Change of Pace

I am tinkering with the idea of an alteration to the focus of this blog with an eye toward more historical pieces, including posts designed to look at today's college football topics through a more historical lens. I hope you enjoy them.

Book Review

The Gipper

by Jack Cavanaugh

Skyhorse Publishing

Fall 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Remember When

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

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

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

Remember When

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

OHIO STATE 14 Wisconsin 7

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

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

Remember When

I have always enjoyed the under the radar rivalries played early in the season that mean a lot to regional areas, if not the entire nation. The battle for the fine state of Colorado is just one of those rivalries, pitting teams from different conferences and different levels of expectation, but similar desire to win state-wide bragging rights. Here is a barn-burner from the recent past, as presented in the USA Today College football Encyclopedia (brand new edition now available!):
September 2, 2000
Colorado State 28 Colorado 24 (Denver): Buffs outgained rivals 532y to 392y but could not stop Colorado State (1-0) QB Matt Newton from throwing career-high 4 TD passes, 2 to WR Frank Rice (4/113y). Newton (19-30/327y, 2 INTs) got off to hot start, hitting 7-9 with 2 TDs in early stages. Buffaloes (0-1) roared back with 24 straight pts, with TDs on 5y run by frosh TB Marcus Houston, 15y reception by WR Javon Green, and 1y keeper by QB Bobby Pesavento (20-31/250y), subbing for injured QB Zac Colvin. Rams QB Newton was not done, leading pair of 2nd H TD drives for victory, with game-winner coming early in 4th Q on 30y TD pass to TE Jose Ochoa. "I guess there's a new sheriff in town," said Newton after game. TB Cortlen Johnson rushed for 121y to pace Buffs ground game.

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While every Army-Navy game has great meaning, the ones played during time of war have extra poignancy. With the recent announcement that the number of troops committed to Afghanistan will increase, yesterday's game became important viewing.

Perhaps the most meaningful game in series history occurred in 1963. The Cold War was raging and the United States was about to increase its presence in one particular hot spot-Vietnam. Then the nation was stunned to learn that President John Kennedy (pictured before 1962 Army-Navy game) was shot and killed in Dallas one morning in late November. The Army-Navy game was played two weeks and a day later, one week after it was originally scheduled. Here is our recap from The USA Today Encyclopedia of College Football:

Navy 21 Army 15 (Philadelphia): Game was originally cancelled due to presidential assassination, but widow, Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy, made special request that it be played. FB Pat Donnelly scored 3 TDs, last at end of 91y drive that gave Navy (9-1) 21-7 lead with less than 11 mins left and Tars appeared on their way to Cotton Bowl. But, unsung Army (7-3) QB Rollie Stichweh ignored his passing O and created all-infantry 52y TD march and added 2-pt run. Stichweh's TD run was shown by CBS as TV's 1^st-ever instant replay. Now back to live action: Stichweh immediately fell on K Dick Heydt's perfect on-side KO at Middies 49YL and Cadets were in business. After 5 meticulous runs and 11y pass to WB Don Parcells, Army used its last timeout with ball at 7YL and 1:38 left. After 2 runs to 4YL, and with 130,000 fans in uproar, ref called time to aid Army's signal-calling. Stichweh made mistake of re-huddling his team, while unaware clock was running. Cadets HB Ken Waldrop's plunge went to 2YL, but time expired with Stichweh hopelessly pleading for quiet so Army could run 4^th down play. No. 2 Navy won its 5^th in row over Army, but in barely surviving Middies might have left some of their zest for upcoming Cotton Bowl showdown with no. 1 Texas.

Remember When

With the highly-anticipated Florida versus Alabama match-up today for the SEC Championship, we have made the easy decision to remember one of the finer meetings between these two programs with the SEC crown in the balance. The SEC Championship game was established in 1992 after the conference expanded to 12 teams with the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina. Alabama and Florida were the two best programs in the conference then, as now, and met in that first game, which was won by the Tide 28-21. Alabama then went on to win the national title by beating Miami in the Sugar Bowl and the current edition of the team looks to do the same this year. The two schools met again in 1993 and 1994 and Remember When looks back at the exciting 1994 game that pitted no. 3 Alabama and no. 6 Florida for SEC glory.

Florida 24 Alabama 22 (Atlanta): In nerve-wracking SEC title game, Florida (10-1-1) silenced lingering doubt about big game ability, and Alabama (11-1) saw national title shot evaporate. Crimson Tide opened scoring as QB Jay Barker (10-19/181y, TD, 2 INTs) passed 70y to WR Curtis Brown on perfectly-threaded arrow. But, Barker banged up his throwing shoulder as Gators took 17-10 H lead on 2 TDs by QB Danny Wuerffel. Bama K Michael Proctor made 47 and 48y FGs in 3^rd Q, and when LB Dwayne Rudd ran in 23y INT in 4^th Q, Tide led 22-17. Coach Gene Stallings was criticized for not trying 2-pt conv, but kicked instead for 23-17 edge. At this point, Gators dipped into coach Steve Spurrier's bag of tricks and came up with 20y lateral double-pass from Wuerffel to WR Chris Doering to WR Aubrey Hill, who carried to 2YL. Doering caught TD pass on next play, and K Judd Davis made winning kick with 5:29 to go.

Remember When

With all of the craziness swirling around the Kansas program and head coach Mark Mangino, we would like to remind the KU athletic department that the Jayhawks had a dream season only two years ago. The 2007 edition of the Jayhawks won their first 11 games, entering the clash with rival Missouri with an undefeated record and no. 2 ranking. The Tigers were no slouches that year either, sporting an 10-1 record and no. 4 ranking. The Border Clash never had it so good, as relived in The USA Today College Football Encyclopedia.

Missouri 36 Kansas 28 (Kansas City): For 1st time since establishment of Big 12 in 1996, Tigers (11-1) snatched North crown by beating undefeated rival Kansas (11-1) at Arrowhead Stadium. And with LSU's loss on Friday, Missouri was ticketed, however briefly, for no. 1 in land. Missouri QB Chase Daniel (40-49/361y, 3 TDs) was magnificently sharp after slow start, hitting TE Martin Rucker for short TD for 7-0 lead in 1st Q. Incredibly accurate so far in 2007, Kansas QB Todd Reesing (28-49/349y, 2 TDs, 2 INTs) had dreadful 1st Q but zeroed in on WR Kerry Meier for 39y gain on opening play of 2nd Q to set new school mark with 213 throws without INT. But on next play, Tigers S William Moore changed course of game by intercepting Reesing at Mizzou 2YL. Kansas had avoided big PENs all season but was guilty of D-holding after stopping Missouri on 3rd-and-12 at 40YL. It kept 98y drive alive, and Daniel beat pressure to rifle 11y TD pass to WR Danario Alexander (8/117y, TD) for 14-0 H edge. Trailing 21-0 in 3rd Q, Kansas finally tallied on RB Brandon McAnderson's 1y run. Daniel answered with his 3rd TD throw. Behind 28-7, Kansas came alive in 4th Q as Reesing tiptoed into EZ from 5y out and found WR Dexton Fields (8/116y, TD) for 10y score. Alexander made important 3rd down catch to set up K Jeff Wolfert's 2nd 43y FG of 4th Q to establish 34-21 lead for Tigers with 3:31 on clock. Reesing had another TD pass in his quiver with 2:03 left, and Missouri RB Tony Temple (22/98y) was stopped on 3rd down to force punt deep into KU territory. But, as he had two weeks earlier, Missouri NT Lorenzo Williams put cherry on top with sack for safety at game's end.

Remember When

While the Michigan upset of then no. 1 Ohio State at the end of the 1969 season gets its fair share of coverage, especially in Ann Arbor, the game the following year marked the first time that the two programs had not only elevated themselves above the rest of the Big Ten but were both playing for a possible national championship. Both teams entered the contest with perfect records and with three other national powers also sporting undefeated records at the time--Texas, Notre Dame and Nebraska--the Ohio State-Michigan loser would not only lose a perfect record, conference title and bowl game appearance (only one Big Ten team was allowed to go bowling back in that era), but any consideration for a national title.

As recapped in The USA Today Encyclopedia of College Football:

OHIO STATE 20 Michigan 9: Revenge was on mind of sr-dominated Ohio State (9-0), looking to turn tables on Michigan (9-1) which in 1969 inflicted most painful defeat in Buckeye history. After exchange of FGs, odd facemask PEN during line blocking ruined 71y Michigan punt by E-P Paul Staroba late in 2nd Q. Do-over resulted in good field position that allowed Buckeyes to grab 10-3 H edge as QB Rex Kern (8-12/87y, TD, INT) fired 26y TD pass to E Bruce Jankowski. But, Kern bungled scoring chance late in 2nd Q when he expelled K Fred Schram (2 FGs) from Bucks huddle, thus overriding coach Woody Hayes. Kern threw short pass to FB John Brockington, and he was tackled inbounds to end H. This unnoticed illegality made Michigan coach Bo Schembechler livid: "There is no way you can go into the huddle and come out without running a play!" UM E Staroba caught 3rd Q TD pass of 13y from QB Don Moorhead (12-26/118y, TD) and Wolverines moved to within 10-9. But, Buckeyes DB Tim Anderson knifed through to block Michigan K Dana Coin's tying kick. Ohio State's run game, which enjoyed astounding 242y to 37y advantage, dominated 4th Q as HB Leo Hayden (28/117y, TD) topped Schram's 2nd FG with 4y TD run. Now holding impressive 27-1 record over last 3 years, Buckeyes looked to capture their 2nd national title in 3 years for remarkable recruiting class of 1966 when they were to meet Stanford in Rose Bowl.

After Southern Californian beat Notre Dame, the regular season ended with Texas, Ohio State and Nebraska undefeated and ranked 1, 2 and 3 respectively. With Nebraska a clear third due to a tie with USC in September, the path to a title was clear for Ohio State. If Notre Dame beats Texas in the Cotton Bowl and Ohio State wins the Rose Bowl, the Buckeyes would be champions. The Irish came through with a 24-11 victory over Texas to prevent the Longhorns from winning two straight AP titles (they already won the UPI crown, which was still decided before the bowl games). But in one of the most stunning upsets in bowl game history, Stanford, led by Heisman-winning QB Jim Plunkett, beat the Buckeyes 27-17. Nebraska would go on to top LSU in the Orange Bowl 17-12 to win their first-ever AP national championship.

Remember When

With much ado being made about the race for the Heisman it is important to remember that we have had plenty of other years without clear-cut contenders. Take the 1962 chase, which was won by Oregon State QB Terry Baker, who edged LSU HB Jerry Stovall 707-618. Baker and Stovall each won their respective regions, the West and the South, with neither finishing in the top 5 in their "opponent's" regional voting. But Baker beat Stovall in the East and finished higher in the Midwest vote, won by T Bob Bell of Minnesota. The surprise was that Arkansas QB Billy Moore won the Southwest vote but did not get enough votes anywhere else to finish in the top 10 of the overall calculations. Eleven different players finished in the top three of a region out of a possible 15 including C-LB Lee Roy Jordan of Alabama, second in the South, E Pat Richter of Wisconsin, second in the Midwest, and TB Eldon Fortie of BYU, second out West.

Baker won despite his inability to get Oregon State to the Rose Bowl that season or to have the 9-2 Beavers finish in the top 10. One of his two losses that season occurred on October 13 as the Beavers lost to rival Washington in a close one, as recapped in The USA Today Encyclopedia of College Football:

Washington 14 OREGON STATE 13 (Portland): As typhoon-racked city of Portland cleaned up Friday night's mess, QB Terry Baker and E Vern Burke staged Oregon State (2-2) aerial show in clear post-storm air. Burke caught 7/103y, including 2 TDs in 2nd Q that provided 13-7 lead. Washington (3-0-1) DE Lee Bernhardi recovered Beavers FUM to set up methodical 60y drive to Huskies TD. Washington HB Charlie Mitchell stretched across GL from 2YL, and C-K Jim Norton booted winning conv in last 3 mins of game.

Remember When

In honor of the career of Florida State Defensive Coordinator Mickey Andrews, who announced this week that he will retire at the end of the year, Remember When turns back the clock to a memorable chapter in the Florida State-Clemson rivalry. The year was 1988 and preseason number one FSU, who had fallen to no. 10 after an opening day blowout loss to Miami, was pitted against no. 3 ranked Clemson on September 17. While Andrews's D did its job well that day it was the special teams that delivered a needed victory for the Seminoles, as told by The USA Today College Football Encyclopedia:

Florida State 24 CLEMSON 21: Only adventurous Florida State (2-1) coach Bobby Bowden would go for fake punt on 4th-and-4 on own 21YL, with score knotted at 21-21, 1:31 left. CB LeRoy Butler ran 76y with ball to set up 19y FG for K Richie Andrews with 32 secs left. On play, ball was snapped to FB Dayne Williams, while P Tim Corlew pretended it went to his right and over his head. Williams placed ball between Butler's feet and then joined O-line in blocking formation to right to "protect" Corlew. Tigers fell for fake and went for Corlew, leaving entire left side open for Butler. Clemson returner-CB Donnell Woolford knocked down Butler at 1YL. Bowden later said he remembered play from Jerry Claiborne, and opted for unusual gamble because tie result would have eliminated FSU from national title picture. Tigers (2-1) had knotted game only 1 min earlier on FB Tracy Johnson's 19y run. Special teams were fruitful for Seminoles as CB Deion Sanders returned 3rd Q punt 76y for team's 2nd TD. Clemson's opening score also had been trick play: WR Chip Davis pulled up on apparent E-around run and threw 61y TD to WR Gary Cooper.

Florida State would finish the season with an 11-1 record, good for third nationally behind Notre Dame and Miami. Clemson would go 10-2 that season and finish no. 9 in the nation.

Remember When

Present day memories of the Florida-Georgia rivalry are so ingrained in the nation's psyche that one has to step back to remember a time when the game was more of a regional affair. Although Georgia has been on the national football scene for a century, Florida is more of an upstart and has not consistently earned attention beyond the SEC until the 1960s during the coaching era of Ray Graves. Under Graves Florida won nine games in a season for the first time ever in 1960 and earned their first-ever Sugar Bowl bid after the 1965 season. The Gators of 1966 were ready to challenge for what would have been the school's first SEC title.

Georgia, meanwhile, had slipped a bit during the 1950s and '60s, but was ready to return to prominence under new coach Vince Dooley. Beginning his Hall of Fame coaching tenure with the Bulldogs in 1964 with a 7-3-1 record, Dooley also had his charges prepared for a successful 1966 season. The 1966 version of the Florida-Georgia rivalry would have great implications for both the conference race and national rankings. As recapped in The USA Today College Football Encyclopedia, this game would feature two squads ready for the big time:

Georgia 27 Florida 10 (Jacksonville): Favored Florida (7-1) had never won SEC title since league's inception in 1933, and Georgia (7-1) was its last hurdle to conf glory. Gators ate more than 5 mins of clock on opening drive that ended by FB Graham McKeel's TD push. Florida led 10-3 at H. Reforcusing on their run attack, Bulldogs tied it late in 3rd Q as FB Ronnie Jenkins scored from 4YL after QB Kirby Moore converted 4th down run at Gators 28YL. Under intense pressure from stalwart DT George Patton, Gators QB Steve Spurrier (16-29/133y, 3 INTs) threw INT that Bulldogs DB Lynn Hughes ran back 39y for go-ahead score at 17-10. Georgia D soon forced punt and later made 4th down stop. Each time UGa halted Blue and Orange, it led to important score: K Bob Etter's FG and Moore's TD run. Florida's O completely faded as it was limited to single 1st down in 2nd H.

Georgia finished tied atop SEC with Alabama at 6-0, with Florida one game back at 5-1. The Bulldogs finished as the no.4 ranked team in the final AP Poll. Despite the rough performance against Georgia, Spurrier won the Heisman Trophy that season by a more than 2-1 margin over runner-up Bob Griese of Purdue.

Remember When

K Scott Sisson celebrates game-winning FG

The University of Virginia’s Scott Stadium is not considered one of the tougher places to bring a college football team, yet Georgia Tech had been stymied there eight straight times since winning one of the biggest games in recent school history. The date was November 3, 1990 and coach George Welsh’s Cavaliers were 7-0 and ranked no. 1 in the country. Into Charlottesville arrived a talented bunch of Yellow Jackets, whose only blemish on the season was a tie with North Carolina two weeks prior. As told in the USA Today College Football Encyclopedia, the game proved to be a classic and was our choice as Game of the Year:

Georgia Tech 41 VIRGINIA 38: Virginia (7-1) QB Shawn Moore set school record with 344y on 18-28 passing, WR Herman Moore caught 9/234y, including fake-reverse 63y TD bomb in 3rd Q. All seemed in order for no. 1 Virginia in taking 10-0 lead in 1st Q, 28-14 lead by H. But, resourceful Georgia Tech (7-0-1) took advantage of 2 3rd Q errors to tie it at 28-28. Tech scored four plays after recovering FUM on opening possession of 3rd Q. LB Calvin Tuggle’s INT at Jackets 10YL stopped ensuing Cavs drive; and Georgia Tech gained field position for QB Shawn Jones’ (17-29/257y, 2 TDs) 26y scoring pass to WR Emmett Merchant. Virginia’s Moores then countered with their long TD bomb, but RB William Bell tied it 35-35 with 8y run late in 3rd Q. Tech took its 1st lead on K Scott Sisson’s 35y FG with 7:17 left. Back came Virginia, gaining 1st-and-goal 6 inches from GL, a move sparked by 48y Moore-to-Moore pass. But, Cavs were penalized twice in next 5 plays, once nullifying TE Aaron Mundy’s TD catch. Virginia had to settle for K Jake McInerney’s tying FG with 2:30 to go. Jackets went 56y in 5 plays to position Sisson for game-winning FG with 7 secs left, keys being Jones-to-Bell 23y pass, Bell’s 13y run on which he fell on own FUM, and Jones-to-WR Greg Lester 15y pass.

With Georgia Tech winning yesterday, perhaps they can dream of history repeating itself with another national championship. While that is unlikely, very few people thought that the 1990 team could win a share of the crown as they did after beating Nebraska in the Florida Citrus Bowl on January 1, 1991.

Remember When

The rivalry between Notre Dame and Southern California has been lopsided of late and has been lopsided for each team over different periods. From 1940 through 1961 the Irish compiled a 15-3-1 record in the series. From 1967 through 1982, the Trojans dominated by going 12-2-2. Then from 1983 through 1995, Notre Dame went a stunning 12-0-1. And now, of course, USC is on a seven-game series win streak. Despite such dominance a number of the match-ups of the past have been compelling struggles between programs with such storied histories. One game that went down to the wire was the Southern California-Notre Dame clash from 1978 that featured the defending national champion Irish and a Trojan team that would go on to share the title that year with Alabama. Here is the recap of the game played on November 25, 1978 from The USA Today College Football Encyclopedia:

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 27 Notre Dame 25: One of the finest finishes in the storied rivalry followed 3 Qs of domination by Trojans (10-1). Entering 4th Q with 24-6 lead, USC was on 96y march to finish off Irish. But, ND held, forcing short FG ATT that K Frank Jordan missed. QB Joe Montana (20-41/358y, INT), “Comeback Kid” for Notre Dame (8-3), sparked 19 straight pts, hitting WR Kris Haines (9/179y) for 57y TD, completing 4 to Haines to set up 1y TD run by FB Pete Buchanan, and throwing go-ahead 2y TD to WR Pete Holohan with 46 secs left. Irish led 25-24 and nearly ended it on USC’s 2nd play after KO as DT Jeff Weston recovered what appeared to be FUM by QB Paul McDonald (17-29/281y, 2 TDs). Controversial play was ruled incomplete pass. WR Calvin Sweeney (5/105y) then caught 35y pass, and TB Charles White (37/205y) gained 5y before Jordan booted winning 37y FG. USC gained 538y, most ever allowed to date by Notre Dame.

Remember When

From 1934 through 1991 Arkansas and Texas A&M met on the football field in a game that was always fierce, usually had some bearing on the Southwest Conference race and occasionally had national implications. After the decade of the 1960s, dominated by Frank Broyles’s Razorbacks who won 9 of 10, the two teams battled annually in a heated series that from 1970 until 1991 featured 13 Arkansas wins to 9 by the Aggies.

One such win by the Hogs occurred in the middle of the 1977 season. Arkansas, in their first season under coach Lou Holtz, entered the game played on November 12 with a no. 8 ranking. The Aggies, with their run-first offense led by head coach Emory Bellard, the father of the wishbone, were ranked no. 11. With two evenly-matched squads, the game delivered plenty of excitement. Here is the recap from The USA Today College Football Encyclopedia:

Arkansas 26 TEXAS A&M 20: With game tied at 20-20 late, Hogs (8-1) QB Ron Calcagni hooked up with WR Robert Farrell on 58y scoring pass play to stun Aggies (6-2). Texas A&M used remaining time to race to Arkansas 14YL before Razorbacks DB Patrick Martin came up with game-ending EZ INT. A&M FB George Woodard (28/116y) and HB Curtis Dickey (20/101y) topped 100y barrier, so too did RB Ben Cowins (30/111y) of Hogs. Cowins scored 2 TDs in 1st H, and K Steve Little nailed 2 FGs as Arkansas grabbed 20-10 H lead. Texas A&M came back with 10 straight pts to tie it as Woodard scored from 1y out and K Tony Franklin hit 2nd FG.

View From Bennett Avenue

With Michigan winning its first four games of the season, more than one college football analyst has made the comment that Michigan’s success is “good for college football.” The idea is that when a Michigan, Notre Dame or Southern California, just to name three of the long-time powers of the sport, does well, the sport garners more attention and the regular sports fan takes more notice. People even voiced those sentiments about Miami of all teams after they won their first two games as younger audiences, instructed by ESPN that sports began in 1979, view the Canes as a traditional power.

Certainly the ratings and media attention attracted by recent clashes of titans, like USC-Texas in the 2005 BCS Title game or Ohio State-Michigan less than a year later, Oklahoma-Texas over the past few seasons or any of a number of Florida games in recent memory offer evidence to that fact. But is it true that the sport suffers when these traditional powers stop hogging the limelight?

As some evidence to the contrary, let’s take a look at the 1970s. That was the decade, one could argue, that professional football pulled away from the college variety to become not only the preeminent form of football in the country, but the nation’s most popular sport of any kind. Yet college football was ruled by Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Nebraska and USC. They dominated the polls, media coverage and won-loss columns. In the NFL, meanwhile, traditional powers the New York Giants and Chicago Bears generally struggled throughout the decade, as too the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers. Relatively new teams like Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings did very well and the one traditional NFL team to win multiple championships, the Pittsburgh Steelers, were from a smaller city and were previously known more for finding different ways to lose every week. While the NFL set ratings victories with a fresh group of winners, the college game slipped a bit in popularity with the old standard bearers leading the way.

Is this proof that it does not really matter how good Michigan does this year? No. It is just something to think about. And if we are happy that the Wolverines are “back” then let’s not be correspondingly upset about the undefeated seasons being turned in by Cincinnati or Kansas. College football is wonderful because there are great players, stories, events and traditions throughout the sport’s spectrum of teams and divisions. Sure we should be excited about November’s Ohio State-Michigan game, but let’s not forget Harvard-Yale.

Remember When

Illinois’s hopes for the season may rest with a good performance this Saturday versus Ohio State as a loss will send them into their game next week against Penn State with a 1-2 record. The Illini can fall back on solid play against the Buckeyes the past three years, including an upset win in Columbus two seasons ago. With the Illini struggling out the gate, Remember When will look back on a glorious day in the history of the rivalry when Illinois and Ohio State knocked heads for an exciting game.

1963 was a memorable season for Illinois. After combining for a 2-16 record for the previous two seasons, the youthful boys from Champaign unleashed two stars on the rest of the Big 10: bruising FB Jim Grabowski and C-LB Dick Butkus, for whom the word bruising does not do justice. They entered the Ohio State game with a surprising 2-0 record after shutting out a QB Craig Morton-led Cal team 10-0 in their opener and then stunning in-state rival and no. 4-ranked Northwestern in their conference tip-off, 10-9. Ohio State entered the 1963 season hungry for another Big 10 title after slipping to a third place tie in ’62. The Buckeyes had shut out both Texas A&M and Indiana to move up to no. 8 in the AP poll. The game promised to be a good one and in delivered as our recap from The USA Today College Football Encyclopedia makes clear:

OHIO STATE 20 Illinois 20: Record crowd at Ohio Stadium saw 52nd renewal of series provide 4th Q heroics by both Ohio State (2-0-1) and Illinois (2-0-1) and questionable conv decision by Illini coach Pete Elliott. Illinois scored 1st on HB Sam Price’s plunge and led 7-3 at the H. Concentrating on power ground attack (209y) that was keyed by FBs Matt Snell and Willard Sander, Buckeyes built 17-7 lead. Illini QB Mike Taliaferro (10-23/148y, TD, 2 INTs) passed 2y on 4th down TD to E Eddie Russell that trimmed deficit to 17-13, but instead of kicking conv, Taliaferro was sent on pass-run option rollout that was stopped. With Illini trailing by 4 pts, Taliaferro launched 56y pass to Price, who, although overhauled at the Ohio 3YL, still set up HB Jim Warren’s 4y TD run. This time, Elliott brought about 20-17 lead for Tribe by ordering x-pt kick to follow TD. But, K Dick vanRaaphorst booted to-date Big Ten record 49y FG to tie with 1:53 to go, and vanRaaphorst had another chance on a 56y FG try, which he missed on game’s next to last play.