Then there were two. Approaching the end of the regular season for most teams, there only remains two undefeated teams: Notre Dame and Ohio State. Both are pretty unbelievable if we go back to expectations prior to the season. They both have a test to finish their regular season as Notre Dame doesn't play in a conference championship (given they have no conference) and Ohio State isn't eligible to play in the B1G conference championship. The Fighting Irish face a USC team coming off a loss to a cross-town rival but that will have to play behind the play of a redshirt freshman, Max Wittek, at quarterback in his first start. The Buckeyes face a Wolverines team who looks a lot different than it did to start the year as well. Due to an elbow injury to Denard "Shoelaces" Robinson, Devin Gardner has had to step in at quarterback (he has been playing wide receiver - and was underutilized even at that position in some early games this season) and has played very well. They tried to ease Robinson back in the game last week moving him all over the field. He took snaps at quarterback, played some tailback, and some wide receiver. It's unclear what they'll do for the OSU game, but the Buckeyes have unveiled some new uniforms for the occasion. I am still shocked at the Kansas State and Oregon losses. I am a little more shocked at the K-State loss than the Oregon loss just because I knew the Oregon defensive injuries would cause problems (although, it was their offensive line play on the edges that caused more problems). I knew Baylor could put up points, but I didn't think they'd get enough opportunities because the Wildcats just don't avail that many. However, the Wildcats led the nation in turnover margin and then threw three interceptions against the Bears. They led the nation in least amount of penalties, averaging a little over 3 a game and they had 7 in this game! I know Bill Snyder had to be scratching his balding head Saturday night. However, I've said all year that Kansas State is not built to comeback from an early deficit because they can't match teams through the air (the Wildcats only had 76 yards rushing!). Wow ... just ... wow!
Toomer’s Corner Trees -- again? "Significant damage" is how the the scene was described after the trees were found set ablaze late Saturday night/Sunday morning. It's said that the toilet paper that was strewn all over the branches took most of the fire, but based on some picture I've seen and the word "significant" doesn't seem to back that up. Last I’ve heard, they don’t have any details as to how the fire started or who is responsible, but I’m confident both will be discovered. As you may or may not remember, after the Harvey Updyke incident and the hyperbolic reactions it inspired, I couldn't believe that there were people who actually believed this man should be sentenced to death for hurting these trees. I still can't. However, what I didn't understand then, and still don't understand after this incident, is why people feel the need to destroy things when their favorite team loses .... or even wins! I discussed this after the car fires in West Virginia after the Mountaineers beat Baylor in an exciting offensive explosion earlier this season. I don't know if they'll find out that foul play was at fault here because I know the toilet paper has caught fire several times in the past (in fact, I believe it happened not long before the Updyke incident). However, if it was foul play, it's ridiculous. I realize that the word "fan" in the sense that we use it in sports comes from the word "fanatic", but that doesn't mean we have to take it to that kind extreme. Listen, I am as passionate about college football (as a whole) and about my Buckeyes (as a team) as anyone; I am not going follow that passion blindly and let it lead me wherever it may. This is not a high school prank where someone’s kidnapping a rivals' mascot and taking pictures with it in a dress or whatever only to return it before the “big game”. This is car fires, and riots (Vancouver after Stanley Cup), and poisons. Passion is one of the best things about sports ... about college football. When passion becomes pugnacity ... game over.
Prepare for some 5-win bowl participants (how sad!): As you know, there are currently 35 bowls, which means 70 teams are needed to fill all of them. There are 124 teams in the FBS and by my count only 116 are eligible for postseason play, even if we don't take records into account. Ohio State and North Carolina are ineligible due to NCAA violations. Penn State is ineligible due to Mark Emmert's abuse of power and circumvention of NCAA's due process to sanction the Nittany Lions football team. Massachussetts, Texas State, UTSA, and South Alabama are ineligible due to the transition period into the FBS. Finally, Miami has once again self-imposed a postseason ban as they await, what will certainly be, harsh penalties coming after the Nevin Shapiro fiasco. That means the NCAA has to come up with 70 teams to play out of 116 teams, so 60% of teams will be rewarded with postseason play! Miami's decision to self-impose another postseason ban ensures that Georgia Tech will play in the ACC Championship opposite Florida State; GT is currently 6-5 and if they lose, as expected, to Georgia this week and then against FSU, they'll be eligible for a bowl with a losing record. They've already applied for a bowl eligibility waiver should that happen (same thing UCLA had to do last year). There are currently 62 teams that are eligible for a bowl, and if we don’t reach 70, 5-7 teams will be considered based on APR (Academic Progress Rate). For example, Missouri or Virginia Tech could play in a bowl despite having a losing record. They each currently have five wins. Missouri faces Texas A&M this week and Virginia Tech faces Virginia. I know it will never happen, folks, but we have to get rid of some of these bowls! I realize there is too much money to be made for everyone, but rewarding conferences, teams, and coaches for mediocrity in terms of bonuses and prestige (believe that or not) is not good for the game.
Maryland and Rutgers coming to the Big Ten in 2014: Upon first glance, this move looks a bit odd for the Big Ten. These two teams combine for three claimed national championships in football, none of which are after 1953. Rutgers has only played in 7 bowl games (only 1 prior to 2005) in its 140 years as a program, having won the last five they played. Money is obviously the main motivation from the Big Ten's perspective. This move potentially expands the market for the Big Ten Network to the east coast (Baltimore/Washington D.C.) and New York/New Jersey markets and if they can get onto the cable networks in those markets there could be a significant amount of money involved. However, each of these teams have some interesting and significant football histories that are probably not common knowledge. Depending on who you ask, Rutgers was co-national champion in the inaugural college football season in 1869. It was a season which consisted of only two teams (Rutgers and College of New Jersey, which is now known as Princeton) and only two games. It should be noted that the game was much different then; it didn’t involve an oblong ball and the home team had the luxury of determining certain rules. Each team won one game that season, and a scheduled third game was canceled (the reasons for which are disputed). Also, this, Rutgers’ only claimed national championship, was played without a head coach. Speaking of head coaches, Paul "Bear" Bryant's first college head coaching job was at the University of Maryland. He was only there for one season, however. He left after the president of the university reinstated a player which Bryant suspended for a violation of team rules. Rumors are that both of these teams will join the the "Leaders" Division with my Buckeyes while Illinois will be shipped to the "Legends" Division, but I haven't seen confirmation of that just yet. I expect the movement of these two teams to induce the movement of several more teams. I expect the ACC to try to lure Connecticut away from the Big East. I expect the Big East then to try to recruit two more teams to replace Rutgers and UConn, but I don't know how well that will work because the Big East will be without any big name teams in either sport (football or basketball) as I've already heard Boise State is considering staying in the MWC now and Navy is reconsidering it joining the Big East as a football-only school. The madness starts again!
From Leach to Kill: Last week we discussed wide receiver Marquess Wilson who left Washington State's team due to alleged physical and verbal abuse coming from first-year Huskies coach Mike Leach. Another week and another receiver leaves a team alleging abuse on the part of his head coach. Like Wilson, A.J. Barker was his team leading receiver in 2012. He alleges mistreatment by second-year Golden Gophers coach Jerry Kill (I can't make this stuff up folks) with regards to an injury that has kept him sidelined since October 27th. Barker took a different approach than did Wilson, or any other college athlete that I can think of, in leaving the team. He wrote a rather lengthy letter, which he emailed to the coach and the university and he also published on his Tumblr blog. (Read here) Like Wilson, Barker is a junior who plans on transferring to play elsewhere next season. An interesting twist to this one is, though, that in his letter Barker thanks Kill for not giving him a scholarship: "Thank you for not giving me a scholarship. As an unrecruited walk-on I can transfer without having to sit out a year, which I verified in the NCAA transfer-guide for 2012-2013." I wasn't aware of this exception to the transfer rule, but in a way I understand it. I'll be following this story to find out if he actually does get to avoid sitting out a year and plays elsewhere in 2013. In fact, it'd be interesting if Wilson and Barker ended up at the same program. I'll keep an eye out for both kids as the offseason begins -- it should be interesting.
I’ve finally figured out the odd SEC scheduling ideology: Last week seven of the SEC's fourteen teams played an FCS team and one played against a traditionally-weak, out-of-conference team. (By the way, did you see that Johnny "Football" Manziel attempted a PAT against Sam Houston State?) I've wondered for quite a few years why the SEC insisted on scheduling cupcake teams so late in the season (in Week 10 three SEC teams played against traditionally-weak, out-of-conference opponents). However, with all of the chaos of this weekend, which included two top-five teams falling, it hit me. It's a two-fold buffer! Firstly, it's an easy win late in the season that allows for injuries to heal and, for most teams, a virtual bye week before playing in their rivalry games. Secondly, it's common knowledge that a loss late in the season will hurt a team much more in the minds of the voters than one early in the season will -- so why not have a risk-free week or two late rather than early on? Why not have a week or two late in the season where everyone else at the top of the standings is getting into the meat of their schedule(s) and have a chance to get knocked off knowing that a late loss will cost more with voters? In the case of Georgia, it's even more genius this year! Georgia, knowing that their regular season will end with a match-up against in-state rival Georgia Tech which runs the triple-option, scheduled a top-tier FCS school, Georgia Southern that also runs the triple option. It's an FCS school, so talent-wise Georgia should have a huge advantage, but it allows for practice against an offense that it's B-squad is unlikely to be able to replicate. I do think it's funny that these games fall right around the time when "strength of schedule" is laid claim to by all. The cool thing is that it actually worked out for both sides in three of the seven SEC-FCS School match-ups last week. Sam Houston State, Georgia Southern, and Wofford have all made the FCS playoffs (all in the top 9), so perhaps these late-season games have helped those teams as well heading into their postseason. I have a feeling these kinds of match-ups will die down after next year, however, as the playoff system will begin in the 2014 season and overall strength of schedule will be a point of emphasis for the selection committee, I'm sure.
Firing of the week: Derek Dooley, 2-14 in SEC games the last two years won't get you very far. Unlike Joker Phillips, Dooley will not be on the sidelines for the season-ending Tennessee/Kentucky “0-fer in the SEC Bowl”. That’s three down in the SEC. Mr. Chizik, you’re up!
Amazing stat of the week: Tavon Austin (WVU) moved from wide receiver to running back for the Oklahoma game and was ridiculously good. He had 21 carries for 344 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. He had 4 catches for 82 yards. He had 8 kickoff returns for 146 yards!
No comments:
Post a Comment