Look Back at a Classic Upset

What's great about an upset is that it sits there, forever, in black and white. As long as college football matters--and there is no sign of that abating any time soon--the fact that the University of Louisiana-Monroe beat Alabama 21-14 on November 17, 2007 will always be recorded in the books. And since those two teams meet up this Saturday for the first time since that game, the upset is back in the news. And as someone who does not like Nick Saban, that is a welcome discussion any and every time. What is great about that result was that La-Monroe had a mediocre season. They went to Tuscaloosa with a 4-6 record with one of the team's losses coming to a North Texas team that finished the season 2-10. The Redhawks themselves finished the season 6-6. Despite the big win head coach Charlie Weatherbie only lasted two more before being fired. Of course, that was not a great Alabama squad by any stretch of the imagination, finishing the season 7-6 including a four-game losing streak in November. John Parker Wilson was the embattled QB and Terry Grant was the leading rusher with only 891y. Still Nick Saban was not happy that day and probably is not happy any time someone brings up that game. Knowing that makes me happy. I love a good upset.

View From Bennett Avenue

As you know, there is much that I do not like about ESPN. But, of course, I have to accept them as the premium supplier of sports news on television. And I have to live with all of the stupid things that they do on what seems to be a daily basis.
While I would love to rail against them for boneheaded decisions, especially regarding their choice of "talent,"I have bigger fish to fry. Number one, why does the network present to us as fact this past weekend that Texas A&M was going to jump to the SEC? The "source" for that story was an insider from College Station reporting the news to basketball analyst Doug Gottlieb. Really? That is the best you can do? While it does appear that there is some interest between the SEC and A&M, the deal is being held up for scores of reasons mostly involving potential lawsuits and money to be owed by the Aggies to the Big 12. But because of these myriad hold-ups, the deal is far from finalized and, as we learned from the story about Texas jumping to the Pac 10, far from being a lock. Why jump the gun? You, ESPN, are the main source of sports news for everyone. Let the other guys jump the gun.
Also, this week ESPN is airing a panel that is discussing the ills of major college sports. And of course the dopey ESPN "experts," like Mark May and Jay Bilas, get to spout off while the more important people, like coaches and administrators, can barely get a word in. But allowing Saban to speak about the issue of recruiting malfeasance drove me crazy. Urban Meyer clearly had Saban in mind when he said that one way to control coaches would be to suspend them when they commit violations, but Saban just spun the conversation around to something else. And then May and others chimed in about how the rulebook is too big as if that is some excuse for Saban's cheating. Until they hammer guys like Saban the problem is not going to go away as others, as we saw with Auburn last year, will cheat to try to keep up with him.

View From Bennett Avenue

When the NCAA allowed Cam Newton to continue to play this season despite the fact that they found evidence that his father attempted to sell him to Mississippi State (and may have to Auburn too), there was a fear that this situation would happen more often as no one was properly punished for the crime committed. But programs that find it necessary to cheat will do so whether they are punished or not. And they are especially likely to cheat when they feel they are up against the wall.

Take Alabama as an example. Now normal people would not consider the successful Tide's football program up against anything, but the pressure is on Nick Saban and his staff to win the national title every year. Add into the mix that Auburn, of all schools, won both the SEC and the national title (or are those the same thing?) this year and the pressure has been amped up. In their eyes Auburn should never win at anything. And so Alabama, despite being on probation for most of the past decade for, among other violations, buying their own player (just one not as good as Cam Newton), bent two significant rules (at least two that I know of as there may have been more) since the close of the regular season. After accepting a bid to the Capital One Bowl, played in Orlando, the Tide made a deal with Dr. Phillips High School of Orlando to use their facilities for practice. That is not so bizarre. Dr. Phillips, alma mater of Johnny Damon among other pro athletes, has been rented before by college teams preparing for bowl games. Built in the late 1980s the high school has plenty of amenities. The problem is that Alabama recruits Dr. Phillips, which sits right in the middle of Florida, hard and has the two best players from a 14-1 team, signed to play for them. In fact, S Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix of Dr. Phillips is rated as the no. 1 recruit for the Tide by ESPN, while teammate RB Dee Hart, who decommitted from Michigan late in 2010, is tied for 5th in the Tide's stellar class and is the top back. Making matters worse, Alabama coach Nick Saban left a nice Christmas present for the school in addition to the justifiable fee for playing there. Alabama overhauled the field and the locker rooms at Dr. Phillips. The Tide justified their actions by declaring that they did not want any of their players injured, which of course begs two questions. Then why did you book a high school field when their are numerous colleges in the area? Who exactly would have been injured by the paint job in the locker room, which was one of the changes made?

This really is minor stuff compared to some of the allegations thrown at SEC teams each year. But being that Alabama has been put on probation multiple times in the 2000s and was on probation when they won the 2009 national title, you think they would not do things that are so blatant. And, of course, Hart officially signed on for 2011 after Alabama left. Meanwhile his high school coaches and teammates had to be impressed with the upgrade to facilities that were deemed some of the best in central Florida before Alabama showed up.

But Saban had more tricks up his sleeve regarding future recruiting classes. Soon after his team handily dispatched Michigan State in the bowl game, Saban was invited to talk to some high school coaches in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. At first glance that seems fine as one could certainly see why some high school coaches would want one of the more successful college coaches around dropping by to pay a visit. Except of course that we were still in the quiet zone of no visits to seniors (as Auburn and Oregon were still to play and they were too busy to recruit). But that was fine as Alabama was not recruiting any seniors from OKC Heritage Hall. But there is a highly sought after junior attending that school who happens to have a famous father--Barry Sanders, Jr, one of the studs of next year's recruiting class. The official rule concerning high school juniors is that a college coach or representative cannot have an extended conversation with any of them before July 1 of their senior year unless they, the player, comes to your camp or school. So Saban could go to Heritage Hall but he could not speak to Sanders, Jr and the mission of his trip had to be something other than talking to the kid. But as anyone paying attention to recruiting knows, Saban is a master at "accidentally" bumping into recruits on the road. The NCAA has even made rules about bumping into recruits more stringent because of him and the "Saban Rule" took coaches off the recruiting trail for long stretches of the spring as the kids do have to go to school some time. But here was Saban bumping into a superstar back with impeccable bloodlines days after his own superstar back with impeccable bloodlines, Mark Ingram, opted for a pro career (or an officially professional career). Saban was allowed to say hello but was supposed to move on quickly. But Sanders admitted that Saban's conversation with him was long enough to include the coach telling him that Ingram was going pro before Ingram's official announcement, that Alabama needed him with Richardson possibly having only one more season (what no mention of Dee Hart?) and that they discussed his, Sanders's, recent foot surgery. All of that is not only a violation--although admittedly a minor one--but is driving Oklahoma State, who feels that Sanders belongs to them, crazy. Oh and the high school coaches admitted that Saban never watched film of their team with them to give them advice but just toured the school and left.

Now neither of these events are major violations. But they do lay bare the arrogance big programs like Alabama have when breaking rules in front of everyone and the lack of a firestorm to stop this crap from happening. Was a big deal made about either event? No--at least outside of Oklahoma and perhaps Gainesville and Auburn--and that is because like steroids in baseball, fans assume that everyone cheats in recruiting so why shouldn't Alabama, and because the big media outlets do not want to piss off Saban for fear of lack of access. And so it all continues despite an occasional fine or time on probation. And Saban knows that, like Pete Carroll, if the NCAA does investigate his program he can hightail it to another job (there are already rumors about him talking to the Tennessee Titan floating around) for a ton of money. He has absolutely no motivation--beyond a personal code of ethics--to play by the rules. And it is hard to see evidence of his own desire to be honest and forthright about anything.

View From Bennett Avenue

I have been busy trying to find work the past few days and never did comment on the big game the other night. Sorry about that. Anyway, what an odd one? I do not remember a winning coach--and won who enjoyed an undefeated season--making so many boneheaded decisions in one game. The fake punt was so dumb it was unbelievable. Was he jealous of all the ink Boise State gets for trick plays? Texas should have opened with a 7-0 lead and would have added to it when the Alabama WR Julio Jones fails to fair-catch the ensuing short kick-off. That play proved that a team of 5-star players can lose to a weaker team if they commit brain locks like that one. Jones has never impressed one as a top student-athlete, so perhaps it was to be expected. Although it is hard to blame Saban directly for this one play, the coach is responsible for getting his team prepared and, well, Jones was not prepared. So they get bailed out with McCoy's injury and only trail by six. But this post is heading for War and Peace-like length, so let me knock Saban for his biggest blunder. How do you let the only dynamic, game-changing player left on the Texas offense almost beat you in the second half? Thanks to the gift TD received at the end of the 1st H, the Tide led 24-6 with a great run game and a tough defense that had already ended the amateur career of QB Colt McCoy. The odds in Alabama's favor looked to be a million-to-one. So then Alabama amazingly allows WR Jordan Shipley to run free in their secondary. The number one threat for Texas and the most reliable target for youngster Garret Gilbert was the star WR Shipley. He had to be neutralized, yet the Tide deep safeties were late coming over on both of his TDs. You cannot let the best player on the field beat you and yet there was Shipley catching pass after pass in the 2nd H.
But then the defense, which in all fairness Saban helped shape, bails him out with another brutal hit on an opposing QB. But that's football. and the best thing Saban has done with the Tide program is establish a team built on punishing line of scrimmage play.
Meanwhile--and yes I am back with some anti-Saban material, why was ESPN so amazed that Saban has turned around the Tide in only three years? It's Alabama for crying out loud. The program dipped because of questionable coaching and a loss of scholarships due to some recruiting malfeasance. Saban is now recruiting full tilt. And anyone can recruit top-notch kids from down-south to Tuscaloosa. Plus plenty of coaches have turned around big-time programs that momentarily slumped before this season including ESPN's own Lou Holtz, who was his only NCAA title three years after the Faust years. Don't the fools at ESPN read their own talent's bios?
Enough already. I have to post on Pete Carroll next.