Longhorns Get Hosed, Bring Back Nasty Memories of 1993

In 1993, the two top teams in the country were Notre Dame and Florida State. Damn, that seems like a long time ago... but I digress.

Notre Dame beat Florida State that year, head to head, during the regular season. They lost to Boston College the next week, and both ND and FSU ended the season with 1 loss. Not being in the BCS like we have now, they each played their bowl game, won, and that was that. And then FSU was awarded the top spot in the country, despite the obvious head-to-head battle that, to me, proved which team was actually better. ND got hosed.

Fast forward to 2008. Earlier this season, Texas beat Oklahoma, and then later lost a close one to Texas Tech. Both teams finish the regular season with one loss. Yet Oklahoma is voted #1 and gets put into the Big 12 Championship and later the national championship game. Same situation: the two teams had the same record, one beat the other, and yet the pollsters decided that they didn't like that so they just ignored it. So Oklahoma's playing for an undeserved national title and Texas is stuck playing #10 Ohio State.

This is why the rankings system does not work. I'm for a playoff. It's not a huge issue for me, I don't lose sleep over it (I have my daughter and her head cold to thank for that). But it amazes me that the college sports world has stood for this as long as they have. The obvious "popularity contest" nature of the rankings system should have gone by the wayside decades ago... yet it hasn't for whatever reason. Head to head play is and should be the deciding factor when records are equal. And the best way to assure head to head play is to have a playoff.

Finally...

Save the Haka!

The NCAA is sticking its nose where it doesn't belong... AGAIN. This time it's in reference to the University of Hawai'i's practice of performing a Polynesian Haka dance before the game.

You may know if you've been reading this blog for a while that I love the Haka. I don't know how long Hawai'i has been doing it, but I love the New Zealand Rugby team's performance of it. They do it before every match, right in front of the opposing team, and it's a real great show of spirit and pride.

That being said, the NCAA wants to get rid of it because apparently someone got offended. Well, that person needs to shut up. No one has the right to not be offended in a land where we have a freedom of speech. You can dislike it, and not go to games where it's performed, but you can't ban it because you're offended. That's simply immature and ridiculous.

Keep up the Haka, Hawai'i! I hope you guys play ND soon so I can see it too!

Former ND Kicker Harry Oliver Passes Away

There are certain moments when you remember exactly where you were at that moment. 9/11 and the Challenger explosion are the two biggies for my generation: I was sitting in my living room, late for work, when I heard about 9/11, and I was in our high school library after lunch when the Challenger exploded.

Another one I remember vividly is when Notre Dame beat Michigan in 1980. ND was down to Michigan 27-26 with something like two seconds on the clock. I was sitting in our car in the Kroger parking lot in Alma, MI because my folks had gone in to Kroger shopping and I wanted to listen to the Mutual Radio broadcast of the game.

Yeah, I know... even when I was only 11. Ask my friends, I was annoying back then, too.

Anyway, the Irish were going for a 51-yard field goal against the wind, and this little kicker named Harry Oliver was taking the kick. Miraculously, the wind stopped just as the kick was taken... it was up and it was good. I jumped out of the car and was running around it in the parking lot... my dad was so excited when he got back in the car and I told him... finally, something to stick in the faces of all the U of M fans in his office.

Anyway, Harry Oliver passed away yesterday in Cincinnati, where he was living and had spent the last two years battling cancer. Harry, thank you so much for a little slice of happiness and decades of nostalgia.

Here's the kick as described by Tony Roberts of the Notre Dame Football Radio Network:



And just for fun (well, my fun) here's U of M's Bob Ufer with the same call (he's so distraught he can't even get the score right until the third try):

Raider Nation Distributing Shields to Fans To Ward Off Errant Russell Passes

Oakland Uber-fan group the Raider Nation is reportedly distributing protective shields to their members in an attempt to protect them from the wild passes of #1 draft pick Jamarcus Russell.

"Mr. Russell, though blessed with a rocket for an arm, has been known to have trouble connecting with his recievers in a big way," said Gregory Baker, head of the Raider Nation Human Resources Department. "These shields will allow our fans to remain safe while watching games."

When asked what sort of protection the Raiders players will get in regards to this situation, Raiders owner Al Davis reportedly said "Have you seen this guy throw? The players have nothing to worry about! It's the fans that need to watch out, and I'm proud of the Raider Nation for stepping up and making these protective devices available to its members."

The shields are reportedly made of a carbon-fiber material, making them light enough for a toddler to hold but strong enough to withstand the bullets of Russell.

"We recommend that two fans be reponsible for the wielding of each shield," said Baker. "This guy could throw a pass through a 747 - he's that strong."

The FTSB is apparently recommending that air traffic patterns be altered during game days to go around Oakland's McAfee Colisseum.

Some ire did remain for coach Lane Kiffin and his staff despite this humanitarian gesture by the Raider Nation.

"What do they think they're doing?" asked one irate Raider Nation mother. "I take my kids to those games - do they think a ten-year old can stand up to one of those passes?"

Baker and the Raider Nation Research and Development team are now looking at new ways to help defend the smallest Raiders fans from the gatling-gun like prowess of Russell. "We're looking at a kids' section that has a protective guard around it - sort of like the Popemobile. A cheaper option would be to hand out free t-shirts to all the kids with targets on the chests - Russell's sure to miss those!"

Urlacher Slapped On Wrist Over Choice of Beverage

Brian Urlacher was fined $100,000 for wearing a Vitamin Water hat and drinking the aforementioned beverage publicly at a Bears media day event. Apparently it's against the rules for players to appear at official events wearing logos for non-NFL sponsors.

This makes me laugh until you think about how un-American it is. If we are a country that stands up for the freedom of choice, then what business is it of the NFL or its sponsors which beverage Brian Urlacher or any other player chooses to drink, no matter where he is?

I hope Urlacher takes this just as far as Jim McMahon did back in the day of the whole Rozelle headband thing.

Too Much Hoopla Sunk the Buckeyes Early

OSU controlled the BCS Championship game outright.... for about 10 seconds.

Then their out-of-control celebrations put a serious crimp in the Heisman Trophy appointee's style as they injured Ted Ginn after his touchdown run on the opening kickoff.

Makes you wonder how they'd have done if ND had just let Ginn score on the opening kickoff last year in the Fiesta Bowl.

Smith, OSU Shown Lacking in BCS Game - As Expected

I'm sure you've heard the score of the BCS Championship Game, and you've heard that tOSU got an amazing 82 yards in the game.

Eighty-Two.

EIGHTY-TWO. And most of those yards were from Antonio Pittman.

Which means that the guy who won the Heisman finished 4-for-14 for 35 yards and ended up with the lowest passing efficiency rating of any quarterback in BCS history. And mostly got his clock cleaned all night as his vaunted unstoppable offensive line was pummeled by Florida's speed.

Now, the point I'm going to make here is to show you that I WAS RIGHT. And so was anyone who said that Troy Smith wasn't worthy of the Heisman this season due to the power of the rest of his team. They made him look good all season, and he obviously was just a "good" player at best. When faced with that good a defensive line, he folded.

Let's compare: in a 47-21 loss to Michigan, Brady Quinn threw for 234 yards and 3 touchdowns. In a 44-24 loss to USC, he threw for 274 yards and 3 touchdowns. And in the Sugar Bowl against LSU, a 41-14 loss, he threw for 148 yards and 2 touchdowns.

So even in losing efforts (where the majority of the losing was by the defense), Quinn put up good numbers (well, fair numbers in the case of LSU). Smith? Nope.

Once again, the Maxwell Award got it right (as well as, apparently, the Cingular award) and the Heisman got it wrong. Maybe it's time to start ignoring the Heisman as the end-all and be-all of college football individual awards.

The final point I'd like to make is that the Big "We Can't Count" needs a championship game. If you're not going to play everyone in your conference (which OSU COULD do, but that would leave room for only two patsies on their schedule other than their conference "rivals") then you need to have a championship game. As in 2002 when OSU didn't play Iowa and therefore ducked a major conference powerhouse, OSU didn't have to play Wisconsin this year (who WON their bowl game). A championship game would serve two purposes: 1) it would legitimize the "conference champion" and 2) it would give the team one more game closer to the bowl game.

The Big "We Can't Count" would be well advised to stop listening to their juggernauts in OSU and U of M who don't want to lose the "importance" of their big game together at the end of the season and simply instate a championship game.

And one more thing: the Heisman folks need to stop awarding their prize before the season's over.

Spectre of Willingham Still Looms Large Over Irish

I couldn't do it.

As much as I do and always will support the Fightin' Irish, I couldn't watch another bowl loss this season. I stopped watching after LSU scored their first TD of the second half, and went to bed. Part of this was because I was just really tired after unwisely staying up playing Splinter Cell two nights ago, but the other part of me was the weariness of seeing my team try desperately to overcome the carnage that Tyrone Willingham has wreaked on it for three years.

A friend of mine told me that he thinks Notre Dame screwed Ty Willingham over by letting him go after only three years. I think this is a fallacy for the following reason: Ty Willingham was simply not willing to do what it took to attract top rank talent to Notre Dame across the board.

Now, some of you will say "oh, Brady Quinn isn't top rank talent? Jeff Samardzija isn't?" I'm not going to disagree with you there: those guys are first day draft picks, no doubt. Maybe even Victor Abiamiri and Derek Landri. But that's where it ends. And the real problem isn't in the high-profile roles: it's in the down and dirty grinder players: your two lines (offensive and defensive), linebackers, and particularly our defensive backs. Let's put it this way: look at our linebackers and d-backs: each of them featured a player who had to be converted from another position (Travis Thomas at LB, Chinedum Ndukwe at safety) in order to fill a need. And both decisions also left us light at other positions.

Notre Dame, on its own as a name and as an academically high-ranked school, is going to attract a few smart talented players. That's where Brady Quinn and his ilk show up. But let's face it: recruiting isn't something you can do by just walking up to some recruit's door and saying "hi, I'm from Notre Dame." You have to put some work into it, particularly with all the media bad-mouthing that goes on. And for whatever reason, that wasn't something that Willingham was able to do on a national basis like Notre Dame requires.

LSU dominated us last night because of their two lines and their defensive backs. We couldn't break through their offensive line enough to put pressure on Jamarcus Russell, nor stop them from setting up a good running game. Their defensive backs were able to cover our receivers well enough that Quinn had to take too much time in the pocket. ND never stopped trying, and I have all the respect in the world for the drive of our players. But if the size and speed aren't there, you're never going to be able to get anything done.

People say Charlie Weis is overrated. Well, I look at it this way: he's currently being asked to excel with players who are outclassed at almost every position by the opposition. And for the most part, he's succeeding. The only teams who have beaten us in the past 2 years, with one exception, are GREAT teams. Michigan State (the exception), USC and OSU last year, U of M, USC, and LSU this year. And hell, we almost beat USC last year.

Check out this blog entry at Her Loyal Sons. They say it much better than I can, particularly when I'm so full of vitriol.

Update: More support for this thought (though a little less giving than my own words) from Dan Wetzel at Yahoo! Sports.

I'll Take Potpourri For $1000, Alex

Just a little bit of catch-up to cover the holiday happenings here, before I go off tomorrow on whatever the result of the Sugar Bowl is.

• Christmas was great. I got to spend some quality family time at home with Jenn and Duncan and he really had a good time (though I'm getting a little weary of his Wiggles piano). Duncan also got a pair of padded (of course) hockey sticks and a ball. He's happy as a clam - the kid has picked up on hockey as his favorite sport, for whatever reason, and he runs around the house with one of the sticks, not flailing it around as much as I'd feared, and having a great time trying to hit the ball.
  
  For myself, I got a lot of James Bond stuff from my wonderful family; a pair of bike tights, some gloves, and a pump/repair kit from my folks; a beautiful Irish sweater from Jenn; and some other fun trinkets from various other folks. The tights are going to work out nicely, I think, plus they show off my sexy legs really well. ;)
  
  The one disappointment - our global-warming-addled climate not having enough snow for me to take Duncan sledding on the sled I restored for him for his gift. Hopefully we'll get some of Denver's weather.
  
  
• The best bowl game I've seen so far is the Fiesta Bowl and the upset win by the Boise State Broncos. Despite my disappointment that the Glendale staff didn't paint half the field blue for the visitors from the potato state, the game was the most fun to watch of all of them. Normally I hate the NCAA's overtime structure, but darn it if that wasn't a great one. To watch a team actually go for a two point conversion instead of playing it safe and taking the one-pointer to force a second overtime period was a joy. And I always (with one notable exception, Jenn) enjoy watching Big 12 teams look like a bunch of over-hyped jokers.
  
  And the incurable romantic in my heart appreciated Fox covering the post-game proposal by Broncos star running back Ian Johnson to his cheerleader girlfriend... true Americana there!
  
  
• I started a new twist on my workout routine - instead of saying "I'm gonna work out every day" or something like that, I am going for numbers this year: I set a goal for the year of 100,000 Hindu squats and 30,000 Hindu push ups from the Matt Furey Combat Conditioning workout. And keeping track of those reps all year long will hopefully help me to have something to really strive for. We'll see... check out my other blog if you're curious about how that's working out (no pun intended).
  
  
• The Sugar Bowl has me a bit scared. LSU is gonna be tough, and we've not played up to our potential in a lot of games this season (with the exception of the Penn State game). Hopefully Weis has the boys ready. And hopefully we'll be surprised as we were back in the Cheerios Bowl a decade ago.
  
  
• I watched a great documentary from Discovery Times that I'd Tivoed a couple months ago (finally) called Addicted To Oil. Created by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Thomas L. Friedman, it goes into the damage that oil does to our national security and to our climate, really breaking it down and showing the effects on both our security and the world's weather. He also goes into oil alternatives for both vehicles and general consumption, pointing out the good and bad of the various ideas. Very cool - check it out if you have the chance.
  
  And yes, I still need to see An Inconvenient Truth though I know most of what he's talking about already.
  
  
• On a similar train of thought, I watched Syriana over the holidays. This movie was outstanding though very disturbing at parts. Theatrically, it was a bit confusing, though that's part of its charm - you never are quite sure what's going on any more than the characters themselves are. It's definitely a movie you can see over and over and make new connections all the time.
  
  But the more important thing to take from it is the hypocrisy of the oil industry and its proponents in the government. The part that got me the most is when the eldest son of the emir, Nasir, is talking about how the US wants his brother to be the new emir because they consider him a Communist, simply because he decided to sell the country's oil to China as they offered him the best price (a very capitalist idea, wouldn't you think?).
  
  Go see this one if you haven't already. Though, if you're looking for a typically buff and sexy George Clooney in it, you're going to be watching the wrong movie because he reportedly put on 30 pounds for the role.
  
  
• There are still a couple things I want to get for my biking experience - a set of bike lights for the dark days and for my own safety, and some panniers so I don't have to use a backpack (and hopefully are a little more waterproof than the backpack I'm currently using. A set of fenders would also be nice - so I don't have to keep putting on rain pants.
  

I think that's everything.

Final Brady Quinn Commentary

The gentlemen at the Blue-Gray Sky blog have put together the most absolutely complete and concise look at the travesty that was the media's treatment of Brady Quinn this season.

My only comments: is Troy Smith a good player? Yes. Is Brady Quinn a better player? Yes. He did more against a tougher schedule (complain all you want about ND's playing the three service academies, one of whom went 9-3. ND's strength of schedule was 19th in the country versus tOSU's 40th) and with fewer quality supporting players.

ESPN and the rest should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for their anti-Notre Dame bias. If Katie Couric or Brian Williams showed this much enmity for Israel or France in the news, they'd be roundly lambasted and forced to make public apologies, if not openly fired. But in sports, it seems to be perfectly acceptable to hate on one team and focus the opinions of the sports world against them.

Quinn Wins Award For Nation's Best Player

It's not the Heisman, but it rewards the same thing: best college football player in the country. It's the Maxwell Award, given by the Maxwell Football Club in honor of Robert W. (Tiny) Maxwell, legendary college player, official and sports columnist. And this year it went to top quarterback Brady Quinn, of Notre Dame.

Interestingly enough, last year the awards were split between Texas's Vince Young winning the Maxwell and USC player (of questionable status) Reggie Bush winning the Heisman. And this year, with OSU's Troy Smith (also of questionable status) being the front-runner for the Heisman, the awards may be split again.

Seems the Maxwell award has more scruples than the Heisman, given the fact that this year's probable winner of the latter and last year's winner both were/are under investigation for breaking NCAA rules for taking money.

Buckeyes Football Fails In the Most Important Category

A very interesting article in the Boston Globe calls attention to some interesting statistics in the graduation of football players: the gap between the graduation rates of white and black players. Notre Dame is in the top bracket of this category, as expected, and other notable academic schools such as Navy, Rice, and Boston College rank highly here as well. But Ohio State ranks dead last with a black graduation rate of only 32 percent coupled with a white graduation rate of 85 percent. That's a difference of 53 percent.

The arguments will be made that lots of players leave college early to play in the pro ranks, and also that the universities can't be held accountable for the actions of their players. I'll agree with the first one with some caveats, and totally dismiss the second.

First: yes, it does make sense for many players to leave college early to play professional ball. The risk of getting injured in college ball and not getting that big paycheck in the NFL is one that is a calculated risk for many players. And to go back and get a degree later, after the paycheck is in the bank, so to speak, is a better option.

However - and this leads into my next point - I sincerely doubt that too many guys are taking that option and actually getting their degree after leaving early. That's where the real problem is: young men who see college simply as a way to get into the NFL. Granted, many coaches are able to recruit fairly well with promises that they'll have a better shot at the NFL is they come to X school. ND's Charlie Weis may be the best example of this. But the point of college athletics is for students who might not be able to pay for college to get a shot at higher education by cashing in on their athletic skills, and Notre Dame does not fail at this, based on the percentages in this article. The idea, of course, is that a player who has the drive to excel at athletics can develop the same drive to get a degree.

Obviously, that's not what the situation is in the country now, and I'm under no delusions that this is the case. However, the role of the NCAA should be to try to MAKE that the situation in any way possible. Let's face it: pro sports can't continue on the path they are on - perpetually increasing salaries leading to increased ticket prices are simply putting pro sports out of the realm of possibility for too many in this country. It's going to fall apart at some point. And the need for athletes to have an education is going to be more important than ever.

So shame on you, Ohio State, Georgia, LSU, and you others who are failing your players by not working with them more in regards to graduation. You are cashing in on your players and not giving them the very basics that an institution of learning should be providing.

Quinn Awarded "Best Quarterback" Prize

Brady Quinn received the Johnny Unitas Award for best senior quarterback in the nation for 2006, from the Johnny Unitas Educational Foundation.

So that means he's the best quarterback in college football today, right? And... there's some other guy who took money from a booster... and is currently in the running for the Heisman Trophy... and he's also a quarterback... but apparently not as good a quarterback as Brady Quinn...

So, this clinches it: there's really no reason Brady Quinn shouldn't be winning the Heisman this season.

It All Comes Down To Recruiting

Even two years after his dismissal, the legacy of Ty Willingham is biting Notre Dame in the ass. To look at the box score for the Notre Dame game, you'd think it was close, or even an ND win. ND had better passing, more plays, and pretty much equal number on the other basic stats of the game.

But when you look at what was actually done with those plays... damn. The USC guys were, by and large and nearly across the board, better athletes. And it showed. Quinn didn't have any INTs, but he had lots of passes batted down simply because their defensive backs got to the play faster. The depth of that team is frightening. And in a lot of ways, it reminded me of the other two games we've lost in the last calendar year: OSU and U of M. The scheme wasn't necessarily better, just the athletes were.

And that all boils down to one thing: recruiting. Ty couldn't recruit an eskimo to a whale blubber factory sale. Weis is picking things up, but as it stands now, we may have another tough year next year as well, as our Offensive line graduates four starters (thank god for Sam Young). Quinn, Samardzjia, McKnight, Landri, Laws, and Abiamiri all graduate, and waiting in the wings is... well, Jimmy Claussen, but as with any freshman we'll see what he can do. I doubt he'll start next year, we're more likely to see Evan Sharpley start at least the first part of the season.

Methinks this spring I'm going to have to try to convince the wife that a trip to the Bend for the Blue-Gold game just so we can assess the situation for ourselves.

Grass Apparently A Concern At Southern Cal

And no, not in the way you're probably thinking (for a change, anyway).

Though I can't find a link for the quote, according to some posters at NDNation.com, Sneaky Pete Carroll is still complaining about the length of the grass at Notre Dame Stadium last year for the USC/ND game. Apparently he was commenting on it at his football luncheon last Friday, though he may have been joking around.

The USC band practicing in the Coliseum for this weekend's big clash.

RIP: Bo Schembechler

A sad day for U of M fans - legendary coach Bo Schembechler passed away today at the age of 77.

The article gives his history, but I would obviously like to make a few comments.

I never liked Bo, but I respected him. He ran a clean, quality program at Michigan and gave a good name to college football in this country. He led the nation's winningest program for twenty-one years and was always a great opponent for the Irish. And he always remembered that college football's real wins came after graduation in the character and intelligence of the former players.

Bo, you will be missed. Hopefully your boys from Ann Arbor will be able to give you a proper send-off by crushing the Buckeyes tomorrow.

Brady Quinn For Heisman

Here's a great list of articles that talk about the reasons Brady Quinn should win the Heisman.

Trust me - there are plenty.

Brady Quinn vs. Troy Smith

Heisman Shenanigans

The Best Argument For Quinn

Things That Make Jamie Lean Away From Gun Control

If OSU beats Michigan this year, I'm buying a shotgun.

And this is meant as no offense to any of my friends who are OSU fans, I know you guys wouldn't be caught dead in situations like what this video is showing. But there's a reason that my brother's father-in-law once said he'd never come back for a game in Columbus, and my cousin will not come here at all (despite being the biggest Michigan fan I've ever personally encountered).

Smith is Gone For Spartans

From an article by the AP:

Michigan State coach won’t return next season
Associated Press
Wednesday, November 1, 2006 2:15 PM

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- John L. Smith will not return next year as Michigan State's football coach, but will complete the rest of this season, with the Spartans struggling again in the Big Ten.

Smith is in the fourth year of a six-year contract that pays him about $1.5 million annually. Michigan State said it will honor the last two years of Smith's contract.

“The performance on the field has not lived up to what we hoped it would be,” athletic director Ron Mason said during a news conference Wednesday. “It comes time to make a change, and that's where we're at.”

The Spartans (4-5) are coming off a 46-21 loss at Indiana and are 1-4 in the Big Ten.

Smith has been under pressure at Michigan State. School officials gave him a vote of confidence after last season's losing campaign, but were looking for better results in 2006.

A message seeking comment was left with Smith.

“This is a man who cares deeply about his players. He is a consummate professional,” school President Lou Anna Simon said.

Mason and Simon said they reached the decision on Tuesday to make a change. Mason met with Smith on Wednesday, and the coach agreed to stay on the rest of the season.

Smith was expected to meet with the players before Wednesday afternoon's practice.

Mason and Simon will lead the search for a new coach. Part of the reason behind the timing of the announcement is so Michigan State can search for a new coach with transparency, they said.

Smith has compiled a 22-23 record in four seasons at Michigan State. He led the Spartans to the Alamo Bowl in his first season, but the team did not qualify for a bowl in 2004 or 2005.

His record in the Big Ten has worsened since 2003, when the team was 5-3 and tied for fourth. The Spartans were 4-4 in 2004 and 2-6 in 2005.

The decision comes nearly four years to the day after Michigan State fired Bobby Williams with three games left in a season that was disappointing on and off the field.

Smith has a 132-83 career record in 18 seasons as a college head coach.

He was hired at Michigan State after having solid success at Louisville, where he compiled a 41-21 record and made five consecutive bowl trips from 1998-2002.

Smith, who also coached at Utah State and Idaho, took over a Michigan State program that has been inconsistent and relatively mediocre since the late 1960s. The program last went to the Rose Bowl after the 1987 season and hasn't won a share of the Big Ten title since finishing in a four-way tie in 1990.

This season's Spartans started with three straight wins and led Notre Dame by 16 points in the fourth quarter. But Michigan State squandered the lead, lost 40-37, and hasn't been the same since.

The Spartans mounted an NCAA-record comeback to beat Northwestern, but also lost to lowly Illinois and Indiana. Injuries and lack of depth have hurt the program.

This article, though factually accurate, completely misses an important point. The Spartans under Smith have turned into the Miami Hurricanes of the Big "We Can't Count." From the fight against Notre Dame, to the fight against Illinois, to the crumbling mess that is their football program, this guy has been nothing but negative.

Michigan State needed to do this from the standpoint of cleaning up their program and injecting some class into it.