CFB Bowl Season News, Picks, and T&A

RetroVK · Dec 15, 2008

RJ Esq said:
Irish coach Weis needs surgery for both knees

from SI.com - NCAA Football
Read full story for latest details.

Could they go ahead and check the brain while he is under ?

RJ Esq · Dec 15, 2008

Auburn thinks that's one mighty impressive 10-game losing streak Gene Chizik's got there

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

If you can't land one former defensive coordinator who used a brief but successful stint at Texas to boost his head coaching stock, I guess it's only logical to go with another:

Auburn has hired Gene Chizik as its new football coach, according to people familiar with the university's search.
Chizik has called assistant coaches from other schools to compile his new coaching staff, said someone familiar with the situation.
Chizik has been Iowa State's head coach the last two seasons. He compiled a 5-19 record there.

There are other numbers here: Chizik spent three seasons as Auburn's defensive coordinator and put together the defense that led the nation in scoring defense during the Tigers' 13-0 season in 2004, then put together a top-10 defense on Texas' 13-0, mythical championship team in his first season in Austin.
But obviously, there's big number: 5-19. On his own, Chizik is 2-14 in Big 12 games, and Iowa State actually regressed in his second year, falling to 0-8 in the conference by an average of 20 points per defeat. Defensively, ISU finished this year in the bottom ten nationally -- 110th or worse -- in total, scoring and pass efficiency defense. The Cyclones' only wins were over Kent State and South Dakota State before a ten-game losing skid. Hey, at least they beat Kent State this year -- Chizik's first game in Ames was a nine-point loss to the Golden Flashes in 2007, quickly followed by defeat at the hands of Northern Iowa and Toledo before the end of September. There were flashes of competence here and there -- a close, competitive loss to Oklahoma in '07, a 20-0 halftime lead over Kansas before another eventual loss this year -- but 24 games in, the Cyclones have made no discernible progress from that ignominious start. Realistically, Chizik was probably another losing season away from being fired. At Iowa State.
Yeah, Auburn fans are going to be just thrilled about this hire. At last check, the Birmingham News' informal disapproval rating was in the neighborhood of 83 percent. Jay Jacobs isn't confirming anything yet -- apparently he's already being "heckled and booed very loudly" by a "raving lunatic fan" who met the AD's plane at the airport -- so maybe there's still time.

RJ Esq · Dec 15, 2008

Yost selected as offensive coordinator at Mizzou

from SI.com - NCAA Football
Read full story for latest details.

RJ Esq · Dec 15, 2008

Sexy Saturday: A Brazilian Body That Won’t Quit, Gilmara Jung

Published by Natty at 11:00 am under Sexy Saturday

OK, this is officially a time where I have absolutely no clue whatesover on finding anything out about this woman. I’ve searched far and wide and 99% of the time I’m running into Spanish or Brazilian language. And I took French in college so I guess I’m sh*t out of luck here.
But from what I can gather it’s this: Her name is Gilmara Jung. Check. She’s from Brazil and hopefully doesn’t have an STD. Check. I’m guessing she’s a phenomenal dancer for no other reason than she’s from Brazil.
She’s tan all year around. And she has an ass that just makes me wish I had an ass like that because I’d be grabbing it constantly.
OK I’m done. Jung me after the jump

RJ Esq · Dec 15, 2008

Miss COED: Giorgia Palmas

<abbr class="published" title="2008-12-13T18:00:21+0000">December 13, 2008</abbr> - 6:00 pm By COED Staff

One of the hottest bodies in the business (and not such bad face either, we have to say), Giorgia Palmas is a 26-year-old Italian bombshell came in second in the Miss World competition. She went on to land prominent spots on Italian TV, and later appeared topless in a Max Magazine, which is not nearly often enough.

Check out Giorgia Palmas’ Miss COED gallery after the jump!

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RJ Esq · Dec 15, 2008

Introducing Billy Sims, the Heisman Buffoon

Posted Dec 14th 2008 8:50AM by Tom Herrera (author feed)
Filed under: Oklahoma, General CFB Insanity, Heisman

If there was one true loser on a night of winners, that man is Billy Sims.

The 1978 Heisman winner and College Hall of Famer made an absolute mockery of the ceremony when Sam Bradford was presented this year's trophy, hooting and hollering "Boomer" repeatedly until a fellow Oklahoman finally responded "Sooner" (based off of the school's fight song).

Not surprisingly, this isn't the first time Sims has lampooned the presentation with his rah-rah antics. When the trophy was presented to quarterback Jason White in 2003, Sims did the same exact thing.

Video of the clowning and a rundown of message board vitriol after the jump...

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If I had to sum up my initial reaction in one word, it would have to be "Wow."

You stay classy, Sims. Even after someone from the crowd replied to him, he bellowed forth a couple more times. While Bradford was approaching the podium, the TV moment somehow became about Sims' chants drowning out the applause for Bradford.

Look, nobody has forgotten the great seasons Sims had at both Oklahoma and in the NFL. But this wasn't a time for Sims to relive his glory years; it was a time to honor the new class of outstanding college players. To me, it's vaguely like a little kid pitching his team to their first Little League championship, only to see his obnoxious uncle/coach keep the trophy in his mantle.

But don't just take my word for it, let's go through some of the forum comments ...

From OrangePower.com:

Now, Billy Sims is a prime example of why no one likes OU fans. What a classless move to yell boomer sooner and say "sooner or later we will get ya". He is such a arrogant jerk......Colt Mccoy just lost the Heisman and he was basically taking cheap shots at Texas for not making the title game.

From CBSSports.com:

Was he drunk or just an idiot? ... Reply: An idiot. He always acts like that.

From GatorSports.com:

Rule #1 for members of the Heisman Fraternity: Always bring a flask.

After Sims' NFL retirement, he fell on some hard times -- including bankruptcy and trouble with wives. We may have to add barred from Heisman ceremony the next time someone from Oklahoma is up for the award.

But hey, there's always a boomin' good time down at Billy Sims BBQ!

"Sooner or later, we'll get ya."

B.A.R. · Dec 15, 2008

The matchup that could have been
Just something to ponder on your afternoon ride home. I've mentioned it before, but remember, Utah had Texas on its schedule for this season in Rice-Eccles Stadium. The series was cancelled at then coach Urban Meyer's urging because he thought it made Utah's schedule too difficult.
Can you imagine, if the Utes had kept Texas on the schedule and had beaten the Longhorns, they would have had a very good chance of being in the national title game. I know a lot of folks don't think a non-BCS team will ever get that opportunity, but an undefeated Utah team with a win over the Longhorns could have made that jump, particularly with all the one-loss teams out there.
How odd would it have been if the Utes made it to the national title game, only to play Meyer and the Florida Gators?
Strange how things play out. What do you think, would the undefeated Utes have been voted into the national title game if they had a win over Texas? Do you think they would have stood a chance against the Gators?
Course, if Utah had lost to Texas, like TCU lost to Oklahoma, it probably wouldn't have been in the BCS and Boise State would be. That loss could have effectively cost the Utes $4.5 million, which is what they hope their BCS participation nets them. Maybe it was better for the Utes to cancel against Texas and play it a little safer, giving the chances of making it into the national title game normally are slim.
Thoughts?

Wow

Also, very clutch with post 133 RJ

RJ Esq · Dec 15, 2008

Brady Hoke Likely Heading to San Diego State

from The FanHouse - NCAAfootball

by Chris BurkeFiled under: Ball State, San Diego State, NCAA FB Coaching, NCAA FB Rumors

The MAC continues to bleed coaches -- Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Miami and Toledo have already hired, or will soon hire, new coaches for the 2009 season. Next up, it looks like Ball State will have to replace Brady Hoke. An ESPN report on Sunday claimed that Hoke will leave the Cardinals for the Pacific coast, where he will take over the San Diego State head coaching job.

Hoke was believed to be in the running for the top spot at Auburn -- which was filled by Iowa State's Gene Chizik last week -- and then a possible candidate to fill Chizik's shoes in the Big 12. He was also a rumored contender for the Michigan job last year, a fair assumption since he had served as associate head coach there.

Hoke was still a sleeper candidate at that point. Prior to the 2007 season, when Ball State went 7-6 and won the International Bowl, the Cardinals had managed no more than five wins in any year under Hoke. The 2007 bump set the stage for 2008, though, as Ball State stormed the national scene.

The Cardinals nearly played BCS buster, running off a 12-0 start to the year before a stunning loss to Buffalo in the MAC Championship Game. Ball State plays in the GMAC Bowl on Jan. 6, 2009 versus Tulsa.

RJ Esq · Dec 15, 2008

Monte Kiffin to become Tennessee Volunteer defensive coordinator

from Rocky Top Talk by Joel
Attention all high school defensive players with five stars next to your names: The best defensive mind in the NFL is coming to Tennessee, and he wants to show you the way.
Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin yesterday confirmed that he would be leaving the Bucs to come to Tennessee as the Vols' defensive coordinator under his son, new head coach Lane Kiffin. Monte is widely regarded as the best, and almost universally regarded as one of the best, defensive coordinators in the NFL. Not college. The N.F.L. And he's coming to Tennessee. Somebody say woo for exemptions from the nepotism policy!
After 26 seasons in the NFL and 13 with the Buccaneers, Kiffin is the longest tenured defensive coordinator in the league:
<table align="center" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" width="460"> <tbody> <tr> <td>1959-1963</td> <td>Nebraska</td> <td>Offensive/Defensive Tackle</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1966-1972</td> <td>Nebraska</td> <td>Assistant</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1973-1976</td> <td>Nebraska</td> <td>Defensive Coordinator</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1977-1978</td> <td>Arkansas</td> <td>Defensive Coordinator</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1979</td> <td>Arkansas</td> <td>Assistant Head Coach</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1980-1982</td> <td>North Carolina State</td> <td>Head Coach</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1983</td> <td>Green Bay Packers</td> <td>Linebackers Coach</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1984-1985</td> <td>Buffalo Bills</td> <td>Linebackers Coach</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1986-1989</td> <td>Minnesota Vikings</td> <td>Linebackers Coach</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1990</td> <td>New York Jets</td> <td>Linebackers Coach</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1991</td> <td>Minnesota Vikings</td> <td>Defensive Coordinator</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1992-1994</td> <td>Minnesota Vikings</td> <td>Linebackers Coach</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1995</td> <td>New Orleans Saints</td> <td>Defensive Coordinator</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1996-2008</td> <td>Tampa Bay Buccanneers</td> <td>Defensive Coordinator</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> After bouncing around with a general trend upward and toward more responsbility, Kiffin latched on with Tampa Bay as the Bucs' defensive coordinator in 1996 and has been there ever since. When Tampa Bay fired Tony Dungy in 2001, Jon Gruden convinced Kiffin to stay on and to continue to run the defense for which Kiffin was becoming famous: the Tampa 2. The Bucs won the Super Bowl the next season.
So what exactly is the Tampa 2?

Apparently, the Tampa 2 is just a modified version of the Cover 2, which essentially just means that the two safeties are deep defenders, each responsible for their own half of the field. So what makes Monte's Tampa 2 different from the Cover 2?

Smaller. Faster. Better. Kiffin's defensive tackles may be as large as other linemen, but to play in his scheme, they must also be fast. His defensive ends look more like linebackers, and his linebackers look more like safeties. Having faster players at all positions enables the defense to line up in what an opposing QB will read as a Cover 2 and then to shift into a Cover 3 with the middle linebacker dropping back into pass protection in a middle zone a bit more shallow than the zones for which the safeties are responsible. Speed is essential not only for the MLB responsible for covering a receiver but also for the folks rushing the QB so that the passer doesn't have time to get comfortable and into that nasty pick-apart-the-zone groove. Cue the Ballroom Blitz. The Bucs have recorded a staggering 474 sacks during Kiffin's tenure.
Keep it simple, swindle. The Tampa 2 is often characterized as a very simple scheme, but it's emphasis on dictating the action, attacking the ball, and stealing possession by stripping the ball from carriers or picking it off passers makes it extraordinarily effective. Kiffin's Bucs have piled up a whopping 375 takeaways in 12 seasons, which is tied for sixth in the NFL. They're also tied for sixth in the NFL for scoring 19 defensive touchdowns since 2002.
Bend like an Asian contortionist and break like carbon nanotubes. Kiffin cares not how many yards you gain against his defense. He cares only if you score points. Expect his defenders to keep the plays in front of them and to keep big plays from happening at all costs, including allowing a multitude of successful short plays in front of them. Hmm. That sounds a bit familiar, doesn't it Vol fans? Yes, but if it gives you a bad vibe, just keep in mind that our defense, even in this Season of Constant Sorrow, was fourth in the nation in total defense.
Got it. Standard Cover 2. Hike! . . . Wha????!!! Kiffin disguises his defenses not by varying the formation or personnel but by using the same alignments and players and then having them do different things post-snap.
Consistency. In 2002, the Bucs finished the regular season as the top-ranked unit in the NFL. They did it again in 2005. In 2007, they finished 2nd. Slackers. That 2002 defense? Magnificent. In that year, they were the first team since the 1985 Chicago Bears to lead the league in total defense (252.8 ypg), fewest points allowed (196) and total interceptions (31). They concluded the season with a Super Bowl victory over the (irony alert!) Oakland Raiders during which they recorded a Super Bowl-record five interceptions, including three that were returned for touchdowns. Eric Berry loves you, Mr. Kiffin.

So yeah, this is huge. Kiffin will reportedly get $1,000,000 as Tennessee's defensive coordinator, which sounds like an astounding amount of money for a coordinator until you consider that Will Muschamp is set to earn $900,000 beginning this January. Muschamp's resume looks a lot like Kiffin's -- for the first four lines. He's missing the extra ten.
With $1M going to Monte, that still leaves at least $1.5M left for the rest of UT's assistant coaches. So who is Lane going to pull out of the air for his OC?

RJ Esq · Dec 15, 2008

RJ Esq · Dec 15, 2008

Why I Miss College: Because The University of Houston Cheerleaders Rock

Published by Natty at 4:00 am under Cheerleaders, College Cheerleaders, Why I Miss College

I have mentioned the University of Houston Cheerleaders before. And I’m mentioning them again. Thanks to some help from my new favorite cheerleader on that team, Lauren, I’m able to share yet more evidence as to why one would want to befriend the lovely ladies of this here squadron.
When they’re not doing splits and hoisting their pom poms in the air, these ladies more than make up for it with splits off the field, as well as “to be remembered” drinking habits. And how nice, they like to record all of this.
So high school kids out there? If you’re deciding on a school, best to check out the University of Houston.
Thanks.

RJ Esq · Dec 15, 2008

THE 10 BEST SNL DIGITAL SHORTS OF ALL TIME

The whole novelty of Saturday Night Live being live was a nice gimmick in the 70's, 80's and 90's, but it's time for the show to come to grips with the fact that the live portion of the show is now its weakest link. I think they should change the name of show to "Saturday Night Not Live Anymore" and start the show after midnight. Then they can incorporate female nudity into the show and videos of animals having sex. Speaking of animals, how has there never been an actual Mouse cast member on the show. Monkeys = ratings.

#10 Lettuce - There should be way more foods that come in "head" form. Who wouldn't buy a head of bacon?

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#9 Andy's Dad - I think it's time for Jonah Hill to do his first action movie. He could be the world's first awesome fat action hero.

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#8 Laser Cats 2- Mark my words ... one day cats will take over this planet.

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#7 Punched Right Before Eating- And getting punched right before having sex is actually a good thing.

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#6 Roy Rules!- The video that coined the phrase "24/7 69."

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#5 Iran So Far - The one time in Adam Levine's life that he didn't look like a complete and total douche bag.

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#4 Natalie Portman Rap - Angry Natalie Portman is even hotter than nice Natalie Portman. And naked Natalie Portman is still cooler than non-naked Natalie Portman.

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#3 Jizz In My Pants- I wonder if it's actually true that every time you masturbate a kitten dies?

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#2 Lazy Sunday- The video that launched YouTube and Andy Samberg's career. Then Andy did Hot Rod and he still hasn't really recovered.

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#1 Dick In A Box - When Jessica Biel hosts SNL one day, she better do a "Boobs In A Box" retaliation skit.

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RJ Esq · Dec 15, 2008

Turner Gill to Iowa State? The All-To-Real Possibility

from Double Extra Point by Sammy Vegas
I'll be honest. I (along with Husker Mike) am a tad frightened at what could be the outcome of what is more than likely about to begin this week.

It's not going to surprise anyone that follows college football when Iowa State officially starts pursuing the hottest coaching commodity available. Gill's coaching stock has soared since taking lowly Buffalo to heights never imagined. And for all

RJ Esq · Dec 15, 2008

Headlinin': Notre Dame counts down to its celebration of FAIL; Alabama not-so-subtly predicts it

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

• I hope that's in sync with Greenwich Mean Time. What you see above is indeed Notre Dame's official countdown to kickoff in the Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve. In Los Angeles, Trojan beat writer/blogger Scott Wolf suggests Irish fans would be more interested in a countdown to Charlie Weis' knee surgeries. Yes, that's plural: Weis only tore his left MCL during that gruesome play against Michigan, but found out last week he also had damage to the right knee that will require surgery before doctors go into the left one. Double knee surgeries for a man who goes well over 300 pounds = one very long offseason.

• Are y'all trying to tell us something? Alabama has decided to get creative with the naming rights to its visitor's locker room:

The University of Alabama is set to honor Mobile native James M. Fail by placing his name on a prominent fixture at Bryant-Denny Stadium. A donation by Mr. Fail to the Crimson Tide Foundation will result in the visitors' locker room being officially named "The Fail Room."

If Mike Shula was still around, that would be ironic. Not so much these days.
• Fill your heart with Hoke. Depending on what happens at Iowa State, much-praised Turner Gill remains on the outside looking in during this round of coaching musical chairs, but at least one MAC success story is moving ... well, if not exactly up, then at least to nicer weather: Ball State's Brady Hoke is widely reported to be San Diego State's choice to replace Chuck Long after leading the Cardinals to a 12-0 regular season and could be announced as early as today. Hoke is one of the lowest paid coaches in the country at $240,000; SDSU might triple that salary.
Hoke's rather flimsy Aztec connections: He recruited California as an assistant at Michigan (Brian Cook had an entertaining assessment of Hoke when his name briefly popped up during Michigan's search last year) and had a brother, Jon, who coached DBs there for two years in the late eighties. The San Diego Union Tribune reports he beat out UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker, who "didn't have the best interview," and Dennis Franchione, who fled Alabama in the middle of the night, published secret newsletters for personal profit while Texas A&M burned and was thereby notified after the second round of the process that he was not the choice.
• Nothing good happens after midnight -- but it could have been worse. Illinois' Martez Wilson was suspended for the Illini's finale against Northwestern, and less than three weeks later took two nonfatal knife wounds at the end of a night out last Thursday/early Friday. A "problem athlete"? Not according to Ron Zook, who's calling his sophomore linebacker a hero:

Wilson was leaving FuBar, a Champaign tavern, early Friday morning after celebrating a teammate's birthday with several football players, sources said, when he saw former teammate D'Angelo McCray, who transferred to Eastern Illinois last summer, being beaten by a group of six to eight men. ''He shouldn't have been out at 1 a.m.,'' Zook said. ''But maybe if he hadn't been out at 1 a.m., there would be another incident the police would be concerned about -- like a death. You want your players to help a person in distress. He comes across as being bad. He's being painted as a villain. But he did exactly what you'd want him to do. How do you fault a guy for that?''
When Wilson stepped in to aid McCray, he was stabbed twice, a university source said.

We will not ask what led to half a dozen men attacking a defensive tackle in the first place. Wilson is recovering and shouldn't have any problems resuming his football career, and FuBar will be added to Zook's list of off-limits "taverns."
Quickly ... Auburn might have picked the wrong time to mail its season ticket renewal packages, and Gene Chizik is cleaning house among Tommy Tuberville's old assistants. ... As expected, Monte Kiffin is joining his son's staff as defensive coordinator at Tennessee. ... Former Florida quarterback Kerwin Bell might be a candidate to replace Dan Mullen as the Gators' offensive coordinator. ... California offensive line coach Jim Michalczik will join Steve Sarkisian's staff as offensive coordinator at Washington. ... Michigan running backs coach Fred Jackson said he's not surprised by Sam McGuffie's departure after just one tumultuous season. ... Dave Wannstedt thanks the stars for his patient chancellor after receiving a contract extension. Get back to us on this around this time next year. ... Joe Paterno talked with his boss Friday and said he plans to coach for a while still. ... Billy Sims was a little too excited about Sam Bradford's victory on Saturday night. ... And Pete Carroll does 60 Minutes.

RJ Esq · Dec 15, 2008

It's time again for everyone's favorite quiz, 'Am I a Bowl Team?'

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

• I didn't lose in September, opening up 3-0 in conference games and knocking off three straight opponents that would finish with at least seven wins, two of which are set to play in New Year's Day games. I finished the season 4-3 against eventual bowl teams. • After the early success against good teams, I lost three games over the second half of the season to teams that would finish at least two games below .500.
• I suffered a four-game losing streak in October and early November, the worst of a second half swoon in which I was outscored by an average of 23-16 over the last seven games.
• I finished in the bottom 20 nationally (100th or worse) in passing, pass efficiency, total and scoring offense, and dead last in the conference by three of those four measures. After Oct. 1, I was held to 14 points or less in seven of the last eight games. I placed zero offensive players on the all-conference team.
• Statistically, the defense improved for the fifth consecutive season, finishing in the top-30 nationally in pass, pass efficiency, total and scoring defense as well as sacks. I placed one player on the first-team all-conference defense and one player on the second team.
• I was outscored by .66 points per game on average.
So ... am I a bowl team?

Begrudge them their second half collapse, loss to Duke, atrocious offense and 6-6 final record if you must, but you can't deny Vanderbilt some sense of pride in qualifying for the hometown Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl presented by Bridgestone (get all that? You know which hotel to bring your news tires back to on your next road trip), where the Commodores will pack LP Field for their first postseason game in 26 years. Vandy will line up against ACC runner-up Boston College, whose second straight nine-win, division-championship season still isn't good enough to get the Eagles into a January game. Note to Boston College fans: You gotta travel to get that Gator Bowl nod, folks, or else just start a New Year's game in Boston. Everyone's doing it.

RJ Esq · Dec 15, 2008

Head Huntin': Has Turner Gill's window closed?

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton
Big changes over the weekend on the big coaching board:

With Brady Hoke jetting to sunny San Diego and Auburn in full-scale torch-and-pitchfork mode over Gene Chizik, most of the remaining coaching questions are at obscure MAC jobs. Foremost among them:

WTF with Turner Gill? This was Gill's moment: He took Buffalo to a conference championship. Somebody should be taking the bait here. You take Buffalo to the title, you get a bigger, better job. You do not get passed up in favor of a guy whose team just lost 10 games in a row. I'm not going take the "race" bait; it's not like people at Syracuse and Auburn didn't want to hire him, and would have gotten very good PR if they had. Maybe he's a bad interview. Whatever: These windows are small and precious, and this one seems to have closed.
With Auburn and Syracuse both falling to uninspiring names on Friday and Saturday, it looks now like Gill has two choices: Take the scraps (i.e. Iowa State) or remain at Buffalo and wait for the next round of openings next winter. What happens, though, when Buffalo looks more like Buffalo again? Who calls then? And is the high likelihood of regression there really less likely to lead to a major gig down the road than assuming another dead-end rebuilding job at Iowa State, where he's liable to go 5-19, too? Either way, the historical odds in both cases are against his continued success, and the longer it takes for Gill to land the big fish, the less likely it is to ever come within his reach again.
Iowa State. The Cyclones are feeling betrayed by Chizik's departure, especially athletic director Jamie Pollard, who said today that Chizik told him twice he was going to turn down Auburn, including once on Saturday, the same day he took the job. Of course they were taken off-guard: Why in the world would anyone want a coach on the hot seat at Iowa State?
With no advanced warning, the first name that came to mind for the ISU faithful was an old one, Dan McCarney, whose five bowl games in six years from 2000-2005 looks pretty good after two years of Chizik. That's sort of a joke -- McCarney's no Bill Snyder, and Snyder's return to Kansas State is a bizarre move, anyway -- but you got any better ideas on short notice? Of all the initial names thrown against the wall -- including a couple old standbys, Gary Barnett and Dennis Franchione (what, no Terry Bowden?) -- Gill is certainly the fan favorite, just like he was at Auburn, if he wants to get out of Buffalo and on to a bigger job that badly.
But even the Cyclone message boards aren't quite in the "name I just heard ..." mode yet. Iowa State has no competition in the major conferences and can afford to take its time.
Army. Please please please let Army hire a head coach named "Steed Lobotzke." Please.

RJ Esq · Dec 15, 2008

Be it ever so humble, at least 116 people are buying tickets to the Humanitarian Bowl

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

Quite a few folks around the 'sphere -- Deadspin, FanHouse, even the sports blog of the Chicago Sun-Times -- have had a good time with a TV news fluff story from last Monday that reported a whopping 24 tickets sold to the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise:

As of Monday afternoon the University of Maryland says it's sold about 16 tickets to the game. The University of Nevada says it's sold 8 so far.

That was a week ago. And as much fun as it is to imagine two 7-5 teams traveling hundreds of miles from home to play their hearts out on freezing blue turf in a completely empty stadium save a few of their parents two days before New Year's, Nevada assistant athletic director Chad Hartley assured me via e-mail today that the numbers aren't quite as dire as all that:

We’ve sold about 100 tickets so far, but that number and the news report you’ve linked are misleading. The schools playing in the game, Nevada and Maryland, only received the $50 seats to sell to fans. Ticket prices for the game range from $18 to $150 but only the $50 seats are available through the schools. To get tickets in the other price ranges, you have to buy tickets directly from the bowl game or via www.idahotickets.com. The vast majority of our fans going to the game have gone that route, to get the cheaper tickets (or the better seats).

While he wouldn't provide an exact number, Maryland media guy Shawn Nestor wrote that, although Maryland "realize(s) the ticket sales numbers won't be quite as high due to the proximity of the bowl and the state of the current economy" -- ah, the economy; what malady can't it explain? -- he'll be very anxious to compare the Terps' eventual turnout with that of other ACC teams playing in Boise in December over the past five years. The team is excited about the trip!
So there you go: Even if it doesn't match the announced 27,000 for last year's Fresno State-Georgia Tech tilt, the Humanitarian Bowl can expect at least a couple hundred people on Dec. 30. And then the ACC will never have to worry about filling this slot again.

RJ Esq · Dec 15, 2008

Husker TE pleads guilty to drunk driving, again

from SI.com - NCAA Football
Read full story for latest details.

pags11 · Dec 16, 2008

good stuff...thanks rj...

RJ Esq · Dec 16, 2008

Adding:

Troy -4 (-110)

No idea where this line is going but it looks to be going up. Like to get this number if it's the best we can do.

RJ Esq · Dec 16, 2008

<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" class="storytitle">Cavalcade of Whimsy - The Chizik Hiring </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="primaryimage" valign="top">

Auburn head coach Gene Chizik & AD Jay Jacobs
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</td> <td valign="top"> <table bgcolor="#f5f5f5" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" width="60%"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td valign="middle" nowrap="nowrap">By Pete Fiutak
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Dec 16, 2008
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From the (BOOMER!!!) Gene Chizik hiring at Auburn to (BOOMER!!!) the 10 reasons why (BOOMER!!!) Oklahoma will win the national title to Sam Bradford's (BOOMER!!!) Heisman win to (BOOMER!!!) a really annoying screaming fit, all this (BOOMER!!!) and more in this week's Cavalcade of Whimsy.
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[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif]Fiu's Cavalcade of Whimsy ... Dec. 16[/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif]
[/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif]
a.k.a. Frank Costanza's Festivus Airing of the Grievances [/FONT] [FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-2]

By Pete Fiutak
What's your beef? ... Fire off your thoughts
Past Whimsies [/SIZE][/FONT] 2006 Season | 2007 Season
- Preseason Cavalcade | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4
- Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10
- Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15
If this column sucks, it’s not my fault … I’ve been (BOOMER!!!) working my entire (BOOMER!!!) life for this column. (BOOMER!!!) I’ve dreamed about this (BOOMER!!!) moment. I’ve sweated (BOOMER!!!), bled, (BOOMER!!!) and cried when (BOOMER!!!) deep down (BOOMER!!!) I never really knew if (BOOMER!!!) it would (BOOMER!!!) come … fine, (heavy sigh) SOONER!!!

“Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.” … All those in favor of having Billy Sims’ Heisman taken away from him after psychotically mistaking a sense of school spirit with hogging the moment for himself by yelling Boomer! over and over again at the Heisman Trophy presentation, please raise your hand. It’s okay, Sam. Your vote counts, too.

With all due respect to Yahoo Serious, who got the Graham Harrell treatment on this list … Slip in Sims, because of his screaming, just ahead of the cast of Sex and the City and post-Erotica Madonna, and closely behind Robin Williams and anyone in an Enzyte commercial, as America’s Most Annoying Human.

But somehow, I think there’s probably one key element that Sam might be missing from the shtick … Now that Sam Bradford won the Heisman, and there’s a few weeks off before the national title, he can go back on tour for a couple of dates in the role of the mythical fourth Jonas brother.

“The war is not over, (BOOMER!!!) it is decisively on it’s way to being won.” (BOOMER!!!) (throwing of the right shoe) (BOOMER!!!) (throwing of the left shoe)

But he has a quick release … There’s no truth to the rumor that UCF, after finishing dead-last in the nation in completion percentage, was impressed by Muntadar al-Zaidi’s arm and is looking to see if he has any eligibility.

“In my country, they would go crazy for these two! (gestures to Tebow) You, not so much.” … “Okay, so Mr. McCoy, I have you booked for a return trip here at the Plaza here in New York for April 22<sup>nd</sup> and 23<sup>rd</sup> of 2010. Really? You don’t want to hang on to that reservation for this April in case you change your mind? That’s fine; we look forward to seeing you in 2010. And for you Mr. Bradford, we have you all set for a suite on April 23<sup>rd</sup> and 24<sup>th</sup>. Great. See you in a few months. Mr. Tebow? Um, I don’t seem to have you down here. No, I don’t seem to have you reserved for anything for April in either 2009 or 2010, but I do have you tentatively down for early next December.”

“Three of these things belong together/Three of these things are kind of the same/Can you guess which one of these doesn't belong here?/Now it's time to play our game.”… No, the Heisman people didn’t hose over Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell by not inviting him to the New York party last weekend, the Heisman voters did. 213. That’s the meager Heisman point total Harrell amassed as he finished a distant fourth in the race. The Heisman people can see how the voting is going and they invite the finalists accordingly. This really is an exclusive club and it’s an honor just to be there. As good as Harrell was this season, the voters didn’t elevate him to that special level; there were only three spots on the ballot in a year with three clear cut finalists. It’s sort of like the NFL Draft. If you’re not a possible top 15 pick, you don’t get the royal treatment.

“I do solemnly swear that I, Barack Hussein (BOOMER!!!) Obama, (BOOMER!!!) will faithfully execute the (BOOMER!!!) office of President of the United (BOOMER!!!) States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect (BOOMER!!!) and defend the Constitution (BOOMER!!!) of the United States.”

“Brrrrrrrrppppptttpphhttthwwwwpbrrpt. Ha, ha. Very funny. No, really who did they hire?” … Nick Saban’s first words after being told Auburn hired Gene Chizik. Soon after, an intern cleaned up the lemonade fired out by Saban’s spittake.

Michael: “Samir and I are the best programmers in that place. And you, you haven't even been showing up and you get to keep your job.”
Peter: “Actually, I'm being promoted.”
Michael: “What?!” … It’s become fashionable for everyone to fire on Auburn’s out-of-left-field hiring of former Iowa State head coach Gene Chizik as the new head man to replace Tommy Tuberville. Let me take out my Hermes purse and join the club.

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Craving the inside scoop at Auburn? Check out Inside the Auburn Tigers on the Scout network for the latest news and recruiting rumblings.  </td></tr></tbody></table>

 I’m always in favor of not making a knee-jerk reaction to a coaching hire because you just never know. Dan Hawkins was supposed to make Colorado a superpower and Steve Kragthorpe was supposed to make Louisville a national title-caliber player, while Pete Carroll was considered by the L.A. media as an NFL hack when he took over at USC. However, the hiring of Chizik is bizarre at best, devastating at worst, and will be scrutinized and analyzed in every which way over the next few years. This isn’t Iowa State and Chizik won’t have a grace period.

It’s the equivalent of a 53-foot shot in the middle of the first quarter of a basketball game. Even if it goes in, there’s still no excuse for taking this dumb a shot.

Much has been made of Chizik’s 5-19 record as the Iowa State head coach, but that’s not even telling the entire story. Two of those wins came this year against South Dakota State and Kent State, before going on a ten-game losing streak. Last year, Chizik’s Cyclone team beat mediocre Iowa, Kansas State, and Colorado teams. None of the four FBS teams beaten by Chizik finished with a winning record. Along the way there were losses this year to Baylor and Texas A&M by a combined score of 87 to 45, and last year the Cyclones lost to Kent State and Northern Iowa. Chizik’s defenses allowed 30 points or more 14 times in the 24 games and the teams were outscored 811 to 522, or an average of 34 to 22 per game.

Chizik’s teams played hard, and granted, the cupboard was left relatively bare, but it’s not like he made Iowa State better in two years and he hasn’t done anything to remotely suggest that he can punch his weight in a conference full of strong head coaches and loaded programs. If he couldn’t win in the Big 12 North, the Fredo of the Big 12 divisions, then why is he going to suddenly blossom into a superstar in a division with Saban, Les Miles, Houston Nutt and Bobby Petrino?

In the end, Auburn has to ask itself this important question: Is this the guy who can go head-to-head with the burgeoning Alabama juggernaut Saban is putting together and not only compete, but thrive? To put it another way, Chizik’s program got lapped by Baylor.

And by then, the UTEP job should be open again … Sorry Auburn fans, but anything short of a (allegedly) wild night on the town in Pensacola during a pro-am golf tournament (allegedly) involving strippers, (alleged) room service charges to the room to the tune of $1,000 by a woman who’s not the wife of the Alabama head coach, to go along with other problems with “inappropriate conduct,” this might not be a fun decade.

“I've got this thing and it's (BOOMER!!!) golden. And I'm just not giving it up for (BOOMER!!!) nothing. I'm not going to do it. And I can always use it. I can (BOOMER!!!) parachute me there."

“I want rustlers, cutthroats, murders, bounty hunters, desperadoes, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con-men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglars, horse thieves, bull-dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, sh**kickers, and Methodists!”… We can all be in agreement here that O.J. Simpson is a bad guy. Because of his transgressions and his incarceration, both the Pro and College Football Halls of Fame have had to deal with the idea of removing Simpson’s memorabilia. The pro version isn’t changing up anything, and the Buffalo Bills aren’t planning on taking away Simpson’s number off the Wall of Fame, but the college version isn’t so sure.

Simpson is arguably the greatest running back of all-time if you combine college and pro production. He won one Heisman, he should’ve won two, and he carried a woeful Buffalo team while hitting the 2,000-yard mark in 14 games on the way to one of the great pro careers. Instead of trying to erase him from football history, keep everything as is but add on all the problems that followed. Nothing is ever gained by trying to cover up the truth, and part of that truth is that Simpson is a vital part of the history of football. If you’re going to start going on a morality kick, how about opening up the books on all those players in the Hall of Fame who were steroid users? Yeah, right.

The C.O.W. airing of the grievances followed by the feats of strength
Ten reasons why Oklahoma will win the national title. (Relax, Gator fans. Next week will be the ten reasons why Florida will win the national title.)

10. Dan Mullen
It’s never a plus when there’s a coaching change before a big game like this. The media likes to make a lot out of the idea of distractions, and almost all of the theories are full of beans. Almost nothing fazes players who are so used to their regular routine. However, losing the offensive coordinator is one thing that really does screw things up. Now there’s a question about who’ll be doing the play-calling for the Gators, if Mullen, who’ll be the new head coach at Mississippi State, will have any role in the attack, and Tim Tebow appears to be a bit rattled over losing the guy who helped him become a superstar.

9. Does Florida really have the firepower?
Florida has a tremendous attack finishing third in the nation in scoring and first in the SEC in total offense. However, Oklahoma was playing at another level at the end of the year. Even if the Gators go on a run, the Sooners have shown the ability to answer every challenge since the loss to Texas. Most importantly, they’ve been able to take teams out of their gameplans as teams have to adjust and press a little bit more knowing that they might have to keep up in a shootout. Florida knew it wasn’t going to need 45 points to stay with Alabama. 45 might not get past the maitre’d against OU.

8. The SEC offenses were really that bad, and the defenses just weren’t that great.
The SEC’s defensive statistics look great, and while Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and Ole Miss really could play a little D, they were helped immeasurably by the horrendous SEC attacks. Offensively, this was an abysmal year. Chalk it up to injuries (Kentucky), inexperience in key spots (LSU), poor planning and coaching (Auburn), the loss of a key coordinator (Tennessee), turnovers (South Carolina), adjustment periods (Ole Miss and Arkansas) or just a world of bad (Vanderbilt and Mississippi State), but the offenses had issues. The SEC defenses were fine, but they were hardly killers compared to past seasons. Six SEC offenses, half the league, finished 97<sup>th</sup> in the nation or lower, seven finished 94<sup>th</sup> or lower in passing, and seven finished 87<sup>th</sup> or lower in scoring. In other words, Florida’s defense, as good as it might appear, didn’t exactly deal with the Big 12 South.

7. Oklahoma’s defense is just fine.
The Sooner D gets a bad rap because it had problems in the second half against Texas with LB Ryan Reynolds got knocked out with a knee injury. The pass rush is tremendous, cranking out 42 sacks, and the defense forces takeaways with 32 on the year. Wake Forest led the way with 35. Most of the yards and points allowed came late in games or against teams that had to pull out its A game just to try to keep up the unrelenting pace. Texas did a great job in the second half and Oklahoma State and Kansas were able to keep up for several laps, but few other teams came close to putting up meaningful points. Texas A&M was down 28-0 before it started scoring. Nebraska was down 35-0 before it got on the board and started rolling. OU got up 28-7 on Kansas State and was up 52-7 on Texas Tech before anything worked for Graham Harrell. In other words, more often than not, the Sooner defense did what it needed to do, when it needed to do it.

6. The Oklahoma special teams are better than they get credit for.
The kickoff coverage team has been abysmal, allowing 24.05 yards per attempt and four touchdowns, most by anyone in the nation, and Florida’s Brandon James is a special return man. However, OU’s special teams aren’t all that bad. The kickoff returners are averaging over 25 yards per try, the punt returners are fine, even though they could be better, and freshman Jimmy Stevens is a solid 8-of-11 on field goals. Florida has an advantage here, but it might not be enough to be the deciding factor.

5. The Sooner offensive line
Alabama’s offensive line was effective against Florida, especially on what appeared to be the game-turning third quarter drive that ate up most of the clock and the length of the field. Oklahoma’s offensive front is better. It’s brilliant in pass protection, helped by an offense that revolves around getting the ball out of Sam Bradford’s hands in a hurry, and Florida’s pass rush might be neutralized by the design of the Sooner attack. The front five has been phenomenal for the running game, paving the way for over 205 yards per game. Oklahoma can produce in a ground war or with the passing game. If the offense can get control of the game early, the line should be able to take care of the rest.

4. Julio Jones
The superstar Alabama freshman receiver caught five passes for 124 yards in the SEC title game. Florida was able to adjust and keep No. 8 in check, mostly because there wasn’t much else to worry about in the Alabama passing game. It also helped that the Tide stopped throwing to him in key situations. Florida might be able to stop Juaquin Iglesias, but can it also stop Jermain Gresham? How about Manuel Johnson, Ryan Broyles, and the DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown coming out of the backfield? The Gator D hasn’t seen anything remotely like this OU offense when it comes to weapons.

3. 2008 Oklahoma isn’t 2006 Ohio State
Ohio State simply didn’t show up. Give Florida credit for winning the game, but several Buckeyes admitted they thought they could run out on the field and be handed the national championship. Forgetting that Oklahoma is the underdog, the last two Fiesta Bowls and a poor recent history should provide a little extra motivation. Because of all its weapons, OU can keep on rolling even if one piece of the puzzle is gone. Ohio State lost Ted Ginn early and never recovered, and making matters worse, the offensive line couldn’t pass protect. The Sooners won’t have those issues.

2. Tim Tebow
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Craving the inside scoop at Florida? Check out Fightin'Gators.com on the Scout network for the latest news and recruiting rumblings.  </td></tr></tbody></table>

 Tebow really is a special player. He’s a better passer than he gets credit for. Those receivers were covered on his touchdown passes in the win over Alabama, and he’s the consummate tough guy who’ll run through a wall to get a win. However, from Colt McCoy to Graham Harrell to Robert Griffin to Todd Reesing to Chase Daniel to Josh Freeman to Joe Ganz to Zac Robinson, the Sooner defense is used to dealing with a top-shelf signal caller every week. Florida faced Matthew Stafford and forced three interceptions. The second best quarterback the Gators dealt with was … John Parker Wilson?

In a game like this, Tebow might want to do even more to put the entire offense on his shoulders, like he did in the SEC title game. Oklahoma’s defense will revolve around covering Percy Harvin, letting Tebow try to pound the ball, and taking chances against everyone else.

1. Sam Bradford
He isn’t Jason White. Bradford is a top five-caliber draft pick who doesn’t get rattled and took his offense to a level college football has never seen before with such a glaring spotlight on. TCU beat Bradford up and he still threw for 411 yards and four touchdowns. He got hurt against Oklahoma State and he still threw for 370 yards and four scores. He threw two interceptions against Texas, but he also threw for 387 yards and five touchdowns. The Heisman winner is a special talent who’s good enough to rise up and produce when needed, and he’s not going to make the big game-changing mistake. Yeah, Florida is No. 2 in the nation in turnover margin, but OU is No. 1 partly because Bradford has thrown one interceptions in the last eight games.

Random Acts of Nutty … Provocative musings and tidbits to make every woman want you and every man want to be you (or vice versa) a.k.a. things I didn’t feel like writing bigger blurbs for.

- Don’t get too hung up on the idea of Connecticut RB Donald Brown coming back. He said he’s returning, but he will graduate this spring and he’s still going to go through the NFL Advisory Board process. He’ll be told he’s a first day pick who’ll likely go in the top 50, and if he rips up Buffalo in the International Bowl, it’ll be tough to pass up the big payday.

- Brady Hoke leaving Ball State for San Diego State shows once again just how hard it is for the MAC to compete consistently at even a mid-range level. Ball State couldn’t come close to matching San Diego State’s offer of $3.5 million, five-year deal, while Muncie, Indiana is hard to compare with San Diego. It’ll be interesting to see if Hoke turns out to be the next Urban Meyer. Meyer went from Bowling Green to Utah to Florida. If Hoke can make San Diego State a winner, he’ll be able to choose his next job.

- Syracuse’s hiring of New Orleans offensive coordinator Doug Marrone flew under the radar, but it could turn out to be a good one. The former SU player will have the PR side of things down. He’ll be great with the fans, the alumni, and the media, and he’ll stir up interest with a far more exciting brand of football. Of course, only a winning team will get everyone back on board.

“You know I'm born to lose, and gambling's for fools/But that's the way I like it baby, I don't wanna live forever” … The three lines this week that appear to be a tad off.

Again, my picks for the bowl season after rallying to close out the regular season 20-24-1 overall, which isn’t bad considering where I was six weeks ago.

I press on by taking the three bowl games I’m sure of … 1) BYU +3 over Arizona, 2) Notre Dame +1.5 over Hawaii, 3) Louisiana Tech -2 over Northern Illinois

Last Week: 1) East Carolina +13.5 over Tulsa (WIN), 2) Oklahoma -17 over Missouri (WIN), 3) Cincinnati -7.5 over Hawaii (LOSS)

Sorry this column sucked, but it wasn’t my fault … I won the MAC title game to complete one of the greatest turnaround in college football history, yet I got passed over for a guy who won five games in the last two years. Fortunately, I have Charles Barkley on my side to defend the column.
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RJ Esq · Dec 16, 2008

Wake Up With Rhian Alise by: Staff | Views: 5,401

RJ Esq · Dec 16, 2008

Mexican Newscaster Geraldine Bazan Creates A Newsflash In Our Pants

Oh Mexico, if it weren’t for your rampant drug shootouts, we’d move there in a heartbeat to be in an oasis of hot broadcasting muchachas. Over the last year, we brought you the exploits of two hottie Mexican reporters doing weird things with NFL stars—Ines’ Sainz with Terrell Owens and Ines Gomez Mont proposing to Tom Brady. Well, now we have the pleasure of introducing you to another TV hottie from over the Rio Grande, Miss Geraldine Bazan. Actually, while Bazan was born in Mexico, she currently resides in Miami where she provides newsy features for TV Azteca and travels to different locales to shoot her many telenovelas. And just how hot is she? Well she was featured in the Mexican, Puerto Rican and Dominican Day Parades. And judging by the totally hot (and NSFW) pics that are after the jump, we can say we totally understand.
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