Down goes #1 for the second time this year...but this time for losing (not for winning). Conference play does change things. And OUR new #1? It's still Jon Fox, thanks to the Harris poll coming into play this week. (Sorry, Scott, it was you until the Harris poll came out).
It's odd...this love-hate relationship we all have with college football...some days we love the unpredictability of it all and some days we hate it. A reminder that this is why we play the game and don't rely on the polls to tell us who is the best. A reminder that hunger for a win can outplay talent and experience anytime.
It was the day of the underdog: Oregon State over USC, Ole Miss over Florida, Michigan over Wisconsin, Maryland over Clemson. All in all, three top 10 fell to the unranked, one other top 10 lost and the Big 12 now has 4 in the top 10 (last week it was the SEC). BUT...the six teams of the Big 12 that are in the top 25 have yet to start conference play...we saw last Saturday how that re-arranged the SEC.
Oklahoma played the nations #1 defense and came out on top. UGA just couldn't get it together in the first half. Florida and Wisconsin made critical mistakes down the stretch (but note Tebow's promises for the rest of the season). The PAC-10 and ACC no longer have an undefeated team. And ECU's BCS-buster run is all but forgotten.
USC, the darling of the sports writers, was simply caught sleeping...the chink in the Trojan armor: complacency, predictability and a humongous ego (tough not to what with the media calling you #1 and Pete Carroll's best ever team). NOTE: If the Beavers hold on through the PAC-10 and so does USC, the Beavers have the tie breaker.
(I wondered if Pete Carrol walked across to congratulate the OSU coach or not...there were too many orange-clad fans on the field to tell).
My question (as well as my 14-year old's) to the voters: USC and UGA both fell eight spots...but why did UGA's loss to the undefeated and 8th ranked Tide carry the same penalty as USC getting beat by the 1-2 unranked Beavers?
And for those of us still holding out hope for a BYU national championship, we're not alone:
This week from Matt Hayes of Sporting News: "In this day and age of the unthinkable and the improbable and the predictable..., we give you this not-so-crazy reality: a team from the Mountain West playing for the national championship. Why not BYU or Utah?...If we’re so quick to anoint USC as the team to beat, why not look at an unbeaten MWC champ—if for no other reason, the MWC is as good or better than the Pac-10 this season."
And to see last weeks AP article on ESPN-U touting the same question click here.
And for any who don't believe they belong: click here.
26 September 2008
22 September 2008
Week 4 2008: Fourth Down, Eight to Go
Here we are 1/3 of the way through the season already, 4 games down and 8 left to go (for most teams). Here is my take on the first 1/3 of the season:
Although good on paper and executing very well, we don't really know yet how good USC is (or isn't). They are 2-0 with two bye weeks (who made that schedule?). Nor will we know until January (unless they fall asleep). USC is in a league by themselves...not because they are that good...but because currently no one else in the PAC-10 seems to have much of a pulse.
And the University of Spoiled Children / Coaches is not alone...undefeated Oklahoma, UGA and Florida have yet to play a team in the Top 25. These teams also have yet to be truly tested.
But you can't blame USC...they are just doing what they do best - win. If they run the table and go to the championship game they will hear incessant cries from any Big 12 or SEC team that runs the table and doesn't get a shot at USC. And, why not throw in any undefeated MWC team into that ring? Who do you pick if four teams are near perfect? USC with their patsy schedule? Get ready for the blog battle if that's the case.
To paraphrase the MWC commissioner last week: the ailing ACC and potentially the Big East should give up their auto BCS bid to the more deserving conference this year...likely the MWC. And, it should be like that every year...a poor performing conference should release their auto bid. Name any sport, company, parent, etc. who rewards poor performers...besides the BCS?
The SEC, with six teams in the top 25, will continue hammering each other into the ground until one or two battered, but not undefeated, teams stand alone in the top 10. Do they get to take on USC? Who is to say that a 8-4 #25 ranked team from the SEC or Big 12 is not as deserving as the ACC Champion?
The AP Top 25 Summary:
ACC(2), Big East(1), Big Ten(4), Big 12(5), Conf USA(1), Mid-America(0), MWC(3), PAC_10(1), SEC(6), Sun Belt(0), WAC(2), Independent(0).
Although good on paper and executing very well, we don't really know yet how good USC is (or isn't). They are 2-0 with two bye weeks (who made that schedule?). Nor will we know until January (unless they fall asleep). USC is in a league by themselves...not because they are that good...but because currently no one else in the PAC-10 seems to have much of a pulse.
And the University of Spoiled Children / Coaches is not alone...undefeated Oklahoma, UGA and Florida have yet to play a team in the Top 25. These teams also have yet to be truly tested.
But you can't blame USC...they are just doing what they do best - win. If they run the table and go to the championship game they will hear incessant cries from any Big 12 or SEC team that runs the table and doesn't get a shot at USC. And, why not throw in any undefeated MWC team into that ring? Who do you pick if four teams are near perfect? USC with their patsy schedule? Get ready for the blog battle if that's the case.
To paraphrase the MWC commissioner last week: the ailing ACC and potentially the Big East should give up their auto BCS bid to the more deserving conference this year...likely the MWC. And, it should be like that every year...a poor performing conference should release their auto bid. Name any sport, company, parent, etc. who rewards poor performers...besides the BCS?
The SEC, with six teams in the top 25, will continue hammering each other into the ground until one or two battered, but not undefeated, teams stand alone in the top 10. Do they get to take on USC? Who is to say that a 8-4 #25 ranked team from the SEC or Big 12 is not as deserving as the ACC Champion?
The AP Top 25 Summary:
ACC(2), Big East(1), Big Ten(4), Big 12(5), Conf USA(1), Mid-America(0), MWC(3), PAC_10(1), SEC(6), Sun Belt(0), WAC(2), Independent(0).
14 September 2008
Week 3 2008: Rise and Shout...and Rout!
Wow! What an unbelievable game. Nobody...nobody could have predicted the outcome of this one. BYU: 59, UCLA: 0.
And, not only did BYU upend a PAC-10 team...so did three other MWC teams (TCU, UNLV and New Mexico). The MWC owned the PAC-10 this weekend. And, USC (after yet another week off) plays only PAC-10 teams the rest of the season with the exception of the Irish visiting in November.
A little movement in the polls this week...it appears that things are settling a bit in the world of the polls (ok...for now). UGA dropping a notch because of a 7-point win over the 'ol ball coach, and Oklahoma moving up because they beat UW handily...? Not sure I agree with that given the history of the UGA-USC series and UW's winning percentage. (Auburn scored only three points against Mississippi State and dropped one spot). Although there are four SEC teams in the top 10...Auburn and LSU play this Saturday which will force a change there (War Eagle!).
Amongst ourselves: 11 of our 16 players are doing better than the AP and USA today pre-season polls. Still a lot of football to play but I don't recall use being that much better than the pros.
And, not only did BYU upend a PAC-10 team...so did three other MWC teams (TCU, UNLV and New Mexico). The MWC owned the PAC-10 this weekend. And, USC (after yet another week off) plays only PAC-10 teams the rest of the season with the exception of the Irish visiting in November.
A little movement in the polls this week...it appears that things are settling a bit in the world of the polls (ok...for now). UGA dropping a notch because of a 7-point win over the 'ol ball coach, and Oklahoma moving up because they beat UW handily...? Not sure I agree with that given the history of the UGA-USC series and UW's winning percentage. (Auburn scored only three points against Mississippi State and dropped one spot). Although there are four SEC teams in the top 10...Auburn and LSU play this Saturday which will force a change there (War Eagle!).
Amongst ourselves: 11 of our 16 players are doing better than the AP and USA today pre-season polls. Still a lot of football to play but I don't recall use being that much better than the pros.
08 September 2008
Week 2 2008: Gotta Love Controversy
I hate the excessive celebration rule...(but I do love the controversy)!
It happens only a few times each college football season...I'm sitting there enjoying / watching the game when suddenly a spectacular play is made and then: I lose control and in a moment of passion I'm on my feet, cheering at the top of my lungs, arms raised, feeling elated. It's called passion. And if you have it, really have it...then be player, coach, fan, friend or foe...you celebrate those moments. It's a reflex and it's uncontrollable and it's what I did when BYU blocked the last second PAT to tie the game.
That is also what Jake Locker did moments before. Good for him. He cares about the game, his team, and giving his all. Jake was doing what every coach, tells every player, every Saturday: "Show some passion out there." You can't have one without the other. Don't fault Jake...fault the system.
I've heard it multiple times since Saturday, and you probably have, too: "Good call. Stupid rule." Give the officials a cookie for sticking to the rule book, a dunce cap for not doing what's right.
I do NOT agree with Bronco's comments: "We do have rules for a reason....They are to teach principles of class and integrity. Sometimes young men in the heat of the moment get over-exuberant and the rules are in place to try to keep the game intact and hold on to what is most important in the game and that's the team element. Again, it's unfortunate that a call is being the focus rather than two teams playing their heart out and going down to the last play that did decide the game."
I agree that the call is getting more attention than the teams and shouldn't, but to allude that the the excessive celebration rule maintains the all important team element is asinine. The game was never not intact.
I do agree with the following comment from Jim Caple of ESPN, a UW alum: "It was one of the absolute worst calls I've ever seen in football. The only thing that tempers it somewhat is that BYU was the better team in this game and that Washington coach Ty Willingham planned to go for the tie rather than go for two and the upset win; it was pretty clear that there was no way the Huskies would have been able to stop BYU's offense in overtime. Unless, of course, BYU did something heinous and unsportsmanlike, such as showing up the Huskies after scoring a touchdown, such as hugging one another and shouting and running off the field all superiorlike. I mean, that sort of behavior might fly in the Mountain West Conference, but by God, not in the Pac-10.
Placing a control on celebrations is placing limits on passion...that's wrong. Excessiveness resulting in taunting or injury or insult should be penalized (think UGA vs UF October 2007) and that is what the rule is there to control...not passion for the game.
PS: Saturday night highlights showed UU do the same thing after a touchdown with no penalty.
It happens only a few times each college football season...I'm sitting there enjoying / watching the game when suddenly a spectacular play is made and then: I lose control and in a moment of passion I'm on my feet, cheering at the top of my lungs, arms raised, feeling elated. It's called passion. And if you have it, really have it...then be player, coach, fan, friend or foe...you celebrate those moments. It's a reflex and it's uncontrollable and it's what I did when BYU blocked the last second PAT to tie the game.
That is also what Jake Locker did moments before. Good for him. He cares about the game, his team, and giving his all. Jake was doing what every coach, tells every player, every Saturday: "Show some passion out there." You can't have one without the other. Don't fault Jake...fault the system.
I've heard it multiple times since Saturday, and you probably have, too: "Good call. Stupid rule." Give the officials a cookie for sticking to the rule book, a dunce cap for not doing what's right.
I do NOT agree with Bronco's comments: "We do have rules for a reason....They are to teach principles of class and integrity. Sometimes young men in the heat of the moment get over-exuberant and the rules are in place to try to keep the game intact and hold on to what is most important in the game and that's the team element. Again, it's unfortunate that a call is being the focus rather than two teams playing their heart out and going down to the last play that did decide the game."
I agree that the call is getting more attention than the teams and shouldn't, but to allude that the the excessive celebration rule maintains the all important team element is asinine. The game was never not intact.
I do agree with the following comment from Jim Caple of ESPN, a UW alum: "It was one of the absolute worst calls I've ever seen in football. The only thing that tempers it somewhat is that BYU was the better team in this game and that Washington coach Ty Willingham planned to go for the tie rather than go for two and the upset win; it was pretty clear that there was no way the Huskies would have been able to stop BYU's offense in overtime. Unless, of course, BYU did something heinous and unsportsmanlike, such as showing up the Huskies after scoring a touchdown, such as hugging one another and shouting and running off the field all superiorlike. I mean, that sort of behavior might fly in the Mountain West Conference, but by God, not in the Pac-10.
Placing a control on celebrations is placing limits on passion...that's wrong. Excessiveness resulting in taunting or injury or insult should be penalized (think UGA vs UF October 2007) and that is what the rule is there to control...not passion for the game.
PS: Saturday night highlights showed UU do the same thing after a touchdown with no penalty.
02 September 2008
Week 1 2008: Second Guessing?
If after Saturday (and Monday) you're thinking you picked all the wrong teams, think again...
If there is anything I know at this point in the season it's that there is a lot...a whole lot, of football left to play. I did it, too...thinking I should have put Alabama in my top 20 and not ranked Clemson so high, should've put in Utah or Oregon or UCLA instead of Va Tech, etc. Be patient...it will change...a lot.
Item of note: Dave is currently ahead of the AP and Coahces polls. But be patient...that will likely change, too!
USC did look impressive and even I agree they should've jumped over UGA. I suspect they'll stay at the top until they lose. It would take a pretty impressive win for anyone to make that jump again, but a UGA win over LSU and Florida could do it.
If there is anything I know at this point in the season it's that there is a lot...a whole lot, of football left to play. I did it, too...thinking I should have put Alabama in my top 20 and not ranked Clemson so high, should've put in Utah or Oregon or UCLA instead of Va Tech, etc. Be patient...it will change...a lot.
Item of note: Dave is currently ahead of the AP and Coahces polls. But be patient...that will likely change, too!
USC did look impressive and even I agree they should've jumped over UGA. I suspect they'll stay at the top until they lose. It would take a pretty impressive win for anyone to make that jump again, but a UGA win over LSU and Florida could do it.
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