Week 9: Take a Risk, Learn to Trust

I spent four hours Saturday afternoon watching the annual Georgia - Florida game, aka the WLOCP. These two teams have struggled this year but the annual rivalry rarely disappoints and this year was no exception. But it was my post-game pondering of the event that became the source for this weeks blog title.

First we have Meyer. Though I am no fan of his personality and off-the-field comments, I do admire and respect his coaching abilities. He's coming off of three straight losses - something neither of his two predecessors ever did at UF. With an extra week to prepare he did what some coaches would consider un-thinkable: make significant changes 2/3 through the season. Why? Because what they had been running was not working. And change he did. He used three different QB's; not in a series or quarter rotation but throughout the game. It was tough at first and a few hiccups were obvious but he took the risk then placed trust in his players and staff. It paid off. UF won the game in OT (darn it).

On the other side of the field Richt's players struggled the first half, scoring only once. By half-time the Bulldog QB had thrown an interception and fumbled another. Was he pulled at half? Were changes made to the offense? No. Richt continued to take risks and keep pushing and keep trusting his players. Georgia dominated the 3rd and 4th quarters, going into the 4th down 28 - 10, and tied the game in regulation. And to start OT did they go conservative and just settle for the field goal given their always on place kicker? No - they went for it all on the first play in OT then again on the third. They took risks and trusted in the players.

And fans respect coaches and teams that try to win instead of trying not to lose.

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I also caught part of the Oregon - USC game and saw similar traits in the coaching of Chip Kelly. Heading into half-time the Ducks are up 22 - 17 with under two minutes to go...a point where most teams run a play or two, let the seconds tick off and go into half-time with the lead. Not Kelly. He knew that USC had the crowd, the home team advantage, and some momentum. So what did he do? He threw the ball down the field, going for (and getting) one last score before the half. He didn't take a knee and let the clock tick away. He knew every second would count in a game like this and a season like this. That is how he has played all year...non-stop, taking risks, setting high expectations and expecting only the best from the guys that he trusts.

Other coaches (cough...BYU) could learn a thing or two.

Week 8: Another #1 Bites the Dust

Wow - when was the last time three #1's fell in three weeks? (Well, if you consider OU the #1 last week, that was only the BCS ranking). And the new #1, Oregon, has their toughest game yet on the slate for this Saturday (against hungry and looking for r-e-s-p-e-c-t USC). Maybe being #1 mid-season this year is a curse.

In the Coaches poll: 12 teams move up, five drop, and two drop out (Texas lost to Iowa State?). There are three non-BCS teams in the top 10 but none in the rest of the top 25. And the Top 25 surprises that no one would have bet on in August? Mississippi State, Baylor, Michigan...wow. And VaTech is creeping back up the polls...that is going to be interesting at the end of the season if they continue to win (see comments in Week 2).

This Saturday brings us the World's Largest Cocktail Party...one of my favorite games to watch every year. But it's a little different this year. Florida has lost three in a row, Georgia is 4 - 4 and neither team is in the top 25. Georgia is riding a three game score-fest and seems to be turning their season around, plus it's the start of a new decade - all of these favor Georgia (the game is in a weird 20-year cycle thingy). But Meyer, his incessant whining aside, is a great coach whom I think would give up his first-born before losing four in a row.

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I'm tired and not feeling well and simply can't think of anything worthy of my own whining this week (or I'm just tired of whining about BYU's offensive woes).

Week 7: Shake Ups and Surprises

In the last eight days we have seen three different #1 teams thanks to a couple of upsets. In the top 25 there were 16 teams that moved up while four dropped. This past week brought a new #1 upset along with a list of surprises:

*USC over Cal...are you kidding?

*108 points scored in the Auburn-Arkansas game...where was the defense?

*Kentucky over the Gamecocks...the same Gamecocks that dominated 'Bama last week?

*The once dominant SEC-East is literally up for grabs right now.

* Mississippi State over Florida...when was the last time MSU beat Florida and Georgia in the same season?

*Washington over Oregon State...another Sarkisian surprise.

*Texas' total domination over Nebraska...who saw that coming?

*Hawaii over Nevada...is Nevada a flash in the pan?

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Besides BYU's struggle to win: TCU routed them (again), Nevada's loss to Hawaii makes BYU's loss to Nevada even worse, and Air Force's loss to lowly SDSU takes a little umph out of BYU's win over SDSU. Mediocrity at its best.

Week 6: Some Shake-Up

Although 'Bama made a big statement last week that is now long forgotten because the Gamecocks made a much bigger statement this week. Not only did they beat the #1 team in the land they dominated from the start and held the two Heisman hopefuls to under 63 rushing yards total! That is a serious statement.

The Top 25 now has two, 2-loss teams (Florida and Oregon State). Two teams dropped in the polls even though they won (Utah, Arkansas). And LSU...those Lucky Stump-jumper Undergrads! That is two weeks in a row they win close and win close on a ref call. Last week was the Tennessee foopah that gave LSU a second chance at a TD and this week their fake field goal had to be reviewed for 10 minutes before they decided it was good! Luck is on their side and it'll have to be to win the SEC-West (they still have to face Auburn and 'Bama).

EndZone: BYU came out of their losing streak and in the first quarter looked like the BYU of old with dominating offensive play calling. Although they pulled off the win, the rest of the game was a nail-biter because they went back to their very conservative ways after the end zone interception. The play calling became predictable and if I didn't know better I'd say you could fit the entire offensive play book on a 3x5 card written out by a kindergartener with an over-sized crayon. C'mon...stick with what works. Calling the same plays over and over will not yield a different result...especially when the defense has figured out your pattern. Conservatism will not result in wins.

Week 5: Why do we keep watching?

Georgia and BYU: Two teams who are currently 1 - 4; two teams who over the past 10 years have been consistent and even dominant in their conferences; two teams with a respectable fan base and following; two teams with OK pre-season rankings and high expectations from their O-lines; two teams who happen to be the two primary teams I follow; two teams who are now looking for answers, hoping for a win, and struggling to keep the fans happy. Yet we still watch...and wonder why we do.

At some point, the game (or the season in these cases) becomes like a bad movie and you just want to walk away....or even run away. Most people will stick with a bad movie thinking it can only get better (or thinking about the ticket price we paid). But my experience has shown that when a movie is really bad...it usually stays that way and simply turns into a wasted 90 minutes. The Georgia and BYU movies are approaching that point, I'm afraid.

But college football is different. We rarely walk out or sell the remaining season tickets. We keep looking for the good even when the bad is the primary topic on Monday mornings. Is it because we've already paid for the tickets? Is it because we think they'll turn it around at half-time or going into the 4th quarter or the last half of the season? Is it that we've seen so many football miracles we're afraid we'll miss one if we give up on the team? Is it because we actually have sat through bad movies that turned out OK?

No to all of the above. We watch because we're fans. Not fair-weather fans but fans with hope. Fans with understanding. Fans that cheer the good and deep down we understand the bad. Fans with a love of the game. But beyond the Saturday night ranting, the Sunday morning gasp at the stats, the Monday-morning quarterbacking and then the lunch-time tirade on the coaches...we still go back on Saturday. We watch because they need us and we need them. We watch because we love the game, even more than the wins. And because if we didn't watch we could not call ourselves fans.

Hang in there Dawg and Coug fans...

Week 5: Big Statements

'Bama and Oregon made some big time statements Saturday while BSU and TCU could only hold on to their dreams with a few style points.

There is a lot of football left to play but right now I think most would like to see 'Bama and Oregon play. Though I do believe that BSU and TCU can hang with the big boys, this season so far has shifted my thinking a bit about putting them in the NC game. Why? Because the other teams at the top seem to be playing multiple high caliber teams

... really high caliber. But, of course, all that can change in one Saturday...and probably will.

I was surprised that Colorado scheduled a typically strong SEC powerhouse team for their 20th anniversary (of their NC) celebration game...most teams would have done it against a

lesser opponent. Obviously, CU was better prepared for this game. It showed in their game plan, their execution and their fans. Give 'em credit for taking the risk and seeing it pay off (even though I paid a pretty penny to be there hoping the Dawgs would pull it off).

EndZone: Second Chance

It's every offensive coordinators dream...the play didn't go as planned but he gets another chance due to a penalty on the defense. It happens a lot, probably every Saturday, but not like it did for LSU: the second chance was the difference between winning or losing. How do the voters take that into account? Do they? Where would LSU be ranked had it gone the Vols way? Do they deserve a higher ranking because they won on a penalty?