Texas Tech is also a program that needs to look at this season as a quality one as long as they refocus and compete against a grueling finish of Kansas State, Baylor and Texas. The conference title hopes are gone but finishing 9-3 or even 10-2 will stamp this season as a very good one. Continuing their now two-game losing streak with one, two or god forbid three more losses will take away a lot of the good work done by this team. Michigan is in a different situation as they had high hopes for this season and now have to focus on ruining someone else's great season (we all know who that is). National title and Big Ten championship hopes are gone. Beating the Buckeyes is still available. What else? Florida State made a key statement in its quest for a spot in the BCS title game. They will now have to see what Oregon does Thursday night against Stanford. With the rest of the top teams blowing out lesser competition, the most impressive statements were made by Oklahoma State, who is still alive for the Big 12 title, and Michigan State, who is now Ohio State's biggest stumbling block to a second straight perfect regular season.

Paul Finebaum Wrong Again

He is not the only one. The Heisman Trophy Mission Statement--which took me three seconds to find--clearly states that "The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity." It does not go to the most outstanding player in the country but the most outstanding who combines the pursuit of excellence most great players have with--and here is the key word these bozos miss--INTEGRITY. So the player must have integrity in addition to stats. Actually there is no mention of statistical excellence but folks can make that assumption. The word valuable does not come up. There is no mention of wins and losses. Just "outstanding", "pursuit of excellence", "integrity". I would think Finebaum and others know what "outstanding" and "pursuit of excellence" mean. Integrity is the word that confuses him. My big, fat dictionary (and yes I still use it in book form)defines integrity as "uprightness of character; probity; honesty." Therefore, Johnny Manziel, Finebaum's pick at the moment, is not eligible. Okay, that is harsh. But considering that we only know the public persona of anyone and that we cannot know if the outstanding players in any given season cheated on their girlfriends or took benefits to commit to their school or will one day be accused of double murder, we can only judge on what we do know. And based on our knowledge of Manziel he should not make a ballot let alone with the thing. Of course a problem with Heisman voting is that we would need 900+ voters with integrity to make the right choice. Good luck with that.

Today's Picks

I sit at 68-52 and had a great week through last night...without telling you about it. Sorry although I do netter without spreading the word. Until today. No Ill-25 Va tech -4 PSU -11 and under 55 Iowa +10 So Carolina -12 Wake +5 Tulsa -4 Georgia -3 Arizona -16 Michigan +6 Minny +9 ND -16 Tex -28 Hawaii +24 Auburn -8 ECU -25 Ga Tech -10 UCLA -28 CSU +7 Miami +21 Good luck

Strange Happenings

No this is not a post Halloween thread. I just find it strange that in such a violent sport that the only two programs to suffer injuries this year are Georgia and Florida. Wait that's not quite true. South Carolina has dealt with some injuries too we have been told. Odd.

Big 12 Update

With the Big 12 neatly divided between five haves, four of whom are ranked with the other (Texas) knocking on the door, and five have nots, all of whom sport losing records, there is usually at least one compelling match-up each week. With Baylor and Oklahoma off this week preparing for each other, and Texas facing a poor Kansas team, we have one game to watch Saturday in Texas Tech-Oklahoma State. Basically a conference title elimination game, this match-up will send the loser into fifth place with two losses and time running out. While both teams have had good seasons they are not without flaws. Texas Tech turns the ball over like a basement-level team and commits too many penalties. They also can become too pass happy. Okie State has had surprisingly poor QB play and has been mediocre to poor road team over the past couple of seasons. Since crushing the Red Raiders in Lubbock in 2011, 66-6, the Cowboys are 3-6 on the road with wins against KU, Texas-San Antonio and Iowa State. I like the Red Raiders slightly but will probably pass.

Big Ten Update

Unless something very odd happens, all of the championship intrigue in the Big Ten from now until November 30 will be centered on the Legends Division. Ohio State has and will continue to put a stranglehold on the Leaders Division. The next three opponents for the Buckeyes are Purdue, Illinois and Indiana. The games need to be played but I am not expecting miracles. Michigan State has the same 4-0 conference mark as OSU but they have a much tougher road to hoe to clinch the Legends. Sparty has a huge game Saturday hosting Michigan and then has to play at Nebraska and at Northwestern before a home game against Minnesota. Those games are all winnable but since the teams are all inconsistent it is hard to sort out the type of games remaining for MSU. Taken as a group, there is enough competition for a cumulative sense of worry. Still if they win Saturday it is hard to see anyone else making a move on them. And even if they lose to the Wolverines, they would still have an advantage over their rivals who still would have to play OSU. As for everyone else, there are some very good games remaining. Is 6-2 Minnesota, winners of two straight as they are inspired by their head coach Jerry Kill, legit? If they take care of business Saturday at Indiana and then beat Penn State next weekend, they would be playing rival Wisconsin on November 23 for a ranking and possible January bowl game. Can Nebraska turn it around? That is funny to say for a 5-2 team, but they have yet to beat a guaranteed bowl team and have a tough schedule the rest of the way. Iowa? Wisconsin? Penn State? Can anyone make a run at a nice season. Can Northwestern halt their awful slide?

Today's Picks

I am 3-0 this week and will ride the hot streak this afternoon. I like: Georgia Tech -10 UCF -24 Ball State -10 Houston +7 BC +7 Clemson -14 Va Tech -13 Navy +5 SMU -12 Vandy+18 Tenn +28 Oregon -23 Kansas State -11 Stan -4 No Texas -11 La Tech -5 Mizzou -2 Bay -35 Good luck

American Athletic Conference Update

The cleaning up of the AAC standings continues this weekend as the number of teams tied for first in the standings, currently at three with Central Florida, Houston and South Florida all 2-0, should be shrunk to two or even one.  And standing in line awaiting slipups from any of the top three are one-loss teams like Louisville and Rutgers who still aim to rise to the top of the standings.
UCF is, of course, in the driver's seat having beaten Louisville on the road.  They have six conference games remaining, four at home and they will be favored in the road games against Temple and SMU who are a combined 3-10.  The Knights should have no problem upping their conference mark to 3-0 Saturday versus winless UConn.
Houston's path is tougher, both Saturday at Rutgers and for the rest of the season.  Saturday is a must win as the Cougars still must play at Louisville and at UCF.  Realistically they are playing for a decent bowl bid but as long as there is a zero in the conference loss category they have a shot for the whole prize.  This will be the toughest road test for Houston, to date, and its true freshman QB
John O'Korn.  But O'Korn has a veteran's swagger, honed by playing big-time high school football at Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale.  And Rutgers has been having secondary issues all season--what was never a strength has gotten worse through attrition--and that will be a problem against Houston's passing attack.  The Houston defense, however, is fresh off allowing 681y to BYU so the Scarlet Knights will be moving the ball too.  Expect a high scoring affair (61.5 over/under) that is decided in the 4th quarter.
As for South Florida, well its 2-0 conference mark is belied by an 0-4 out of conference record.  Can they continue to win AAC games?  Hosting a mad Louisville team is probably not the best way to continue the season reversal.  For Louisville, the squad has to remain focused on games at hand and forget about rankings, BCS bids and Heismans.  They are off the radar and must take care of business against desperate teams like the Bulls.  For Saturday they must keep the pass rush off of Teddy Bridgewater and not let the home team hang around.  If not they will repeat last year's mistake of following their first loss, late at Syracuse, by being stunned at home to UConn for loss number two.
Things should be a bit clearer in the AAC come Sunday, although if anyone can catch UCF until they host Houston on November 9.

Today's Picks

I have run 55-45 for the season and even I can do that math.  55%.  Mediocre for sure but ready to move up from here.
Tonight I am going with the Mississippi State-Kentucky under 55.5 and Middle Tennessee getting 10.  I also like BYU giving 7 tomorrow.  Good luck.

Miami Sanctions

What can you say? At least it was something, although perhaps nothing at all would have been better.  Because then we could blow up the whole system and start all over.  Do what baseball did in the 1920s after the gambling scandals (not that I am a Judge Landis fan) and give supreme power to someone outside the system and above all of the b.s.  But that will never happen.  Baseball took back that power and the colleges would rather have less scrutiny from an outside body, not more.
As for whether or not Miami has suffered because of the way the NCAA handled the investigation, I personally feel that that sentiment has been overblown.  Being that Miami has been on probation before they should have been hammered for these accusations.  Losing two mediocre bowl bids and having to wait for their punishment are not bad enough to equal the crime. 
And there is one more thing.  For some reason the personal motives of the main accuser is somehow a problem in this case.  Is Shapiro a creep?  Yes.  But that is true of most people buying players and if we throw out the testimony and evidence from creeps we will have a tough time nailing anyone.  And he was a creep when Miami was taking his checks so that administration should go away too.
I also am tired of other fans bitching because they were hit hard with sanctions--and yes I am talking to you USC fans and even those from OSU--when they were caught cheating and deserve to pay.  While I agree that it is easy to be frustrated with how Southern programs seem to get away with things, the reality is that you paid a fair punishment for crimes committed, so shut up and get on with life.  And instead of bitching, change how things are done.  Don't get caught and get punished and then go and hire coaches who have seemingly gotten away with cheating themselves all while crying about your sanctions.

College Football Turned Upside Down--Or Was It?

When I saw the lousy job pollsters did with their voting this week I remembered a conversation on ESPN Friday that centered on how bad Miami looked and that they were too high as the 10th-11th-ranked team in the country.  Then Saturday happened and voila, Miami is 6th in one poll, 7th in the other.  The lesson of course is that it is not how bad you look as long as you win.
Which leads me to how "crazy" Saturday was supposed to have been with so many top 25 and specifically top 10 teams losing.  But for me Saturday was just a correction in which overrated teams that were highly ranked because of won-loss records based more on bad opponents than quality of team in question were shown to be fakers.  But again they were frauds based on faulty evaluation.  LSU came into the season with a question mark due to the incredible amount of talent that left the program after last season.  They then open the season with wins over TCU, UAB, Kent State and Auburn.  Not bad.  More significantly the team's once pedestrian--and I am being kind--offense looked recharged and downright good.  So the pundits started to project a typically strong Tiger defense with a good offense....World Beater.  Then the team went on the road (they did beat TCU on a neutral field) and dropped two games to teams that are not even ranked at the moment.  LSU is lucky to be ranked 13th and that is based more on reputation than results.
Then again, someone has to be ranked.  UCLA?  They were undefeated and top ten but again were they worthy?  Yes they beat Nebraska on the road but that was two weeks after Wyoming scorched the Huskers for 602y.  The other Bruin wins?  Nevada, New Mexico State, Utah and Cal.  Those teams are a combined 8-20.
There is more of this and while weekends like this past one do punish programs for being over-ranked--hello Florida and Georgia--they do not come soon enough to properly affect the BCS rankings.  But there is plenty of football to be played and I will not get too upset....yet.

Today's Picks

I am currently 42-35 and must do a better job of telling you about winners before they win.  But anyway here goes:
Northwestern -12.5
Purdue +28
SMU-Memphis over 47
South Carolina -7
Texas Tech-West Virginia over 57
Wyoming -7
UConn +15
TCU +7.5
Mizzou +3
Cuse +7.5
Duke +3
Auburn-A&M over 72
Iowa +18
North Texas-4
Houston +10
OU-23
Stanford-5
Stanford-UCLA under 54
ISU +33
ND -3
Clemson +3
Illini +14.5
Washington State +40
Good luck

American Athletic Conference Update

Well here it is, apparently, the season comes down to one game tonight between Louisville and Central Florida.  A conference title and BCS berth is on the line tonight, or so the media tells us.  don't get me wrong.  These two teams are playing much better than the rest of the conference but nothing will be determined tonight because it is only October 18.  Heck the loser of this game is going to wake up in the middle of the pack in this bastard child of a conference.
Okay so I have gotten that off my chest.  Despite a ridiculously high 2-TD spread tonight's game should be a very good one.  Rutgers did a lot of good against Louisville and if they had even fair-to-good QB play could have upset the Cardinals.  Louisville can play better than they showed, and should get back key WR DeVante Parker from injury.  But UCF is confident and eager to prove to the country that they are an up-and-coming college football program.  Take the points and the over!
Houston will remained undefeated in the conference because, well, they play non-member BYU.  Houston is oddly undefeated on the season but has played an absurdly easy schedule and will need to beat BYU and a few more teams before they can make a name for themselves.  BYU's secondary is bad enough that the other Cougars do have a legit chance.
There is not much else going on the AAC but then again even if there was there would not be too much attention paid.

ACC Update

The attention this weekend in the ACC, justifiably, is centered on the huge game between Clemson and Florida State.  That one should be a good one although only if both teams display the newly re-discovered abilities to, well, not play below their high talent levels.  The loser of Saturday night's game may not be too thrilled that the winner has figured out the not choking thing but hey if you want the national attention to come the ACC's way you do need as many good to great teams as possible.
Which brings us to the rest of the conference.  Thanks to the seasons Clemson and FSU have enjoyed Miami has slid somewhat under the radar.  That seems odd being that it is Miami and they have their SEC pelt in Florida.  But the bulk of the Canes' work in conference still needs to be done, headlined by the back-to-back games in November against FSU and Virginia Tech.  They will have to hold serve tonight at North Carolina in what will be their first real road test of the season (with all apologies to South Florida).  The Tar Heels have been major disappointments but could earn back some swagger tonight.
Virginia Tech sits at 3-0 in conference and is off this weekend.  They also do not play both FSU and Clemson, which puts more pressure on fellow Coastal member Miami.
The others are all jockeying for bowl position or hoping, like UNC, to turn their season around.  Maryland-Wake, Duke-Virginia and Syracuse-Tech all have potential to be good games.

Conference Levels Closer Than Advertised

This weekend's upsets by Missouri at Georgia and Utah over Stanford highlight a reality that the media has largely struggled with--that after a few dominant teams the rest of the country features a great deal of parity and that conference levels are fairly even.  Missouri has a rich football tradition but its history featured a great deal of ebb and flow.  Under coach Gary Pinkel, now in his 13th year in Columbia, the Tigers have become a solid program with some glimpses of excellence especially in 2007 when they finished 12-2 and flirted with a spot in the BCS title game.  But being that they were a Big 12 school entering the mighty SEC last season they were not expected to do too much.  It was expected that their offense would struggle against the faster SEC defenses.  And when they finished 5-7 last year they were confined to the national silence that surrounds the mediocre (they were held as proof of SEC superiority while fellow Big 12 transplant was considered an aberration due to one player's talent).  But now they sit at 6-0, 2-0 in conference.  They have lost QB James Franklin to injury but both of their next two opponents, Florida and South Carolina, have been dealing with injuries at that position.  Either way Mizzou have proved that they can be an excellent team no matter the conference.
Utah moved to what is now the Pac 12 after a lifetime spent outside the bigger conferences, most recently as a power in the Mountain West.  They are not having as successful a 2013 season as Missouri but at 4-2 they are doing well and are looking up as a key conference power under coach Kyle Whittingham.  While Whittingham would admit that he had to get bigger and faster to compete against the likes of Stanford and Oregon, he had a squad in place to make the transition easier than fellow transplant Colorado who needed to completely rebuild.  Utah is a good football program and that can translate to any conference.
Have I cherry-picked two squads to prove a point?  Well, yes.  But remember Texas A&M has already proved that switching from the Big 12 to the SEC can look easier than expected.  And the fact that Colorado, a former Big 12 school, continues to struggle in the Pac 12 while the MWC member Utah does better highlights that we cannot judge programs solely on their conference affiliation.

Today's Picks

Here we go, sitting at 36-28 on season (which is not good enough).
OU -11.5
IU +10
Va Tech -8
Texas Tech -14.5
Georgia -7
TCU -24.5
South Carolina -6
Northwestern +10
Washington +13
Fla Atlantic +10
Utah +8 (just a hunch)
Enjoy

SEC Update

It has been a strange season for the SEC.  Is it still the preeminent conference?  Yes.  Does the nation's best team still reside there?  Yes.  Is it a conference packed with superstars and top coaches?  Yes.
But something is amiss.  The player currently receiving the most press--and he is arguably the finest player in the conference--is none other than Jadeveon Clowney of South Carolina.  There is not much more to say about his situation, one in which everyone seems to be at fault, but there are enough great players performing well that are not getting the headlines he is getting for not playing.  And at 4-1 the Gamecocks are still very much alive in the SEC East race (although Georgia had better start losing soon) and yet the biggest story in the aftermath of Clowney's opting out of the Kentucky game is whether his actions hurt not the Gamecocks but his draft stock.
But there is more.  Johnny Manziel's off-field excitement has long overshadowed the play of the Aggies on the field while the coverage of the LSU season has focused on stud RB Jeremy Hill's transgressions and what role coach Les Miles played in the sordid mess at Oklahoma State.  And there have been accusations and rumors about a number of other SEC programs and the ways they may have broken rules over the years.
And there is another reality, one that may be hard to overcome.  A few years ago the conference was honored for its strong play as evidenced by the number of recent winners of national championships (LSU, Florida, Alabama, Auburn).  That streak of course continues but one program has pulled away from the others and Alabama's dominance threatens to deflate the merits of the others.  And so while there have been some exciting games involving SEC teams this year there is also a sense that anything these teams do does not matter in the end because Alabama will win anyway.  And even those teams that beat Alabama, like LSU two years ago and A&M last year, cannot truly stop the Tide steamroller--and Bama avenges those losses soon enough.
But we will not play that game here.  Alabama will probably not lose the "Bear Bryant Bowl" to Kentucky this weekend, but they have not won the 2013 SEC and national titles yet.  And as for the rest of the league, the big games this weekend are Georgia hosting upstart Missouri, Florida traveling to LSU and Texas A&M tangling with Mississippi.  Should be fun.

Fordham Beats Lehigh

The 2013 edition of the Fordham Rams have apparently decided that the best way to honor the 100th birthday of former Ram guard Vince Lombardi--who started during the glorious heyday of Fordham football in the 1930s--was to win all their games.  They have played six so far and run the table despite facing their toughest competition during the season's first half (Villanova, Temple, Lehigh).  Saturday's game, played before a second straight sellout crowd, pitted the Rams, just two years removed from a disastrous 1-10 record, against a Lehigh club favored to win a Patriot League crown the Rams are ineligible to win due to four full classes of scholarship players to two and counting for rest of the league.  Both teams were undefeated and ranked and the game did not disappoint--well Ram fans anyway.  Fordham ended up winning 52-34 but score would have been a lot tighter without huge plays that all came through for home team.  Both teams featured star QBs and with Fordham's Michael Nebrich, a UConn transfer, leading team to win with brilliant play (26-36/384y, 4 TDs) he is in drivers seat for conference player of the year over Lehigh's Brandon Bialkowski (28-46/324y, 3 TDs, INT).  Fordham, gaining 630y Saturday, is difficult to defend as Nebrich is a two-way threat, passing for 1761y on season with 16TDs, to only 1 INT while rushing for 342y.  He has a star RB in senior Carlton Koonce, who averages 125y rushing a game, for balance and three dynamic receivers in Sam Ajala, Brian Wetzel and Tebucky Jones.  Ajala was the star on Saturday with 7 catches for166y and 3 TDs.  Wetzel is not only a brilliant receiver but a stud punt returner.  He is also my daughter's favorite player.
Can Fordham keep this up?  Why not.  Most of their remaining opponents are overmatched and Fordham is inspired by having to earn an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs.  While they can never bring back the excitement of the Lombardi era they can increase the local excitement for college ball.  It will be fun finding out.

Today's Picks

Today's big game, of course, is in the Bronx as Fordham hosts Lehigh (both undefeated and ranked).  the pick there is my Rams as they are ineligible for the conference title--having four full classes of scholarship players while the others do not--and will use this game as their championship, or at least early October championship.  Watch at noon on CBS Sports.
Anyway, on to the games you can actually make a wager on.  I am 29-21and looking for bear.
Iowa -1.5 hosting MSU.  Should be a field position game with Hawkeyes winning close one.
Temple +33 hosting Louisville.  Cards looking ahead to Rutgers and UCF.
SMU +4 hosting Rutgers.  Coming off big win against Arkansas and with Louisville looming for RU.
Ball State +4 at UVA. Either team can win so I'll gladly take 4.
Maryland +17 at FSU. Terps have come a long way since august but do have a lot of young talent.
Clemson -14 at Cuse.  Tigers have become very good on road and outclass game Orange.
Texas Tech -17 at KU.  Could get ugly.
Army +12 at BC. Saw this one live last year and BC still can't stop run.
Miami -6 vs Georgia Tech.  Canes will win fifth straight in series.
Georgia -11 at Tenn.  Vols hang tough early but Bulldogs pull away.
Arkansas +12 at Florida.  Just not buying Gators.
Okie State-14 hosting KSU. Someone needs to pay.
TCU +9 at OU. If you have to play OU, this is the week to do it.
Northwestern +7 hosting OSU. Buckeyes will believe after this one.
Good luck

Tonight's Picks

I sit at 28-20 on the season and have two picks for tonight as I aim for 10 games over .500.

Take Texas -7.5 against ISU and UCLA -6.5 at Utah.  Both favorites will dominate on defense.

Kiffin Fired

Good riddance.

This Weekend's Picks

I won more than I lost last week and sit at 25-18 on the season.  So perhaps there is hope after all.
Here goes:
SMU +19 at TCU. Better rivalry than given credit nationally.
Miami -17 at USF. Lost year continues for Bulls.
LSU +3 at Georgia. Should be fun.
Alabama -14 hosting Rebels. Getting too much attention.
UAB +20 at Vandy. Way too many points.
OSU -7 hosting Wisconsin. Too much talent.
ASU -4 hosting USC. Trojans need more players.
Enjoy

Let's Hear It for Rutgers!

A good time was had in New Brunswick, NJ Saturday at the Rutgers-Arkansas game--well by the RU supporters as the Arkansas fans had to be frustrated.  There is no way any Razorback supporter could have fathomed losing both legs of the home-and-away with Rutgers, which is what happened Saturday one year after the Scarlet Knights went down South to beat Arkansas 35-26.  But last year was a lost year for the Hogs and a decent start to this season had Razorback faithful looking to bright future and a 4-0 start after this win.  And things looked good for most of the game as, with plenty of help from the home team, Arkansas built a 24-7 second half lead.  But Rutgers rallied behind QB Gary Nova to score the game's final 21 points for a 28-24 victory that delighted a rocking (well, from the end of the third quarter, after Janarion Grant sparked rally with 58y punt return TD, through 4th quarter anyway) crowd.
Unfortunately for Rutgers their surprise running weapon, back Paul James, was injured and will miss their next game in two weeks versus SMU and probably the big tilt against Louisville the following week.  Former starter Savon Huggins needs to step up in James's absence.  As for the poor Hogs they now face Texas A&M, Florida, South Carolina and Alabama in the next four weeks.  Good luck.
As for me I enjoyed a very exciting college football game that reminded me why I love the sport.  We all have to put up with the crap--and new revelations come out weekly--but it is good to know that such good football can exist a little bit under the national radar.

Today's Picks

Well I am glad that the zebras did not cost me a win with Wisconsin last week.  I feel bad for the Badgers however, although that is the risk you take when you venture into Pac 12 country.  There have been many other questionable calls over the decades.
I went 9-2 last week with 2 pushes.  That moves me to 20-15.  Let's keep the momentum going during a middling slate of games.  But at least last night was entertaining.
San Jose State +4 at Minny.  One team has a solid QB the other an injured one.
Florida-Tenn under 45.  Gators will win 24-10 or 21-7 but I should win this by at least 10.
West Virginia +5 versus Maryland.  Sure the Mountaineers are rebuilding but they'll keep it close.
Utah State +7 at USC.  Bad game to schedule as only nuts like you and me know how good Aggies are and so faithful will scream and yell if it is a close one--which it will be.
MSU-ND under 42.  I know it is low but game could easily be 10-7.
Stanford -6.5 hosting ASU. Refs won't help this week.
Texas SA -3 at UTEP: Quietly good team without results thanks to difficult sched.
Wyoming -4.5 against Air Force.  Won't like it but should be 2 TD win.
Good luck.

Why We Love And Hate College Football

Akron was a bigger underdog today to Michigan than Appalachian state was back in 2007.  Akron had the Wolverines on the ropes.  That the Zips went to the big house and nearly won is incredible and one of the great things about the sport we love.
But of course they lost.  And the refs helped.  That a lowly visitor can be hosed on a bs non-call is sad and ridiculous and frustrating--and there is nothing anyone does about it.  And that is one of the things we hate about college football.

Today's Picks

I now sit at 11-13 for the season.  I would be over .500 if I just told you the names of the teams I have liked the past two nights.  But I did not.  What a dope.
So here goes for today:
Louisville -14.5 versus Kentucky.  I know it is a lot but they own the series and need blowout wins.
East Carolina +8 hosting Va Tech. Banged up Hokies need to improve too much on offense.
UCLA +3 at Nebraska.  Bruins are inspired and Huskers have looked mediocre.
New Mexico +22.5 at Pitt.  How is Pitt favored by that many against anyone?
USC -14 hosting BC.  Kiffin hangs on one more week.
Oregon -28 hosting Tennessee.  Yet another SEC team gets spanked.
Texas A&M +8.5 versus Alabama.  Too many points.
Central Florida +5 at Penn State.  Hunch game
Mississippi State +6.5 at Auburn.  Game should go down the wire.
Vandy +14 at South Carolina.  Betting that a third SEC team does not get blown out.
Florida Atlantic +13 at South Florida. Way too many points for struggling Bulls.
Notre Dame -19 at Purdue.  Irish 0-2 versus spread. Due
Wisconsin +4.5 at ASU. We'll learn a lot about both teams.
Meanwhile my 2-0 Fordham Rams go up in class today at Temple.  Play hard boys.

More Potential Trouble

Has all of the recent success enjoyed by the SEC been on the up-and-up?  Well....does anyone think so?  Now we have some finger pointing, with attached evidence, raised against some former SEC football players and the nation shrugs.  There is a certain assumption that athletes being paid for their services has been going on since day one and will go on forever.  So why bother?  But of course there is more to it than that.  Whether it is of the sleazy booster payout--ala Oklahoma State--or the sleazy agent payouts, it is typically an advantage to have the word get around that you, a football program, will look the other way as your stars get paid.  You will attract more talent, albeit of the mercenary kind, to your school if they know there is money involved.  Not every player is for sale and sometimes it blows up in your face in regards to team unity.  But generally if you purchase a five star receiver or Heisman winning QB, you are in good shape.
And that has been true forever.  But it does not make it right and equipping the NCAA to hammer guys/programs who cheat would be preferable to what we have today.  Will that happen? No.  But I can dream.

Possible Oklahoma State Violations

Did they or didn't they?  I don't know but the potential scandal brewing out in Stillwater highlights one of the biggest problems facing college football since the early days.  Can secondary programs keep up with the heavy hitters without bending or breaking the rules?
Now Okie State fans, calm down.  I did not mean anything by the word "secondary".  The first group, containing the likes of Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, etc. (and, yes, Oklahoma) is not very big.  It is very exclusive and can maintain its preeminence by using their considerable prestige and spending boatloads of cash.  Sure they can be down--just ask Texas and USC right now how they feel--but they will not be for long because they can buy whatever and whomever they want.   It is their ball and if you want to play you have to abide by their rules.  Can a school like Oklahoma State, with donors willing to pay for new facilities and coaches (and possibly more), truly become a top ten team by being true to the rulebook?
This issue has come to light in the past, perhaps never more sharply than in the 1980s.  After decades of dominance by programs like USC, Alabama, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Ohio State, upstart teams like Clemson, Miami and BYU suddenly won national championships.  Were we entering a new age of parity?  Clemson almost immediately was placed on probation, heightening the fans' and media's distrust of how legit these programs could be.  But some of those programs, like Miami, Florida and Florida State were there to stay thanks to a sudden increase in talent in their home state, while other programs, like Oregon, were about to move up in class thanks to an influx of money.  But once the dust settled and some punishments--to upstarts and traditional powers--levied, the traditional guys took over once again.  By the 2000s Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas, Ohio State, LSU and Florida began to dominate the nation's top spot due to the wiser use of their money.  North Carolina fancied themselves an up-and-coming program until a then-struggling Texas swiped coach Mack Brown.  Nick Saban did not leave a Conference USA program to take over LSU but Michigan State, the ultimate secondary school in the Big Ten.  Once he bolted for the NFL, LSU swiped Les Miles from Oklahoma State even though Okie State thought they were just as good as the Tigers.  And when guys like Nick Saban and Urban Meyer return to college coaching they do so for only the best jobs: Alabama and Ohio State.
So there may be a scandal brewing in Oklahoma State?  No one, sadly, is surprised.  The question is, who's next?

Austin Angst

We have only played two weeks of football and Texas coach Mack Brown has already made the first panic move of 2013.  With the entire coaching staff feeling pressure to return the Longhorns to the national title race--Texas is 21-16 in the three seasons since their most recent national title game appearance following the 2009 season--DC Manny Diaz was demoted after the squad lost to BYU 40-21 Saturday night.  Being that the Texas program is the most financially sound in the country they had the wherewithal to have former Texas and Michigan DC Gregg Robinson on hand as an analyst and he now takes over the D.
The Texas defense has underachieved but one game does not make a season.  And playing BYU--who ran all over the Horns for 550y--while building a defense that needs to stop the likes of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State is a difficult task.  This is generally true of the Big 12 as a whole as their defenses have to be built to play the explosive offenses found in conference which leaves them at times struggling against out of conference foes.
The main problem with the Texas program is one of perception.  Fans feel that Texas is not playing to a perceived level of talent and the desire of a fan base spoiled with a 2005 national title and 2009 national runner up spot is to always win 11-13 games.  The perception is that coach Mack Brown cannot keep up with newer systems.  Of course not recruiting Johnny Manziel as a QB or current flavor of the month Jameis Winston of Florida State at all is putting more nails in the coffin.
The 2013 season can be saved with better play.  Knock off Ole Miss Saturday and then hold serve against struggling Kansas State and Iowa State and the Longhorns will be 4-1 entering OU week.  Let's see what happens.

What Makes You Sicker?

I am not sure what I am tired of more, virtually any aspect of the Manziel story or the claims of the Paterno family.  Do we really need a jerk-meter to determine who was worse, Brian Bosworth or Johnny Manziel?  Who cares.  And as for the Paternos, shut up already.  This lawsuit is ridiculous and the fact that you remain so upset about income lost and damage to your name is awful in light of the actual damage done to the real victims in this case.  Just go away and take Manziel with you.

Today's Picks

Ouch.  I am sitting at 6-9 for the season.
Let's get back on the horse.  In the big games I like the dogs, Miami +3.5 against Florida, South Carolina +4.5 at Georgia and Notre Dame +4.5 at Michigan.
I also like Western Kentucky +13 at Tennessee, Middle Tennessee State +17.5 at UNC, Toledo +17 at Missouri, Navy +13 at IU, Washington State +15.5 at USC and San Jose State +25 at Stanford.
All dogs to overcome a dog&#$% start.

Let Louisville Season Play Out

I fully understand why the powers that be in college football would want Louisville out of the BCS title game, as they want to keep both spots for themselves.  It is selfish but at least understandable especially in light of other greedy moves.  But the media?  What is in it for them?
From midsummer to today the drum beat has roared.  Louisville can go undefeated this year but thanks to a crappy schedule they will not make the championship game.  Yes of course if Alabama and say Ohio State go undefeated they would make the title game ahead of Louisville, even though neither of those traditional powers will have played a good schedule.  But the further implication is that a 12-0 Louisville would really be behind potential one-loss schools from the bigger conferences. That is both ridiculous and a waste of time here on Labor Day except that the "pundits" know that you have to write an anti Louisville story for every TD pass Teddy Bridgewater throws.  You cannot wait until December 1 to explain why a one-loss SEC team that did not win its conference (or even division) is worthy of a title spot ahead of an undefeated team from a "lesser" conference.  College football fans need to be programmed from opening week.  So while the media know that Louisville looked impressive yesterday against a solid Ohio program they can instead write about how their schedule is not going to hold up.  The famous "sight test" they apply to SEC teams--where we are told that you can just look at say Alabama and see that they are better than everyone else--does not apply to schools like Louisville.  You cannot look at Louisville and say that they are one of the two best teams in the country even though--based only on one game--they certainly played the part.  And after one game neither Alabama nor Ohio State looked like programs deserving special treatment.  None of it matters now as it is too early and hopefully not later when the play on the field should be paramount.

Today's College Football Picks

Kansas State unveiled a statue of Bill Snyder before losing to North Dakota State.  That does not seem right.  As a program that has feasted on out-of-conference opponents over Snyder's reign the least they could do would be defeat the Bison but the visitors are a good opponent with a lot of motivation.  I do not understand why programs like KSU book teams like North Dakota State.  they get no credit for the win but a lot of bad press when they lose.
I went 2-1 last night and while my one loss, SMU getting points was lopsided at the end they were covering entering the fourth quarter.  Today I love dogs again as you'll see.
Purdue +10 against Cincy
Toledo +23 at Florida
La Tech +14 at NC State
FIU +23 at Maryland
Central Michigan +31.5 at Michigan
Notre Dame -28 hosting Temple
Washington State +14 at Auburn
TCU +5 against LSU.
As far as the big game tonight, Georgia-Clemson, I am picking the Tigers but without much confidence.
Good luck.

Today's Picks

The teams that suffered the most yesterday were North Carolina, who bombed in a prime-time showdown with the real USC, and Vandy, who choked against Mississippi as the program tried desperately to move away from an off-season dominated by rape allegations against multiple players.  Having a rough night without even playing was Louisville, whose schedule was considered a joke before conference mate UConn lost convincingly to FCS member Towson State.  It did not help that Rutgers squandered away a chance for a nice road upset of Fresno State (still dragging after watching that in the wee hours).  Then again UConn and Rutgers could have each won by 50 and regular fans would not have cared.
As for my picks I went 2-2 with easy wins by Rutgers and the over in that game but a narrow loss in the Utah State-Utah game and a near back-door cover in UNC's loss to South Carolina (reached SC 1YL in closing seconds).  Tonight I went with Western Michigan getting 28 from MSU, SMU getting 5 from Texas Tech and the over of 60 in that game.

Today's Picks

The game of the day is in Columbia where South Carolina hosts UNC.  The spread to me is too high at 11.5 as the Tar Heels are an experienced bunch with the best QB (Bryn Renner) on field.  I also like that superstar DE Jadeveon Clowney of SC is getting too much attention and that the Gamecocks have Georgia scheduled for week 2.  I can easily see this game tied in the fourth quarter.
My other picks for tonight are Utah State getting three at Utah and Rutgers getting 11 at Fresno.  I also like Vandy getting 3 from Ole Miss but chickened out on that one.  I also took the over (55) in the Fresno state game.  enjoy.

Manziel Suspended One Half

Okay, so I was not going to be happy with this one.  It smells like the Cam Newton situation in which the NCAA was not going to be bothered actually searching for evidence in a high profile case involving an SEC QB who was needed for ratings etc.  Cam denied knowing that his Dad tried to sell him to Mississippi and said that he took no money from Auburn and so he was allowed to continue starring for Auburn despite a lot of circumstantial evidence.  The NCAA could not find any actual evidence of money changing hands, however, although there are questions as too how hard they looked.  We have a similar situation here, except that Manziel clearly signed a lot of autographs.  He denied receiving payment however and therefore did so as a huge favor to some sports memorabilia professionals.  But why was the NCAA in a rush to get the guy back on the field?
Yeah, I know.  Evidence, evidence.  There was evidence against USC in the Bush et al case and OSU in the free tattoos plus case.  But again, evidence was not going to appear without actual investigating.
My other problem with this case is that there are way too many pundits and fans clamoring for players to be paid.  That Texas A&M, the SEC and the NCAA have all profited from Manziel's fame and so why shouldn't he?  But, name more than ten Aggies in the school's sometimes illustrious, sometimes awful history of playing college football that were worthy of profiting from their celebrity.  But each of thousands of Aggie players have received free schooling lodging, food, etc and the famous ones received training that helped them reach the NFL or were able to use their A&M celebrity to sell homes, run for office, marry well, etc.  Who the hell feels sorry for college football players?

The Wait Is Almost Over

It is the final day before college football begins and justifiably it is raining.  I wouldn't mind getting some things done but they can wait.  My mind is focused on football and that in mere hours the season will commence.  If the weather cooperates I plan on going to Fordham's beat-down of Rhode Island, although it is tempting to stay home and watch the battle of the Carolinas.  Either way it is college football and I will be happy.
I never did pick a national champion but will do so now with Alabama.  The team has a ridiculously easy schedule and will be motivated by a desire to be undefeated national champions and to achieve everlasting glory by three-peating.

Poll Voting Copycats

Let me get this straight.  A group of coaches voted for the USA Today preseason poll earlier this summer.  Then a group of sportswriters, choosing from the same scores of possible college football programs, voted on their own preseason top 25.  And the two polls came out virtually the same.  How is that possible?
Up top I can understand because certain teams get a great deal more hype--and, well, talented players, than others.  Agreeing on Alabama as the top team in the nation is no cause for alarm.  Ditto Ohio state at 2 and even Oregon, Stanford and Georgia at teams 3-5.  I personally would have it Stanford, Georgia and then Oregon but that's not quibbling about.  The AP voters then "punished" Texas A&M one spot for Johnny Football's weekly shenanigans, flipping South Carolina ahead of them to differ from the coaches' poll.  Clemson, Louisville and Florida then round out the top ten in both polls.
Teams numbered 11-14 are the same in both polls but their order is moved around.  What was ND, FSU, LSU and Okie State in USA Today became FSU, LSU Oklahoma State and Notre Dame to the writers. 
That both polls have the same 14 teams ranked in the top 14, although in slightly different order, is odd but what comes next defies belief.  Texas, OU, Michigan, Nebraska, Boise, TCU,UCLA, Northwestern, Wisconsin, USC and Oregon State are in that exact order in both polls to fill out 14-25.  That my friends is hard to do.  How busy were the AP voters?  Did they just pick up the coaches' poll, make a few adjustments and then mail it in? Sure seems like it.  If it is some sort of protest against having preseason polls, then I am all for it but it screams more of laziness than resistance.
shake it up boys.  It will get boring fast if there is too much agreement.

Savage to the Rescue?

The Pitt Panthers have officially turned to the oft-travelled Tom Savage to lead them at QB as they transition into the ACC.  And why not?  Savage was once--seemingly decades ago--a top prospect and now that he has had months of training under the Panther offense he should be ready to tap into some of his potential.  Although the team did lose its leading passer, rusher and receiver from last season there is enough talent back to build on a successful second half of the season that saw Pitt become bowl eligible with victories over Buffalo, Temple, USF and Rutgers.  They also played Notre Dame as tough as anyone during the regular season.  And head coach Paul Chryst has had success with transfer QBs before, although expecting Savage to be as successful as Russell Wilson was at Wisconsin when Chryst was the offensive coordinator is too much of a dream.
While it is a good thing that Savage is getting another chance, he will need to be at his best if Pitt has any chance in game one versus Florida State.  I would like their chances for a home upset if the situation with talented RB Rushel Shell had not blown up when he first asked to transfer and then decided to stay.  I agree that he should have been shown the door--and he is now waiting out a year at UCLA--but there is no back on the roster that will keep the FSU pass rushers honest.  As excited as Savage is to be back leading a team, he could be in for a long night on September 2.

Alabama's Scheduling Worries

Perhaps the most nervous program--after Texas A&M of course--about any potential Johnny Manziel suspension is none other than Alabama, the school whose sole blemish from 2012 was a direct result of Manziel's talents.  Sure fans of Rice and Sam Houston state want to see Manziel on the field for the first two games of the season--if you are going to lose the game you might as well get a glimpse of Mr. Popularity--but Alabama needs Manziel on the field for its game against the Aggies on September 14.
Yes, Bama wants to avenge last year's loss and doing so with Manziel playing will be a lot sweeter.  But that is not what is at issue here.  Alabama's potentially weak schedule will be watered down even more if Manziel misses the game and therefore the team's margin for error for the season will be even tighter.  Yes if Alabama runs the table they will be in the national title game.  But the Tide have lost a regular season game in each of the last two title-winning seasons forcing them to be the second team chosen for the title game.  To do that again will be problematic if they lose one of the few competitive games on their schedule.
Let's take a look at the actual games.  Out of conference they play Virginia Tech in Atlanta and three teams that would have no chance against Alabama's second unit in Colorado State, Georgia State and Chattanooga.  Folks are spinning the Hokies as a potential threat and possibly the team's third toughest opponent.  But coming off a 7-6 season and with a ridiculously easy schedule the rest of the way, Virginia Tech will disappear from national attention for months if they do not upset Alabama.  Tech not playing Clemson and Florida State hurts Alabama.
In conference Alabama does not play Georgia, Florida and South Carolina from the East.  So they have to hope and pray that LSU and A&M remain good and that one of the other West teams improves. And if LSU comes into its match-up with Bama undefeated then they should be ranked number one having beaten TCU on a neutral field and then weathering a four-game stretch featuring road games against Georgia and Mississippi state, a home game against Florida and then a road game against Mississippi.
It is August and it is hard to get worried about future games.  Plus based on its handling of the Cam Newton case, Manziel will probably be allowed to play.  And, again, all of this does not matter should Alabama go undefeated.  They certainly have the schedule to do so.

College Football 24/7

I am back from Canada, where there is very little interest in our favorite sport.  Now I am ready to throw myself into college football, even if teams are just in camp mode.  Forget those ridiculous preseason polls.  Everyone is tied at 0-0.  Forget those preseason predicted Heisman frontrunners (especially when many of them are in trouble for possibly selling autographs!) as everyone has a clean slate in August.  You would have been laughed at if you had Notre Dame going to the national title game last year and you could have won a bundle betting on what's-his-name at A&M for the 2012 Heisman (actually you would have been stuck with a middling "field" bet).  So get excited, buy some tickets (bought 2 for Rutgers-Arkansas today) and make viewing plans as the opening kickoff is 16 days away (am contemplating a trip to Columbia for the August 29 game between the Carolinas). Hooray!

Carlos Hyde Suspended

Urban Meyer suspended RB Carlos Hyde for at least the first three games of the season (Buffalo, San Diego State and Cal) for his actions at a Columbus bar.  Whether or not you believe Hyde hit the young woman at the bar and whatever your feelings toward Meyer, some strong punishment had to be leveled.  Men should not be striking women and a football player representing a university cannot be seen as a threat to the local populace.  So Hyde should consider himself lucky that charges were not pursued by the woman and that he has a chance to play ball.  As for Meyer, he is rightfully getting heat for running too loose of a ship and this moves smells of a poor attempt to get said heat off of his back.  He is already under pressure to deliver another undefeated team this season. Now he'll have to do so while keeping his players out of trouble.  He was unable to do that at Florida and in his first year at OSU.  Can an old dog learn new tricks?

Northeast Hosting Top College Football Programs

As a traditionalist I am not a fan of the many changes being made in conferences around the nation.  But one of the benefits of said change is that a number of top-notch programs will be traveling to my neck of the woods for games this season and I look forward to taking a few short road trips.  Here is a travel planner for the local RV owner:
Labor Day Weekend: After enjoying the Rhode Island at Fordham tilt under the lights at Rose Hill (shameless plug) on Thursday the 29th, head to the Meadowlands for the Penn State versus Syracuse battle as a homage to the old days of Eastern football.  Then head west for Monday's Pitt-Florida State contest, their first pairing since 1983.
Next we jump to September 14 when a Stanford program that has become one of the stronger in the country travels to West Point to play Army.  While the game should be a mismatch--but the Cardinal do have to travel cross country!--it will be a rare opportunity to see a team with top ten aspirations play at Michie.
The following weekend we have rare visits from not one but two major programs, although with differing expectations for 2013.  Rebuilding Arkansas is the rare SEC West program allowed out of their region when they head to New Jersey to play a Rutgers team that beat them in Arkansas in 2012.  On the same day Michigan will play UConn at Rentschler Field in Hartford, where an additional 2,000 seats are being put in to increase the total to a "whopping" 42,000.  There are a large number of Michigan fans in this area but many will have too wait a season to see the Wolverines hit the East Coast as they are scheduled to play at Rutgers in 2014.  Meanwhile I am not counting this one, but if tickets to those two games are too expensive go see UMass host an improving Vanderbilt.
On September 28 if you missed FSU week one you can travel to Boston for their road game against Boston College.  Yeah I know that does not thrill me either.  But you can then go to a local sports bar and watch possibly important AL East games as the Bosox are at Baltimore that evening.
The following week we have one potential top twenty team venturing to the far north for their first time and another that comes annually. Clemson travels to Syracuse for a game that will now be a strange rivalry--again I hate that Syracuse now plays teams like the Tigers but I can enjoy seeing Clemson play football live which I rarely get to do.  If that is just too odd, then head to Philly and watch a Louisville team that is aiming for a 12-0 record take on Temple.
On October 12 we have another Michigan sighting, although more inland.  The Wolverines play Penn State for the first time since 2010 and, well, since all of the madness out in State College.  You'll get some gawkers.
Take a few weeks off to enjoy the national college football scene and major league playoffs.  For the next few weeks there are no notable out-of-town teams paying our area a visit.
On the weekend on November 9 you have a chance for a fun weekend.  On Friday November 8 you can enjoy the fun scene for a UConn home game when they host Louisville.  Then on Saturday you may have to shake off your hangover as you have two options--both requiring a ride west.  Notre Dame travels to Pitt, which they do often.  But we also have another interesting option and that is Texas, another program that rarely heads up our way, traveling to Morgantown to play new "rival" West Virginia.  Again I do not care for West Virginia moving to the Big 12 but I do not think that I have seen Texas live in 20 years or so.  Both of the starting times for those games are to be determined.  Oh, by the way, the Steelers play at home that Sunday against Buffalo.
To close out the fun we have Nebraska traveling to Penn State on November 23 and then if you are desperate for something Thanksgiving Friday, Miami traveling to Pitt on the 29th.
So there are a lot of options for some rare sightings.  Get your field glasses and enjoy.

Yet Another Brutal Off-season for Irish

In the past few off-seasons Notre Dame has lost its share of top recruits and key freshmen.  Now the Irish will be tested by the academic suspension handed down to QB Everett Golson, which will cost him the 2013 season.  Notre Dame has depth in former starting QB Tommy Rees and mobile back-up Andrew Hendrix.  Incoming freshman QB Malik Zaire was expected to redshirt this year but if he continues to impress--and he is the most Golson-like--then he may begin his run as a starter.  That will make for an interesting situation next spring, if Golson is reinstated, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.  This is a big loss for the Irish as Golson's improvement on the field was supposed to help the offense deal with losses of the top two RBs and star TE.  Instead a potential co-share at QB will have to lead the Irish against a tough schedule.
More importantly Notre Dame is showing why it is a different football power than most anyone else.  I am unsure which programs would boot their starting QB over an academic issue but ND did and fans should be proud.  While it seems that the football program is too big there, as everywhere, it does have to follow academic rules the way any program or student at Notre Dame has to.

College Football Attendance Figures

Based on a ridiculous article by Tony Barnhart on CBSSports.com, the SEC is looking for ways to improve their fans' experience at games due to a decrease in attendance the past few years from a high set in 2007.  Barnhart talks about the mighty conference hiring experts to sort out the problem when the answer is buried, by not analyzed, in the column.  Stop scheduling so many mediocre opponents!  True it mysteriously does not hurt you in the polls and some lunatic fans seem to not care about the opponent as long as their favorite is running up the score, but when you schedule lesser opponents solely to get an easy win and still charge $100 to the game, some fans are not going to show up.  Surprise, surprise.  Barnhart quotes Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley as saying, "It's a real issue (of the drop in attendance)."  He then states, "A confluence of things is coming together and the world has changed.  We have to change with it."  Huh?  Later Barnhart allows Foley to point a finger at Stubhub and the like.  And then in a buried section on cupcake scheduling, which is not given full consideration, the discussion again attacks the secondary ticket market.
Nowhere in the piece does Barnhart explain that yes ticket sales were down 2% at Florida despite an 11-win season because...the Gators hosted such powers as Bowling Green, Louisiana and Jacksonville State.  Their SEC home opponents did include LSU and South Carolina but also Kentucky and newbie Missouri who is not exactly a rival.  Why do you need a panel to explain a drop in attendance with that slate of games?  And guess what Florida, the fact that your home schedule for this year includes Toledo, Tennessee, Arkansas, Vandy and Georgia Southern plus the only game fans are now excited about--Florida State on November 30--means that you probably need another blue ribbon panel to give you suggestions for less than stellar ticket sales in 2013.
The other problem with the SEC is that the more you keep telling us that the conference is the best and there really is not a second best, the more you establish SEC rivalry games as important and everything else as meaningless.  It is a self-fulfilling set of B.S.
So feel free to continue to cry that you "only" sell 98% of your high priced tickets.  All of your friendly media experts will back you up 100%.

NFF Hall of Fame Announcement Continued

As I said yet another great class of great college football players and coaches will be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and this class will be the first to be enshrined in the bran new Hall building being erected in Atlanta with an August 2014 opening date.
It is hard to get two better representatives for an incoming class of Hall of Famers than Tedy Bruschi and Danny Wuerffel, who were both in attendance yesterday at the announcing ceremony at the NASDAQ building in Times Square.  Both of course mentioned that the Hall vote was a great honor.  Bruschi talked about being a freshman in high school and seeing some friends sitting in a group waiting.  He asked them about it and they mentioned football tryouts and that he should join them.  He did, despite having never played organized football and being more suited then for the band, and fortunately received some great coaching.  Bruschi first day of practice with pads was somewhat humorous as everyone split into groups and he did not know where to go.  A coach took one look at him and sent him to the linemen group and that proved to be a good decision.  At Arizona he became an AA defensive end despite being overlooked as a recruit.  Bruschi praised coach Dick Tomey as a needed father figure and mentioned that the group that became the Desert Swarm defense used a sense of being disrespected as recruits into the needed chip on their shoulders that helped them achieve a high level of play.
Wuerffel talked about how in synch he was to the vision that coach Steve Spurrier wanted in a QB.  Wuerffel greatest strength may have been that he processed everything Spurrier threw at the QBs at a quick pace.  A fellow reporter forced the modest Wuerffel to admit that he was a tough SOB and his ability to get up after continued hits in games like the loss to FSU in the 1996 regular season endeared him forever to Gator fans.  Being able to avenge that loss and the previous year's loss in the de facto national title contest with Nebraska was a great way to end his college career.
In December I will get to hear from the rest of the group, including a representative for the late Rod Shoate.  I look forward to it.

New College Football Hall of Fame Class

Yet another outstanding group of college football greats have been elected to the Hall as announced today live from New York City.  I will list them now and then weigh in later.
Ted Brown, the great RB from NC State in the late 1970s
Tedy Bruschi, who is now known as a broadcaster and former Patriot LB but is honored for his great work for Arizona as a DE.
Ron Dayne, the all-time great RB from Wisconsin and first college football player to rush for 7,000y.
Tommie Frazier, the QB and electric leader of the great Nebraska squads from the early to mid 1990s.
Jerry Gray, the brilliant safety from Texas.
Steve Meilinger, a multi-purpose star from Kentucky who played in the early 1950s.
Orlando Pace, one of the greatest all-time offensive tackles from OSU.
Rod Shoate, a star from my youth as a LB for OU.
Percy Snow, the tackle machine for MSU in the 1980s.
Vinny Testaverde, the 1986 Heisman winner from Miami.
Don Trull, an accomplished QB from Baylor from 50 years ago.
Danny Wuerffel, the 1996 Heisman winner from Florida.
plus coaches Wayne Hardin, who won 118 games total at Navy and Temple and Bill McCartney, the architect of the great Colorado teams from the late 1980s-early 90s.

College Football Hall of Fame Announcement

I am off to the NFF announcement of the next class of players and coaches elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.  I am looking forward to hearing from a couple of the new enshrines--as they always bring some in for the announcement--and to see the list.  Every year a great group of players get in and it is amazing to think that some of these guys had to wait.  But unlike any other sport college football has an enormous number of great retired players and they cannot all get in.  And remember that some chapters of the National Football Foundation are bigger and more powerful than others and get the vote out.  I will update you all later today.

Big Ten Gets It Right

The Legends and Leaders idea was a failure from the start.  Only the biggest fans could sort out the standings without looking at them and the desire to have Michigan and Ohio State play in the regular season and then meet in every other conference title game was misguided.  Not only is that type of thinking usually fail--see the ACC with Miami versus Florida State-but you do not preserve the beauty and importance of the regular season rivalry. Once again the SEC got that right by making games like LSU-Alabama and Florida-Georgia meaningful as rivalries and for their impact on the conference divisional races.
But I give the Big Ten credit for righting a wrong.  The new divisions are designated geographically and will make it easier for newcomers Rutgers and Maryland to develop rivalries with each other and probably Penn State.  Meanwhile the notion that the East is difficult because of the presence of Michigan, Ohio state and Penn State and the West is easier is absurd.  First of all, many of the same experts lamenting this predicted that Penn State would be dreadful for ten years.  So since they were wrong on that one they now feel that Wisconsin has it easy despite the fact that they did not win anything last year and that Nebraska and Iowa and Northwestern etc will all be pretty good in the near future.  We have seen in other conferences that the fortunes of divisions change. The SEC West is a beast now while the East was considered the tougher division 7-10 years ago.  The old Big 12 power base shifted from Kansas State and Nebraska in the late 90s to Texas and OU in the 2000s.
The key for the conference is to reestablish itself as the preeminent one on the field.  It can deliver plenty of television sets but can it deliver national championship contenders?

Lessons From the Draft Part Three

This post is focused on a bit of common sense.  I know common sense rarely comes into play on draft week, but here goes.  Are you sitting down?  Okay.  Here goes.  There is no magic list that correctly ranks the hundreds of draft eligible players.  So when the guy the experts had going 10 drops to your team at 30, but they pass and take some guy you never heard of, it does not mean that they are wrong.  They liked that guy at 30 better than the guy expected to go 10. Or he fits the system better. Or the other guy has a screw loose.  Is injury prone.  Or just does not fill a certain need.
Take the Giants, since I know them best.  The fans are upset because they took a guy that hadn't heard being mentioned in the first round in the Cuse lineman Justin Pugh.  On the board at the time were a couple of players that had dropped--dropped from the position placed on them by experts.  But because that really does not mean anything, being that the experts do not have access to the teams' boards, you cannot compare say Shariff Floyd to Pugh.  So you may have Floyd ranked higher than Pugh based on what some experts say, you probably have not seen either player live and certainly have not tested them and scouted them the way the teams do.  So shut up already since you are totally ignorant.
Now don't get me wrong.  Some picks are so dumb that they are worth negative attention.  But to rip an offensive lineman that you have not seen when the Giants are desperate for offensive linemen is just stupid.  And your wanting him in the second round is wonderful except for one thing. He would not have been there.  My guess is that if the Bears did not take him instead of Long at 20, the Cowboys would have since he is exactly what they need.  And not one lineman expected to go from the Giants pick in the second round on down would have been a big help next year.  This was the last chance to help the 2013 O-Line.  And as for the 2014 line, Pugh can pick any spot he wants to the right of left tackle.  And as for his short arms they are similar in length to Joe Thomas so it is not impossible that he sticks at RT.
That is enough venting for now.

Lessons From The Draft Part 2

When I was a kid there was a lot less college football on television but a lot more coverage in the press.  There was also more in-depth discussion of the sport with college football as a whole being a topic followed by the major programs and coaches and then the top players.  Don't get me wrong, the blocking schemes at Syracuse were never a topic of discussion, but fans knew who the top players were in the country.
Now?  College football's television ratings are through the roof.  We fans can watch our fair share of games on TV even if we go to games on Saturday afternoon.  We think we have a good grasp of the sport and the players who lead the best teams.
But then the draft rolls around in the spring, like Christmas the anticipation and coverage begins earlier and earlier every year.  But coverage of the draft uncovers a problem.  Why are the draft experts talking about a player that we barely know as if he is the second coming?  If ESPN and other media outlets did their jobs from May until March, why is it that we are now being introduced to key players from major college programs?
Part of the problem of course is that they are over-hyping these guys prior to the draft.  And some guys project to be better pros than college players.  Take Shariff Floyd of Florida who may go as high as number three tonight.  A huge recruit out of Philadelphia Floyd has had a solid but underwhelming career in Gainesville.  He did make All American teams this past year but he is being drafted on his size and speed combination and not his production (31 tackles in 2012 including 8.5 for a loss).
But the player who really sticks out for me is Oregon defender Dion Jordan who is being compared to Jason Taylor and Aldon Smith.  How does a guy who has been recognized as an All Pac 12 performer and praised by scouts for his physical skills and play on the field go virtually unknown while playing for a school that is usually ranked in the top ten?  That would not have been possible in any other time in American sport.
Who is to blame?  The American sports public cannot be taken off the hook.  They demand coverage of celebrity and a guy who was excellent at dropping back into coverage was never going to become one of those.  ESPN is a major factor here, which is ironic as it then over reacts to anyone who is a draft prospect.  So Dion Jordan gets ignored until this spring then gets covered as future star and then goes to the pros while Collin Klein gets press while KSU is undefeated but then gets ignored now as he is not expected to be drafted too high if at all and then hopefully goes to the pros.  Sadly guys who are very good college players but not pro prospects tend to get ignored all the time unless they are, like Klein, the QB for a top team.
ESPN is to blame because they have adopted a policy that it is better to talk non-stop about one player, say Johnny Manziel or Manti Te'o, than to mention anyone else.  I guess this began with Michael Jordan and some meeting in Bristol, Connecticut at which a producer was dressed down for a piece on Mitch Richmond that was done before the network had reached its 100-per-week segments quota on MJ.  While that is a really bad way to cover the NBA and its dozens of stars it is an impossible way to cover college football and its hundreds of major players.  ESPN is also to blame because they break sports coverage down to quick hits.  Once they establish a story line it is easier to just run with that than delve deeper.  Oregon is know for a speedy offense.  So why bother mentioning Jordan?
And major newspapers fall into the same stupid trap based on laziness. They will over-cover the stars and provide coverage of their area of interest but do not even bother with the nation as a whole.  If you polled 100 college football fans from throughout the country, how many members of the 2012 AP All America first team could they name?  Sure Manziel and Te'o would be easy.  So too Marqise Lee and some of the many Alabama players that earned the recognition.  But Terrance Williams, Will Sutton or Phillip Thomas? How about a first team AA RB who topped 1,900 yards?  Of the 100 fans polled how many know Ka'Deem Carey of Arizona?  But how many of those polled could rattle off the names of the first team AA RBs from earlier generations?  When did rushing for that many yards in a major conference not earn you some press?
So do not be surprised when your favorite pro team drafts guys you never heard of even if they are from big-time programs.  It is not that they are not good players.  They were just not as good a story as Johnny Football.

Lessons From Draft Part 1

You are a college football fan, right?  And you watch a fair share of the sport.  And being a football fan you pay attention to the NFL draft.  But with all of the hype poured into that event you find yourself confused.  Who are half of these guys and why are we so interested in them?
There are many reasons as to why some very productive college players get drafted lower than expected and some not drafted at all and why some not too productive guys go very high.  The answer generally shoved down our throat concerns speed--that the NFL demands it and some very talented college stars do not have enough of it to be anything more than a sub.  Of course it is more complicated than that as smarts, football and otherwise, height, scheme played, coaching and myriad other factors help determine a players lot.
And the experts get the placing of players incredibly wrong so often it is difficult to understand why they are experts.  But the inability to rank players by experts and general mangers alike then allows some drafted-too-high players to lose their edge while inspiring some low-drafted players.  And that makes the experts look even worse.  It is a vicious cycle.
As for productivity, I am a big believer in the reality that good players make plays.  I want my favorite football team to focus on talented football players that fit their system.  I am really not interested in "projects" and I want guys who are team-first players.  I would take a chance on an injured guy before a guy falling for off-the-field issues.
More to follow.

Trouble With Auburn

What does it take to get put on probation these days?  Well if you are a member of the seemingly protected SEC you get a number of passes. The Auburn program is again in the news this week for all the wrong reasons and at some point you would think that with all of the accusations--it is beyond smoke at this point--investigators would be able to present a case.
What bothers me beyond the actual cheating going on is the lack of interest by media and fans.  If someone else excuses cheating of any kind with the ridiculous argument that "everyone does it" I'll shoot myself (screw that, I'll take them out).  And the double standard that was made too apparent this week is also troubling. What Mike Rice did to members of his Rutgers basketball squad was appalling and he did lose his job.  But what the Tigers are accused of doing, from a blatant disrespect toward academics, to buying players and hushing up failed drug tests is much worse than anything Rice did to his Rutgers players. Yet the outrage toward Rice is much worse than that toward ex-Auburn coach Gene Chizik, who was fired for his inability to win post Cam Newton.  And I have not heard anyone calling for Will Muschamp's job at Florida despite his role in the scandal.
It is time to clean up the mess. 

National Signing Day

While I do keep an eye on recruiting I am not enough of an expert on the subject to be able to voice an opinion worth anyone's time.  Then again, who could truly be an expert when we are discussing thousands of kids throughout the country.  How often have you seen the kid play live and was he playing legitimate competition when you did see him?  Living in New York City I do not get to see too much high school football and leave the prospecting to others.  The reality of recruiting is that every team must get as much talent as it can but said talent has to be coachable and the staff must be able to coach the kids up.  Opportunity and desire are paramount.  Take the position of quarterback at Ohio State.  Troy Smith was an afterthought the year he was recruited--the Buckeyes had an extra scholarship and wanted to appease his father, a big-time high school coach in Cleveland--while Terrelle Pryor was a blue chipper a few years later.  Who accomplished more in Columbus?
Hopefully your favorite team brought in some hard-working and gifted kids who are willing to fit into a team.  Do not get caught up in the number of four and five stars brought in but take a look at the roster and see if holes were filled.  Then hope that they all can stay on the straight and narrow.  Good luck.

View From Bennett Ave

Well it has been 24 hours of this Manti Te'o saga and I really should have something to say about it.  But I do not beyond hating that every off season has to suck beyond words and I am tired of all the negativity swirling around college football.  I have no idea what happened in this case and am willing to hear the kid out.  He remains a uniquely gifted young man and deserving of support if he is a somewhat innocent victim here.  If not he has a lot of explaining to do.

Chip Kelly Trades Ducks for Eagles

Is this a Carroll-esque get out of Dodge before the sanctions get announced?  Possibly.  Chip Kelly is gone to the NFL where he will be either a huge success or stunning failure.  I really do not see middle ground with him.  There are some offensive weapons for him to enjoy and if he can line up a good staff he should do okay.  The NFC East is certainly in enough flux for him to get some early success. He has always felt that his system could beat anyone, anywhere and that confidence will be put to the test.  Doubters have always felt that his system of out speeding opponents would not work in the NFL where every team has top-level speed but remember that some very good defenses were confused by what the Redskins offense did this year.  There is room for well-thought out offensive planning.
And who knows how Oregon will make out.  The NCAA is still lingering and that is a concern.  But NIKE is not going anywhere.  And hiring from within keeps the train rolling for now.  But Kelly set such a high bar in Eugene that 9-3 will be considered poor.  With much of the Pac 12 improving we will see if that level of excellence can be maintained.

View From Bennett Ave

One of my great pleasures from the past college football season was being able to attend four college football games with my family.  While none of the games had any bearing on any conference or national title race--not even close--they all supplied an afternoon of fun and some exciting football (yes media, college football is fun even if the teams involved will not sniff a BCS bowl game).
First up, Virginia's rout of Richmond on Labor Day weekend.  With school approaching--daughter Pilar was about to begin second grade--we took off for a mini vacation to Virginia.  While the trip included plenty of activities that Pili counts among her favorites, from Busch Gardens to Monticello to the ponies at Chincoteague, the day spent at UVA's beautiful campus was up there with the rest.  The Cavs looked good that day, but it was not a sign of things to come for the Wahoo.  That game proved to be the only clinker of the four we attended.
Next up, two weeks later, was a trip to the alma mater.  Fordham is not only where I went to college, but where I met my beautiful wife Ginny and where I began my sports writing career as a staff member and later editor of The Ram.  Ginny and I had an early pre-date at a Fordham football game (due to inclement weather we were the only two of an expected group of friends to go to a game in 1985 and began dating soon after) and so the stadium has a little extra meaning for the two of us.  And on this date, 9/15/12, the Rams were battling Cornell, a school that has educated generations of Ginny's family and so there was a little extra juice for us Ram fans.  But Big Red did not take into account the passion of seven-year-old Pilar Guido, who cheered on the Rams to a 34-27 victory.  Fordham delighted the homecoming crowd with 28 second half points as the combination of QB Ryan Higgins and RB Carlton Koonce was too much for the visitors.  Brother-in-law Larry Somma, Cornell '88, cowardly did not answer his phone after the game.
Pili was excited now and with FU playing the following week up the road from our Washington Heights apartment, at Columbia's home field on the northern tip of Manhattan, we made a last-second decision to head to the game.  I am somewhat embarassed to say that without proper time to plan a tailgate, I mixed some vodka with a couple of my daughter's juice boxes.  That cocktail got my wife and I through a ho hum first half.  Fordham won a tough game, and with it the Liberty Cup, as Koonce rambled for 250y and 2 TDs.  The Rams were now 3-1 and--if only it counted for something--2-0 versus the Ivies.
Game four involved a trip north to West Point, as the struggling Cadets hosted the struggling Boston College Eagles.  It was a crisp fall day and the wonderful campus and an exciting second half made up for our missing most of the first one.  We were joined by friends Moira and Benjamin and the five of us had a great time.  Army rallied for an exciting 34-31 victory with QB Trent Steelman rushing for a 29y TD right up the BC gut with less than a minute remaining.  The kids, Pilar and Ben, enjoyed the action on the field when not taking pictures of the mules, marvelling at the push-up doing Cadets, covering their ears when the cannons blasted or taking food runs.  That the game was exciting, if not particularly well-played, was a bonus.
I attended other games without my wife and daughter but had my most fun with them.  It was good to share with them the sport that takes up so much of my life.  And Pilar really enjoyed Notre Dame's stunning run to the BCS title game, cheering on her favorite player Manti Te'o.  The other day she mentioned going to 12 games next season so I had better begin planning.