Week 4 Report

The Metropolitan Athletic Club of Dallas , Texas

The 2007 National Return Specialist Award



WEEK 4: RETURN MAN AWARD REPORT, THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 22, 2007:

Week 4 continues with three dominant teams- #1USC, #2LSU and #4 OU- crushing the opposition while #3Florida struggled on the road at Ole Miss.#5West Virginia and #6Cal cruised and #7Texas, finally at full strength, looked like the monster sportswriters predicted. The Curse of the Big Ten Network rears its ugly head again- #8Ohio State destroys Northwestern, but #9Wisconsin struggles again and #10Penn State flopped to Michigan. Coupled with the fact that every other team was playing on OTHER television network obligations, the league network was stuck with Indiana-Illinois as the premier game. #22Georgia nipped #16Alabama, #11Oregon rolled and #20Texas A&M was thumped on Thursday night by Miami, turning up the heat on Aggies Head Coach Dennis Franchione.

For some reason, this week saw a lack of defense and it haunted all the teams for the most part-- #18Louisville fell 3 points short of previously winless Syracuse; Texas Tech and Oklahoma State combined for nearly 3/4 of a mile of offense in the Cowboys win. #24Nebraska gave up 600 yards to Ball State, yet still escaped with a 1 point win over the Cardinals (but lost its spot in the Top 25 for next week). Iowa State is still struggling after losing to its second MAC team of the year in Toledo but both Kansas and Mizzou have tallied 4-0 starts under the radar.

This week sees a few warm ups: the Big East and Pac 10 have some early conference challenges, while the SEC sees which team bounces back- Auburn from its early season disappointment or Florida from its scare in Oxford. A neutral site non-conference showdown hits in Jacksonville, where Alabama and Florida State collide.

Our weekly trip through history gives us the following random notes:

� Notre Dame is 0-4 for the first time in 119 years. In 1887, Notre Dame fielded a team after learning the new game from some students at the University of Michigan . Also in that year the US Naval received permission from the Senate to lease a base at Pearl Harbor in what was then the Kingdom of Hawaii . The monarchy would fall in 1893 and fall under US authority shortly thereafter.

� Notre Dame unveiled a statue of Irish coaching great Ara Parseghian last week at Notre Dame Stadium. To contrast the "Era of Ara", the 10 year period in which Parseghian roamed the sidelines with the current decade: Parseghian's teams won 3 out of 4 bowl games and never lost more than 3 games in a single season and one lost back to back one (losses to close the season at Southern Cal and the Orange Bowl against Nebraska in 1972. The last ten years of Notre Dame football have seen 5 losing seasons (not including the current 0-4 record) and at least 13 sets of back to back losses.

� Keeping with the Irish theme: they lost to Michigan State for the 6th straight time at home, meaning that the Sparties became the first team to hold that over the Irish's heads and that they haven't tasted defeat at Notre Dame Stadium since 1993-when the first late night talk show battles started. That year, The Late Show with David Letterman was first broadcast on CBS opposite The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC and NBC introduced Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

� In defeating Northwestern in Columbia , The Ohio State Buckeyes played their 500th game in Ohio Stadium, fondly known as 'The Horseshoe'. The stadium opened in 1922 at a cost of $1.49Million. The Buckeyes� record in the stadium on the banks of the Olentangy River is 376-104-20. 1922 also marks the beginning of construction on Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and the first radio in the White House.

Highlights from this week's action:

* Out in the islands after everyone was sleeping, Hawaii dismantled Charleston Southern, 66-10. The Warriors reeled off 45 points in the second half. Leading the way was JR DB Ryan Mouton who had a 90 yard kickoff return.



* Ohio lost by a point to Wyoming , but it wasn't for the Bobcats' SOPH WR Chris Garrett returning the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown. It tied Jerry France vs. BGSU in 1964 for second longest return in Ohio history.



* Second quarter of Idaho-Northern Illinois had a blocked punt in the end zone for a score, a fumbled recovered in the end zone for another score and a 100 yard kickoff return by Idaho's SOPH S Shiloh Keo. The first two events were NIU's gains, but Keo set a new Idaho school record.



* Toledo's SR HB Jalen Parmele had an 82 yard kickoff return in the Rockets' upset of Iowa State. Parmele returned a kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, marking the first time the Rockets have returned a kickoff for a score since Richard Davis raced 94 yards against Western Illinois on Sept. 1, 2005.



* In the Sooners' pistol-whipping of Tulsa on Friday night, OU FR HB Demarco Murray had an 81 yard kickoff return vs Tulsa



* Syracuse's FR DB Max Sutter had a 93 yard kickoff return in the Orange's 35-38 upset of Louisville . It was Syracuse's first KO returned for a score since Kevin Johnson returned one 100 yards vs Miami (FL) in 1998.



* UCLA SR DB Matt Slater had an 85 yard kickoff return in the Bruin's44-31 win over Washington . This was the first kickoff return score for the Bruins since Brandon Breazell had two against Northwestern in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 30, 2005. It was the first kickoff returned for a touchdown by a Washington opponent since Ben Kelly of Colorado returned one for 98 yards on Sept. 25, 1999.



* Arkansas's JR RB Felix Jones 82 yard free kick return in the Razorbacks� loss to Kentucky . This makes the 4th kick return score of his career (and 2nd of this season), tying Willie Gault of Tennessee,in the 42-29 loss to the Cats.




* Northwestern's FR TB Stephen Simmons had a 99 yard punt return vs. Ohio State in the Wildcats�58-7 loss in Columbus . It marked the first occurrence since Jeff Backes returned a 97 yard kickoff in 2004 and tied Curtis Duncan's effort vs Indiana in 1984 and is just behind Jason Wright�s 100 yard school record vs TCU in 2002.



* Purdue's SR WR Desmond Tardy jumpstarted things with a 95 yard kickoff to score in the Boilermakers' 45-31 win over Minnesota . Tardy's scoring kickoff return is the second for the Boilermakers this season, marking the first time a Purdue team returned two kickoffs for touchdowns since 1972. The season record for a Purdue team is three in 1970.




* Mizzou's FR WR Jeremy Maclin marked a second return score on a 64 yard punt against Illinois State . With the return Maclin becomes the first Tiger to return two punts in a season since Leo Lewis did in 1975. He is also the fourth Tiger to have two punt return touchdowns is his career. The others are Lewis, John Mosely in 1973 and Don Smith in 1960.




* NC State's SR WR Darrell Blackman had a 99 yard KO return in the first quarter of Clemson�s comeback over NC State. Senior return specialist/wide receiver Darrell Blackman, the ACC's all-time leader in kickoff return average, scored two touchdowns, the first on a school-record 99-yard kickoff return in the first quarter.

� Virginia Tech's SR WR Eddie Royal posted a 44 yard punt returns score vs. William & Mary Tech wasted little time getting back at it in the second quarter. The Hokies forced a W&M punt on the third snap of the period, and Eddie Royal - after making two sharp cuts in the first five yards - turned on the jets and returned it 60 yards for his second-career punt return touchdown.

Moving Up: Kevin Robinson, Utah State- The SR WR looks like he's trying to put an exclamation point on his return career. After notching 3 punt returns and 2 kickoff returns for touchdowns over his career, Robinson had a slow start as the Aggies played UNLV, at Wyoming and at OU. However, a solid evening against San Jose State bumped Robinson to #8 nationally in punt returns. He put up 78 yards on 3 punt returns, increasing his average by nearly 25% to 19.50 yards/return.

Moving Down: Captain Munnerlyn, South Carolina- Alas, Captain, My Captain, the SOPH DB is ranked next to last in the SEC�s kickoff returns, despite having 2x as many return opportunities as the next guy. He ranks 95th out of 99 nationally with his 21.50 yards/kickoff return- a full 0.50 yards ahead of #99.

Game of the Week for Week 5
#5West Virginia @ #18 South Florida
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Florida

Last season, South Florida upset then #7West Virginia for only their second loss in Morgantown over the past 2 years. Now, it's the Bulls who claim the big home field advantage:11-2 at home since they joined the Big East from Conference USA in 2005 and the Mountaineers have revenge on their minds.

WVU Headman Rich Rodriguez flirted with the Alabama head coaching position last winter, only to gaze upon what he had in place and realized that the grass wasn't greener on the other side. How does one say that when looking at the support, talent and history of the Crimson Tide? It's simple:Rodriguez took a look at an offense headed up by hiccup-quick JR QB Pat White and JR HB Steve Slaton and threw in Youtube Superstar FR HB Noel Devine. Backing up the spread option attack is a defense that ranks 15th in the nation, lead by the linebacking trio of JR LB Mortty Ivy, SR Marc Magro and JR LB Reed Williams.

South Florida's head coach, Jim Leavett, has been equally as popular lately- with Kansas State asking for permission a few years back when legendary Wildcat coach Bill Snyder retired. After building the program up from scratch and coaching every game in the Bulls' history, the Bulls are living up to their potential behind SOPH QB Matt Grothe and his ground game: a two headed monster of JR HB Ben Williams and Crimson Tide refugee FR HB Mike Ford. An opportunistic defense has helped lead the way to upsets vs. North Carolina and at Auburn. SE DE George Selvie has tallied 8.5 sacks through the first 3 games and SOPH FS Nate Allen is tied for 9th in the NCAA with 2 interceptions for the year.

Rats Off the Sinking Ship

The quarterback who started the season opener for Notre Dame has left for Cincinnati.

Former No 1 National Tight End Recruit Konrad Rueland has also decided to leave South Bend.

Now backup guard Chris Stewart may be picking up his toys and transferring. Rumors have Stewart back in the Houston area contemplating transferring instead of facing off with Purdue.

Hot Time in River City

Evidently, the heat is turning up on new Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe, who has now tallied a loss in exactly 1/2 of the Cardinals' games. Yes, the shootout vs. Kentucky was a rivalry game that the Wildcats had circled on their calendar with their All-SEC Sr QB, Andre Woodson.

But losing to Syracuse AT HOME-- the same Syracuse that's been 5-18 the past 2 years is a little tough to swollow for a team that's been consistently in the Top 10.

RIP, Blackshirts

I never really thought it would come to this, but sadly, not only is Nebraska not known for a dominant ground game that defined the Cornhuskers for decades, but somewhere over the Bill Callahan Expirement, the famed Blackshirts forgot how to play defense.

Coming out of Week 4, the Huskers sport a 3-1 record, with a loss to #1USC. IF that was were everything stopped, it wouldn't be bad. However, looking into the numbers shows just how much Big Red has shrunk:

First off 3 wins: Two of the wins aren't any reason to celebrate. The Huskers held off Ball State - the same Ball State that has never beaten a D-IA team- by 1 point in Lincoln. Nebraska beat a plucky Wake Forest squad that was missing its starting QB by 3 on Tobacco Road. These are both teams that the Huskers should have dismissed as easily as Nevada in the opener.

99. AS in 99th out of 119 in rushing defense. This isn't like it's been Miami vs. Virginia Tech, this is during the period of the schedule when the cupcakes are gobbled up by the big boys. NU is at the bottom of the conference

29. As in 29 points per game yielded by the famed Blackshirts.

75th- ranking in total yards/game. Texas Tech gave up over 600 yards to Oklahoma State last week and is still in front of the Bugeaters.

12 out of 12. Dead last in tackles for losses and sacks in the Big XII.

Run, Felix, Run!

Arkansas' Felix Jones goes to the house on another kickoff return vs Kentucky in Fayetteville.

DeMarco Murray Kickoff Return for TD @ Tulsa 9/21/07

OU's Redshirt Freshman HB takes one back under the Friday Night Lights vs. Tulsa

Derrick Williams PR TD against Notre Dame

The speedy WR for the Nittany Lions takes the punt 78 yards to the endzone in Penn State's blowout of Notre Dame

Not So Big Red

USC's undressing of Nebraska on national TV was another reality check for the storied Cornhusker program. Riding high at 2-0, the Huskers had garnered a #14 ranking heading into the showdown. But one must ask if that ranking would have been there if it wasn't for the history surrounding the program-- why was this Nebraska team any better than, say, Mizzou at 3-0. The Huskers had dominated the opener against Nevada, but the fabled Blackshirt D had given up 200+ yards to Wake Forest.

While the Big XII holds its breath and hopes for a team of power to develop in the North and challenge the South division schools, people are starting to wonder if the window is closing on the Cornhuskers. Once the dominant force in the league, the Children of the Corn may not even be the best in their division. They will be tested by Mizzou's offense and a quickly rebuilt K-State, who was the first to show the nation that Auburn was mortal when they went to the wire with the Tigers on the Plains. Throw in the fact that the Wildcats have split the past 10 games with Big Red, and suddenly the tilt in November could have large implications. Colorado is showing great strides under Dan Hawkins and Kansas is undefeated, even though they have yet to play any team of merit.

Big 10(Eleven) Still Reeling

The Big 10 felt alright with Michigan pounding a pitiful Notre Dame team this week to avoid 0-3 for the Wolverines, but the conference took a beating on other fronts. The bellcow for the league, Ohio State, easily dispatched Washington and most of the conference continues to feast on the cupcakes. There's nothing wrong with that, but still.....

Bad News....
Wisconsin beat The Citadel by 14, but was tied at the half at HOME. This comes just one week after the Badgers snuck out of Las Vegas with a narrower win. Pitt stretched Michigan State before the Sparties won by 4.

More disturbing was Duke's win at Northwestern---to end a 22 game losing streak for the Blue Devils against D-I competition.

But wait! There's more...Rebuilding Minnesota lost to Florida Atlantic--yes, the Owls who have been playing D-I football since 2004 in the Sun Belt with no conference titles and no bowl games--took down Minnesota's Golden Gophers, who have played football for almost 125 years and have claimed 6 national titles and 18 conference championships.

And even worse....
Iowa lost 13-15 to Iowa State. The Cyclones get the Cy-Hawk Trophy for the 7th time in the last 10 years, but how do the Hawkeyes drop this one? Iowa State had lost at home to Kent State and Northern Iowa under first year coach Gene Chizik. Surely Kirk Ferentz, at one time thought to be one of the greatest minds in college football this decade when he went 31-7 from 2002-2004, hasn't fallen this far.

Thankfully, Illinois defeated Big East cellar-dweller Syracuse in a matchup of coaches that have 6-20 (Ron Zook with the Illini) and 5-21 (Greg Robinson at Syracuse) since being hired in 2004.

Congrats, Dukies.....

Perhaps the greatest poetic justice in college sports is Duke. Yes, here is Duke, the academic bastion that somehow recruits the best basketball players in the world to play for a man with a strange last name and they dominate everyone. They're good in women's hoops. Lacrosse. Soccer. I'm sure they're good in tiddleywinks.

But they are baaaaaaaaaaaad in the one sport a majority of the NCAA membership relies upon to fund their athletic departments: football.

Still, the Blue Devils defeated Northwestern this past week 20-14 ON THE ROAD. The first win against a D-IA opponent in 22 games. The last major victory was against Clemson in Nov. 2005. The last time they went on the road to beat a D-I team was even longer--North Carolina in 2004.

Brandon Tate Kickoff Return TD

This was Tate's 2nd kickoff return for a score in his career, against Notre Dame last year. Tate now has 3 kickoff returns for scores in his career and 2 punts for a touchdown. His last was a punt return this week against E.Carolina.

Desean Jackson 77 yard punt return for TD vs. Tennessee

A great statement for the first weekend of the season

So When Does Michigan Start Playing For Next Year?

OK, if I'm gonna give Notre Dame all the grief for rebuilding but not officially rebuilding per Charlie Weis, then I've got to ask the same question of similarly performing 0-2 Michigan.

Yes, it's a little tougher here- Everyone thinks that seemingly lame duck head coach Lloyd Carr will either be chased off or fade into the sunset after this year, but Carr has one thing that the Irish didn't: a returning senior starter at quarterback.

Now, Chad Henne has put up great numbers, but most Michigan fans believe them to be rather hollow. Going 0-3 against Ohio State and 0-3 in bowls as the starter tends to do that. The fact that Michigan struggled to score until it was too late against D-IAA Appalachian State and couldn't muster more double digits against a good, but not great Oregon team (the Ducks are ranked 97th in total defense through 2 games--including the beatdown in Ann Arbor), just don't help bolster any confidence.

And what's the problem? You've got a Heisman Hopeful in Mike Hart. Yes, Hart's been limited, but it's not like he's playing behind UL-Lafayette's line. Michigan has Big Jake Long at tackle. There are playmakers in the WR corp--including Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington. So now Carr is listed as week to week with a 'leg injury'.

Sadly, the future is now for Michigan fans--start seeing what ya got with young Ryan Mallett. The 6'7" gunslinger from Texarkana has been named starting QB. This is a good thing-although it has the potential to get very ugly. Of course, taking your licks in a season that has already been written off is far better than learning on the fly when the Wolverines are still in the hunt for a national title or at least a little national respect.

But will Carr do it? If he's coaching to keep his job, then he'll probably go with the best/most experienced player (Henne). If Carr recognizes that the future probably doesn't include him, where is his motivation to take lumps so the next coach can inherit a seasoned QB? Finally, Carr has a well-established reputation for loyalty, so is it a stretch to see him as loyal to the Senior Henne or perhaps let his staff showcase their best in efforts to help with the impending changing of the guard?

Spurrier Calls The Dawgs Out....

The great thing about Steve Spurrier (as long as he's not coaching a rival or the team you are about to play or the team that just defeated you) is that he's a quote machine. Yes, Texas Tech's Mike Leach will wax philosophical on a variety of subjects, but Spurrier throws darts......darts armed with nuclear warheads.

Case in point-- this week after conquering Georgia in Athens--Spurrier pulled the anti-Lou Holtz. Holtz, Spurrier's predecessor at South Carolina would praise, praise, praise the opponent before the game. Spurrier came right out and said it:" It wasn't like they were some big, powerful team. Kentucky and Vandy beat 'em last year"....

Ironically, the last SEC East Team that the Bulldogs did win was Spurrier's South Carolina squad last September in Columbia, 18-0.

What Has Happened to the ACC?

Virginia Tech, Florida State and Miami have been smacked on national TV in the first two weeks of the season. Defending champ Wake Forest blows the chance to knock off a resurgent Nebraska. North Carolina loses to East Carolina. Virginia loses to Wyoming.
Duke is still Duke and NC State is starting to become Duke. The saving grace in the league seems to be Georgia Tech, Clemson and BC. But none of those strike fear into the national conscience and at least one will fall from the ranks of the undefeated this weekend.

Ironically, the ACC doesn't even have the interconference swagger that the Big East does---the Big East has a 3-1 record vs other BCS squads. yup, go ahead and raid the best three programs from that league and all of a sudden, the ACC is 1-4 vs the BCS conferences (and that 1 is vs. Notre Dame). The mark will probably go to 2-4 with Florida State's game vs a rebuilding Colorado, but still, it's a sad statement.

Tired of Big Ten Talk? Sorry, It's Back & Ego-Centric

While I was rummaging through the channels last week, I stumbled upon the Big Ten Network and their attempts to spin the Michigan loss at home to Appalachian State.
I believe it was the Detroit New's beat writer for the Wolverines, Angelique S. Chengelis, who said in a TV interview with the BTN that this loss showed her just how much Michigan is hated around the country.

I disagree. Don't confuse the joy of the underdog shocking one of the perennial powers with hatred. You want hatred? Try Notre Dame. These guys have the cash, the history, their own TV network and they dictate terms to the Big East for all the other sports due to their name, yet the Irish are the one truly independent team in college football. Go ahead and call them the Yankees of college football. Unfortunately, the Wolverines are much more like the Boston Red Sox--- lots of cash, some great names, media love galore, sell a lot of uniforms, a great stadium, etc.

But no one really HATES the BoSox or for that matter, outside of Columbus,OH or East Lansing very few really hate Michigan.

This wasn't about 'hating Michigan' but more so the American Dream-- anyone can do anything with their life. If doesn't matter if you're the smallest guy going against the biggest. People mistake rooting FOR Appalachian State with rooting AGAINST Michigan. It could have been Miami, Alabama, USC, Texas, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and the roar of approval would have been just as loud-- a matter of fact, it was just as loud last year when underdog Boise State took down OU in the Fiesta Bowl.

Sadly, Michigan fans are coming across like the Royal Family in the movie "The Queen"--sadly out of touch with just how spoiled they are and harboring an entitlement complex that makes the Blue out to be more of a villain than noble example.

Weiss Mails It In--But THIS IS NOT A REBUILDING YEAR

Remember when Charlie Weiss was adamant that despite a new QB, a new defensive scheme, a new WR corp, a new tailback--- 2007 was not a rebuilding year? He even went so far as to claim that The Almighty should strike him down if he mumbled the words.

Well, lightening hasn't struck South Bend just yet--maybe because God talked with his attorneys and was advised to wait for the actual verbatim statement from Wiess on rebuilding was uttered-- but the actions say that it's close to being so.

Weiss sheltered the program's 3 headed QB beast by not announcing a starter until the day of the Georgia Tech game. A strategic masterpiece as the Irish didn't score a touchdown for the first time since Charlie came to Notre Dame. He played all 3 QB's and all 3 looked pretty bad.

Now, Weiss has announced the Jimmy Clause will start the Penn State game. Clausen is now ruled battlefield ready from an elbow surgery that was kept under wraps over the spring and summer and gets his chance as starter this Saturday against JoePa's boys. Sadly, this screams 'give up'--for the obvious reason. With a blue chip QB already committed for next year, Weiss needs to know if Clausen's the real deal. And no coach invests the future of a program in seniors if they know that the present won't be very good. Take you lumps with youngsters and see if they can play and build for the future instead of getting walloped with upperclassmen that won't be here in 2 years.

Irish faithful are looking at trips to State College and Ann Arbor, then seeing a home game with Michigan State, followed by trips to Purdue and UCLA, chased by a visit from USC. There is a realistic chance that Notre Dame starts the season 0-7.
If that's the case, it's better to build for the future instead of letting some seniors beat up on the Service Academies, Duke and Stanford.

Jimmy, your audition starts now.

Coddled One Time Blue Chip Continues to Shoot Himself in the Foot

According to the Baltimore Sun, Maryland Backup QB Josh Portis has been accused of copying another student's homework. Portis was supposed to play this season, but has now been declared academically ineligible by UM. He admitted to violating the school's honor code, but no details were given.

While Portis may not be a household name to the average football fan, just a few years back he was supposed to be the next thing.....at least according to his momma. Back in 2005, she announced to the Gainesville Sun that her son needed to be at a school where all of his talents can be taken care of"......read into that "not sit on the bench behind former #1 National QB Recruit Chris Leak and pushed by future program savior Tim Tebow". While the idea of knocking Leak off was a bit much , the concept of Portis reading the tea leaves with Tebow is a stretch--especially since Tebow had yet to sign with the Gators by the time Portis left.

Digging back a little more to Portis' high school days, you see his mom moved him around several high schools in California, then they committed to Utah after their BCS run with Alex Smith. Of course, that was coached by Meyer, who left for Florida and Portis followed (not a major shock there). Of course, this just goes to show that Portis in less than 6 years has had commitments (whether binding or not) at 6 academic institutions-- 3 California High Schools as well as Utah, Florida, Maryland.

His mom was the mouthpiece through which the decision to move Portis from Florida, announcing on a Thursday night to the Gainesville media, only to have Josh confirm the next morning. She had also been a beat writer's dream with comments and quotes since she couldn't stand the empty nest in LA and moved with her son 3,000 miles to Florida as he enrolled.

I'm sure she'll have a good excuse for this latest incident as well. Or at least creative, but something tells me it won't be about responsibility. It's never her son's fault.

Yeah, we all knew kids like this who were about as sharp as a bag of wet hair, but their mom just had to put him in that honors physics class and it was the teacher's fault that her kid was failing. Or that the 5'4", 120 lb kid that couldn't walk and chew gum was being cheated out of starting by the coach. Never mind the 6'3" 240 lb mass of muscle that had just signed with State might really just be better.

MAKE UP YOUR MIND ALREADY!

In a story that just won't go away, Oregon State return stud Sammie Stroughter has now returned to the team for the Beavers' showdown with Cincy. While I would like to make some comment on this, ESPN has a nice write up and I'm tired of saying one thing only to be contradicted less than a week later.

Stroughter Likely Out For Season

One of last year's Return Man Award finalists, Sammie Stroughter, likely will not play for Oregon State this season. Perhaps best known for his punt return score in the Beaver's upset of USC last year, Stroughter has been missing from the OSU teams since August 8th, and released a statement explaining the situation.

Whether Stroughter will return to the team this season at this time is unknown.

North Texas Coach Gets A Taste of Karma

The past 8 months in Dallas/Fort Worth have been about the new era that will dawn in Denton at the campus of the University of North Texas. The Mean Green hired Todd Dodge, the mastermind behind the local high school powerhouse, Southlake Carroll. His Dragons had mopped up the top classification in Texas High School football- winning 4 5A titles in the past 5 years. He was to be the next coach that made the jump directly from high school to D-I college.

However, Dodge and his North Texas squad were on the receiving end of a 79-10 blowout by OU, giving Dodge that bitter taste that he gave many opposing high school coaches. Perhaps it's karma--although it wasn't a shock.

Dodge's hype has been tempered by the comparisons to Dennis Parker--the former Texas high school coach that lead Marshall to the state title, then signed on with UNT in 1991 as the head coach. Ironically, he brought Dodge to Denton as an assistant coach on his staff. Sadly, that staff only lasted 3 seasons.

The other great name that is bandied about? Gerry Faust and his trip from running Cincinnati Moeller and jumped to Notre Dame in 1981. He only won 30 games and resigned in 1985.

Of course folks forget that Faust won his first game after taking over for Dan Devine-- upsetting LSU 27-9 and then it fell apart for the Irish who finished 5-6.

Perhaps the opposite will come true for UNT-- the Eagles play two games in which they are bringing the proverbial knife to a gunfight(road dates at OU and Arkansas)-- before settling into the Sun Belt. Their other two nonconference games are against Navy and SMU.

Rough Week for Former Texas Defensive Coordinators

The last 3 defensive coordinators at Texas were: Greg Robinson/Dick Twomey; Gene Chizik and now, Duane Akina.

This has been a rough week for all involved. Consider this-- the first three names all left one of the strongest programs in the history of college football surrounded by a talent pool so deep, no one can see the bottom. The unfortunate fact is that they left for places where the talent depth was equal to the uncomfortably warm kiddy pool at most country clubs-- Tomey to San Jose State, Robinson to Syracuse, Chizik to Iowa State.

While Tomey has been able to get the Spartans to respectability (they won a very quiet 9 games last year), they started off this season by being runover by Arizona State, 45-3.

Robinson seems mired in the muck of Upstate New York (going 5-18 over the past 2 years and 1 game). Losing at home 42-12 to a Washington team that battled Stanford for the bottom of the Pac10 last year and was breaking in a new QB, doesn't get any of the heat off of his squad.

Chizik, who had created nightmare defenses at both UT and Auburn, promptly took the Iowa State job, changed the uniforms and then went on to lose his debut, 23-14 to Kent State at home. Consider that Kent St had 3 turnovers inside the Iowa State 20 yard line and it gets scarier.

And finally, Akina, the man that is now holding the reigns on the defense for the Longhorns. A loyal soldier who has more than paid his dues, Akina, may feel the most heat. His defense looked unimpressive against lowly Arkansas State in Austin. Yes, their were suspensions. Yes, new starters were in place (especially since last year's swiss cheese secondary sent 3 players to the NFL draft). Yes, his charges held off 3 penetrations by the Indians with no points.

However, Akina's job is the toughest. He is at a school ranked in the Top 5. Mack Brown has recruited talent well, so much it seems like the Horns simply restock the secondary like a teenager restocks lima beans at a grocery store. The others left Texas and its success for places that haven't seen the success that has happened at the 40 Acres. Luckily, Akina will get a great chance next week matching up with a ranked TCU squad coming to town. Hopefully, that will turn down some of the pressure...

FEAR & LOATHING IN THE MIDWEST

It's the first week of the season and it seems that it's already in the ditch for two of the biggest names in college football:

Michigan & Notre Dame.

Yes, those Titans of the Game. Those schools ranked #1 & #2 in all-time winning percentage and combined for 22 national titles.

Both are 0-1, after losing their openers AT HOME. Yes, The House That Rockne Built and The Big House aren't the same foreboding places that they once were or perhaps it's simply that the teams that play in them aren't as good as many had hoped.

With its loss to unranked Georgia Tech, Notre Dame is now on a 3 game losing streak. With its loss to D-IAA Appalachian State, Michigan is now on a 3 game losing streak.

And it doesn't get any better for either squad. Michigan gets Oregon-- a team with as much talent as App State possessed and more money from Nike than most 3rd world countries' GDPs. Notre Dame gets JoePa and Penn State--hardly the matchup that Charlie Weiss wanted.

The only good news is that Michigan plays Notre Dame in 2 weeks, meaning that at least one school will have a win by Week 4.

Remove The Media Altogether

No, I don't mean we should forgo the First Amendment and rid the world of information the media provides. What I do mean, however, is that we should eliminate it as a cog in the wheel of college football determinations. With the NFL, it doesn't matter who Collinsworth picks to win the NFC South, NFC, or the Superbowl. It is determined on the field. Not so much in college football. Before the pigskin is launched into the air for the season's opening kickoff, many teams have already received a sealed fate from the media. While some teams are able to claw their way into the BCS rankings, despite minimal preseason rankings, it is clear that the top spots must be within reach from the beginning. Now, part of me should be glad for this. My beloved LSU Tigers are near the top of most polls. So, this should bode well for my season as long as we take care of business on the field. The common sense in me, however, screams otherwise. We should remove this bias as a part of the game. Sure, we have taken a mighty step by eliminating the AP poll as a determining factor, but there's more that needs to be done. I am willing to accept a BCS poll that statistically determines the winner. I also realize we cannot go by win/loss records alone. But, to know that the media is run by money gained from their own televised games, reeks of impropriety. It is in their vested interest to hype Notre Dame every year, despite the obvious lack of success the conscious world expects. I wonder how they will manage to get the struggling Irish into a bowl this year.

Well, it is easy to sit here and whine, but what is the solution? The answer is not simple. It means pulling apart the BCS formulas and eliminating any considerations given to media and even coach's polls (without going on another rant, I will justify this statement by reminding you all that every year Spurrier votes for Duke in the 25 spot). It also means we establish some consistency amongst the conferences. All conferences must play a championship. If USC wants to bow out of the NCAA because of this, that's fine with me.

Now the big change, we go to a playoff. I won't clog this post with the details, but if we can schedule 119 Div I-A schools across 11 or 12 games in about 14 weeks to include some Div I-AA schools, I am certain we can figure out about 8 schools playing over 6 weeks.

Regarless of the solution, there is no place for the media and its vested interest in college football.

RIVALS ranks Special Teams

Our good friends at Rivals (actually, we don't even know the guys) have been making our jobs easy and ranking the Top Special Teams Players. They've updated their list and it's not that bad, honestly.

Yes, you'll see that Special Teams includes punters and kickers, thankfully no deep snappers, and no gunners. Of course, the part that we care about is the punt returners.

Yes, they hit the obvious ones- DeSean Jackson, Felix Jones, Sammie Stroughter- but they hit some great stories in there as well, such as:

Jeremy Trimble @ Army. This kid gets 1 guaranteed TV game a year. The Navy game is his chance on the big stage, but it's only about a week before the Heisman is decided. Besides, it's always great to be able to talk about the history of the Army program and wax poetically about Michie Field and the Black Knights of the Hudson. Usually TV folks are talking about some kid that is there to go one to be a career army officer and happens to play ball. The fact that Trimble is dangerous is great because it means that TV broadcasters won't be patronizing him when they talk about how much heart and talent he has.

Marcus Thipgen @ Indiana. The late Terry Hoepner was spot on with this talent. Yes, the Hoosiers are on TV-- but usually only when playing Michigan, Ohio State or Penn State. This program hasn't produced a winning season in 12 years (and even that was a 6-5 1994), so it's not like their players get a lot of looks. Still, Thigpen has the chance to take it to the house on every kickoff.

Parrish Cox @ Oklahoma State. Cox was a big blue chipper out of Waco, TX last year and he made impacts in the special teams. Mike Gundy has been landing quality recruiting classes in Stillwater, and one has to wonder if Cox will continue to play on special teams as he logs more time on the field. Just like Cox benefited from playing on special teams last year, Star Signees WR Dex Bryant or CB William Cole could get the chance to return kicks.

But my question is why no mention of Brandon Tate? The JR WR at UNC is a proven returner--he holds single season and career school marks for touchdown returns for scores and is one of only 9 players in the NCAA HISTORY to score on both a kickoff and punt return in the same game (vs Duke last year).

Miami Flees Orange Bowl

Evidently this year will be the last year of greatness in another sports icon. Yes, the world had been preparing for the end of Yankee Stadium after the 2008 season, but this is a new development. As early as 2008, the Miami Hurricanes may be playing in the Dolphin's Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. As the Broward County suburbs continue to make Dade Co look bad (see Fort Lauderdale's airport vs. Miami International), it seems that the Canes are tired of playing in a stadium that really looks more like an aging battleship sent to the scrap heap (go to the article in the Miami Herald and check out the slideshow if you need to confirm that statement).

It's sad in a way--the Orange Bowl has seen some great games in the pros, and seen the rise of the most dominant program of college football's truly modern era (1980-present). 4 national titles. Monstrous win streaks. Intimidation. The Hurricanes were the local kids proving the in the game of 'us vs. the world'--they were winning.

Toss in the fact that the Orange Bowl Classic was also played there and you get some of the game's great moments (see our earlier post on the possible phantom clip on Notre Dame's Raghib Ismail in the 1990 Classic vs. Colorado for the national title).

It is sad, however,as the grand old stadiums start to fall. Much like Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, these stadiums were fan friendly, even if they had become dumps. And much like Crosley Field or the old Boston Garden or Municipal Stadium in Cleveland-- they weren't viewed as cash inflows, but a public gathering place for people of all classes. They will be romanticized as better than they really were, but a piece of our history dies off as they crumble under the elements with little upkeep until they become financially unrealistic to save.

Notre Dame Obsession Post: Watch Out, Irish--History Could Repeat Itself

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Unfortunately, this is not a story about Notre Dame charging off to another national title or Jimmy Clausen being yet another Irish Heisman Trophy winner.

It is instead a story pops up out of the South Bend Tribune itself, but it merely summarized by SI.com. Super Hyped Blue Chip Freshman Jimmy Clausen was nabbed by the long arm of the law grabbing some booze at a local liquor store with a 23 year Notre Dame alumnus. Clausen escaped with a slap on the wrist (which is very proportional to the crime) -- a small fine and probation.


So why the "History Repeating Itself" tagline? Well, Clausen was the top ranked high school QB in the nation last year. He made a big deal of signing with a resurgent traditional power in hopes of competing instantly. His bravado was that of message board pride/disdain depending upon loyalties. Does this sound familiar? OU Fans will warn the Irish this is true.....

Remember Rhett Bomar? The top rated high school quarterback in 2004 who signed with Oklahoma, had a few brushes with the law, never quite lived up to the incredible expectations--part because the bar was too high, partly because he brought the wrath of the NCAA on the Sooners and was asked to leave Norman. Perhaps this August '06 column by The Oklahoman's Berry Tramel will help. Seems like Bomar had wracked up two alcohol related offenses in his first 2 years on Campus before his cush summer job program pushed OU over the brink and Bomar out of the picture.

Clausen has 2 older brothers who have played at football mad locals--LSU and Tennessee and you would hope that Rick and Casey would take a moment and explain that he is now on a pedestal-- for both the positive and negative. While Irish fans hope that Jimmy doesn't become College Football's Lindsey Lohan--society isn't gonna make it any easier.

Could this be the last we see of Sammie Stroughter?

Last year the OSU star helped knock off USC, but it seems to be a bit stressful being a superstar.

Oregon State Return Hero Missing

One of the Return Man Award's finalists last year, Sammie Stroughter, is out of practice for personal reasons sez The Oregonian. And not just sitting on the sideline sipping on a drink with a funny umbrella in it while his teammates toil in the Corvallis sun---he ain't there. Beavers Coach Mike Riley isn't too worried, telling folks that Sammie's taking off for personal reasons (none of which include reenacting the 1971 D.B. Cooper hijacking out of Portland), but won't expand on what those reasons might be.

Miami to Supersize Kickoff Returner

The Hurricanes are contemplating moving a big ol' Defensive End named Richard Gordon to kickoff returns--or at least that's what he'd like. But at 6'5", 265lbs with a 4.5 forty time, it's not so bad an idea. The Miami Herald sez so in its briefs from Monday.....

Ducks to Migrate to Big (Far) East?

Rumors out of Eugene claim that Oregon is now researching the idea of playing a game in China against Boise State in 2009. Yes, those wild and crazy Ducks are looking to reach the 1.3BILLION Chinese market and to continue UO's name as a trendsetter.

The push behind this came from Jim Warsaw, who is the founder of the Warsaw School of Sports Marketing at Oregon (one of the nation's best programs). He suggested playing in China, a year after the Beijing Olympics and trying to be the first College American Football Game in the world's most populous nation.

Not really a bad idea--but the Devil is in the details. First, Boise State hasn't agreed to it. Second, there is no money to fund it --yet (you've always got to think that ol' Phil Knight and Nike will step up whenever cash is needed and brand can be promoted). Also, you've got to figure that this game will have to be either an exempted early start type situation---for the sheer time commitment it takes to get to China, practice, see the cheesey touristy stuff, be goodwill ambassadors, yada,yada,yada--but for the all important 'time away from class' argument that academic purists tout. There is no way a team can get to China, play a game, fly back to the US, adjust back to US time and prepare for the next game without it impacting the player's studies and responsibilities.

Yes, Oregon is a trendsetter- not all of them have been good trends either. They have inflated the battle of the budgets and have attracted attention for their crazy/headache inducing uniform combinations--sometimes to the detriment of Mike Bellotti's best asset: he wins and keeps players out of trouble. Being like the professional teams that seek out new markets because 'the US is saturated' is not a positive. It speaks more that the NCAA is becoming more and more corporate (which is it, but at least it goes through the motions of trying to be 'amatuer') and that this really isn't the Ducks wanting to give their players a 'great life experience', but more of the University being a tool for its biggest booster, Nike, and its quest for global domination.

Ironically, the final obstacle may be the largest: As of this time, the Chinese Government, yes that Lighthouse of Enlightenment, Efficiencies and Warm-Fuzzies, has yet to approve anything.

Brown's 99 yd. Kickoff Return Vs. FSU (1984)

Take a Time Warp with Keith Jackson.....

Ahhh 1984. Bobby Bowden is in the middle of "a slump"--it's been 3 years since Florida State has posted a 10 win season and it will take 2 more seasons before he produces another. Of course, after that, the Seminoles go on to produce 14 seasons in a row with at least 10 wins.

South Carolina is in a different spot: '84 turned out to be the only 10 win season in the program's history. Coach Joe Morrison ended up leading the Gamecocks to their best record and a ranking as high as #2 after winning the first 9 games. They finished up with a loss to Oklahoma State in the 1984 Gator Bowl. 4 players received some sort of All American note for that season. Morrison lead the Gamecocks for 6 seasons before passing away from a heart attack in February of 1988.

More 1984: Keith Jackson is firmly entrenched as the syrupy sweet voice of college football. Reagan-Mondale. Vanessa Williams wins the Miss America pageant, only to give it up due to 'artsy photos' in Penthouse.

And a plucky freshman named Raynard Brown sets Williams-Brice Stadium into pandemonium on an early November night in Columbia, opening the 2nd half of the game with Florida State with an amazing kickoff return .

The next year, Brown is the savior of the Gamecocks in a play that made #35 on the Fox Sports Net's Best Damn's Top 50 Spectacular Football Plays. A description is as follows:

• 35. Desperation Pass: Mike Hold — the QB for South Carolina back in 1985 — evaded getting sacked five times, while backing up 20 yards into his own end zone (almost resulting in a safety). If that wasn't enough- he then heaved the ball 50 yards downfield. In a style reminiscent of the Immaculate Reception, the football deflected off a few players before falling into the hands of Raynard Brown, who ran it in for an 80 yard touchdown play.

Unfortunately, Brown is later drafted in the 10th round of the 1987 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions and there is no further mention of him in cyberspace.

Navy Sinks Its Own Ship?

The U.S. Naval Academy is talking tough about its frosty relationship with the University of Maryland. According to the Baltimore Sun, Maryland has approached Navy about playing a neutral site game in 2010--but the Middies still have their feelings hurt from an event in last December.

In 2005, the two teams met for the first time in 42 years (a 23-20 Terp win) in Baltimore. It was a great success and both AD's talked about repeating it. However, last year when Navy committed to the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, they had hoped that Maryland would choose to meet them there. However, Maryland chose to play Purdue in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando instead. Now, Navy is holding steady that the Terps could have chosen to help the relationship by heading to North Carolina and that they had their chance to play Navy.

Tap the breaks on this. First off, while this pits two local schools against each other, keep in mind this isn't Notre Dame vs USC. Maryland has sported 6 losing seasons in the past decade. Navy is 5 years off of a 2 win season, which followed a winless season. The Terps have been hit by the strengthened ACC, while Navy's independent status allowed them to feast on Stanford, Duke, E. Michigan & Temple (wh0 combined for 3 total wins last year).

Second, Maryland has a responsibility to its conference to provide quality bowls. While Navy didn't share the proceeds of the Meineke Car Care Bowl, the Terps had to split up their revenue with the other 12 members of the ACC. The teams are obligated to help the bowls, since the bowls provide such large cash inflows to the conference.

Also, Maryland Coach Ralph Friedgen said that he was simply going where his players wanted to go. Not a hard choice there. Bowls are supposed to be rewards for good seasons. His players wanted to spend the holidays in sunny Florida, not in Charlotte. The Meineke Car Care Bowl plays one day later in Charlotte, N. Carolina with the ACC squaring off against the Big East or Navy. The Champs Sports Bowl matches up the ACC with the Big Ten. Let's see: To play in Charlotte and visit The Billy Graham Library or head off to Orlando and enjoy sun, surf and Walt Disney World?

Finally, let's look at the cash--- the Champs Sports Bowl pays out $2.25MILLION to each team. The Meineke Car Care Bowl pays $750THOUSAND. Yes, the Champs money is spread amongst the conference after bowl expenses, but Navy's asking Maryland to take 1/3 of the cash on the table.


Anyway, this shouldn't seem like a surprise in reality. The two schools don't exactly get along. Yes, they are close--a little over 30 miles--but in two different spots. One is part of the DC Metro area, the other is in Annapolis/Baltimore. One's the big state school, the other is a service academy. Still, they played frequently in the 1930s , 1950s and 1960s, until a tense game in 1964, when Navy won 27-22 on the road. The game had brawls in the stands and a Maryland linebacker told the Navy crowd that they were #1 in that oh-so-subtle way. The series stopped the next year until the 2005 game.

IRISH REBUILDING? NEVER!!!

This year, I don't believe the Irish will be movin' on up like George and Weezie.

I readily admit an obsession with Notre Dame. They are the New York Yankees of College Football--people love them or people hate them, but people love to talk (or read) about them. Try eliciting that response with, say, Buffalo or Utah State. So the obsession is simply good business sense.

OK, so everyone is waiting for Notre Dame to implode this year. Gone are the star QB, the school's # 1 & #2 WR and starting HB. Throw in 3 new o-line. All those talentless pieces that no-good Ty Willingham brought to South Bend--two off to the NFL and one to pro baseball. However, no one worries that Charlie Weiss can't fix an offense, but the concerns start there none-the-less. Heck, the Irish didn't even get the traditional 'vote Notre Dame because of their past' in the preseason USA Today Top 25. They didn't even get in the Top 25 (but ended up tied with South Carolina for what would have been #29).

I want to focus more on the reasons that the focus is there---the Notre Dame Defense. Last year, the Irish ranked #65 in total defense and #67 in scoring defense (that's below SEC doormats Ole Miss and Vandy). In Notre Dame's 3 losses--Michigan, USC, LSU-- they gave up over 40 points in each game. There wasn't a shutout--and hasn't been one since the 2002 opener--nearly 5 years.

The new hope on defense? Blue-collar playmaker S Tom Zbikowski returns, anchoring what could be a decent secondary. However, any DB will tell you that they can't shine if there isn't pressure on the QB.

And this starts the questions: Weiss went to the NFL well again, bringing Corwin Brown in as a new defensive coordinator. Brown, well respected, coached the NewYork J!-E!-T!-S! JETS! JETS! JETS! secondary last year and now is a first-time coordinator. To add to the transition, the Irish will shift to a 3-4, using personnel suited to the 4-3. The one returning d-lineman moves to end. The expected starting defensive tackle moved to undersized noseguard. One backup end moves to outside linebacker.

Ironically, it's the exact opposite of Jimmy Johnson's Miami Hurricane defensive theory---move undersized players with speed down the chain (Safeties to linebackers, linebackers to ends, ends to tackles), instead of over-sized (and likely, less mobile) players up. Remember what happened when that played out in the 1980s? Johnson posted a 3-1 record against the Irish (the one loss was by 1 point in South Bend to Lou Holtz's 1988 National Championship team).

Still, ever-positive Weiss said "God should strike me dead if I utter the word 'rebuilding'" on Monday. I don't care how much pull Notre Dame has in heaven, Mrs. Weiss may want to make sure that life insurance policy is paid up.

We Need Some Creativity Here, Folks! Give Us a Nickname!

Apparently, Kansas State Quarterback Josh Freeman enjoyed too many ice creams over the summer and is having trouble passing his pre-season conditioning tests. Wildcats Coach Ron Prince scored a major win in 2006 as he convinced Freeman, then the #4 QB recruit in the nation by Rivals.com.

Freeman, who started the final 8 games of the season, including the Cats' upset win over Texas, has fluctuated between 245-250, but had a high of 265 pounds. Yes, 265 pounds. That's larger than last year's listed weight for the starting tight end and fullback and 9 of last year's starting defensive 11.

There hasn't been a quarterback this big since the days of Jared Lorenzen at Kentucky. Lorenzen, who allegedly topped out at 6'5", 322 lbs in Lexington was known more for his arm strength and the ability to have D-Line bounce off of his hide. He's now down to a svelte 285lbs with the NY Giants, but his best asset was the nicknames: "The Pillsbury Throwboy", "The BBQ (Big, Beautiful QB)", "The "Round Mound of Touchdown" and my personal favorite, although a tad crass- "The Fat A** with a Cannon Blast".

So while Ron Prince tries to get some Nutri-System to help his quarterback lose some weight, hopefully we can come up with a decent nickname for the kid....

For the purists-- College Football is Just Better....

Yes, Diversity can mean that you have more weapons.

There is always a great discussion of which is better- college or professional football. Yes, there is usually a divide between those that love Sunday or Saturday editions of the great game, but today we'll look at one of the major reasons that college football is just that much better. And that reason is one that is thrown around by educators seemingly nonstop these days: DIVERSITY.

Whether it is a positive or a negative, college football does have a class system. The schools very rarely physically 'relocate' for better corporate support (except for Wake Forest, which in 1941 moved from Wake Forest to Winston-Salem after almost 110 years), the talent pools are not equally distributed across the county, and history/tradition/facilities DO matter.

Compare this with the NFL, where franchises follow the money, a cap system tries to keep competitive balance (much like Communism in the 1970s-it doesn't mean 'good for everyone' it just means everyone gets the same watered-down product), and let's face it-- facilities really don't matter as much as everyone would believe (case in point, the 49ers STILL play at Whatever Corporate Name Has Been Attached to Candlestick Park--and people have been complaining about that place since it opened in 1971--yet they fielded 5 Super Bowl Champs in their time there. The Detroit Lions have played in 3 stadiums since 1972-- Tiger Stadium, the Pontiac SilverDome and Ford Field--the last two of which were far better situations than Candlestick could ever be--and all they have to show for it is one playoff win).

So let's go back and talk of some DIVERSITY--but limit it to just one aspect of the game: OFFENSE.

Football is a simple game of running, blocking, passing, catching, tackling. However, coaches scheme how to use their talent the best to give them a chance to win. Most of the time, innovation comes from the simple fact that one team has an established advantage over the other. Your quarterback needs a little more time? Landry makes the shotgun famous with the Cowboys. Your offensive line can't move the ball? Walsh invents the West Coast Offense to control the clock with short passes. Still, since the salary cap age came into play, innovation is quickly slowing. Most teams run a variant of the pro-set or West Coast, with only a limited few (read Indianapolis) mimicking the offenses you see in the college ranks.

In college, however, Navy can sport a winning record despite lesser talent using the wishbone triple option. West Virginia busts upon the national scene with the zone read upset of Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Steve Spurrier blows the doors off the competition with the Fun N Gun at Florida (but watches it fail in the pros). USC's pro set creates a defacto NFL franchise in Los Angeles. Texas Tech coach Mike Leach seemingly puts in the guy from the Seven Eleven and makes him a record setting QB. Spreads, Veers, Options, Pro-Sets, Pistols, Shotguns, Run and Shoots, No Huddles, Wildcats, Ninjas. You get them all. Certain players become legends in systems that highlight their talents, yet flop in the die-cast NFL (see Crouch, Eric or Ware, Andre).

College coaches know that gamebreakers can help you--but only for a limited time and then they must be replaced. Try as they might, Mack Brown couldn't sign Vince Young to an 8 year contract in Austin. So he has to work with more talent--trying to develop under-heralded QB Colt McCoy. In Green Bay, Brett Farve starts his 17th season in the league (and 16th with the Pack). Farve goes down, the team is pretty much written off for the season. When Oklahoma's starting quarterback, Rhett Bomar, was kicked off the team before pre-season practices, OU won the conference championship with a converted wide receiver under center.

That Sure Shows Them! Les Miles is a Man of Discipline!

Hard Talkin' LSU coach Les Miles sure laid down the law in May when he suspended one time 5 Star QB recruit/ Current Backup QB Ryan Perrilloux. It seems that Perrilloux, the Louisiana Prep Folk Hero that switched from an oral commitment to Texas just as Miles was coming to Baton Rouge had run afoul of the law by trying to enter a casino underage, using his brother's i.d.--technically, 2 violations of the law, but in reality, nothing too crazy. The problem was that it followed up a counterfeiting investigation by the Feds and rumors that the once omnipotent Perrilloux was having trouble hitting his targets with his howitzer arm.

So, with the Tigers' Quarterback job safely in the hands of Sr. Matt Flynn, Miles told Perrilloux to take basically the summer off. Yes, he gave him some things to work on- community service, stay out of the casinos, etc-- but in the end, Miles' discipline ended up being suspended for the period after spring practices until the day before fall pre-season 2-a-days begin.

Yes, you're reading that right-- Miles put his foot down and made sure that he didn't miss any mandatory school time, or more importantly, any practices to shore up the LSU QB Depth or by any means, GAMES. All Perrilloux missed were summer voluntary practices (yet, if coaches can't monitor them, how do they really know if Perrilloux stayed away?) and the endless stretch of time known as the Major League Baseball Season.

Miles essentially threatened to put Perrilloux to bed without his dinner, only to take him to the all-you-can-eat ice cream parlor. Way to stick it to 'em, Les.

Book 'Em Horns

Ok, so I stole the headline from an editorial in the Austin American-Statesman. But kudos to Cedric Golden for having the stones to write that Texas Coach Mack Brown needs to act after a tumultuous summer for the Longhorn Roster.

For far too long the Statesman has served up softballs in its coverage of the defacto local pro team. That's not bad business in any way. It could be construed as bad journalism, though. But today Golden speaks the unflattering truth.

For the most part, Mack Brown is a good man, and no, he can't be every where at all times with all of his roster---I believe Bob Stoops implied as much last summer with the whole Bomar/Quinn incident (ironically, that incident didn't have much of a legal ramification, but issues with the NCAA. The UT incidents will not bother the NCAA, but could impact the players far greater). Something still needs to be said about the fact that UT's football program is starting to be listed amongst the usual suspects in the Austin PD's files.

Yes, the Longhorn program is facing somewhat of a crisis. 5 'incidents' in the summer. 4 Longhorns with mug shots. Talk of better evaluation of recruits will help for the future, but the problem is that the current roster evidently didn't have the same filtering process--or else this wouldn't be popping up. Yes, Mack Brown did the right thing in not offering Texarkana LB Chris Collins a scholarship after being charged with sexual assault (that did not stop Oklahoma State from taking him on, though). Yes, he has taken action with some of the players involved in past brush ups with the law--notice Ramonce Taylor's exit from the squad, Robert Joseph's departure.

The future steps to be taken? That remains to be seen. The lucky thing is that UT's past, facilities and location within a talent deep area means that Brown CAN sit back and choose based upon a combination of talent AND character in the future. That's not always the case for other schools.

Growing up, Texans used to chide OU fans by implying that the Sooners' success was due to the large amounts of Texas talent on Barry Switzer's teams---calling them the "University of Texas at Norman". They also loved to insinuate that the Sooners' won by hiring out thugs and cheating, while the future doctors and lawyers playing on the Longhorn roster represented everything good of the scholar-athlete. Now, it appears that Texas is following the example set in the 80s by the Sooners--weapons, drugs, assault charges---at least they come with the success of a national title and an annual contender, much like OU's 80's.

Unfortunately, Longhorn fans will now hear the taunts of others for the actions of a limited few. The shoe is on the other foot now.

YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!!!!

Col. Nathan Jessup eats breakfast 300 yards away from snipers trained to kill him, but if he played football at Michigan, he wouldn't have to do long division.

Former Michigan QB/ NFLer/ Current Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh called out his alma mater this spring saying the Michigan 'had ways to get borderline players in' and that they steer them into easier academic paths. He also announced that the sky is blue, water is wet and that the sun rises in the east. These things are pretty much a given in major college football. If you don't believe it, please pull your head out of the sand.

The irony is that Michigan coach and players have taken offense to the statement and are replying. IN AUGUST. While I believe that the University of Michigan is an outstanding school, I do find this comical. First, it took 3 months for Wolverine Tailback Mike Hart to respond. It's like he got word of this via Pony Express or that the internet doesn't reach Ann Arbor or Hart's hometown of Syracuse, NY. Next, here's Lloyd Carr making mention of it, again 3 months later--ok, so maybe Carr's not up to date on technology or current events, but more on him later.

Now, Harbaugh uses his own personal experience as a reference on the matter. Granted, it was a while ago, but he basically blew the whistle on Bo Schembechler's crew around 1983-1987. So let's look at the present:

Of Michigan's preseason award winners/watch list nominees and the starting QB:

• The aforementioned Mike Hart- Big 10 (11) Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
• Sr QB John Navarre- starting QB
• Sr LB Shawn Crable- Nagurski Watch List
• Sr S Jamar Adams- Thorpe Watch List
• Sr OL Jake Long- Outland Trophy Watch List
• Sr OL Adam Kraus- Outland Trophy Watch List

All of the above, except Kraus, are majoring in academically vague "General Studies" major. Mr. Kraus is a sports management/communications major in the Kinesiology Dept......so it doesn't look like much has changed. Perhaps Mr. Hart was sensitive because it was true?

In fact, if you go through the Wolverine Roster, you get 6 players out of 29 Sr/5th year players ARE NOT ENROLLED in either a General Studies degree or a degree tied to the PE Dept. Of those 6, you have 2 players that transferred into Michigan and 1 English major o-lineman that has seen action in 2 games over his career.

So what was Lloyd Carr's response? Harbaugh was 'elitist' 'arrogant' and 'self-serving'. Notice that he doesn't say 'Jim's flat out wrong, we try to guide our players into coursework that will make them better people and be productive pieces of society." He pretty much simply implies that they try to keep his players eligible, which isn't hypocritical to a football coach, but maybe it is a little hypocritical to a highly acclaimed university like Michigan.

Other comments by Harbaugh like Stanford is needed because they are 'scholar athletes' and no other school can carry that banner. I point out that he's somehow forgotten about Big 10 whipping boy Northwestern, SEC doormat Vandy, Big XII stepchild Baylor as well as Wake Forest, Rice, etc. All of those schools are strong academics and in the case of Wake and Northwestern--they hold conference titles far more recently than Stanford.

The Growing Ink Stain That is Mike Vick

Remember in those old black-n-white TV shows or movies, there would be someone who wanted to be smooth and sophisticated only to have a fountain pen explode in the pocket of his nice white dress shirt? And so something rather small, pretty much stained the whole shirt-making its the wearer the object of embarrassment.

Michael Vick is that ink spot. Yes, he was able to do great things in his time in Blacksburg--the exciting potential of a mobile QB that could change the course of games with his legs (ala Vince Young) and at the same time unleash a howitzer for a left arm. He single handedly elevated the Hokies from a team with potential to the powerhouse elites. To the Hokie faithful he was somewhat of a Football Moses, leading them out of the wilderness.

Yet now Vick, who has been deified with a retired jersey, Michael Vick Hall on campus, the #1 pick of the Falcons in the NFL Draft, Nike designed apparel/footwear line continues to stain those that come close to him. His indictment tied to the dogfighting ring on his property caused Nike to drop him like a hot potato, the NFL has politely asked him to leave (at least for the season) and Virginia Tech's once biggest asset is now only adding to his poor legacy once he left the campus.

Think about it---Vick's little brother, Marcus, and all his troubles that were highlighted during his time in Blacksburg; the Ron Mexico fiasco; his injuries and lack of production in the NFL; the charge of Vick knowingly infecting a woman with Herpes; the 'mysterious container' at the airport-- Vick's adventures away from the quiet little town in Southwest Virginia haven't
exactly been the stuff of a role model. The Hampton Roads, Va. paper says it best in its article of how the Hokies have been dealing with the problem...

The Obsession Continues! More Irish Talk!

Apparently, the talk of the Irish and Michigan taking a little time off was premature. The AP has reported that Notre Dame and Michigan have signed an extension running the series out for another 20 years, all the way to 2031.

While I have been quick to throw the Irish under the bus, the original reasons for the talk of a break in the series made economic sense to both schools (Michigan wanted ND and Ohio State to alternate years in Ann Arbor; the Golden Domers wanted the same type of deal with Michigan and USC on alternate years in South Bend). Better season ticket packages to take care of the loyal masses--in some ways, this actually was the right thing for the fan.

However, the idea of no Michigan-Notre Dame game for 2 years seemed unthinkable to many (and I'm sure TV executives raised some noise). As much as we'd like to consider this an annual rite of fall, the matchup doesn't quite have the history of others. Case in point, Michigan is the school that introduced football to Notre Dame, yet they only played 2 times from 1909-1977. Now, in the last 30 years, it's been seemingly every year--with some fantastic results and moments. However--reality says it's been played 23 of the past 30 years. The Irish have played Air Force for 27 of the past 42 years, but no one clamors for the Falcons like a time honored tradition.....

But objectively its history is limited compared to other relationships that the Irish have. For example--the USC game has been an annual event since 1926 (with a brief hiatus during WWII). The series with the Naval Academy is the second longest continuous series in college football at 80 years ('continuous' is not to be confuses with 'competitive'). Heck, the discontinued series with Northwestern gave the Irish their nickname.

Out in the West Texas Town of El Paso......

UTEP Coach Mike Price is recovering from angioplasty this week. It has been almost 5 years since Price was elevated to the non-official High Priest of Alabama Football only to tumble before ever coaching a game for the Tide with the Pensacola incident.

Yet, Price simply proved that the past repeats itself. His track record at Wassu showed him creating value for the Coogs- 5 bowl games, 3 10-win seasons, a National Coach of the Year Award in '97. Now, in another isolated outpost, Price has breathed life into a moribund Miners program.

Case in point--Price's record at UTEP over the past 3 years is 21-15. He's notched back-to-back bowl games in 2004 & 2005 as well as the school's first ever AP ranking in 2004, climbing to #23.

Prior to his arrival, the Miners needed 6 seasons to reach the 21 win mark. The Miners' last back to back winning seasons were in 1987 & 1988.

Get well soon, Coach.

We're Number Zero!

Remember back a few months when the Big Ten (Eleven) was trying to cram its regional TV down the throat of Midwesterners and complaining that an exec had called it second class programming for which the Big Ten (Eleven) wanted premium prices?

Well, in an attempt to stoke the fires, it seems that the Conference Commissioner, Jim Delaney, mentioned that the Big Ten (Eleven) may possibly add a Twelfth member, further earning the confederation of academic institutions the curses of basic math teachers everywhere. Yes, currently, the Big Ten includes 11 schools, which must be rationalized by counting one of the institutions in the standings as college #0 and then proceeding to #10--thus, the champion is ironically never "#1" as so many players, fans and their foam fingers proclaim, but more accurately, "#0" (which is tough to merchandise).

However, Delaney's talk of adding a new school would ruin even that logical explaination in nomenclature. In reality, the additional team produces yet another product of which the conference controls the rights (available games in not only women's tennis, but most importantly, FOOTBALL); possibly adds a new state or at minimum, an expanded base of viewers; and creates the 12 team league necessary to create a conference championship game that has been profitable for the SEC and Big 12 for the past decade (and picked up by the ACC and MAC as well).

Bring It!!!

Is it football season yet? Welcome to the final stretch of agony as we await the bliss that is college football. Already we are planning road trips. Fantasy teams are forming. There's real news about NFL camps and college strength and conditioning programs. Preseason polls have been released along with award watchlists. But it can't come soon enough. Luckily, I have a wedding to distract me leading up to the final days before the inaugural kickoff.

But, if you can't possibly wait any longer, here are a few tips for dealing with the endless days until college football begins:

• Research fantasy football stats - there are already publications and websites loaded with information. Drown yourself in it until the season arrives.


• Start a blog - Like me and my cohorts here on "Returns to Sender", you can dump your thoughts into the abysmal internet.


• Get married - Like me, you can have something to keep your focus instead of yawn inspiring baseball.


• Watch ESPN Classic - When they can manage to forgo replays of "Gladiator" (a tribute to roid induced, mullet wearing "athletes") ESPNC sometimes has good games of past to appease your CFB thirst.


• Bet on something - Whether it is rock/scissors/paper or the flip of a coin, nothing beats boredom like ridiculous gambling.


• Join a message board - For $10 per month you can join thousands of other fans of your team and share in your misery. As "they" say, "misery loves company". If you really want to have fun, pick a spare school and try to become the most dedicated fan, convincing the masses of a legitimate shot at the BCS. University of Buffalo would be a great challenge.

That's all I have for now. Feel free to comment with your own.

Jayhawks Tell Magino This Season = His Job

No, Mark Mangino doesn't play hockey in the offseason, this picture was taken after he ATE the goaltender.

According to the Kansas City Star, this season is a year long audition for Head Coach Mike Mangino.

Mangino's squads have been 'bowl eligible' for 3 of the past 4 years--although the Jayhawks have never been to back to back bowls in their program's existence-- and Kansas AD Lew Perkins doesn't believe that a second straight 6-6 season is acceptable.

Of course, some folks are quick to point out that Perkins wants to bring in his own coach since he inherited The Thing That Ate Wichita (Mangino came to Lawrence in 2001). Others simply point out that Kansas football is a warm up act until Midnight Madness kicks off basketball season in Lawrence and .500 football ain't that bad.

Perkins will point out that Kansas plays in the weaker Big XII North and this is Mangino's second full recruiting class to pass through. Tie in some of the embarrassing compliance issues that popped up a few years ago, a schedule that ESPN called the 'easiest in the nation' for 2007, 16 returning starters and construction on new football facilities on campus--and suddenly the heat has been turned up on Mr Mangino. Let's hope for Topeka's sake, he's not a stress induced eater.

Why All The Hate for "The System QB"?

Just another cog in the machine---but a machine that works!

Mike Leach has always been a fantastic interview--whether it's telling folks to 'have a happy halftime' or telling folks that in order to win, he'll have to 'score more points than the other team scores' or doing the local weather.


In this month's Texas Monthly sports blog (who would have thought that publication had a sports blog? One day, it's stories on touristy spots and the Top 40 lawyers, the next is the intricacies of the Veer), Leach uses his usual dry wit to poke a little fun at the fact that no one seems to respect his incumbent QB Graham Harrell:

"Graham had one of the best years of anyone in the nation, and as you look at it, I guess most people are rating him as one of the top six quarterbacks in the Big XII. I guess those two thousand more yards he threw more than anyone else don't count as much as they used to. I guess he just did it accidentally. He lucked into those, but the other quarterbacks worked really, really hard for their yards. I don't buy any of that."

While most critics will point out that Harrell benefits from a system that throws the ball often and uses screens and shovel passes to take the place of runs (and thus, increasing the passing yards)--the simple fact is that Leach's QBs DO PUT UP THE NUMBERS. Much like no one complained that Ron Dayne won the Heisman because he ended up as the career rushing leader in college football as the focus of a ground bound Wisconsin under Barry Alvarez or that Earl Campbell ran up totals in a Wishbone set for Darrell Royal, the 'System QB' argument for passing stats is somewhat flimsy.

Yes, typically the throw first quarterback has not done well in the NFL--people are quick to throw out busts like David Klinger and Andre Ware from their days at Houston in the Run and Shoot or the parade of Leach disciples Tim Couch, Kliff Kingsbury, B.J. Symons, Sonny Cumbie or the fact that much of Florida's signal callers under Steve Spurrier have had less than steller NFL careers. However, no one points out that Akili Smith, Ryan Leaf, Trent Dilfer, Todd Marinovich, Cade McNown, Rick Meier were all also busts from more balanced offenses.

Even on the flip side-- running all the time at Nebraska and Oklahoma didn't help the NFL careers of Scott Frost, Eric Crouch, Turner Gill, Charles Thompson, Jamielle Holloway---and not many folks were super excited to step up and draft wide receivers from offensive systems that used them as little more than couriers to run plays or downfield blocks.

Either way, Leach does have a point--his QB had to stand in there and throw the ball and take the hits just as much as the next guy, heck, some would argue that he had to do it even more than the next guy-- yet here he is being told that his player's just not as good as the next. He may not be throwing Molotov cocktails at the opposition to fire up the media, but his darts are right on target.

Yet Another Bowl?

There comes a point of excess, and it looks like we might just be there. The Big East is looking into putting a bowl game in Tampa--less than 2 hours away from oh, say, The Outback Bowl, The Citrus Bowl and the Gator Bowl--and to park it in what has regularly been proclaimed as the worst stadium in all of Major League Baseball: Tropicana Field. Why does the Big East want this? Because Pitt didn't make it to a bowl game last year despite wallowing in a 6-6 record. Looking at the Panthers' schedule last year--they won only 1 game against D-IA opponents with winning records (8-5 Cincy) and finished even stronger by losing their last 5 games--Pitt didn't deserve to go to a bowl last year.

A quick breakdown of the stadium's history---it was built to lure the Chicago White Sox (didn't happen) and then the San Francisco Giants (didn't happen) until Tampa got it's own Major League Team. It has hosted the Devil Rays, Tampa Bay Storm (Arena Football) and Lightening (NHL)--the last two of which have moved on to a new building. It has played under 3 names (the Suncoast Dome, the ThunderDome and now Tropicana Field).

Continuing the Obsession: Irish Give the Entire Mitten State the Middle Finger!

Yes, it is Notre Dame Obsession Day and more mocking of the Fighting Irish's schedule.

Actually, it's more of just wondering the true motivation behind the Irish wanting to duck traditional rivals Michigan and Michigan State in its defacto Big Ten conference schedule. According to the Detroit Free Press, the Notre Dame-Michigan series contract expires in 2011 and the Irish wish to take the game off---and a few years later, the same thing will happen for Michigan State. They plan to replace the Wolverines with Oklahoma and the Spartans with Arizona State.

Looking at Notre Dame historically, the Michigan game has been huge. UM introduced the game to Notre Dame, and quickly throttled them before both developed into the traditional powerhouses that they are today. But one of the main items that this boils down to is money.

Yes, just like signing sneaker deals or having the Notre Dame Broadcasting Company--both schools are trying to squeeze more bucks out of the money presses known as their football programs. The Irish are trying to set their schedule so that they play either Michigan or USC (their two largest draws) every year at home instead of getting them both at home or on the road the same year. The Wolverines have the same problem, except that the home Notre Dame game usually falls on the same year Ohio State comes to Ann Arbor. USC could fix half of this problem, but the Pac 10 schedule has been set for almost 10 years in advance, so that threw the monkey wrench in the deal.

So it appears that the easiest way to fix this is to not play at all--almost the 'cutting off the nose to spite the face' theory, except these two programs are the equivalent of Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston--they would cut off their noses to spite their face and instantly get rhinoplasty for a better nose--in this case, it's Oklahoma and Arizona State for the Irish, and rumored to be Georgia for the Blue. Michigan State gets the consolation prize of not getting smacked around by the Irish, but in reality, the Sparties get the short end of the stick.

One does have to wonder--why did Notre Dame chose to drop Michigan and Michigan State instead of some of their other traditional rivals--like Purdue, Navy, Army, Air Force, Pitt, Stanford, Northwestern or Boston College? The pure cynic would say that it's to drop a squad that have either beaten the Irish regularly (see the Wolverines) or a squad that scares the Irish consistently (see Michigan State of late with a few wins and last year's close call). With their presence in the heart of the Big Ten geography and their schedules with other Big Ten schools, exposure won't be a problem.

But exposure to the Irish is a big deal these days with plans to return to prominence by barnstorming and taking even more of a national schedule than they traditionally have. The Irish will be playing in San Antonio and Orlando (see below) and with the addition of Arizona State and Oklahoma--they will be putting even more product in front of the Sun Belt's growing masses (read also, growing and already strong high school talent') instead of the 10,000,000 souls that are sentenced to a Michigan winter annually.

It's a great idea--taken from the adage of 'history repeats itself', since Rockne did it by scheduling Army, Texas, Penn State, USC, Nebraska in his day--and also to the fact that 'imitation is the sincerest form of flattery' since Michigan AD Bill Martin is considering the same thing on scheduling 'away' home games like the Irish.......

Barnstorming Notre Dame!

It looks like Notre Dame will return to its glory day roots when they barnstormed around the country to make 'the Irish more accessible to their fans' ala the days of Knute Rockne (who made the wise decision of an annual game with USC instead of Nebraska--somehow finishing the season in Lincoln just doesn't warm the heart like a November weekend in Hollywood).

First, the Irish have selected Washington State to play a 'home' game in San Antonio in 2009 as well as 'home games' in Orlando for 2011 and 2014. Part of the reason given was 'to help fans who have difficulty traveling to South Bend' or obtaining traditional home game tickets--yet, one has to ask some questions (most of which don't have answers yet):

First, just how many Notre Dame 'fans' live in San Antonio and Orlando? And with the idea that these will be Irish home games--how is that going to impact those loyal purchasing customers that buy season tickets in South Bend? Obviously, they will have 'travel issues' themselves moving games 5 states away from their traditional fall haunt and exactly, who will fill the bleachers?

Filling the bleachers may answer another one of those questions---why San Antonio and why Orlando? The AlamoDome seats a 65,000 and the Citrus Bowl holds 70,000-- a good 10,000-15,000 less than Notre Dame stadium. You've got to figure that although both Orlando and San Antonio are good 'vacation destinations' with strong airport/hotel infrastructures, there will be a limited number of Wazzu fans making the trek, so demand is down on that front. Their had been rumors of the Irish playing Baylor at an expanded and refurbished Cotton Bowl- but that stadium would hold 92,000--more than 12,000 above Notre Dame stadium and 27,000 more than the AlamoDome. Even Notre Dame, who had traditionally drawn well in Dallas for Cotton Bowls, apparently has limits to what they can draw-- so they chose smaller stadiums in towns with no professional team competition to eat up corporate money and we will have to wait to see if the Irish's long held belief that "Notre Dame is a national team" is proven correct.

A Long Time Disdain

If you know anything about my sports opinions, you probably know about my disdain for Michael Vick. It all started when Vick was introduced to the league. The media (another source of repugnance for me) immediately crowned him as the revolution of the quarterback position. They touted his ability to scramble as an "X" factor that would become a juggernaut for opposing defenses. I disagreed. I realized early on that if you look beyond his running ability as a QB, he he was mediocre at best as an NFL QB. Nevertheless, the media continued to pump him up. And, as a result, the NFL sold Vick jerseys and ratings for Falcons games. And, Vick managed a trio of All-Star appearances.

So, basically, Vick has thrived based on the attention that the media chooses to pay to obscure "records" like when he and RB Jerious Norwood both ran for over 100 yards in Week 4 of the 2006 season. Is that really a big deal? Does this not indicate that maybe your receivers are not getting open? Or, maybe your quarterback can't find the open receivers? I have an idea, how about we line LaDanian Tomlinson up under center? I am willing to bet he can have just as good of a game. Hell, why don't they just run Arkansas' Darren McFadden/wildcat offense? Do you want to know why this wouldn't work? It's because this is the National Football League. And, NFL coaches are not successful if they can't handle gimmick players making gimmick plays. That's right, I said it: Vick is a gimmick player. Sure, he is one hellacious fast QB, but that is all he is. He does not have the ability to be a successful QB in the NFL without the media there to blow the proverbial smoke up the third points of contact of ESPN viewers.

So, forgive me if I am relieved to see him become exposed as the thug he has always been. I am all for an underprivilaged kid "making it", but it shouldn't be at the cost of the integrity of the NFL. Vick is a criminal and has no place in a professional position of any sort. I will allow justice and due process to take its course, but I cannot promise I won't be cheering silently for the feds to throw the book at him better than Vick has been able to throw to his receivers.