Back with a blog on this Tuesday night. Just a few thoughts to chew on:
On this whole "Deflate Gate" thing: Look, I get that the Patriots are polarizing, and that everyone looks for a reason to hate the Patriots after Spygate. But guys, the national media is blowing this completely out of proportion. The shame of this whole thing is that the two best teams, playing for the ultimate prize, are going to take a backseat to this because the media's got to have something to write about.
Tell me, how is it that "Deflate Gate" is now bigger than Ray Rice? I get that the Patriots aren't exactly the cleanest franchise in the world, but I mean, come on. A bunch of footballs deflated by the Patriots (allegedly) is now seen as bigger than Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee in an elevator, are you kidding me? If anything, I think the NFL's handling of the Ray Rice thing is much, much more concerning than this.
If it sounds like I'm exonerating the Patriots completely, no I'm not. No doubt there are some shady things going on with that franchise, most namely Roger Goodell showing up at Gillette Stadium during the playoffs with a Boston hat on (he and Pats owner Robert Kraft are good friends, as most who follow the NFL know). I am saying that the sports media and NFL fans, especially the ones who hate the Patriots are letting this thing get way out of hand.
As far as the Super Bowl goes, I'm picking the Patriots to win it. It's awfully hard to repeat, Gronkowski is healthy and I don't think Seattle has an answer for him, and I think the Patriots will use "Deflate Gate" as just more ammunition. I like the Patriots in their Super Bowl specialty, winning by a field goal, 23-20 (each of their previous three Super Bowl wins have been by a field goal).
The notion of parity in the NFL is a myth, by the way. It used to be that any team could win, but not anymore. Those four teams that played on championship Sunday were clearly the class of the NFL and it wouldn't surprise me if those four teams are right back there again next season.
One last thing on this Super Bowl: don't be fooled by Seattle calling themselves the "12th Man," they aren't the real 12th Man. Texas A&M has trademark on that and every time Seattle raises that 12 flag, they pay royalties to Texas A&M.
Head Coach Mike Riley and the Nebraska football program had a big Tuesday of recruiting, which included keeping Omaha Central defensive end Daishon Neal in-state and away from Michigan. It is huge on a couple of different levels, not the least of which is keeping the best players in your own state. As a bonus, they managed to keep him away from Michigan's golden boy, Harbaugh.
Well, I should slightly correct myself: Michigan hurt their chances by saying something really stupid during the recruiting process, which Neal and his father revealed during an interview on Omaha sports radio Tuesday morning.
"Michigan was a powerhouse," Neal's father said. "They stormed us, but they made one bad statement in the room. He (referring to Michigan assistant Greg Mattison, who was the assistant who made the trip to Omaha) said, 'without football, Daishon wouldn't be able to go to Michigan. Like we couldn't afford to send him there or get him academically (in)."
Neal would later say that he believed that the Michigan recruiter basically called him stupid to his face. As the story goes, it didn't take long for Mattison to be kicked out of the household.
Look, I have Detroit connections. Michigan is a fine school by all accounts, and certainly overall is a better school than Nebraska. But you don't bring that crap into a living room and try and stuff it down a recruit's throat, no matter how truthful it may be. The last thing you want to do is make a recruit look stupid.
There are a lot of things that former UT HFC Mack Brown was subpar in, including coaching, but the one thing he would have NEVER done on a recruiting trip (to my knowledge) would be essentially to call a guy stupid to his face. Besides, while Michigan is a fine school it certainly is no Rice; I know because I live in Houston and it is EXTREMELY difficult to get into Rice. For my Nebraska peeps who would like to listen to the full interview, you can do so here: https://soundcloud.com/liquid-shane-o/jan-27-seg-5-with-omaha-central-de-daishon-neal-sticks-with-nebraska
The Huskers also got a commitment from Spring, Texas DB Willie Sykes today. What's interesting about him is that Sykes earned first team All-Texas honors from TexasFootball.com, but the only other school that was after him was Washington State.
On the Rockets: Fairly pivotal game with the Mavs tomorrow, I'd say. Win that game and they're 2.5 ahead of Dallas and they already have two wins in their back pocket against the Mavs...and a tiebreaker could be critical for home court down the road. For the record, I'd say the Mavs are the best chance the Rockets have to win a playoff series right now. Not that they would, but I think it's their best shot.
Bad loss for Nebrasketball tonight. They had a real chance to get a big win tonight at Michigan and came out timid and uninspired. It's a good thing I had stuff to do tonight so I didn't have to watch 90 percent of that debacle.
Until next time....
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Thursday, January 15, 2015
The National Championship Game and other musings 1/15/2015
Back with some notes on this late Thursday night:
So, Ohio State breezed by Oregon as it turned out, 42-20 and now stands above all of us as the undisputed college football kings of the nation. Ohio State fan is standing over us all and will be reminding the rest of us of that for an entire year.
Know what the scary part about that game is? They could have beat Oregon by even worse because they were -4 in turnovers and still beat the crap out of them. Oregon has once again been proven to be a paper tiger, just as I figured they were all along. I actually picked them to lose to Michigan State at the start of the year but they somehow survived that, Stanford and the defending champs but when they got to Ohio State they were finally exposed as the frauds they are.
Bottom line is, Oregon can have all of their seven million uniform combinations and all the Phil Knight money they want, but until they figure out how to get physical at the line of scrimmage in a big game, they will never grab that championship glory no matter how much Phil Knight can cheat to get it. Ohio State mauled them at the line of scrimmage, just as Stanford did in the past, just as LSU did to them in 2011 and just as Auburn did in the national title game a few years back. In my opinion, the real national title game was Ohio State vs Alabama; that game Monday night was nothing more than a Buckeye coronation.
One thing I did not touch on when I talked about the national semifinals; I do not think four teams is enough. It's better than two but it's still not enough. TCU had a team that could have beat anybody in the country and deserved a shot to play for a championship as they showed against Ole Miss.
The ideal scenario for me is this; eight teams, and here's the real kicker, with the first round games AT THE HOME CAMPUSES. People talk about the regular season meaning nothing with a playoff, well top that. If you get the first round games at home, that's a hell of a lot to play for in the regular season. The system we've got now is most definitely better than the BCS though.
The big news of the day from college football also involves Ohio State, with Cardale Jones deciding to come back to school. The decision surprises me, simply because he's a rising prospect that may not even start next year because he'll have to beat out J.T. Barrett. It also surprises me because Cardale Jones has a new baby girl and I could certainly have understood him taking the money and going to the NFL. He's a good prospect, but like I said he will have his work cut out to earn his starting position.
It is with great regret that I did not get to the NFL games from this past weekend because I was talking about the championship game Monday, so let me backtrack and do that. On Baltimore/New England, I read that John Harbaugh was crying about the Patriots formations. Harbaugh simply needs to shut up and sit down because those formations have been run in other games and they are perfectly legal. It's sour grapes from a coach that lost a tough game. Yes, Bill Belichick will do anything to win. No crap.
I like watching Cam Newton play, but he needs better players around him. Until he gets that, Carolina will not be able to take that next step. Seattle won big, as I expected they would.
On the Dez Bryant play, I can't really say I feel that bad for Cowboy fans. Did they get jammed? Probably. The Calvin Johnson rule, as it is aptly known, is one of the stupidest rules in the book, no doubt. Technically, the refs got the call right. But it's a bad rule. It's sort of like the tuck rule that jammed the Raiders in the 2002 playoffs.
That said, as I mentioned I don't really feel badly for the Cowboys because they shouldn't have been in the game to begin with. To me that was "ball don't lie" and the football spirits correcting their mistake from last week. Also, even if the Cowboys score there, Rodgers gets the ball back with plenty of time left and there's a good chance Green Bay still wins.
Speaking of the Cowboys, Jerry Jones has already said they won't be able to keep Murray AND Bryant? Are you kidding me? You're just going to let go one of your top playmakers?
As far as the Broncos game, I know a lot of Broncos fans and let me address them by saying this: Guys, it's time for Peyton to go. He just can't do it anymore. You saw how he was in the last month of the season, and yes I know, Broncos fans, he was hurt. That's exactly the point though. At his age, he just can't do what he used to do anymore and him being out there makes him more vulnerable to injuries. He also doesn't have a dynamic running game or defense like Elway had in 1997 or 1998, which kind of fell in their laps anyways with Terrell Davis.
As far as the weekend goes, in the AFC game the Patriots should win that unless something catastrophic happens to Gronk. I thought that last week's tilt with the Ravens was their best shot to lose before the Super Bowl and I stand by that. Compared to that game, this game should be a much easier game for the Pats to handle; Luck is not ready to win a game of this magnitude yet, and beating a banged up Peyton in Denver doesn't count all that much.
In the NFC game, obviously the Packers' chances hinge with Rodgers. If he is able to play and play effectively, Green Bay has a chance.
Couple of final notes:
San Diego gets the 2016 MLB All-Star game, the first time Petco Park has ever hosted the event. Big win for San Diego to get that game.
Good win by the Rockets tonight after that humiliation in Orlando. They could still use a point guard upgrade, but nice win. I expected a good effort tonight; they're professionals and when you get humiliated like that, it ticks you off.
As far as Nebrasketball? Still can pick up some wins, but have a long, long way to come.
Until next time....
So, Ohio State breezed by Oregon as it turned out, 42-20 and now stands above all of us as the undisputed college football kings of the nation. Ohio State fan is standing over us all and will be reminding the rest of us of that for an entire year.
Know what the scary part about that game is? They could have beat Oregon by even worse because they were -4 in turnovers and still beat the crap out of them. Oregon has once again been proven to be a paper tiger, just as I figured they were all along. I actually picked them to lose to Michigan State at the start of the year but they somehow survived that, Stanford and the defending champs but when they got to Ohio State they were finally exposed as the frauds they are.
Bottom line is, Oregon can have all of their seven million uniform combinations and all the Phil Knight money they want, but until they figure out how to get physical at the line of scrimmage in a big game, they will never grab that championship glory no matter how much Phil Knight can cheat to get it. Ohio State mauled them at the line of scrimmage, just as Stanford did in the past, just as LSU did to them in 2011 and just as Auburn did in the national title game a few years back. In my opinion, the real national title game was Ohio State vs Alabama; that game Monday night was nothing more than a Buckeye coronation.
One thing I did not touch on when I talked about the national semifinals; I do not think four teams is enough. It's better than two but it's still not enough. TCU had a team that could have beat anybody in the country and deserved a shot to play for a championship as they showed against Ole Miss.
The ideal scenario for me is this; eight teams, and here's the real kicker, with the first round games AT THE HOME CAMPUSES. People talk about the regular season meaning nothing with a playoff, well top that. If you get the first round games at home, that's a hell of a lot to play for in the regular season. The system we've got now is most definitely better than the BCS though.
The big news of the day from college football also involves Ohio State, with Cardale Jones deciding to come back to school. The decision surprises me, simply because he's a rising prospect that may not even start next year because he'll have to beat out J.T. Barrett. It also surprises me because Cardale Jones has a new baby girl and I could certainly have understood him taking the money and going to the NFL. He's a good prospect, but like I said he will have his work cut out to earn his starting position.
It is with great regret that I did not get to the NFL games from this past weekend because I was talking about the championship game Monday, so let me backtrack and do that. On Baltimore/New England, I read that John Harbaugh was crying about the Patriots formations. Harbaugh simply needs to shut up and sit down because those formations have been run in other games and they are perfectly legal. It's sour grapes from a coach that lost a tough game. Yes, Bill Belichick will do anything to win. No crap.
I like watching Cam Newton play, but he needs better players around him. Until he gets that, Carolina will not be able to take that next step. Seattle won big, as I expected they would.
On the Dez Bryant play, I can't really say I feel that bad for Cowboy fans. Did they get jammed? Probably. The Calvin Johnson rule, as it is aptly known, is one of the stupidest rules in the book, no doubt. Technically, the refs got the call right. But it's a bad rule. It's sort of like the tuck rule that jammed the Raiders in the 2002 playoffs.
That said, as I mentioned I don't really feel badly for the Cowboys because they shouldn't have been in the game to begin with. To me that was "ball don't lie" and the football spirits correcting their mistake from last week. Also, even if the Cowboys score there, Rodgers gets the ball back with plenty of time left and there's a good chance Green Bay still wins.
Speaking of the Cowboys, Jerry Jones has already said they won't be able to keep Murray AND Bryant? Are you kidding me? You're just going to let go one of your top playmakers?
As far as the Broncos game, I know a lot of Broncos fans and let me address them by saying this: Guys, it's time for Peyton to go. He just can't do it anymore. You saw how he was in the last month of the season, and yes I know, Broncos fans, he was hurt. That's exactly the point though. At his age, he just can't do what he used to do anymore and him being out there makes him more vulnerable to injuries. He also doesn't have a dynamic running game or defense like Elway had in 1997 or 1998, which kind of fell in their laps anyways with Terrell Davis.
As far as the weekend goes, in the AFC game the Patriots should win that unless something catastrophic happens to Gronk. I thought that last week's tilt with the Ravens was their best shot to lose before the Super Bowl and I stand by that. Compared to that game, this game should be a much easier game for the Pats to handle; Luck is not ready to win a game of this magnitude yet, and beating a banged up Peyton in Denver doesn't count all that much.
In the NFC game, obviously the Packers' chances hinge with Rodgers. If he is able to play and play effectively, Green Bay has a chance.
Couple of final notes:
San Diego gets the 2016 MLB All-Star game, the first time Petco Park has ever hosted the event. Big win for San Diego to get that game.
Good win by the Rockets tonight after that humiliation in Orlando. They could still use a point guard upgrade, but nice win. I expected a good effort tonight; they're professionals and when you get humiliated like that, it ticks you off.
As far as Nebrasketball? Still can pick up some wins, but have a long, long way to come.
Until next time....
Monday, January 12, 2015
Why I'm Cheering for Ohio State tonight...even though I'll have to hold my nose
OK, so as pretty much everyone who follows college football knows, tonight is a historic night. The first ever college football playoff national championship game. The first time that I can honestly say we are going to crown a national champion the way it should be crowned...on the field. Let me just say this, first of all, I think four teams is not enough. Eight is the ideal number, but that's for another time.
This is about tonight. Let's get this out of the way, I can't stand Ohio State. The thought of me rooting for them makes me want to puke and hold my nose at the same time. The thought of those freaks (and make no mistake about it, a good majority of them are freaks, the stories of their behavior are infamous) called Ohio State fans taunting the rest of college football with their stupid O-H-I-O chant (and they aren't Ohio for the record) and telling us that they are 'THE' Ohio State University for an entire year...wow.
However....
As Nebraska fans and more importantly, fans of a Big 10 school, I think the Nebraska fans must begrudgingly put our dislike for Ohio State on the backburner one more night and root for them to win tonight. I will not be doing the O-H-I-O chant during the game (yikes), but I will begrudgingly root for them to win the title tonight and here is why.
The bottom line is, I think the Big 10 getting a championship is more beneficial for Nebraska in the long run than Scott Frost getting a championship while offensive coordinator of the Ducks. People got tired of the ubiquitous S-E-C, S-E-C, S-E-C chant every time one of their teams would win a title. I get that. People who don't necessarily believe in conference strength were rooting for the SEC to lose just to get them out of the picture, finally. I can even get that.
But the bottom line is, there's a reason why S-E-C fans do that every time one of their teams win. They do it because they know that conference strength matters. They know that the better opponents you play, that makes you a better team. Whether my readers like it or not, it does matter. More than anyone wants to believe.
I'll say it again, conference strength matters. Iron sharpens iron. Who you play on a week to week basis makes you better (or worse). If you play better competition on a week in, week out basis, then you develop better habits as a team and as a coaching staff. People sort of joked about Meyer saying that Wisconsin beating Auburn and Michigan State beating Baylor (both teams that OSU beat by double digits) was a big factor in Ohio State's win over Alabama. People sort of laughed about how it did nothing more than pump Ohio State up. But Meyer knows better. He has now coached in the SEC, and in the Big 10. He knows how important conference strength is.
Playing better competition forces teams to either get better or wither on the vine in the proverbial sense, in all areas such as playcalling, scheme and player development. I don't know how many of my readers watched the FCS football championship on Saturday, but that championship game was between two teams from the Missouri Valley Conference (the first time that has ever happened, for the record). That same conference put FIVE teams in the FCS playoffs.
I've seen Nebraska fans on the interwebs say that Meyer doesn't need any more ammunition than he's already got. I can understand that point, but I'll turn it the other way. An Ohio State title might be the BEST thing that can happen for Nebraska fans because it will force Coach Riley and the rest of his staff to be on top of their game in all areas of coaching. It would lay down the gauntlet, so to speak.
Besides all of that, think about all the times over the last 10 years that Big 10 teams got embarrassed on the big stage, and to my Nebraska peeps, think as Nebraska fans about how tired you were of hearing about how the Big 10 is such a crappy conference, and how it shone a negative light on the Husker program. Think about New Year's Day 2011, where the Big 10 got humiliated, going 0-5 and losing by an average of 20 points, all the humiliating losses to the SEC, the Big 12 and the Pac-12.
And remember this most of all; the SEC built their brand on winning national championships, 7 in a row in fact. If Ohio State does not get it done tonight, then the Big 10 will be looked at as an improved league, but still not one that can win a title. Just like the SEC was until Florida cashed one in on...Ohio State in 2006.
Then there's another argument, that Oregon is much cleaner than Ohio State is, and that they could be considered the darlings if they won because it would be their first time. Not so fast. I get that I'd love to see Scottie win a ring, and Mariota is a freak, but Oregon can be considered a dirty, slimy program too. Ever since billionaire businessman Phil Knight started donating to the Oregon program approximately 20 years ago (and according to some reports, it's over 300 million dollars), they've been a perennial bowl team and most recently a national contender every year.
Before then, they were one of the worst programs in the country, a perennial absentee from bowl competition. In a USA Today article published during the season, former Oregon coach Mike Bellotti once told former UO athletic director Phil Moos that the program could live without them but it can't live on without Knight. You don't think there's some dirty money going on up in Eugene? I'm not saying Ohio State is clean. Neither is Oregon though. Both are programs I would consider slimy. You can read the aforementioned article here http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/pac12/2014/12/29/oregon-nike-phil-knight-college-football-playoff/21013009/
Beyond all of that, this is a program that has flirted with trouble on NCAA recruiting violations over the last several years. Why do you think Chip Kelly left for Philly while he could? Check this link out from a couple years ago while you have the time http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9177148/ncaa-oregon-ducks-agree-major-violations-committed-football-program
So, although it's going to make me hold my nose, I hope that Ohio State brings it home because the Big 10 needs a title. Go Buckeyes. Now excuse me while I go shower after I just said that.
Until next time....
This is about tonight. Let's get this out of the way, I can't stand Ohio State. The thought of me rooting for them makes me want to puke and hold my nose at the same time. The thought of those freaks (and make no mistake about it, a good majority of them are freaks, the stories of their behavior are infamous) called Ohio State fans taunting the rest of college football with their stupid O-H-I-O chant (and they aren't Ohio for the record) and telling us that they are 'THE' Ohio State University for an entire year...wow.
However....
As Nebraska fans and more importantly, fans of a Big 10 school, I think the Nebraska fans must begrudgingly put our dislike for Ohio State on the backburner one more night and root for them to win tonight. I will not be doing the O-H-I-O chant during the game (yikes), but I will begrudgingly root for them to win the title tonight and here is why.
The bottom line is, I think the Big 10 getting a championship is more beneficial for Nebraska in the long run than Scott Frost getting a championship while offensive coordinator of the Ducks. People got tired of the ubiquitous S-E-C, S-E-C, S-E-C chant every time one of their teams would win a title. I get that. People who don't necessarily believe in conference strength were rooting for the SEC to lose just to get them out of the picture, finally. I can even get that.
But the bottom line is, there's a reason why S-E-C fans do that every time one of their teams win. They do it because they know that conference strength matters. They know that the better opponents you play, that makes you a better team. Whether my readers like it or not, it does matter. More than anyone wants to believe.
I'll say it again, conference strength matters. Iron sharpens iron. Who you play on a week to week basis makes you better (or worse). If you play better competition on a week in, week out basis, then you develop better habits as a team and as a coaching staff. People sort of joked about Meyer saying that Wisconsin beating Auburn and Michigan State beating Baylor (both teams that OSU beat by double digits) was a big factor in Ohio State's win over Alabama. People sort of laughed about how it did nothing more than pump Ohio State up. But Meyer knows better. He has now coached in the SEC, and in the Big 10. He knows how important conference strength is.
Playing better competition forces teams to either get better or wither on the vine in the proverbial sense, in all areas such as playcalling, scheme and player development. I don't know how many of my readers watched the FCS football championship on Saturday, but that championship game was between two teams from the Missouri Valley Conference (the first time that has ever happened, for the record). That same conference put FIVE teams in the FCS playoffs.
I've seen Nebraska fans on the interwebs say that Meyer doesn't need any more ammunition than he's already got. I can understand that point, but I'll turn it the other way. An Ohio State title might be the BEST thing that can happen for Nebraska fans because it will force Coach Riley and the rest of his staff to be on top of their game in all areas of coaching. It would lay down the gauntlet, so to speak.
Besides all of that, think about all the times over the last 10 years that Big 10 teams got embarrassed on the big stage, and to my Nebraska peeps, think as Nebraska fans about how tired you were of hearing about how the Big 10 is such a crappy conference, and how it shone a negative light on the Husker program. Think about New Year's Day 2011, where the Big 10 got humiliated, going 0-5 and losing by an average of 20 points, all the humiliating losses to the SEC, the Big 12 and the Pac-12.
And remember this most of all; the SEC built their brand on winning national championships, 7 in a row in fact. If Ohio State does not get it done tonight, then the Big 10 will be looked at as an improved league, but still not one that can win a title. Just like the SEC was until Florida cashed one in on...Ohio State in 2006.
Then there's another argument, that Oregon is much cleaner than Ohio State is, and that they could be considered the darlings if they won because it would be their first time. Not so fast. I get that I'd love to see Scottie win a ring, and Mariota is a freak, but Oregon can be considered a dirty, slimy program too. Ever since billionaire businessman Phil Knight started donating to the Oregon program approximately 20 years ago (and according to some reports, it's over 300 million dollars), they've been a perennial bowl team and most recently a national contender every year.
Before then, they were one of the worst programs in the country, a perennial absentee from bowl competition. In a USA Today article published during the season, former Oregon coach Mike Bellotti once told former UO athletic director Phil Moos that the program could live without them but it can't live on without Knight. You don't think there's some dirty money going on up in Eugene? I'm not saying Ohio State is clean. Neither is Oregon though. Both are programs I would consider slimy. You can read the aforementioned article here http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/pac12/2014/12/29/oregon-nike-phil-knight-college-football-playoff/21013009/
Beyond all of that, this is a program that has flirted with trouble on NCAA recruiting violations over the last several years. Why do you think Chip Kelly left for Philly while he could? Check this link out from a couple years ago while you have the time http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9177148/ncaa-oregon-ducks-agree-major-violations-committed-football-program
So, although it's going to make me hold my nose, I hope that Ohio State brings it home because the Big 10 needs a title. Go Buckeyes. Now excuse me while I go shower after I just said that.
Until next time....
Thursday, January 8, 2015
A few notes 1/8/2015
Just a few notes as this Thursday is winding down:
Congrats to Bill Snyder and Trev Alberts for getting into the College Football Hall of Fame, but most notably Snyder. Nebraska had some battles with him dating all the way back to the old Big 8 days, and there's no way you can't think anything but the utmost respect for Bill and the way he has built that program. Just as a reminder, when he came to Manhattan in 1989, they were considering dropping football altogether. Ten years later, he had them competing for national championships. There are few coaches who can do what he's done at Manhattan, Kansas.
On another note, Jim Mora Jr. of UCLA is a great coach, but needs to learn a little respect. It does not look good on him 1. brushing off a handshake from Snyder and 2. trying to confront Snyder like he did at the end of the Alamo Bowl. If you have a problem with the way K-State handled the end of that game, take it up with his players, not Coach Snyder himself.
Rockets got two out of three on their road trip, with the lone loss being in Chicago. That's solid, but in the West this year you have to take care of business against the teams you're supposed to beat, point blank. This year in the West you can drop from second to fifth in a heartbeat.
Heard new Nebraska football coach Mike Riley on ESPNU during the Nebrasketball game tonight, and I continue to be impressed with the way he handles himself. If he handles himself like that, then I can be happy with him being the face of the football program, unlike Coach Bitter Beer Face (Pelini) who won nine every year but was a terrible look for the football program.
On that note, much needed win for Nebrasketball as they got their two best inside players back. I just hope they play good ball the rest of the way; they dug themselves quite a hole with all the injuries and terrible losses in the first two months of the year.
Until next time....
Congrats to Bill Snyder and Trev Alberts for getting into the College Football Hall of Fame, but most notably Snyder. Nebraska had some battles with him dating all the way back to the old Big 8 days, and there's no way you can't think anything but the utmost respect for Bill and the way he has built that program. Just as a reminder, when he came to Manhattan in 1989, they were considering dropping football altogether. Ten years later, he had them competing for national championships. There are few coaches who can do what he's done at Manhattan, Kansas.
On another note, Jim Mora Jr. of UCLA is a great coach, but needs to learn a little respect. It does not look good on him 1. brushing off a handshake from Snyder and 2. trying to confront Snyder like he did at the end of the Alamo Bowl. If you have a problem with the way K-State handled the end of that game, take it up with his players, not Coach Snyder himself.
Rockets got two out of three on their road trip, with the lone loss being in Chicago. That's solid, but in the West this year you have to take care of business against the teams you're supposed to beat, point blank. This year in the West you can drop from second to fifth in a heartbeat.
Heard new Nebraska football coach Mike Riley on ESPNU during the Nebrasketball game tonight, and I continue to be impressed with the way he handles himself. If he handles himself like that, then I can be happy with him being the face of the football program, unlike Coach Bitter Beer Face (Pelini) who won nine every year but was a terrible look for the football program.
On that note, much needed win for Nebrasketball as they got their two best inside players back. I just hope they play good ball the rest of the way; they dug themselves quite a hole with all the injuries and terrible losses in the first two months of the year.
Until next time....
Monday, January 5, 2015
The College Football Playoffs and the NFL 1/5/2015
What a week of football that was. Just some of my thoughts on a Monday morning:
Most who know me know that I have been howling for a college football playoff for quite some time. I think this first year of the playoff shows that the playoff works. Those who watch college football have probably heard this about five million times since Thursday night, but I'll repeat it just because it cannot be stated enough.
If we were still in the B(S)CS era, then the championship game would have been overrated, undefeated Florida State against one-loss Alabama. Alabama probably would have won, and the SEC streak would have resumed. Instead, we're getting Ohio State and Oregon which should be a fun game to watch.
If we were still in the B(S)CS era, then the championship game would have been overrated, undefeated Florida State against one-loss Alabama. Alabama probably would have won, and the SEC streak would have resumed. Instead, we're getting Ohio State and Oregon which should be a fun game to watch.
Let's begin with FSU and Oregon. Honestly, could anyone have predicted that annihilation? It was a five point game at halftime, and then one bad quarter by FSU later, it's a rout. I don't think FSU is a bad team per se, but certainly they were not on the same level as they were one year ago when they ran the table.
Some will say that FSU had it coming; I'm not sure if that's true, but I do know that the TCU alumni I have talked to wonder even more if they should have been in at the expense of someone else. It's honestly a tough situation. I think TCU did belong, but honestly, who were you going to take out? Alabama? Undefeated FSU? You certainly can't leave out Oregon and I think Ohio State proved they belonged. Imagine if TCU HAD held on against Baylor and had gone unbeaten, would have been an even tougher decision.
As far as FSU walking off the field ala the 1991 Detroit Pistons, that was bush league, point blank. They say it's always easier to be classy when you win (a moniker which is very much true and has been applied to Nebraska fans by fans of various former Nebraska opponents), and it can very much be said about FSU. You're telling me you can't walk across the field and shake the hands of the victor, who just mopped you up like you were nothing? The ironic thing is that Jameis Winston, yes that Jameis Winston was man enough to stay on the field. Too bad the rest of his teammates weren't.
As far as FSU walking off the field ala the 1991 Detroit Pistons, that was bush league, point blank. They say it's always easier to be classy when you win (a moniker which is very much true and has been applied to Nebraska fans by fans of various former Nebraska opponents), and it can very much be said about FSU. You're telling me you can't walk across the field and shake the hands of the victor, who just mopped you up like you were nothing? The ironic thing is that Jameis Winston, yes that Jameis Winston was man enough to stay on the field. Too bad the rest of his teammates weren't.
As far as OSU vs. Bama: the biggest irony about that game is that Southeast Conference commissioner Mike Slive, along with ACC commissioner John Swofford, was one of the forerunners of a four team playoff, and Big 10 commissioner Jim Delany was one of the men dead set against it (so was University of Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman, one of the very few things I disagree with Chancellor Perlman on). But Thursday night in New Orleans, in an enormous twist of irony, in a national semifinal it was the leader of Jim Delany's Big 10 Conference that rolled the mighty Crimson Tide and ended the SEC dynasty...and make no mistake, it's over, in a way.
Don't get me wrong, SEC teams will still get championships (in fact I think they and the Big 10 will be the two best college football leagues going into the future), but they'll never win seven in a row again. It's just not going to happen. Just like Nebraska going 60-3 over a five year stretch from 93-97 won't ever happen again. The rest of college football has finally caught up with them.
Urban Meyer's got a team that's already as fast as any SEC team and he's only in his third year in Columbus. Harbaugh will bring Michigan back in short order. TCU would have been a very tough matchup for any SEC team (or any team period) as they showed Ole Miss. Oregon probably would have beat Bama soundly and UCLA and USC are on the way up too.
Also, because of the new New Year's Six system, the SEC will no longer have favorable matchups in the bowls as that effect trickles down to the rest of the games. In two of the three New Year's Six matchups on Dec. 31, the Mississippi schools got SMOKED.
As far as the Ohio State/Oregon matchup for the title, I'm not sure who I will pick to win that game. I think it will be a good game with lots of scoring. One thing to keep in mind about Ohio State; do not be fooled by them having a third string quarterback. That does not matter all that much because that quarterback led them to a 59-0 thrashing of the Badgers and a win over the mighty Crimson Tide. Furthermore, Ohio State's more of a system offense. Most capable quarterbacks I think could go in and do well in that system.
One last note about the college football playoff, there is only one problem I have with it going forward; the two national semifinals in each of the next two years will be on New Year's Eve, not New Year's Day. I think that is one thing that the head honchos of the playoff dropped the ball on. The way this thing worked was absolutely perfect, with the final two games on New Year's Day ending up as the two biggest games of the season thus far. The national semifinals, IMHO, need to be on New Year's Day every year, point blank.
Regarding the NFL playoff matchups over the weekend, the results for the most part were not that surprising to me. The best and most controversial game over the weekend, and the game that will have Detroit Lions fans (and pretty much every Dallas Cowboy hater on the planet) howling for years, was the game at AT&T Stadium yesterday. All of you who watched that game saw the play, eight minutes to go, third and one for the Lions in the Dallas end of the field. They throw to Pettigrew, refs originally call pass interference which would have been a Lions first down, then inexplicably pick up the flag.
The refs screwed that up, point blank. Not only was there pass interference on Hitchens but he grabbed Pettigrew as well. That said, the play should have been offsetting penalties and Detroit gets the third down over because Pettigrew grabbed Hitchens' face mask which should have been called also. That seems to be something that people are glossing over when looking at that play. So at worst, it should have been third down over again for Detroit. But the refs screwed that call up, no doubt. Should have been a flag on somebody, if not both teams.
Until next time...
Don't get me wrong, SEC teams will still get championships (in fact I think they and the Big 10 will be the two best college football leagues going into the future), but they'll never win seven in a row again. It's just not going to happen. Just like Nebraska going 60-3 over a five year stretch from 93-97 won't ever happen again. The rest of college football has finally caught up with them.
Urban Meyer's got a team that's already as fast as any SEC team and he's only in his third year in Columbus. Harbaugh will bring Michigan back in short order. TCU would have been a very tough matchup for any SEC team (or any team period) as they showed Ole Miss. Oregon probably would have beat Bama soundly and UCLA and USC are on the way up too.
Also, because of the new New Year's Six system, the SEC will no longer have favorable matchups in the bowls as that effect trickles down to the rest of the games. In two of the three New Year's Six matchups on Dec. 31, the Mississippi schools got SMOKED.
As far as the Ohio State/Oregon matchup for the title, I'm not sure who I will pick to win that game. I think it will be a good game with lots of scoring. One thing to keep in mind about Ohio State; do not be fooled by them having a third string quarterback. That does not matter all that much because that quarterback led them to a 59-0 thrashing of the Badgers and a win over the mighty Crimson Tide. Furthermore, Ohio State's more of a system offense. Most capable quarterbacks I think could go in and do well in that system.
One last note about the college football playoff, there is only one problem I have with it going forward; the two national semifinals in each of the next two years will be on New Year's Eve, not New Year's Day. I think that is one thing that the head honchos of the playoff dropped the ball on. The way this thing worked was absolutely perfect, with the final two games on New Year's Day ending up as the two biggest games of the season thus far. The national semifinals, IMHO, need to be on New Year's Day every year, point blank.
Regarding the NFL playoff matchups over the weekend, the results for the most part were not that surprising to me. The best and most controversial game over the weekend, and the game that will have Detroit Lions fans (and pretty much every Dallas Cowboy hater on the planet) howling for years, was the game at AT&T Stadium yesterday. All of you who watched that game saw the play, eight minutes to go, third and one for the Lions in the Dallas end of the field. They throw to Pettigrew, refs originally call pass interference which would have been a Lions first down, then inexplicably pick up the flag.
The refs screwed that up, point blank. Not only was there pass interference on Hitchens but he grabbed Pettigrew as well. That said, the play should have been offsetting penalties and Detroit gets the third down over because Pettigrew grabbed Hitchens' face mask which should have been called also. That seems to be something that people are glossing over when looking at that play. So at worst, it should have been third down over again for Detroit. But the refs screwed that call up, no doubt. Should have been a flag on somebody, if not both teams.
Until next time...
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