Week 11 (11/6-11/10) CFB Picks and News

[RJ Esq]

All is not lost for Bruins

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[COLOR=#333333 ! important]Despite recent losses and injuries, a stiff upper lip is being portrayed by one of the team's leaders.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#999999 ! important]By Chris Foster, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
8:38 PM PST, November 5, 2007 [/COLOR]
Their coach's future is cloudy. Their recent performances have them sinking slowly in the Pacific 10 Conference standings. Their health has created a take-a-number policy in the training room.

Yet all is not lost for UCLA football players, merely the last two games.

Taylor on the tackle
click to enlarge



There was plenty of rubble to pick through after a 34-27 loss to Arizona on Saturday, but a stiff upper lip was being portrayed by one of the team's leaders.

Linebacker Christian Taylor was of a single thought -- Saturday's game against Arizona State.

"We got one game ahead of us, Arizona State, that's our only focus," Taylor said calmly but sternly. "It's not about anything but winning this football game.

"At this point, for me, there is nothing to be said. Enough talk. It's all about, 'Lets go play ball.' . . . No one needs a rah-rah speech. It's doesn't work. If you're not ready yourself, you're not going to be ready. That's all I want the guys to do this week, is to be ready to play football."

That once-more-into-the-breach cry comes as concerns accumulate

Coach Karl Dorrell's job appears to be on the line, with victories in the last three games -- against Arizona State, Oregon and USC -- perhaps the only way to earn his way back.

"Our players want to win regardless what's being said about my status," Dorrell said. "We can't control any of those things that are being said. The only thing we can do is play better football and get ourselves a victory.

"What's being said, I can't do anything about that except to coach hard, and our staff to continue to coach hard and build on our improvement to get ourselves back in the win column."

Coaching hard hasn't worked the last two weeks. The Bruins have lost consecutive games to Arizona and Washington State, teams considered beneath them. Taylor described UCLA's performance in the Arizona game as "disgusting."

"It is really a testament of character when things like this happen to you," Taylor said. "It's easy to be up-tempo and upbeat, excited about the game and confident in yourself when you're winning. But it's a challenge and shows what character is all about when you get beat, when you don't play your best ball."

Whether the Bruins are capable of playing their best ball is to be seen. UCLA will be without its top two quarterbacks, Ben Olson (knee) and Patrick Cowan (collapsed lung, concussion), as well as several other key players.

Sophomore Osaar Rasshan, who put up 13 points in less than a half against Arizona, will start at quarterback. But the Bruins may be without their second-leading rusher, Chris Markey (ankle), and have already lost leading rusher Kahlil Bell (knee).

Rasshan waited two years to play quarterback at UCLA, then had the offense handed to him last Saturday. His thoughts about his upcoming start went unanswered Monday as UCLA officials refused to allow him to talk with the media despite several interview requests.

Dorrell said Cowan was traveling back from Arizona on Monday after tests confirmed a partially collapsed lung, but no further damage. How long Cowan will be sidelined is not known. . . . Olson will resume individual drills this week in hopes of returning for the Nov. 24 game against Oregon. . . . Defensive tackle Jess Ward (knee) will resume practice and could play Saturday. . . . Defensive tackle Brigham Harwell (knee) will increase his practice time this week.

 

[RJ Esq]

COACH CALLAHAN CAN DESTROY A ROBOT WITH EASE

Bill Callahan reiterated today that he was not going to resign as coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, meaning that he will have to be shot and dragged out of his office before he quits his job.
Wait, sorry. That’s just “fired,” not “shot and dragged out of his office.” We were reading a story about Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declaring a state of emergency in Pakistan, and got the two confused. Though the two chaotic states do look strikingly similar in many ways right now (validated Master’s Degree again! YES!)
Callahan also showed that if ever paired up in a duel with a riddling homicidal robot, he could crack the mind of the evil machine like a pheasant’s egg between his brainfingers:
Callahan said Tuesday he would not resign before the season ends, even if he were offered a buyout worth more than he is entitled to by his contract.
“That term ‘resignation’ is not in our vocabulary,” Callahan said.
First, Callahan uses the royal ‘we,’ Meaning that he’s ghostwriting a blog somewhere out there. Second, he says that “resignation” is not in his (their) vocabulary. But he just used the word? But it’s in his vocabulary. But he used it? But it’s not in his vocabulary. But he just used it? But it’s not in his vocabulary. But he used it…UNSTABLE LOOP CONTRADICTORY ERROR. (Head explodes.)

Take that, evil robot!
Thank god Phil Steele wasn’t at the news conference. We could have lost the most powerful computer known to man, and our only hope against Skynet.

 

[RJ Esq]

UVA's Peerman Out For The Year

Posted Nov 6th 2007 12:32PM by Ian Cohen
Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Injuries

Well, that didn't take long. Last week, there were rumblings that Virginia's leading rusher (and one-time ACC frontrunner) Cedric Peerman was facing surgery for the foot problems that kept him out for a month. Now it's confirmed as if losing Deyon Williams and Kevin Ogletree to season-ending (or season-negating) injuries wasn't bad enough over the last two years, now they will have to face a Miami/VT Coastal Division title stretch run without The Entertainer. It was confirmed yesterday that Peerman will miss the rest of the season, and could be facing surgery as well.

The main difference here though is that RB usually tends to be a position of strength for the Cavaliers, unlike wide reciever, where two white guys Groh didn't recruit are the main options. Did I mention one's a Tulane transfer and the other's a walk on? If nothing else, this will mean even more of Mikell Simpson who has teamed up with Jameel Sewell to be a de facto duocracy for the UVA offense. The two of them accounted for all the rushing attempts against Wake Forest and Simpson still might be the most potent non-TE option in the passing game as well. This really shouldn't alter the Hoo offensive attack all that much considering that Peerman's missed the last four games anyway, but relying on Sewell (sophomore), Simpson (sophomore) and Keith Payne (true freshman) to carry the offense in their toughest stretch might be a little too much for the guardian angel that's been looking over Al Groh since the Wyoming game.

 

[RJ Esq]

Sharpley or Clausen?

Weis undecided on Notre Dame's starting quarterback

Posted: Tuesday November 6, 2007 3:19PM; Updated: Tuesday November 6, 2007 4:45PM

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Evan Sharpley started Notre Dame's most recent game, a 46-44 loss to Navy.
Andy Altenburger/Icon SMI


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</td></tr></tbody></table>SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -- Evan Sharpley or Jimmy Clausen? Coach Charlie Weis isn't sure who will start for Notre Dame against Air Force on Saturday.
"We haven't practiced yet, but they're both in the running," Weis said at his weekly news conference Tuesday.
Weis didn't specify when he would decide on a starter for Notre Dame (1-8), but hinted it would likely be Wednesday because he doesn't want to divide the first-team snaps evenly between the two all week.
Both could play against Air Force (7-3), although they won't play an equal amount of time.
"There will be one lead guy," he said.
Weis indicated immediately after Notre Dame's 46-44 loss in triple overtime to Navy on Saturday that he expeced Sharpley to remain the starter. But after watching the game film Sunday he said he wasn't sure who would start.
Clausen, the first Notre Dame quarterback in at least 56 years to start his second game as a freshman, started the next six games before he was replaced for the past two by Sharpley. Demetrius Jones, who has since quit the team and transferred, started the opener.
Clausen has a better completion percentage than Sharpley, but Sharpley has been more productive. Clausen has completed 81-of-141 passes, a 57.4 completion rate, for 618 yards with five interceptions and one touchdown pass. Sharpley has completed 77-of-140 passes for 736 yards, a 55 percent completion rate, with three interceptions and five touchdowns.
Weis said he will start whoever looks better in practice.
"I think the No. 1 thing is: Who's going to play the best for you down the stretch?" Weis said. "I don't thin what you want to be doing here is each week say, 'well, who's going to play the best for us against Air Force? Who's going to play the best for us against Duke? Who's going to play the best for us against Stanford?'
"I'm at the point right now where I want to win this game and simultaneously I want to start building some upward momentum. They go together," he said. "So the decision isn't as simple as, over the last half dozen weeks who's done what better. It's who gives you the best chance to win this week and the next two weeks and moving forward?"
Weis said at the time he made Sharpley the starter for the USC game he was doing so because Sharpley was steadily improving and because Clausen, who had been sacked 23 times, was banged up.
Clausen is getting healthier and Sharpley hasn't shown much improvement the past two games. Sharpley was 34-of-60 passing for 257 yards with one interception and two touchdown passes in his two starts. He was sacked nine times.
Weis has talked to them both.
"They know that when they've been in there things haven't gone great for either one of them," Weis said. "It isn't like either one of them is coming up there and saying, 'Hey, I've done a great job. It should be me.' They know that whatever we need to do to put the team in the best position to win, we'll do."
The possible change is just the latest in a series of moves Weis has made to try to shake the team up and turn the season around. He was asked Tuesday whether it was possible to run out of changes or make too many changes.
"It's funny because I asked that question myself of the staff this morning," he said. "But I think that you always have to keep on plugging along to try to help find a better answer. I might have been more dogmatic in the past, but I'm keeping on working toward finding a better answer. And I think that's what I'm going to keep on trying to do."

 

[RJ Esq]

Kentucky's Little, Burton plan to play

Posted: Tuesday November 6, 2007 3:16PM; Updated: Tuesday November 6, 2007 3:16PM

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Kentucky running back Rafael Little will return to the lineup on Saturday against Vanderbilt after missing three games with a thigh injury.
Little practiced on Tuesday and coach Rich Brooks said the senior looked healthy.
"It's always nice to get playmakers back," Brooks said. "Everybody knows how many plays Keenan Burton and Rafael have made on our offense. Having those two guys back in the lineup will be a big boost for us."
Burton will also return to action Saturday after missing Kentucky's loss to Mississippi St. on Oct. 27 due to injury. Little said he's excited to return to the lineup.
"It's hard sitting out watching," he said. "We lost the last two games, and I thought I could have done something to help us out."
Little also made a return from injury in the Vanderbilt game last season. He had missed four games due to a knee injury but came back against the Commodores and logged 20 carries for 132 yards and a touchdown. He also caught eight passes for 114 yards in the game.
"Last year when he came back he ended up getting a lot more than we had in mind for him," Brooks said. "(Saturday) we're just going to do what we have to do hopefully to move the ball and score points."

 

[RJ Esq]

Miami will return to Wright at QB

Posted: Tuesday November 6, 2007 1:05PM; Updated: Tuesday November 6, 2007 1:05PM

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -- Kyle Wright is back as Miami's starting quarterback.
Wright's sprained left ankle and sprained left knee tendon have healed sufficiently, coach Randy Shannon said Tuesday, meaning the senior will start the Hurricanes' farewell game at the Orange Bowl against 23rd-ranked Virginia on Saturday night.
Wright couldn't play in last Saturday's 19-16 overtime loss to North Carolina State, a game where backup Kirby Freeman went 1-for-14 with three interceptions.
"Kyle's fine. He's ready to go," Shannon said. "He was trying to do it last wek in warm-ups, but he couldn't get that push and step into the football. When you don't have that, you don't have the velocity on the football."
Wright suffered the injuries Oct. 20 in Miami's win against Florida State -- a game where Freeman came in and helped rally the Hurricanes to a 37-29 victory. Wright was able to fully participate in workouts Sunday, so barring any setbacks, he'll play against the Cavaliers (8-2, 5-1 Atlantic Coast Conference).
"He'll be fine. We won't put a player out there unless they have full mobility," Shannon said. "I would not do that as a coach."
The decision wasn't unexpected; Wright told reporters after the N.C. State loss that he believed he'd be ready to play Virginia.
It's a crucial game for Miami (5-4, 2-3), which still needs one win to become bowl-eligible -- and could still capture the ACC's Coastal Division title with three wins and some help from around the rest of the league.
Wright has completed 88 of 142 passes this season for 1,240 yards and nine touchdowns. He's also thrown nine interceptions.

 

[RJ Esq]

GETTING TO KNOW UCONN
By SMQ
Posted on Tue Nov 06, 2007 at 02:10:02 PM EDT


Three-quarters through the season, Connecticut is undefeated in the Big East and one point from a perfect 9-0 start. Here is why:

<table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3"> <caption align="top">UConn in Last Four Games/vs. Winning Teams</caption> <tbody><tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(115, 122, 167) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">MOV</td> <td align="center">Yards +/-</td> <td align="center">TO Margin</td> <td align="center">Swing Pts.</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">at Virginia</td> <td align="center">-1</td> <td align="center">-78</td> <td align="center">+ 1</td> <td align="center">+ 7</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Louisville</td> <td align="center">+ 4</td> <td align="center">-16</td> <td align="center">+ 1</td> <td align="center">Push</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">So. Florida</td> <td align="center">+ 7</td> <td align="center">-93</td> <td align="center">+ 1</td> <td align="center">+ 5</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Rutgers</td> <td align="center">+ 19</td> <td align="center">-115</td> <td align="center">+ 1</td> <td align="center">+ 9</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(192, 192, 192) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">Average</td> <td align="center">+7.25</td> <td align="center">-75.5</td> <td align="center">+1</td> <td align="center">+5.25</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

Whatever this is, they've earned it. I mean, pretty much.
- - -

Statistically, UConn does two things really well: a) hold on to the ball, and b) keep opposing offenses out of the end zone. The Huskies are third nationally in scoring defense and fourth in turnover margin, more for their ability to avoid giveaways (only three teams have turned it over less) than create takeaways - though only conference mate and upcoming opponent Cincinnati has intercepted more passes. Related to the second point, the Huskie secondary is also something of a blanket: the longest pass UConn has allowed in the last four games is 35 yards, and all season only two passes (one by Duke, one by Temple) have gone longer than 50. Only Ohio State and USC have allowed fewer touchdown passes than the six thrown against UConn. The "swing points" are the result mostly of return touchdowns in the last three games, one on a punt (yes, the blatantly illegal one), one on an interception and one on a kickoff. So: is UConn good? Does it matter?
It didn't matter for Wake Forest last year, a mediocre team with a similarly one-dimensional, lo-fi offense led by an anonymous first-year quarterback and a defense that was kinda good at the every-down block-tackle-cover stuff, but mainly opportunistic. No team could possibly match last year's ACC champs for pure, right-place-right-time opportunism, but UConn - itself an early victim of Wake's highwire win streak last September, and apparently an observant learner - is on the same path:

<table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3"> <caption align="top">National Rank in Major Stat Categories</caption> <tbody><tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(115, 122, 167) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Wake 2006</td> <td align="center">UConn 2007</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Rush Off.</td> <td align="center">44</td> <td align="center">38</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">Pass Off.</td> <td align="center">104</td> <td align="center">88</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Total Off.</td> <td align="center">96</td> <td align="center">78</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">Scoring Off.</td> <td align="center">78</td> <td align="center">41</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">TO Margin</td> <td align="center">6</td> <td align="center">4</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">Rush. Def.</td> <td align="center">21</td> <td align="center">30</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Pass Eff. Def.</td> <td align="center">26</td> <td align="center">12</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">Total Def.</td> <td align="center">45</td> <td align="center">19</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Scoring Def.</td> <td align="center">12</td> <td align="center">3</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">Avg. MOV vs. BCS</td> <td align="center">+ 5.2</td> <td align="center">+ 13.7</td> </tr> </tbody></table> The numbers aren't identical (obviously, UConn has not finished its conference schedule), but the profile of a conservative, not particularly talented team on a run of turnover and special teams-fuelled success in close games against other merely decent, largely conservative opponents holds. You couldn't name a player on Wake Forest's roster before last November, and I'd challenge you to name more than one on UConn's roster now, but both slowly gained momentum the same way.
The Huskies do seem like a longer shot to carry Wake's `upstart' torch into the BCS, if only because the Big East, even after the demise of Louisville and, lately, South Florida, still has the fleet-footed, big play overlord the Deacons never had to deal with last year in the ACC in West Virginia. There are two games apiece to survive to make the UConn-WVU showdown on Nov. 24 a meaningful, winner-take-all proving ground for entry to one of the big money games, and the Huskies are already six-point underdogs in one of those, Saturday's game at Cincinnati. WVU is just entering the meat of its conference schedule (Rutgers, Louisville, Cincinnati) and it's still too early to be thinking about the finale in Morgantown in terms of an end game.
It won't be, though, if the Huskies get past Cincy - the only thing between them then and a one-shot grab at the BCS is Syracuse. And if West Virginia loses in the meantime, it's UConn's pot to lose.

 

[RJ Esq]

THE PREJUDICED GUIDE TO YOUR NATIONAL TITLE CONTENDERS

You know how you’ll decide this thing: just like Clayton Bigsby decides it.
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The BCS vacillates between putting two consensus number one teams in a bowl game–like Texas vs. USC yay the system works!–to at best a disputable matchup like Florida/Ohio State, a game only certain with the gift of hindsight. When one-loss teams pile up, you’ll be forced to choose between teams, and you’ll do it the way people have been doing their important decision-making for millennia: prejudicially.
Your guide to football prejudice for each possible national title follows below.
Kansas
Pertinent Prejudices: Their fans are meth-smoking fiends trying desperately to flee their desolate, ancient grain-silo haunted surroundings. “Waving the Wheat” is weak sauce for a crowd cheer. You still in your heart of hearts believe tornadoes are the fourth biggest threat to their campaign. The first are the murderous child fundamentalists waiting to sacrifice the team to the beastgod who lives in the field; the second are highway killers with fifties haircuts; and the third, of course, is crushing boredom.
Their coach is fat, too. Planet fat. There’s a serious predjudice right there, since a man that big might inhale any trophies or microphones placed in front of him.
Oregon
Pertinent prejudices: Hippies. Stinking, no-good, football-hating hippies struck with the luck of having a gazillionaire loon like Phil Knight subsidizing their football program. And they play on the West Coast. They’re closer to China than they are to Bear Bryant or Woody Hayes’ corpse, and probably commies just lyin’ in the grass to take your guns and tax you till the hair falls off your nutsack. They might not even play with pigskin–it’s probably some cruelty-free ball produced from laytex and soycrap made in a factory with a big sign that says “This Is A Safe Place for Women”–just like the sign they should hang over the whole damn Pac-10.
Ohio State
Pertinent prejudices: 41-14! 41-14! Loss in last year’s title game and 41-14! WOOOOOOO ESS-EEEEE-SEEEEEEEEEE!!!! 41-14! Repeat that for ten minutes or so, and you’ll get to the crux of the argument right quick.

ESS-EEEE-SEEE WOOOOOOOOOO!!!! It’s not going away easily.
Also: fans poop in coolers, crave the taste of teargas, and raze cities to the ground on departure for their desolate state filled with dreary farmland the hollow, burnt-out shells of the rotting American manufacturing sector.
Missouri
Pertinent prejudices: Missouri! It’s where you drink malts and ride in cars with fins on the way to the big game, or maybe the bowling alley for a few frames with your pals! No one knows anything about Missouri, and we’d be a plug nickel most people in the United States couldn’t find it on a map. Really. Their fingers would be hovering over Cuba or Wyoming before they found Missouri, their fingers curled around a cold bottle of Brawndo.
John Ashcroft is from Missouri, and he covered up the tits of Lady Justice when he was at the Justice Department. So there’s that, at least: Missouri hates tits. This might scuttle any favor they hoped to encourage at all from the start, because in our world, Lady Justice operates with a blazing sword and a pair of flawless tits that bounce on her chest like gumdrop-topped jello casseroles from heaven.
LSU
Pertinent prejudices: Corrupt, mongrel, swampdwelling cheats riding through life on an airboat filled with siphoned gasoline and stuffed to the gills with guns, rancid butter, and animal hide and attending massive, orgiastic parties nightly despite suffering from four types of visible cancerous tumors. Fond of both murder and parties, and fonder of the combination thereof. Unemployed. Cheated or bribed their way to wherever they are in a most festive fashion that no one seemed to mind, really. Carrying a gun? No. Carrying guns? Oh, yes.
Coached by man in goofy white hat. Argument: One loss and the SEC champ. Counterargument: look, funny man go for it on fourth down with huge white hat! Repeat ad infinitum.
Oklahoma
Pertinent predjudices: Once coached by Barry Switzer, so cheats to the bone no matter who’s in charge. Like Kansas, very meth-y. Currently fanned by both Toby Keith and Garth Brooks, so may be judged to be the most love-handlephilic team, celebrity-wise. Mysteriously successful for a state abandoned and designated as a reserve for wolves and mutant freshwater catfish in 1935. Politically, had bold stand taken by Senator Tom Coburn, who suggested that all-girls schools in the state were dangerous because they led to “rampant lesbianism.”
He has a problem with this, which may affect Oklahoma’s votes in the important “pigmale” demographic. Oklahoma’s collapse in back-to-back national title games against LSU and USC don’t help the PR fight, either, along with a loss to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl last year.
West Virginia
Pertinent Prejudices: We can’t really think of any, actually. Nope. None. Move along. Nothing serious

<object height="355" width="425">

<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZX0F1fGEfKA&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></object></p> Connecticut.
Pertinent prejudices: We know a lot of shit about a lot of shit. For instance, did you know that Karl Marx was such a dirty bastard his clothes had to be cut off him at death? Or that in the ekpyrotic cyclical model of the universe, the two branes constituting the universe are only 10 to the negative 26th power apart from each other at any given time? Or that the proper pronunciation of the word for-tay is actually just ‘fort?’ Or that, being made obsolete by numbers and technology, liberal arts majors are only kept around for the purpose of being good dinner guests/meat animals for a future nuclear winter?
We know nothing about the state of Connecticut, though, other than it’s really, really white and cold. Just like vanilla ice cream. And we have nothing negative to say about vanilla ice cream.
Hawaii
Pertinent predjudices: Not a state. Other than that, they’re fine.

 

[RJ Esq]

Shelton: Stoops', AD's jobs are safe
By Ryan Finley
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
<table class="tableborder" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="225"><tbody><tr><td align="left" bgcolor="#f9f9f9" valign="top"> Up next
• Who: Oregon at Arizona
• When: 7 p.m. Nov. 15
• TV: ESPN
• Radio: 1290-AM, 107.5-FM, 990-AM (Sp.)

</td></tr></tbody></table> University of Arizona president Robert Shelton said Monday that both athletic director Jim Livengood and football coach Mike Stoops will return next year.
Shelton said he informed both men their jobs were safe in the week leading up to the Wildcats' Oct. 27 victory over Washington. At the time, Stoops' team was 2-6 and Livengood — the man who hired him — was under criticism.
Shelton said he wanted to reassure both men they were coming back.
"I conveyed that very quickly in a person-to-person conversation with each of them," Shelton told the Star on Monday night.
"I didn't call any special meeting. When we were together, I said, 'I think you're running this program well. Don't believe what anybody says I'm saying" in the media.
Livengood and Stoops are both under contract through 2010, according to public documents obtained by the Star. Stoops is paid $650,000 a year plus incentives. Livengood makes $346,000.
Shelton said he trusts Livengood to make decisions within the athletic department.
The UA's president speaks to coaches at the beginning of each school year but said he otherwise tries to delegate authority.
"I have a great AD, and I need to rely on him," Shelton said. "If I can't rely on him, then I've made a mistake."
Livengood said Monday that Stoops will stay even though the Wildcats are likely to post their ninth consecutive non-winning season. Arizona has not been to a bowl game since 1998.
"I don't know how many ways I have to say the same thing: Mike Stoops is our football coach, period," Livengood said. "He has my support and our president's support. I was never not clear about that."
Livengood said Stoops has evolved from defensive coordinator to head coach since being hired to revamp the program in December 2003. He said Stoops has become more comfortable as the program's leader.
"I think every game, every week and every practice, he's much more comfortable in that role," Livengood said. "I think growth is understanding that that is his role."
Although Livengood insisted recent speculation about Stoops' future was more of a "media question" than an internal one, he spent some of last weekend assuring recruits the coach will return.
That support from Livengood helped sway high school star Ryan Bass to verbally commit to the UA on Sunday.
Both Shelton and Livengood stressed improving Arizona's graduation rate, which has consistently been rated last in the Pac-10 Conference.
The UA football program lost four scholarships in May because of poor performance in the NCAA's Academic Progress Report, a system that penalizes teams that struggle to graduate players. No other football team from a Bowl Championship Series conference lost a single scholarship.
"I want those graduation rates up," Shelton said. "I do think the NCAA has it right when they look at APR and who's in good standing. I'm convinced that APR is going to improve for us. It's something we're working on."

 

[RJ Esq]

LIFE ON THE MARGINS, WEEK TEN
By SMQ
Posted on Tue Nov 06, 2007 at 11:35:16 AM EDT


Weekly obsessing over statistical anomalies and fringe idiosyncracies. Don’t get carried away by these scores from last weekend...
(As always, click here for a definition of 'Swing points')

<table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3"> <tbody><tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(164, 74, 74) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Kansas State</td> <td align="center">Iowa State</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Total Offense</td> <td align="center">425</td> <td align="center">348</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">1st Downs</td> <td align="center">22</td> <td align="center">14</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Yds./Play</td> <td align="center">5.7</td> <td align="center">5.3</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">Yds./Possession</td> <td align="center">35.6</td> <td align="center">26.8</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Turnovers</td> <td align="center">3</td> <td align="center">1</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">Swing Points</td> <td align="center">+7</td> <td align="center">+7</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
Final Score: Iowa State 31, Kansas State 20
- - -
This game barely makes the cut, because a lot of K-State’s yardage advantage was on its last, essentially meaningless drive, and because Iowa State started so hot: the typically inept Cyclones scored touchdowns on three of their first four offensive possessions, first on a short field (32 yards) after a good opening kickoff and later on drives of 68 and 90 yards. After that, they were, yes, inept: between its last offensive touchdown in the second quarter and an icing field goal in the fourth, ISU’s six offensive possessions netted 27 yards, and seven of its nine non-scoring possessions on the day went three-and-out – the biggest play over the last two-and-a-half quarters was an interception return for touchdown by Chris Singleton in the middle of an offensive drought in the third quarter that extended the lead to 28-10. K-State moved the ball well, but aside from the turnovers missed a lot of chances to score – the Wildcats punted in ISU territory on their first drive and in the fourth quarter missed a field goal and, more crucially, turned the ball over downs at the end of a 72-yard drive when the Cyclones turned back monster quarterback Josh Freeman on a fourth down sneak at the goalline. That stop, after the interception return a quarter earlier, was the difference.

<table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3"> <tbody><tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(164, 74, 74) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Rutgers</td> <td align="center">Connecticut</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Total Offense</td> <td align="center">511</td> <td align="center">396</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">1st Downs</td> <td align="center">29</td> <td align="center">18</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Yds./Play</td> <td align="center">5.8</td> <td align="center">6.6</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">Yds./Possession</td> <td align="center">39.3</td> <td align="center">36.0</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Turnovers</td> <td align="center">1</td> <td align="center">0</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">Swing Points</td> <td align="center">0</td> <td align="center">+9</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
Final Score: UConn 38, Rutgers 19
- - -
UConn delivers the best “bend don’t break” defensive performance since South Florida outlasted West Virginia back in September: Rutgers have five drives 69 yards or longer in the first half alone, and only scored a touchdown on one of them. In the second half, the Knights had 42, 37, 38 and 59-yard drives that ended missed field goal, turnover on downs, interception, end of game. That’s the main difference here: UConn finished drives and Rutgers didn’t, and this is very largely the result of field position, especially in the first half – where the Knights had five drives that covered more ground than the Huskies’ longest effort (54), UConn’s average starting position was a full 30 yards better. Every Rutgers drive began inside its own 30, whereas UConn’s average position was its own 45, and didn’t start any possessions inside its own 38. So Rutgers was moving further and coming up with less; throw in a safety on a blocked punt and a kickoff return for touchdown, and it’s 25-16 at the break, before Rutgers’ parade of failure in UConn territory in the second half served to widen the final margin. Don’t ignore the “yards per play” line above, because Rutgers ran so many more plays, but that too was a consequence of this being largely a special teams victory for UConn (see the plus nine and a missed chip shot field goal by Jeremy Ito) amid some opportunistic defense, and it’s hard to keep those coming when the defense is giving up so much ground.
Then again, special teams is a recurring problem for Rutgers, which almost lost the South Florida game on a blocked field goal nearly returned for a touchdown and currently ranks 117th in net punting at a measly 29.2 per boot despite not giving up any blocks before Saturday.

<table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3"> <tbody><tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(164, 74, 74) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Maryland</td> <td align="center">North Carolina</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Total Offense</td> <td align="center">302</td> <td align="center">258</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">1st Downs</td> <td align="center">18</td> <td align="center">15</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Yds./Play</td> <td align="center">4.4</td> <td align="center">4.2</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">Yds./Possession</td> <td align="center">27.5</td> <td align="center">22.0</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Turnovers</td> <td align="center">2</td> <td align="center">3</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">Swing Points</td> <td align="center">0</td> <td align="center">0</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
Final Score: North Carolina 16, Maryland 13
- - -
My god, the ACC is such an ugly, brutally dull, field goal-driven conference, but if any team is going to fall victim to that kind of aesthetically bankrupt game, I’m glad it’s Maryland, one of the worst offenders of ConservaBall over the last two years. The Terps won six games by six points or less last year, outgained in every single one of them, and beat Georgia Tech by two earlier this year. But UMD couldn’t hold off the bronze foot Saturday of Connor Barth, who hit three field goals in the second quarter, allowing UNC to harumph its way to victory with but a single sustained touchdown drive on the game. Maryland, clearly, was not much better. The game might have turned on the Terps’ failure to get more out of the most successful drives of the day by either team in the second quarter, one of them ending after 57 yards with a classic fraidy-cat punt from the UNC 35 and the next with a field goal after a 74-yard march stalled with goal-to-go inside the five. North Carolina didn’t cover that much ground on any of its possessions – Maryland also had an 80-yard drive for its only touchdown in the third quarter – or get that close for any of Barth’s kicks, and punted within five plays on each of its last four chances with the ball. But Maryland couldn’t wrestle the lead away.
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[RJ Esq]

I can't get enough of this sack by Vela. Watching the play as a whole, I just noticed he's a CB or a "Striker" as the announcers call it.

Start watching from 2:17 to go.

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[RJ Esq]

UT FOOTBALL PLAYER IS INTERCOURSE HERO

This post has a soundtrack. Click on it for the proper accompaniment to the story.

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MP3 File

By Crom, Josh McNeil is a happy man.
Get this man an AXE body spray endorsement:
Several hours after the University of Tennessee football team thumped its opponent on the field Saturday, UT center Josh McNeil was quizzed by police about a broken window at his apartment and the three intoxicated women in his bed.
He celebrates like Conan the Barbarian, that Josh McNeil. We think the running for the Thighsman Award may be done, since McNeil just grabbed it by its brassy crotch and wrestled it back to his bed/animal husbandry lot/one man European sex club. Those trashy Euro orgy videos where everyone’s hooting on the participants? All filmed in Josh McNeil’s bed. Travis Henry just called him to urge him to wear a condom, and Colin Farrell wants to go to Dubai with him for the weekend just to watch him work a hotel room with eight escorts and twenty bottles of Cristal.
McNeil can’t be charged with anything in the incident, since banging three girls at once in a drunken victory celebration is only illegal in France and the Republic of Third-grade-gaysylvania. (Real, honest homosexuals, on the other hand, have no problem celebrating in multiples.)
McNeil cannot even be charged with sexual assault on an animal, since the “half bear, other half cat” formula for Tennessee women on Rocky Top means McNeil technically made love to 3/2 of a cat and 3/2 of a bear. Charging him with anything like this means lawyers in Tennessee would have to work with fractions, and no one wants to get into that shit. That’s why they went to law school and not med school, which requires math and a hunger for human blood.)
There’s details here, sure: a potted plant thrown through a window, an argument, several guns including rifles, shotguns, and a handgun found in apartment. Read the article if you actually care what happened, including the fact that the three women were charged with underage consumption of alcohol. (Note: consumption of Josh McNeil is totally legal and obviously in demand, ladies of the 865. And in plentiful supply, judging from this.)
All we want to say is that the Josh McNeil, the video game industry needs to make Intercourse Hero and set whatever you do as the Expert Level. ONE HUNDRED COCKTAILS to you, sir.

 

[RJ Esq]

Who REALLY Beat Alabama on Saturday?

Posted Nov 6th 2007 9:45AM by Pete Holiday
Filed under: Alabama Football, LSU Football, SEC, NCAA FB Coaching

In the annals of bizarre categorizations, the Saturday match-up between LSU and Alabama will be filed neatly under the "Games of which far too much was made." LSU fans have gone so far as to say that the game "proved" that Miles is a better coach and that the Tigers are better off without Saban (if that's really true, then it's time to shut up about him now). Alabama fans have, conversely, decided that this "proves" that Miles is an idiot and crappy coach and that LSU fans smell like corndogs. There's been a bunch of yapping about who's players made plays, who gave the game away, and so on. So let's get down to brass tacks, here:

Who (or what) really beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Saturday.

And the nominees are:

1. Les Miles showed Alabama who its daddy was
2. Alabama (or John Parker Wilson) just gave the game away
3. The Refs beat Alabama! They got robbed!
4. Nobody... it was just dumb luck.

I'll discuss them each in turn.

Les Miles Beat Alabama
Also known as the "referendum" theory. It's pretty much bunk. No reasonably objective person can look at that game and claim that Miles is a better coach than Saban on account of it. The Tigers came out fast, but were just not mentally ready to play football. As a thought experiment... pretend Miles and Saban are gone... instead we have the old EA Sports Stand-bys "LSU Coach" and "Alabama Coach". Pretend, now, that "LSU Coach" in addition to having a huge talent advantage, also has a huge coaching advantage... do the Tigers still need to come back late in the fourth quarter? No, they don't.

Just to be clear, though, I think it's awfully premature to crown Saban, too. He was obviously the better coach on the field that night, but Major Neyland beat Bear Bryant 4 out of the 5 times they coached against each other, and no sane person would argue that Neyland was, over all, a better football coach. There's a lot of story left to be written in this one.


Alabama Gave the Game Away
In a sense this is true, but the question is this: why did that happen. The answer is simple: just like they have in a lot of games this season, LSU hung on for dear life while they waited for their vastly superior talent levels and depth to start becoming apparent in the fourth quarter. It's nothing new or different. That's just what happens to a team with depth problems: you have to put deep, talented teams away early or hope for some miscues later in the game. Neither of those happened.

Going forward, of course, John Parker Wilson needs to learn to hit his hot routes on bring-the-house blitz reads, but he's just gotten away from throwing every pass off of his back foot, so I would hazard a guess that the coaches are working on one thing at a time. That might be all he can handle.


The Refs Beat Alabama
No. No, no, no, no, no. Not even close. There were a lot of overturned calls because there were bad calls on the field. The most whined about call was the <s>Keith Brown</s> Matt Caddell "catch." Any remaining Alabama fans who are clinging to this: give it up. You're starting to sound like Ole Miss fans. Was it possible that it could've been a catch? Yeah, it was possible... but only remotely so. Have a look at the picture over at And The Valley Shook, the only way that was a catch was if Caddell had control of the ball with his wrists instead of his hands.

Besides, the old axiom applies here just as it applied to the Razorback and Rebel whiners a few weeks back: "Show me a man who claims his team was beaten by the officials, and I'll show you a loser."


Nobody, it was just Dumb Luck.
Give up on this one, Tide fans. Nobody buys this. Hell, you don't even buy this. This is one of those little lies that fans tell themselves shortly after a loss as a consolation. It's time to move on. It wasn't "luck".

But if it wasn't Miles, John Parker Wilson, the Refs, or Luck... what the hell was it?

​

It was talent, folks. Raw, vicious talent.

 

[RJ Esq]

Morning Coffee Preps For Tech

by HornsFan Tue Nov 06, 2007 at 09:43:32 AM EDT

The injuries are mounting for the 2007 Longhorns heading into the final two games of the season. Center Dallas Griffin is out for the year, nickelback Drew Kelson will not be available for Texas Tech, and Eddie Jones' shoulder continues to give him problems. Mum's the word on Sergio Kindle, but Texas fans probably shouldn't count on him playing Saturday. If he does, it'd be a huge, huge bonus for a team which could desperately use his playmaking abilities.

After a statistically strong start to the season for the Texas pass defense, the wheels are beginning to loosen. If the 'Horns don't get pressure on Graham Harrell on Saturday, they might fly right off. After Nebraska managed 8.3 yards per pass against the Longhorns, Zac Robinson and Oklahoma State torched the Texas defense for a whopping 10.2 yards per pass attempt. That's wretched against any team; if matched Saturday against Tech, it will be fatal.
Who's to blame? No one's without fault here. Texas' defensive ends haven't done a great job getting pressure on the quarterback, the well-document linebacker problems allow opponents to double team our DTs with impunity, Palmer and Foster have performed less solidly as the quality of opponents has increased, and the safeties are struggling mightily. And then there is Duane Akina, who is doing his best Carl Reese impression these days - blindly slinging bodies into heaps of blockers on kamikaze blitzes, leaving Texas vulnerable to screens and passes like the throwback to the tight end which the Cowboys used to scorch the 'Horns.
Is there any good news? There's at least one bright spot: Deon Beasley is emerging as a superstar cornerback. He'll need lots of help on Saturday, though, as Mike Leach is surely licking his chops looking at the Texas pass defense right now. Odds of a shootout in Austin? 99%.

Texas Tech is not without problems of its own, of course. The bizarre feud between Mike Leach and Shannon Woods took another interesting twist this week as Leach announced that last year's all-purpose yards leader in the Big 12 would remain on the scout team for the remainder of the season. Woods did not travel with the team to Waco this past Saturday. I thought Woods was a player Leach used far too infrequently this season - it wouldn't surprise me if Woods had similar feelings and let them be known. Whatever the case, he's done for this year; a transfer wouldn't surprise me in the least.

After a painful two game stretch against the Big 12 North in which Graham Harrel threw just 4 touchdowns against 8 interceptions, the nation's touchdown leader returned to form last week against Baylor with 3 TDs and no turnovers. For the season, Harrell has 11 TDs and 0 INTs against Big 12 squads (Oklahoma State, A&M, Baylor). Here's to hoping Texas performs more like Missouri and Colorado than their counterparts in the South.

Last, but not least, the Longhorns are primed to catch and surpass Notre Dame on the all-time wins list this season.

 

[RJ Esq]

WVU-Louisville Isn't the Game We Were Expecting

Posted Nov 6th 2007 8:00AM by John Radcliff
Filed under: Louisville Football, West Virginia Football, Big East

Think back to September 1st. I'm trying. It's blurry, but I think I remember something about a game on November 8th in Morgantown being really important. Something about how West Virginia and Louisville were going to rule the Big East this year and...wha... but...%*&@! UConn finds itself in first place and the only team undefeated in the Big East. With consecutive wins over Louisville, South Florida, and Rutgers and I can't believe I just typed that.

To say the least, Louisville is in a bind. They're 5-4 with games remaining against West Virginia, South Florida, and Rutgers. If there was ever a time for the "the time is now" speech, this is it. It's been a disappointing season for sure, but the humiliation of going from a BCS bowl to no bowl would be down right embarrassing.

West Virginia is still on the outside looking in at a shot at the national title, and at the Big East lead. West Virginia has only the one loss to South Florida. But like Louisville and Rutgers at the beginning of the year, this was supposed to be THE year. It was supposed to be a straight shot to glory that ended rather early.

OK, so not nearly as much is riding on this game as we had expected. The last two games between these two schools have been incredible. Not so much for the defenses, but they only had a bit part to begin with. The two teams averaged over 900 yards of offense in those two games. And unlike another game last weekend, you can watch this one. And you can expect lots of offense. Lots of offense!

After watching Louisville's defense, I know White and Slaton have to be licking their chops. And despite West Virginia's defense storming out of the statistical cellar, I still think Louisville is going to be able to move the ball. They've had to deal with some injuries the past few weeks, but they have who they have now and I'm sure they have a plan that looks a lot like the last time they came into Morgantown.

 

[RJ Esq]

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

</td> <td nowrap="nowrap" width="3">
</td> <td valign="top"> <table bgcolor="#f5f5f5" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" width="60%"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td nowrap="nowrap" valign="middle">By Pete Fiutak
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Nov 6, 2007
</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

Who has done the five best and the five worst coaching jobs this year? What's the job security status for every head coach? Darren McFadden if he were in the NFL right now, the Big Ten Network's battle, and more in the latest Cavalcade of Whimsy.
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[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif]Fiu's Cavalcade of Whimsy[/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? ... E-mail with your thoughts
Past Whimsies [/SIZE][/FONT] 2006 Season | Preseason Part One, Part Two | Week 1
Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8
Week 9
If this column sucks, it’s not my fault … unlike Navy’s futility against Notre Dame, the current streak of sucky columns didn’t stop at 43.

“Yes a mighty winds a blowin’, cross the land and cross the sea/It’s blowin’ peace and freedom, it’s blowin’ equality/Yes it’s blowin’ peace and freedom, it’s blowin’ you and me” … The ill-fated decision by Charlie Weis to go for it against Navy on fourth and eight with 45 seconds to play with the score tied, rather than try for a 41-yard field goal because of a little wind and the lack of his kicker’s range, and Ram Vela’s flying sack of Evan Sharpley to stop the play cold, might go down as the signature moment in the most historic season in Notre Dame football history. It was the ultimate microcosm of the season Weis is having.

First, there’s no excuse for Notre Dame to not have a kicker good enough to try a 41-yard field goal with a puff of wind blowing. It’s not like it was a 57-yard bomb; it was a reasonable distance, especially if you include the adrenaline factor, for most D-I kickers to attempt. Of course, there was the nor’easter that was tossing fans around Notre Dame Stadium like confetti.

Second, it shows that Weis, like most of the NBC Saturday afternoon audience, hasn’t been paying attention to his team. If he had, he would’ve noticed an offense that’s among the most miserable in the nation in passing efficiency, and 115^th in the nation in third down conversions, completing just 28.6%, meaning the attack is never clutch when it has to be. Yes, the Irish has been solid on fourth downs, but those attempts were almost all from three yards or fewer.

Third, there was a decent chance the Notre Dame offensive line that’s dead last in America in sacks allowed, giving up 43 on the year after the loss to Navy, was going to fall over thanks to the typhoon that unleashed its wrath of terror upon South Bend, and there was no chance of stopping Navy pass rush on the biggest play of the game, to that point, if it sold out to get to the quarterback.

So basically, 1) Weis didn’t recruit a reliable kicker, 2) he made a bad judgment call, 3) it was a worse judgment call considering his personnel, and 4) it was horrendous execution. Other than that, well done.

And by the way, UCF, under head coach George O’Leary, is 6-3 … No, Weis shouldn’t be fired. This might be a disastrous season with no hope in sight for a big turnaround in 2008, but this is just one year after doing the BCS thing for two straight seasons. Give him one more chance to see if this whole thing really is a fluke. With that said, if you want him fired, don’t bring up the contract as a reason to keep him around. Notre Dame has a $6.5 billion endowment. B-B-Billion. The Irish can get back most of the $25 million left on the deal with one extra collection at Sacred Heart.

In the most interesting marriage since Liza and David Gest … Notre Dame, now you need the Big Ten. Big Ten, since your network has about ten minutes of juice left unless you get those cable companies to come around, and the national respect factor is at a stunning low, you need Notre Dame. If this was ever going to get done, and if the misnamed conference of 11 teams was ever going to add, this would be the time.

In a battle only slightly less gripping than the Illinois win over Minnesota … Most of America saw the final score of the Wisconsin – Ohio State game, 38-17 Buckeyes, and just assumed it was a blowout. Wisconsin battled hard for three quarters before its banged up defense got plowed over by the OSU offensive line allowing Chris Wells to keep cutting back and cutting back for big yards. Of course, few saw this game since it was on the Big Ten Network, with a contract stating that every team has to be on once for a league game. Ohio State hadn’t been on yet.

The BTN wants cable companies to simply add the channel to their lineups, at a potentially heavy price for everyone involved, including the customers, while Comcast, among others, wants to put it in a separate sports package and charge extra for it. Sorry BTN, but this one’s real simple: the cable companies are in the right.

If you really need to see Big Ten sports, then you won’t flinch at either making the switch to DirecTV, or paying $1 a month extra. Make it a premium channel and charge $12 a year, a pittance compared the cost of going to just one game. Sorry BTN, but if you didn’t think you could make it on a “sports tier” of programming, then you didn’t think this thing through.

With that said, the BTN is terrific for die-hard college football fans, especially with the replays of the games over the weekend, and I hope the SEC and others will follow suit, albeit with a better business plan.

Make sure the SafeSearch is on when you commence Googling. Or if you’re having an icky day, don’t. … Big Ten Network, you really want to end this pillow fight with the cable companies, right? Stop with the snoozer public relations campaign and rhetoric and get the public on your side with a simple one-line press release. “Charissa Thompson is the sideline reporter for the featured Big Ten game of the week.”

But let’s see the Broncos return a missed field goal 109 yards for a score … How great were the 2006 Big 12 defenses? How about the Boise State run defense of last season? Minnesota Viking star Adrian Peterson is ripping through NFL defenses like they’re on the way to Roger Goodell’s office to explain what it means to “make it rain,” highlighted by his NFL record-setting 296-yard day against San Diego. His best day as a Sooner? 240 yards against Baylor in 2004. He only hit 200 once last year, against Oregon, and was held to 77 by Boise State.

If you listen quietly, you can hear him tear off another 13-yard run against the Gamecocks ... A few weeks ago, there was a little bit of buzz about Boston College’s Matt Ryan being the possible top pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Now it’s all about Arkansas RB Darren McFadden, assuming he skips his senior year. Watch out for several teams to move heaven and earth to get college football’s ultimate home run hitter, as rumors are already starting that Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones will do just about anything to pair the Hog star in the backfield with the new Mr. Britney Spears.

By my rough estimate, right now McFadden would start for at least 22 NFL teams, and I’m including Seattle, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. It’s probably closer to 24 if St. Louis star Steven Jackson is hurting and if you want Reggie Bush to fill a do-it-all role for New Orleans. Only Buffalo (Marshawn Lynch), Pittsburgh (Willie Parker), Indianapolis (Joseph Addai), Kansas City (Larry Johnson), San Diego (LaDainian Tomlinson), Washington (Clinton Portis), Minnesota (Adrian Peterson), and Arizona (Edgerrin James) would likely stick with the current starter.

He’s right, but after returning, Dorsey bought himself a few more yachts to waterski behind … Give CBS’s fantastic analyst Gary Danielson credit for seeing the big picture when it comes to the top players. When LSU star DT Glenn Dorsey, an almost certain top three pick in next year’s NFL Draft, if not No. 1 overall, was on the turf hurting against Alabama, as he was still trying to get healthy after a cheap shot block suffered against Auburn, Danielson suggested that Dorsey not play because there’s too much at stake. He’s right. Dorsey is potentially risking around $25 million in guaranteed money every time he steps on the field for the Tigers. While I agree with Danielson, and think players like Darren McFadden and Kentucky’s Andre Woodson are nuts for playing one more down of college football than they have to, they’re not going for a national title. Dorsey is, and that’s the difference. You can’t buy that, unless you’re …

Announcer: “Big Ern, a million dollars. What are you going to do with it?
Big Ern: “l don't know. All l know is, l finally got enough money that l can buy my way out of anything.” … Fully realizing I’m about to become one of those brainless zombies who ignored the grand jury testimony, the personality, and all the obvious evidence to suggest that Barry Bonds cheated his way to the home run record, I simply don’t care about the Reggie Bush situation with the sports marketing firm that allegedly gave him money while he was at USC. If Bush had cheated on an exam, done steroids, got caught spying on the other team’s plays, or ordered a water and filled it with Sprite at the drink machine, then we’d have a problem. Take money from anyone who wants to give it to him? Whatever. It’s business. With that said, if you want kick Pete Carroll back to the NFL, this investigation, and any potential probation, could turn out to be your shot.

Martin Prince: “As your president, I would demand a science-fiction library, featuring an ABC of the genre. Asimov, Bester, Clarke.”
Student: “What about Ray Bradbury?”
Martin Prince: “I’m aware of his work.” … I’m still sticking to my core belief that Peyton Manning will never win a big game. Yes, I know. I still believe.

And after the handshake he told Miles to “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.” … Bobby Knight once joked when he was at Indiana about being worried during a tight game against LSU, but then feeling better when he looked down the sideline and remembering that Dale Brown was still coaching the Tigers.

No, LSU’s win over Alabama didn’t prove that Les Miles is the better coach than Nick Saban. Bama is good, but the talent level isn’t even close between the two. All Miles proved was that he could pull out a tight game on the road. During the congratulatory post-game handshake, Saban said to Miles, “You’ve got a great team. Good luck to you.” While he was paying a compliment, part of Saban had to be making a comment on the talent he helped compile.

With that said, remember, Saban only had one year at LSU with fewer than three losses. Miles is almost certain to make it three for three on seasons with fewer than three losses. Yeah, Miles is doing this with a slew of Saban’s players, but he’s doing better overall with Saban’s players than Saban did.

The C.O.W. airing of the grievances followed by the feats of strength

We’re still a few weeks away from the end of the regular season, but by this point, it’s relatively easy to figure out who the best and worst coaches of the year have been. So while this might change a little, here are the five best and worst coaching jobs done this season.

Worst Coaching Job of the Year – Fifth Place

Phil Bennett, SMU
Piling on the already canned, Bennett was supposed to turn SMU into a player in the Conference USA race with a veteran offensive line, emerging playmakers on defense, and a star QB in Justin Willis to work around. The Mustangs are 1-8, with the one win coming against North Texas, and are winless in conference play.
Worst Coaching Job of the Year – Fourth Place

Sonny Lubick, Colorado State
With nine starters back on offense, the return of bruising back Kyle Bell, a great receiving corps, and a veteran defense, Colorado State had all the pieces in place for a resurgent year. The Rams beat UNLV, but that’s been it in a 1-8 season.

Worst Coaching Job of the Year – Third Place

Tim Brewster, Minnesota
Brewster was a controversial hire to begin with, a relative no-name who didn’t provide the splash that Gopher fans wanted after the not-that-bad Glen Mason era, and then he took a team that was an all-timer of a Texas Tech comeback away from being a bowl winner and made it among the worst teams in America. At 1-9, Minnesota’s only win came in overtime to Miami University early in the year, while there have been losses to Bowling Green and Florida Atlantic. The defense is dead last in America allowing 549 yards per game. However, Brewster was hired because he could recruit, so he’ll get time.Worst Coaching Job of the Year – Second Place

Bill Callahan, Nebraska
The cupboard is hardly bare. Callahan recruited well, but his team has completely collapsed on him, especially on defense. No, the Huskers haven’t quit; they’re simply awful. There are too many great athletes and too many top talents on the team to be giving up 240 rushing yards per game. The biggest problem has been the lines, a staple of the Husker program for so many years.

Worst Coaching Job of the Year – First Place

Charlie Weis, Notre Dame
Where are the reinforcements to take over for Brady Quinn, Jeff Samardzija and Darius Walker? Where are the linemen? Two BCS seasons should have stocked the shelves, but instead there appears to either be a woeful lack of talent, or good young players who aren’t being coached correctly. Notre Dame is dead-last in the nation in total offense, dead last in sacks allowed, 116^th in passing efficiency, and 1-8 after doing the unthinkable and allowing the 43-year winning streak over Navy end,

Best Coaching Job of the Year – Fifth Place

(tie) Turner Gill, Buffalo & Al Golden, Temple
Buffalo and Temple haven’t just been lousy programs, they’ve been bad on an all-time scale. Gill and Golden have become two of college football’s most dynamic new head coaches who have done the impossible to make their woebegone teams relevant. Buffalo and Temple were actually in the MAC title hunt going into November.

Best Coaching Job of the Year – Fourth Place

Les Miles, LSU
He might have a heater hand, but he has had to work to keep this ultra-talented team in the national title hunt. Some of his calls might have been nutty, but the fourth down plays against Florida, the fake field goal flip against South Carolina, the late deep ball call against Auburn, as misguided as that might have been, and the last few minutes against Alabama all worked out for the Tigers. Miles has given the team a swagger under all the pressure.

Best Coaching Job of the Year – Third Place

Lloyd Carr, Michigan

Yes, that Lloyd Carr. Think of where this team was on September 8^th. The defense was supposedly too slow. The team was about to be in for the season Notre Dame is dealing with. There was no hope in sight, and Carr was as good as canned. And then the wins started coming, winning eight in a row going into the Wisconsin showdown, and Carr and his staff have done it with QB Chad Henne and Heisman-caliber RB Mike Hart getting hurt.

Best Coaching Job of the Year – Second Place

Troy Calhoun, Air Force
Air Force had become irrelevant, making the most news in recent years for the controversy around former head man Fisher DeBerry and his remarks about needing more black players. Calhoun has stepped in and turned things around in his first year, leading the way to a 7-3 mark with wins over Utah and TCU. Remember, Air Force is a service academy with a limited talent level.

Best Coaching Job of the Year – First Place

Mark Mangino, Kansas
All Mangino has done is take a team full of average high school prospects and molding them into the number four team in America. Kansas isn’t just beating teams, it’s killing them, ranking second in the nation in scoring, second in scoring defense, and is now a position to possibly play for the national title by winning out. Talent-wise, the Jayhawks aren’t even close compared to most of the Big 12, but they’ve still been dominant. Yeah, the schedule stinks, but this is Kansas. Kansas?!

The 2007 Coaching Status For Every Team

As the saying goes, coaches, like Subway Sandwich Artists, are hired to be fired. At this point in the year, fan bases start of the underachieving start to wonder about the possibility of getting a new head coach to turn things around, but which ones are really in trouble? Here’s a quick breakdown of all 119 coaching situations.

100% job security for 2008.
They’re not likely to bolt for at least a year, and won’t be fired unless they get arrested for tapping toes in a Minneapolis airport bathroom.Air Force: Troy Calhoun; Alabama: Nick Saban; Arizona State: Dennis Erickson; Army: Stan Brock; Boston College: Jeff Jagodzinski; Bowling Green: Gregg Brandon; Central Michigan: Butch Jones; Cincinnati: Brian Kelly; Clemson: Tommy Bowden; Colorado: Dan Hawkins; Connecticut: Randy Edsall; East Carolina: Skip Holtz; Florida Atlantic: Howard Schnellenberger; Florida International: Mario Cristobal; Fresno State: Pat Hill; Georgia: Mark Richt; Georgia Tech: Chan Gailey; Hawaii: June Jones. Houston: Art Briles; Idaho: Robb Akey; Illinois: Ron Zook; Indiana: Bill Lynch; Iowa: Kirk Ferentz; Iowa State: Gene Chizik; Kansas: Mark Mangino; Kansas State: Ron Prince; Kentucky: Rich Brooks; Louisiana Tech: Derek Dooley; Louisville: Steve Kragthorpe; Miami: Randy Shannon; Miami University: Shane Montgomery; Michigan State: Mark Dantonio; Middle Tennessee: Rick Stockstill; Mississippi State: Sylvester Croom; Missouri: Gary Pinkel; Navy: Paul Johnson; Nevada: Chris Ault; New Mexico: Rocky Long; New Mexico State: Hal Mumme; North Carolina: Butch Davis; North Texas: Todd Dodge; Northern Illinois: Joe Novak; Northwestern: Pat Fitzgerald; NC State: Tom O’Brien; Ohio: Frank Solich; Ohio State: Jim Tressel; Oklahoma: Bob Stoops; Oklahoma State: Mike Gundy; Oregon: Mike Bellotti; Purdue: Joe Tiller; Rutgers: Greg Schiano; San Jose State: Dick Tomey; South Carolina: Steve Spurrier; South Florida: Jim Leavitt; Southern Miss: Jeff Bower; TCU: Gary Patterson; Texas: Mack Brown; Texas Tech: Mike Leach; Toledo: Tom Amstutz; Troy: Larry Blakeney; Tulane: Bob Toledo; Utah: Kyle Whittingham; UAB: Neil Callaway; Vanderbilt: Bobby Johnson; Virginia: Al Groh; Virginia Tech: Frank Beamer; Wake Forest: Jim Grobe; West Virginia: Rich Rodriguez; Western Michigan: Bill Cubit; Wisconsin: Bret Bielema; Wyoming: Joe Glenn

“This is too nice a suit to ruin, Mr. Takagi. I'm going to count to three. There will not be a four. Give me the code.”
A.K.A. Double Secret Probation. They’ll probably be back, but 2008 had better be big.

Akron: J.D. Brookhart; Arkansas: Houston Nutt; Arizona: Mike Stoops; Baylor: Guy Morriss; Arkansas State: Steve Roberts; Kent State: Doug Martin; Colorado State: Sonny Lubick; Maryland: Ralph Friedgen; Memphis: Tommy West; Minnesota: Tim Brewster; Ole Miss: Ed Orgeron; Notre Dame: Charlie Weis; Oregon State: Mike Riley; Rice: David Bailiff; San Diego State: Chuck Long; UNLV: Mike Sanford; Pitt: Dave Wannstedt; Washington: Tyrone Willingham; UTEP: Mike Price

Flip a Coin.
Job is secure, but these coaches are 50/50 to be around with the same program for the next few years. They might retire or move on to another gig. Auburn: Tommy Tuberville; Ball State: Brady Hoke; Boise State: Chris Petersen; Buffalo: Turner Gill; BYU: Bronco Mendenhall; California: Jeff Tedford; Florida: Urban Meyer; Florida State: Bobby Bowden; LSU: Les Miles; Michigan: Lloyd Carr; Penn State: Joe Paterno; Stanford: Jim Harbaugh; Temple: Al Golden; Tennessee: Phillip Fulmer; Tulsa: Todd Graham; UCF: George O’Leary; USC: Pete Carroll

Lost All Their L.A. Privileges.
Stay gone and be gone. It’ll be a stunner if they keep a parking spot past 2007.

Duke: Ted Roof; Eastern Michigan: Jeff Genyk; Marshall: Mark Snyder; Nebraska: Bill Callahan; SMU: Phil Bennett (already fired); Syracuse: Greg Robinson; Texas A&M: Dennis Franchione; UCLA: Karl Dorrell; UL Lafayette: Rickey Bustle; UL Monroe: Charlie Weatherbie; Utah State: Brent Guy; Washington State: Bill Doba

Nuggets for the upcoming week, now made with white meat, at participating restaurants …

- The toughest award call of the year isn’t the Heisman, it’s for the first team All-Conference USA running backs. Tulane’s Matt Forte leads the nation in rushing averaging 182 yards per game. UCF’s Kevin Smith is second with a 161-yard average. Houston’s Anthony Alridge, one of the nation’s most dynamic playmakers, is seventh averaging 135 yards per game, and East Carolina’s Chris Johnson leads the nation in all-purpose yards after a 301-yard rushing day vs. Memphis. Pick two. Good luck.

- The second toughest award call of the year: three linebackers for the first team All-Big Ten squad. Most would immediately put Ohio State’s James Laurinaitis on the list, especially after being everywhere in the win over Wisconsin, but Penn State’s Dan Connor has been the best linebacker in the conference, and in America. Illinois senior J Leman has once again been a tackling machine for an underrated run defense, Penn State’s Sean Lee has been a perfect sidekick to Connor, and is third in the Big Ten in tackles, and Iowa’s Mike Humpal leads the league in stops. Michigan’s Shawn Crable has been a terror in the backfield as one of the nation’s most disruptive players. There’s no right answer, but if pushed, it has to be Connor, Crable, and then a battle for the third spot, with Laurinaitis in as the leader of the top ranked D.

- For years, Nebraska fans have been lauded for the way they politely clap for the vanquished opposing team after home games. The shoe was on the other foot this week as Kansas fans clapped for the Nebraska as it walked off the field. Several Nebraska fans have commented on how condescending the nice gesture really feels to the other side.

- Watch out for Arkansas. The SEC world could get even more bizarre in the coming weeks if the Hogs really have found their stride making a trip to Tennessee this week, playing Mississippi State to follow, and then going to Baton Rouge with a chance to put a damper on LSU’s dream year.

- Before kicking Karl Dorrell out to the curb, it would be interesting to see what UCLA could do with a healthy quarterback. What was once an abundance of riches with Ben Olsen and Pat Cowan has quickly disintegrated into a nightmare, and the team’s season has followed suit.

- The nation’s hottest offense? Texas Tech? Hawaii? Try Toledo. The Rockets have been unstoppable in a 4-1 surge averaging581 yards and 46.6 points per game. The next game is on November 13^th against a Ball State defense currently ranked 92^nd in the nation in total D.

C.O.W. shameless gimmick item … The weekly five Overrated/Underrated aspects of the world

1) Overrated: 35 carries for 323 yards vs. South Carolina ... Underrated: 36 carries for 321 yards vs. South Carolina
2) Overrated: Tom Brady … Underrated: Danny Wuerffel
3) Overrated: 296 yards vs. the San Diego Chargers ... Underrated: Southern Connecticut State’s Jerom Freeman’s D-II record 418 yards vs. Bryant
4) Overrated: Three Big 12 teams in the top 6 ... Underrated: Three Big Ten teams from 23 to 31
5) Overrated: T. Boone Pickens ... Underrated: Phil Knight

My Heisman ballot this week would be … I vote based on a combination of three things: Most valuable player, most outstanding player, and the signature player of the season. I might wildly change my mind weekly, but I’ll sort it all out at the end. 1) Dennis Dixon, QB Oregon, 2) Tim Tebow, QB Florida, 3) Pat White, QB West Virginia, 4) Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas, 5) Chase Daniel, QB Missouri

“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. (Ugh. Back to 0-3. Thanks Maryland, UTEP and Wisconsin for collapsing late … 9-19 overall.) … 1) Iowa -14 over Minnesota, 2) Air Force -2.5 over Notre Dame, 3) Central Michigan -3 over Western Michigan

Sorry this column sucked, but it wasn’t my fault … it wasn’t rock bottom. Losing to USC 38-0 and knowing the column wasn’t competitive, that was rock bottom.
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[RJ Esq]

Jamaal's 75 yarder isolated:

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[RJ Esq]

Pokes LB pleads guilty to sex offense

Sentencing phase for Chris Collins begins Wednesday

Posted: Wednesday November 7, 2007 10:21AM; Updated: Wednesday November 7, 2007 3:30PM

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The sentencing phase of an aggravated sexual assault case against an Oklahoma State linebacker began Wednesday, one day after he pleaded guilty to the crime against a 12-year-old girl.
Chris Collins Jr., a 6-foot-2, 235-pound sophomore starter for the Cowboys, made the plea in New Boston, Texas, after a seven-man, five-woman jury was seated for his trial, Bowie County District Attorney Bobby Lockhart said in a statement.
Lockhart said prosecutors made no plea deal with Collins.
"I think the defendant's hopes are going to rest with the jury to convince it he's eligible for probation, but that's going to be for the jury to make that decision because there's no deal with the state," Lockhart said.
"I guess we're content or pleased with the fact of defendant's plea of guilty and look forward to putting on the punishment evidence this morning," he said.
A woman answering the phone at the office of Collins' attorney, Paul Hoover of Texarkana, Texas, said Hoover was in court on Wednesday. Hoover did not immediately return a phone message left at his office by The Associated Press.
Oklahoma State athletic department spokesman Kevin Klintworth also did not immediately return a phone message left Wednesday morning by the AP.
Collins, now 20, was one of four men charged in a crime that allegedly occurred during an after-prom party in May 2004, when he was 17. An affidavit in the case indicated the girl said she could recall Collins being on top of her and kissing her neck, and contains a statement from one of the other men charged in the case that he saw Collins and the girl having sexual relations.
During the punishment phase of Collins' trial, jurors listened to the evidence that prosecutors would have presented, and also heard from Collins and four character witnesses he called -- two of his former high school coaches, his mother and a pastor, said Lisa McDermott, a spokeswoman for Lockhart's office.
The character witnessess all said that committing such a crime would be out of character for Collins. Collins testified that the girl had told him she was 16, which the girl has denied.
The jury will begin deliberating after final arguments are made. McDermott said there is no way to gauge how long the jury would take to consider Collins' punishment.
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy was not one of the character witnesses called by Collins.
Aggravated sexual assault of a child is a first-degree felony in Texas, with a possible prison sentence ranging from 5 to 99 years or life in prison, McDermott said. However, because Collins is a first-time offender, he is eligible for probation.
Of the other three defendants in the case, only one, Jabari Jackson, has been through a trial, and that resulted in a hung jury. Jackson will be retried in March, McDermott said. The other two defendants are brothers and will be tried in February, she said.
Collins, who hadn't played since his junior year of high school, was the Cowboys' leading tackler through six games last year before an injury forced him to miss the second half of the season.
He had also missed Oklahoma State's last five games of this season before returnig Saturday to record five tackles in a 38-35 loss to No. 14 Texas. He has 31 tackles in five games this season.
Collins had originally given an oral commitment to Texas, but Texas coach Mack Brown pulled the scholarship offer after Collins was arrested in 2004.
Brown said during Big 12 Conference Media Days in July that "Chris is a great young man, and I'm sorry for all the young people, the young lady and young guys involved because it's a life-changing experience. You're talking about one night changes your life. Whether it gets settled tomorrow, the next day or next year it's changed his life."
Also during Big 12 Media Days, Gundy defended his choice to offer Collins a scholarship while speaking with The Oklahoman.
"I don't think there's any doubt Chris would say he made a mistake, and I don't agree with what happened," Gundy said. "But we gave a young man an opportunity to make up for something, because of the investigation we did over the phone.
"I'm a believer that he made a mistake and he deserves a second chance. I'm not siding with anybody or anything. He had an opportunity to come and do the right thing in Stillwater. If he did, he could be part of what we want. It's really pretty simple from that standpoint. I'm not siding with anybody."

 

[RJ Esq]

GAMEDAY RUNS OUT OF MONEY, COVERS D-3 GAME

Football, or Special Topics in Calamity Physics?
Doing the same thing for years and years, as the ESPN Gameday crew has, must get repetitive. It’s like marriage without the explosive arguments and firearms. (In case you’re wondering, the Swindle marriage works a lot like Mr. and Mrs. Smith, only with worse endurance, so we usually peter out one or two diving/shooting scenes into the firefight and just agree to order a pizza and make up. Machine guns are heav-ay.)
In an effort to break the rut of doing compelling, ABCSPNDisneyCthulucorp-broadcasted games every Saturday, ESPN’s come up with a noble solution: suicide.
ESPN’s “College GameDay” program, the network’s pregame show, will broadcast live from Williams before the Ephs renew the “Biggest Little Game in America” rivalry with Amherst. The show airs from 10 a.m. to noon, and is also the show’s 150th episode.
“It’s not every day you get a chance to be on ESPN, especially when you’re playing Division III football,” said O’Reilly, a senior middle linebacker for the Ephs.
No, son, it’s not every day this happens. It’s a quirky effort, and one which raises the suspicions that with oil possibly topping a hundred bucks a barrel today, the suits are restricting Gameday to a 300 mile travel perimeter from Bristol. (It’s 1932 all over again! Hoo-ray for old Navy! And go, go you mighty Princeton Tigers!)
The reason as stated by ESPN will enrage Georgia and Auburn fans, who being SEC fans trend toward rageaholism anyway.
“Every year, we look at different unique settings or places we haven’t been,” said ESPN communications spokesperson Michael Humes. “Something that has a compelling storyline. This particular week, there wasn’t anything in the Division I ranks that was a clear-cut top game.
“This is a great time and a great moment to visit this rivalry that’s clearly one of the oldest in college football.”
The game isn’t without its laurels: it’s the oldest D-3 rivalry, and once featured Amherst attempting to sneak a player on the field wearing a Williams jersey. Also, one time, at the Williams/Amherst game, Boopsie got so snozzled on sloe gin fizzes she fell down the bleachers and gave all the gents a good look-see at her bloomers! Oh, what halcyon times! Her ***** manservant had quite a time getting her upended after that one!
For the size queens of D-1 football, you may as well skip the broadcast if this is any indicator:
“In my 10 years here, I’ve never seen less than 10,000 people at a game, even at the 0-0 downpour in 1995,” says Quinn. “It’s just a tremendous event — in the state, in the region and really across the country.”
Did we mention Corso might put on a purple cow’s head, though? If you take some mescaline or maybe enough jenkem, this could make it worth it. Almost.

 

[RJ Esq]

Moevao to start at QB for Oregon St.

No. 1 signal-caller Canfield out with shoulder strain

Posted: Wednesday November 7, 2007 3:37PM; Updated: Wednesday November 7, 2007 3:37PM

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) -- The injury bug has bitten the Oregon State Beavers again -- this time it is quarterback Sean Canfield who is on the shelf.
Canfield was diagnosed with a strained shoulder this week. Ironically, that's the same injury that held tailback Yvenson Bernard out of the Beavers' 24-3 loss at Southern California last Saturday.
The Beavers (5-4, 3-3 Pacific-10) host Washington this week. Huskies QB Jake Locker was feared to have a shoulder injury after taking a hit in last week's win over Stanford. But tests showed Locker is OK, and he is expected to start Saturday.
Canfield's prognosis is not good. He has a shoulder strain and been all but ruled out for Saturday after a late hit in the USC game injured his throwing shoulder.
That leaves backup Lyle Moevao as the probable starter in a TV night game against the Huskies (3-6, 1-5) Saturday.
The sophomore had battled Canfield for the starting job through the first two games of the season. He has seen action in five games, completing 27 of 51 passes for 280 yards. He has thrown four interceptions.
At 5-foot-11 and 230 pounds, Moevao has a much different style then the 6-4, left-handed Canfield, who said Tuesday that he can't even lift his throwing arm.
"There is no question he has more mobility then Canfield," Oregon State coach Mike Riley said. "He can react quickly and make some good plays. I always look back to the play against Utah on the blitz where he threw the slant pattern to Darrell Catchings that was a big-time play for him. He is a tough guy, he's competitive, and he will be well-prepared."
The good news for the Beavers is that Bernard, the Pac-10's third leading rusher, is expected to return for the game. Without Bernard last week, the Trojans melted Oregon State's offensive line with a ferocious pass rush, sacking Canfield nine times.
The senior tailback has been the catalyst to Oregon State's offensive production all season, rushing for 814 yards and 10 touchdowns.
"If he's not the best, he is definitely in the top two or three best all-around players I have ever been around," Oregon State center Kyle DeVan said. "He is the heart and soul of this team."

 

[RJ Esq]

Purdue's Grimes will likely miss game

Posted: Wednesday November 7, 2007 3:39PM; Updated: Wednesday November 7, 2007 3:39PM

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) -- Purdue right guard Jordan Grimes likely will miss Saturday's game against Michigan State with an ankle injury.
Grimes, a 6-foot-3, 325-pound senior, has started 35 consecutive games. He was a second-team all-Big Ten pick last season.
Purdue coach Joe Tiller didn't rule him out completely.
"He's hobbling enough that I don't think he's going to be able to play," Tiller said during his weekly Tuesday news conference.
Justin Pierce, a 6-4, 332-pound freshman, would get the start if Grimes can't go. Quarterback Curtis Painter said Pierce played well in last Saturday's loss to Penn State.
"Most backups don't anticipate playing, but you're just one injury away," Painter said. "Jumping in like that, I think he did a pretty good job."
Tiller said there will be no excuses if Pierce struggles.
"There are no more rookies this time of the year," he said.

 

[RJ Esq]

Vols' Fulmer faces tough decision

Posted: Wednesday November 7, 2007 6:07PM; Updated: Wednesday November 7, 2007 6:07PM

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer faces a tough decision with his fifth-year senior tight end, Brad Cottam.
He can either offer Cottam limited play during some of the No. 22 Vols' remaining games or sit him out in hopes of a successful appeal of the NCAA's decision to deny Cottam an unprecedented sixth year of eligibility becuse of injury.
The NCAA allows some players a sixth year of eligibility if they have missed two or more full seasons with injuries, but typically doesn't approve requests for players who have taken a non-medical redshirt season, as Cottam has done.
"To me, if the NCAA were truly student-athlete friendly, they would look at each one of these situations by individuals," Fulmer said. "Because of the different things he's had to deal with, his career's been limited. He lost all or parts of different years that he's been here."
A message left with the NCAA by The Associated Press was not immediately returned.
Cottam was highly touted as a recruit, but took a redshirt after he did not play as a true freshman in 2003, when the Vols' roster was stacked with sophomores and a senior at tight end.
Since then, the Germantown native has suffered injury after injury, was involved in a car wreck and has undergone five surgeries. He played a limited number of snaps in 2005 and hasn't played at all this season after needing surgery to repair his left wrist, broken in preseason camp.
"The window is too narrow," Fulmer said of the NCAA's benchmarks for granting a sixth season.
Cottam returned to practice this week in case Fulmer does decide to play him. Fulmer said doctors must clear him before he has a chance to play.
Fulmer petitioned Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive to help him with Cottam's cause. Fulmer said Slive told him the documentation the Tennessee athletic department put together for Cottam was srong, but added that Slive didn't seem confident the NCAA would grant the waiver.
Compare Cottam's case to that of Antonio Gaines, a fifth-year senior who took a medical redshirt in 2003 after needing shoulder surgery to repair an injury suffered in high school. Gaines tore a knee ligament against Southern Mississippi, the Vols' second game this season, and Tennessee also requested a sixth season for him.
"Antonio Gaines will get his year back. That's cut and dry," Fulmer said.
The NCAA football issues committee has proposed extending player eligibility in the sport to five years, an idea NCAA president Myles Brand has said he could support if it would include the elimination of redshirting. The idea would have to go through several NCAA committees before a membership vote.
Fulmer said adding a standard fifth year might help in situations such as Cottam's, but in the mean time he knows there's not much he can do.
"It is what it is right now," he said.

 

[RJ Esq]

FIRE KARL DORRELL!

Firing Karl Dorrell, UCLA’s marvelously inconsistent coach, will be difficult for a number of reasons. The new coach will have to be good but cheap, because UCLA’s never really splashed out the cash for a head guy. Those are not easy to find. The new guy will also have to immediately pick up the recruiting trail from Dorrell against Pete Carroll, a move comparable in difficulty to handing off an F-15 mid-barrell roll to a novice pilot.
The administration, too, will face one possible claim: that they fired Dorrell and his 34-25 record because he is black.
Dorrell’s firing–not an inevitability but a highly probable event at this point–will evoke the Willingham saga all over again, but in a more diminished way because UCLA doesn’t have the gravitational media pull Notre Dame has. If there are whispers that Dorrell wasn’t given another year that a white coach might be given, the rancor won’t spread as it did when Willingham was let go. Also, Dorrell probably won’t go on ESPN claiming he was fired because he was black. He could, of course, but that all depends on how acrimonious said firing process is.
Nevertheless, those who would believe this will believe it anyway. Assuming someone was fired because they’re black/Yag/fat/left-handed is an act of faith that can never be disproven, since the only evidence lies in the impenetrable inner thoughts of the AD and President who make the decision, or in a smoking gun memo that says “WE NEED A NON-BLACK COACH, SIGNED, UCLA PERSON.”
In that vein, we offer the following suggestion for a PR campaign for UCLA just to counter such rumors–since those who believe race played a factor will believe it no matter what you say.

There. Free PR, on the house. Sometime we’re astounded at how useful we are to this world.*
*Hey! It’s satire! Or an attempt at it, at least! We don’t actually think either of them was fired for being black. We’re making fun of those who assume anything involving a black coach being fired instantly equals racism! Now, Gary Barnett was fired for being black, and that’s the truth. Aren’t you glad you read footnotes?

 

[RJ Esq]

LOW CONCEPT, LOW BLOW
By SMQ
Posted on Wed Nov 07, 2007 at 03:48:39 PM EDT


I never attended Millsaps College, or thought about it, but it has its place in my life. My dad played there for a year, alongside my uncle, who once (maybe still, I dunno) owned every conceivable Major receiving record. My high school team would take a road trip to watch the state championship games nearby, and we stayed in Millsaps' fieldhouse and played two-hand touch in the dark out on the field. My best friend from high school went there, and there were parties and filthy fraternity couches. I lived practically across the street from campus for a while, good times, and the beloved Saints moved their annual training camp there two years ago.
So, yeah, it's funny and all, but in some small, nostalgic way, thou dost wrong me, Slate:

<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="center_content" valign="top"><embed src="http://services.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/271557392" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="videoId=1293598758&playerId=271557392&viewerSecureGatewayURL=https://services.brightcove.com/services/amfgateway&servicesURL=http://services.brightcove.com/services&cdnURL=http://admin.brightcove.com&domain=embed&autoStart=false&" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" swliveconnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" height="309" width="365"> Remember: these guys have right sideline tendencies! We gotta exploit that! Nicely done, you contratrian bastards.
</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

[RJ Esq]

View attachment 11946

 

[RJ Esq]

Final play of the Notre Dame game taken from the stands:

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[RJ Esq]

Stanford WR suspended for one game

Posted: Tuesday November 6, 2007 6:06PM; Updated: Tuesday November 6, 2007 6:06PM

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) -- Stanford sophomore wide receiver Richard Sherman has been suspended for the Cardinal's game at Washington State on Saturday because of poor sportsmanship on the sidelines during a loss to Washington.
"It was something the coaching staff agreed to," Cardinal coach Jim Harbaugh said on Tuesday. "He will not be allowed to participate in any football activities this week."
Sherman was called for a personal foul during last Saturday's 27-9 home loss to the Huskies. Soon after, television cameras caught Sherman on the sidelines pointing and screaming, apparently at teammates, while special teams coach C.J. Durkin tried to quell the situation.
Sherman leads Stanford with 38 receptions for 646 yards and four touchdowns.
Harbaugh also announced at his weekly press conference that sophomore running back Toby Gerhart will redshirt the season after injuring his knee against San Jose State.
Gerhart, who also plays baseball, has a tear in his PCL and was not available to play. He gained 140 yards in his only game of the season.

 

[counselor]

Any leans so far?

 

[RJ Esq]

Any leans so far?

Dude, I've been so busy this week it's sick. I'll look at the games later tonight, hopefully. I need a short break. Won't be anything really in detail. Just going to go with hunches this week I think.

Only play so far is ASU -7 for a double.

 

[counselor]

A DOUBLE? Holy shit, I'm going to have to bump mine up a little, too...

Tread carefully, b/c I bet ASU already...I'm the poster child for fade the last month...

 

[RJ Esq]

NEBRASKA FANS POLITELY RIOT AS CALLAHAN DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY
By SMQ
Posted on Wed Nov 07, 2007 at 07:43:40 PM EDT


LINCOLN - Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan declared a state of emergency here Wednesday, just ahead of a crucial administrative decision on whether to overturn his hiring amid rising point totals against his defense, while also restating his refusal to resign.
Meanwhile, police deployed to protect Callahan delivered menacing looks and folded their arms at protesting supporters of former coach Tom Osborne demonstrating outside Hawks Championship Center, deepening a political crisis triggered by the imposition of the West Coast playbook.

Riot police prepare to meet unsettlingly ruly Nebraska fans.
- - -

Reporters saw hundreds of protesters pushing red durable nylon seat cushions with velcro straps and cushioned back support into ranks of riot police blocking their path toward the center, where the media relations department reported that university administrators unanimously endorsed Callahan's declaration of emergency rule and reminded protestors "Toys for Tots" was set for collection at Saturday's game with Kansas State. Police sternly cautioned several activists who broke through the line, some of them women, and confiscated fannypacks from at least six people at the scene. The demonstrators pulled back amid a cloud of steam rising from the coffee some had brought the officers, chanting "Osborne! Osborne!" and "Down with the quick slant!" while apologizing for forgetting the half and half and offering to go back to the store, which would be no trouble, really.
Thousands of protestors and other perceived dissidents rounded up since Callahan declared a state of emergency have been herded into makeshift taxi services back to the office or had parking passes revoked, and three days of protests by season ticket holders have been quickly put down with a combination of crime scene tape and offers of two-for-one buffets at the Golden Corral.
"I want that [Callahan] gone yesterday," said Phil "Pint a Minute" Mularkey, an Osborne supporter who wore a faded, homemade Zach Wiegert jersey and taunted police with a sign bearing a diagram of the triple option. "But hey, Kabob Thursdays don't come along every night of the week," adding as he schlepped from the front line, "Just the one night."
Shockingly non-violent clashes with Osborne's supporters could increase the uncertainty engulfing the program. Callahan, who has not been seen in public since his team's embarrassing, record-breaking defeat at Kansas, set a collision course with Osborne on Wednesday by unexpectedly backing embattled defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove's controversial "Medieval Times" defense, consisting of nine men at the line of scrimmage instructed to treat ballcarriers as if they had the plague. Callahan called the defense "innovative" and "unconventional," and praised Cosgrove for "staying the course" in the face of critics, many of whom the coach then had detained under accusations of treason for reporting "highly classified information," such as the scores and yardage totals during the Huskers' five-game losing streak.

Lil' Red, in better days, contemplates the Huskers' fate.
- - -
"That information only helps the enemy," Callahan said in a statement released shortly after the declaration. "At this time of crisis, it's un-Nebraskan." Most of those detainees have escaped the Champions Center, as they were being guarded by the Husker two-deep defensive line. They are expected to go into exile, or meet up at an alumni meeting in Bellevue next Monday, to be catered by Gail's Traveling Gallery.
Through a spokesman, Callahan has also denied reports that his staff told players "Don't go out there and rush the passer." He also denied that beloved "Lil' Red" had been deflated and decapitated on his orders with plans to run the jolly mascot's limp remains up a flag poll in Memorial Stadium as a grisly display of resolve, or that he ordered Herbie Husker's traditional cowboy hat to be replaced with an interwar Parisian berét, though he has not commented on whether he would rescind his longstanding order that Sam Keller use Yakko Warner's "Nations of the World" as a snap count.
"No question," Callahan said Saturday before declaring the state of emergecy, while loading a pistol he keeps in his first desk drawer. "Everything is proceeding spledidly. I'm the coach at Nebraska. I've coached in the Super Bowl. I'm right where I want to be. I'm going to finish my career in Nebraska."

 

[RJ Esq]

View attachment 12316

 

[RJ Esq]

Collins Jr. suspended for season

Oklahoma State LB awaits sentence on sex offense

Posted: Thursday November 8, 2007 8:51PM; Updated: Thursday November 8, 2007 8:51PM

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) -- Oklahoma State suspended linebacker Chris Collins Jr. for the rest of the season Thursday after he pleaded guilty to a felony aggravated sexual assault charge in Texas earlier this week.
A jury in New Boston, Texas, recommended five years of probation Wednesday for Collins, who pleaded guilty a day earlier to the aggravated sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl. He's due to be sentenced Dec. 10, when a judge will determine whether to take the jury's recommendation and whether to make Collins register as a sex offender.
"Chris Collins will not play in the remaining games on the 2007 Oklahoma State University schedule. We will not make a final decision on his long-term status on the OSU football team until we have fully reviewed and considered this matter in the wake of what has happened this week, and had a chance to talk to Chris in detail," Marlene Strathe, the university's interim president, said in a statement Thursday.
University spokesman Gary Shutt said Collins would be allowed to keep his scholarship and remain in school in the meantime.
Collins, now 20, was one of four men charged following an after-prom party in May 2004, when he was 17. An affidavit indicated the girl said she could recall Collins being on top of her and kissing her neck, and contains a statement from one of the other men that he saw Collins and the girl having sexual relations.
"Chris remains with his family in Texas," Strathe said in the statement. "Since arriving at Oklahoma State University, Chris has been a model student and we will continue to encourage and support him as he pursues his educational goals.
"We will withhold further comment until we make a final decision, at which time we will report it to the media."
Collins had missed five games this season due to injury before returning Saturday to record five tackles in a 38-35 loss to No. 14 Texas. He had 31 tackles in five games this season. Last season, he was the Cowboys' leading tackler through six games before an injury forced him to miss the second half of the season.
The Cowboys host No. 5 Kansas on Saturday.

 

[RJ Esq]

Sam Keller's Girlfriend

Or reason #1 that it's difficult to feel sorry for the guy even after a rough senior season ended by injury. Leave it to DXP to unearth the definitive collection. Chances of you heading to Tempe12.com? Roughly 100%.

 

[RJ Esq]

Bielema Somewhat Coy About Badger Injuries

Posted Nov 8th 2007 7:51PM by Bruce Ciskie
Filed under: Michigan Football, Wisconsin Football, Big 10

As Wisconsin heads into their game Saturday with 13th-ranked Michigan, it doesn't surprise much that head coach Bret Bielema isn't saying a ton about his injured players.

There are a number of key Badgers who are either out or questionable for Saturday's game, and Bielema has been careful not to give out too much information.

Heading the list of banged-up Badgers is running back P.J. Hill, who was said to have suffered a bruised left leg in the Indiana game two weeks ago. He left that game in the first half and hasn't played since. At the time, the thought was that Hill would be available for the Ohio State game, but that didn't materialize.

Now, he's a serious question mark for the Michigan game. Bielema:

"P.J. could walk in tomorrow and be able to run and move and do the things we ask him to do. (Or) he may not be able to do it until the bowl game or whatever. You've just got to live in the moment."​

That doesn't sound promising to me. I'm not one for accusing teams of hiding the truth when it comes to players' injury status, because I know it's sometimes tough to decide what information to give out and what to sit on.

However, I'm starting to doubt the chances of Hill returning before the bowl game. I don't know the extent of his injury, but if it's bad enough to hold him out of games against Ohio State and Michigan that will go a long way toward determining Wisconsin's bowl fate, it must be pretty bad.

(UPDATE: Hill is out, according to Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. That leaves freshman Zach Brown and sophomore Lance Smith to carry the running game Saturday. Read more about the Badgers' injury situation after the jump.)
Defensive tackle Jason Chapman and cornerback Allen Langford are out for the year. Both have knee surgery in their futures. Chapman will be replaced in the starting lineup by Mike Newkirk, who has been playing end this year in the wake of Jamal Cooper's preseason dismissal. Langford's spot will be filled by freshman Aaron Henry, who has served as Wisconsin's nickel corner for much of the season.

Offensive tackle Eric Vanden Heuvel still tops Wisconsin's depth chart. However, he suffered some sort of foot or leg injury in the Ohio State game and didn't finish it. Jake Bscherer filled in and gave a very shaky performance, and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel cites Bielema as saying senior Danny Kaye could see time there if Vanden Heuvel can't go.

Guard Andy Kemp has missed three games, but should return this week. Hey, that's good news! Hopefully, Kemp's presence offsets Vanden Heuvel's potential absence, and the line is able to keep quarterback Tyler Donovan upright. After tOSU burned them for ten sacks last week, I'm left to hope Michigan didn't get that game tape.

Wisconsin hasn't been decimated by injuries, but the Chapman and Langford injuries are particularly troublesome. Defensive line depth was attacked in the offseason when tackle Justin Ostrowski was forced to quit football and end Cooper couldn't behave himself. The depth in the secondary was really non-existent from the get go. Langford played rather terribly, but at least he had experience and could make some plays. Henry being forced to start leaves Ben Strickland as the nickel corner, and Strickland has never struck me as anything more than a solid special-teams contributor.

 

[RJ Esq]

Can Ikegwuonu Shut Down Manningham?

Posted Nov 8th 2007 7:00PM by Bruce Ciskie
Filed under: Michigan Football, Wisconsin Football, Big 10

One thing is clear in advance of Saturday's Big Ten battle between Wisconsin and Michigan.

If Wisconsin is to win the game, they're going to need to slow down Michigan star receiver Mario Manningham. It's easier said than done, as Manningham - when healthy - has destroyed opposing defenses this year, and he has the ability to get open in just about any situation.

Last year, they didn't do it. Manningham scored twice and topped 100 yards in Michigan's 27-13 win in Ann Arbor. Not all of that came against Wisconsin cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu, seen in the photo wrapping up Manningham in last year's game, though both touchdowns were against him.

This year, there's a good chance Manningham will have to do his damage against Ikegwuonu.

While Ikegwuonu hasn't been very special for Wisconsin this year (he was beaten for both Brian Robiskie touchdowns Saturday, but only held him to three catches total), it's an arguable point that he's been their most consistent defensive player. Unlike fellow starting corner (now injured) Allen Langford, he'll get physical and challenge receivers. He's a good tackler, and he has super hands.

Given the play of Wisconsin's other secondary players this season, Ikegwuonu is the only shot Wisconsin has of shutting down Manningham, or at least slowing him down.

Outside of that, Wisconsin may be able to give themselves a chance of keeping Manningham from burning them deep by getting pressure on quarterback Chad Henne, who isn't going to remind anyone of Pat White with his mobility. Then again, with how Wisconsin's run defense has played this season, Manningham might be taken out of the game by his own offensive coordinator.

 

[RJ Esq]

BC-Maryland preview


A few weeks ago I tried to avoid putting games in context as far as “biggest in BC’s history” etc. There was still too much football to play and too many games in the past that were being overlooked. If you want to put this game in context, you would have to say it might be the most telling about Jags. His predecessor had a had a habit of dropping these sorts of games (facing a struggling underdog coming off some tough losses). If this team shakes off FSU and puts Maryland away, Jags will have performed another veteran move as a first-time head coach.

Theme that won’t be discussed on television. I doubt the announcers will discuss the impact of Maryland Defensive Backs coach Kevin Lempa on the game. For those of you who have forgotten, Lempa was BC’s Defensive Backs coach under TOB. He’ll know Ryan better than most coaches we’ve faced this year. Although our offense is different, little tips and tendencies could help Maryland force a turnover or two.


Three Simple Keys
1. Force turnovers. Turnovers have been the key to beating Maryland the past two years. The Terps have gone very conservative this year and do their best to protect the ball. BC needs to stop a drive or two by forcing and recovering turnovers.
2. Stop the run. With our linebacking corps depleted, this could be a tough task. Maryland will want to control the clock and keep Ryan off the field. McLaughlin and Akins need to step up and be the run stoppers Dunbar and Pruitt have been.
3. Come away with points in the redzone. Last week’s frustrations are well documented. BC should be able to move the ball against the Terps. Turning those drives into points is essential. We will not win if we keep coming up empty when we get close to the goal line.

Gambling Notes
-- Friedgen is 2-7 vs Top 10 teams
-- Friedgen has never lost four straight games
-- BC hasn’t followed a home loss with a road loss since 1998
The current line is BC-6.5


What would be a pleasant surprise? A blowout win where we get to see Chris Crane play and Ryan puts his name back in the Heisman hunt.

What would be a letdown? Another uneven performance from Ryan. I hate putting so much focus on one player, but Ryan’s play has been one of the most exciting things about BC sports in years. Another clinker would be a bummer.

What would be a shock? A loss. Maryland has played teams tough but if this BC team really wants to win the ACC they cannot afford to have a letdown.

Bottom Line
Despite our injuries, I think we are getting Maryland at the right time. They are depleted and sputtering. We need to put them away. I think the defense steps up and Ryan has a big day.
Final Score: BC 34, Maryland 13

 

[RJ Esq]

DIAGNOSIS: USC
By SMQ
Posted on Thu Nov 08, 2007 at 01:29:59 PM EDT


There are hard, fast, obvious collapses, can’t-miss horror shows that draw gaping crowds and stories hashing out the salacious details of the carnage. You know their bloody faces: Notre Dame, Nebraska, Minnesota; earlier in the year, Michigan and Louisville. All enduring or just recovering from the prospect of historic failure.

Looks like we basically agree about USC in the top twenty.
- - -
But there are softer crumblings at the same time, slow, quiet deterioration that doesn’t draw At the beginning of the season, I suggested USC was so obviously on track to resume its run as national juggernaut du jour that I compared not ranking the Trojans number one to not liking The Beatles – i.e. foolishly contrarian and disingenuous. Barely a month in, I was suddenly questioning the entire arc of the program. Another month (and another loss) on, and I’m holding my nose to rank SC at all after its first victory of the season over a winning team, and an uninspiring one at that over a 5-4 team that might not crack .500 by season’s end. Not everyone is so quick to pounce on a 7-2 BCS hopeful that‘s still by any measure the gold standard in terms of pure, blazing, rippling physical talent. The Trojans are twelfth in the Associated Press poll, twelfth in the “Master Coaches” poll, fourteenth in the BCS’ Harris poll, fourteenth in the BlogPoll and fifteenth in USA Today’s coaches poll. This is not an epic collapse.
It’s also not clouds of lightning and inevitable doom filling the sky when these guys walk out of the tunnel. It’s not even what commenter Tom predicted after SC’s loss to Stanford:

• ...the loss to Stanford...was pretty clearly a fluke; if USC doesn't turn the ball over five times, it wins in a walk.
  [...]
  In other words, the problem is not that USC has morphed into a merely above average team. The team sleepwalked through its first few games this season, thinking it could get by on rep alone, but now that this team's lost to Stanford, I think they'll be a lot more focused and blow through the rest of their schedule. Or it could just be John David Booty.
  - - -

Hmmm...could be. But Booty <strike>hasn’t played</strike> has barely played since then, and SC clearly has not blown through the rest of its schedule despite fielding, as projected, one of the most dominant defenses of Pete Carroll’s tenure, one that ranks in the top seven in the country in every major category and statistically surpasses the 2002, 2003 and 2005 units almost across the board. No, the defense has blown through the first three-quarters of the season every bit the monster as expected. It’s clearly the offense that’s limped – literally. I don’t put as much emphasis on injuries as I should most of the time – it’s an excuse; a good excuse, sometimes, but every team has injuries and I barely recognize them unless they affect an unusually large number of starters or an obvious leader – yet the ill effects of ill health on the Trojan offense are unmistakable. For all its depth, there is a clear difference in SC’s performance since linemen Chilo Rachal and Kris O’Dowd and leading rusher Stafon Johnson all went down at Washington.

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"> <caption align="top">USC Offense</caption> <tbody><tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(164, 74, 74) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Def. Rank*</td> <td align="center">Total Yds.</td> <td align="center">Rush Yds.</td> <td align="center">Yds./Carry</td> <td align="center">3&Out/Punts</td> <td align="center">Sacks/Neg. Yds.</td> <td align="center">Scoring**</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Idaho</td> <td align="center">85</td> <td align="center">420</td> <td align="center">214</td> <td align="center">5.0</td> <td align="center">2/2</td> <td align="center">1/20</td> <td align="center">38</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Nebraska</td> <td align="center">112</td> <td align="center">457</td> <td align="center">313</td> <td align="center">8.3</td> <td align="center">2/4</td> <td align="center">0/13</td> <td align="center">42</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Wash. State</td> <td align="center">82</td> <td align="center">509</td> <td align="center">197</td> <td align="center">5.9</td> <td align="center">0/0</td> <td align="center">1/8</td> <td align="center">44</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Washington</td> <td align="center">104</td> <td align="center">460</td> <td align="center">224</td> <td align="center">5.7</td> <td align="center">4/5</td> <td align="center">1/19</td> <td align="center">27</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(213, 213, 213) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">Stanford</td> <td align="center">98</td> <td align="center">459</td> <td align="center">95</td> <td align="center">2.5</td> <td align="center">2/4</td> <td align="center">3/34</td> <td align="center">23</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(213, 213, 213) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">Arizona</td> <td align="center">50</td> <td align="center">276</td> <td align="center">146</td> <td align="center">3.4</td> <td align="center">4/7</td> <td align="center">3/43</td> <td align="center">13</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(213, 213, 213) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">Notre Dame</td> <td align="center">53</td> <td align="center">462</td> <td align="center">227</td> <td align="center">6.3</td> <td align="center">2/7</td> <td align="center">0/3</td> <td align="center">24</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(213, 213, 213) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">Oregon</td> <td align="center">73</td> <td align="center">378</td> <td align="center">101</td> <td align="center">3.1</td> <td align="center">3/5</td> <td align="center">1/15</td> <td align="center">17</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(213, 213, 213) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="right">Oregon State</td> <td align="center">10</td> <td align="center">287</td> <td align="center">100</td> <td align="center">2.8</td> <td align="center">4/7</td> <td align="center">2/50</td> <td align="center">17</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
* Current national rank of opponent’s total defense.
** Points scored by offense on drives not beginning inside opponent’s 25.
- - - In more easily-digested form:

<table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3"> <tbody><tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(164, 74, 74) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Total Yds.</td> <td align="center">Rush Yds.</td> <td align="center">Yds./Carry</td> <td align="center">3&Out-Punts</td> <td align="center">Sacks-Neg. Yds.</td> <td align="center">Off. Pts.</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center">Pre-Injury Barrage</td> <td align="center">461.5</td> <td align="center">239.5</td> <td align="center">6.2</td> <td align="center">2 - 2.7</td> <td align="center">0.75 - 15</td> <td align="center">37.8</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(213, 213, 213) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">Post-Injury Barrage</td> <td align="center">372.4</td> <td align="center">133.8</td> <td align="center">3.6</td> <td align="center">3 - 6</td> <td align="center">1.8 - 29</td> <td align="center">18.8</td> </tr> </tbody></table> The picture is more stark if you extend the “pre-injury” period to the dead midpoint of the season to date, through the first half against Stanford, just before Booty cracked his finger and tossed four victory-killing interceptions in SC’s second half demise. Carroll refused to blame the loss on Booty’s injury, but he <strike>hasn’t played since</strike> missed the next four games, and the offense hasn’t delivered a complete performance since: once turnover-generated points against Arizona, Notre Dame and Oregon State are filtered out, the offense is averaging less than half its scoring production over the first four games, and even that’s inflated by the good numbers against lame duck Notre Dame, a game the Trojans could have won with a lonely field goal. Rachal has been back in the lineup the last two games, but O’Dowd is still questionable and fellow line travellers Sam Baker, Thomas Herring and Matt Spanos have been in and out of the lineup with nagging wounds in the meantime.
What happened to all those hyped blue chip running backs?

• • Chauncey Washington: Leading rusher in five of SC’s last seven games, but only averaing 4.4 per carry. Broke 100 yards once (106 at Washington).
  • Stafon Johnson: Easily leads at 7.5 ypc and had big games at Nebraska (144) and Washington (122) but missed two full games with injury and has only returned as the third option (17 carries combined in the last three).
  • Joe McKnight: Double-digit carries behind Washington in three of the last four games, but only one touchdown. Best game: 128 total yards against Arizona, 118 on two plays.
  • C.J. Gable: Had 12 carries in the first two games, out for the season with an ab injury.
  • Herschel Dennis: Ageless sixth-year wonder has 62 yards on 15 carries and has not touched the ball at all in five different games.
  • Desmond Reed:Two touches in the last eight games.
  • Allen Bradford: Fourteen carries the first two games, zero in the last seven. Has three catches.
  • Marc Tyler: Injured, redshirting.
  • Broderick Green: No touches; appeared against Notre Dame. Apparently redshirting?
  • Emmanuel Moody: Transferred to Florida.

The vaunted ten-man backfield (and, yes, vaunted by SMQ) has been effectively reduced to a three-man backfield, and only two of them – Johnson and McKnight – are showing occasional flashes of star power. Why? Most likely because the offensive line is no longer doing this:

As Kirk Herbstreit astutley noted, Brent Musburger could look a blue chip in Stafon Johnson’s shoes that night. And since every opponent since has created the same lanes running against Nebraska, we might as well float another cliché: injuries or not, the Trojans simply are not who we thought they were. Not on offense, anyway, not anymore. And unless they run the table through the end of the toughest stretch of the schedule with scores better than 20-13, I still don’t think we can expect to think of USC the same way again any time soon.
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[RJ Esq]

Jimmy Clausen Has His Starting Job Back

Posted Nov 8th 2007 1:30PM by Tom Fornelli
Filed under: Notre Dame Football

On Tuesday of this week I told you that Charlie Weis was trying to figure out who was going to be his starting quarterback this weekend against Air Force. I also said that it would be Jimmy Clausen because the Irish have nothing left to play for, so they might as well see let Clausen get some time in before next season.

Turns out I was right-I'm as shocked as you are, probably more so-because the Irish named Clausen the starter again.

Freshman Jimmy Clausen will start at quarterback for the Irish against Air Force on Saturday, Notre Dame announced Wednesday. Irish coach Charlie Weis did not make himself available for comment but a team spokesman said Weis would address the choice Thursday evening. Clausen was not available for comment Wednesday.
​

Of course, like I also said on Tuesday, the change won't make any difference.

Notre Dame's problems this season aren't just relegated to the quarterback position. The entire team is a weak spot. The defense played well to start the season( though the final scores would lead you to believe otherwise), but all the time they've had to spend on the field this year is starting to catch up to them. They gave up 46 points to Navy for Touchdown Jesus' sake!

Teams like Michigan and USC ought to feel ashamed of themselves for only putting up 38 points against this team.

 

[RJ Esq]

It's USC v. Cal week:

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[RJ Esq]

The Debriefing: the Very Slippery Slope Towards Normal

Posted Nov 8th 2007 10:40AM by mjd
Filed under: Notre Dame Football, Featured Stories, The Word
The Debriefing is a column that runs every weekday at 9:00 a.m. here on FanHouse. It goes deep into one issue and then bounces around to a plethora of smaller ones ... and does it all in a way that will make you feel like the prettiest girl at the cotillion. Bookmark this page, and visit daily.

One of the cool differences between college football and pro football is the concept of "the program." In the NFL ... if you suck, you suck, and that's the end of the story.

Take a team like the Dolphins, for example. They have a history, they have fans all over the country, and they've got something of a tradition and an image ... but at the moment, all anyone cares about is the fact that they're 0-8, and not as good as their record indicates. Tell someone you're a Dolphins fan, and they're either going to laugh at you, or pity you. The Dolphins are a joke because they suck, and that's all there is to say about them. Nothing else is relevant.

But it's different in college football. You can be a bad team, but still be a good "program." It's difficult thing to define ... it's some kind of unevenly weighted sum of historical success + tradition + size of fanbase + national recognition + recent success.

It's the one thing that Notre Dame can cling to at the moment. Tell someone you're a Notre Dame fan, and they won't pity you. They might laugh, but it's a spiteful, vengeful laugh ... Notre Dame still has too much going for it for the laugh to be dismissive.

The notion of the "program" is all that separates them from being the college version of the Miami Dolphins.

(Also at the bottom: The Billy Gillespie era at Kentucky is not going as planned ... the Celtics look way too good, way too soon ... and hand-washing is very, very, important in the sport of figure skating...)

It is possible to have the worst offense in the nation, lose to Navy, and still be considered a good program. The Irish still have everything but the recent success, and that buys them time.

It's not an unlimited amount of time, though. With a handful of average seasons, an elite program can be downgraded to just a good program. String together some subpar seasons after that, and a good program can turn into merely a normal program. And if they're a really bad team over more than a few seasons ... they can become an irrelevant program.

That's what Notre Dame has to figure out ... how to not slide any further. Too much time is spent trying to assign blame for the current 1-8 record ... "Oh, this is because of Tyrone Willingham's bad recruiting classes! Yeah, but Charlie's guys suck, too! Yeah, but Charlie's guys are still young! Yeah, but ... well, okay actually, you're right, let's blame it all on the guy who isn't here! It's Tyrone Willingham's fault that Notre Dame is in a dark, dark place!"

Forget about all that. The Weis vs. Willingham culpability arguments are among the dumbest and most pointless things to ever happen on the internet (though I credit Mark Ecko for trying to change that). Forget about the recruiting class rankings (which are pretty useless themselves), forget about whose guys are doing what ... what's happening right now is not an issue of talent.

We can all agree that Notre Dame has at least enough talent that they shouldn't be ranked dead last in the country in total offense, can we not? They shouldn't be 120th in total offense, they shouldn't be 119th in points scored per game, and they shouldn't be 89th in points allowed per game. There's some talent there.

Maybe it's not as much as you'd like, and maybe it's not as much as exists in other places, but whether you want to pin it on Weis's recruiting, or Willingham's recruiting ... both brought in better athletes than Navy. Both had the ability to recruit from among a group of kids who didn't also have a strong desire to spend time on submarines.

I don't care if you're the least talented offensive team in the country ... I don't care if you're recruiting only high school football players who also want to be in the show choir. I don't care if you start running commercials on weekday afternoons on Fox Sports Net begging for football players, much in the way that the DeVry institute begs for truckers.

The fact is this: if your coach is what he says he is, you'll be better than dead last in total offense in the nation.

This can't be an issue of talent. Who the players are, or where the players came from, it doesn't matter ... draw any conclusion you want about the players, and Notre Dame is still way worse than they should be right now. That is what should have Notre Dame concerned.

As of right now, they are, while being a terrible team, still a good program. Not an elite program like it used to be, and like USC, Ohio State, LSU, and Florida currently are ... but still a very good one.

It's time to wonder, though, how long that's going to last. Because if they continue to have teams that perform this far under the level that their talent dictates that they should, the status of the program erodes further and further.

There are no concrete stats out there, but you have to figure that the number of people who are Notre Dame fans, yet have no connection to the school, is dwindling. Notre Dame still gets a lot of media attention, because a lot of people in the media grew up when Notre Dame was an elite program – perhaps the elite program.

If you're a teenager right now, though, and you're picking a favorite team, exactly what does Notre Dame have to offer you that a few dozen other teams don't? The people who see Notre Dame as a special place, and a landmark of college football greatness ... they're going to be dying soon.

Regis Philbin, the face of that movement, is 76 years old. Science and wealth can probably keep him alive and annoying for another 50 years or so, but that's not the case for everyone. If things continue as they are, the only title Notre Dame's going to be able to claim is the most popular team among dead white people.

It is possible for a program to lose its status. Alabama was once elite, and now (or at least until Nick Saban arrived) they were just another team. Penn State was once elite, and now, if they get to the Outback Bowl, the season's considered a grand success. Nebraska used to be elite, and now they're just a poor Big 12 team that Bill Callahan killed.

Despite being 1-8, things aren't that bad for Notre Dame just yet. They're not yet Nebraska. It takes more than one embarrassingly bad year to kill a program's status.

What might do the job, though, is choosing to stick with a coach who can go 1-8 with the amount of talent that does, or should, exist on that roster. It's a decision like that, if the wrong choice is made, that can send a program tumbling down to "just another team" status.

Right now, they've got a guy at the helm who is redefining "underachievement" with every game that he coaches. And it looks like they want to stick with that guy for the duration of his way-too-long contract. I fear that if they do, they're going to wake up one day and say to themselves, "Uh oh ... we're Pitt."

 

[RJ Esq]

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[RJ Esq]

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[RJ Esq]

Tech's Choice makes speedy return

Posted: Thursday November 8, 2007 1:03AM; Updated: Thursday November 8, 2007 1:03AM

ATLANTA (AP) -- To best appreciate the production of Tashard Choice when healthy, consider the time the senior has missed through Georgia Tech's nine games.
Choice was held to a combined 20 carries for 50 yards rushing in two games due to a hamstring injury. He missed one game and half of another with a knee injury that required surgery.
Even so, Choice still leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in rushing, both in total yards and average per game.
Choice has rushed for 864 yards, an average of 108 per game despite the hamstring injury which helped limit him to 31 yards against Boston College and 19 on only five carries against Virginia.
Choice barely played against Virginia, missed the fourth quarter against Boston College, played only one half before hurting his knee against Army and missed last week's Virginia Tech game and STILL he has 66 more yards than runner-up James Davis of Clemson.
It's no wonder the Yellow Jackets are ecstatic about having Choice back for Saturday's game at Duke.
Choice had the biggest smile of all when he made his return to practice on Tuesday and proclaimed he was ready for 30 to 35 carries against the Blue Devils.
"I'm good. I'm good to go," Choice said. "I'm ready to go where I left off. I'm happy to be back out here with the fellas, happy to be out here with my teammates."
Choice was in uniform for the Virginia Tech game, but only to serve as a team captain. He said he may have been closer to game-ready for the Thursday night game than many believed, however.
"I believe if I had Saturday, one more day, I would have been ready to go," he said. "Hey, you can only control what you can control. I'll be out here for Duke."
Choice's return comes as Georgia Tech (5-4 overall, 2-4 ACC) is trying to recover from the disappointment of being eliminated from the Coastal Division race in the conference.
Choice also hopes to give the offense a confidence boost after quarterback Taylor Bennett threw four interceptions in the 27-3 loss to Virginia Tech.
The always effusive Choice said he made sure spirits were back up following the loss, especially with the junior quarterback.
"Oh yeah, I was in his face, letting him know he's still got big things ahead of him," Choice said. "He can't let that one loss damage how he feels about himself as a quarterback.
"He's going to have ups and downs. That's just part of the position. People are going to like you one day and hate you the next. That just comes with being a quarterback."
Bennett said he may have tried too hard to make up for the absence of Choice.
"Everyone said if he's not here it's on me," Bennett said. "It was still a team effort. You've still got to have a running back to run the ball and a quarterback to throw the ball and receivers to catch it.
"I wasn't trying to make plays, thinking 'Oh my gosh, this game is on my shoulders,' but it's different without your starting running back there. We're just glad to have him back."
Freshman Jonathan Dwyer led Tech with 10 carries for 68 yards last week. Backup quarterback Josh Nesbitt added 32 yards rushing.
The return of Choice should bring the return of Tech's normal ACC-leading running attack.
Choice had 30 or more carries in three straight games in which he rushed for 145 yards against Clemson, 135 against Maryland and 204 at Miami.
Tech coach Chan Gailey called the senior's recovery "amazing," but said he hoped Choice wouldn't be needed for more than 30 carries this week.
"I'm not going to say never with him, OK?" Gailey said. "I hope it doesn't come to that and that would not be the plan, but I'm not going to say never."

 

[counselor]

You get your PM?

 

[RJ Esq]

Yep. I'll reply one of these days.

 

[RJ Esq]

Wake Forest, Clemson In De facto Playoff

Posted Nov 8th 2007 11:21PM by Bill Maloney
Filed under: Clemson Football, ACC, BCS, Wake Forest Football

"Survive and advance" is a cliche reserved for playoffs or tournaments. Not for the playoff-less college football. But the notion of winning and staying alive is appropriate for the Clemson-Wake Forest matchup this weekend. Both teams enter the game with two conference losses. The winner will still have a chance to catch Boston College in the standings and win the ACC Atlantic Division. The loser is done.

Of the two contenders Clemson in under much more pressure. They were one of the preseason conference favorites, have one of the most talented backfields in football and a perennially underachieving coach in Tommy Bowden.

If Clemson is facing huge expectations, Wake Forest is playing with house money. Not much was expected of the defending ACC champ, yet the plucky Deacons have proven that last year's run wasn't a fluke.

While the loser of this game has an non-descript December Bowl to look forward to, the winner will still have some work to do (this is where the survive and advance comes in). Winning this game only keeps hope alive. To clinch the division the winner will still have to run the table in ACC games. A tough task but aren't all playoffs?

 

[RJ Esq]

Adding:

Michigan -2' (-104)

 

[RJ Esq]

Adding:

BC -6 (-110)

 

[RJ Esq]

Adding:

BGSU -3 (-110)