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Thursday, November 30, 2006
The Coaching Carousel
There’s no denying it, the coaching carousel is in full spin this week. And probably for many more weeks to come.
There are some very high profile jobs out there including spots at Alabama and Miami.
North Carolina put itself way ahead of the pack by taking the bull by the horns and securing one of the biggest names out there in former Miami head coach Butch Davis. He is saying all the right things and has the ability and know-how, by all accounts, to return the Tar Heels to the level Mack Brown reached in Chapel Hill.
Whether or not the Heels’ move force North Carolina State’s hand or not is irrelevant. The Wolfpack axed Chuck Amato after finishing this season with a seven game losing streak; including a third straight loss to bitter rival North Carolina and lame duck coach John Bunting. And now they too join the search for a new coach.
This whole coach search is such a crazy thing. I think the folks in Chapel Hill hit a home run by just being the only ones in the Butch Davis race at the time. Davis may have looked at Alabama had the situation been different. But credit North Carolina for securing him sooner rather than later, which may have meant not at all.
Alabama and Miami are two high profile, big time NCAA Football coaching jobs. But in this day and age, when a coach a year removed from a 10-win season and another a few years removed from a national championship can be fired, it’s tough to bring another experienced guy in there and say, “This is a great place with great tradition, but if you don’t give us 10 wins and a BCS bowl in the next few years you’re gone.”
That’s the challenge Miami, and in particular, Alabama face in finding the right man to restore those programs to national prominence. But they will. They will find their man, and that will be just another spin on the carousel of college coaching.
I have come to a resolution of sorts. In regards to NCAA Football, the BCS, crowning a national championship etc., there are many, many arguments. Many. And none of them are right. However, none of them are wrong.
Doesn’t make sense? No kidding, neither does anything else this time of year. Arguments can be made for a handful of teams to line up and face Ohio State for the national championship this year. How in the world can anything be right?
In my opinion, the team most deserving to play Ohio State is Michigan. They have but one loss, to Ohio State. And therein lies the problem. Because, Michigan already had their chance. They had the chance to beat Ohio State, let someone else take a shot. But if you look at “quality” of losses, Michigan has the best of the one-loss teams. They lost to the number one ranked team. So, how can you justify another one-loss team being more deserving when their loss is to a lesser opponent?
Florida played a tough SEC schedule, but they have not looked overly impressive. Not that looking overly impressive should discount them. But do you think a team that struggled to beat one of the worst Florida State teams in my lifetime is playing better than Michigan, or USC? And they still have to play Arkansas.
Speaking of USC, now they looked good, very good in handling the Irish from Notre Dame. And they have looked good for a while now. Including a season-opening beat down of Arkansas, granted a very different Arkansas team but still. But, which is more impressive, beating Notre Dame in your house, or in theirs? Michigan spanked Notre Dame in South Bend.
So in my head, anything USC and Florida has done, Michigan has done better. It makes as much sense as anything else I’ve heard.
With BCS implications on the line, these two storied programs meet for the 78th time in one of NCAA Football's most exciting rivalries. Last year's game came down to a controversial play in the 4th quarter, what will be the deciding factor this weekend as these two teams play to get one step closer to meeting Ohio State in Glendale for the BCS Championship game?
This weekend another chapter in one of the most storied rivalries in college football will be written. USC/Notre Dame has produced some great games over the years and as usual the stakes are high again this year. Both teams are in the hunt for a chance to play Ohio State in the BCS title game on January 8th in Glendale, AZ.
This rivalry is different because these two teams are not required to play each other because of conference requirements and because this game, scheduled for the sake of the rivalry, has become one of the most important rivalries in all of college football. There is always some sort of national implication at stake when these teams play. Whether it's a Heisman Trophy, a National Championship or a major bowl berth on the line, the road to the Promised Land must pass through either Los Angeles or South Bend.
This year is no different. USC, in what some would call a rebuilding year, is looking to return the title game for a 3rd straight year. Brady Quinn is in the hunt for Notre Dame's 8th Heisman Trophy and if he expects to beat out Ohio State's Troy Smith he needs to have a huge game. Head Coach Charlie Weis is looking to put last years disappointing loss behind him as he has been preparing for this game over the last several weeks.
Both teams each have one tough loss under their belt. USC's against unranked Oregon St. and Notre Dame's against #2 Michigan. USC's loss seemed to open their eyes and focus more on their game while Notre Dame almost gave up another one to Michigan St. but both teams seemed to have righted the ship.
Both of these teams have some big playmakers on offense so both defenses will need to be on their game in order to shut down each other's ability to break a big play. SC's defense is a little more seasoned with last years title run under their belt and their bend don't break style of play early in the season they have solidified their game and shut down some pretty potent offenses.
Look for both teams to mix it up with a balanced run and passing game but don't be surprised if both teams air it out. SC is coming off two decisive, while not pretty, wins as they are half way through the toughest part of their schedule, so SC will have the confidence it needs to take on a tough traditional rival. Notre Dame has had a somewhat easier time of it over the last 7 weeks so they will look to come out firing. The key to this game will be the play of offensive and defensive lines of both teams. Whoever dominates the other will determine the winner.
With 14 Heisman Trophies, 24 National Championships and countless star players between the programs, this rivalry matters because of what it represents. Two teams willing to put it on the line year in and year out regardless of the implications and because of the history and tradition that it has spawned over the years. It is a college football right of passage that will continue to have some exciting games in the years ahead not unlike those of the past.
The importance of the Notre Dame/Southern Cal game over the years cannot be understated, both to the individual teams and college football as a whole. After last season's classic, the odds might be even higher this time around. If the Trojans win, then dispatch UCLA, they'll be facing off with the Buckeyes for a shot at their third championship in four years.
For the Irish, who might not have a chance at the title game thanks to 47-21, this game is probably more important. They've been written off the national radar since the Michigan game as an overrated-yet-not-rated-that-high squad that should have lost to Michigan State, UCLA and Georgia Tech. The Heisman is now out of Brady Quinn's grasp no matter what happens on Saturday thanks to the coronation bestowed upon Troy Smith.
This game might be even more important for Charlie Weis, who's inspired a confidence in the program it hadn't seen since the Holtz years yet lacks that big win. He's undefeated on the road and was a few seconds away from toppling the Trojan dynasty last season, but his best scalps are probably Georgia Tech this season and Michigan last. He's been obsessing about the Trojans, looking at every single play they've executed this season and using last week's practice to secretly run Southern Cal plays under the guise of Army formations to the team.
As far as championships and bowl bids go, this game doesn't mean a whole lot. Win, it's most likely the Sugar Bowl. Lose, the same, yet there's so much more hanging in the balance for the legacy of Brady Quinn and Charlie Weis. This is their final regular season game together, in primetime against the arch-nemesis of the Notre Dame program and one of the most celebrated teams of the millennium.
Pundits are saying the Irish don't have a chance, that the Jarrett/Smith combination is too powerful to deal with and that the speed of the Trojan defense will be an unstoppable swarm, eating Quinn and D-Walk alive. While the talent check mark may be on USC's side of the ledger, there's something to be said for a great gameplan and even better execution, which gave Notre Dame the lead in the closing minutes last year. Will Quinn be able to execute the perfect plan, forever engraving his name into the annals of this rivalry and giving his coach that big win he still lacks?
Irish fans are certainly hoping the answer to that question is yes come Saturday night.
With the Michigan/Ohio State game behind us, the focus now falls on the rivalry between USC/Notre Dame. It was a classic last year and is certain to live up to its billing this year!
Do you really want a rematch? Do you really want to watch the same game we all did two days ago a few weeks down the road? Ohio State/Michigan? Round two? Do you really want that?
Yes.
Before the game, I wasn’t that crazy about the possibility of a rematch to decide the national championship. I mean, who could take another week’s worth of the endless hype provided by everyone, not just ESPN.
Ohio State/Michigan was everywhere, it seemed like this game was for the national championship.
But with the most recent BCS standings this week, I am elated to see Wolverines still in second place, albeit by the slimmest of margins over Southern Cal. As we said last week, they should be in second place. The number two team, all things being equal, should lose to the number one team at their place.
Now we all just have to hope that pollsters, computers and whomever else decides the BCS standings thinks Michigan and Ohio State should play again this season, this time for all the marbles.
Michigan has no control over that now. And they’d be the first ones to tell you that it’s their own fault. If they wanted to be in the National Championship, they should have won all their games. Fine, but still, Michigan is better than USC, better than Florida or Arkansas and luckily we can all say without a doubt they are better than Notre Dame.
There’s no point in arguing this system any more, it’s what we have. Here’s hoping it gives us the right combination this year with Ohio State/Michigan Part 2.
Great waves of scarlet and gray descended on Columbus Saturday for what would prove to be one of the greatest games in OhioState football history. And while the game lived up to all expectations and hype, the monstrosity of this event was much bigger than the three hours or so of play on the field.
When I arrived at Baltimore/Washington airport early Friday morning to begin my pilgrimage back to 411 Woody Hayes Drive, the site of so many great Ohio State football memories, it became obvious the moment I entered the airport that this was not going to be just another trip home. As I stood in the security line, I found myself surrounded by fellow OhioState fans as an occasional shout of "OH" followed by an obligatory "IO" echoed through the Baltimore airport.
Upon landing in Columbus, I found that I had returned to a city that was fully awash in the upcoming game. Planes were flying overhead pulling banners, business were putting the final touches on Friday afternoon employee "tailgate" parties and at least one in every three people that you passed were decked out in Ohio State gear.
Then came the news. At first we all thought it was just another Ohio State/Michigan joke and we waited awkwardly for a punch line we'd all heard before. But the punch line never came. Bo Schemblecher was dead. The coach we all loved to hate, the nemesis who dashed more than a few dreams of his former mentor Woody Hayes and thousands of OhioState fans, had passed away only hours before one of the greatest games in a rivalry that he, together with Coach Hayes, helped to create.
The surreal irony was beyond belief. At the game, the only moment to silence a stadium of 105,000 fans was during the pregame video tribute to the legendary Bo Schemblecher. We were watching the end of an era and the start of a new epoch in Ohio State/Michigan history.
It was estimated that by Sat. afternoon, while there were 105,000 fans at the game, another 200,000 were outside of the stadium enjoying the atmosphere and festivities. Whether served under the awning of a giant land yacht or a picnic blanket next to the trunk of a family sedan, by 12:00, tailgate picnics stretched for miles around the OhioState campus.
I have been going to OhioState games since I was a teenager and I have never seen anything like the gathering for Saturday's game.
Inside the stadium, the traditional cheer of O-H-I-O shook the ground as it circled the Shoe. The roar was so thunderous that it was not possible to talk to the person standing next to you. And stand is what the fans did. The entire stadium was on their feet the entire game, taking quick breaks during the time outs only to rise again in time for the next play.
On the field, Michigan's quick opening drive did anything to silence the crowd. If anything, it energized them even more and we were all relived when OhioState responded with a confident scoring drive ending the first quarter tied at seven.
As the second quarter got underway, the Buckeyes seemed to have things under control. The defense was starting to contain Michigan running back Mike Hart, who at times appeared to float over the OhioState defense. On the offense, Buckeye wide receivers Brian Robiskie and Ted Ginn were putting on a show with a couple of big breaks for big yards.
After a brief scare, the Buckeyes ended the half with a quick touchdown drive and headed to the locker room with a 28-14 lead. Even though fans in the stands were afraid to admit it, there was a sense of confidence in the air that Coach Tressel had things under control.
Michigan opened quick in the third quarter with a drive straight to the end zone just like they had done on the opening series of the game. The Michigan defense followed intercepting a deflected pass which they eventually converted for three points.
Even though OhioState responded, a fumbled OhioState snap to end the quarter followed by a quick Michigan touchdown in the opening of the fourth made everyone remember that in an Ohio State/Michigan game, it is never over until the final gun sounds.
The game appeared to be over when on a fourth and long, Michigan quarterback Chad Henne threw what looked to be an incomplete pass. A pass inteference, however, extended the drive and Michigan scored with less than a minute to play bringing the score to Ohio State 42 UM 39.
The noise in Ohio Stadium reached a peak as Michigan lined up for the on-side kick. For a moment, 105,000 fans held their breath as the squibbling kick lingered in the air and finally landed safely in OhioState arms.
The green field of Ohio Stadium quickly turned into a mass of Scarlet and Gray as fans flooded down from the stands. And then suddenly, after a few moments of ecstatic celebration, the crowd gave way, faced the south end of the stands to join Coach Tressel and the team and joined the Ohio State Band in the singing the Alma Mater, a post victory tradition instituted by Tressel.
It was hard to find a dry eye at that moment.
For some time after the game, fans milled around on the field, collected pieces of sod for souvenirs, and tried to savor the waning moments what will be known as one of the greatest moments in OhioState football history.
Those on the outside who look in at the great tradition that is the Ohio State/Michigan game have trouble understanding. For an Ohio State/Michigan fan, an entire season comes down to this game. And yes, while we are excited to see OhioState go to the BCS Championship, after a game like Saturday's, it all seems like an afterthought. During the next weeks, we will see all kinds of arguments about the one-loss teams but a Michigan fan quoted in the Columbus Dispatch said it best when he said, "We did not see a #1 team beat a #2 team. We saw a #1 team beat a #1 team."
In honor of the showdown in Columbus this weekend. We dug up this highlight reel from Michigan's Charles Woodson's 1997 Heisman trophy campaign. Enjoy the game...it is sure to be a classic.
Ohio State/Michigan and the Wild World of the National Championship
Let’s not kid ourselves. The entire country is anxious for this weekend’s matchup of Ohio State and Michigan. The top two teams in the nation. So let’s not pretend like we’re not going to talk about it. (By the way, it’s amazing to think that this is the first time they’ve faced each other ranked first and second in the nation.)
Yes, it will be an awesome game. But I think the issue lies with Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel’s stance that to play in the national championship game, you must win your conference.
Now Tressel is not saying this to make both teams feel good. He’s saying this because he believes that his Buckeyes are going to win the game. And he should.
But this notion comes up every year, and around this time of year it comes up every day.
What if the top two teams in the country are in the same conference? Which they just might be this year.
Why should Michigan, or Ohio State be penalized for losing late in the season to the first or second ranked team in the nation? If you go by the polls, and which team America’s coaches, sportswriters, and computers think is the best in the nation, then the number two team should lose to the number one team!
So why does that eliminate it from the talk of a national championship? It shouldn’t. But who, in the name of Brutus, can tell which one of these one-loss teams is actually better than the other? Who’s to say that if Michigan and Ohio State had to play an SEC schedule they wouldn’t slip up somewhere along the way?
I know, there are a lot of questions.
In basketball, two teams from the same conference can meet in the final game without either one of them winning their conference tournament. Why? Because they have a playoff system to determine the best team. Pretty wild.
It’s the game we’ve all been waiting for, one of the most intense rivalries in all of sports, #1 OhioState vs. #2 Michigan, this Saturday at The Horseshoe. The winner of this game will play in the BCS Championship Game, the loser, we’ll just have to wait and see.
On Saturday, Ohio State andMichigan will meet for the 103rd time on the gridiron in what is the most storied rivalry in all of sports. But the stakes have never been higher since that first meeting between the two schools in 1897.
After the game was moved to the final Saturday of the Big Ten season back in 1935, the heavyweight battle between the two has had a major impact on the conference standings 42 times. This includes 20 contests where both Ohio State and Michigan have decided the Big Ten champion between themselves.
The top two teams in the nation this year, the Buckeyes and the Wolverines, are very evenly matched.
Among the 119 members playing Division I-A football in the NCAA, Ohio State is eighth in scoring offense averaging 35.8 points per game.
The Buckeyes are slightly better in total offense, posting 401.3 yards per game, while the Wolverines churn out 372.1 yards per contest..
Michigan is ranked fifth in scoring defense, allowing 12.1 points per game, though Ohio State leads the nation giving up just7.8 points per outing.
What Ohio State has, and Michigan doesn't, is an eventual Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback.
Troy Smith, in his two games against Michigan, is 40-of-60 passing for 541 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He has also added 182 yards on the ground and two more scores.
All told, Smith has accounted for 723 yards of total offense and five touchdowns in his two starts against Michigan, while the Buckeye offense has averaged 31 points in both Buckeye wins.
The game Saturday comes down to two questions: 1) Can Ohio State stop Mike Hart? and 2) Can Michigan get to Troy Smith? Answer those questions correctly and Big Ten Championship glory is yours for the taking.
To answer the first question, the answer is no.
I can say without a doubt that Mike Hart is the best running back in the country within 15 yards of the line of scrimmage. He routinely turns 2-3 yard losses into 5 yard gains. As a result, despite the fact he has only 3 or four plays over 25 yards, Hart is 6th in the nation in rushing, averaging 124 yards and a TD a game.
Ohio State on the other hand is 11th in rushing defense, allowing 90.2 yards rushing a game. When faced with decent running backs, OSU's D has given up yards in bunches. Texas was one dimensional and still gained 172 yards on the ground. Tony Hunt of Penn State, by no means a burner and running behind a line made out of duct tape racked up 135 rushing yards. In case people have forgotten, OSU gave up 171 yards to Garrett Wolfe of Northern Illinois. NIU plays in the MAC. While a decent team, should not rack up that kind of yardage against a "premier" defense. In all of these games OSU knew the run would be their opponent's primary weapon, yet were unable to stop it.
Michigan's offensive line is better than the three previously mentioned teams, and the stats back this up. Michigan has given up only 14 sacks and is 12th in rushing offense at 194 yards per game. These comparisons are important because Michigan has a very capable quarterback and a stable of excellent receivers for OSU to concentrate on too. Great Line. Great Back. Mike Hart and Michigan will run on OSU.
To answer the second, the answer is yes.
Troy Smith is an excellent Quarterback. Very hard to bring down. Very accurate with the ball. Strong delivery. He's also accustomed to lots and lots of time in the pocket or on the rollout. I personally think he'll make some plays during the game. However, so will the Michigan defensive line. Michigan is first in the nation with 40 sacks, 26 of those are from Michigan's front four.
The time Smith is used to having, especially over the last few weeks, will not be there. OSU's last four opponents rank 105, 108, 37 (Illinois), and 89th in total defense. Smith will also be forced to hold the ball a lot longer than he's used to. An oft cited stat is that Michigan ranks 65th in pass defense in terms of yardage. Yes, Michigan does give up 200 yards a game. A closer look reveals that Michigan has faced the most attempts in nation (402), yet is ranked 4th in completion percentage (51.24%) with one of the lowest yards allowed per attempt ratios in the country. The fact that Michigan can defend the pass means Smith's receivers will be covered a lot closer than he's used to, forcing him to hold the ball a little longer. This will allow Michigan's Defense to get to him.
Is Michigan going to shut him down? No. Don't be stupid. Smith's one of the best QB's in the country. He'll make a play or two. But he's going to have hands in his face and a lot of dirt on his jersey. As highly mobile QBs with good arms like Kellen Lewis of Indiana, Drew Tate of Iowa, Drew Stanton of Michigan State, and John Stocco of Wisconsin what they think of Michigan's ability to contain them.
Facts are this is a very even game. Based on what I've seen of both teams I think Michigan should win a close one.
Exciting weekend in NCAA Football! Here are the highlights of my weekend, let me know if I miss anything.
It all started on Thursday night (again) when Rutgers pulled off the huge win over previously undefeated Louisville. That set off a chain reaction that had everyone in the country fast-forwarding to next weekend trying to figure out which one-loss team will face Ohio State in the national championship.
Georgia came up with a HUGE win over bitter rival Auburn. Not sure if anyone saw that one coming. It wasn’t even close.
Many experts choice for the best one-loss team, defending national champion Texas, took a loss at the hands of Kansas State.
California, another sheik pick to get back in the hunt, was chopped down by up-and-coming Arizona in what could prove to be a program-making win.
Florida needed three blocked kicks and a delay of game penalty to hold off a familiar face in the swamp but the Gators were able to keep themselves in the game beating South Carolina.
Not in the national championship picture but one of the more jaw-dropping games was Wake Forest’s handling of Florida State, in Tallahassee. The most amazing thing about that game, besides the 30-point beat down, is that it was the first time Bobby Bowden has ever been shut out at home. That’s unreal.
Two teams held the course and kept hope alive for at least one matchup of number one and number two this year. Michigan and Ohio State did not get caught looking ahead and handled their business, convincingly. I am looking forward to this game more now than ever because in all of these arguments about what is the best one loss team, Michigan is always included.
I’m sure Lloyd Carr has his boys taking note that they’re already being counted out in the rivalry game.
But the BCS system is once again showing its fault this year because even if Rutgers could knock off West Virginia in a few weeks, the Scarlet Knights will not play for the national title. How messed up is that? Is Rutgers the best team in the nation? Not even close.
They have followed to rules that are set forth of everyone. And the current format will not allow them to gain entry. It’s great because there is always something to talk about but I think we could all have a great time discussing a playoff too.
Rutgers-Louisville last night was really two games and four teams. And it featured an utterly thrilling finish. It was as good as college football gets.
an in-person, on campus, in the press box, on the field report by College Athletics Clips Editor Nick Infante
I WISH I COULDA BEEN IN THE RUTGERS LOCKER ROOM at halftime. The Scarlet Knights trudged into their sanctuary down 25-14. In that sorry first half, Rutgers looked nothing like an 8-0 team, and Louisville looked like a consensus national championship.
Last year Louisville beat Rutgers 56-5, and it seemed like the Cardinals would have their way again last night.
Enter coach Greg Schiano into that somber Rutgers locker room. There was no desperation, panic or lack of confidence. The savvy, wizened 40-year old calmed and coaxed his shell-shocked 20-year old charges, and – trite though it may sound – they charged (not trudged) out onto the field for a completely different second half.
But it was a completely different second half. Louisville never knew what hit them. Final score: Rutgers 28, Louisville 25; thanks to an immensely spectacular field goal to win it with 13 seconds left in the game. It was like a Hollywood script.
But let me start at the beginning. It all started when I had the, er, foresight to dump his Trek 600 mountain bike into the back of my Explorer.
I got to Rutgers five hours before kick-off, parked in a remote lot, and pedaled toward the stadium. I went past classroom buildings and dorm buildings. Rutgers is about as big (25,000) students and as sprawling as a state U can be, so I had a nice long ride on the glorious sunny day of 65 degrees.
If one did not know there was a big game going on that night, one would not have known it from the businesslike scurrying and sauntering of the students. No wild carousing, no loud music no coeds hanging out of fifth floor windows.
I rode around the entire perimeter of the stadium, and spoke with security people, tailgaters, state troopers, etc. The common theme: this 8-0 success was a long time coming, and they were positively delighted. It was like Red Sox fans a couple years ago at the World Series.
I dawdled for a while at the live remote trailer of the “Mike and the Mad Dog” WFAN radio program. Although it’s technically a “local” radio program, it’s hard to categorize a 50,000 watt super-signal in the massive greater New York area as local.
I wiggled through the throng, and happened to end up right in the “on-deck” area for the show. I spoke with Bob Mulcahy and Mike Tranghese (Big East Commissioner) before they were interviewed extensively by Mike and the Mad Dog (known in real life as Mike Francesa and Christopher Russo).
Mulcahy is among the more forthright ADs I’ve seen. He skillfully addressed the elimination of six teams at Rutgers a couple months ago by commenting that there are only two other BCS schools with 30 sports (Ohio State and Stanford), and that those schools’ budgets far exceed Rutgers: Ohio State at $90 million and Stanford over $50 million, while Rutgers’ budget is $37.
AND THEN THE GAME ITSELF? What can I say? If you missed it, you missed a truly terrific game.
I witnessed the game while ensconced in the rarified confines of the Rutgers press box, where we working press were very well taken care of.
After the game I clumsily made my way all the way to the other side of the field to attend the post-game press conference. It was clumsy because there were about 10,000 joyous student fans milling about on the FieldTurf field.
In walked Greg Schiano, and his face looked as poker-like as it would have been had he lost the game. As questions were asked, Schiano loosened up and smiled that winning smile.
I thought the coach’s best line was, “You can’t control the outcome, but you can control the process.”
THERE WAS MUCH TALK - in the press box, during the Mike and the Mad Dog show, among the fans – about how long Greg Schiano will be for Rutgers. Any number of desperate-to-get-better schools would/could easily double the “modest” compensation package that
One can tell plenty from a firm hand shake and a look in the eyes. After the press conference I shook Greg’s hand and he looked me straight in the eye. Based on talking to him for 30 seconds, I say Greg Schiano will stay at Rutgers. You heard it here first.
I will close with the headline of Harvey Araton’s game recap in today’s New York Times: “College Football Has New Hotbed in New Jersey.”
So true, Harvey, so true . . . . . .
This commentary was composed the morning after the game by a sleep-deprived Nick Infante. He is the founder and editor of College Athletics Clips, which is a paid subscription website that provides executive summaries of college athletics news and issues.
Now we want to hear from all of you! For those of your who were at the game: what was your experience at the game like? How did you celebrate? And to all NCAA Football fans what do you think of this win? Can Rutgers make it to the BCS? If you have any photos from the game, tailgating, etc, send them to our master blogger, David Walker.
See what I did there? Thursday Thoughts? That’s the title of this installment. It’s catchy because Monday’s title was “Monday Musings.” See? I know somebody caught that.
Anyway…what’s going on this weekend? Well let’s start again with tonight.
Louisville, the Cards just can’t get enough of Thursday night football can they? Last week’s game was going to be one for the Big East record books, and it was a good one. I think tonight’s game will be closer and Greg Schiano’s Scarlet Knights of Rutgers will give Bobby Petrino’s crew the fight of their lives, through the first quarter. Petrino is too good to let his team lose focus.
This weekend isn’t exactly showdown Saturday, or separation Saturday, or whatever. There are only two matchups of Top-25 teams on Saturday and they come from two conferences, the SEC and the Pac-10. But there are story lines.
Alabama, well let’s just say the folks in Tuscaloosa have had just about enough from Mike Shula. I know maybe two people who are die hard Tide fans, but they both want Shula gone. And I have a feeling they speak for the rest of you guys. Losing at home to Mississippi State? Not good, that’s really not good.
In conjunction with that, speculation that the news of Butch Davis’ commitment at North Carolina is, well, speculation. Rumors and reports abound out of Chapel Hill that Davis and the Tar Heels have done something. At this point the only thing that is for sure is that nothing is for sure. ‘Bama fans would like for that to remain as such through this weekend and just made Crimson Tide fans out of a lot of light blue clad folks.
Again, Ohio State. Michigan. Keep your head up. Stay smart. Stay focused. This weekend is slow for a reason. Make it worth our while by keeping up your end of the bargain for next weekend.
ESPN's College GameDaygoes to Fayetteville, Arkansas for the first time for the Arkansas-Tennessee game. The #11 Razorbacks take on #16 Volunteers at 7 PM on ESPN 2. It should be an intense game!
Arkansas and Tennessee are no longer permanent opponents in the SEC. That short-lived series only lasted from 1992-2002. But for many Razorback fans, Tennessee is the closest thing now to that other Big Orange program, the one we love to hate down in Austin.
This year, the 11th ranked Razorbacks (8-1) are favored, ESPN College GameDay is headed to town for the first time and Fayetteville is buzzing with excitement.
Unfortunately, the Hogs are a woeful 2-8 against the Vols since entering the SEC. But both of those wins -- as well as one of the losses -- are games that are still vividly remembered by many in the Natural State even today.
Fresh into the Southeastern Conference in 1992, the Razorbacks visited Tennessee with an interim coach (current Alabama defensive coordinator Joe Kines) and a loss to Division I-AA Citadel just a month earlier. There would be only three wins that year, but one of them would be in Knoxville against the #4 Volunteers.
After that, it was a struggle. The Hogs would lose six straight to the Vols, including one of the most devastating losses in school history. With a record of 8-0 and visiting Knoxville in 1998, Razorbacks quarterback Clint Stoerner fumbled late in the fourth quarter and the #1 Volunteers would go on to win the game and to an undefeated national championship season.
Gosh...I remember the "Stoerner Stumble" like it was yesterday. Painful, just painful.
But redemption was sweet. And the Hogs and Stoerner got it in 1999 when he found receiver Anthony Lucas for a late touchdown and a 28-24 win over the #3 Vols.
We tore the goal posts down that sunny day and carried them 1 1/2 miles to the all-night party on Dickson Street. And the names Stoerner and Lucas would go on to live forever as legendary Razorbacks.
But after three more losses, including a 63-20 thumping in 2000 and a six overtime loss the last time these two programs met in 2002, Hog fans have been left hungering for another chance.
Now this year, with a nationally ranked team playing in front of a raucous home crowd, there may not be another opportunity like this one for quite some time.
And so it certainly won't be the burnt orange of Texas out on the field against the Hogs on Saturday night. But for many of the Razorback faithful, it'll pretty much be the next best thing.
The Volunteers better bring their A Game to Fayetteville this weekend, as the Hogs spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E.
T is for Tailback Tandem Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, who are averaging 194.66 yards per game, constitute the most productive tailback duo in the nation. Arkansas out rushed Auburn by 219 yards and South Carolina by 216.
R is for Robinson As in sophomore defensive end Antwain Robinson, who leads the SEC in tackles for loss per game (1.5) and is second in sacks per game (.81).
O is for Olajubutu As in senior linebacker Sam Olajubutu, who's been named a semifinalist for both the Butkus Award and the Bednarik Award. He's also a quarterfinalist for the Lott Trophy and is on the watch lists for the Lombardi and Nagurski Awards.
U is for Undefeated in the SEC and Underappreciated After giving up 50 points in a loss to Southern Cal to open the season, the Razorbacks have improved on a weekly basis. Yet for some reason, they are not getting much credit for being the sole undefeated team in the SEC. The S.E.C., for crying out loud. McFadden and Jones are getting all of the pub, but the defense is not too shabby either. Post-USC, they're only allowing 11.5 points per game.
B is for big plays In one of the season's great statistic anomalies, the Hogs are last in the SEC and 109th in the country in time of possession despite being ranked fourth in the nation in rushing offense. How does that happen? Big plays. Arkansas is tied for 3rd in the nation in number of scoring drives under two minutes in length (17), and they're tied for second in the nation in number of scoring drives of five plays or less (22). Don't get conservative if you're fortunate enough to get ahead.
L is for lanky Six-foot, six-inch, 217-pound wide receiver Marcus Monk is having a banner year. In nine games, he's caught 33 passes for 642 yards and six TDs. He averages almost 20 yards per catch, and he's coming off a career game against the Gamecocks last week in which he caught eight balls for 291 yards. He's not Robert Meachem, but he's pretty good.
E is for ESPN GameDay ESPN College GameDay is coming to Fayetteville for the first time in school history. Break for haiku:
Game Day, Fayetteville Corso picks the Razorbacks The crowd goes hog wild
No doubt, Tennessee is going to have trouble with Arkansas. Yes, the Vols are 7-2. Yes, they're five points from an undefeated season. And yes, their passing offense is tops in the SEC. But the Big Orange run defense is . . . not so good this year. We gave up 281 yards to Air Force's (irony alert!) ground attack and 231 to LSU's. That's more (by a little) than each team's average. If the Hogs get better than their average on the ground this week, the Vols will need to score a lot of points to keep pace. The key to the game will be whether the Vols can do that with a good but green backup QB and a run offense struggling to establish itself.
Once again I feel the pressure, the pressure that I somewhat miss from college. The pressure that gets my blood pumping and attention alert. It is just enough to let me know that I’m really alive. I was just told that I need to have this blog sent in very shortly and just like so many papers over the course of my time at UVA I’ve got to get this done at the last minute.
What kind of student waits till the last minute to get his papers done? The kind that needs pressure to really thrive. In my young life I've found that one of my strongest qualities is the ability to perform under pressure. The same reason why I have aced last minute papers is the same reason why on fourth and 4, trailing by 5 with 3 seconds left on the clock, ball on the 10 yard line, I want the ball in my hands.
During my 3 and a half years at Virginia, this pressure I’m talking about was as apparent as the Rotunda. Outside of my dedication to the football program, I constantly had a test looming or a term paper that needed to be worked on or a lab that needed to be completed, or a book that needed to be read and so on. When asked what the biggest difference between playing college football and playing in the pros, my answer lies here. Over the last 11 years, I have always had school to occupy my time outside of meetings and practice. The pressure that I somewhat lived off of to get me from assignment to assignment in the classroom is no longer a part of my life. I’m faced with time off now that is my own free time to do whatever I want with no "responsibilities" outside of being a responsible professional athlete.
Not that I miss school, but I do admit that I miss the pressure that it gave me. I remember my first couple months in the League; I had no idea what to do with my free time during the season. I had just enough time to make me think that I needed to be doing something but didn’t have the energy to do it. So many of evenings were spent on my couch, which, just for the record, might be the most comfortable thing ever.
I ordered the premium cable package because it would have to be a perfect time consumer. I soon developed my opinion of TV. I grew up without cable. We had six channels and as a kid, there always seemed to be something on worth watching. This is where my theory on mega channel cable systems comes in. Since I had so many channels, I felt as though there always had to be something on that I REALLY wanted to watch. If I found something that looked interesting, I always wound up changing the channel because there had to be something else on that was better. As a kid, with six channels to choose from, my expectations were low, so anything half way decent was worth seeing. But now with 200 channels, my expectations for what it will give me are so high and the reality of the quality of shows today are so low that my mega channel T.V. experiment was unsuccessful to say the least.
I remember walking through the coaches office a couple of months ago. I didn’t have anything to do for a while so I stopped in one of my coaches office and asked if I could go over some game tape with him because I had some time to kill. He responded, "No Alvin, not time to kill. Time to be productive." A silly little coachism, but it actually had a big effect on the way I view my free time. Given my new ideology of leisure time, I have been able facilitate that same pressure on myself that I have surprisingly missed. On any given night you might catch me writing a new song on my guitar, cooking a delicious meal, or engrossed in a book (currently Piercing the Darkness by Frank Peretti) which are my current free-time occupiers. Low energy, purposeful stuff with just enough pressure to provide a good compliment to the pressures of professional football.
Okay, I’ve got to quickly end this thing because I have to get to bible study which starts in twenty minutes. My teammates often joke with me because I walk so fast. Little do they know that I always have somewhere to be.
I want to thank everyone who gave me such great suggestions on what to do and where to go while in South Bend, it was much appreciated. The bad news is I didn’t get to see every little thing I wanted to, but the good news is I saw enough to warrant a return visit. The folks in South Bend were more than hospitable and lived up to the advanced billing.
As for the rest of the weekend and the college football world:
Last week’s “Biggest Game in the History of the Big East” gave folks plenty of excitement on Thursday night as Louisville capitalized on turnovers and field position to hold off West Virginia in Lexington. I’ve been on the Papa John’s band wagon all season and last week was no exception. West Virginia is good, but at home the Cardinals proved to be too much.
And my how the tables have turned on the ACC. The Big East boys must be laughing all the way to the BCS rankings as they watch their once ravaged league make the ACC look less than smart for sacrificing basketball tradition in favor of pigskin. Everything ebbs and flows but the ACC is one of the worst conferences in football and the Big East has two teams that would crush any Atlantic Coast challenger.
PS…Rutgers plays in the Big East too. Unfortunately for them, their fate was decided before the season started when no one thought they would be worth a bada-bing. (Sorry, I know. New Jersey, the Sopranos. It’s been done.) But the Scarlet Knights are undefeated and ranked 13th in the BCS. Dropping from 12th because they didn’t win this weekend, oh wait, they didn’t play. Don’t get me started on the frustration of that rationale. John Saunders on ESPN’s The Sports Reporters contended this is a shining example of why the polls shouldn’t even come out until later in the season, and I agree with him.
Michigan, Ohio State, please don’t scare us like you did last weekend. I usually don’t cheer for the undefeated teams to win at the end of the season so #1 and #2 can play without controversy but when it’s Michigan/Ohio State and it’s in the regular season, I do. Take this past weekend as warning (and I believe you will) because two weeks from now will be special no matter what, but both of you being perfect will make it unreal.
For NCAA Football fans, game day is “D-day” but practice is where it all begins.
A football player has to trust in his training. They have to be mentally tough. Being mentally tough is as important as the physical toughness.A famous Marine General once said, “positions are seldom lost due to enemy action unless they’re first lost in the mind of the commander.” In a football game there’s always a time when both sides believe the issue is at doubt. The side that remains mentally tough, trusts in their training and leadership and refuses to believe they’ve lost- WILL WIN!The side that remains focused and committed to its mission will achieve victory. 95 men who remain focused on the mission can’t be beaten.
Practice is so important that my staff and I plan every single minute. individual team periods, 9 on 7 periods, you name it. We strive for energy and a mentality of effort from the moment we hit the practice field. We go full speed just like in a game. Players have to feel like they’re going to win Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday just like on Saturday.
We want them to believe they can do something remarkable. They sleep eight hours, eat right, go to class, practice hard, really hard. Sure they could be doing more fun things like going to the beach, being on MySpace, just chill’in. But football’s not a vacation. They’re doing something worthwhile with their lives. Because of their efforts we may go undefeated, have the best record in school history or both. They’re hungry for success. Hungry to be remarkable. Their parents will be proud of them, they go to a great school, play for a 1AA juggernaut, they probably bore their friends and neighbors with the things their sons are doing.
Our motto is “continuous effort”- in the weight room, practice, game time. Play hard every play, use good technique and success follows. The beauty of the system is that we’ve got ‘em. We’ve seen the players execute at a high level so they’ve come to expect it too.
We won a game 56-3 earlier in the season. Afterward linebacker Ronnie Pentz said he was disappointed that we didn’t get the shut out then went on to say, “we’ll get it next week.” The next day after practice I told them “practice is over. There’s no more time for practice.” I always tell the guys that with every practice you get better or you get worse, but you never stay the same.” So our red shirt sophomore, J.T. Rogan yells out and they all chime in… “did we get better Coach?” “Yeah” I said, “we got better.”
I believe in swagger. Guilty as charged!There’s genius in it. There’s magic in it! There’s power in it!You are what you do. I tell the guys we have a big X on our backs. We’re targets for every opponent we play and if they knock us off it’ll be like they won the Super Bowl.”
We can have excellence without scholarships. Here at the University of San Diego we believe we have attained excellence. It’s not just talk. We have it on tape. You see the hunger in our runs, hits, hustles and hard play. Our opponents have to look at those tapes and say, “oh no! What have we gotten ourselves in to?”What we put on tape this week our next opponent has to look at.
The swagger has got to be there. You can get hurt if you don’t believe it. Every game is a matter of competing and opposing wills. Every game provides a special opportunity to achieve greatness. Those opportunities don’t come around that often so you have to take advantage of them. I challenge the Toreros to make history. To make the kind of history that people want to read about in Sunday’s paper. The kind of history they’ll want to read about and remember 20 years from now. Then have fun and enjoy the moment, including this weekend’s game: San Diego at Jacksonville.
Jim Harbaugh begins his third year as the University of San Diego head football coach and quarterbacks coach. Harbaugh, a former NFL quarterback who played 15 seasons in the league played in 177 league games with 140 starts since originally entering the NFL as a first round pick by the Chicago Bears in 1987. Harbaugh was a four-year letterman at the University of Michigan and finished his college career in the top five in passing attempts, completions, completion percentage, passing yards and touchdown passes.
This weekend marks a monumental moment in all our lives. And by all our lives I mean the people sitting in this room right now. So, me.
Because this weekend, I journey to the Mecca, where football is tradition and touchdowns have their own holy figure.
This weekend, the Every Game Counts crew (again, me) makes its first road trip to the one place that oozes NCAA Football: South Bend, Indiana and the University of Notre Dame.
I am technically going for a football game. However I’m not sure just how long this sporting event will be considered a “game.” The Tar Heels limp in to South Bend with but one win under their belts and Irish looking to work out some kinks before the annual showdown with Southern Cal.
Yes, the game is why we planned the trip, but the experience, the place, the aura is the reason we’re going!
I have been practicing the line, “This is the most beautiful site, these eyes have ever seen,” with my best Irish-American accent in front of the mirror since September. And I can almost force a tear out of my right eye at the same time.
The promise of snow earlier this week got my heart and mind racing. A little winter majesty would complete the day, but I am fine with blue skies and sunshine. I think the rest of my party will be much more accommodating with the latter.
But I need help folks! If you’ve been to South Bend, and even better, if you make the trip every weekend let me know where to go, what to see, what to eat!
I am sure I can figure out my way around, and getting lost on the palatial campus would be fun for a while. I wouldn’t mind some landmarks to look out for though.
So if there are any golden domers out there, or visiting fans who can appreciate the place, speak up. And if you plan on being near Touchdown Jesus this weekend as well, keep a look out for me.
One of the most enjoyable football games I have ever experienced in real life ended with my left foot being crushed by a 300-pound lineman.
Let me explain.
My freshman year at Cal began in the fall of 2002, and at that time I hated UCLA more than I hated pretty much anything else in the universe. If you had given me the option of either A) saying something nice about the school/students/faculty/football program, B) shooting myself in the face or C) locking myself in a Dykstra Hall triple for the rest of eternity, I probably would have had to go with Secret Option D, which entailed an economy-sized box of Tylenol PM and a private hospital bed.
Seriously, I hated the 2002 Bruins more than I had ever hated another sports team in my life up to that point. So when the Bears defeated the Bruins that season in the most bizarre fashion possible, I couldn’t have been happier if the university had suddenly announced it was adding a class entitled “Eating 17 Bowls of Cap’n Crunch Per Day 101” to the graduation requirements.
On fourth down with two seconds left in the game and Cal leading 17-10, QB Kyle Boller threw a pass 40 yards directly backwards into his own end zone, where WR Jonathan Makonnen was waiting. Makonnen waited for the seconds to tick off the clock, then strolled out of bounds, giving up a meaningless safety to end the contest. Final score: Bears 17, Bruins 12, and it was time to rush the field!
But as I, along with several thousand other rabid Cal students, mobbed the players, a lineman was trying to get out of the way and inadvertently (I hope) stomped on my food. My screams of pain were misinterpreted as cries of celebration, and I was forced to limp off the field without assistance. But hey, no pain, no gain. One throbbing appendage was more than worth the ecstasy of defeating my least favorite team in the world.
Fast forward to Saturday. The only pain felt by Bears fans in Memorial Stadium will be nightmarish flashbacks to Maurice Drew’s fourth-quarter brilliance in last year’s Cal-UCLA debacle. Bruins fans, on the other hand, should brace themselves for a world of hurt. Picture the field as one giant voodoo doll; DeSean Jackson sprinting past exhausted cornerbacks for TDs, Marshawn Lynch breaking 24 ankles on an 11-man defensive front, Nate Longshore rifling passes downfield without a defender even sniffing his jersey — these are the pins that will be repeatedly jabbed into the doll.
There won’t be any rushing the field this year, my friends. Just an old-school methodical beat-down.
I live in the insurance and financial services world by day but let nothing quell my passion for college football. My playing career was chopped down in its prime by a torn finger ligament in ninth grade but my love for the sport and atmosphere of college football only grew. It’s still the only thing that gets me up early on Saturday morning.
There’s no denying it, the coaching carousel is in full spin this week. And probably for many more weeks to come.
