Coming into the 2007 college football 32-bowl game extravaganza that men love and women generally hate, here are the answers to some interesting questions to impress your friends: Which team playing this year has made the most bowl game appearances? Has the most bowl game victories? Has the best bowl game won-loss percentage?

Coming into the 2007 college football 32-bowl game extravaganza that men love and women generally hate, the two teams that benefited most in the next 4 bowl games were East Carolina and Texas. Find out why in this article.

Coming into the 2007 college football 32-bowl game extravaganza that men love and women generally hate, the two teams that benefited most in the next 6 bowl games were Boston College and Wake Forest. Find out why in this article.

Coming into the 2007 college football 32-bowl game extravaganza that men love and women generally hate, the two teams that benefited most in the next 6 bowl games were the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Oregon Ducks. Find out why in this article.

Coming into the 2007 college football 32-bowl game extravaganza that men love and women generally hate, the two teams and players that benefited most in the next 4 bowl games were Auburn's Kodi Burns and Missouri's Tony Temple. Find out why in this article.

Coming into the 2007 college football 32-bowl game extravaganza that men love and women generally hate, the three teams that benefited most in the next 3 bowl games were Michigan and Lloyd Carr, Southern Cal and Georgia. Find out why in this article.

Coming into the 2007 college football 32-bowl game extravaganza that men love and women generally hate, the teams that benefited most in the next 4 bowl games were the West Virginia Mountaineers and Kansas Jayhawks. Find out why in this article.

The 2007 college football 32-bowl game extravaganza came to an end in New Orleans when the Louisiana State University Tigers ripped apart the Ohio State Buckeyes in what many expected to be a closer, better game. Ohio State did not play well and lost 38-24 as LSU became the first two-time BCS national champion with a final 12-2 record. Learn what might have undone the Buckeyes once again.

College Football 2007 Regular Season Weekly Wrap-Up

The first week of college football was full of surprises and disappointments. There was some really bad news for the Michigan Wolverines, Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Florida State Seminoles, and some really good news for the California Golden Bears, Alabama Crimson Tide, Michigan State Spartans and Washington Huskies. Find out who is on the rise and who is folding faster than a cheap K-Mart deck chair.

After Michigan managed to get beaten by Division 1-AA Appalachian State 34-32 last week, the Oregon Ducks traveled to Ann Arbor and handed the once mighty Wolverines their worst loss since 1968, a 39-7 drubbing. Perhaps petitioning to play on another planet would help. The Wolverines could scrimmage against their 3rd string lineup and maybe notch their first victory of the season.

As predicted, no less than 6 AP Top 25 teams lost in college football's third week, two of them—Louisville and Nebraska—dropped in the rankings and four others—UCLA, Georgia Tech, Arkansas and Tennessee—dropped right out of the poll. Life in big time college football can be a little unsettling. Four more—Alabama, Kentucky, South Florida and Missouri—moved into the Top 25 for the first time.

An examination of this week's college football scores revealed that no less than 20 games had combined scores of 70 or more. Twenty games resulted in 1,560 points scored, an average of 78 per game. Good grief, whatever happened to defense? Find out who was overrated and got discovered this week.

In the world of college football there are pretenders and contenders. Nine of AP's Top 25 teams and 3 of the top 5 were given a reality check over the weekend. Was I surprised at this annual occurrence? Hardly. When you start analyzing how some of the teams started the week at 4-0 and ended it at 4-1, it is as easy to see as your face in a mirror. Reality has a way of revealing all of the wrinkles and weaknesses.

Ah, the adulation and attention are so exciting. You are unbeatable, unstoppable and perhaps the greatest team ever assembled. You are Southern California, the team that has enjoyed 5 straight seasons of national top-4 finishes, BCS bowl appearances and Pac 10 Conference titles. You are playing a 6-touchdown underdog, a team that lost 41-3 last week, a team that you beat 42-0 last year, a team that finished with a lousy 1-11 record. So No. 2-ranked Southern California loses Saturday (10-6-07) to Stanford 24-23.

Top dogs LSU and California were upset over the weekend so now there are only 6 undefeated teams left: Ohio State, South Florida, Boston College, Arizona State, Kansas and Hawaii. Three weeks ago there were 23 undefeated teams, now 17 of them have come up sucking pond water on their way to a national championship. Trust me when I say that 5 of the 6 teams left undefeated are in rarified air, only Ohio State is used to being in the hunt for the national championship.

Seven AP Top 25 teams were upset over the weekend, none more stunningly than No. 2-ranked and previously unbeaten South Florida. The Bulls looked awesome this season until losing to Rutgers 30-27 on the road. South Florida, who many thought was THAT good, is now at best 6-1 and at worst a paper tiger. See how the nation's other 5 unbeaten teams did.

As if the 2007 college football season has not been confusing enough, along comes week 9 with some hidden game scores that reveal much: 57-43 and 6-0. Both of the scores involve the AP Top 25 Poll teams. Discover what it all means by reading my college football 2007 week 9 wrap-up.

Slowly, methodically, inexorably—like a superior military force launching an all out attack on a weaker opponent—the unbeaten teams continue to be picked off by better competition later in the season. The latest victims are previously unbeaten and high flying Boston College and Arizona State. Exactly 3 teams are left unbeaten: Ohio State, Kansas and Hawaii.

Illinois upset No. 1-ranked and unbeaten Ohio State Saturday (11-10-07), 28-21, ruining Ohio State's dream of a national championship, and leaving the Buckeyes tied with Michigan for the top spot in the Big 10 as Wisconsin upset Michigan 37-21 the same day. The victory marked the first time Illinois (8-3) had beaten a No. 1-ranked team since 1956, and the first time it had done it away from home.

The BCS title hunt continues. The latest casualties in a season of upsets and attrition were the No. 2-ranked Oregon Ducks and No. 3-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. Eight teams now become harder to ignore. They are Louisiana State, Kansas, West Virginia, Missouri, Ohio State, Arizona State, Hawaii and Boise State. All have only 1 loss except Kansas and Hawaii which remain unbeaten.

Rivalry week in college football had a profound effect on the BCS National Championship Game contenders. For openers, three teams—Missouri, West Virginia and Hawaii—did it right by winning super important games. By Sunday night (11-25-07) the new BCS Standings had Missouri 1st, West Virginia 2nd, Ohio State 3rd, Georgia 4th, Kansas 5th and Virginia Tech 6th. Nothing else much matters.

Both No. 1-ranked Missouri and No. 2-ranked West Virginia had to go and lose in the final weekend of this year's regular college football season, throwing the Allstate BCS National Championship Game into a crapshoot in which No. 3-ranked Ohio State and No. 5-ranked LSU won. The Buckeyes(11-1) and the Tigers (11-2) will play for the national title. Learn how and why it happened in this article.

2007 Washington Husky Football

Jake Locker, the University of Washington's 19-year-old redshirt freshman quarterback and the most hyped player in school history, led the Huskies to a triumphant thrashing of the Syracuse Orange 42-14 in an away game. Locker's debut was spectacular as he went 14 for 19 and 142 yards passing and gained another 83 yards on the ground in 10 carries while scoring two touchdowns.

The University of Washington football team recorded its biggest victory in recent memory Saturday (9-8-07) by upsetting No. 22-ranked Boise State 24-10, snapping the Broncos' 14-game winning streak, the longest in major college football. The Huskies held the Broncos scoreless in the second half after staking out a 24-10 lead in the first half. Washington Husky football is back again and on the rise.

Ohio State blew into Husky Stadium last Saturday (9-15-07) as the No. 10-ranked team in the AP Top 25 Poll, and after beating Washington 33-14 became the No. 8-ranked team. In other words, the Buckeyes' victory over Huskies was so impressive they moved up two spots in the AP poll. Whether you like it or not, University of Washington football is once again a big deal.

The University of Washington's Husky football team can go 7-6 this season and earn a bowl bid. I understand that the Huskies are now 2-2 on the year. With 5 more wins in the remaining 9 games, Washington would finish the year at 7-6. Where will those 5 victories come from? Perhaps Arizona and Washington State at home and Stanford, Oregon State and Hawaii on the road.

Finally, some element of common sense is beginning to show among the American sportswriters who vote every week in the AP Top 25 Poll. Last week I urged the America's finest pundits and worst pigheads to give the old heave-ho to No. 18 Louisville, No. 19 Hawaii, No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 24 Nebraska. They pundits concurred by ousting Louisville and Texas A&M, but kept Hawaii and Nebraska in the poll. Washington was not ranked but should have been.

The USC Trojans blew into Husky Stadium Saturday (9-29-07) looking to put another notch on their armor as the AP's No. 1-ranked team in the nation. They left with a 27-24 victory. It is amazing that Washington allowed two Trojans to rush for more than 100 yards, gave up 224 yards rushing and 236 yards passing which allowed USC 9 minutes more of possession on offense, and Washington still only lost by a field goal.

University of Washington football fans came up on the short end of the stick Saturday (10-13-07) when the Arizona State Sun Devils blew into Seattle and extended their winning streak to 7 with a 44-20 second half victory. Washington's record is now 2-4, nevertheless, the Huskies are the nation's most statistically incredible team. Learn why in this article.

Loyal University of Washington fans should be heartened by the fact that the Huskies played No. 7-ranked Oregon to a 31-31 tie through three quarters Saturday (10-20-07) before being outscored 24-3 in the fourth quarter and losing 55-34. If you think things cannot get worse, check out Minnesota. The Gophers are 1-7 in the Big 10 and still have to play Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Well, Dawg fans, are you fired up now? You should be. Washington traveled to Palo Alto (CA) and put a 27-9 whipping on Stanford Saturday (11-3-07) to end Washington's 6-game losing streak. The Huskies finally took the training wheels off of their bicycle and showed us how to ride The Cardinal into the turf. In short, the Washington Husky team came together offensively and defensively against Stanford.

After seeing Washington's quarterback Jake Locker take a helmet-to-helmet shot against the Oregon State Beavers Saturday, my emotions ran the gamut from concern to anger to outrage to action. This kind of illegal hit is not tolerated in professional football because the player is defenseless when hit. Why it is even tolerated and celebrated in college football is beyond me. Where are the NCAA officials when you need them?

I don't know about you, but I enjoy feedback from my Blog readers. Erik from Hawaii emailed me again about his Hawaiian Warrior football team that has extended its winning streak to 11 straight, the longest win streak among all NCAA Division 1A schools. Hawaii hosts Washington Saturday and, by winning, could be on their way to a BCS Bowl Game. One team will win and one team will lose. We will see what we will see.

The two best words to describe Washington's recently completed 2007 football season are "Locker" and "schedule." Coach Ty Willingham's 4-9 Huskies have more talented recruits coming in next year as Willingham tries to improve on his 3-year record of 11-25 with a breakthrough winning season and bowl bid. For Willingham the task is simply produce a winning team with a bowl bid or be gone.

Washington Husky head coach Ty Willingham has hopefully improved his defense next season by recently hiring Ed Donatell, a veteran NFL defensive coordinator with both the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons. Washington's inept, pathetic excuse for a defense last year needed to be cleaned up and clicked up about 20 notches. Maybe Ed Donatell is just the guy to do it.

The defensive disaster that has permeated the University of Washington football campus could actually improve next season with the recent addition of defensive coordinator Ed Donatell and now Brian White. White was selected as the Division 1 Assistant Coach of the Year in 2004 by the American Football Coaches Association. His expertise is on the offensive side of the ball, but just being around successful people can improve head coach Ty Willingham's program.

2007 Michigan State Spartan Football

Time has a way of evaporating history. I am told that much of history would never have been recorded in the Dark Ages had it not been for the painstaking effort of Catholic monks who recorded what others would not. Thankfully, Michigan State University has done a remarkable job of recording its storied football history since 1896, more than a 110 seasons with some stellar performances among its many coaches and players. I take a look at the best. Part 1 of a 2-Part Series.

Time has a way of evaporating history. I am told that much of history would never have been recorded in the Dark Ages had it not been for the painstaking effort of Catholic monks who recorded what others would not. Thankfully, Michigan State University has done a remarkable job of recording its storied football history since 1896, more than a 110 seasons with some stellar performances among its many coaches and players. I take a look at the best. Part 2 of a 2-Part Series.

Michigan State University has a football history of folding when it counts. By unloading John L. Smith and hiring Mark Dantonio as their new head football coach, the Spartans have put themselves in a position to perform better than any time since the legendary Duffy Daugherty coached Michigan State to a combined 19-1-1 record in 1965 and 1966, winning back-to-back Big Ten and National Championships. In business and in football there are really only two possible outcomes: results or excuses. Dantonio has made a career out of producing results.

The battle between first-year coaches Mark Dantonio of Michigan State University and Neil Callaway of the University of Alabama at Birmingham proved to be no contest with Dantonio's Spartans winning 55-18. Dantonio's Spartans sprinted to a 42-0 lead midway through the second quarter, scoring touchdowns on their first 6 possessions and rolling up 252 rushing yards in the first half on 34 carries (a 7.4 average per carry).

2007 College Football Feature Articles

Is their parity in the 2007 college football season? My analysis shows only 10 of the initial AP Top 25 Poll teams have remained in the Top 25 during the first 9 weeks of the season. Overall, no less than 44 teams have been represented in the AP Top 25 Poll in the first 9 weeks of the season, that is 37% of the 119 Division 1-A teams eligible for the AP Poll voting by the nation's elite sports writers and broadcasters.

While betting on sports is only legal in a few places in the United States, such as Las Vegas, millions of office workers are involved in sports pools every week now that the football season has arrived. For those who wager, it may be helpful to put some science on your side when you wager, and one of the best places to do that is with the Sagarin College Football Ratings. Here is what you need to know.

Many sports fans who anxiously await the release of the weekly football polls really miss one of the best parts of the poll when searching only to see where their favorite is ranked. Many newspapers and online services list only the Top 25 picks. You have to dig a little deeper to discover which teams received votes but not enough votes to make it into the Top 25. Where to find the rest of the poll.

When you understand how to measure the substance of a college football team, you can often predict an unexpected loss. It is more difficult to predict exactly when it will happen. When Stanford upset Southern California 24-23 last Saturday (10-6-07) many people were surprised. I was not. Learn how to predict when an overrated team is due for an unexpected loss.

Finally, some element of common sense is beginning to show among the American sportswriters who vote every week in the AP Top 25 Poll. Last week I urged the America's finest pundits and worst pigheads to give the old heave-ho to No. 18 Louisville, No. 19 Hawaii, No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 24 Nebraska. They pundits concurred by ousting Louisville and Texas A&M, but kept Hawaii and Nebraska in the poll. Washington was not ranked but should have been.

A Hawaiian Warrior football fan and alumnus emailed me about my article questioning why Hawaii would be ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25 Poll and No. 17 in the Top 25 Coaches Poll given the weak competition the Warriors have played so far this season. I mention only her first name in my reply.

Another Hawaiian Warrior football fan emailed me about my article questioning why Hawaii would be ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25 Poll and No. 17 in the Top 25 Coaches Poll given the weak competition the Warriors have played so far this season. This email is from Erik in Hawaii which is followed by my reply.

I just love to pick on Hawaii, I guess because the Warriors are such an easy mark to spot as a grossly overrated team. All season I have been saying that Washington (Hawaii's last opponent this season) has none of the stats but is a better team and will beat Hawaii on its home turf December 1. The statistics, however, favor Hawaii hands down.

Is there parity in the 2007 college football season? My analysis shows only 10 of the initial AP Top 25 Poll teams have remained in the Top 25 during the first 9 weeks of the season. Overall, no less than 44 teams have been represented in the AP Top 25 Poll in the first 9 weeks of the season, that is 37% of the 119 Division 1-A teams eligible for the AP Poll voting by the nation's elite sports writers and broadcasters.

College football's current 4 biggest surprises are Oregon, Kansas, Boston College and Arizona State. I say current because we have had more upsets this year than Carter has liver pills. Three teams now in the distant past that breathed some rarefied air earlier in the year are Wisconsin, South Florida and Kentucky. Find out what causes most team's downfall.

Monday's (11-19-07) new BCS Standings showed LSU 1st, Kansas 2nd, West Virginia 3rd, Missouri 4th, Ohio State 5th, Arizona State 6th, Hawaii 15th and Boise State 19th. Given the 8 teams left in the hunt for a berth in the BCS National Championship Game, Hawaii and Boise State are bit players with no real chance at all. Kansas looks strong, but looks can be deceiving. Learn why in this article.

There is so much buzz and hype about the Southeast Conference—better known as the SEC—you would think there are no other NCAA football conferences that can compare. Knowing that the SEC is legion for scheduling Division 1AA teams in its non-conference schedule, I suspect that the SEC's strength of schedule (the quality of its opponents) may not be as strong. I was right. Turns out that the toughest conference is not the SEC, it is the Pac 10. Find out why.

While the BCS Standings may have had a mess in determining which teams should play for college football's national championship, it turns out that Ohio State and Louisiana State may have been the best possible choice after all. A new system of evaluating the 10 BCS bowl-bound teams tells why.

If you wanted clear evidence that college football's current parity is real, you have only to study the AP Top 25 Poll during the 2007 regular season. I charted the AP Poll of sports writers and broadcasters for 14 consecutive weeks and discovered some amazing facts. Here are some eye-openers on what I found.

There are some huge differences between the final AP Top 25 College Football Poll, and the Final Sagarin College Football Ratings. Which service is more accurate? You decide, based on some information. By studying the Sagarin ratings, here are some facts I have uncovered that could impress your friends, and win you some bets (or drinks) at your favorite pub.

College football's annual bowl season is full of surprises and spectacular moments. Famous coaches have had some memorable remarks about American's most popular sport, and here are some of them by legendary Green Bay Packer coach Vince Lombardi, who many consider to be the best of the best.

College football's annual bowl season is full of surprises and spectacular moments. Famous coaches have had some memorable remarks about American's most popular sport, and here are some of them by legendary Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne, who many consider to be the best of the best.

College football's annual bowl season is full of surprises and spectacular moments. Famous coaches have had some memorable remarks about American's most popular sport, and here are some of them by Lou Holtz, who some consider to be the best of the best college coaches and for good reason. Find out why.

Early in the 2007 college football season I identified three capable, experienced new first-year coaches brought in to rescue troubled programs—Nick Saban at Alabama, Dennis Erickson at Arizona State and Mark Dantonio at Michigan State. Since the regular season has ended, it is time to evaluate their performance. This is Part 1 of a 3-Part Series.

Early in the 2007 college football season I identified three capable, experienced new first-year coaches brought in to rescue troubled programs—Nick Saban at Alabama, Dennis Erickson at Arizona State and Mark Dantonio at Michigan State. Since the regular season has ended, it is time to evaluate their performance. This is Part 2 of a 3-Part Series.

Early in the 2007 college football season I identified three capable, experienced new first-year coaches brought in to rescue troubled programs—Nick Saban at Alabama, Dennis Erickson at Arizona State and Mark Dantonio at Michigan State. Since the regular season has ended, it is time to evaluate their performance. This is the last of a 3-Part Series.

Nick Saban recently became the University of Alabama football coach by signing the richest contract ever awarded to a college football coach: 8 years for $32 million. Ah, it is good to be Nick Saban in Alabama today. Now he must win and win big, something he has been able to do at other college coaching positions at Toledo, Michigan State and LSU (Louisiana State).

In one of the most exciting bowl games in college football history, underdog Boise State from the Western Athletic Conference upset mighty Oklahoma from the Big 12, 43-42. With only 7 seconds left Boise State pulled off a razzle-dazzle catch and lateral play to tie the game up and force an overtime. After Oklahoma scored first in overtime, Boise State scored and elected to try for a two-point conversion and the victory. They used the old Statue of Liberty play to make it happen.

Rare films of the classic Thanksgiving Day football games in Flint, Michigan, between Flint Northern and Flint Central High Schools are now being made available to the public on DVD to help raise funds for the restoration of Flint's Atwood Stadium. Get the full story.

Looking back on the annual high school football rivalry in Flint, Michigan between Flint Central and Flint Northern.

2007 Pro Football

There is a reason why the winner of the Super Bowl earns the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a symbol of excellence in the football world. The New England Patriots understand that better than ever after going 18-0 only to lose to the New York Giants 17-14 in Super Bowl 42. Perhaps Vince Lombardi said it best: "If it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?" Lombardi was a winner and now the Giants are too.

Mike Holmgren's Seattle Seahawks did absolutely nothing to disturb the greatness of the NFL's most historic venue at Lambeau Field Saturday (1-12-08) in Green Bay, Wisconsin, home of the advancing Green Bay Packers. The Seahawks also did absolutely nothing Saturday to advance their chances of getting into their second Super Bowl appearance in 3 years. In short, the Seahawks defense did nothing but lose, 42-20.

It was a magic weekend for this sports fan in Western Washington. All three of the teams I care about won—the Seattle Seahawks, the University of Washington Huskies and the Michigan State Spartans. The Seahawks won their exhibition game against Oakland 19-14 but lost their mega-sized defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs for the season with an ACL injury.

A botched 19-yard-field-goal attempt on fourth down with only 79 seconds left caused the Dallas Cowboys to be one point short and one yard short of a first down as the Seattle Seahawks hung on to advance in the 2006 NFC playoffs, beating the Cowboys 21-20 at home in Seattle. Untested quarterbacks who become starters historically screw up in big games, and Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys did not disappoint. Romo, the holder, blew the game-winning attempt when it counted.

Welcome to Seattle. I would like you to meet our poster child for success. Shake hands with Jerramy Stevens, our troubled tight end who used to play for the Seattle Seahawks and never will again. He has worn out his welcome with the sorry excuses of a loser. He could have been one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the National Football League, and even have ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At the rate he is disintegrating, it is more likely he will end up in jail or dead.

College Football 2007 Bowl Game Wrap-Up

January 4, 2008

College Football Bowl Game Wrap-Up

Biggest Wins in 1st Four 2007 Bowl Games Belong to Utah and Florida Atlantic – Part 1

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

Coming into the 2007 college football 32-bowl game extravaganza that men love and women generally hate, here are some interesting facts to impress your friends:

Which team playing this year has made the most bowl game appearances? Here are the Top 10: 1) Alabama with 54, 2) Texas and Tennessee, both 46, 4) Southern California 45, 5) Georgia 42, 6) Oklahoma 40, 7) Penn State 39, and 8) Louisiana State, Michigan and Ohio State, all three at 38.

Which team playing this year has the most bowl game victories? Here are the Top 8: 1) Alabama with 30, 2) Southern California 29, 3) Penn State 25, 4) Oklahoma and Tennessee, both 24, 6) Georgia and Texas, both 23, and 8) Georgia Tech, 22.

Which team playing this year has the best bowl game won-loss percentage? Here are the Top 7: 1) Utah 9-3 at 75%, 2) Boise State and Hawaii, both 5-2 at 71%, 4) Penn State 25-12-2 at 67%, 5) Boston College 12-6 at 66%, and 6) Oklahoma State 11-6 and Southern California 29-16, both at 64%.

Here are the first 4 winners of this year's 2007 college football bowl game results:

Poinsettia Bowl – Utah Beats Navy by a Field Goal, 35-32

Navy led Utah 10-7 at the half, fell behind 35-24 in the 4th quarter, and then roared back to score on a 58-yard touchdown pass and 2-point conversion, making it 35-32. Navy even recovered the expected onside kick, but Utah's Joe Dale intercepted a pass on the ensuing drive to seal the victory.

Utah's win should have come as no surprise because among the 64 teams that competed in 32 bowl games, Utah came into the game with the best bowl game winning percentage—75—with a 9-3 record that is now 10-3 (77% rounded). Utah finishes its season at 9-4; Navy drops to 8-5.

New Orleans Bowl — Florida Atlantic Beats Memphis Easily, 44-27

Florida Atlantic University, its 73-year-old coach Howard Schnellenberger, and the Owls' players have officially and emphatically answered the question, "F-A-who?" by whipping Memphis 44-27. The New Orleans Bowl victory was the first bowl game for Florida Atlantic, which has only had a football team for 7 years and did not become a Division 1A team until 2005.

None of this was new to Howard Schnellenberger, who build the Florida Atlantic program from scratch. Schnellenberger's New Orleans Bowl victory was his 5th straight. He remains a perfect 100% (5-0) in bowl games during his 23 years as a head coach. It would be difficult to fault Schnellenberger on this bowl game preparation.

Schnellenberger led Miami (FL) to the 1983 national championship with an Orange Bowl triumph over Nebraska. He also won the 1980 Peach Bowl with Miami, and another two bowl games with Louisville, the 1990 Fiesta Bowl and the 1993 Liberty Bowl. Schnellenberger may be the only college coach in history with a 5-0 record when playing in only 5 bowl games.

Rusty Smith threw for 336 yards and a New Orleans Bowl-record 5 touchdowns to lead the Owls to victory. That was excellent news for the Owls, but even better news for Florida Atlantic was this: Smith finished the season with 3,688 yards passing and 32 touchdowns, and he is a sophomore. Florida Atlantic finished the year at 8-5 while Memphis dropped to 7-6.

Papajohns.com Bowl – Cincinnati Beats Southern Mississippi 31-21

Shifty Ben Mauk passed for 334 yards and 4 touchdowns, and DeAngelo Smith intercepted 3 passes to lead the Bearcats to a 31-21 win against Southern Mississippi. The victory gave Cincinnati its second 10-win season at 10-3, its first 10-win season since 1951, and virtually assured the Bearcats of a spot in the final rankings for the first time.

Outgoing Golden Eagles coach Jeff Bower, who has coached Southern Mississippi for 17 seasons, had to endure a last-game loss after being pushed out the door after a disappointing season. The Golden Eagles were 7-6, hardly golden but all eagles.

"We played extremely hard," said Bower after the loss, "but obviously we didn't make enough plays to win the game." Bower and his Golden Eagles were done in by first-year coach Brian Kelly and his spread offense.

It has been all offense this year with a lot of teams. Some college football fans mistakenly thought that defense had been cut out of the game by the NCAA. Actually, defense was allowed this year, but most teams did not play defense all season. That includes Southern Mississippi that was 1 of 93 among 119 Division 1A teams (78%) which gave up at least 3 touchdowns a game (21 points).

Cincinnati gave up an average of 18 a game to rank 11th nationally in scoring defense.

New Mexico Bowl – New Mexico Shuts Out Nevada 23-0

Paul Baker ran for 167 yards in his first start, Donovan Porterie threw for a career-high 354 yards, and the New Mexico Lobos defeated Nevada 23-0 for their first postseason victory since 1961.

After a long 46-year wait, Lobo fans saw their team win another bowl game and hold the vaunted Wolf Pack—which averaged nearly 500 yards a game and 36+ points—to zero, zip, nada. New Mexico sprinted to a 20-0 halftime lead and never looked back. New Mexico finished the year at 9-4 while Nevada dropped to 6-7, a losing season.

(Editor's Note: This is the 1st article of a series on the 2007 bowl game results.)

Read my other articles on football, including "Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "Famous Quotes by Knute Rockne During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "Famous Quotes by Lou Holtz During Football's Bowl Season", "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss", "The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them" and my 14 consecutive weekly wrap-up articles on the 2007 College Football Season.

January 5, 2008

College Football Wrap-Up

Biggest Wins in Next Four 2007 Bowl Games Belong to East Carolina and Texas – Part 2

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

Here are the next 4 winners of this year's 2007 college football bowl game results:

Las Vegas Bowl – Brigham Young Nips UCLA 17-16 on a Blocked Field Goal

Brigham Young, which led UCLA 17-13 at the half and went scoreless in the second half, barely managed to hang on to win 17-16 against UCLA in a game the Cougars should have lost.

After allowing the Bruins a 4th quarter field goal to make it 17-16, BYU's defense went into the dumper behind K-Mart by allowing UCLA to drive 87 yards in the last 2 minutes to give the Bruins a chip-shot field goal on the final play of the game.

Unfortunately for UCLA and fortunately for Brigham Young, a 280-pound Cougar lineman—Eathyn Manumaleuna (I think his last name is Hawaiian and 6 syllables)—who could not jump out of paper sack, got his right mitt up and became an instant hero. He will go into the BYU folklore history if he is not already there.

The win was the 10th straight for the Cougars who finished the season at 11-2, not too shabby by any standard. BYU dodged a bullet earlier this season against Utah, converting on a 4th-and-18 play in their winning drive to seal a 17-10 victory.

The Bruins only lost 2 games in their first 7, one to Utah 44-6 on the road (gag, gag and gag) and the other to Notre Dame 20-6 at home in the Rose Bowl (good grief). UCLA then lost 4 of its last 5 games plus the Las Vegas Bowl to end at 6-7, a losing season. No wonder UCLA coach Karl Dorrell was pushed out the door before the Las Vegas Bowl even started.

Hawaii Bowl – East Carolina Beats Boise State by a Field Goal, 41-38

Speed killed Boise State's magic this year as East Carolina, which motored to a 38-14 lead early in the 3rd quarter, darn near sent the game into overtime when their star and the game's Most Valuable Player—Chris Johnson—fumbled while the Pirates were ready to ice the contest.

Johnson's fumble was picked up and returned for a 47-yard touchdown to tie the game at 38 with 1:25 left to play. East Carolina managed to drive to the Broncos' 17 yard line and a last play field goal by Ben Hartman sealed the deal.

All Chris Johnson had done up to his inadvertent fumble was set a NCAA bowl record with 408 all-purpose yards for the Pirates. He rushed for 223 yards, caught 3 passes for 32 yards and returned 6 kickoffs for 153 yards. Boise State, a 10.5-point favorite, managed just 3 yards in the 1st quarter while East Carolina racked up 181 yards behind Johnson's 106 rushing yards.

If you saw this match-up, Chris Johnson ran by Boise State Broncos as if they were standing still. The Broncos looked like they had lost a saddle and were watching their horse run away. It was Don James, the Dawgfather, who said "speed kills" while he built the University of Washington into a powerhouse in the 1980s and early 1990s as the Huskies' most successful coach.

Boise State had cruised to a 13-0 mark last year and stunned Oklahoma with a miracle 43-42 overtime victory in the Fiesta Bowl. This year was the 6th straight bowl appearance for the Broncos, who dropped to 10-3 while East Carolina rose to 8-5. If Hawaii wins its bowl game against the SEC's Georgia Bulldogs, Bronco mania could be in trouble. I hear it is cold in the winter in Idaho.

Did I mention that Boise State was ranked 24th in the final AP Top 25 Poll, 24th in the final BCS Standings, and rated 28th by Sagarin? Sagarin rated East Carolina 75th in its final poll; this is why Boise State was a 10.5-point favorite.

Motor City Bowl – Purdue Beats Central Michigan by a Field Goal, 51-48

Purdue was lucky to get out of Dodge a winner when the Boilermakers traveled to Detroit to face the Mid-American Conference champion Central Michigan Chippewas in the Motor City Bowl. Thankfully, the Boilermakers' Chris Summers put his foot to the pedal to kick a 40-yard, last play field goal as Purdue drove out of town on top, 51-48.

This was an exciting game for fans to watch unless you care about defense. The combined 99 points tied the second-highest total ever for a bowl game in regulation play, topped only by California's 52-49 victory over Virginia Tech in the 2003 Insight Bowl.

The game showcased the quarterbacks. Purdue's Curtis Painter set a school-record 546 yards passing on a 35-for-54 effort (65%) with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, both of which went off of receiver Dorien Bryant's hands. Central Michigan's Dan LeFevour completed 17 of 34 (50%) for 292 yards and 4 touchdowns, and picked up another 114 yards on 33 carries.

LeFevour's 19-yard scoring pass to Bryan Anderson with 1:09 remaining tied the game at 48. LeFevour, a sophomore, finished the year with 27 passing touchdowns and 19 rushing touchdowns, almost matching Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow of Florida as the only major college player to have 20 each in a season.

Purdue, which has risen folding in important games to an art form, blew no less than three 21-point leads before Summers decided to win one for a change. The Boilermakers were favored to win by 9 points. Purdue finishes the year at 8-5 and Central Michigan dropped to 8-6.

Holiday Bowl – Texas Beats Arizona State 53-34 for 4th Straight Bowl Victory

Texas quarterback Colt McCoy fumbled 4 times but it was still not enough to slow down his Longhorn teammates as they outlasted Arizona State 53-34 to win the Holiday Bowl. McCoy was helped by the Sun Devils committing 5 turnovers.

Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter had a horrible night, going 18-of-32 for 187 yards and being sacked 4 times. McCoy threw for one score, ran for another and fumbled into the end zone and his teammate Jermichal Finley recovered for another score. McCoy was 21-of-31 (67%) for 174 yards and ran for 84 yards on 16 carries.

A stupid mistake by Texas coach Mark Brown's stepson, Chris Jessie, marred the game but did not affect the outcome. Jessie touched an errant fumble by Arizona State that was a live ball and the Sun Devils capitalized on the error to score a touchdown. "That's the most unusual play I've ever seen in college football," ASU coach Dennis Erickson said.

Texas led 28-10 at the half and was not about to be denied a victory. The win by Texas was its 4th straight in bowl competition and lifted its final record to 10-3 as Arizona State dropped to 10-3.

(Editor's Note: This is the 2nd article of a series on the 2007 bowl game results.)

Read my other articles on football, including "Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "Famous Quotes by Knute Rockne During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "Famous Quotes by Lou Holtz During Football's Bowl Season", "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss", "The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them" and my 14 consecutive weekly wrap-up articles on the 2007 College Football Season.

January 6, 2008

College Football Wrap-Up

Biggest Wins in Next Six 2007 Bowl Games: Boston College and Wake Forest – Part 3

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

Here are the next 6 winners of this year's 2007 college football bowl game results:

Champs Sports Bowl – Boston College Beats Michigan State by a Field Goal, 24-21, to Win Its 8th Consecutive Bowl Victory

Senior quarterback Matt Ryan went 22-of-47 for 249 yards and 3 touchdowns to lead Boston College past Michigan State, giving the Eagles their 8th consecutive bowl victory and an 11-3 record for first-year coach Jeff Jagodzinski. It was the first 11-win season for Boston College since 1940, 67 years ago.

The Eagles started their season 8-0 and rose to No. 2 in the polls before dropping 3 of the their last 5 games, including a loss to Virginia Tech which cost Boston College the Atlantic Coast Conference championship.

The Eagles' All American safety Jamie Silva had two interceptions, one in the end zone, and was named the Most Valuable Player. Boston College played 17 fifth-year players and will have some rebuilding to do to match this year's success.

Michigan State, which amazingly made the game close, made no excuses. The Spartans, who finished at 7-6, lost their 6 games by a combined 31 points under first-year coach Mark Dantonio.

The bowl game was Michigan State's first in 4 years. The Spartans played without 4 players who were academically ineligible and another who was suspended for breaking an unspecified team rule. They included their best pass rusher and a linebacker. Spartan quarterback Brian Hoyer had a long night with 4 interceptions and a fumble.

Texas Bowl – Texas Christian Beats Houston 20-13

Texas Christian took its first lead early in the last quarter to move by Houston 20-13 in the Texas Bowl. Justin Watts got the go-ahead score. The win gave the Horned Frogs their 3rd consecutive bowl victory in 3 years. The fans were not exhausted from excitement watching this hum-drum match-up. Both teams finished the year at 8-5.

Emerald Bowl – Oregon State Runs Past Maryland 21-14

Oregon State senior Yvenson Bernard rushed for 177 yards and a touchdown, and freshman James Rodgers rushed for a career-best 115 yards, caught an early touchdown pass and recovered Bernard's fumble for the second half's only score to lead the Beavers past Maryland 21-14.

Oregon State's crack rushing defense (rated No. 2 nationally) gave up exactly 2 yards to Maryland for 3 quarters and 19 total yards for the game to seal the victory. The win by Oregon State (now 9-4) extended the Pac 10's longest bowl winning streak to 4 and snapped Ralph Friedgen's 3-game postseason winning streak at Maryland, dropping the Terrapins to 6-7, a losing season.

Meineke Car Care Bowl – Wake Forest Beats Connecticut 24-10

Connecticut scored all of its 10 points in the first half, and Wake Forest scored all of its 24 unanswered points in the second half as the Demon Deacons proved that Connecticut was not that big and that bad, winning 24-10. Wake Forest did it with defense and its speedy receiver Kenneth Moore, who caught 11 passes for 112 yards.

Wake Forest has for years endured the moniker "Weak Forest" for its ineptitude, but that nickname may go away as the Demon Deacons rolled up their second most wins ever, topped only by last year's 11-3 mark. Both Connecticut and Wake Forest finished at 9-4 this year.

Liberty Bowl – Mississippi State Slips by Central Florida, 10-3

In what may turn out to be the lowest scoring bowl game this year, Mississippi State's Anthony Dixon broke up a 3-3 tie by scoring the winning touchdown on a 1-yard run with 1:54 remaining in the game to beat Central Florida 10-3.

The Bulldogs held Central Florida's Kevin Smith to only 119 yards rushing, stopping Smith only 61 yards short of Barry Sanders' single-season rushing record of 2,628 yards for Oklahoma State in 1988. The bad news for Central Florida's opponents next year is that Kevin Smith is a junior and will get another shot at Sanders' record. Mississippi State finished the season at 8-5 while Central Florida fell to 10-4.

Alamo Bowl – Joe Pa and Penn State Down Texas A&M, 24-17

Evan Royster broke a 17-17 tie with a 38-yard touchdown run and Joe Paterno's Penn State Nittany Lions overcame an early 14-point deficit to beat Texas A&M 24-17 in the Alamo Bowl. Penn State finished its season at 9-4 while Texas A&M dropped to 7-6.

"Joe Pa", college football's leader in bowl appearances with 34, led his Nittany Lions in a thriller that gave him his record 23rd postseason win. Penn State's victory over Texas A&M was its 3rd straight bowl victory and 9th in its last 11 appearances.

Paterno, the 81-year-old Happy Valley icon, now has 372 career victories, exactly one win behind Florida State's Bobby Bowden for the most wins in major college football.

Bowden, who is 78 years old, lost his bowl game this year 35-28 to Kentucky. Like Paterno, Bowden is no slouch. He has won 2 national championships, 12 Atlantic Coast Conference titles and is the only coach to have his Florida State Seminoles finish among the top 5 teams nationally for 14 consecutive seasons in the AP Top 25 Poll. Florida State has also played in a bowl game for the last 26 consecutive seasons.

It will be interesting to see whether Joe Pa or Bobby Bowden will be fired or retire first. Both coaches are obviously two of the most competitive people on planet Earth.

(Editor's Note: This is the 3rd article of a series on the 2007 bowl game results.)

Read my other articles on football, including "Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "Famous Quotes by Knute Rockne During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "Famous Quotes by Lou Holtz During Football's Bowl Season", "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss", "The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them" and my 14 consecutive weekly wrap-up articles on the 2007 College Football Season.

January 7, 2008

College Football Wrap-Up

Biggest Wins in Next Six 2007 Bowl Games Belong to Alabama and Oregon – Part 4

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Here are the next 6 winners of this year's 2007 college football bowl game results:

Independence Bowl – Alabama Hangs on to Outlast Colorado, 30-24

First-year coach Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide jumped to a 27-0 lead against Colorado and then let the Buffaloes back into the game before winning, 30-24. John Parker Wilson was 13-of-15 for 185 yards and 3 touchdowns in the early going, and Alabama piled up 285 yards of offense in the first half.

Both teams made enough mistakes to lose, but Colorado was able to make a game of it when the Buffaloes figured out that they could not beat Alabama's linebackers to the corner. Once Colorado spread out the Tide's defense they were able to run the ball.

Alabama started the season at 6-2 before dropping its last 4 games—including a horrific home loss to Louisiana-Monroe—and ending the season at 7-6 to avoid consecutive losing seasons for the first time in 50 years. Colorado dropped to 6-7, a losing season.

Armed Forces Bowl – California Rallies to Overcome Air Force, 42-36

After spotting Air Force a 21-point lead, coach Jeff Tedford let his California Bears loose and they responded with a 42-36 victory over the Falcons in the Armed Forces Bowl. Tedford held 3 of his starters out of the game for disciplinary reasons as Air Force ran up its lead, then he let them play and they responded big time to bring the Bears back.

California was ranked as high as No. 2 this season before losing 6 of its next 7 games. The win gave the Bears their 6th straight winning season as they finished 7-6 while Air Force dropped to 9-4.

Air Force quarterback Shaun Carney, who picked up 108 yards on 15 carries and scored a touchdown, seriously injured his right knee in the second half, probably suffering both an ACL and an MCL. That did not help the Falcons a bit.

Sun Bowl – Oregon and Jonathan Stewart Run Over South Florida, 56-21

Oregon's junior Jonathan Stewart set a Sun Bowl record with a career-high 253 yards rushing, and redshirt freshman quarterback Justin Roper threw 4 touchdown passes as the Ducks crushed the South Florida Bulls, 56-21.

Things really exploded for Oregon in the 3rd quarter as the Ducks extended an 18-14 halftime lead by scoring 4 touchdowns to take control of the game. Roper completed 17-of-30 passes for 180 yards and had no interceptions.

Oregon had lost 3 straight games after losing Heisman Trophy candidate Dennis Dixon to a knee injury that ended his season. With Dixon, the Ducks were in the hunt for the national championship. Both teams ended the year at 9-4. Stewart has not decided if he will return for this senior year, but Oregon has to be excited about its redshirt freshman quarterback Justin Roper.

Humanitarian Bowl – Fresno State Beats Georgia Tech 40-28

Clifton Smith rushed for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Tom Brandstater threw for a score and ran for another as the Fresno State Bulldogs beat Georgia Tech 40-28 in the Humanitarian Bowl.

The bowl victory capped a turnaround year for Fresno State. The Bulldogs were 4-8 last season and watching bowl games rather than playing in one. Coach Pat Hill guided his Bulldogs back from obscurity this season and ended up with a 9-4 record and real hope for next year.

Georgia Tech jumped to 7-0 lead but Fresno State score 27 unanswered points and rolled up 571 total yards, the most allowed by the Yellow Jackets all season. Georgia Tech also led the nation in sacks with 47 but never got a single one against Fresno State.

Music City Bowl – Kentucky Wins 35-28 Over Player-Depleted Florida State

After years of success, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden suffered through a tough day against Kentucky in the Music City Bowl. Florida State suspended 36 players in an academic cheating scandal prior to the bowl game and it showed as Kentucky won 35-28 behind senior quarterback Andre Woodson, who lit up the scoreboard with 4 touchdown passes. Woodson was named Most Valuable Player.

The loss was the first ever December bowl loss for Bowden, dropping his December bowl record to 7-1-1. Bowden's has taken his Seminoles to 26 consecutive bowl appearances on the way to 2 national championships and 12 Atlantic Coast Conference titles.

Kentucky ended the year at 8-5 and Florida State dropped to 7-6.

Insight Bowl – Oklahoma State Beats Indiana 49-33

The Oklahoma State Cowboys built a 35-10 halftime lead and never looked back en route to a 49-33 victory over Indiana. The Cowboys' Zac Robinson was 24-of-34 for 302 yards and 2 interceptions but also threw 3 touchdown passes and ran for 2 more.

The loss was bittersweet for Indiana, whose coach Terry Hoeppner died of complications of a brain tumor in June. Current coach Bill Lynch led the Hoosiers to a 7-5 record and bowl appearance only to run smack into Oklahoma State's unstoppable offense.

The Cowboys scored on their first 5 possessions, mounting drives of 67, 53, 54, 57 and 63 yards. The longest of these drives lasted 3:07. Yikes! It had been Hoeppner's goal to lead Indiana to a bowl appearance; in the end, the players and Lynch made it happen. Despite the loss, it was a great year for Indiana football.

If you have been a die-hard Hoosier fan for years, you know what I am talking about. Indiana has been on Ohio State's and Michigan's list of automatic wins for years. Indiana basketball, however, is another story.

(Editor's Note: This is the 4th article of a series on the 2007 bowl game results.)

January 8, 2008

College Football Wrap-Up

Biggest Winners in Next Four 2007 Bowl Games Were Kodi Burns and Tony Temple – Part 5

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

Here are the next 4 winners of this year's 2007 college football bowl game results:

Chick-fil-A Bowl – Auburn Tops Clemson 23-20 in Overtime

Freshman quarterback Kodi Burns made the most of his expanded role in Auburn's new spread offense, scoring on a 7-yard run in overtime to give the Auburn Tigers a 23-20 overtime victory over the Clemson Tigers. The game ended at 17 up and Clemson kicking a successful field goal on its first OT drive and taking a 20-17 lead before Burns became an instant hero.

Burns, who shared QB duties with senior starter Brandon Cox, also threw a 22-yard TD pass and led Auburn with 69 yards rushing on 13 carriers (a 5.3 yard average). Guess who's going to be Auburn's starting quarterback next season? The spread offense produced for Auburn as the Tigers gained 423 yards on 90 plays.

If you are wondering, Chick-fil-A is apparently the second largest fast-food chicken restaurant chain in the United States with 1,340 locations in 37 states doing $2+ billion in business a year. Near as I can tell, there is not a single location in the Pacific Northwest.

Outback Bowl – Tennessee Outlasts Wisconsin, 21-17

Phillip Fulmer's Tennessee Volunteers overcame injuries, academic suspensions and the impending departure of two key assistant coaches to beat Wisconsin, 21-17, in the Outback Bowl, giving Tennessee its first 10-win season since 2004.

The Volunteers' quarterback Erik Ainge was 25-of-43 for 365 yards and two touchdowns in his final game to win MVP honors. Tennessee's defense stepped up when it had to, stopping Wisconsin on downs when the Badgers were10 yards from scoring in the last quarter. Tennessee ended the season at 10-4 and Wisconsin dropped to 9-4.

Fulmer and Tennessee fans were happy enough, but Fulmer will have to find replacements for offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe, who will be Duke's next head coach, and receivers coach Trooper Taylor, who will become co-offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State.

Cotton Bowl – Missouri Routs Arkansas, 38-7, Behind Tony Temple

Tony Temple rushed for 281 yards and 4 touchdowns as Missouri routed Arkansas 38-7 in the Cotton Bowl. Coach Gary Pinkel's crew finished at 12-2 and the Razorbacks dropped to 8-5. Missouri should have won this game and did. Temple's 281 yards and 4 touchdowns were the best performance in the 72-year history of the Cotton Bowl.

Mizzou was ranked No. 1 after beating Kansas in their regular-season finale, but they lost badly to Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game, so badly that the Jayhawks ended up with an at-large berth in the BCS Orange Bowl game against Virginia Tech.

Missouri's Heisman Trophy-finalist quarterback Chase Daniel went 12-for 29 and a season-low 136 yards passing with an interception, but thankfully Tony Temple had a career night on cue.

Temple's final run of the night broke the Cotton Bowl rushing record of 265 yards by Rice's Dicky Maegle in 1954 (now there is a name from the past that I remember!). Maegle had 3 touchdowns in that game as did Texas' Bobby Layne in 1946 and Syracuse's Jim Brown in 1957.

Layne would go on to quarterback the Detroit Lions and Jim Brown would be the unstoppable running back for the Cleveland Browns. Many believe Jim Brown was the greatest running back in the history of football. In 2002 The Sporting News named Brown as the greatest professional football player ever, regardless of position.

Gator Bowl – Texas Tech Rallies to Beat Virginia by a Field Goal, 31-28

Texas Tech, the nation's top passing offense, took its sweet time overcoming a 14-point deficit but hung in there to stun Virginia, 31-28, on a late, 41-yard field goal by senior Alex Trlica with 2 seconds remaining. It was Trlica's third game-winner of his career.

Red Raider quarterback Graham Harrell went 44-of-69 for 407 yards and 3 TDs while setting Gator Bowl records for yards, completions and attempts.

Virginia's tailback Mikell Simpson ran for 170 yards on 20 carries, including a NCAA bowl-record 96-yard TD dash, and caught a touchdown pass, but Virginia could not recover after losing its quarterback Jameel Sewell at the start of the 4th quarter. Both teams finished the year at 9-4.

(Editor's Note: This is the 5th article of a series on the 2007 bowl game results.)

January 9, 2008

College Football Wrap-Up

Biggest Wins in Next Three 2007 Bowl Games: Michigan, Southern Cal and Georgia – Part 6

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

Here are the next 3 winners of this year's 2007 college football bowl game results:

Capital One Bowl – Michigan Outlasts Florida, 41-35, as Lloyd Carr Wins His Last Game

If the Michigan Wolverines had wrapped it up and put it under the tree, outgoing coach Lloyd Carr could not have received a better Christmas gift from his players as they overcame 4 turnovers to turn back No. 9 Florida, 41-35, in the Capital One Bowl.

The longtime, popular Michigan coach announced his retirement after another loss to Ohio State in November. Had he not retired, he would probably have been asked to leave. Michigan hired Rich Rodriguez who bolted from his head coaching job at West Virginia to take over Michigan's storied football program.

The win was huge for Michigan's seniors as they won their first bowl game in 4 tries. Chad Henne threw for 373 yards and 3 touchdowns and Mike Hart pounded out 129 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns.

The Gators kept the game close thanks to Michigan's 4 turnovers and plenty of big plays by sophomore Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and his speedy teammate Percy Harvin. Tebow was playing with a broken bone in his non-throwing hand and was under constant blitz pressure yet was still 17-of-33 for 154 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also ran for 57 yards and another score.

Harvin picked up 165 yards on 13 carries (12.6 yards per carry), scored once, and also caught 9 passes for another 77 yards and a second touchdown. In the end, it was not enough as Michigan won one for Carr.

The Gators failed to convert a 4th-down play at its 25-yard line and K. C. Lopata's 41-yard field goal put Michigan ahead 41-35 with only 2:21 remaining. Florida got another shot but Tebow threw 4 straight air balls. Both Michigan and Florida finished the season with 9-4 marks.

BCS Rose Bowl – Southern California Crushes Illinois, 49-17, to Make a Statement

Pete Carroll and his Southern Cal players still are thinking BCS national championship game, but the Trojans are going to have to wait another year for that to happen. They might have finished at 11-2, the same as Louisiana State that will play in the title game, but the Trojans lost at the wrong time to the wrong team—Stanford at home.

In a display of frustration and unrest, Southern Cal literally stomped Illinois 49-17 in the BCS Rose Bowl game to make a statement. Freshman tailback Joe "Where Do They Find These Guys?" McKnight ripped through the Illini defense for 170 yards (125 yards rushing and 45 yards receiving). McKnight's output was part of the Trojans' 633 yards of offense.

The output set a Rose Bowl record and the Trojans' 49 points tied the record. The blowout game gave Southern Cal 11 wins for an unprecedented 6th straight year. Illinois Coach Ron Zook still finished the year at 9-4, an unreal turnaround after a 2-19 record in his first two years at Illinois.

Do not be confused here, Illinois was a 13.5 point underdog going in. Remember that it was Illinois which dealt Ohio State its only loss, 28-21, and the Buckeyes will be facing LSU in the national championship game. Hats off to Zook and his players for an incredible year.

BCS Sugar Bowl – Hawaii's Unbeaten Streak Ends as Georgia Wins Easily, 41-10

Georgia's Bulldogs were hopping mad that they were not invited to play in the BCS national championship game, and Hawaii's Warriors were on the receiving end of their displeasure, losing 41-10 as their dream of a perfect season ended in the BCS Sugar Bowl.

Hawaii came into the game at 12-0, the only undefeated team among the NCAA's 119 Division 1A schools. They did it with coach June Jones' run-and-shoot offense that averaged 46+ points a game, the arm of junior quarterback Colt Brennan and some great receivers.

Brennan is the real deal. He has set more NCAA passing records than Carter has liver pills, but nothing seemed to impress Georgia, and especially Marcus Howard, who became the game's MVP as he had 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and a tipped ball that teammate Dannell Ellerbe intercepted.

The truth is Georgia was simply too big, too fast and too strong for the Islanders this time around.

Howard and his defensive mates lived in Hawaii's backfield as Brennan was sacked 8 times, threw 3 interceptions and lost 2 fumbles, one of which Georgia recovered for a touchdown. Georgia's defensive line pushed Hawaii all over the field; Brennan was lucky to get out of New Orleans alive and well enough to be drafted for Sunday duty in the NFL.

"It was the fastest team I've probably ever seen," said Brennan. To be fair, they would not have been so fast in the Warrior offensive line had played better and given Brennan more protection so Hawaii's offense could be effective.

It was a good but difficult game for Hawaii to swallow, but the Warriors will live to fight another day. They had to know that their 12-0 record was against much weaker competition than every other BCS team faced. They had their way in the Western Athletic Conference, even taking down Boise State, which also lost its bowl game to lowly East Carolina 41-38. Even the Washington Huskies, who had a 21-point lead on Hawaii, could not beat the Warriors as their game ended with Hawaii on top.

The citizens of Hawaii fell in love with their Warriors and well they should have. Hawaii had a signature year. Other teams are now trying to steal June Jones away from Hawaii. It was worth the defeat when you know that Hawaii figures to make a $4 million payout for its appearance in the BCS Sugar Bowl. For a team whose recruiting budget was a paltry $50,000 a year, that is a lot of moola. Hawaii can now afford to recruit talent on the mainland.

June Jones has become an opportunity for some other teams. His run-and-shoot offense has resulted in a 76-41 record (64% win percentage) in 9 seasons, including this year's 12-1 mark and BCS bowl appearance. Jones took over a Hawaii team that was winless in 1998 and went 9-4 in his first season. Translation: You do not need to stay awake nights praying for Hawaii's success; the Warriors and doing just fine, thank you.

(Editor's Note: This is the 6th article of a series on the 2007 bowl game results.)

January 10, 2008

College Football Wrap-Up

Biggest Wins in Next Four 2007 Bowl Games: West Virginia and Kansas Jayhawks – Part 7

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

Here are the next 4 winners of this year's 2007 college football bowl game results:

BCS Fiesta Bowl – West Virginia Stomps a Mud Hole in Oklahoma, 48-28

Anyone who thought that Southern Cal or Georgia was mean-spirited in their resounding bowl victories did not see West Virginia slap around the Oklahoma Sooners 48-28 in the BCS Fiesta Bowl.

The 11th ranked Mountaineers lost their head coach Rich Rodriguez to Michigan before the Fiesta Bowl, lost their star tailback Steve Slaton to a first-quarter leg injury, had to pull together under interim coach Bill Stewart, and managed to do it all and then some.

Quarterback Pat White ran for 150 yards and threw for another 176 yards and 2 touchdowns. Noel Devine stepped in for Slaton and ran for 108 yards and 2 touchdowns, one for 17 yards and another for 65 yards to clinch the game in the 4th quarter.

Oklahoma's powerful offense, which averaged 43+ points per game, was stuck in neutral against West Virginia's 4th ranked defense. The West Virginia offensive players—White, Devine and Darius Reynaud—seemed to run past Sooners who appeared to be watching them rather than tackling them.

Clearly, some of the bloom has come off of Bob Stoops and his Oklahoma players, who now are a lot less impressive with all of their carping. They were embarrassed last year in the same Fiesta Bowl when Boise State made them look silly with trick plays and a stunning upset. The Sooners need to shut up, regroup and start playing football again.

For a team that was ranked 9th in scoring defense and 8th in rushing defense, the Sooners looked slow when it mattered most. They saw the backs of a lot of jerseys. Give the West Virginia Mountaineers credit; they got it together when it mattered.

It took all of about a day for the West Virginia brain trust to decide that maybe their national search for a new coach should end up in their own locker room as Bill Stewart was named new head coach.

BCS Orange Bowl – Kansas Takes Down the Mighty Virginia Tech Hokies, 24-21

So who was it that said that Kansas was a paper tiger? A 6-6 team last year that had no business in a BCS bowl game. All the Jayhawks did this year was field the 6th best total offense in the nation and the 2nd best scoring offense nationally on their way to a heady 12-1 record after polishing off Virginia Tech 24-21 in the BCS Orange Bowl.

If Kansas coach Mark Mangino was in a crowded subway station in New York City, he would not be the guy complaining and shouting. He would be the guy you would not notice except for his big presence, no where more so than on the sideline when Kansas plays football. People are beginning to learn that Jayhawks can fly, they are not chickens.

So here comes Kansas into their BCS game and how do the Jayhawks win? With their defense. The Jayhawks picked off 3 passes and turned them into 17 points to take down the No. 5-ranked Hokies. It was sweet for Kansas, which won its first BCS game and set a school record with 12 wins. Virginia Tech, which lost its 4th consecutive BCS game, dropped to 11-3.

It was a cold and windy night for both teams and the Hokies stayed in the game, but the Jayhawks jumped out to a 17-0 lead and they finished what they started. They played like their future depended upon it, and because they did, they have a brighter future. It is my understanding that practically every player on the team is returning next year. Like they say in the entertainment business, this could be the start of something big.

International Bowl – Rutgers and Ray Rice Run by Ball State in 52-30 Rout

Ray Rice created some history for an historic school by running for 280 yards and 4 touchdowns in leading Rutgers—which played the first college football game—past Ball State 52-30.

Rutgers, in Toronto, Canada for the International Bowl, marked its second postseason win in the school's 138-year history, and second consecutive win in two years with their 37-10 blowout victory over Kansas State in last year's Texas Bowl.

Rice, whose 25 TDs this season and 2,012 rushing yards are both school records, also became the first Big East player to crack the 2,000-yard season rushing barrier. He is in some pretty good company as former Big East players with an NFL impact include Edgerrin James, Clinton Portis and Willis McGahee, all graduates of Miami (FL). Quarterback Mike Teel helped Rutgers along by going 16-of-25 for 303 yards and 3 TD passes.

Among Rice's runs was a career-long 90-yard TD scamper. Rice, a junior, must now decide to go NFL early or return to Rutgers for a senior season. He must announce his plans for the NFL draft by Jan. 15.

While Rice's performance was great the Ball State rushing defense was not. Ball State was ranked 99th nationally in rushing defense. Ball State is not a real killer in bowl games either, having played in 6 and won none. Such is the state of college football today when 32 bowl games are played involving 64 teams and there are only 119 to pick from. Rutgers finished its season at 8-5 (not THAT big of a deal) and Ball State dropped to 7-6 (at least it was not a losing season).

GMAC Bowl – Tulsa Capitalizes on Stupid Bowling Green Mistakes, 63-7

Give Bowling Green some props for making it to the GMAC Bowl. They did not destroy the vehicle they used to get to the stadium. They managed to get dressed by themselves. But that was about it. When it came time to show up, the Falcons managed to fumble 4 times in the first half and their opponent, Tulsa, quickly scored 4 touchdowns to take a 35-0 halftime lead.

The rest was all downhill for Bowling Green as they lost 63-7 to finish the year at 8-5 (at least it was a winning record, that is more than some bowl losers can say). The result was the most lopsided (56 points) in this year's 32-game bowl schedule. Before the GMAC Bowl, Bowling Green had won its last 4 consecutive bowl outings.

"We were out of it before we were in it," said Bowling Green coach Gregg Brandon.

Tulsa brought 3 things to the GMAC Bowl: the nation's 10th best scoring offense, the nation's 3rd best passing offense and the nation's No. 1 total offense. They showed why the Golden Hurricane can score 63 points in a game.

Quarterback Paul Smith passed for 312 yards and 5 touchdowns while rolling up his 14th consecutive 300-yard passing game, breaking Ty Detmer's record for Brigham Young. En route to the blowout win, Tulsa became the first team in NCAA history to have a 5,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and 3 (count 'em) 1,000-yard receivers. Tulsa only racked up 562 yards of offense in the game.

First-year Tulsa coach Todd Graham led the Golden Hurricane to a 10-4 record, the first 10-win season for Tulsa since 1991, 18 years ago.

(Editor's Note: This is the 7th article of a series on the 2007 bowl game results.)

January 11, 2008

College Football Wrap-Up

LSU Rips Ohio State 38-24 to Become First Two-Time BCS Champion – Part 8

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

It speaks volumes about the state of college football in 2007 when a team gets into the BCS national championship game with two losses. Louisiana State University became the first team to make it with two losses. Ohio State made it with 1 loss.

Should the Tigers have been there? Georgia, Southern Cal, Missouri, West Virginia and Kansas all thought they should have been selected over LSU. Every one of them had it wrong in the end. Any one of them should have replaced Ohio State, not LSU.

The LSU Tigers kicked the snot out of Ohio State for the second year in a row. The Buckeyes started quick and could not even begin to finish what they started. It wasn't even a decent street fight. After going up 10 to zip early on, Ohio State's No. 1-ranked defense gave up 31 straight points to lose 38-24.

Early in the second quarter, LSU blocked an Ohio State field goal attempt before marching for a touchdown, and then intercepted a pass to march for another score.

Last year Ohio State started with a 7-0 lead against Florida before suffering an even more lopsided 41-14 loss. The legacy for Ohio State in its 9 bowl games against Southeast Conference teams is terrible, the Buckeyes have yet to win a single, stinking victory.

Ohio State's loss to LSU made it the 3rd team to lose 2 BCS title games. Oklahoma and Florida State have also lost 2 BCS title games.

It is not that the Jim Tressel-led Buckeyes cannot win a national championship. They beat Miami 31-24 to win the title in 2002. They just cannot seem to get it done against SEC teams, which are 4-0 in BSC title games, making the SEC the ONLY undefeated conference among the 6 major conferences.

To me the game was a huge disappointment in that it was not competitive for a national championship. One snapshot during the game says it all for me. The television crew pans in on a close-up of 3 Ohio State players conferring about their misery.

I look intently at the numerous stars on their helmets and think to myself, geez Louise, between them they must have more than 100 stars on their helmets. These are for individual efforts in logging a 100-yard rushing game, scoring a touchdown, intercepting a pass, recovering a fumble, or whatever. Who really cares? Stars on helmets cannot block and tackle.

I am thinking, "This must be the brain trust for individual glory at Ohio State." Here these guys are big shots with stars all over their helmets getting the snot kicked out of them on national television in the title game. Good grief. Football is a team sport.

Given their sorry performance, I believe Jim Tressel and the Ohio State glory brigade need to give it a rest before even the stars on their helmets get embarrassed. I do not really give a crap how many stars Jim Laurinaitis has on his helmet. As far as I am concerned, LSU knocked them off.

Having spent the entire college football season doing weekly wrap-ups and numerous articles on statistics few want to believe, I would like to note for the record that Ohio State piled up an 11-1 record by playing not a single top 20 team while LSU played 8 game-time top 20 teams and beat 7 of the them, losing only to Kentucky on the road in triple overtime.

Did the LSU Tigers deserve to be in the national championship game? Absolutely. Are they the real national champions this year? Absolutely. Bring any other argument to the field and settle it there. Ohio State found out who is this year's top team.

Who can say with a straight face that if they played LSU next week, they would put a whipping on them like LSU did on Ohio State?

(Editor's Note: This is the 8th and final article of a series on the 2007 bowl game results.)

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

The first week of college football was full of surprises and disappointments; it is what makes college football worth watching. College football is exciting, surprising and unpredictable all at once.

There was some really bad news for the Michigan Wolverines, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and Florida State Seminoles.

First the Wolverines managed to get beaten by Division 1-AA Appalachian State 34-32 on their home field as 110,000 fans watched in the Big House at Ann Arbor.

Michigan went into the game ranked No. 5 in both preseason polls. When the poll results came out Tuesday following Saturday's game, Michigan dropped out of the poll completely.

It marked the first time that a team ranked that high had completely dropped out the poll since the AP Poll was expanded to 25 teams in 1989.

Since the death of the legendary Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines have gone 0-3 and given up 108 points.

"I wouldn't want to be on their practice field Tuesday," said victorious Appalachian State Coach Jerry Moore.

To compare the two football programs, Appalachian State's football budget is $1.5 million, and Michigan is in the middle of a $226 million renovation of its stadium. I would say forget the renovation and get some real players at Michigan.

The upset has already been called by many sports pundits and followers as the biggest upset in the history of college football since a AA team has never beaten a ranked team in NCAA play.

Then Notre Dame got a prime whipping from Georgia Tech 33-3. The game marked the most lopsided opening game loss in Notre Dame history, and first time the Irish have failed to score a touchdown in an opener since 1985.

Geez, where is the offense? Charlie Weis is all about offense, but the Irish have clearly suffered from defensive weaknesses the past two seasons.

I am part Irish and a Notre Dame fan. I want to see Weis succeed big time at Notre Dame. Weis is starting his third season and this opening game loss does not bode well for Notre Dame.

Last year the Irish scored 31 points a game (16th best among 119 Division I-A schools) and gave up 24 points a game (67th best).

Defense is a problem for the offensive-minded Weis, and it will continue to be until he fixes it. It almost goes without saying that offense is a huge problem at the moment.

By the end of Saturday, No. 19-ranked Florida State took on way too much swamp water and was upset by Clemson, 24-18. Florida State was conspicuously absent in the polls Tuesday and Clemson snuck into the 25th spot in the AP Poll.

I was not surprised by Clemson's win as they were at home and last year Clemson gave up only 16 points a game (16th best in the nation).

Here are some ranked teams that showed how to take care of business the first week:

No. 2 LSU shut out Mississippi State 45-0.

No. 6 Florida rolled past AA Western Kentucky 49-3.

No. 8 Oklahoma slapped North Texas around, 79-10.

No. 10 Louisville turned poor AA Murray State into road kill, 73-10.

No. 11 Ohio State did not give up a touchdown to AA Youngstown State in a 38-6 victory.

No. 16 Rutgers beat Buffalo 38-3.

No. 17 Penn State shut out Florida International 59-0.

No. 20 Nebraska beat Nevada 52-10.

No. 22 TCU shut out Baylor 27-0.

No. 23 Hawaii slammed AA Northern Colorado 63-6 and led 49-0 after three quarters.

No. 24 Boise State hammered AA Weber State 56-7.

Other ranked teams that won but were not impressive winning or they gave up too many points included No. 3 West Virginia, No. 4 Texas, No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 14 UCLA, No. 18 Auburn, No. 21 Arkansas and No. 25 Texas A&M.

At least three unranked teams shined in their openers: Indiana topped AA Indiana State 55-7, Kansas ripped Central Michigan 52-7, and Cincinnati drubbed AA Southeast Missouri State 59-3.

I did not think that Cincinnati could score 59 points on anybody; last year the Bearcats averaged 21 points a game and gave up 20 points.

Three other teams did not shine as brightly. The Big 10's Minnesota was upset at home by Bowling Green 32-31 in overtime. Bowling Green led 21-0 at the half against the Golden Gophers (what a terrible nickname for Minnesota in this game).

In-state rivalries always are unpredictable and Colorado proved it again by barely sliding by Colorado State 31-28 at home in another overtime game. One might say this proves that both teams have some offense. I would say this proves that both teams lack defense.

In Oregon many fans and pundits call the annual Oregon-Oregon State rivalry The Civil War. One could say the same about this year's Michigan-Michigan State rivalry.

Six other game results I separated out for special attention and comment.

Two of the six involved Pac 10 teams which saw the No. 12 California Golden Bears take down the No. 15 Tennessee Volunteers 45-31 (many think this is THE year at Cal Berkeley to challenge USC), and redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker led the Washington Huskies past Syracuse 42-12.

New Alabama Coach Nick Saban did what he was hired to do, notch a 52-6 win over AA Western Carolina in the Crimson Tide's home opener. Alabama's SEC fortunes should rise with Saban.

New Michigan State Coach Mark Dantonio led the Spartans past UAB 55-18 as his new offense scored touchdowns in its first six possessions—that is impressive—while sprinting to a 42-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Michigan State's Big 10 fortunes should also rise with Dantonio.

I was happy to see two teams I like win their openers. In a rather obscure game Mike Price's UTEP Miners slid past New Mexico 10-6.

I still believe that Mike Price was set up to be driven out at Alabama before he was ever given a chance to coach the Tide. The are still many Southern boys who do not like Yankees that far south.

The second game saw Wyoming beat Virginia 23-3 in their opener at home. Not many fans care about Wyoming but I do.

I like the Cowboys because they play very tough at home no matter who lines up against them. Wyoming takes pride in its Cowboys. Invade their territory and they just might clean your clock and brand your backside.

(Editor's Note: I spent 20 years in the news business, have covered pro and college teams, and have been sports editor of a daily. Everyone has their opinion and impressions and you just read some of mine.)

 September 11, 2007

College Football 2007 – Week 2:

Oregon Carves Up Michigan's Secondary, 39-7, the 0-2 Wolverines Could Move to Another Planet

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

After Michigan managed to get beaten by Division 1-AA Appalachian State 34-32 last week in its home opener as 110,000 fans watched in the Big House at Ann Arbor, the Oregon Ducks traveled to the Big House and handed the once mighty Wolverines their worst loss since 1968, a 39-7 drubbing.

The 32-point margin of loss was Michigan's worst since losing 50-14 at Ohio State in 1968, 39 years ago. Last year the Wolverines were riding high with an 11-0 start before losing to Ohio State for the 3rd straight year, and then losing the Rose Bowl for the 3rd time in 4 years.

The porous Michigan secondary let Oregon's Dennis Dixon roll up 292 yards passing and a career-high 4 touchdowns. The Ducks did even better on the ground, gaining 331 yards rushing on 51 carries for a 6.49 yard average. In essence, Michigan had no defense, only excuses for a sorry performance.

The 0-2 start gave notice that Michigan has some serious problems as a national powerhouse. Perhaps petitioning to play on another planet would help. The Wolverines could scrimmage against their 3rd string lineup and maybe notch their first victory of the season.

Fortunately for Michigan, neither of the two losses were Big 10 Conference games.

Take heart, Michigan lovers, the Wolverines started 0-2 in 1998 and ended up becoming the Big 10 Champion. They also started 0-2 in 1988 and ended up beating USC 22-14 in the Rose Bowl.

The woes at Notre Dame continued this week as No. 14-ranked Penn State had little problem dispatching the Irish, 31-10.

To understand how good the Nittany Lions defense is at the moment, you only need to know that they have not allowed an offensive touchdown in two games. Notre Dame has failed to score an offensive touchdown in its second straight game.

Another powerhouse that failed to get it done this week was No. 11 Georgia which was upset at home by South Carolina 16-12. Georgia could not even score a touchdown on the South Carolina defense.

The SEC does not need to be reminded that Steve Spurrier is now coaching the Gamecocks. Spurrier's best move as a college football coach is to win.

By the end of Saturday, No. 17-ranked Auburn was upset by South Florida 26-23 in overtime. That had to be a real comedown for Auburn which not only lost, but lost at home.

South Florida is not exactly a household name in college football. The Bulls have only been playing football for 10 years and only became a Division I-A school in 2001.

Many fans do not know that Coach Jim Leavitt turned down the opportunity to coach at Alabama in 2003 to stay at South Florida. The Bulls have won their last 4 games, including an upset of No. 7 West Virginia and a bowl win in its final 2 games last season.

South Florida is now 4-0 in its last 4 games.

Auburn should not be ashamed by its loss, but it most certainly should be shocked.

Here are 8 stinkers that surfaced during the second week of play:

No. 5 Wisconsin was behind 10-9 going into the 4th quarter before winning its away game at UNLV, 20-13. Just how tough is Wisconsin as the No. 5 team in the country? You decide.

No. 8 Louisville's defense was not impressive in giving up 42 points to Middle Tennessee before pulling out a 58-42 victory.

No. 10 California gave up 4 touchdowns to winless Colorado State before winning 34-28.

No. 12 Ohio State used a 17-point second half to slide by Akron 20-2. It was hardly a show of offensive power by the Buckeyes as Akron led 3-2 at the half in what could have been a soccer game.

No. 13 UCLA had its hands full with Brigham Young (BYU) but finally scored a 4th quarter touchdown to win by 10, 27-17.

No. 16 Nebraska was lucky to pick up its second victory over winless Wake Forest, 20-17. Neither team scored in the 4th quarter.

No. 20 Hawaii just nipped Louisiana Tech in an away game, 45-44. Hawaii is not exactly the best road team in the NCAA and they proved it once again. All this talk about Hawaii being really good appears to be more talk than defense.

No. 23 Texas A&M gave up 45 points to Fresno State before barely winning in overtime 47-45 (Fresno State scored 16 points in triple overtime before the Aggies won).

All 8 stinkers are ranked higher than they should be, and the next few weeks will tell the real story.

Here are 3 fanny kickers that kept on rolling up big wins:

No. 4 Florida led 49-7 before beating Troy 59-31. Apparently a lot of backups played for Florida.

No. 6 Oklahoma had no problem with Miami (FL) 51-13, scoring 20 points in the last quarter to seal the deal.

No. 21 Georgia Tech led 62-7 before finishing off AA Samford, 69-14.

Here are 8 teams on the rise:

No. 15 Rutgers picked up its second win by downing Navy 41-24.

No. 25 Clemson scored 6 touchdowns in 3 quarters to beat Louisiana-Monroe 49-26. Last week Clemson upset Florida State 24-18 to move into the Top 25.

Unranked Washington used defense to upset No. 22 Boise State and its 14-game winning streak, the longest in major college football, by shutting out the Broncos in the second half of the Huskies' 24-10 victory. Last week the Huskies beat Syracuse 42-12 in an away opener.

Kansas picked up its second win by shutting out AA Southeastern Louisiana 62-0. Last week the Jayhawks ripped Central Michigan 52-7. Total points for Kansas in two games: 114. Total opponent points in two games: 7.

Three first-year coaches—Nick Saban, Mark Dantonio and Dennis Erickson—won their second straight game.

The Crimson Tide defeated Vanderbilt 24-10, giving Saban another win. So far, Saban is undefeated at Alabama. Next up: Arkansas comes to town. Can Saban go 3-0? We will wait and see.

The Spartans moved past Bowling Green 28-17 in a not-so-impressive home victory, giving Dantonio another win. So far, Dantonio is undefeated at Michigan State. Next up: Pittsburgh comes to town. Can Dantonio go 3-0? They have a good chance.

The Sun Devils took apart Colorado 33-14, giving Erickson another win. So far, Erickson is undefeated at Arizona State. Next up: San Diego State comes to town. Can Erickson go 3-0? Absolutely.

The last team on the rise is Cincinnati, yes Cincinnati. The Bearcats romped over Oregon State 34-3 for their second straight win after beating AA Southeast Missouri State 59-3 last week. Cincinnati has outscored its first two opponents 93-6.

In-state rivalries can be close and this week was no exception as a field goal decided two games: East Carolina beat North Carolina 34-31, and AA Southern Illinois nipped Northern Illinois by the same score.

In other state rivalries, New Mexico held off New Mexico State 44-34 with a fourth quarter touchdown, Arizona ripped AA Northern Arizona 45-24, Texas Tech pounded UTEP 45-31 (UTEP led at the half 28-17), No. 3 West Virginia took down Marshall 48-23, Illinois blanked AA Western Illinois 21-0, AA Northern Iowa upset Iowa State 24-13, Baylor doubled up on Rice 42-17, No. 7 Texas launched a comeback to beat No. 19 TCU 34-13 (TCU led 10-0 at the half), and Southern Methodist whipped North Texas 45-31.

In an obscure battle that almost no one noticed among 2 of 7 worst A teams in the country, Buffalo (rated 145 by Sagarin) made a statement by leveling Temple 42-7 (rated 143 by Sagarin and already going lower). Buffalo scored no less than 6 touchdowns; it had to have been a glorious day in upper New York.

In another obscure contest, Wyoming won at home against Utah State, 32-18. Whether you like it or not, more often than not, the Cowboys win at home, and they do not ask what's for dinner, they just expect beef.

So after the first two weeks of the college football season, who has had the most impressive start?

The No. 2-ranked LSU Tigers who put the hurt on Virginia Tech 48-7. Try 6 touchdowns against the No. 9-ranked team in the nation. LSU beat Mississippi State 45-0 last week. Coach Les Miles' Tigers have outscored their first two opponents 93-7.

Middle Tennessee which was rated No. 141 by Sagarin after the first week comes to Baton Rouge this week. The Blue Raiders, losers in their first two games, could be in for a very long afternoon at LSU.

September 18, 2007

College Football 2007 - Week 3:

6 Top 25 Teams Lose and Nosedive; Alabama, Kentucky, South Florida & Missouri Join Top 25

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

As predicted, no less than 6 AP Top 25 teams lost in college football's third week, two of them—Louisville and Nebraska—dropped in the rankings and four others—UCLA, Georgia Tech, Arkansas and Tennessee—dropped right out of the poll. Life in big time college football can be a little unsettling.

Four more—Alabama, Kentucky, South Florida and Missouri—moved into the Top 25 for the first time.

No. 9 Louisville finds itself now No. 18 after being upset by Kentucky 40-34. Kentucky is now 3-0 and No. 21 after its victory, the Wildcats' first win against a top-10 team since 1977, 30 years ago.

The loss by Louisville should come as no surprise. The Cardinals beat up on AA Murray State 73-10 (as they should have) and then gave up a whopping 42 points to Middle Tennessee before winning 58-42 (that is a porous defense).

Louisville is still overrated. If you do not think so, check this out: Middle Tennessee was rated No. 141 among 119 Division 1-A schools by Sagarin going into its game with Louisville. Good grief, talk about beating a lousy team. It makes you wonder, how good is Kentucky?

No. 14 Nebraska is now No. 24 after being dominated by USC on the Cornhuskers' turf, 49-31. USC gained 313 yards rushing and held Nebraska to 31. USC remains No. 1 in all polls from here to parts unknown.

No. 15 Georgia Tech was upset by No. 21 Boston College 24-10 and fell out of the poll.

No. 22 Tennessee was swamped by No. 5 Florida 59-20 and dropped out of the poll.

Moving into the AP Top 25 this week was No. 16 Alabama which tuned back then No. 16 Arkansas, 41-38, after twice blowing 21-point leads. It was a dramatic win for the Crimson Tide, who put on a defensive stand and a last-minute drive culminating in a final, 4-yard, game-winning touchdown pass with 8 seconds left.

I have said to keep your eyes peeled for Nick Saban, a quality coach in his first year at Alabama. Saban led LSU to the 2003 BCS National Championship while competing in the same SEC conference.

Moving into the Top 25 was the No. 24 South Florida Bulls who were idle this week after beating AA Elon 28-13 and upsetting then No. 17 Auburn on the road, 26-23, in overtime.

I have already taken Alabama and South Florida off my list of teams that will be in the Top 25 before the season is over. Last week I predicted that Alabama, South Florida, Washington, Arizona State and Michigan State will crack the AP Top 25.

Missouri beat Western Michigan 52-24 for its 3rd straight win and moved into No. 25 in the poll. The Tigers have also beaten Illinois 40-34 and Ole Miss 38-25. After this weekend's games, Sagarin rated Illinois No. 63, Ole Miss No. 75 and Western Michigan No. 111. I will let you know if Missouri is any good after they play and beat a team worth beating.

Washington, still unranked, led No. 10 Ohio State 7-3 at the half and had the momentum to pull off an upset for the second straight week (the Huskies upset No. 22 Boise State a week earlier).

Unfortunately, a 39-second stretch in the 3rd quarter cost Washington dearly. First, the Buckeyes' Brian Robiskie beat freshman cornerback Vonzell McDowell down the sideline for a 68-yard touchdown.

Then another freshman, Curtis Shaw, fumbled on the ensuing kickoff return trying to get more yardage after the initial hit. Ohio State scored on the turnover, taking a 17-7 lead and eventually winning 33-14 in a game that was much closer than the score.

I believe Washington is still a team on the rise and will bounce back this week as it starts Pac 10 play with a road game at UCLA. UCLA was ranked No. 11 before playing Utah over the weekend and getting the snot kicked out of it, 44-6, and falling out of the poll.

Arizona State, still unranked, won its 3rd straight by moving by San Diego State 34-13 (rated No. 106). First year Coach Dennis Erickson has also topped San Jose State 45-3 (rated No. 147) and Colorado 33-14 (rated No. 67). Arizona State starts its Pac 10 campaign this weekend at home against Oregon State.

Another first year coach, Mark Dantonio at Michigan State, won his 3rd straight game in hand-to-hand combat with Pittsburgh 17-13 (ranked No. 53). The Spartans led 14-7 at the half but frankly underwhelmed me with their performance.

After watching Michigan State sprint to a 42-0 lead in their opener midway through the second quarter in a 55-18 thrashing of UAB (ranked No. 125), scoring touchdowns in their first 6 possessions, I expected more against Pittsburgh. They got by Bowling Green 28-17 (ranked No. 65) in a not-so-impressive showing, but should have done more.

Pittsburgh brought some defense to the game. Remember that the Panthers' Head Coach Dave Wannstedt was an offensive tackle at Pitt and former NFL Head Coach of the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins, both known for their defensive teams.

For Michigan State to remain on the rise, the Spartans needed to best Pitt by two touchdowns and to be impressive they needed to beat them by four touchdowns. Neither happened.

MSU travels to Notre Dame on Saturday (9-22-07). The Irish are winless in 3 games and currently one of the worst teams in the nation. They have yet to score an offensive touchdown this season, have allowed 23 sacks (46 teams did not allow 23 sacks in all of last season), and rank dead last (119th) in 3 categories among Division 1-A teams--rushing, total offense and scoring offense.

The Lord will have to help Michigan State more than Notre Dame should the Irish upset the Spartans.

So who is moving up impressively this week? Try Steve Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks, from No. 17 to No. 12 by leveling AA South Carolina State 38-3; and the Oregon Ducks, from No. 19 to No. 13 by ripping Fresno State 52-21.

So who remains vastly overrated? Try No. 7 Texas. The Longhorns topped Arkansas State 21-13 (rated No. 74) at home, defeated TCU 34-13 (rated No. 39) at home and then barely got by UCF (University of Central Florida, rated No. 64) 35-32 on the road. Texas spotted UCF 32 points (this is defense?) and won by a field goal.

Another overrated team is No. 9 Wisconsin. The undefeated 3-0 Badgers' big time wins came against Washington State 42-21 (rated No. 48), UNLV 20-13 (rated No. 96) and AA The Citadel 45-31 (rated No. 129). They gave up 31 points to a AA team going nowhere.

Wisconsin is going down, it is just a matter of time. Soon the Badgers will be playing Michigan State, No. 10 Penn State at Penn State and No. 8 Ohio State at Ohio State. I want to see this ferocious Wisconsin offense against the Buckeye defense, ranked No. 3 nationally in total defense and No. 5 in scoring defense.

For the record, No. 1 USC is currently ranked No. 41 in total defense and No. 45 in scoring defense. This helps explain why the Trojans handled Idaho 38-10 (rated No. 116) and No. 24-ranked Nebraska 49-31 (rated No. 18).

No. 2 LSU is ranked No. 1 in total defense and No. 1 in scoring defense. This helps explain why LSU has stomped Mississippi State 45-0 (rated No. 46), then No. 9 Virginia Tech 48-7 (now rated No. 31) and Middle Tennessee 44-0 (rated No. 109).

So what else is noteworthy? Indiana, Connecticut, Purdue, Penn State, Texas A&M, Rutgers, Florida, Kansas, Arizona State and Hawaii have all gone 3-0 against either cupcake teams or weak competition. The jury is out of these teams until they actually play a decent or worthy opponent.

In other results, the Duke Blue Devils ended their 22-game losing streak, longest active in Division 1-A, by edging Northwestern 20-14. Florida International now has the longest losing streak with 14 after losing to Miami (FL) 23-9.

Boise State hosted Wyoming and won by 10, 24-14. Good for Wyoming, losing by only 10 in an away game to the mighty, high-scoring Boise State Broncos.

Mike Price's UTEP team was outscored in the 4th quarter and lost to New Mexico State 29-24 to go 1-2 on the year.

It is a real blessing that we will be getting into conference play this weekend so we can really begin to access who has it going on and who does not.

AA games may be interesting at times (like Appalachian State's 34-32 upset of Michigan in their Big House), but it tells you little about a team. Now the nonsense slows to a trickle and we get down to business.

September 24, 2007

20 Games, 1,560 Points = 78 Points Per Game, Good Grief, Whatever Happened to Defense?

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

An examination of this week's college football scores revealed that no less than 20 games had combined scores of 70 or more. Twenty games resulted in 1,560 points scored, an average of 78 per game. Good grief, whatever happened to defense?

Sixteen of these 20 games were not noteworthy despite the score:

Oklahoma State at home outlasted Texas Tech 49-45, you choose whether these are two great offensive or two really lousy defensive teams (94 total points).

Navy at home beat Duke 46-43 (89).

No. 13 Oregon (in the AP Top 25) traveled to Stanford and won 55-31 (86), we expected as much. The Ducks are now 4-0.

No. 4 Oklahoma traveled to Tulsa and won 62-21 (83).

Bowling Green at home beat Temple 48-35 (83).

Troy traveled to LA-Lafayette and won 48-31 (79).

Northern Illinois traveled to Idaho and won 42-35 (77).

Purdue traveled to Minnesota and won 45-31 (76). The Boilermakers are now 4-0.

Arizona State at home beat Oregon State 44-32 (76). The Sun Devils are now 4-0.

UCF (the University of Central Florida) at home beat Memphis 56-20 (76).

Auburn at home beat New Mexico State 55-20 (75).

Tennessee at home beat Arkansas State 48-27 (75).

UCLA at home beat Washington 44-31 (75).

No. 6 California at home beat Arizona 45-27 (72). The Bears are now 4-0.

No. 7 Texas at home beat Rice 58-14 (72). The Longhorns are now 4-0.

Toledo at home beat Iowa State 36-35.

Four of these 20 games were noteworthy beyond the 70-plus combined score:

No. 21 Kentucky traveled to Arkansas and won 42-29 (71). The Wildcats are now 4-0.
I still think Kentucky is not as good as its record. They are going to have to beat better competition to convince me.

Syracuse (an 0-3 team) traveled to No. 18 Louisville and upset the Cardinals 38-35 (73). Syracuse led 31-14 after the 3rd quarter. I have been saying for three weeks that Louisville has no defense worth talking about. The Washington Huskies traveled to Syracuse in their opener and beat The Orangemen 42-12.

No. 19 Hawaii at home beat AA Charleston Southern 66-10 (76). The Warriors are now 4-0 after another cupcake opponent.

No. 24 Nebraska at home beat Ball State, yes, THAT Midwestern powerhouse, 41-40 (81).

The bottom line: Would the sportswriters who vote in the AP Top 25 Poll get over it and move Louisville, Hawaii and Nebraska right out the poll. All three teams deserve to be booted out.

The 4th week saw two other upsets: Miami (FL) at home easily handled No. 20 Texas A&M, and Michigan at home held off No. 10 Penn State 14-9. Michigan was favored in the game, but I think Penn State should have been a visiting favorite if the Nittany Lions are truly the No. 10 team in the country.

Along with Louisville, Hawaii and Nebraska, Texas A&M should be voted out of the Top 25 to make room for better teams.

No. 1 USC easily slammed Washington State 47-14, No. 2 LSU beat No. 12 South Carolina 28-16, No. 22 Georgia traveled to No. 16 Alabama and won with a perfect touchdown pass and catch on the last play 26-23, No. 3 Florida slid by a weak Mississippi team 30-24, and No. 9 Wisconsin managed to beat a weak Iowa team 17-13 with a last quarter touchdown.

No. 5 West Virginia, No. 8 Ohio State, No. 14 Boston College, No. 15 Clemson, No. 17 Virginia Tech, No. 23 South Florida and No. 25 Missouri all won.

The bottom line: USC, LSU, Florida, West Virginia, Ohio State, Boston College, Missouri, Clemson, South Florida and Wisconsin all remain unbeaten.

I still think Wisconsin is not the 9th best team in college football. Reality finally hit Indiana as it lost its first game to Illinois.

Among the unranked and still unbeaten, Kansas at home beat Florida International 55-3, Michigan State traveled to Notre Dame and won 31-14, Connecticut traveled to Pittsburgh and won 34-14, and Cincinnati at home beat Marshall 40-14.

Among new coaches, Mark Dantonio of Michigan State is 4-0, Dennis Erickson at Arizona State is 4-0 and Nick Saban at Alabama lost his first game with the Crimson Tide and is now 3-1.
 

October 2, 2007

College Football 2007 - Week 5:

There Are Contenders and Pretenders, 9 of 25 Top Teams Get a Reality Check

(Editor's Note: All rankings used in this article are from the AP Top 25 Poll and all team ratings used are from Sagarin, the gold standard among rating services.)

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

In the world of college football there are pretenders and contenders. Nine of AP's Top 25 teams and 3 of the top 5 were given a reality check over the weekend.

Was I surprised at this annual occurrence? Hardly. When you start analyzing how some of the teams started the week at 4-0 and ended it at 4-1, it is as easy to see as your face in a mirror. Reality has a way of revealing all of the wrinkles and weaknesses.

For openers, there are the No.3 Oklahoma Sooners who lost a Big 12 Conference game 27-24 by a last second field goal in Colorado to the Buffalos. Oklahoma dropped to No. 10 in the Top 25.

The Sooners got to their lofty No. 3 ranking by beating No. 170th rated North Texas, No. 145th rated Utah State, No. 58th rated Tulsa and No. 44th rated Miami (FL). Their offense ran up big scores on everybody, but their strength of schedule was only the 100th best in the country.

Urban Meyer and his defending national champion Florida Gators fared no better. They lost 20-17 by a field goal at home to Auburn in a SEC Conference game. Florida was behind 17-3 going into the 4th quarter.

The loss snapped an 11-game winning streak for the Gators who suffered their first home loss under Urban Meyer. Meyer's team had won 18 in-a-row at home, 17 since Meyer took over in 2005.

The Gators got to their No. 4 ranking by getting the best of No. 110 Western Kentucky, No. 85 Mississippi, No. 77 Troy and No. 32 Tennessee, an SEC opponent. Beating Tennessee is what vaulted Florida up in the rankings. Florida dropped to No. 9 in the rankings.

No. 5 West Virginia ran smack into No. 18 South Florida in a Big East face-off in South Florida and lost 21-13. Coach Jim Leavitt and his South Florida Bulls are quickly becoming the team no one wants to face, and THE story of the college football season.

West Virginia dropped from No. 5 to No. 13 in the rankings while South Florida moved up from No. 18 to No. 6.

West Virginia got to its No. 5 ranking by taking down No. 129 Marshall, No. 94 Western Michigan, No. 74 East Carolina and No. 51 Maryland. Mountaineer fans who expected West Virginia to go undefeated this year and win the national title need to regroup.

No. 7 Texas got really found out and embarrassed at home against Kansas State in another Big 12 game as the Wildcats dumped on the Longhorns, 41-21. I have been questioning Texas' stature since the beginning of the year, and now my suspicions have been validated.

Texas got to 4-0 by defeating No. 162 Rice, No. 100 Arkansas State, No. 73 Central Florida and No. 54 TCU. Particularly telling was Central Florida, which Texas beat by a field goal while giving up 32 points. Texas, who is rated No. 25 by Sagarin, dropped to No. 19, a much more realistic place for the Longhorns to lounge.

No. 10 Rutgers, the darlings of the Big East, were upset at home by Maryland 34-24, and dropped to No. 21. I believe Rutgers will soon drop out of the Top 25 as two 5-0 teams in the Big East—No. 20 Cincinnati and unranked Connecticut--are being overlooked.

Rutgers rose to No. 10 by whipping up on No. 208 AA Norfolk State, No. 142 Buffalo and No. 68 Navy. Good grief, talk about a lame schedule. They deserve what they get.
Sagarin rates Rutgers at No. 38; even that seems high to me at the moment.

No. 11 Oregon played host to No. 6 California in a Pac 10 matchup and led 14-10 going into the 4th quarter but the Bears scored three touchdowns in the last 15 minutes to put them away, 31-24.

Worse yet, the Ducks' Cameron Colvin scored what appeared to be the tying touchdown in the final seconds, but he fumbled and the ball went out of the end zone, giving California a touchback and a victory when the play was reviewed. Duck fans in Autzen Stadium realized the errant play may have cost them a national championship down the road.

Oregon dropped to No. 14 in the Top 25 and California rose from No. 6 to No. 3.

No. 13 Clemson traveled to Georgia Tech and saw its dream season begin to unravel as the Yellow Jacket defense held the Tigers to a field goal in winning, 13-3. Clemson dropped to No. 22.

The Tigers got into the Top 25 by handling No. 154 AA Furman, No. 133 Louisiana-Monroe, No. 87 North Carolina State and No. 21 Florida State. Clemson rose in the standings by beating No. 21-rated Florida State 24-18 in its opener.

Sagarin rates Clemson No. 34, no where near the Top 25. Clemson could drop out of the Top 25 in a heartbeat.

Joe Paterno's No. 21 Penn State Nittany Lions started the season at 3-0 before losing to a rejuvenated Michigan in the Big House, 14-9, and now loses his second Big 10 game to Illinois 27-20 at Illinois.

Going on the road in Big 10 Conference games has suddenly become hard for Penn State as it dropped right out of the Top 25.

Again, Penn State started its season by running up scores on the worst Division 1-A school in college football, No. 171 Florida International, the 7th worst team in Division 1-A, No. 142 Buffalo, and the apparently hapless No. 95 and winless Notre Dame. What were those fans in Happy Valley thinking? A national championship? Think again.

No. 22 Alabama was the 9th of the Top 25 teams to lose when first year Coach Nick Saban and his Crimson Tide paid a visit to Florida State and lost 21-14. Alabama dropped right out of the Top 25 after arriving just a week earlier. Sagarin now rates Alabama at No. 39.

I thought Saban might have kept Alabama rising; I now have to readjust my expectations for the Crimson Tide.

And so the nasty 9—Oklahoma, Florida, West Virginia, Texas, Rutgers, Oregon, Clemson, Penn State and Alabama—all fell but the No. 1 USC Trojans managed to escape by barely defeating Washington at Husky Stadium by a field goal 27-24.

USC committed 16 penalties, threw 2 interceptions, lost a fumble and suffered a blocked punt and yet prevailed to retain its perfect 5-0 record. The 2-3 Washington Huskies are not exactly a powerhouse yet are rated No. 27 by Sagarin, not too shabby.

By being so unimpressive, USC slipped to No. 2 as the LSU Tigers took over the top spot.

LSU blew past No. 144-rated, in-state rival Tulane, 34-9, after ripping apart No. 57 Mississippi State 45-0, No. 28 Virginia Tech 48-7 and No. 125 Middle Tennessee 44-0. LSU's best win came at home against No. 17 South Carolina 28-16. Sagarin rates LSU No. 1 in the country.

Only one other game really caught my attention and that was No. 9 Wisconsin spotting Michigan State 34 points and then winning by a field goal at home. The Badgers rose to No. 5 among the Top 25.

I still think Wisconsin is not that good. Sagarin rates Wisconsin at No. 24. The Badgers still have away games at Illinois, Penn State and Ohio State, then host Michigan. After those 4 games I doubt Wisconsin will be 11-0 going into their last game at Minnesota.

Teams in the Top 25 start losing at this point in the season because they purposefully schedule weak teams early on to give their players confidence, rise in the Top 25 rankings, give their boosters hope, and bring attention to their programs.

Once conference play starts, the messing around is over, as the nasty 9 found out over the weekend.

October 9, 2007

College Football 2007 - Week 6:

The Adulation and Attention Are Exciting, But Sooner or Later You Get Found Out

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Ah, the adulation and attention are so exciting. The approbation from the boosters, the fans, the students, the fellow athletes and the media is unbelievable. You are unbeatable, unstoppable and perhaps the greatest team ever assembled.

They tell you all of this and they tell your opponent nothing. Your opponent is just another walk through game. You are flying at 4-0, you are Southern California, the team that has enjoyed 5 straight seasons of national top-4 finishes, BCS bowl appearances and Pac 10 Conference titles.

You are playing a 6-touchdown underdog, a team that lost 41-3 last week, a team that you beat 42-0 last year, a team that finished with a lousy 1-11 record.

So No. 2-ranked Southern California loses Saturday (10-6-07) to Stanford 24-23. Don't ya just love college football? The excitement of college football makes pro football look boring.

I am not surprised that USC lost a game. The Trojans were lucky to get by Washington a week earlier, winning by a field goal, 27-24, while making a ton of penalties and turnovers. I am surprised that it was Stanford that did it.

A team that is loaded with talent like USC will win every time unless the talent is "at" the game but not "in" the game. Talent simply has to show up every week or even a powerhouse like USC gets embarrassed.

The Trojans are now the new No. 10-ranked team in the AP Top 25 Poll.

Louisiana State remained No. 1 by scoring 14 points in the final quarter to hold off No. 9-ranked Florida, last year's national champion, 28-24. Florida led at the half 17-7. LSU is 6-0.

Unbeaten and No. 5-ranked Wisconsin, a team I have said all year was overrated, finally proved it by losing to unranked Illinois 31-26 on the road.

Unbeaten and No. 8-ranked Kentucky, another team I have said is overrated, proved it by losing to No. 11 South Carolina, 38-23.

Unbeaten and No. 23-ranked Purdue, another team I have said is overrated, proved it by losing to No. 4-ranked Ohio State, 23-7.

Unbeaten and No. 6-ranked South Florida had more than its hands full in getting by Florida Atlantic 35-23.

Unbeaten and No. 17-ranked Missouri put a major butt-whipping on No. 25-ranked Nebraska, 41-6. I have been dumping on Nebraska as unworthy of any ranking for weeks and finally the Cornhuskers have been booted out of the Top 25 Poll. Amen.

Unbeaten and unranked Kansas upended No.24-ranked Kansas State 30-24 and the Jayhawks are now ranked No. 20. Kansas is off to its first 5-0 start in 29 years.

No. 22-ranked Clemson lost to No. 15-ranked Virginia Tech 41-23 and fell out of the poll.

Unbeaten and No. 16-ranked Hawaii ripped over winless and hapless Utah State 52-37. Utah State is 0-6; Hawaii is 6-0.

Unbeaten and No. 20-ranked Cincinnati upset No. 21 Rutgers on the road, 28-23. Cincinnati is now 6-0 but faces a much tougher schedule as it travels to Pittsburgh and South Florida and faces Connecticut and West Virginia at home.

Three teams that I wished well and hoped would do well have now dropped in my estimation.

One is Alabama with new Coach Nick Saban. Alabama went to 4-2 by getting by Houston, 30-24, but that is not saying much. Apparently Saban does not have much talent in Crimson Tide country. It will take him two more seasons to put real winners in place.

Another is Michigan State with new Coach Mark Dantonio. The Spartans lost at home to Northwestern, 48-41, in overtime. Not a good sign for Dantonio. MSU lost last weekend at Wisconsin to an overrated bunch of Badgers 37-34.

Spartan players are going to have to learn how to win, and that is not easy when you have a culture of choking and losing to even mediocre teams. Dantonio, a great defensive coach, can score points but apparently has very little defense when it matters. You cannot win in the Big 10 without great defense.

A third disappointment is Arizona State, and the Sun Devils with new first-year Coach Dennis Erickson are still unbeaten at 6-0. Ranked at No. 18, the Sun Devils just managed to get by Washington State, 23-20, not a good showing given that the Cougars—a team Erickson use to coach—have lost 4 of 6 games. The Cougars missed a 46-yard field goal with 12 seconds left that would have sent the game into overtime.

Granted Arizona State was on the road, but it needed to beat Washington State by at least three touchdowns to be impressive and could not.

Games like Texas-Oklahoma, Boston College-Bowling Green and Georgia-Tennessee fail to interest me. Thank goodness for my bottom feeders—Buffalo, Wyoming and UTEP.

God Bless the Buffalo Bulls who polished off the Ohio Bobcats 31-10 for a homecoming victory. Go Bulls! I would like to see Buffalo knock off Toledo at home this weekend. Buffalo has been one of the lowest rated teams in college football in recent years, and I am happy to see the Bulls have some real success.

Get excited, Buffalo fans, the Bulls actually have an offense! James Starks ran for a career-best 183 yards against Ohio. Maybe we should call him James "Scamper" Starks. Hello, University of Buffalo, is anybody home?

Another team I like is Wyoming because the Cowboys win at home. TCU found that out again this week when the Cowboys rode them to a 24-21 victory. Wyoming defensive end Mitch Unrein was tabbed as Mountain West Conference's Defensive Player of the Week.

I am convinced that if some ranked team came into Cowboy country they just might leave a loser. Heck, Wyoming is now 4-1 on the season. Go Cowboys!

Mike Price's Texas-El Paso team edged by Tulsa in a typical high-scoring game, 48-47. UTEP climbed to 4-2 and the Miners have just as good a chance as any team to win the Conference USA title.

UTEP's redshirt freshman quarterback Trevor Vittatoe was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 319 yards and 3 touchdowns against Tulsa.

Mike Price turned around UTEP football in a hurry. Football is not just conversation in Texas, football is serious business in Texas. Everything is large in Texas, including the UTEP victories. Go Miners!

October 15, 2007

College Football 2007 - Week 7:

 Top 2 Ranked Teams Get Burned; Now There Are Only 6 Undefeated Teams Left

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Tops dogs LSU and California were upset over the weekend so now there are only 6 undefeated teams left: Ohio State, South Florida, Boston College, Arizona State, Kansas and Hawaii.

Three weeks ago there were 23 undefeated teams, now 17 of them have come up sucking pond water on their way to a national championship. It is possible that several of those teams with only one loss could win the national championship when it is all said and done.

Trust me when I say that 5 of the 6 teams left undefeated are in rarified air, only Ohio State is used to being in the hunt for the national championship. The Buckeyes hosted and dispatched a weak Kent State team 48-3 on Saturday.

Keep in mind that Ohio State's 7-0 mark comes playing the 72nd weakest schedule among Division I teams. They do have a defense, but they have not played the best competition.

South Florida extended its record to 6-0 by easily beating Central Florida 64-12. At least the Bulls have played the 31st most difficult schedule among all 242 Division 1-A and 1-AA teams.

Boston College went 7-0 by downing a pathetic 1-6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish squad 27-14. The Eagles may look and sound like a big deal, but given the fact that they have the 79th toughest schedule they probably are not. At least Notre Dame has played some competition; its strength of schedule is currently No. 2 nationally.

Arizona State was trailing Washington 17-13 at the half, but the Huskies collapsed again in the 3rd quarter giving the Sun Devils 21 points as Arizona State went on to win 44-20.

Arizona State has played the 54th toughest schedule; the Huskies (now 2-4) have played the toughest schedule in the country for the past 4 weeks. Nonetheless, first year Coach Dennis Erickson stretches his record to 7-0.

Kansas took care of the woefully weak Baylor Bears 58-10, but the Jayhawks 6-0 mark has come from playing the 126th toughest schedule. Remember that there are only 119 Division 1-A teams.

That leaves Hawaii as the last undefeated team at 7-0. The Warriors beat San Jose State 42-35 in overtime. Hawaii's strength of schedule is 149th among 119 Division 1-A schools. San Jose State's schedule strength is 52nd nationally which might explain why the Warriors were probably lucky to win in OT.

I believe that South Florida (31st toughest schedule) and Arizona State (54th toughest) have the best chance of continuing undefeated. When Boston College, Kansas and Hawaii start playing someone worth talking about, they are going to have their hands full.

Boston College plays only 1 of the current AP Top 25 teams in its last 5 games. Kansas plays only 1 (Missouri) and Hawaii plays none. Hawaii's toughest competition appears to be 5-1 Boise State.

The Boise State Cowboys nipped (and I do mean nipped) Nevada 69-67 Sunday night in what I would not even consider a football game. Sure, it was exciting, but get serious, this is WAC (as in wacky) football at its best, all offense and no defense. Both defenses on the field were all but irrelevant.

The combined 136 points in this Western Athletic Conference game tied the all-time NCAA record for the most points scored in a game. Call it WAC pride.

So who upset LSU? Kentucky won 43-37 in the 3rd overtime playing at home. Up till now, LSU appeared to have one of the best defenses in the country. The Cal Bears lost at home to Oregon State, 31-28.

The AP Top 25 Poll late Sunday showed Ohio State No. 1, South Florida No. 2, Boston College No. 3, Arizona State No. 12, Kansas No. 15 and Hawaii No. 17.

So who is rising in the AP Poll? Ohio State, South Florida, Boston College, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Oregon, Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Arizona State, Kansas, Auburn, Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas Tech, Michigan and Kansas State.

Many of the teams that are back on the rise now were there earlier and dropped lower in the poll or out of the poll. This reflects parity and the overall weakness of the teams involved.

So who is dropping? LSU, West Virginia, California, USC, Florida, Missouri, Hawaii and Cincinnati.

The top 5 teams that I believe are not overrated are Ohio State, South Florida, South Carolina, Oregon and Arizona State. I am not as impressed with the rest despite their record, and where they are ranked.

October 22, 2007

College Football 2007 – Week 8:

Unsafe at Any Speed: 7 Top 25 Teams Suffer Defeat, including South Florida

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Seven AP Top 25 teams were upset over the weekend, none more stunningly than No. 2-ranked and previously unbeaten South Florida. The Bulls looked awesome this season until losing to Rutgers 30-27 on the road.

South Florida, who many thought was THAT good, is now at best 6-1 and at worst a paper tiger.

The Bulls still have to travel to Connecticut, Syracuse and Pittsburgh, and host Cincinnati and Louisville at home. Connecticut is 6-1, Cincinnati is 6-2 and Pittsburgh just upset No. 23-ranked Cincinnati, 24-17.

Of the 6 unbeaten teams going into the weekend—Ohio State, South Florida, Boston College, Arizona State, Kansas and Hawaii—I predicted that South Florida and Arizona State had the best chance of finishing undefeated. So much for the South Florida prediction.

Boston College, Arizona State and Hawaii—all 7-0—were out of harm's way as they did not play. Make a mental note of the fact that Arizona State is ranked No. 4 in scoring defense, giving up only 15 points per game.

No. 1-ranked Ohio State and No. 15-ranked Kansas remained undefeated as the 8-0 Buckeyes eased by Michigan State 24-17 at home, and the 7-0 Jayhawks traveled to Colorado and won 19-14.

Ohio State has the No. 1 scoring defense in the nation, giving up only 7.9 points per game. Kansas has the No. 2 scoring defense, giving up 10.1 ppg. If you think defense wins championships, you are right.

Earning the short end of the stick were:

1) Steve Spurrier's No. 6-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks hosted Vanderbilt and lost, 17-6, giving the Commodores their biggest win in 70 years. Vanderbilt's last big win was a 7-6 victory over No. 6 LSU in 1937, evidence of how ineffective Vanderbilt has been during the last 70 years. Imagine being in charge of fundraising for the Vanderbilt football program for the last 69 years.

The defeat had to be awful for Spurrier whose South Carolina team had been looking better and better on its climb up the Top 25.

2) No. 8-ranked Kentucky hosted No. 14-ranked Florida and promptly was outscored 45-37.

3) The No. 10-ranked California Bears traveled to UCLA and lost 30-21 to the Bruins. UCLA is like a yo-yo this year. The formerly 10th-ranked Bruins took a butt whipping at Utah, 44-6, then hosted Notre Dame and lost 20-6, giving the 1-7 Irish their only win of the year. It made perfect sense that UCLA would then upset California.

There is, of course, no truth to the rumor that Bruin players underwent psychological testing.

4) No. 20-ranked Tennessee traveled to Alabama and got slammed 41-17. Keep your eye on Nick Saban's Crimson Tide who are now 6-2 and host LSU this Saturday.

5) As mentioned earlier, No. 23-ranked Cincinnati lost to Pittsburgh 24-17.

6) No. 25-ranked Kansas State had trouble on the road, getting nipped by Oklahoma State 41-39.

The new AP Top 25 Poll shows Arizona State leaping from No. 12 to No. 7, Florida from No. 14 to No. 9, and Michigan from No. 24 to No. 19.

Entering the Top 25 this week was Virginia at No. 21, Alabama at No. 22, Penn State at No. 24 and Rutgers at No. 25. All except Virginia were ranked in the Top 25 earlier in the season.

So the new Top 10 after week 8 are: 1 Ohio State, 2 Boston College, 3 LSU, 4 Oklahoma, 5 Oregon, 6 West Virginia, 7 Arizona State, 8 Virginia Tech and tied for 9 USC and Florida.

I have to give props to Ohio State (No. 1) and Kansas (No. 2) because of their defense, but the best balanced scoring offense and scoring defense is Kansas as the Jayhawks are also No. 3 in scoring offense while Ohio State is No. 33.

Dennis Erickson has his Arizona State Sun Devils at No. 4 in scoring defense and No. 12 in scoring offense. Oklahoma is No. 5 in offense and No. 12 in defense. West Virginia is No. 7 in offense and No. 10 in defense. These figures are among 119 Division 1-A schools.

Sagarin's Ratings have the Top 10 in this order: 1 LSU, 2 Kansas, 3 Ohio State, 4 Arizona State, 5 South Florida, 6 Oregon, 7 West Virginia, 8 Florida, 9 Oklahoma, and 10 Boston College. For some fans, this is a more accurate guide to who the fanny-kickers really are.

For the record, the worst of the worst is 0-7 Florida International. The Golden Panthers are not so golden. They lost again Saturday to Louisiana-Monroe 28-14, extending their losing streak to 19 consecutive games, the longest in the nation.

Yes, Florida International does have a football team, just not much of a football team. The Golden Panthers rank dead last (No. 119) in scoring offense (8 ppg) and No. 114 in scoring defense (34 ppg). No wonder they are 0-7 and 0-19 in their last 19 games.

Florida International joined Duke last year as the only other winless team in Division 1-A. I had to look up their nickname, a sure sign that they are not worthy to even be on my radar screen. Unless they start winning, their nickname may as well be: Florida Who?

October 30, 2007

College Football 2007 – Week 9:

Two Game Scores With Some Hidden Meanings Are 57-43 & 6-0

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

As if the 2007 college football season has not been confusing enough, along comes week 9 with some hidden game scores that reveal much: 57-43 and 6-0. Both of the scores involve the AP Top 25 Poll teams.

First the 57-43. The only 5 teams still unbeaten remained perfect, 7 others won while 4 more were upset by unranked teams and 3 did not play. To wit:

No. 1 Ohio State (9-0) dominated No. 22 Penn State 37-17, No. 2 Boston College (8-0) came from behind to upend No. 8 Virginia Tech 14-10, No. 7 Arizona State (8-0) beat No. 18 California 31-20, No. 12 Kansas (8-0) moved by Texas A&M 19-11, and No. 16 Hawaii (7-0) ripped New Mexico State 50-13.

Seven other leaders recorded victories, including No. 5 Oregon over No. 9 USC 24-17, No. 6 West Virginia over No. 25 Rutgers 31-3, No.13 Missouri over Iowa State 42-28, No. 17 Texas over Nebraska 28-25, No. 19 Michigan over Minnesota 34-10, No. 20 Georgia over No. 9 Florida 42-30, and No. 23 Auburn over Mississippi 17-3.

Four teams were upset by unranked teams, including No. 11 South Florida falling to Connecticut 22-15, No. 14 Kentucky falling to Mississippi State 31-14, No. 15 South Carolina falling to Tennessee 27-24 in overtime, and No. 21 Virginia falling to North Carolina State 29-24.

The 3 teams that did not play were No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Oklahoma and No. 22 Alabama.

Then the 6-0. The 6 ranked losers which were beaten by other ranked teams—Virginia Tech, Florida, USC, California, Penn State and Rutgers—now have zero chance at playing in the BCS national championship game.

Some important notes from the sidelines:

1) Points, and lots of them, seem to be a common theme this season. Scores have become ridiculous, as witnessed over the weekend when Weber State beat Portland State 73-68 in the highest-scoring game in NCAA history. The score could have been a basketball game.

2) Three unbeaten teams are serious about scoring and defending. Ohio State averages 34 points scoring and gives up only 9 points per game. Kansas scores 42 and gives up 10. Arizona State scores 36 and gives up 15.

3) Ohio State is No. 1 in total defense (yards allowed), Kansas is No. 5 and Arizona State is No. 19.

4) The once bright future of the California Bears and Coach Jeff Tedford just suffered their 3rd straight loss.

5) The Florida Gators and 43-year-old Coach Urban Meyer just dropped their 3rd loss in 4 games to Georgia 42-30. You remember Urban. Prior to this season his career record was 61-12 (83%).

He led Bowling Green to 8-3 and 9-3 seasons, led Utah to 10-2 and 12-0 records and two Mountain West Conference titles, and led Florida to 9-3 and 13-1 seasons during his first two years, winning the BCS national championship last year.

This year he is now 5-3. Southeast Conference opponents have seen Florida for two years under Meyer and have begun to figure out how to stop his Gators. Welcome to the always nasty SEC Urban and break a leg on the way to practice.

6) You can pretty much forget the USC supremacy trip. Pete Carroll's reign as the toast of the nation and Hollywood is all but over. USC is about to join the great unwashed at 6-2.

There are now at least 25 Division I schools with better records than 6-2. The road ahead for USC includes Oregon State (The Civil War), California, still unbeaten Arizona State and UCLA, all salivating at a chance to humble the Trojans with payback.

7) Coach Steve Spurrier's great comeback at South Carolina has hit a brick wall with its overtime loss to Tennessee, handing the Gamecocks their 3rd loss.

8) Expect a Northwest earthquake Saturday when No. 7 Arizona State invades No. 5 Oregon. Expect road kill in the South as No. 3 LSU invades No. 22 Alabama. First year Coaches Dennis Erickson at Arizona State and Nick Saban at Alabama will have their hands full.

9) My poor alma mater Michigan State is now officially sucking pond water and folding faster than a K-Mart deck chair, losing 3 of its last 4 after starting the season at 4-0. The Spartans have folded almost every year for the last too many years.

I believe Mark Dantonio will turn things around at MSU, just not this year. The Spartans lost to Wisconsin by a field goal and then lost in overtime to Northwestern and Iowa.

Dantonio apparently inherited more slugs than a Northwest garden. For the uninitiated, a native Northwest slug is a tough-skinned, slow-witted terrestrial (as in ground crawling) mollusk that lacks a shell and secretes a film of mucus.

In football, speed kills. Dantonio needs more speed everywhere, and he needs some players who, if they do not want to win badly enough, refuse to lose until they learn how to win. Culture might be an academic subject, but on the football field it is all about environment, a winning environment.

10) The Washington Huskies did the unthinkable Saturday, they lost at home to Arizona, 48-41, and are now 2-6. Ty Willingham's charges must now win their last 5 games to finish 7-6 and earn a bowl bid.

Is it possible? Anything is possible with parity, but do not ask the Huskies, ask their next 5 opponents: Stanford, Oregon State, California, Washington State and Hawaii.

The Huskies are short on wins, full of mistakes and flat out of excuses. They are exciting to watch, full of explosive offense, a crappy defense and have started to develop a stench from losing.

A word to the wise: If the Huskies cannot get a victory, they need to get angry, very angry, legally violent and start hitting players and hurting players. Hurt your opponent enough and they will not be able to run over you, around you and by you.

If you cannot tackle or will not tackle, sit on the bench and write letters home to your mother about how tough it is to be a Husky at Washington.

I do not know about you, but I am not going to get kicked in the face 45 times before I get up and hurt somebody. I do not care if they are bigger or more talented, they are going to get hurt, and hurt bad.

November 5, 2007

College Football 2007 – Week 10:

There Are Only 3 Unbeaten Teams Left: 10-0 Ohio State, 9-0 Kansas & 8-0 Hawaii

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Slowly, methodically, inexorably—like a superior military force launching an all out attack on a weaker opponent—the unbeaten teams continue to be picked off by better competition later in the season.

The latest victims are previously unbeaten and high flying Boston College and Arizona State.

Florida State (6-3) took a 10-7 3rd quarter lead into the 4th quarter and outscored No. 2-ranked Boston College 17-10 to upend the Eagles 27-17. No. 4-ranked Oregon led 35-16 going into the 4th quarter against No. 6-ranked Arizona State and easily won 35-23. For a moment, the world stopped for a bunch of Boston College and Arizona State seniors.

Boston College dropped to No. 8 in the AP Top 25 Poll out Sunday night, and Arizona State fell to No. 9. Oregon (8-1) moved up to the No. 2 spot.

The real fanny kickers moved on resolutely to greater glory, crushing their opponents with only one exception.

Top-ranked and unbeaten Ohio State won its 10th straight by giving Wisconsin its 3rd defeat 38-17. I have been saying all season Wisconsin was overrated and now it is really beginning to show.

No. 8-ranked and unbeaten Kansas won its 9th straight by ripping Nebraska 76-39, scoring the most points ever given up by the Cornhuskers. The loss was Nebraska's 5th straight after winning 36 straight times against Kansas from 1969 to 2004. My, how times have changed.

Oklahoma (8-1) slammed Texas A&M 42-14, and No. 9-ranked Missouri (also 8-1) slapped around Colorado 55-10.

The only top team to struggle was No. 3-ranked LSU (8-1), which hung on for dear life to narrowly get by No. 17-ranked Alabama 41-34. We expect big stuff from LSU but do not look past the Crimson Tide. They led 27-24 going into the 4th quarter but gave up 2 touchdowns in the final 3 minutes.

Nick Saban's first year at Alabama has been impressive. The team might be 6-3 but the Tide had LSU on the ropes, lost by a field goal to Georgia in overtime, and lost by a touchdown at Florida State.

The only other unbeaten team—Hawaii (8-0)—was idle over the weekend. The Warriors will be tested for the first time this year when they host No. 21-ranked Boise State three weeks from now on November 23.

Boise State is just getting warmed up. The Broncos (8-1) tore into San Jose State 42-7 and jumped up to No. 19 in this week's poll.

The only other team in the AP Top 25 with only 1 loss is Connecticut (8-1), which defeated Rutgers 38-19. Next stop for Connecticut is at Cincinnati, which gave No. 20-ranked South Florida (6-3) its 3rd loss, 38-33. Good for the Bearcats, it makes the Connecticut face-off more interesting.

I am not commenting on the other Top 25 teams, the rest have 2 or more losses and are fast becoming irrelevant in the BCS race to the national championship.

Here are some side notes on lesser lights, most of whom failed to get it done when it counted:

1) Michigan State hosted Michigan and made the Wolverines look even better by letting Michigan win its 8th straight game, 28-24. This one surprised me because it was in the Spartan house and first year coach Mark Dantonio had circled this game on his calendar from the day he was hired to turn around MSU's distressed program. Maybe it is just freshmanitis.

2) Mike Price's UTEP team led Rice 42-28 going into the last quarter and gave up 4 touchdowns to lose 56-48. I would call that a complete and total collapse. Either the Miners got really lazy or sloppy, or both. It takes no talent to give up 4 TDs in the last quarter and lose. The loss put UTEP at 4-5 on the season.

3) Navy (5-4) beat Notre Dame (1-8) at Norte Dame 46-44 in triple overtime to snap a 43-year losing streak to the Irish. From 1964 to 2006 the Irish beat Navy every year to set the NCAA record for the most consecutive wins over a major opponent in an uninterrupted major college football series.

To fully appreciate just how long ago it was that Navy last won against the Irish, Roger Staubach was quarterback for the Midshipmen in their 35-14 victory in 1963. A player for Navy Saturday could have easily been the son of a Navy player who won in 1963.

It has been what you would call a long season for Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis. He will try to forget this year when it is over, but it will be difficult.

4) Washington Husky football players shed their training wheels this week by beating Stanford 27-9 on the road after losing 6 straight games. In fairness, the Washington's (3-6) losses were to Ohio State (10-0), UCLA (5-4), USC (7-2), Arizona State (8-1), Oregon (8-1) and Arizona (4-6).

The combined record of the 6 teams is 42-14. The Huskies are back at No. 1 in playing the toughest schedule among 242 Division I-A and 1-AA teams.

Hawaii, on the other hand, has a perfect 8-0 record and No. 14 ranking by beating up on
AA Northern Colorado (1-9), AA Charleston Southern (4-5), Idaho (1-9), Utah State (0-9), New Mexico State (4-6), San Jose State (3-6), UNLV (2-7) and Louisiana Tech (4-5), its highest rated opponent at No. 106 among 242 Division 1 teams.

The Warriors 8 victories have come against opponents with a combined record of 19-56. One thing you can say with a straight face about Hawaii is the Warriors certainly know how to beat up weak teams.

 November 12, 2007

College Football 2007 – Week 11:

Illinois Upends Ohio State 28-21, Creating a Scramble for the BCS Championship Game

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Ron Zook, who was drummed out as Florida's head coach after failing to duplicate Steve Spurrier's record with the Gators, regained a measure of respect by motivating his Fighting Illini to a 28-21 upset of No. 1-ranked and unbeaten Ohio State Saturday (11-10-07).

The victory marked the first time Illinois (8-3) had beaten a No. 1-ranked team since 1956, and the first time it had done it away from home. The loss ended Ohio State's conference and school streak of 20 consecutive Big 10 wins by the Buckeyes, who are now 10-1.

The defeat not only dampened Ohio State's dream of a national championship, it left the Buckeyes tied with Michigan for the top spot in the Big 10 as Wisconsin upset Michigan 37-21 the same day.

Not since Nov. 14, 1959 had Michigan and Ohio State both lost the week before their annual year-end grudge match to decide the Big 10 title. This is how it is in the Big 10, tiresome and boring as in recent years it is always Ohio State or Michigan capturing the title. Other Big 10 teams compete but never seem to challenge for the title.

Illinois picked up 260 yards rushing against Ohio State that came into the game giving up only 65 yards on the ground per game. This was not a huge surprise as the Illini now rank 6th in rushing offense nationally, gaining 261 yards per game. In other words, Illinois was on its game and Ohio State was not.

Zook had a slow start as the Illinois head coach, going 2-9 and 2-10 his first two years before picking up his 8th win Saturday against 3 losses. Zook was 1-15 in his first two years of Big 10 Conference play, going 0-8 his first year. You can bet the other Big 10 coaches know who Ron Zook is now.

Was Ohio State looking past Illinois to Michigan? I think so. The Buckeyes droopped to No. 7 in the AP Top 25 Poll.

No. 13-ranked Michigan (now 8-3) was knocked off by Wisconsin (also 8-3), 37-21. The Badgers meant business at home by taking a 23-7 lead into the 4th quarter and matching the Wolverines 2 touchdowns to keep their point margin and preserve their victory. Michigan slid to No. 23 in the AP Poll.

No. 8-ranked Boston College (8-2) got stung for the second straight week, this time by Maryland (5-5), 42-35. All of the talk about the Eagles vaunted defense is fading away faster than fog on a hot summer day.

Other teams that were embarrassed this week included No. 16-ranked Connecticut (8-2), which lost to Cincinnati (obviously a better 8-2 team), 27-3, and No. 21-ranked Alabama (now 6-4) which was upended by Mississippi State, (also 6-4), 17-12.

Imagine, Mississippi State, which has been the doormat of the SEC for years, rises up and whips Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide. Even if the Bulldogs lose to Arkansas and in-state rival Mississippi, Mississippi State is already bowl eligible.

Alabama should handle Louisiana-Monroe next week and become bowl eligible with its 7th victory.

The loss by Ohio State allowed some other contenders to show off a little against much weaker competition. Here are some examples:

1) No. 2-ranked LSU (9-1) blistered No. 107-rated Louisiana Tech (4-6), 58-10.

2) No. 4-ranked Oklahoma (9-1) ripped No. 119-rated Baylor (3-8), 52-21.

3) No. 19-ranked Boise State (9-1) rolled past hapless No. 166-rated Utah State (0-10), 52-0. Despite its rating, Utah State is a Division 1A school.

Only two 1A teams remain unbeaten—No. 5-ranked Kansas (10-0) and No. 14-ranked Hawaii (9-0). The Jayhawks spotted No. 49-rated Oklahoma State (5-5) 4 touchdowns but still won 43-28.

The Hawaii Warriors, ranked No. 14 but rated No. 29 by Sagarin, were outscored 14-3 in the 4th quarter by No. 74-rated Fresno State (6-4) but outlasted the Bulldogs, 37-30, to stay undefeated. Hawaii moved up to 13th in Sunday's new AP Poll.

In two weeks, Hawaii will host Boise State, now ranked 17th in the Poll, and a serious threat, even in an away game, to beat the Warriors. Boise State is not to be confused with the cupcakes Hawaii has been playing all season. After the Boise State game, we will find out who is bad and who is sad.

The fact that Kansas and Hawaii are the only two unbeaten teams left should come as no surprise for two reasons. One, Hawaii is 1st (50 points per game) and Kansas 2nd (45 ppg) nationally in scoring offense, and two, Kansas' strength of schedule is 97th and Hawaii's is 157th among 119 Division 1A schools, not exactly impressive in either case.

Two other games deserve notice: the Navy-North Texas fiasco and the looming Harvard –Yale showdown in the Ivy League.

No. 77-rated Navy (6-4) hung on for dear life to beat No. 180-rated North Texas (1-8), 74-62, in a game without a shred of defense that set a new major college record for a combined game score. The 94 first-half points (North Texas led 49-45) and the 63 combined points in the 2nd quarter both set major college scoring records.

Just two weeks earlier, Weber State outlasted Portland State, 73-68, to set the all-divisions record.

These basketball-score football games tend to confuse everyone. Clearly, there is more interest in a 73-68 game than a 6-3 pushing match that highlights defensive play. That said, these high-scoring games are getting ridiculous. They remind me of Little League baseball scores before they put on limits so everyone could go home and get to bed on time.

Harvard (7-2) beat Penn (3-6) 23-7 and Yale (9-0) remained undefeated, winning at Princeton (another 3-6 team), 27-6, to set up a huge showdown at Yale in the 1-AA Ivy League. Both Harvard (rated 152nd) and Yale (rated 100th) are a perfect 6-0 in league play and will meet undefeated for the first time since 1968 with the title on the line.

Last year Yale beat Harvard at Harvard 34-13 to claim a share of the Ivy League title with Princeton. The win over Harvard last year was its first since 2000. Stay tuned to this match-up as it is serious business in the New England area.

November 19, 2007

College Football 2007 – Week 12:

Oregon and Oklahoma Lose BCS Title Hopes, Only 0 and 1 Loss Teams Remain in the Hunt

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

In looking at last week's AP Top 25 Poll I think we can now identify 17 of the Top 25 teams that are no longer relevant in the chase for the BCS national championship game. All of them have 2 or more losses. They are:

Oregon, Oklahoma, Georgia, Virginia Tech, Southern California, Texas, Florida, Clemson, Virginia, Boston College, Tennessee, Illinois, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Michigan, Wisconsin and Connecticut.

So my message to you is: Get over it and move on.

The latest casualties in a season of upsets and attrition were the No. 2-ranked Oregon Ducks and No. 3-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.

The Ducks not only picked up their second loss at Arizona, 34-24, but also lost their Heisman Trophy candidate and superstar quarterback Dennis Dixon in the 1st quarter to a torn ACL in his left knee. Dixon was the Oregon offense and without him it showed.

The Sooners picked up their second loss at Texas Tech, 34-27, leaving them on the outside looking in at the BCS title game. Like Oregon, the Sooners lost their quarterback Sam Bradford in the 1st quarter with an apparent concussion.

Eight teams now become harder to ignore. They are Louisiana State, Kansas, West Virginia, Missouri, Ohio State, Arizona State, Hawaii and Boise State. All have only 1 loss except Kansas and Hawaii which remain unbeaten.

All remain in the hunt because they continue to win as the season winds down or they were idle this week, like No. 9-ranked Arizona State (9-1).

No. 1-ranked Louisiana State (10-1) used a 98-yard kickoff return and forced two turnovers during goal-line stands to hold off Mississippi 41-24. Mississippi is now 0-7 in the SEC.

No. 4-ranked Kansas (11-0) hosted Iowa State and made the Cyclones look like an easy breeze by winning 45-7.

No. 5- West Virginia (9-1) traveled to No. 21-ranked Cincinnati and handed the Bearcats their 3rd loss, 28-23, setting up a showdown this week with No. 25-ranked Connecticut (9-2) for the Big East title and a BCS bowl-game berth.

Connecticut gets my nomination as the 9-2 team with the least press and notice this season. The Huskies have quietly and efficiently beaten South Florida, Rutgers and Cincinnati, all of whom have been ranked and received much more notice. At one point in the season South Florida was ranked 2nd, Rugters10th and Cincinnati 15th.

No. 6-ranked Missouri (10-1) traveled to Kansas State and beat the Wildcats 49-32. Missouri freshman Jeremy Maclin (he has speed) set an NCAA single-season freshman record in the game with 252 all purpose yards, returning a kickoff 99 yards for a score and catching 2 TD passes, giving him a record 2,201 all-purpose yards so far.

This week No. 6 Missouri travels to No. 4 Kansas for a Big 12 showdown of horrendous proportions. Kansas is 7-0 and Missouri is 6-1 in the Big 12 North Division.

No. 7-ranked Ohio State (11-1) followed its upset loss to Illinois last week with a 14-3 victory over No. 23-ranked Michigan to capture the Big 10 championship. Ohio State's regular season is now over; the Buckeyes will sit and wait and see what their fate is in the BCS chase. Look for them in the Rose Bowl at worst.

Jim Tressel became the first Ohio State coach to beat Michigan 6 times in 7 years. His Buckeyes captured their first consecutive outright Big 10 titles in 50 years.

No. 13-ranked Hawaii (10-0) traveled to Nevada and was lucky to get out alive with a 28-26 victory. The Warriors led at the half 19-10 but were outscored by the Wolfpack 16-9 in the second half.

Hawaii beat San Jose State 42-35 in overtime and Fresno State 37-30 earlier this year. The Warriors, who score a lot of points (45+), get their first real test of the season this week when they host No. 17-ranked Boise State. A win by either Hawaii or Boise State could vault them into a BCS bowl-game, especially if any team in front of them loses again.

Boise State warmed up for Hawaii by destroying Idaho 58-14. The Broncos win was no big deal either as Idaho is 1-10 on the season and beyond anemic.

So there you have it, the mighty 6—LSU, Kansas, West Virginia, Missouri, Ohio State and Arizona State—and the not so mighty 2—Hawaii and Boise State.

Sunday night's (11-18-07) new AP Poll showed LSU 1st, Kansas 2nd, Missouri 3rd, West Virginia 4th, Ohio State 5th, Arizona State 7th, Hawaii 14th and Boise State 17th.

Monday's (11-19-07) new BCS Standings showed LSU 1st, Kansas 2nd, West Virginia 3rd, Missouri 4th, Ohio State 5th, Arizona State 6th, Hawaii 15th and Boise State 19th.

There is a guaranteed lockdown that 2 of the 8 teams involved in the BCS title hunt are going to lose this week as Kansas and Missouri clash in one showdown and Hawaii and Boise State in another. That should help lift the fog the following morning.

November 26, 2007

College Football 2007 – Week 13:

If the BCS National Championship Game Was Today, Missouri and West Virginia Would Play

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Rivalry week in college football had a profound effect on the BCS National Championship Game contenders. For openers, three teams—Missouri, West Virginia and Hawaii—did it right by winning super important games.

No. 3-ranked Missouri (11-1) stopped No. 2-ranked Kansas' (11-1) unbeaten streak at 11 by beating the Jayhawks 36-28 in a game that was not as close as the score would indicate. Missouri led at the half 14-0 and let Kansas back into the game by giving up 3 touchdowns in the 4th quarter, thinking the game was really over.

No matter, I have carped all season long about the weak schedule Kansas played to run up its 11 wins and now am vindicated when they showed poorly against first-class competition.

Kansas entered the game rated 101st in strength of schedule among 119 Division 1A schools and left the game rated 90th after playing No. 3-ranked Missouri. The Jayhawks, who are BCS bowl bound somewhere, simply got found out.

The Missouri Tigers are now the Big 12 North champs and headed for a showdown with No. 10-ranked South champs Oklahoma for the Big 12 title. Missouri's only loss this year was to Oklahoma in an away game, 41-31, after Missouri allowed the Sooners 18 straight 4th quarter points.

Missouri has not won a Big 12 conference title in 38 years. Should they win they will undoubtedly play in the BCS National Championship Game.

Missouri's junior quarterback Chase Daniel, whose hero is legendary Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre (pronounced Farve), is everything he is cracked up to be and then some.

Daniel was unstoppable against Kansas, going 40 for 49 for 361 yards with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions and now has 4,029 total yards, breaking his own school record.

Missouri Head Coach Gary Pinkel has insiders here in Washington buzzing as Pinkel was part of Don James' successful Husky teams. Pinkel was the Receivers Coach from 1979 to 1983 and the Offensive Coordinator from 1984 to 1990. Pinkel coached many famous Washington players, including Chris Chandler, Mark Brunell, Billy Joe Hobert, Lincoln Kennedy, Greg Lewis, Hugh Millen, Steve Pelleur, Kevin Gogan and Ed Cunningham.

Don James is the heart and soul of Washington football, a two-time National Coach of the Year who won a national championship in 1991, went to 6 Rose Bowls, won an Orange Bowl title, and was 10-5 in 15 bowl appearances in 18 years as head coach. James is the Dawgfather and has the ring to kiss from the 1991 national championship to prove it.

No. 4-ranked West Virginia (10-1) took care of business by coming down like a ton of bricks on No. 20-ranked Connecticut (9-3), 66-21, scoring 7 touchdowns on the Connecticut Huskies.

No. 14-ranked Hawaii, the only Division 1A team left unbeaten at 11-0, outlasted No. 17-ranked Boise State (10-2), 39-27, to capture the Mountain West title with a perfect 8-0 record.

I have also carped all season long about Hawaii's cupcake schedule and now have seen that the Boise State Broncos, who played another cupcake schedule, are not that good either. I watched a good part of the Hawaii-Boise State match-up and think the Warrior's senior quarterback Colt Brennan could play on much better 1A teams.

Four other Top 25 teams lost when they had an opportunity to win and advance.

No. 1-ranked LSU (10-2) blew it big time by letting Arkansas (8-4) beat them 50-48 in overtime. So much for the Tigers national championship game hopes.

No. 7-ranked Arizona State (9-2) was slapped around by No. 11-ranked USC (9-2), 44-24.

No. 9-ranked Oregon (8-3) was shut out by UCLA (6-5), 16-0, and is now folding faster than a cheap K-Mart deck chair since the Ducks lost their superstar quarterback and offensive leader Dennis Dixon with a torn ACL.

No. 13-ranked Texas (9-3) was upended by Texas A&M (7-5), 38-30, in its rivalry.

Fourteen teams did exactly what they were expected to do: win against their in-state rival without having any measurable affect on the BCS title game:

No. 6-ranked Georgia (10-2) put down Georgia Tech (7-5), 31-17, to gain bragging rights but will not play for the SEC championship. Georgia tied Tennessee for the West Conference title at 6-2 but lost to Tennessee 35-14 so Tennessee advances to the SEC title game against LSU.

No. 8-ranked Virginia Tech (10-2) outscored No. 16-ranked Virginia (9-3) 10-0 in the last quarter to erase the Cavaliers, 33-21.

No. 10-ranked Oklahoma (10-2) slammed Oklahoma State 49-17 to win the Big 12 South title at 6-2 and will face Missouri in the Big 12 title game.

No. 12-ranked Florida (9-3) bombed Florida State (7-5), 45-12.

No. 21-ranked Clemson (9-3) barely nipped South Carolina (6-6) 23-21.

No. 23-ranked Brigham Young (9-2) was behind 3-0 at the half but rebounded to beat Utah (8-4), 17-10, and clinch the Mountain West championship with a perfect 7-0 record.

No. 25-ranked Auburn (8-4) stung Alabama (6-6), 17-10. The Crimson Tide's $4 million coach, Nick Saban, was wondering what happened in his first year debut as the highest paid coach in college football. Alabama fans know what happened, and they are not happy campers.

Bowling Green (8-4) whipped Toledo 37-10.

Mississippi State (7-5) beat Mississippi by a field goal, 17-14.

Florida Atlantic (6-5) outran Florida International (0-11), 55-23.

Louisiana-Monroe (6-6) beat Louisiana-Lafayette 17-11.

Ohio (6-6) outlasted Miami of Ohio 38-29.

Washington State (5-7) outscored Washington 14-7 in the last quarter to beat the Huskies 42-35.

North Carolina (4-8) won in overtime against Duke (1-11), 20-14.

By Sunday night (11-25-07) the new BCS Standings had Missouri 1st, West Virginia 2nd, Ohio State 3rd, Georgia 4th, Kansas 5th and Virginia Tech 6th. Nothing else much matters. If you are wondering, Hawaii is 12th in the BCS Standings. The regular seasons are over for Ohio State, Georgia, Kansas and Virginia Tech.

If the BCS National Championship were played today, Missouri and West Virginia would vie for the title, but there is unfinished business. Missouri will have to beat Oklahoma for the Big 12 title, and West Virginia will have to beat Pittsburgh or all bets are off.

Hawaii must remain 12th in the BCS Standings and beat Washington to qualify for 1 of the 5 BCS bowl games. The unbeaten Warriors can forget about playing in the national championship game until they start playing much better competition.

December 3, 2007

College Football 2007 - Week 14 - The BCS: What a Mess

Now It Becomes Crystal Clear: There Is No No. 1 Team in College Football

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Both No. 1-ranked Missouri and No. 2-ranked West Virginia had to go and lose in the final weekend of this year's regular college football season, throwing the Allstate BCS National Championship Game into a crapshoot in which No. 3-ranked Ohio State and No. 5-ranked LSU won.

Had Missouri beaten Oklahoma for the Big 12 championship, and had West Virginia beaten Pittsburgh, they would be playing in the BCS National Championship Game. Instead, it will be Ohio State (11-1) and LSU (11-2) for all the marbles. LSU will be the first two-loss team to play for the national title since the inception of the BCS in 1998.

No. 9-ranked Oklahoma (11-2), which whipped Missouri 41-31 earlier in the season, humbled Missouri again by 3 touchdowns, 38-17, to end the Tigers national title hopes. By winning again the Sooners won the Big 12 championship and a BCS bowl game berth. They will face West Virginia (10-2) in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

West Virginia lost to Pittsburgh (5-7) 13-9 on its home field in a defensive battle. It was a sad end to the Mountaineers regular season. The Mountaineers continue to vex themselves by having won more games than any other team in major college football without winning a national title.

Pittsburgh Coach Dave Wannstedt, a Pitt grad who played tackle for the Panthers, was a former defensive coordinator for the NFL Dallas Cowboys and also Head Coach for the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins. He has made Pitt a tough opponent despite a 16-19 record since taking over in 2005.

LSU helped its case immensely by turning back Tennessee 21-14 and winning the SEC championship. By staying the course, the Tigers find themselves playing for their 2nd national championship in 5 years. LSU won the title in 2003 by beating Oklahoma 21-14.

The LSU Tigers also benefited by losing both of their only losses to Louisville and Arkansas in triple overtime. They could have just as easily been 12-0 like Hawaii.

Ohio State, which was idle this weekend after beating Michigan 14-3 for the Big 10 title a week earlier, just sat patiently and watched as Missouri and West Virginia blew their chances.

No. 6-ranked Virginia Tech (11-2) slapped Boston College 30-16 to win the Atlantic Coast championship and a BCS bowl game spot in the FedEx Orange Bowl against Kansas (11-1).

No. 8-ranked Southern California (10-2) beat UCLA 24-7 to earn an unprecedented 6th consecutive Pac 10 championship. The Trojans were ranked No. 1 starting the season but suffered a shocking 24-23 loss to 41-point underdog Stanford, and then they were upset by Oregon 24-17 to knock them out of national title contention.

Do not feel too bad for Southern Cal though as the win gets them a BCS bowl game appearance in the Rose Bowl against Illinois (9-3). It also marks the Trojans 6th straight BCS bowl berth and 32nd appearance in the Rose Bowl, commonly referred to as the "Granddaddy of All Bowl Games".

No. 11-ranked Hawaii ended its season with two 4th quarter touchdowns to edge Washington 35-28 and finish as the nation's only undefeated Division 1A team at 12-0. By winning, Hawaii—the outright Western Athletic Conference champions—earned a BCS bowl game spot in the Allstate Sugar Bowl against Georgia (10-2).

Washington stormed to a quick 21-0 lead in the first 10 minutes of the game on 3 Hawaii turnovers, but the Warriors proved their mettle by coming from behind on the strong and accurate arm of senior Colt Brennan, who completed 42 of 50 passes for 442 yards, 5 touchdowns and no interceptions.

Brennan, who should be playing on Sundays in the NFL, notched a school record 20 straight completions against the pathetic Husky secondary that ranks 99th among 119 Division 1A schools in both Pass Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense. Brennan has thrown for 4.174 yards and 38 touchdowns this season.

Here is some well deserved love for Hawaii: The Warriors may have played a weak schedule (rated 137th among 119 Division 1A teams), and the Washington Huskies may have played the nation's toughest schedule (rated No. 1 nationally), but Hawaii beat Washington straight up 35-28 and is the better team. Period, that's it.

And more Hawaiian love: Like it or not, the Warriors have won a national-best 13 straight games, and 22 of their last 23 games. They have a chance to make it 14 straight wins and continue the streak by beating Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Two teams that were passed over for BCS bowl games were Missouri (11-2) and Arizona State (10-2), each of which could have gotten a bid.

The real winner of that elusive last spot among the 5 BCS bowl games went to Illinois (9-3), which lost to Missouri, Iowa and Michigan during the regular season. The choice of Illinois should be no mystery when you know that Illinois was 2-10 last year and 9-3 this year. Credit Head Coach Ron Zook for the incredible turnaround the Fighting Illini experienced.

Perhaps even more important to advertisers is that Illinois is in the nation's 3rd largest metro market (9 million people) and its opponent—Southern Cal—is in the nation's 2nd largest metro market (12.3 million). These markets dwarf Arizona's largest market (13th at 4 million) and Missouri's largest market (18th at 2.7 million). It is all about people and money and where they are at for advertisers.

Arizona State did beat in-state rival Arizona 20-17 but the win was hardly impressive, not that it mattered. The Sun Devils could have beaten them by 4 touchdowns and the result would probably have been the same: no BCS slot for Arizona State. Both Arizona State and Missouri will play in bowl games, just not the 5 major BCS ones with big payouts.

Here is a complete list of this year's bowl lineup; all game times are listed in EST.

2007-08 College Football Bowl Schedule

Dec. 20 – Thursday
Utah (8-4) vs. Navy (8-4) in the Poinsettia Bowl – ESPN, 9 p.m.

Dec. 21 – Friday
Florida Atlantic (7-5) vs. Memphis (7-5) in the New Orleans Bowl – ESPN2, 8 p.m.

Dec. 22 – Saturday
Cincinnati (9-3) vs. Southern Mississippi in the Papajohns.com Bowl – ESPN2, 1 p.m.
New Mexico (8-4) vs. Nevada (6-6) in the New Mexico Bowl – ESPN, 4:30 p.m.
Brigham Young (10-2) vs. UCLA (6-6) in the Las Vegas Bowl – ESPN, 8 p.m.

Dec. 23 – Sunday
East Carolina (7-5) vs. Boise State (10-2) in the Hawaii Bowl – ESPN, 8 p.m.

Dec. 26 – Wednesday
Purdue (7-5) vs. Central Michigan (8-5) in the Motor City Bowl – ESPN, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 27 – Thursday
Texas (9-3) vs. Arizona State (10-2) in the Holiday Bowl – ESPN, 8 p.m.

Dec. 28 – Friday
Michigan State (7-5) vs. Boston College (10-3) in the Champs Sports Bowl – ESPN, 5 p.m.
Houston (8-4) vs. TCU (7-5) in the Texas Bowl – NFL Network, 8 p.m.
Oregon State (8-4) vs. Maryland (6-6) in the Emerald Bowl – ESPN, 8:30 p.m.

Dec. 29 – Saturday
Wake Forest (8-4) vs. Connecticut (9-3) in the Meineke Car Care Bowl – ESPN, 1 p.m.
Central Florida (10-3) vs. Mississippi State (7-5) in the Liberty Bowl – ESPN, 4:30 p.m.
Texas A&M (7-5) vs. Penn State (8-4) in the Alamo Bowl – ESPN, 8 p.m.

Dec. 30 – Sunday
Alabama (6-6) vs. Colorado (6-6) in the Independence Bowl – ESPN, 8 p.m.

Dec. 31 – Monday – New Year's Eve
Air Force (9-3) vs. California (6-6) in the Armed Forces Bowl – ESPN, 12:30 p.m.
Oregon (8-4) vs. South Florida (9-3) in the Sun Bowl – CBS, 2 p.m.
Georgia Tech (7-5) vs. Fresno State (8-4) in the Humanitarian Bowl – ESPN, 2 p.m.
Kentucky (7-5) vs. Florida State (7-5) in the Music City Bowl – ESPN, 4 p.m.
Indiana (7-5) vs. Oklahoma State (6-6) in the Insight Bowl – NFL Network, 5:30 p.m.
Auburn (8-4) vs. Clemson (9-3) in the Chick-fil-A Bowl – ESPN, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 1 – Tuesday – New Year's Day
Wisconsin (9-3) vs. Tennessee (9-4) in the Outback Bowl – ESPN, 11 a.m.
Missouri (11-2) vs. Arkansas (8-4) in the Cotton Bowl – Fox, 11:30 a.m.
Virginia (9-3) vs. Texas Tech (8-4) in the Gator Bowl – CBS, 1 p.m.
Michigan (8-4) vs. Florida (9-3) in the Capital One Bowl – ABC, 1 p.m.
Illinois (9-3) vs. Southern California (10-2) in the Rose Bowl (a BCS Bowl Game) – ABC, 5 p.m.
Hawaii (12-0) vs. Georgia (10-2) in the Sugar Bowl (a BCS Bowl Game) – Fox, 8:30 p.m.

Jan. 2 – Wednesday
Oklahoma (11-2) vs. West Virginia (10-2) in the Fiesta Bowl (a BCS Bowl Game) – Fox, 8 p.m.

Jan. 3 – Thursday
Virginia Tech (11-2) vs. Kansas (11-1) in the Orange Bowl (a BCS Bowl Game) – Fox, 8 p.m.

Jan. 5 – Saturday
Rutgers (7-5) vs. Ball State (7-5) in the International Bowl in Toronto, Canada – ESPN, Noon.

Jan. 6 – Sunday
Tulsa (9-4) vs. Bowling Green (8-4) in the GMAC Bowl – ESPN, 8 p.m.

Jan. 7 – Monday
Ohio State (11-1) vs. LSU (11-2) in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans – Fox, 8 p.m.

Note: ESPN dominates bowl game broadcasting. ESPN will broadcast 21 of the 32 bowl games, Fox 5, and ABC, CBS and the NFL Network 2 apiece.

2007 Washington Husky Football

September 4, 2007

What Are the Odds?

A Sports Fan's Dream: Jake Locker Makes Good in His Debut, Leads Washington Past Syracuse – Part 2

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

My second favorite team to win was the University of Washington Huskies that outclassed and outran a poor Syracuse University squad 42-12 in an away game that was led by 19-year-old redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker.

Jake Locker (remember his name as you will be hearing it again and again in the future) led his Ferndale (WA) High School team to the Washington State 3-A title as a senior.
He was a first-team, national high school All-American and the state 3A Player of the Year.

As a high school senior Locker passed for 1,603 yards, ran for 1,338 yards, threw 27 touchdowns with only 3 interceptions, and ran for another 24 touchdowns.

Locker is the most hyped player ever at the University of Washington, and he is arguably the most humble and most talented quarterback ever.

Hugh Millen, the former Husky quarterback who led Washington to an 11-1 season in 1984 and a 24-17 victory over then No. 2-ranked Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, has said that Locker is "the most talented Husky quarterback ever" at Washington.

Millen, one of the smartest and most articulate radio and television sports commentators in the Seattle market, should know. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams and spent 8 years in the NFL for 6 teams as a backup quarterback.

The very best thing that can be said about Jack Locker in his debut against the Syracuse Orange is that he has lived up to his hype and then some.

Although his first pass was incomplete and first run was for no gain, Locker showed why Husky fans just might think that the University of Washington actually has a football team again.

After missing 3 of his first 4 passes, Locker connected on 13 of his next 14, ending the game 14 for 19 with 142 yards, and 10 carries for 83 yards and two touchdowns.

Washington flat got after it, cutting the Syracuse defense into Orange slices with 302 yards of rushing, and a career high 147 yards by senior running back Louis Rankin who scored on runs of 47, 20 and 13 yards.

Husky linemen and receivers actually threw blocks that opened holes you could run three players through. It was so sweet to see the Washington players block, tackle, run and pass with efficiency and productivity.

Head Coach Ty Willingham and Offensive Coordinator Tim Lappano have suffered through two miserable years of Husky football to get where they arrived on Friday.  The wait was worth it from my perspective as I see the fortunes of Washington football rising dramatically with Locker as the unquestioned leader.

Locker is a big kid at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds and still very much growing as a 19-year-old who did not commit a single turnover in his debut. He is beyond dangerous as he is the second fastest (you heard it right, second fastest) player on the team.

When you are outrunning defensive cornerbacks, you have very unusual speed for a quarterback. Locker does.

If the University of Washington were a Catholic university there would be prayer vigils daily for the health of Jake Locker for the next four years. If Locker stays healthy and continues to be surrounded by talented incoming recruits, the Huskies are headed for the big time once again.

(Editor's Note: This is Part 2 of a 3-Part Article.)

 September 12, 2007

Breaks Broncos' 14-Game Win Streak

Washington's Defense Makes Road Kill of Boise State with a Stunning 24-10 Upset

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

When they locked the gates at Husky Stadium Saturday night (9-8-07), the University of Washington football team had recorded its biggest victory in recent memory. All the Huskies did was:

Upset No. 22-ranked Boise State 24-10.

Snap Boise State's 14-game winning streak, the longest in major college football.

Hold the Broncos scoreless in the second half after staking out a 24-10 lead in the first half.

Hold Bronco running back Ian Johnson to 81 yards on 20 carries, breaking Johnson's streak of 7 consecutive games with 100-yards rushing.

Mind you, Boise State ran the table last year, going 13-0 to be the only undefeated Division 1-A team. The Broncos won their 5th straight Western Athletic Conference championship, and then defeated Oklahoma 43-42 in overtime when Ian Johnson scored on a statue-of-liberty play that left the Sooner defense without a decent excuse for losing the Fiesta Bowl.

Bronco Coach Chris Petersen was selected as the 2006 Paul "Bear" Bryant College Coach of the Year. His undefeated season made him only the second coach in college football history to post a 13-0 record in his first season as a head coach. The other coach was Walter Camp who led Yale to a 13-0 record in 1888—119 years ago.

Since 2001 no team in major college football has averaged more points scored per game than Boise State (41+ points per game). For the Washington Huskies to hold the Broncos to a measly 10 points was a huge accomplishment.

Did Boise State bring a tradition of excellence with them Saturday? Yes. Did the University of Washington football program and players finally get off the dime and show something Saturday? Yes.

Third-year Coach Tyrone "Ty" Willingham did not get dumped on this weekend or last weekend and for two good reasons—a 42-12 opening win over Syracuse on the road followed by Saturday's 24-10 home opener victory over Boise State.

The win marked the Huskies first 2-0 start since 2001. Despite Rick Neuheisel's departure as Washington's football coach, Neuheisel's 2000 team was the last really great Husky team, going 11-1, tying for the Pac 10 title and beating Purdue in the Rose Bowl 34-24.

The media and fans can carp all they want about Neuheisel, but the record book does not lie. No coach has even come close to Neuheisel's 2000 team until now. The 2007 Huskies with Ty Willingham are for real; they may not go as far as the 2000 team, but they are going to be taken seriously for a change.

In Washington's opener quarterback Jack Locker had an extraordinary debut going 14-for-19 with 142 yards passing and 83 yards and one touchdown rushing. Locker is beyond good for a redshirt freshman and is one of the fastest quarterbacks afoot in Division I-A play, if not the fastest.

Locker, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound, 19-year-old redshirt freshman with a cannon for an arm, did not commit a single turnover in his debut against Syracuse.

All of that changed against a much tougher Boise State defense when Locker became a more normal redshirt freshman by committing two turnovers.

One was a jump pass Locker threw into the end zone that was intercepted but did not cost the Huskies any points. The other came on a fumble when he was scrambling in the first quarter which resulted in Boise State's first touchdown. Locker might also have thrown three more interceptions if it were not for drops by Bronco defenders.

On the up side, Locker was 13-for-25 passing with 193 yards and one touchdown to Marcel Reese who plowed through two defenders on a 59-yard catch and run. He also ran 16 times for 84 yards including a 6-yard touchdown scamper to cap Washington's opening drive.

Neither team scored in the second half. When Locker was not a factor after halftime, the Husky defense took the spotlight by literally winning the game with some incredible pressure on Bronco quarterback Taylor Tharp—a 5th-year senior making his second start—and some awesome secondary play by senior Roy Lewis and true freshman Vonzell McDowell.

Lewis, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound cornerback, played much bigger than his size, recording 10 tackles and 1 assist and breaking up a key fourth-down pass in the end zone with 4 minutes left. Lewis also had an interception, defended three passes and made one tackle behind the line.

McDowell, a 5-foot-9, 176-pound cornerback out of Rainer Beach High School in Kent (WA), was attacked all day by the Bronco offense which saw him as easy pickings since he is a true freshman hitting the big time.

McDowell came up huge (as in 9-foot-5) when he intercepted Taylor Tharp's throw at the 2 yard line with 2:40 remaining, giving the Huskies possession of the ball to run out the clock and record their first win since 2003 in 11 tries over a Top 25 team.

You have to love the leadership of senior Roy Lewis, who led all Husky defenders in tackles, and the chutzpah of true freshman Vonzell McDowell Jr., who said in effect to the Bronco quarterback, "You might have been 13-0 last year but do not keep testing me in Husky Stadium, this is my house."

Because of Locker's great debut game and all of the accompanying positive publicity, fans may not have known that in the opening Syracuse victory Washington's defense held the Orangemen to 8 yards rushing while piling up 7 sacks and 1 fumble recovery.

Defensive Coordinator Kent Baer and his defensive players earned the spotlight Saturday by securing the Huskies huge upset over Boise State.

Don't ya just love college football? Here are the Huskies laying the smack down on the Broncos, senior mainstay defensive end Greyson Gunheim intercepting a pass, and junior linebacker and Bellevue (WA) High School product E. J. Savannah slamming Broncos to the ground.

What a relief to know that this is not going to be the Jack-Locker-do-or-die show! Locker can thank his lucky stars that he is surrounded by players that can pick him up and make him look even better than he is.

Defense wins games, wins conference championships and wins bowl games. Look at Hawaii if you want an example of a team with an explosive offense and no real defense that really is going to get found out sooner or later.

When the Huskies travel to Honolulu for their last regular season game with Hawaii, I hope they crush the Hawaii Warriors and then win a bowl game. A BCS game would be a super finish to a great start for the Washington Huskies.

The only thing better than a 2-0 start would be a 13-0 finish. I have seen a lot of football in 63 years. I am old enough to dream about a perfect season to match Washington's perfect 1991 season with a 12-0 record, a Pac 10 championship, a Rose Bowl victory over Michigan, and a national championship.

Let it be said here and now that the University of Washington Huskies are back in the hunt. If you have to ask what hunt you should not be allowed in the Stadium when they face the No. 10-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes this Saturday (9-15-07).

The early line has Washington as a 4-point dog, odds even a Husky should relish. After all, Ohio State is only ranked No. 10 in the Top 25 AP Poll and Washington is not in the poll. The Buckeyes should have to win by 5 or more to cover the spread.

Ohio State went 12-0 last year before losing to Florida in the BCS National Championship Game. Five of the Buckeye starters were first round picks in the NFL draft and later four more players went in the draft.

Can the Washington Huskies beat the Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday? Many media types and fans were asking the same question about Syracuse and Boise State. 'Nuff said?

September 21, 2007

You Read It Here

Anatomy of a Team on the Rise: Washington Will Get Over Freshmanitis and Really Thrive

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Ohio State blew into Husky Stadium last Saturday (9-15-07) as the No. 10-ranked team in the AP Top 25 Poll, and after beating Washington 33-14 became the No. 8-ranked team.

In other words, the Buckeyes' victory over Huskies was so impressive they moved up two spots in the AP poll.

Had Ohio State beaten the Tuba City Montana Bighorns (a factitious college in a factitious city in a real state) by the same score, the Buckeyes might well have dropped among the Top 25.

Whether you like it or not, University of Washington football is once again a big deal, in no small part because of Head Coach Ty Willingham and his avalanche of freshmen cascading down to the turf.

Let me give a big shout out to Husky fans: There is no need to jump into Lake Washington because the Huskies lost to Ohio State. They were expected to lose, and they did. No big deal.

There should be no cause for alarm just because Washington is suffering from a form of freshmanitis. There is a much brighter future ahead.

Did you notice that Washington led Ohio State 7-3 at the half and the Huskies had momentum on their side? Fans were dizzy with excitement at halftime, remembering Washington's upset of No. 22 Boise State a week earlier.

The Huskies were inside Ohio State territory 6 times against the top-ranked Buckeye defense. They were ready to pad their lead on the opening drive of the second half, moving to Ohio State's 19 before three consecutive plays lost yardage, the last a sack by linebacker Jim Laurinaitis.

Did I mention that Laurinaitis was last season's Nagurski Award winner as THE nation's best defensive player in college football? Laurinaitis has an "itis" too but his is like good HDL rather than bad LDL.

A blocked 46-yard field goal attempt led to Buckeye Brian Robiskie running past Husky freshman cornerback Vonzell McDowell for a 68-yard touchdown less than 6 minutes into the second half.

On the ensuing kickoff, Husky freshman Curtis Shaw fumbled trying to get more yardage after he was initially hit. Ohio State recovered and then Chris Wells ran through an arm tackle by freshman Vonzell McDowell for a 14-yard touchdown run.

In a scant 39 seconds the score changed from Washington ahead 7-3 to Washington behind 17-7 with 9 minutes left in the third quarter.

Did I mention that Ohio State has won 22 of its last 23 games? The Buckeyes only loss in 23 games was to Florida in the national championship game last January.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker rushed for 102 yards and passed for another 153, but Locker was also intercepted three times and threw some terrible passes.

Two of the interceptions were by Nagurski Award-winner Jim Laurinaitis, both of them coming deep in Buckeye territory. One was on a third-and-goal at Ohio State's 5-yard line when he deflected a shovel pass to himself, and the other came at the Ohio State 13-yard line.

Did you notice that Buckeye Head Coach Jim Tressel got a bucket of ice water dumped on his head on the last play of the game? You would have thought that Ohio State had won the BCS national championship game.

Trust me when I say that Tressel and his Buckeyes were happy to get out of Seattle with a win against a very dangerous team that is about to become more dangerous.

There is no way I can be overly upset with freshman mistakes by Jake Locker, Vonzell McDowell and Curtis Shaw. If they were all 5th year seniors I would be cussing in three foreign languages, but they are all talented freshmen capable of great plays and costly mistakes.

They are all pups about to grow up and into great players who will leave a legacy behind when their Husky football days are over. They are going to be joined by other great freshmen next year and the year after.

There may be some Husky boosters who object to playing freshman that can ruin an upset attempt.

If you think Ty Willingham is stupid to play freshmen, let me introduce you to another stupid coach named Urban Meyer. Remember him? He only took Florida to a 13-1 record and the national championship last season in his second year at Florida.

Urban Meyer is so stupid he has already played 17 freshmen this year. A whopping 47 freshmen and sophomores have seen action in Florida's first three games. Do you think that Meyer is waiting around for his juniors and seniors to get with it?

Before arriving at Florida, Meyer went 22-2 at Utah and won two consecutive Mountain West Conference championships. He has won all four bowl games his teams have competed in during this coaching career, and he has compiled a 64-12 career coaching record (that's 84% for math majors).

Washington Coach Ty Willingham suddenly does not look so stupid. You can bet the freshmen he is playing think he is pretty smart and will likely prove so in the weeks to come.

September 26, 2007

Not to Worry, It Can Happen

How Washington's Huskies Can Go 7-6 this Season and Earn a Bowl Bid

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Becoming better than you are is a process, not just a decision. That is why the University of Washington's Husky football team can go 7-6 this season and earn a bowl bid.

I understand that the Huskies are now 2-2 on the year. With 5 more wins in the remaining 9 games, Washington would finish the year at 7-6.

Where will those 5 victories come from? Perhaps Arizona and Washington State at home and Stanford, Oregon State and Hawaii on the road.

That means they could afford to lose to No. 1 Southern California at home, No. 6 California at home, No. 11 Oregon at home and No. 23 Arizona State away.

Should all 4 of these teams continue to win they will be favored to win against the Huskies. If not, then why are the Huskies not rated in the AP Top 25 Poll?

All great accomplishments start with desire but it takes more than desire to win. Getting to the top is not so much about having the will to win—everyone wants to win—but having the will to prepare to win.

Preparation is everything that will is not. Having the will to win is a want, but preparing to win is a need. What is opportunity without preparedness? Nothing but an opportunity wasted.

It is only when preparedness meets opportunity head on that an explosion happens and something exciting takes place. Having said that, even all of the preparedness in the world will not produce victory without belief.

At any given place on any given day at any given time, something magical can happen. It is called "belief". Do you really think that the AA Appalachian State players could have beaten the mighty Michigan football program and its team 34-32 in the Big House in Ann Arbor without actually believing they could?

I understand the 3rd quarter collapse of the Washington players on the road against the UCLA Bruins as the Huskies eventually lost 44-31. Washington going into the game had lost its last 5 road games at UCLA after winning 38-14 in 1995, 12 years ago.

The Huskies have also apparently lost 28 consecutive games when scoring 20 points or fewer. They scored 31 points at UCLA and still lost. They were on the road and UCLA was favored to win at home.

With the score tied at halftime 10-10, freshmanitis struck again as the Huskies were held scoreless in the 3rd quarter as UCLA added a couple of touchdowns on an 8-yard run and a 60-yard interception return to give the Bruins a 24-10 lead they would not relinquish.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker threw the errant pass. When the sideline camera panned on Locker, he looked like a torque converter about to explode; he was upset at himself to say the least. In the 4th quarter Locker and Huskies outscored the Bruins 21-17.

Locker completed 14 of 36 passes for 216 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also ran for 92 yards on 15 carries (6.1 yards a crack).

Senior wide receiver Anthony Russo got his game going with 5 catches for 106 yards with 20-yard and 63-yard receptions for touchdowns.

Freshman Matt Mosley started at cornerback for freshman Vonzell McDowell Jr. who had been burned on some long, scoring passes. Mosley gave up a TD reception to UCLA's Dominique Johnson on an alley-oop pass. Mosley is 5-foot-11 and Johnson is 6-foot-3. McDowell is 5-foot-9.

The porous Husky defense gave up some big plays. Johnson's scoring catch was preceded by a 57-yard reverse pass play that fooled the Washington secondary. Bruin tailback Chris Markey chalked up a 72-yard scoring run enroute to 192 yards rushing that included another 66-yard scamper.

After Washington cut the lead to 31-24 on Russo's 63-yard TD catch from Locker, UCLA's Matthew Slater returned the following kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown which all but took the immediate momentum right back out of the Huskies.

Nonetheless, the Huskies never quit as Locker found senior wide receiver Corey Williams for an 11-yard touchdown.

Here is poem for Washington fans to remember as the young Huskies mature:

Freshmanitis will rear its ugly head,
It may be a few more weeks before its dead.

Saturday Washington plays host to the No. 1 USC Trojans. USC is favored by 21 points. Can the Huskies win? Certainly, if they score early, get a lucky turnover or two and manage to be consistent if not great for 60 minutes. Remember, the Huskies are at home.

Here are 10 important facts to remember going into Saturday's game:

1) According to this week's Sagarin College Football Ratings, USC is No. 1 and Washington is No. 36, but did you know that the Huskies rank No. 1 with the toughest schedule among the 242 Division 1 schools in the nation? That means that thus far, the Huskies have had the toughest schedule of any team in the country.

2) Washington led at the half 14-6 on the road at Syracuse before winning 42-12.

3) Washington led at the half 24-10 at home against then No. 22 Boise State before winning 24-10 (neither team scored in the second half, in other words, the Huskies held Boise State in check).

4) Washington led at the half 7-3 at home against then No. 10 Ohio State before losing 33-14.

5) Washington was tied at the half 10-10 on the road at UCLA before losing 44-31.

6) Can Washington's offense get started quickly? Yes.

7) USC went 10-2 last year. The Trojans at home only beat the Huskies by 6 last year, 26-20, and USC lost twice on the road, 33-31 at Oregon State and 13-9 at UCLA. Yes, USC is big, bad and No. 1; they also lose every now and then.

8) The Huskies are at home and may well host USC in front of 75,000+ screaming fans.  Washington will be a better team this week than last week. Locker showed last week the first real signs of getting somewhat in control of his awesome, cannon arm.

9) Stranger things have happened than USC losing. Like Michigan losing to AA Appalachian State.

10) Washington does not need to win Saturday; the Huskies just need to get better. Beating Arizona, Stanford, Oregon State, Hawaii and Washington State will be easier. Despite its enthusiasm, Washington State does not have the talent of USC, maybe LSU does.

USC may have more talent than Washington, but the Huskies are for real. USC will find that out Saturday when they come calling.

September 28, 2007

The Most Overrated Team: Hawaii

The Case for the Washington Huskies to Be Ranked in a Top 25 Football Poll

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Finally, some element of common sense is beginning to show among the American sportswriters who vote every week in the AP Top 25 Poll.

Last week I urged America's finest pundits and worst pigheads to give the old heave-ho to No. 18 Louisville, No. 19 Hawaii, No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 24 Nebraska.

The pundits concurred by ousting Louisville and Texas A&M, but the pigheads mustered enough votes to keep No. 19 Hawaii were it was and drop Nebraska from No. 24 to No. 25.

I figure the press corps in Hawaii was offering any sportswriter in American a free off-season vacation to keep Hawaii in the Top 25 another week. The Warriors are 4-0 after whipping up on AA Northern Colorado 63-6, barely getting by Louisiana Tech 45-44 in overtime, beating UNLV 49-14 and thumping AA Charleston Southern 66-10.

So how pathetic is Hawaii as the No. 19 ranked team in the nation? This pathetic according to this week's Sagarin ratings: Among 119 Division 1-A teams, Hawaii's victories have come against teams rated 75 (UNLV), 107 (Louisiana Tech), 202 (AA Charleston Southern) and 205 (AA Northern Colorado).

When you average the 4 ratings of the teams the Warriors have beaten, you come up 147, and they are ranked as the 19th best team in the country. Go figure.

Clearly, some pigheaded sportswriters are living in a fantasy world or smoking something other than cigarettes.

I have no problem with Hawaii opening its season at 4-0. I have a huge problem with them being ranked in any poll worth its salt.

There must also be some pigheaded coaches voting in the Top 25 Coaches Poll as they have ranked Hawaii No. 17 this week. Maybe they just want to rank Hawaii very high so when they play them they will look a lot better than they are.

Replacing Louisville and Texas A&M in the AP Poll this week are newcomers Arizona State (No. 23) and Cincinnati (No. 24). Both are 4-0 on the season.

The teams that Arizona State has beaten have an average rating of 75 according to Sagarin, 72 points BETTER than Hawaii. The teams that Cincinnati has beaten have an average rating of 120, 27 points better than Hawaii.

Overlooked in the AP Poll were the 4-0 Michigan State Spartans and the 4-0 Purdue Boilermakers, who were ranked No. 23 and No. 25, respectively, in the Coaches Poll.

The teams that Michigan State has beaten have an average rating of 92, 55 points BETTER than Hawaii. The teams that Purdue has beaten have an average rating of 117, 30 points better than Hawaii.

This Saturday (9-29-07) will tell a lot as unbeaten 4-0 Purdue hosts 0-4 Notre Dame, and 9th ranked, unbeaten 4-0 Wisconsin hosts 4-0 Michigan State (not ranked in the AP Poll and ranked No. 23 in the Coaches Poll).

The teams that Wisconsin, which I still think is overrated, has beaten have an average rating of 72 points.

Here is the real eye opener of the week: Washington is 2-2 but the teams that Washington has played have an average rating of 40, that's right, 40.

This is why the Huskies are rated No. 1 among all 242 Division I schools when comparing who has played the toughest schedule so far this season.

Do you realize that Washington's 40 rating is 127 points BETTER than Hawaii, 100 points better than Cincinnati, 93 points better than Purdue, 72 points better than Michigan State, 55 points better than Arizona State, and 52 points better than Wisconsin.

Hawaii, Cincinnati, Purdue, Michigan State, Arizona State and Wisconsin are all ranked in either the AP Top 25 Poll or the Top 25 Coaches Poll. Washington is ranked in neither poll.

Two weeks ago I predicted that Alabama, Michigan State, South Florida, Arizona State and Washington would all be ranked in the Top 25 by the end of the season. Only Washington has failed to move into the Top 25 in just the last two weeks.

October 3, 2007

The Good News:

Washington Lost to USC 27-24 But the Huskies Could Have Easily Won

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

The USC Trojans blew into Husky Stadium Saturday (9-29-07) looking to put another notch on their armor as the AP's No. 1-ranked team in the nation.

They left with a 27-24 victory marred by 16 penalties, 2 interceptions, a fumble and a blocked punt, including one interception that senior strong safety Mesphin Forrester returned for a 54-yard touchdown.

USC Coach Pete Carroll looked upset, sometimes confused and totally aggravated by his team's inept showing, and well he should have been because Washington could have easily won the game if not for its youth and exuberance.

At one point Jake Locker, the Huskies' redshirt freshman quarterback, had senior wide receiver Corey Williams open in the end zone and could not connect.

Junior cornerback Byron Davenport had an apparent interception in the end zone that a replay showed was incomplete when the ball hit the ground before he gained possession. USC went on to kick a field goal that proved to be the difference in the game.

Washington, trailing 27-17, pulled within 3 when senior cornerback Roy Lewis blocked a punt, returned the ball to the USC 9 and Locker ran it in. However, USC got possession on the ensuing onside kick attempt and ran out the clock.

Once again, the Huskies could not finish off an opponent due to errors and missed opportunities.

It is amazing that Washington allowed two Trojans to rush for more than 100 yards, gave up 224 yards rushing and 236 yards passing which allowed USC 9 minutes more of possession on offense, and Washington still only lost by a field goal.

Washington honored its 1960 national championship team members Saturday, and the Huskies played in 1960 replica uniforms which unfortunately could not block, tackle, run, pass or catch the ball.

Before any die-hard Husky fans get upset about another loss, consider these facts:

1) USC has had 5 consecutive seasons of national top-4 finishes, BCS bowl appearances and Pacific 10 (Pac 10) Conference titles.

2) The Trojans came into the game with the 10th best rushing offense in the nation, and the 8th best rushing defense.

3) USC was ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 Poll and rated as the No. 1 team by Sagarin.

The Huskies are off next week before traveling to Arizona State on October 13 to face Dennis Erickson's Sun Devils, who are 5-0 after beating San Jose State, Colorado, San Diego State, Oregon State and Stanford.

Arizona State is ranked No. 18 in the AP Poll and rated No. 8 by Sagarin. The fact that Sagarin rates them No. 8 means the Sun Devils are better than their No. 18 ranking.

I do not expect Washington to upset Arizona State, which would drop the Huskies' season record to 2-4. No big deal. I also expect Washington to lose to California and Oregon at home.

I see the Huskies biggest game of the season against Arizona at home for homecoming. This is the first game Washington must win in order to have a winning season and secure a bowl bid.

Then Washington needs to get the best of Stanford, Oregon State, Washington State and Hawaii to post 7 wins against 6 losses. Can they do it? I will be personally disappointed if they do not.

I consider the losses to Ohio State, UCLA and USC, and future expected losses to Arizona State, Oregon and California as tune-ups and learning experiences for the wins to come.

Should Washington upset Arizona State, Oregon or California it would be a sweet reward for some deserving first-year players who are playing their hearts out and getting embarrassed too often.

In order to win the games I am projecting, Washington needs to immediately improve in at least two areas.

First, they need to open holes for senior tailback Louis Rankin. All of this crap about Rankin not being able to get rushing yards is just that, crap. Rankin has more in common with Seattle Seahawks Shaun Alexander than people think.

Alexander does not get yardage unless the Seahawk offensive line opens holes for him to run through. Give Rankin any running room and he will gain big yardage.

Second, Jake Locker needs time to throw, and he needs to become a more accurate passer so that when his receivers get open he delivers the ball and they catch it and run.

USC teed off on Locker and darn near injured him with vicious hits, even helmet to helmet shots. Locker may be as tough as nails, but no one can put up with the hits he has been getting while trying to do too much. He needs more of his teammates to step up and become the players they were meant to be.

October 17, 2007

A 2-4 Record But Rated No. 41

Meet the Nation's Most Statistically Incredible Team: The University of Washington Huskies

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

University of Washington football fans came up on the short end of the stick Saturday (10-13-07) when the Arizona State Sun Devils blew into Seattle and extended their winning streak to 7 with a 44-20 second half victory.

The Sun Devils outscored Washington in the third quarter 21-0 and in the second half 31-3, and it is a good thing because if the game had ended at the half, Washington would have won 17-13.

Therein lies the challenge of the youthful, inexperienced Washington Huskies: they played a terrible 3rd quarter and have not yet learned how to win games.

This statistic would not mean much unless you know that:

Washington led then No. 10-ranked Ohio State 7-3 at the half and lost 33-14 in its 3rd game.

Washington was tied with then No. 27-rated UCLA 10-10 at the half and lost 44-31 in its 4th game.

Washington led then No. 1-ranked Southern Cal 17-14 at the half and lost 27-24 in its 5th game.

Washington led then No. 12-ranked Arizona State 17-13 at the half and lost 44-20 in its 6th game.

You better believe that Sun Devil Coach Dennis Erickson was more than sweating bullets after watching redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker scamper for a 32-yard touchdown run with 4:11 in the first half to give Washington its 17-13 lead.

Do Husky fans realize that if each of these games ended at the half, Washington's record would be 5-0-1 rather than 2-4?

Washington would have an unbeaten record after polishing off Syracuse 42-12 in an away game and upsetting then No. 22-ranked Boise State 24-10 in its first two games.

Please, do not be sophomoric (as in sometimes moronic) and remind me that a game lasts 60 minutes and only the final score counts. To do so would ignore the point I am making.

You could with fairness make the point that the Huskies have been tripping over themselves coming out of the locker room to start the second half of their last 4 games.

Why this has been happening leaves Coach Ty Willingham clueless. He is quoted in the Tacoma News Tribune (10-14-07 edition) as saying, "It's obviously a difficult thing to talk about because I don't have a solution to it."

Willingham, a man of heretofore impeccable standards and integrity, is also honest. Less than 1% of all college football coaches would not publicly repeat Willingham's admission.

One thing is for sure: Whatever Willingham and his coaching staff members are saying or not saying to Husky players at halftime, it is not working worth a crap and needs to be changed.

Do not tell me that the same Husky players who might play above their head with guts and enthusiasm in the first half go brain dead and unfeeling during the second half. I would love to be a bee on the wall in Washington's locker room at halftime and see what—if any—stinging comments are made.

As a certified Monday morning quarterback and coach, this would be the first words out of my mouth at halftime during the Arizona State game:

"Let me be the first to congratulate you on a phenomenal first half. Arizona State made some mistakes in the first half and we did too, but you are leading the unbeaten and No. 12-ranked team in the country at halftime, 17-13.

"Some people would say that the Sun Devils have more talent on their team than we do, but we led at the half, 17-13.

"Others would say that the Sun Devils have an unbeaten record and our record is 2-3, but we led at the half, 17-13.

"Still others would say that the Sun Devils are ranked No. 12 in the country and since we are not ranked in the Top 25, they will win this game, but we led at the half, 17-13.

"Now, we are going to quickly hand everyone a slip of paper and a pen, and by secret ballot I want you to quickly write down which player you think is the leader of this team."

After the ballots are immediately collected and Jake Locker's name is on every ballot or almost every ballot, I would say this:

"Jake, you may be a redshirt freshman but your teammates believe you are the leader of the Washington Husky football team.

"I want you, Jake, to get up right now and tell the coaching staff and your fellow teammates why we can win the second half of this game, how we are going to do it, and what it will take to do it."

I would then, as the head coach, sit down, shut up and listen. After Jake is done with whatever he says, I would ask any other player who received a vote as THE team leader to get up and do the same thing.

Let the players convince themselves and believe they can do in the second half what they did in the first half: outscore the opponent. Do that and Washington upsets its opponent.

Now, why is Washington the nation's most statistically incredible team?

1) The Huskies are rated No. 41 in the Sagarin Ratings.

2) Their current record is 2-4.

3) They are rated No. 1 for having played—for the 4th consecutive week—the toughest schedule among all 242 Division I-A and 1-AA teams.

4) There is not another team among Sagarin's first 40 rated teams with less than 4 wins.

5) The next highest rated Sagarin team with only 2 wins is No. 60 North Carolina at 2-5.

6) The Huskies, as Sagarin's 41st best rated team in the nation, are ahead of No. 42 Alabama (5-2), No. 44 Wisconsin (5-2 and ranked No. 5 in the AP Poll just two weeks ago), No. 46 Louisville (4-3), No. 48 Texas A&M (5-2), No. 51 Air Force (5-2), and No. 52 Indiana (5-2). Not too shabby, as the former Opera Man (Adam Sandler) would say on Saturday Night Live.

7) The highest rated team with the same 2-4 record as Washington is Stanford at No. 68. Stanford has played the 4th toughest schedule in the country.

8) North Carolina, which has a 2-5 record, is rated No. 60. The Tar Heels have played the 3rd toughest schedule through college football's week 7.

I know, now you wonder who has played the 2nd toughest schedule. It is 1-6 Notre Dame.

I expect the Huskies to lose against Oregon (hopefully not by 53-7 like cross-state rival Washington State) and California. I predicted this two weeks ago on October 3.

I also predicted on October 3 that Washington would beat (in order) Arizona, Stanford, Oregon State, Washington State and Hawaii, finishing the year at 7-6. Hang on, Husky fans, the best is yet to come.

October 25, 2007

The Question Is Simple

Who Would You Rather Be Now: Arizona State or Washington?

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Loyal University of Washington fans should be heartened by the fact that the Huskies played No. 7-ranked Oregon to a 31-31 tie through three quarters Saturday (10-20-07) before being outscored 24-3 in the fourth quarter and losing 55-34.

Up until Saturday's confrontation at home against the Ducks, the Huskies had pretty much lost it coming out of the locker room for the second half.

The media coverage following the loss concentrated mostly on the Huskies giving up 661 yards to Oregon's high-scoring offense, 465 rushing yards and a career-high 251 rushing yards to Duck tailback Jonathan Stewart, a product of Timberline High School in Lacey, who should have been a Husky.

Instead of acknowledging the fact that Oregon gave up 34 points in its win, the media drew attention to the fact that the loose rushing defense caused the Huskies to drop to 118th in rushing defense among 119 major college teams, and rank 107th overall in defensive yards allowed.

Heck, at least half if not three quarters of the teams in America would be exactly where the Husky defense is ranked if they had played Washington's schedule through the first seven games. Washington has played the toughest schedule for the last five weeks among 242 Division I teams.

The Husky defense is not as bad as the statistics would suggest. For one thing, Washington has no depth anywhere and by the 4th quarter, not only were too many players out of position, they were winded from being on the field with Oregon's offense for more than 34 minutes.

For another, Washington has played 5 nationally-ranked teams straight up halfway through those games, leading in 3 of them against Ohio State (only the current No. 1 team in the country), USC (then ranked No. 2) and No. 12-ranked Arizona State.

Here is a news flash: Washington was supposed to lose to Oregon. I predicted it weeks ago.

Rather than focus on everything that was not happening against Oregon, let's recognize what did happen:

1) Redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker threw an 83-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Anthony Russo, the 4th-longest TD pass in Husky history. Russo now has at least one reception in 31 consecutive games.

2) Jake Locker threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Marcel Reese.

3) Jake Locker threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to senior tailback Louis Rankin, the longest reception of his career.

4) Jake Locker threw another touchdown pass to Marcel Reese, this one for 38 yards.

5) Louis Rankin racked up 238 all purpose yards, 132 in kickoff returns, 73 in rushing (a 6.6 yard average per carry) and 43 receiving.

6) Jake Locker added 78 yards rushing at 6.0 yards per carry.

I fully expect Washington to lose to California for its 6th loss of the year, after all, California is not like playing against the scout team in practice.

On the plus side, I fully expect Washington to beat Arizona, Stanford, Oregon State, Washington State and Hawaii to end the season with a 7-6 mark and play in a bowl game.

I do not care if the Huskies win in the last minute or if they win by a field goal, a safety or an extra point. If flat does not matter. I do not care if the Huskies finish dead last in rushing defense or overall defense.

Hawaii has won games by 45-44 in overtime against Louisiana Tech, 42-35 in overtime against San Jose State, 52-37 against Utah State, 63-6 against AA Northern California and 66-10 against AA Charleston Southern. Hawaii is 7-0 and currently ranked No. 16 in the AP Top 25 Poll.

If Hawaii can pull off such wonder I think Washington can do the same against better competition.

The Huskies have been through hell and back and have survived. They are getting better and better offensively.

If you think things cannot get worse, check out Minnesota. The Gophers are 1-7 in the Big 10 and still have to play Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. Their lone win came against a mediocre Miami of Ohio team 41-35 in overtime. My guess is they drink an awful lot after games at Minnesota.

Dennis Erickson and his Sun Devils are 7-0 and riding high, but they still have to play California, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Arizona. Have fun, and good luck Dennis.

Who would you rather be now, Arizona State or Washington?

The fun for fans in Huskyville is just beginning. Strap on your shoulder pads, paint your face and put on your helmet because things are going to get better.

November 8, 2007

Welcome Back, Husky Football

Washington Takes Off the Training Wheels and Thumps Stanford 27-9

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Well, Dawg fans, are you fired up now? You should be. Washington traveled to Palo Alto (CA) and put a 27-9 whipping on Stanford Saturday (11-3-07) to end Washington's 6-game losing streak.

The Huskies finally took the training wheels off of their bicycle and showed us how to ride The Cardinal into the turf. The Cardinal is a really weird nickname for an American college football team; it refers to—believe it or not—the color of their jerseys and not some bird flying around Palo Alto.

I find it strange that The Cardinal is also always referred to in the singular rather than the plural, like, "here comes The Cardinal" as the players rush onto the field.

Despite all of the talk about Stanford being Washington's weakest opponent since its season opening 42-12 victory on the road at Syracuse, The Cardinal did upset USC 24-23 on the road. The Huskies lost to USC 27-24 at home.

I predicted that after Washington's loss to Oregon it would beat Arizona. The Huskies starting 22 then promptly went out and lost to the Wildcats 48-41 in Husky Stadium. So I was a game off.

What Washington did to Stanford was worth the wait. For openers:

1) Senior tailback Louis Rankin rushed for 255 yards and a touchdown, the 4th-best rushing performance in school history. The Husky offensive line regained some measure of pride as Rankin averaged 7.1 yards per carry.

I think a lot of us remember Corey Dillon's 259 yard rushing performance against Oregon in 1996. Thankfully, I am not old enough to remember record-holder Hugh McElhenny's 296-yard effort against Washington State in 1950.

2) Freshman Jake Locker added another 97 yards at 6.1 yards per carry. On the way, he broke Dennis Fitzpatrick's 1974 record of 697 yards by a Husky quarterback. When the game was over, Locker had 791 yards this season with 4 games left to play.

3) The Huskies piled up 388 net yards rushing and 151 yards passing (16 for 32, no touchdowns and 1 interception) for 547 total yards on offense. The defense gave up 234 total net yards.

4) Washington had 33 first downs (25 rushing) to Stanford's 15, and dominated the clock with 35:46 time of possession to Stanford's 24:14.

5) Loyal fans have been waiting all season for the Husky defense to rise up and look like the Huskies of the glory years under legendary Head Coach Don James and Defensive Coordinator (and later Head Coach) Jim Lambright.

That moment came in the second quarter with Washington leading 10-3 and Stanford on the Husky 2-yard line following a Louis Rankin fumble. On first down, the Huskies pushed Stanford back a yard.

Stanford's second attempt to score was stopped when senior linebacker Trenton Tuiasosopo stood up Stanford's ballcarrier, junior cornerback Byron Davenport flew in and punched the ball free, and senior safety Mesphin Forrester recovered.

In short, the Washington Husky team came together offensively and defensively against Stanford. When I predicted after the Oregon loss that the best was yet to come I was not simply writing words of encouragement.

Sooner or later, as day follows night, the inexperienced players become more experienced and perform better.

The next stop for the Huskies is at Oregon State. The Beavers are noted for their physical (translate brutal) hits and play. The game could become more of a rumble in football gear. The Huskies are going to get hit and they need to hit back harder. Brute force and courage could determine the winner.

November 13, 2007

College Football Mayhem:

Flagrant Helmet-to-Helmet Shots Need to Stop Before Someone Gets Killed

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

I watch college football because it is rough, tough, exciting and fun. The parity in college football today means no team is safe from being upset on any game day. I do not watch college football because it is beyond vicious.

After seeing Washington's quarterback Jake Locker take a helmet-to-helmet shot against the Oregon State Beavers Saturday (11-10-07), my emotions ran the gamut from concern to anger to outrage to action.

No penalty was even assessed for the flagrant shot. Not only should a penalty have been assessed for unnecessary roughness or unsportsmanlike conduct, the offending player should have been immediately ejected.

This kind of illegal hit is not tolerated in professional football because the player is defenseless when hit. Why it is even tolerated and celebrated in college football is beyond me.

I do not care if the hit was considered inadvertent or intentional. It does not matter. That flagrant hit could have cost Jake Locker his career, it could have paralyzed him for life, or even killed him if he suffered a broken neck.

This kind of barbaric tackling is not football as much as controlled, intentional mayhem. It was not that long ago that some coaches gave bounties for these kinds of hits, especially when the star player on the opponent's team was carried off the field on a stretcher.

Oregon State players have developed a reputation for extreme play. In this particular game, won by the Beavers 29-23, the officials appeared to have lost control of the game as more taunting, pushing and shoving resulted in 3 more Beavers and 1 Husky being kicked out of the game.

I am not consoled by the fact that the Beaver player who delivered the savage hit apparently apologized and was praying for Locker later. It might have allowed the player in question to throw off any feeling of guilt about the hit, but any amount of praying would not have helped one iota if Locker had been paralyzed or killed as a result of the hit.

These flagrant helmet-to-helmet hits have to stop. Period. Do not spend your precious time trying to convince me these hits are inadvertent. Nine out of 10 players do not even try to tackle players anymore. They throw their bodies at them, hoping to knock them over.

Tackling might be taught in spring training but it is seldom exercised on the field anymore. Why do you think we are getting scores like 74-62 and 73-68 (these are real scores from real games). Defenders are using their bodies as missiles to bring people down.

Instead of secretly rewarding players for helmet-to-helmet shots, coaches need to bench players who use the tactic to bring down players. Even if rules committees do not allow the tactic, coaches have to implement and enforce the rule to bring it to an end. Some coaches only seem to care if it is their player who is on the receiving end of a vicious helmet-to-helmet attack.

There have been enough tragic, career-ending injuries in football at all levels when playing fair without escalating the sport to mayhem with purposeful, flagrant helmet-to-helmet hits.

Please do not give me this crap about inadvertent helmet-to-helmet hits. A player can just as easily aim his head at the runner's midsection or legs as his head if that is how he wants to tackle someone.

When is the last time you saw a running back get past the line of scrimmage in the open at his 30-yard line and then run with his head down 70 yards toward the end zone? When is the last time you saw a receiver catch the ball on his 30 and run with his head down 70 yards for a touchdown?

When you do a helmet-to-helmet hit you have to instantaneously calculate coordinates, lower your head to projectile position and launch yourself into your target. There are no accidental helmet-to-helmet hits.

Later that same night I saw on a football wrap-up program that Hawaii's outstanding quarterback Colt Brennen was on the receiving end of a vicious helmet-to-helmet. I am sure the intention was to maim Brennen so he could not stand up straight. Just like Locker, Brennen could have become instantly paralyzed or even killed by the action.

How stupid does this look for a college sport to be potentially killing its players? Letting this action go unchecked gives substance to the thought that the NCAA has gone brain dead. The NCAA needs to take its feet off of the counter, stop counting how much money its empire is generating, and address this issue with authority. The NCAA has no problem being a major nuisance on little stuff, how about tackling the bigger issue of its players' safety?

If the NCAA ever had to open its books as a non-profit corporation and come clean on how much money they are generating for themselves, their faces would be redder than the sea of red among Nebraska fans at a Cornhusker football game.

It almost goes without saying that I was disappointed that Washington lost its away game to Oregon State, lost its chance at a bowl game, and is now facing its 4th straight losing season.

The unnecessary, flagrant helmet-to-helmet shot on Jake Locker only added to Washington's struggle to turn its program around.

Instead of calling for Coach Ty Willingham's head and the heads of his Washington coaching staff, how about saving Locker's head and every other player's head who has needlessly suffered from an unconscionable, flagrant helmet-to-helmet hit?

November 28, 2007

Erik's Reader Feedback:

"I Hope Hawaii Demolishes Washington on Saturday"

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Hey Ed remember me? I responded to your article earlier in the season. I have to hand it to you…you are a semi-good writer who gets people stirred up and you speak your mind …and I understand that is your job.

I would also like you to know that UH feeds off of people like you…they play with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove because the majority of sports analysts and writers will never give Hawaii the benefit of the doubt because, like Boise State last year, we have yet to earn a quality win against a quality team.

That being said I hope UH demolishes UW (Washington) on Saturday…I will be at the game. And no I am not overlooking UW even with their losing record and performance last week against rival Washington State (5 touchdowns allowed through the air).

I also hope UH gets to a BCS Bowl Game and beats whoever we are matched up against. Why? Because it is so intriguing to me that a school on a tiny bunch of islands in the middle of the Pacific with not even $100,000 of resources can actually compete with the bigger, better funded, better recruiting classes of mainland schools.

We are the small fish in a big pond and we defy odds. We fight the uphill battle and we come out on top more times than not. Personally I think the whole conference relativity talk is bull…i.e. if UH was in the Pac-10 or SEC then we would be at the bottom…the bottom line is that we aren’t and it is all speculation anyways…well yes games would be tougher, but we would also get access to Pac-10 or SEC recruiting bases and maybe more money so how can people harp on that?

I think it is sad that people would say that UH does not deserve what they have worked so hard for…bullies like you haha! And go Derrick Low and his Cougs!!! Played with that guy in high school by the way…ISLAND PRIDE!!!

Erik

Hey Erik,

Good to hear from you. I hope you did not make your comment about my being "a semi-good writer" begrudgingly. I do stir the pot and speak my mind. If those palm trees on the Island had branches, I would probably shake those too.

A few things have become clear since last weekend. One is your case for the Hawaii Warriors being better than some of us hammerheads think. Another is that my case for the Washington Huskies being better than the Warriors gets weaker every week.

Hawaii's 39-27 win over Boise State was huge, giving the Warriors their first outright Western Athletic Conference title after tying for the championship in 1999. I thought Boise State was the better team and would prove it; they did not.

Hawaii was the better team when they played them last week and remains the better team this week. How cool was it to snap Boise State's 18 game win streak against WAC teams? I think you know who has the longest current winning streak among NCAA Division 1A teams; that's right, Hawaii.

We could have used some of your Island pride last week against the Washington State Cougars. It was bad enough losing 42-35 but it was worse to lose in Husky Stadium. Hats off to Alex Brink for his 339 yards passing and 5 touchdown passes.

I said earlier in the year that the Husky defenders in the secondary could not cover their grandmother on their best day. They have proven me right almost every game. Washington has some serious problems on defense. When their offense scores 35 points it should be enough to win.

Unfortunately, even the 3rd consecutive victory by the Cougs over the Dogs could not save Bill Doba his job as head coach. Do you think June Jones would ever leave the Island for a Pac 10 coaching job in the Palouse?

Jones took over as Hawaii head coach in 1999. He inherited a team that was winless in 12 games in 1998 and took them to a 9-4 record his first year and a share of the WAC title. Since then he has put together some great winning seasons, including 9-4, 9-3, 10-4, 11-3 and 11-0 records. Very impressive.

Jones has an extensive pro coaching career, most recently with the San Diego Chargers. He must like the hot weather since he has been planted in Hawaii for 9 seasons.

I was so happy to see Jake Locker back against Washington State. He went 12 of 35 for 224 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Not the best, but he added 103 yards rushing (7+ yards per carry).

Your guy Colt Brennan made Locker's stats look really small by passing for 495 yards and 5 touchdowns and rushing for another. Apparently Brennan broke 3 major college records that night for most career touchdowns, most touchdowns responsible for, and most points responsible for.

Both Locker and Brennan took vicious helmet-to-helmet shots recently and have survived. Let us hope that when Hawaii and Washington hook up that none of that occurs again. Brennan should get national exposure in a BCS Bowl Game and he deserves to be seen. I want Locker back for the Huskies next season, and I want him healthy from his Island vacation.

You may be interested to know that I am not discriminating by picking on Hawaii. A number of teams have come under my radar, including Kansas and its weak schedule, Wisconsin, California, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, LSU, Louisville and Nebraska to name a few. I thought every one of them was overrated.

Here are three teams I never said a word about being overrated: South Florida, Cincinnati and Missouri. You did not hear a whole lot about any of these teams on the way up. I believe that South Florida and Cincinnati were victims of the Peter Principle, they simply rose to their level of incompetence. I actually enjoyed their rise because it was so fresh in both cases.

Missouri did not even make it into the Top 25 until the 3rd week of the season and now sits at No. 1. Missouri is the real deal, at least for now. They must beat Oklahoma for the Big 12 title to have an opportunity to make their dreams come true.

Back to the Hawaii-Washington showdown on the Island. One will win and one will lose, we will see what we will see.

Editor's Note: Read my 5-Part series on Running: "Wheat Products and Sugar Can Be the 'Kiss of Death' When Trying to Lose Weight – Part 1", "How Lecterns (Proteins in Foods) Are Very Negative in O Positive Blood Types – Part 2", Gluten in Wheat Products Bind to the Small Intestine Lining and Turn to Fat – Part 3", "How Popular Running Magazines Are Constantly Giving Very Poor Diet Advice – Part 4" and "There Is an Inescapable Correlation Between Weight and Cardiovascular Efficiency – Part 5".

December 6, 2007

College Football Statistics

Washington Huskies Led Nation in One Critical Category: Strength of Schedule

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

If you ask a Husky fan or rabid booster to describe Washington's recently completed football season in 3 words the answer might be "another losing season." In 2 words it might be "lousy coaching" or "terrible defense" or "stupid mistakes." My description in 2 words would be "Locker" and "schedule."

Schedule would be strength of schedule. The Huskies ended their season as the No. 1-rated team in strength of schedule (difficulty of opponent) among the NCAA's 242 Division 1A and 1AA teams.

With a 4-9 season record, some fans might say, "So what?" While it is true that playing the toughest schedule in the country did not win Washington any more games, it did provide the one ingredient the Huskies need most to improve more next year: experience against quality opponents.

In effect, a lot of inexperienced Huskies got up-close, personal lessons in what it takes to win at the highest level. They, according to the most recent BCS Standings:

1) Upset No. 24-ranked Boise State 24-10 at home.

2) Led No. 1-ranked Ohio State 7-3 at the half before losing 33-14 at home.

3) Led No. 7-ranked Southern Cal 17-14 at the half before losing 27-24 at home.

4) Led No. 11-ranked Arizona State 17-13 at the half before losing 44-20 on the road.

5) Led No. 10-ranked Hawaii 21-0 after 10 minutes and 28-21 at the half before losing 35-28 on the road.

The inexperienced, talent-challenged Huskies never did really learn how to lock down and finish off an opponent. It was not the offense that let them down, they averaged more than 4 touchdowns a game; it was the defense that most often collapsed in the second half.

Among 119 Division 1A schools, the Washington defense was ranked 94th in Scoring Defense (Poor), 102nd in Total Defense (Poor), 89th in Rushing Defense (Poor), 99th in Pass Defense (Poor) and 99th in Pass Efficiency Defense (Poor).

Name calling is never nice, however, the Husky defensive secondary could not cover their grandmother on their best day. Note to Coach Ty Willingham: Recruit and offer scholarships to players with speed. You cannot coach slow.

If God did not give you speed, you cannot make players faster by coaching them to death. They are already dead, dead slow in a fast player's game. If the entire Husky defensive secondary were all seniors and gone next year, Washington would do no worse. Speed kills in football. If the defensive staff cannot recognize speed, have them watch NFL films of Randy Moss separating from defenders.

Which brings me to Locker, Jake Locker, as in Washington's redshirt freshman quarterback. Locker is a NFL quality running back with size, strength and speed right now. He just happens to play quarterback.

Running is all about instinct and speed. Passing is about arm strength, quick release, patience, presence and proper technique. Passing is so much more complicated than running; no wonder Locker is so impressive running rather than passing. I believe Locker will improve his accuracy and touch in passing, Lord knows he has the arm strength.

How good is Locker? He was just named the Pac 10 Conference Freshman of the Year. Locker broke the Husky and Pac 10 record for rushing yards by a quarterback, finishing the year with 986 yards and 13 touchdowns (also a Husky QB record). He also set a new Husky freshman record for most yards passing with 2,062. Unless injured, he will be playing on Sundays in the NFL.

Ty Willingham's Washington Husky recruits for next year include 5-star Kavario Middleton (rated No. 2 nationally as a tight end), and 4-star recruits Craig Noble (DT), Senio Kelemete (OT), Drew Schaefer (OT), Jermaine Kearse (WR) and Cody Burns (WR). Washington has the 18th best recruiting class in the country, according to Scout.com and Dawgman.com.

Despite a 3-year record of 11-25, it was announced today that Ty Willingham will return as the Husky head coach next year. Some fans and boosters wanted Willingham gone, others loved that he is staying on to finish what he started when he signed a 5-year contract. Can Washington go from a 4-9 record this year to a 9-4 record next year? Only time will tell.

One thing is for sure: Eight of the Huskies' 12 opponents next season are playing bowl games this year—Brigham Young, Oregon, Oklahoma, California, Oregon State, Southern Cal, Arizona State and UCLA. Their other 4 opponents include Stanford, Arizona, Notre Dame and Washington State.

They better be better or the odds say Ty Willingham and his assistant coaches will be job hunting.

February 10, 2008

College Football:

Ed Donatell, NFL Veteran, Becomes Defensive Coordinator for Washington

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

Washington Husky head coach Ty Willingham has hopefully improved his defense next season by recently hiring Ed Donatell, a veteran NFL defensive coordinator with both the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons.

Washington's inept, pathetic excuse for a defense last year needed to be cleaned up and clicked up about 20 notches.

The Huskies ranked 94th nationally last year in scoring defense (giving up 31+ points per game), 99th in pass defense (261+ yards per game and 27 touchdowns) and pass efficiency defense, and 102nd in total defense. These rankings were among the NCAA's 119 Division 1A teams.

In other words, the Huskies did not have a defense. They lacked speed, talent and experience. I said last year that the Washington defensive secondary could not cover my grandmother on their best day. I was not kidding.

Donatell should be congratulated for being willing to try and clean up this sorry mess. He just might be able to turn it around based on his experience and performance. To wit:

1) As the defensive backs coach for Denver's Mike Shanahan, he helped the Broncos win back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998 by taking over a secondary that ranked last in the NFL and led them to a Top 10 ranking for 5 consecutive years.

2) As the defensive coordinator for Green Bay's Mike Sherman for 4 years, Donatell's leadership helped the Packer defense lead the NFL with 144 takeaways, averaging 36 a season, and lead the league with 2.25 forced turnovers per game.

3) As the defensive coordinator for 3 years for Atlanta's Jim Mora (a University of Washington grad and new designated coach of the Seattle Seahawks when Mike Holmgren retires after the 2008 season), Donatell piled up more success.

His 2004 Falcon unit led the NFL by holding its opponents to a league-low 30% on 3rd-down conversions. His Falcons also led the league in sacks for the first time in team history, and in 2005 his defense ranked 3rd in the NFL with only 28 passes allowed of 20-or-more yards. In addition, Atlanta won the club's 3rd division title and advanced to the NFC championship game.

Donatell also had ties to Washington before arriving. In addition to coaching for Jim Mora, he was a graduate assistant for Don James, the legendary Dawgfather and Washington's greatest coach. Donatell also was the defensive backs coach for 3 years at Idaho under former Washington coach Keith Gilbertson.

Donatell said his style of defense will be "based on speed and explosion, high energy, enthusiasm, (an) attacking style." Heck, I already like the guy. So Donatell can not only talk a good game, he can back it up.

I remember another guy named Jim Lambright whose legendary defenses were fast, furious and swarming; he experienced quite a bit of success as well, like a 1991 national championship as a defensive coordinator. The 1991 Huskies were 2nd in the nation in rushing defense (67.1), total defense (237.1), scoring defense (9.2) and turnover margin (+1.73); they led the Pac-10 in virtually every defensive category.

Let us hope that Ty Willingham and Ed Donatell go on to great success next year and in the following years. What Willingham and Donatell will have to do is start winning, and keep winning. When they do, they will have to get in line behind a couple of other guys with really great success records as Huskies—Don James and Jim Lambright.

For the record, Don James won a national title, went to 6 Rose Bowls (4-2 mark), won an Orange Bowl title and went to 15 bowl games (10-5 record) in 18 years.

Oh yeah, James was 153-57-2 (72%), including a then-record 99 wins in Pac-10 conference play, and Washington won 22 consecutive games from 1990 to 1992.

Read my other articles on football, including "Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi, Knute Rockne and Lou Holtz During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss", "The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them" and my 14 consecutive weekly wrap-up articles on the 2007 College Football Season as well as wrap-up articles on all 32 College Bowl Games.

February 11, 2008

College Football:

 Brian White, former National Assistant Coach of the Year, Joins Husky Staff

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

Slowly, hopefully inexorably, the misguided loyalty on the University of Washington football staff is getting a facelift and some actual competence.

The defensive disaster that has permeated the U-Dub campus could actually improve next season with the recent addition of defensive coordinator Ed Donatell and now former offensive coordinator Brian White.

White was the latest addition to Ty Willingham's Husky staff. The powers to be lit a fire under Willingham's backside after last year's season of promise degenerated into an unacceptable string of losses.

The message was short and to the point: you can stay another season but fix the defense, and for God's sake, win more games than you lose before we all forget the great football tradition you inherited. Willingham, whose 3-year coaching record at Washington is 11-25, somewhat reluctantly got the message.

Being a college football coach today is not much fun when you are not winning. Willingham is one loyal person who sincerely believes in the goodness of everyone he hires. Unfortunately, one can go "blind" in this effort to succeed.

In the real world, the lesson that Willingham has to learn is that there is no reward for good. You can be the best person in the world and the best coach in the world, but being good does not mean that you win football games. Think about how many GREAT pro players have no Super Bowl ring.

The reality of life dictates that there can be only two outcomes as a coach at the end of each game: results or excuses.

Just because the CEO of a Fortune 500 company makes more decisions does not mean that he makes better decisions. Loyalty does not translate to the bottom line. This is a really tough lesson for Ty, but if he wants to achieve his potential as a coach, he will learn or be gone.

That is why Ty's slow, methodical, unemotional move to shore up his defense has resulted in the hiring of Ed Donatell as defensive coordinator and Brian White as an assistant coach, perhaps handling tights ends and special teams, or running backs.

Nowhere in Brian White's coaching resume do I see special teams coaching experience, which suggests that he would be better placed as the running backs coach.

White spent 11 years as the running backs coach and offensive coordinator for Barry Alvarez at the University of Wisconsin. During his tenure, White was selected as the Division 1 Assistant Coach of the Year in 2004 by the American Football Coaches Association.

As Wisconsin's running backs coach and offensive coordinator, he helped coach Wisconsin in 9 bowl appearances, including Rose Bowl selections in 1999 and 2000. He mentored 1999 Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne, 2001 NFL first-round draft choice Michael Bennett, and 2001 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Anthony Davis.

White has spent his last 2 years at Syracuse as its offensive coordinator and tight ends coach with little or no success. His lack of accomplishment may have had more to do with Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson, who came to the Orangemen with a terrific record as an NFL defensive coordinator with the New York Jets, Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs.

Since arriving at Syracuse, Robinson has gone 7-28 in 3 years, the worst 3-year record in Syracuse football history. Nonetheless, Syracuse athletic director Daryl Gross is bringing Robinson back for a 4th season.

All you really need to know about Robinson at Syracuse is that he serves as the head coach AND defensive coordinator, a really dumb idea whose time has yet to come. Syracuse is Robinson's first head coaching job and it shows. Big egos like to micromanage everything and everyone; they have not figured out why they have assistant coaches to make them look better.

Gross' judgment may be worse than Robinson's. Some outstanding coordinators are simply not good head coaches; they may lack the talent, temperament, media skills and organizational skills to run an operation without screwing it up.

Brian White did spend 2 years as a graduate assistant for Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and White was there when the Irish won the 1988 national title with a Fiesta Bowl victory over West Virginia. Two years of experience in ANY capacity with Lou Holtz is worth at least 10 years at Syracuse with the best the current Orangemen have to offer.

While coaching the receivers at Nevada, White helped the Wolf Pack offense lead the nation in total offense (582+ yards per game) and passing offense (401 ypg).

For whatever it is worth, White is also more highly qualified—education-wise—than almost all NCAA football coaches. He has a bachelor's degree from Harvard, a master's degree from Fordham and another master's degree in business administration from Notre Dame.

While there is no direct correlation between education and success as a football coach, White is apparently no stranger to learning and is capable of getting 3 degrees from three academic powerhouses. Let's hope it rubs off on his fellow Husky staff members and players. Until the Huskies can once again win a lot more games than they lose, they (staff and players) need all the help they can get.

2007 Michigan State Spartan Football

December 18, 2007

From Daugherty to Brewer:

The Glory Years of the Green and White Michigan State University Football Teams – Part 1

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Time has a way of evaporating history. I am told that much of history would never have been recorded in the Dark Ages had it not been for the painstaking effort of Catholic monks who recorded what others would not.

Thankfully, Michigan State University has done a remarkable job of recording its storied football history since 1896, more than 110 seasons with some stellar performances among its many coaches and players.

Here are the Spartan coaches who rank among the best:

Chester Brewer 1903 to 1910 – The Defensive Genius

Brewer, a 4-sport star at Wisconsin, knew a thing or two about how to play defense. In 8 years he went 54-10-6, throw out the ties and his 54-10 winning record was an astounding 84%. That is impressive enough, even more impressive was the fact that among his 54 victories were 43 shutouts, making 79% of his victories shutouts.

In 1904 he had 6 straight shutout victories while going 8-1. Among his 6 ties were 4 scoreless (0-0) ties. Two other facts about Brewer shine very brightly, 1) He NEVER lost a home game in 8 years, and 2) He only lost 10 games in 8 years. In 1904 he had a 104-0 rout of Hillsdale, but his greatest moments were a 0-0 tie against Fielding Yost's 1908 Michigan team and a 17-0 shutout over Notre Dame in 1910.

John Macklin 1911 to 1915 – The Pacesetter with a String of Firsts

Macklin, an outstanding athlete at Pennsylvania, succeeded Chester Brewer. He went 29-5 in 5 seasons for an 85% winning percentage, and ran the table in 1913 with a 7-0 mark that included Michigan State's first victory over Michigan, a 12-7 win at Michigan.
Among Macklin's other greatest moments were a 6-3 upset against Penn State in 1914; another 24-0 away victory over Michigan in 1915; and a 35-20 victory over Ohio State in 1912, the first achieved by a MAC team against a Big Ten team.

Jim Crowley 1929 to 1932 – One of Notre Dame's Immortal Four Horsemen

After several years of mediocrity, Crowley restored Michigan State to national prominence by going 22-8-3 (a 73% won-loss percentage) with 4 winning seasons and one win short of a perfect season with a 7-1 record his final year. Crowley's teams had a pair of 0-0 ties against Michigan in 1930 and 1931 which broke Michigan State's 14-game losing streak to Michigan.

Crowley was one of Knute Rockne's Four Horsemen during Notre Dame's glory years made famous by legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice. Crowley would go on to become head coach at Fordham in 1933 and create the "Seven Blocks of Granite" that included legendary Green Bay Packer Coach Vince Lombardi.

From Notre Dame's Four Horsemen to Michigan State to Fordham's Seven Blocks of Granite and the Green Bay Packer's Vince Lombardi is a pretty good legacy created by the man known as "Sleepy Jim" Crowley.

Charlie Bachman 1933 to 1946 – He Brought in Notre Dame's Winning System

Bachman followed Jim Crowley and brought with him Notre Dame's system and managed to log 10 winning seasons in 13 years with a 70-34-10 record (a 67% won-loss percentage). There was no football in 1943 due to World War II.

Bachman was a teammate of Knute Rockne and a Notre Dame alumnus like Crowley. He led the Spartans to a 8-1 mark in his second season, including a 16-0 victory over Michigan, the school' s first outright win in 19 years; it would be the first of 4 consecutive wins against Michigan that Bachman's teams would accomplish. After posting another 8-1 season in 1937 Michigan State received its first bid to a postseason bowl game, the 1938 Orange Bowl.

(Editor's Note: This is Part 1 of a 2-Part Series.)

December 19, 2007

From Daugherty to Brewer:

The Glory Years of the Green and White Michigan State University Football Teams – Part 2

Ed Bagley's Blog:

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

"Biggie" Munn 1947 to 1953 – Two National Championships and the Best Winning Percentage Ever

Clarence "Biggie" Munn was an All-American at Minnesota before replacing Charlie Bachman. Despite getting waxed 55-0 by Michigan in his debut, he quickly logged a 7-2 record in his first of 7 seasons. By 1950 Munn had the Spartan program in the Top 10 nationally with an 8-1 campaign that included victories over No. 3-ranked Michigan and Notre Dame.

He would put together back-to-back 9-0 seasons in 1951 and 1952 to go 18-0 and win two National Championships as well as National Coach of the Year Honors in 1952, beating 3 nationally-ranked opponents—Penn State, Purdue and Notre Dame.

In 1953 he would go 9-1, beat UCLA 28-20 in the Rose Bowl and push his 3-year regular season record to 27-1 and his 4-year mark to 35-2 (a 94% won-loss record).

Munn ran Michigan State's unbeaten streak to 28 games before losing to Purdue 6-0 in 1953. In 7 seasons, his overall record would be 54-9-2 (an 85+% won-loss record, the best ever at Michigan State) and he would produce 18 All-Americans, including the great two-way tackle Don Coleman.

Following his coaching career, the legendary Biggie Munn would serve as MSU's Athletic Director for 18 years, building the Spartans into a nationally prominent program. He was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959.

(Editor's Note: Don Coleman was a 1951 graduate of Central High School in Flint (MI). I graduated from Flint Central in 1962 and remember his picture hanging on the wall as one of our most famous graduates. I graduated from Michigan State University in 1966 so you can appreciate my interest in the fortunes of Michigan State University Spartan football and its history.)

"Duffy" Daugherty 1954 to 1972 – MSU's Most Popular Coach Wins Two National Championships

Hugh "Duffy" Daugherty became one of the nation's most popular coaches in the history of college football during his 19-year career as the Spartans' mentor. Daugherty was famous for his wit, personality and wisdom.

He became a great interview for sportswriters, coming up with quotes such as, "Football isn't a contact sport, it's a collision sport. Dancing is a contact sport" and "A tie is like kissing your sister" and "When you are playing for the national championship, it's not a matter of life and death. It's more important than that."

He was a guard and captain of his Syracuse football team, was an assistant coach to Biggie Munn when Munn coached Syracuse before coming to Michigan State, and followed Munn as his line coach. After being part of Munn's 2 national championship teams, he became head coach.

Daugherty's 1955 team went 9-1 and beat UCLA 17-14 in the Rose Bowl. His greatest teams came in 1965 and 1966 when he went 19-1-1, won 2 Big Ten titles outright and 2 National Championships. His only defeat during the 2 years was a 14-12 loss to UCLA in the 1966 Rose Bowl. He will be forever remembered for his monumental 10-10 tie in the 1966 "Game of the Century" when the No. 2-ranked Spartans faced the No. 1-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

No less than 8 of the players from the 1966 team were chosen in the NFL draft, including defensive end Bubba Smith, linebacker George Webster, halfback Clint Jones, flanker Gene Washington, offensive lineman Jeff Richardson, defensive backs Jim Summers and Charlie Thornhill, and kicker Dick Kenney. Daugherty produced 29 All-Americans.

Daugherty's overall record during 19 years was 109-65-5 (a 63% won-loss percentage). He was named National Coach of the Year in both 1955 and 1965, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1984.

(Editor's Note: In both of my junior and senior years at Michigan State the Spartans won National Championships. I took away a lot of memories and will never forgive Notre Dame Coach Ara Parseghian for playing for a tie in one of the most memorable games in college football history. I would rather had have my Spartans win or lose the game than suffer a tie.)

After the 26-year run of Biggie Munn and Duffy Daugherty with 4 National Championships, the Michigan State football program pretty much went into the dumper.

It is true that after Daugherty, George Perles in 1987 would take the 9-2-1 Spartans to their first Rose Bowl appearance in 21 years, beating Southern California 20-17 to finish No. 8 nationally. Perles was the defensive line coach and defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers "Steel Curtain" defense that led to Super Bowl titles in 1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979.

Despite turning around the MSU football program temporarily, Perles could not even sniff at the success of Biggie Munn and Duffy Daugherty. Since 1987 nothing much has really taken Michigan State back to the national prominence it enjoyed under Munn and Daugherty.

Michigan State's football fortunes are now in the hands of Mark Dantonio, the former defensive coordinator for Ohio State's 2002 National Championship team.

(Editor's Note: This is Part 2 of a 2-Part Series.)

January 4, 2007

The Spartans Hire a Winner:

Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stage as Head Coach at Michigan State

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Michigan State University has a football history of folding when it counts. In recent years they seem to win early in the season and then raise losing to an art form when it really matters. Those days may be over starting this fall.

By unloading John L. Smith and hiring Mark Dantonio as their new head football coach, the Spartans have put themselves in a position to perform better than any time since the legendary Duffy Daugherty coached Michigan State to a combined 19-1-1 record in 1965 and 1966, winning back-to-back Big Ten and National Championships.

The reason is simple: Dantonio is a winner from a pedigree that screams success.

He does not have to talk about what he is going to do as Michigan State's new coach because he, unlike so many others, has already done a lot of significant winning in support roles under Nick Saban, Jim Tressel and Earle Bruce, all winners and outstanding football coaches.

To say Michigan State has been in the dumper since Duffy Daugherty left in 1972 is being kind. In 34 seasons, the Spartans have been barely above .500. They have won only 8 or more games just once in consecutive seasons, and have had one Rose Bowl appearance which happened with George Perles.

Dantonio spent 6 seasons at MSU as its secondary coach under Nick Saban. Dantonio contributed to Michigan State's successful 1999 season when the Spartans went 10-2, won the Florida Citrus Bowl and were ranked No. 7 in the final polls. Michigan State's secondary under Dantonio was regarded as one of the best in college football, ranking 10th in pass efficiency defense in 1998 and 7th in 2000. A half dozen Spartan defenders under Dantonio were NFL draft picks.

Now Dantonio returns as head coach and things are going to get a lot better in Spartan Stadium.

Dantonio spent 3 years as head coach at the University of Cincinnati where he became the first head coach in 23 years to pilot a team to a winning season in his initial campaign, capping the season with a convincing 32-14 win over Marshall in the PlainsCapital Fort Worth Bowl.

Only the legendary Sid Gillman had taken Cincinnati to a bowl game in his initial season as head coach.

Even this season the Cincinnati Bearcats upset then No. 7 Rutgers on Nov. 18, the highest ranked team Cincinnati has ever beaten.

Before moving on to Cincinnati, Dantonio served as defensive coordinator under Jim Tressel at Ohio State, assembling the defense that led the Buckeyes to the national title in 2002. Ohio State was 2nd nationally in scoring defense and 3rd in rushing defense during its perfect season.

In 2003, Dantonio's defense at Ohio State was 2nd nationally against the run, 10th in total defense and 16th in scoring defense.

He was a member of Earle Bruce's Ohio State staff in 1983 and 1984, helping the Buckeyes to the Fiesta Bowl and Rose Bowl.

Dantonio has spent the majority of his coaching career in Ohio where he also helped the Akron Zips to an 8-3 record and an appearance in the Division I-AA playoffs.

He then joined Jim Tressel's staff at Youngstown State and helped the Penguins make 3 Division I-AA playoffs during 5 seasons, and posted a perfect 11-0 regular season record in 1990 when he was the defensive coordinator.

When Tressel became Ohio State's coach Dantonio followed as his defensive coordinator.

Dantonio is clearly a winner, and I believe he will find some winning players and train them to excel. In business and in football there are really only two possible outcomes: results or excuses. Dantonio has made a career out of producing results.

I believe that Mark Dantonio is savvy enough to surround himself with more winners like himself, and together with his staff will lead the Michigan State Spartans out of the mud hole that they have been stuck in for far too long.

Let me make it clear that I am a Michigan State University graduate from the Class of 1966. I know that dates me, but it hardly affects my memory. I remember when Michigan State was arguably THE football team in the country during 1965 and 1966.

I am so happy that Dantonio is a Midwest boy born and bred. He has the strong Midwest ties to compete effectively against major magnets like Ohio State, Michigan and Notre Dame.

I was born and raised in Michigan and now reside on the West Coast in Washington State. Let me tell you that folks in Washington are different than those in the Midwest, not better or worse but different.

When I go to battle I want a Midwest boy in the foxhole with me. Welcome aboard, Mark Dantonio. I will dig the foxhole, you can throw in the trophies.

September 5, 2007

What Are the Odds?

A Sports Fan's Dream: Michigan State Slams UAB 55-18 in Mark Dantonio's Coaching Debut – Part 3

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

My third favorite team to win was the Michigan State Spartans which opened up a can of thump 'em on UAB (the University of Alabama at Birmingham) in the season opener for both teams at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.

The battle between first-year coaches Mark Dantonio of MSU and Neil Callaway of UAB proved to be no contest with Dantonio's Spartans winning 55-18.

On Thursday before Friday's game, Callaway said, "he had the sense that his team was ready to start the season" against MSU, the first Big 10 team UAB has ever played. Michigan State gave Callaway a lot to think about on his way back to Alabama.

Dantonio's Spartans sprinted to a 42-0 lead midway through the second quarter, scoring touchdowns on their first 6 possessions and rolling up 252 rushing yards in the first half on 34 carries (a 7.4 average per carry).

Senior running back Jehuu Caulcrick had 4 touchdowns on 94 yards rushing in the first half.

Caulcrick is a 6-foot, 255 pound running back who, with 35 pounds of football gear, is coming at you looking a mean 290 pounds and strong. Caulcrick weighed more than any player on the Syracuse offensive line. I am glad I was not the Syracuse defensive back who had to tackle Caulcrick.

Junior running back Javon Ringer put up 83 yards rushing and junior quarterback Brian Hoyer was a perfect 8-for-8 passing with 149 yards.

MSU's defense gave up just 87 total yards in the first half. The Spartans had one penalty in the first half. I think you get the picture. Michigan State University football is back big time under Dantonio's watchful eye.

The offensive explosion by MSU was unexpected. Dantonio turned MSU upset down, making it a run-oriented, physical team rather than the spread offense used by former coach John L. Smith. Going out-the-door with Smith was the country club atmosphere Smith cultivated.

Trust me when I say that Dantonio will not be putting up with half an effort and no accountability from assistant coaches or players. The screwing around by players at Michigan State is over.

It reminded me of when Lou Piniella came to the Seattle Mariners in 1993. The first thing he did was get the then pathetic Mariner team together and tell them this: "We are going to win in Seattle from now on. Unfortunately, 75% of you will not be here to see us win."

Within two years, Piniella got rid of 75% of his players, found some players who wanted to win and Seattle started winning.

Piniella became the American League Manager of the Year in 1995 and again in 2001 when he led Seattle to a major league record-setting 116 win season.

Great coaches will not tolerate a lack of effort, a crummy attitude, stupid mental mistakes and mediocrity. Piniella will not and Dantonio will not.

Major kudos to Head Coach Mark Dantonio, Offensive Coordinator Don Treadwell and Defensive Coordinator Pat Narduzzi on their debut of the Dantonio Era at Michigan State.

In January of this year I wrote an article when Dantonio was selected as MSU's new football coach. I was effusive in my excitement and now you know why.

The entire weekend was topped off wonderfully when news came that the University of Michigan Wolverines were upset by their NCAA Division I-AA opponent Appalachian State 34-32.

The defeat came before 110,000 fans at the Big House in Ann Arbor which might now be called the House of the Mouse because it was Appalachian State that proved to be The Mouse that Roared.

Michigan's three stars on offense and its coach returned this year rather than the players going into the NFL draft and Head Coach Lloyd Carr into retirement. The Wolverines were rated No. 5 in the preseason Associated Press Sportswriters Poll and also the Division I Coaches Poll.

I thought about calling Lloyd Carr to offer my condolences after his defeat by Appalachian State, but I was too busy laughing.

Carr may actually have a bright future in coaching, but it does not appear at the moment to be at Michigan or Appalachian State.

As a loyal Spartan fan, I am a licensed hater of the University of Michigan Wolverines, mostly because they have had their way with MSU in recent years. Now they are on notice.

If you are wondering about my MSU connection, I graduated from MSU in 1966 when a guy named Duffy Daugherty led the Spartans to the Big 10 title with a 7-0 mark and a season mark of 9-0-1 that resulted in a National Championship after the infamous 10-10 tie with Notre Dame in the "Game of the Century".

In 1965, my junior year, Daugherty led MSU to another Big 10 title at 7-0, a 10-1 season record and another National Championship. No wonder I was spoiled when I left Michigan State.

It has been 41 years since 1966 and the unmatched glory of Spartan football.

I find it ironic that Duffy Daugherty, the greatest football coach in Michigan State history, played his college football at Syracuse. I take it as a good omen that Mark Dantonio started his career at MSU by opening that can of thump 'em on Syracuse. After all, Daugherty made his mark at MSU, not at Syracuse.

The football gods have now given us Mark Dantonio who ranks as the best bet to bring back MSU glory since Duffy Daugherty.

This weekend is what being a football fan is all about: victories for all your favorite teams and the college team you hate the most comes up sucking pond water by losing to a AA team in its own stadium.

(Editor's Note: This is Part 3 of a 3-Part Article.)

Note: Read my sports articles on "Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stage as Head Coach at Michigan State", "Nick Saban: A Great College Football Coach Who Might Bring Alabama Back to Greatness", and "Boise State Looked Oklahoma in the Eye and Showed How Belief Makes a Winner". Find these in my Sports Archive.

2007 College Football Feature Articles

September 8, 2007

Billions Are Bet on Them:

The Sagarin College Football Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

While betting on sports is only legal in a few places in the United States, such as Las Vegas, millions of office workers are involved in sports pools every week now that the football season has arrived.

When you know that more than $700 million can be bet on one game—the Super Bowl—in only Las Vegas, then you understand that billions were bet illegally on the Super Bowl last year in the United States and in offshore sports books around the world.

Folks in the gaming business know that more than a billion dollars is wagered on every Monday Night Football game during the season.

For those who wager, it may be helpful to put some science on your side when you wager, and one of the best places to do that is with the Sagarin College Football Ratings.

Created by Jeff Sagarin, a 1970 MIT mathematics graduate, these computer ratings are for Division I-A (what the NCAA now calls the Football Bowl (FB) Subdivision) and Division I-AA (what the NCAA now calls the Football Championship (FC) Subdivision) teams.

You will have to forgive the NCAA for taking titles that have been used for years and are perfectly clear, then renaming them and creating confusion in the process.

If there is a way for the NCAA to assert its superior power, it does so by making everything more difficult and confusing, similar to your United States government and its IRS tax code which could reduce a sane person to tears just reading it.

Anyway, the Sagarin rating is a numerical measure of a team's strength.

A hypothetical victory margin is determined by comparing the rating of the two teams after adding 2.93 points to the home team. The home edge will vary during the season.

Only Division I (both A and AA) are counted for rating and schedule strength during the season.

A diminishing-returns principle exists to prevent teams from building up ratings by running up large victory margins against weak teams. Instead, it rewards teams that do well against good opponents.

The BCS (Bowl Championship Series) does not factor in scoring margin. For Sagarin ratings and more detailed information go to: www.usatoday.com

USA Today, the largest circulation newspaper in the United States, is the nation's daily newspaper and carries the Sagarin College Football Ratings. The ratings are updated following each week's games and published in USA Today on Wednesdays.

Following the first week of college football action, here are some facts that interested me about Sagarin's first-week ratings:

1) Washington, one of the poor to mediocre teams in the country the last several years, was rated No. 31 after hammering Syracuse 42-14 in its home opener.

2) Michigan State, another short end of the stick team for far too long, was rated No. 36 after steamrolling over UAB 55-18 in its home opener.

3) Appalachian State, a AA school, was rated No. 38 following its upset of mighty Michigan 34-32 on Michigan's home field. The win was the biggest upset in college football history as no AA team had ever beaten a ranked team.

Michigan was ranked No. 5 by both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll going into the game. Following its horrendous loss, Michigan ended up being ranked No. 40 by Sagarin.

4) Wyoming, a small school and never among the nation's top teams, was ranked No. 41 by Sagarin following its 23-3 home victory over Virginia.

5) Notre Dame, beaten badly (33-3) by Georgia Tech, was rated No. 57 after the loss. Georgia Tech was rated No. 2. The Irish failed to score a touchdown for the first time ever in their home opener.

6) Temple (ranked No. 143 after its opening loss) and Buffalo (ranked No. 145 after its opening loss) face off in week two. Both teams are among the 7 worst Division I-A teams in the country, joining Louisiana-Monroe, Rice, Duke, Utah State and Florida International.

7) A total of 242 teams, 119 A schools and 123 AA schools, make up the Sagarin College Football Ratings. The worst-rated A school is Florida International at No. 174 (56 AA teams are rated better), and their play reflects their rating. The worst-rated AA school is the No. 242 La Salle Explorers. La Salle is a Catholic university located in Philadelphia.

La Salle lost its home opener to Ursinus 28-0. Ursinus is not a planet but a real liberal arts college in Pennsylvania.

Ursinus College is not a Division 1 school (which includes the 242 teams with La Salle), not a Division II team (which includes another 157 teams), but a Division III team. Now you can better understand why La Salle College is ranked last among 242 Division I schools.

The first job for La Salle this year will be to score a touchdown, or any points, including a field goal or touchback. The Explorers next job will be to actually win a game. Good luck, La Salle, and God speed.

September 13, 2007

Hint: Read My Weekly Articles

College Football – How to Ferret Out Which Teams Are Rising and Falling in the Polls

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Many sports fans who anxiously await the release of the weekly football polls really miss one of the best parts of the poll when searching only to see where their favorite is ranked.

Many newspapers and online services do not give the total results of the polling, they only list the Top 25 picks for the week.

You have to dig a little deeper to discover which teams received votes but not enough votes to make it into the Top 25. Look at the bottom of the poll results for this entry in small print: Others Receiving Votes.

In Tuesday's AP Poll (9-11-07) it showed these entries: South Florida 220, Missouri 144, Alabama 116, Washington 95, Arizona State 28, Appalachian State 19, Cincinnati 12, and Kansas 1. All of these teams started their season by winning their first two games, many times impressively.

I am ignoring five other teams which garnered votes in the AP Poll to make a point. These five were TCU 66, Auburn 23, Florida State 2, Iowa 1 and Purdue 1. Iowa and Purdue are 2-0 but have not won as impressively and the others are 1-1.

USC (Southern California) is No. 1 in the AP Poll with a 1-0 record and 1594 total points. Texas A&M is No. 25 with 243 points. Sportswriters cast ballots giving their 1st place pick 25 points and their 25th pick 1 point.

Notice that Texas A&M had 243 points, and South Florida which did not make it into the Top 25, had 220 points, only 23 points behind. Had South Florida gotten 24 more points, the Bulls (their nickname) would have been No. 25.

If the Top 25 this week had instead been the Top 36, then South Florida would have been No. 26, Missouri No. 27, Alabama No. 28, Washington No. 29, Arizona State No. 31, Appalachian State No. 33, Cincinnati No. 34, and Kansas No. 36.

This information is significant to fans like me because of my interest level. One game I play every week is to discern which teams are rising and which teams are falling in the polls.

While many of our wives, sweethearts and significant others may find this activity to be terribly boring, it is a habit that is far superior to other habits such as drinking, drugging, sleeping around, lying, cheating and stealing. This is why I feel no need to justify, apologize or defend myself in this practice.

Those following my College Football 2007 weekly reports during the first two weeks of the season know that I have already been spot on in identifying teams rising and falling.

Before the polls were even out, I correctly identified South Florida, Alabama, Washington, Arizona State, Cincinnati and Kansas as teams on the rise.

I correctly identified these teams as falling in the polls: Michigan (No. 5 to out of the Top 25), Florida State (No. 19 to out of the Top 25), Boise State (No. 22 to out of the Top 25), Auburn (No. 17 to out of the Top 25), Georgia (No. 11 to No. 23), Wisconsin (No. 5 to No. 7), Hawaii (No. 20 to No. 24) and Texas A&M (No. 23 to No. 25).

The two most overrated teams among those slipping are Wisconsin and Hawaii. Why Hawaii and Texas A&M are still in the polls is beyond me.

One or more of the Top 25 teams will lose this weekend, just as Michigan, Florida State, Boise State, Georgia and Auburn have already been ranked in the Top 25 and lost during the first two weeks of the season.

Let me predict that Alabama, Washington, Michigan State, South Florida and Arizona State will all be ranked among the Top 25 in the AP Poll before the season is over.

I would also note that in the Coaches Poll, South Florida, Washington, Alabama, Arizona State and Cincinnati did not make the Top 25 but did receive points.

Heck, in the Coaches Poll, even the Wyoming Cowboys—who I love because they are tough to beat at home—received points.

Receiving points in the Coaches Poll with 2-0 records were Missouri, Texas Tech, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland and Purdue. I have not identified any of these teams as on the rise because they have not played good teams or won impressively.

Keep your eye on Alabama, Michigan State and Arizona State because they all have first-year coaches in Nick Saban (the Crimson Tide), Mark Dantonio (the Spartans) and Dennis Erickson (the Sun Devils). These three coaches are excellent and all come from great teams with winning traditions.

Erickson's offensive savvy is so good he could probably make a winning player out of a blind mole in the Arizona desert.

October 10, 2007

Learn the Signs of Distress

How to Predict When College Football Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

When you understand how to measure the substance of a college football team, you can often predict an unexpected loss. It is more difficult to predict exactly when it will happen.

When Stanford upset Southern California 24-23 last Saturday (10-6-07) many people were surprised. I was not.

No. 2-ranked USC was a perfect 4-0 coming into the game and had enjoyed 5 straight seasons of national top-4 finishes, BCS bowl appearances and Pac 10 Conference titles.

Stanford was a 6-touchdown underdog, had lost 41-3 at home to Arizona State a week earlier, had lost to USC 42-0 a year ago, and finished last year with a lousy 1-11 record.

So what happened? Study these three sets of figures to identify some clues. The first is the prior week's AP Top 25 Poll, the second is Sagarin's mathematical ratings of a team's performance strength against shared opponents, and the third is Sagarin's mathematical ratings of a team's schedule strength.

The AP Poll is made up of 65 media types who follow and report on college football teams. Sagarin is Jeff Sagarin, who produces the gold standard among rating services. Sagarin's ratings represent the average schedule difficulty faced by each team, taking into account the rating of the opponent and the location of the game.

AP Top 25 Poll                Sagarin Rating                  Schedule Rank

1) LSU                               1) LSU                                  1) Washington

2) Southern California      2) Southern California         2) Notre Dame

3) California                       3) Ohio State                       3) Colorado State

4) Ohio State                     4) Oklahoma                        4) Stanford

5) Wisconsin                     5) California                         5) Marshall

6) South Florida                6) South Florida                 6) Tennessee

7) Boston College            7) West Virginia                 7) Mississippi

8) Kentucky                       8) Arizona State                 8) North Carolina

9) Florida                           9) Florida                            9) Colorado

10) Oklahoma                  10) Auburn                           10) AA Sam Houston

11) South Carolina           11) Oregon                         11) Auburn

12) Georgia                       12) UCLA                           12) Akron

13) West Virginia              13) Georgia                       13) Duke

14) Oregon                         14) Cincinnati                    14) East Carolina

15) Virginia Tech               15) Boston College           15) LA-Monroe

16) Hawaii                          16) Kentucky                      16) Florida International

17) Missouri                        17) South Carolina            17) Florida State

18) Arizona State               18) Missouri                       18) Syracuse

19) Texas                            19) Kansas State               19) UCLA

20) Cincinnati                     20) Connecticut                   20) Brigham Young

21) Rutgers                         21) Florida State                 21) Oregon

22) Clemson                       22) Boise State                   22) San Diego State

23) Purdue                          23) Purdue                           23) Washington State

24) Kansas State               24) Wisconsin                     24) Wake Forest

25) Nebraska                      25) Texas                            25) Miami (Ohio)

How could Stanford upset USC? Well, for one thing, although USC has far more talent, its talent did not show up for the game. USC's talent was "at" the game but not "in" the game.

USC was 4-0 and ranked No. 2 going into the game and Stanford was 1-3 and ranked No. 83, yet Stanford had played the 4th toughest schedule in the country before the Cardinal arrived at USC as the visiting team. USC had played the 38th toughest schedule.

You decide if this was a factor or not. I say it was a factor. Certainly, USC did not think Stanford was that tough of an opponent; the Trojans paid a big price by not being prepared.

Here is another example. I have said for weeks that Wisconsin was overrated. The Badgers were 5-0 and ranked No. 5 going into Illinois while the Illini were unranked, but upset Wisconsin 31-26.

Wisconsin may have been ranked No. 5 but its Sagarin rating was No. 24 and the Badgers had played the 90th toughest schedule. Sagarin's rating for Illinois was No. 40, but the Illini had played the 39th toughest schedule.

Still not convinced? Kentucky was 5-0 and ranked No. 8 going into South Carolina and lost to the Gamecocks 38-23.

Kentucky had a Sagarin rating of No. 16 and had played the 92nd toughest schedule. South Carolina was 4-1 and ranked No. 11, had a Sagarin rating of No. 17 and had played the 47th toughest schedule.

In a clash of unbeatens, Purdue was 5-0, ranked No. 23 and hosted the Ohio State Buckeyes who beat them 23-7. Sagarin's rating for Purdue was also No. 23 and the Boilermakers had played the 124th toughest schedule. There is only 119 Division 1-A schools.

Ohio State was also 5-0 and ranked No. 4 with a Sagarin rating of No. 3 and had played the 60th toughest schedule.

Some fans and pundits put no credence in Sagarin. I put a lot of credence in Sagarin's team ratings and schedule rank, and now you know why. I can with some accuracy predict when a team is overrated and due for an unexpected loss.

September 28, 2007

The Most Overrated Team: Hawaii

The Case for the Washington Huskies to Be Ranked in a Top 25 Football Poll

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Finally, some element of common sense is beginning to show among the American sportswriters who vote every week in the AP Top 25 Poll.

Last week I urged America's finest pundits and worst pigheads to give the old heave-ho to No. 18 Louisville, No. 19 Hawaii, No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 24 Nebraska.

The pundits concurred by ousting Louisville and Texas A&M, but the pigheads mustered enough votes to keep No. 19 Hawaii were it was and drop Nebraska from No. 24 to No. 25.

I figure the press corps in Hawaii was offering any sportswriter in American a free off-season vacation to keep Hawaii in the Top 25 another week. The Warriors are 4-0 after whipping up on AA Northern Colorado 63-6, barely getting by Louisiana Tech 45-44 in overtime, beating UNLV 49-14 and thumping AA Charleston Southern 66-10.

So how pathetic is Hawaii as the No. 19 ranked team in the nation? This pathetic according to this week's Sagarin ratings: Among 119 Division 1-A teams, Hawaii's victories have come against teams rated 75 (UNLV), 107 (Louisiana Tech), 202 (AA Charleston Southern) and 205 (AA Northern Colorado).

When you average the 4 ratings of the teams the Warriors have beaten, you come up 147, and they are ranked as the 19th best team in the country. Go figure.

Clearly, some pigheaded sportswriters are living in a fantasy world or smoking something other than cigarettes.

I have no problem with Hawaii opening its season at 4-0. I have a huge problem with them being ranked in any poll worth its salt.

There must also be some pigheaded coaches voting in the Top 25 Coaches Poll as they have ranked Hawaii No. 17 this week. Maybe they just want to rank Hawaii very high so when they play them they will look a lot better than they are.

Replacing Louisville and Texas A&M in the AP Poll this week are newcomers Arizona State (No. 23) and Cincinnati (No. 24). Both are 4-0 on the season.

The teams that Arizona State has beaten have an average rating of 75 according to Sagarin, 72 points BETTER than Hawaii. The teams that Cincinnati has beaten have an average rating of 120, 27 points better than Hawaii.

Overlooked in the AP Poll were the 4-0 Michigan State Spartans and the 4-0 Purdue Boilermakers, who were ranked No. 23 and No. 25, respectively, in the Coaches Poll.

The teams that Michigan State has beaten have an average rating of 92, 55 points BETTER than Hawaii. The teams that Purdue has beaten have an average rating of 117, 30 points better than Hawaii.

This Saturday (9-29-07) will tell a lot as unbeaten 4-0 Purdue hosts 0-4 Notre Dame, and 9th ranked, unbeaten 4-0 Wisconsin hosts 4-0 Michigan State (not ranked in the AP Poll and ranked No. 23 in the Coaches Poll).

The teams that Wisconsin, which I still think is overrated, has beaten have an average rating of 72 points.

Here is the real eye opener of the week: Washington is 2-2 but the teams that Washington has played have an average rating of 40, that's right, 40.

This is why the Huskies are rated No. 1 among all 242 Division I schools when comparing who has played the toughest schedule so far this season.

Do you realize that Washington's 40 rating is 127 points BETTER than Hawaii, 100 points better than Cincinnati, 93 points better than Purdue, 72 points better than Michigan State, 55 points better than Arizona State, and 52 points better than Wisconsin.

Hawaii, Cincinnati, Purdue, Michigan State, Arizona State and Wisconsin are all ranked in either the AP Top 25 Poll or the Top 25 Coaches Poll. Washington is ranked in neither poll.

Two weeks ago I predicted that Alabama, Michigan State, South Florida, Arizona State and Washington would all be ranked in the Top 25 by the end of the season. Only Washington has failed to move into the Top 25 in just the last two weeks.

September 29, 2007

A Reader Responds

She Takes Umbrage at My Dogging the Hawaii Warriors' Football Schedule

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Editor's Note: A Hawaiian Warrior football fan and alumnus emailed me about my article questioning why Hawaii would be ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25 Poll and No. 17 in the Top 25 Coaches Poll given the weak competition the Warriors have played so far this season. I mention only her first name in my reply.

"Aloha Mr. Bagley,

"I have read your article regarding Hawaii Football. Obviously, we will see how Hawaii stands up to the Huskies when they play at Aloha Stadium, on December 1.

"With all due respect, I can't imagine that you have watched The University of Hawaii play, making the comments that you have. I admittedly am a huge fan of Warrior and Rainbow Wahine sports, since I am an alumnus.

"You dog our schedule, I wonder if you are aware that we were forced to play the IAA schools because some of the Big 10 schools, Michigan State, paid to get out of their contract to play at Aloha Stadium, and another BCS school refused to play Hawaii, both at our house, and theirs, Michigan is the example of the latter.

"I will trust that since you are a journalist, you do your research prior to writing your pieces. Best of luck in your endeavors and I hope that you get an opportunity to visit our State.

"Sincerely, Rita"

Dear Rita,

Aloha back to you. Thank you for reading my article.

I commend you for going to bat for your Hawaiian Warriors. Hawaii has certainly won a lot of games and enjoyed some success with its football program in recent years. Hawaii is hands down an exciting team to watch because you will not be bored to death by a defensive struggle.

While I have never seen the Warriors play except on television, you have much to be proud of as Hawaii led the nation last year in scoring offense, averaging 46 points a game to Boise State's No. 2 ranking with 39 points per game.

Hawaii last year was in the middle of the pack on scoring defense at No. 69 among 119 Division 1-A teams, giving up an average of 24 points a game.

I went to the official Hawaii football site to get more info on Hawaii and found no archive. I could not even find last year's record. I went to wikipedia.org and discovered that Hawaii has no national championships in its history and has two co-championships in 1992 and 1999 in the Western Athletic Conference.

Wikipedia also notes that Hawaii played in the Hawaii Bowl last year and defeated Arizona State 41-24. Wikipedia says Hawaii won 11 games last season, tying a school record for victories in a season.

It looks to me like Hawaii could win its first 10 games with its schedule. I noted that Hawaii's first 4 victories came against teams currently rated by Sagarin at 75 (UNLV), 107 (Louisiana Tech), 202 (AA Charleston Southern) and 205 (AA Northern Colorado), an average rating of 147.

The Warriors next 6 opponents are rated 132 (Idaho), 150 (Utah State), 126 (San Jose State), 117 (New Mexico State), 87 (Fresno State) and 103 (Nevada). The average rating of its first 10 opponents is 130.

Given that there are exactly 119 teams in Division 1-A football and Hawaii is a Division I-A school, it would appear that the Warriors competition is weak at best in the first 10 games. This probably means that the WAC conference is not exactly a national powerhouse on the order of the SEC or even the Pac 10.

If Hawaii runs the table in its first 6 games, I still do not think the Warriors should be in the AP Top 25 Poll.

In its final two games, Hawaii faces better competition in Boise State, currently rated No. 28, and Washington, rated No. 36. Let us see how Hawaii does against these two teams.

If Hawaii played Washington's first 4 opponents, the Warriors would only be 4-0 in their dreams. That mighty offense is not going to move as well against Boise State, UCLA and particularly Ohio State. I will give you Syracuse.

There is in my archive a great article on Boise State's upset of Oklahoma in last year's Fiesta Bowl when the Cowboys won 43-42 in overtime. The win was impressive. Boise State was the undefeated WAC champion and 12-0 going into the Fiesta Bowl.

Boise State complained about not being selected to play in a BCS bowl game. I have news for Boise State. Neither Boise State nor Oklahoma deserved to be in a BCS bowl, that is why they were facing each other in the step-down Fiesta Bowl. The score of the game validates this judgment.

You and I do not agree on how good this year's Hawaii team is. We can agree to disagree. I will keep my eye on Hawaii during the season, and if my opinion of the Warriors rises, I will not be shy in saying so.

I have never been to Hawaii, Rita. I understand it is a terrific place to vacation and live. Perhaps I will visit your island in the future during the fall. When I do, I will make it a point to see the Warriors on their home field.

Note: The article in question is "The Case for the Washington Huskies to Be Ranked in a Top 25 Football Poll" and appears below and in my Sports Archive.

September 30, 2007

Another Reader Responds

Hawaii Warrior Fan Takes Exception to Using Statistics to Draw Conclusions About Rankings

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Editor's Note: Another Hawaiian Warrior football fan emailed me about my article questioning why Hawaii would be ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25 Poll and No. 17 in the Top 25 Coaches Poll given the weak competition the Warriors have played so far this season. This email is from Erik in Hawaii which is followed by my reply.

"First off I would like to say that I was born and raised in Hawaii, but I did attend the University Of Washington for a year, so I am not as biased as a normal Hawaii fan might be, or a normal Washington fan either for that matter.

"I respect both programs. I watched all the Hawaii games this year and all the Washington games except for the most recent one against UCLA. I have so much to say and I'll probably leave things out but anyways...

" - I wish Hawaii had the same schedule as UW and I bet you the Hawaii players and coaches do to...but the fact of the matter is it isn't the same.

" - Rankings don't say everything, statistics don't say everything, final scores don't show everything, margin of victory doesn't say everything, STATS ARE NOT RELIABLE MEASURES especially those from Wikipedia because that is a site that anyone can access and change.

"It is created and maintained by anyone who wants to; I could make up some person and write an article about that person and put it on Wikipedia. Bad source.

" - EXAMPLE: UNLV (13) vs. #5 Wisconsin (20), UNLV (14) vs. #24 UH (49)
" - EXAMPLE: the Appalachian State game!
" - EXAMPLE: any other upset...close game...etc.

" - So if UW were to lose to USC today by more than say Idaho (Hawaii's opponent today) lost to USC (Idaho lost 38-10) that would mean UW isn't as good as Idaho? Or say if UH beats Idaho by more than USC did that would mean UH is better than USC??? - How about your argument about what if UH had UW's schedule this year: you said UH would not be 4-0. So you're saying that UH couldn't even manage 2-2? I mean the fact is that a W is a W and a L is a L.

"Yes I watched the Ohio State vs. Washington game and I was excited at the half and impressed by UW but they lost. So if UH played Ohio State and lost by one more touchdown than UW did, or one less touchdown it wouldn't matter it's still a loss. Those are just numbers.

"Yes you can say this and that and you could probably make predictions based on statistics but they aren't always correct. You can't just base things on statistics. You can say UW is the best non-ranked team and deserves to be ranked...but the things the people who make the polls look at is wins and losses. Close does not cut it.

" - Of course the ranking system is going to be flawed, the BCS too, or any ranking system in any sport...the only way to solve that problem is if everyone played everyone...

" - Everyone has their own opinion…that is fine. Just don't act like you know when you don't. Don't hate on Hawaii. Don't say UH doesn't deserve what we have.

"It sounds as if you think UW is better than Hawaii...that is how your article is written even though you may not say it outright.

"If that is the case THE ONLY WAY TO TELL IS AT THE END OF THE YEAR WHEN IT'S JUST UH AND UW ON THE FIELD, NO ONE TALKING, WRITING, MAKING PREDICTIONS...THAT'S WHEN WE CAN TALK. - GO WARRIORS! and GO HUSKIES!

"p.s. at least you didn't discredit Colt Brennan..."

Hi Erik,

Let me commend you for your passionate defense of your Hawaiian Warriors. I am always thrilled when I see how passionate fans are in college football.

College football continues to be much more exciting and unpredictable than pro football. College athletes remain relatively unspoiled and unsullied compared to pro athletes.

You make some excellent points, Erik.

You are correct that it is possible to make statistics mean whatever you want them to mean. Nonetheless, the BCS rating formula is based on statistics, not opinion. The Sagarin College Football ratings are based on statistics, not opinion. The idea behind both systems is to take as much of the opinion as possible out of deciding which teams are worthy and which teams are not.

The easy answer to all discussion about which team is best is to settle it on the field in a playoff system. College basketball has no such argument because of March Madness, the Sweet 16, Elite 8 and Final 4.

You are right about Wikipedia, Erik. I went to Wikipedia because I could not find the information I sought on the official Hawaii Warrior website. Perhaps you could lead an effort to put more pertinent information on the website so writers have a better resource to use.

When you suggest that wins and losses take complete precedence over the quality of the opponent a team is playing, you overstate the point. The logical extension of what you are suggesting is that a Division I-AA team could go undefeated during the year and be better than the winner of the BCS national championship game.

I just finished watching Washington lose to No. 1-ranked USC (Southern California), 27-24. USC is now 5-0 and Washington now has a losing record at 2-3. USC was favored by 21 points and won by 3. The game was in doubt until the last minute.

Hawaii, on the other hand, easily put away Idaho, 48-20, leading 41-10 at the half. Hawaii stretches its record to 5-0 and Idaho is 1-4. Idaho is not good, and it is going nowhere about a thousand miles an hour.

It might be important for me to point out to you that I do not hate Hawaii or its Warriors. I was not dumping on Colt Brennan (as you noticed) or any other Warrior or your coach.

My beef is with the sportswriters who want me to accept the fact that Hawaii is one of the Top 25 teams in the nation. If the sportswriters vote Hawaii one of the best, enjoy your success, but I am not buying into it based on the Warriors weak schedule.

You had better enjoy any success because Hawaii could go 12-0 and still not be anywhere near playing in a BCS bowl game, and certainly not the BCS national championship game.

Do I think Washington can beat Hawaii? Yes I do. We will find out December 1 when the Huskies visit the Warriors.

Should the Huskies beat the Warriors it would still not be that big of a deal. The Huskies will do well to finish with a winning record and a bowl bid this season.

Heck, if Washington played Hawaii's schedule this year, it is entirely possible that both the Warriors and Huskies could go into their final game with 11-0 records. It is not that Washington is that good, it is that the Western Athletic Conference is that weak.

Note: The article in question is "The Case for the Washington Huskies to Be Ranked in a Top 25 Football Poll" and appears below and in my Sports Archive.

November 2, 2007

A Look at the Stats:

So Who Is Really Overrated? Hawaii (8-0) or Washington (2-6)

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

I just love to pick on Hawaii, I guess because the Warriors are such an easy mark to spot as a grossly overrated team.

All season I have been saying that Washington (Hawaii's last opponent this season) has none of the stats but is a better team and will beat Hawaii on its home turf December 1 in pineapple land.

Heck, sometimes I forget Hawaii is part of the United States. Perhaps because, like Alaska, is not part of the contiguous United States.

A quick check of the 2003 Time Almanac says Hawaii "is a 1,523-mile chain of islets and eight main islands." I am abashed (disconcerted) to learn that Hawaii's population is 41% Asian, 24% white, only 9% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders, and 26% other less-populated races.

Nonetheless, the Hawaii Warriors have given everyone something to cheer about. They are:

1) Unbeaten at 8-0 and rated No. 12 in the AP Top 25 Poll and No. 14 in the BCS Standings.

2) They are leading the Western Athletic Conference with a 5-0 record and are due for an amazing showdown when they host Boise State November 23. Boise State is 4-0 in the WAC standings, 7-1 on the season (their only loss is to Washington), ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll and No. 22 in the BCS Standings.

I secretly hope that Boise State routs Hawaii but do not tell the fans in Hawaii since this admission is just between you and me. Boise State is ranked No. 39 in the Sagarin Ratings and Hawaii is No. 41. Hawaii should be favored over Boise State since the Warriors are at home.

3) Hawaii averages more than 50 points a game and ranks No. 1 among 119 Division I-A schools in Scoring Offense.

4) I would think that playing in the WAC Conference Hawaii's defense would be soft yet the Warriors are only giving up 22 points a game and rank No. 41 among 119 teams in Scoring Defense.

All of this is pretty heady and impressive yet when I look at its strength of schedule I see Hawaii ranks 163rd in Sagarin's Ratings.

This means Hawaii's opponents have been collectively worse than all 119 Division I-A schools and worse than 44 Division 1-AA schools. There are 242 schools in Division 1-A and 1-AA.

I keep asking myself, "How can this team be the 12th best team in the country among 242 schools?" My answer is it cannot.

As 1 of only 5 undefeated teams left among 119 Division 1-A schools, I recognize that going 8-0 is no mean feat. If the other 114 teams in Division 1-A have not done it this season, you better believe it is not easy to do regardless of the competition.

Hawaii deserves a lot of credit for remaining undefeated so far.

Washington, on the hand, is a statistical nightmare getting worse each game. The Huskies have given their fans far less to cheer about. They are:

1) Suffering through a 6-game losing streak and taking on water faster than a sinking Titantic. A 2-6 record is not impressive on paper.

2) They are allowing 259 yards passing per game and rank 96th among 119 Division 1-A schools in Passing Defense. This can not be a good thing going up against Hawaii, which averages 459 yards per game passing, averages more than 4 TD passes a game, and ranks No. 2 in the country in Passing Offense.

Hawaii ranks No. 4 nationally in Passing Efficiency with a 162+ rating. Yikes.

I am basing my whole premise on the fact that Hawaii has thus far played a cupcake schedule of high school and JV opponents. If I am dead wrong, Washington is going to get beat by about 5 touchdowns because the Husky pass defenders could not stop their grandmother on their best day. They are terrible to say the least.

3) However bad the Husky pass defense is, they are better than the Husky rush defenders who give up 214 yards rushing per game and rank an even worse 111th in Rush Defense.

4) Washington's defense is allowing 474 total yards per game (probably a good second half for Hawaii's awesome offense) and ranks 109th nationally among 119 schools.

5) The Huskies give up 34 points a game and rank 101st in points allowed. They have lost 18 turnovers.

6) Washington's time of possession on offense ranks 116th nationally at 27:03 minutes per game.

7) For the first time in 6 weeks, Washington no longer has played the toughest schedule in the country. The Huskies are now ranked 2nd among 119 teams in Strength of Schedule. So who is No. 1? Fasten your seat belt, it is none other than the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with their 1-7 record.

So what does Washington really have going for it? Well, not a hell of a lot at the moment, to tell you the truth.

There is redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker. In his last game against Arizona, he did set career records with 336 yards passing and 157 yards rushing. His 98-yard touchdown completion to Marcel Reece is the longest in Husky history. In 8 games Locker has rushed for 694 yards. Not too shabby.

Hawaii has Colt Brennan. The Warrior website shows Brennan's 7-game statistics at 225 completions in 328 attempts (68% completion rate) for 2,820 yards (402 yards per game), 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Awesome, Dude, totally awesome.

I have no idea how Locker, a freshman, will do against Brennan, a 6-foot-3, 201-pound wily senior from Irvine, California. Brennan's part-time job is probably as a gunslinger for an outlaw gang.

Could Washington be in over its head? Is the Pope Catholic? Does a bear (----) in the woods?

I will have to remind Washington's equipment manager to bring not only the helmets and shoulder pads but flak jackets as well. Those missiles could be frequent and disturbing on the island Colt has built.

Let's hope the Warriors are hospitable to their victims.

Editor's Note: For letters from irate Hawaiian Warrior fans, see Ed's Sports articles.

December 29, 2007

Who Said That?

Famous Football Quotes by Vince Lombardi

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

College football's annual bowl season is full of surprises and spectacular moments. Famous coaches have had some memorable remarks about American's most popular sport, and here are some of them by legendary Green Bay Packer coach Vince Lombardi, who many consider to be the best of the best.

Lombardi's head coaching record in the National Football League was second to none. In 9 years with the Green Bay Packers, Lombardi's regular season won-loss percentage was 73% (96-34-6), his postseason was 90% (9-1) and his total was 75% (105-35-6).

He took a 1-10-1 team in 1958 to an NFL title in 3 years, and went on to win 5 NFL titles in 9 years (1961, 1962, 1965, 1966 and 1967) and three titles consecutively. He led the Packers to the first two Super Bowl titles in 1966 and 1967.

Lombardi's discipline was legendary. A lifelong Catholic, he spent 4 years in Cathedral Preparatory Seminary to become a Catholic priest before becoming a standout football player at St. Francis Preparatory High School.

An undersized guard at 5 foot 8 and 185 pounds, he was offered and accepted a football scholarship to Fordham University in the Bronx to play for "Sleepy" Jim Crowley, one of the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame in the 1920s. He would become part of the "Seven Blocks of Granite" that held Fordham's opponents scoreless several times during a 25-game winning streak.

After coaching at Fordham, Lombardi became the offensive line coach for West Point under another legendary head coach, Colonel Red Blaik. Lombardi then became the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants, working with defensive coordinator Tom Landry and head coach Jim Lee Howell, before becoming Green Bay's head coach in 1959.

Lombardi was 59 years old when he died of cancer in 1970. Grown men and Hall of Fame football players openly wept at his funeral.

Here are some of Vince Lombardi's best known quotes:

"If it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?"

"I firmly believe than any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle—victorious."

"There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game and that is first place. I have finished second twice in my time at Green Bay and I never want to finish second again."

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."

"Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence."

"The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender."

"Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser."

"Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit."

"If you can accept losing, you can't win."

"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence."

"Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect."

"Success demands singleness of purpose."

"It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up."

"It's easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you're a winner, when you're number one. What you got to have is faith and discipline when you're not a winner."

"The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have."

"We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time."

"Teamwork is what the Green Bay Packers are all about. They didn't do it for individual glory. They did it because they loved one another."

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will."

"Coaches who can outline plays on a black board are a dime a dozen. The ones who win get inside their player and motivate."

Here are some quotes by Lombardi's players:

"When Lombardi said 'sit down,' we didn't look for a chair." – Forrest Gregg, Hall of Fame tackle.

"He prepared us so well, and he motivated us so well, I felt he was a part of me on the field." Fuzzy Thurston.

"He pushed you to the end of your endurance and then beyond it. And if there was reserve there, well, he found that too." Henry Jordan, Hall of Fame defensive tackle.

"He made us better than we thought we could be." Jerry Kramer.

"Coach Lombardi showed me that by working hard and using my mind, I could overcome my weakness to the point that I could be one of the best." Bart Starr, Hall of Fame quarterback.

"The fear in my mind was not him but that for some reason I would not be a part of the team and be with this man." Forrest Gregg.

"He made you a believer. He told you what the other team was going to do, and he told you what you had to do to beat them, and invariably he was right." Willie Davis, Hall of Fame defensive back.

(Editor's Note: I have read and studied one of the best biographies on Lombardi: When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi. Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Maraniss, I highly recommend his book as a great read.)

January 2, 2008

Who Said That?

Famous Football Quotes by Knute Rockne

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

College football's annual bowl season is full of surprises and spectacular moments. Famous coaches have had some memorable remarks about American's most popular sport, and here are some of them by legendary Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne, who many consider to be the best of the best.

Knute Rockne's head coaching record in college football was second to none, and his won-loss percentage is better than any other college or pro coach ever.

In 13 years with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Rockne's regular season won-loss percentage was 90% (105-12-5), his winning percentage among all games was 86%, and he led Notre Dame to 6 national championships, winning titles in 1919 (9-0), 1920 (9-0), 1924 (10-0), 1927 (7-1-1), 1929 (9-0) and 1930 (10-0). Five of his 6 national championships came from undefeated teams.

Along the way he coached the immortal George "Gipper" Gipp, whose multiple skills lifted Notre Dame to national fame, and the "Four Horsemen" backfield of Harry Stuhldreher, Don Miller, Jim Crowley and Elmer Layden that led the Fighting Irish to a 28-2 record.

While covering a Notre Dame football game, sportswriter Grantland Rice penned the famous opening story line—"Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again"—that has become legend in sports history.

Rockne's influence on the game of football was immense. He is credited with helping popularize the forward pass, initiating intersectional rivalries, building a national schedule, and instituting the "Rockne Shift", a backfield T formation that quickly shifted into a box formation to the right or left as the ball was snapped.

Rockne was also the first coach to realize the market potential of football as an entertainment medium and openly promoted Notre Dame football by courting the media for free advertising so Notre Dame's football program would be financially successful.

Knute Rockne was a Norwegian immigrant who graduated magna cum laude from Notre Dame in 1914, played end for the Fighting Irish that defeated the highly-ranked Army team for the first time in 1913, and was a graduate assistant in chemistry before eventually becoming Notre Dame's head coach in 1918. A Protestant, he converted to Catholicism later in life.

Following his undefeated, 6th national championship team in 1930, Rockne died at age 43 as a passenger in a tragic Fokker airplane accident that would help revolutionize the transportation business and lead to the all-metal Boeing 247 aircraft. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951 as a charter member.

Here are some of Knute Rockne's best known quotes:

"Four years of football are calculated to breed in the average man more of the ingredients of success in life than almost any academic course he takes."

"At home we're the hosts, and I never liked the idea of being embarrassed in front of our friends."

"On the road we're somebody else's guests – and we play in a way that they're not going to forget we visited them."

"We count on winning. And if we lose, don't beef. And the best way to prevent beefing is – don't lose."

"Let's win one for the Gipper."

"I've found that prayers work best when you have big players."

"It isn't necessary to see a good tackle. You can hear it."

"One loss is good for the soul, too many losses is not good for the coach."

"Show me a good and gracious loser and I'll show you a failure."

"Yes, I know that you feel you are not strong enough. That's what the enemy thinks too. But we're gonna fool them."

"The secret is to work less as individuals and more as a team. As a coach, I play not my eleven best, but my best eleven."

"One man practicing sportsmanship is better than a hundred teaching it."

"Most men, when they think they are thinking, are merely rearranging their prejudices."

January 3, 2008

Who Said That?

Famous Football Quotes by Lou Holtz

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

College football's annual bowl season is full of surprises and spectacular moments. Famous coaches have had some memorable remarks about American's most popular sport, and here are some of them by Lou Holtz, who some consider to be the best of the best college coaches and for good reason.

It is true that Knute Rockne won 5 more national championships at Norte Dame than Lou Holtz did at Notre Dame (Holtz led the Fighting Irish to 1 national title in 1988).

It is also true that Knute Rockne has a regular season won-loss percentage of 90% (105-12-5) at Notre Dame, and that Lou Holtz has a regular season won-loss percentage of 77% (100-30-2) at Notre Dame.

However, Lou Holtz is the only coach in NCAA history to lead 6 different programs to bowl games (William & Mary, North Carolina State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina), and the only coach to guide 4 different programs to final top 20 rankings (North Carolina State, South Carolina twice, Arkansas 5 times and Notre Dame 7 times).

Lou Holtz became known for his quick wit and ability to inspire players. Both Knute Rockne and Green Bay Packer coach Vince Lombardi became legendary for their ability to inspire players.

In addition to his coaching career, Holtz has gone on to author 5 books and become both a motivational speaker and television commentator.

Here are some of Lou Holtz's best known quotes:

"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it."

"Motivation is simple. You eliminate those who are not motivated."

"The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it."

"When all is said and done, more is said than done."

"It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it."

"No one has ever drowned in sweat."

"On this team, we're all united in a common goal: to keep my job."

"Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I'll show you someone who has overcome adversity."

"The problem with having a sense of humor is often (the) people you use it on aren't in a very good mood."

"In the successful organization, no detail is too small to escape close attention."

"It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true test."

"If you're bored with life—you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things—you don't have enough goals."

"If you burn your neighbor's house down, it doesn't make your house look any better."

"You'll never get ahead of anyone as long as you try to get even with him."

"I think everyone should experience defeat at least once during their career. You learn a lot from it."

"I never learn anything talking. I only learn things when I ask questions."

"If he's got golf clubs in his truck or a camper in his driveway, I don't hire him."

"How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a loser."

"Coaching is nothing more than eliminating mistakes before you get fired."

"A lifetime contract for a coach means if you're ahead in the third quarter and moving the ball, they can't fire you."

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."

"You're never as good as everyone tells you when you win, and you're never as bad as they say when you lose."

December 7, 2007

A Look at 'Bama, ASU and MSU

Evaluating Three First-Year Coaches: Saban, Erickson and Dantonio – Part 1

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Early in the 2007 college football season I identified three capable, experienced new first-year coaches brought in to rescue troubled programs—Nick Saban at Alabama, Dennis Erickson at Arizona State and Mark Dantonio at Michigan State. Since the regular season has ended, it is time to evaluate their performance.

I created a new system to do so. The basis is the actual NCAA regular season team statistics for the 5 main offensive and 5 main defensive categories. These are Scoring Offense, Total Offense, Rushing Offense, Passing Offense, Pass Efficiency Offense, Scoring Defense, Total Defense, Rushing Defense, Pass Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense.

A numerical value (1 to 5) was then assigned for the 119 Division 1A schools. The Top 10 in each category got a "Great" rating of 5, the next 20 got a "Good" rating of 4, the next 59 an "Average" rating of 3, the next 20 a "Poor" rating of 2, and the bottom 10 a "Terrible" rating of 1.

The Great and Good ratings represent the top 25% of the schools, the Average rating represents the middle 50%, and the Poor and Terrible ratings represent the bottom 25% of the schools.

Given this system, the best results were clearly produced by Dennis Erickson, followed by Mark Dantonio and then Nick Saban.

When Arizona State signed Dennis Erickson as its head coach, the Sun Devils won the lottery. Erickson is arguably among the 5 greatest current college football coaches in the country, and he has the performance record to back up my assertion. Before arriving at Arizona State, Erickson had:

1) Led Miami (FL) to a 63-9 record (.875 winning percentage) during a 6-year period that produced two national championships in 1989 (11-1) and 1991 (12-0). Erickson logged 32 straight home victories, part of the longest home winning streak in college football history as Miami won 58 straight from 1985 to 1994.

2) Engineered one of the biggest turnarounds in college football history at Oregon State, taking a team that had not had a winning season in 28 years to a 7-5 record his first year, and an 11-1 mark his second year, beating Notre Dame 41-9 in the Fiesta Bowl and ending the year ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll. He was named Pac 10 Coach of the Year, and the Sporting News National Coach of the Year.

3) Inherited a pathetic Washington State team and was 9-3 his second year, upsetting top-ranked UCLA and beating Houston 24-22 in the Aloha Bowl in 1988. The bowl victory was the first for Washington State in 57 years. He was named Pac 10 Coach of the Year.

4) Inherited a struggling Idaho program and instantly turned it into 4 consecutive winning seasons with a 32-15 record and two Division IAA playoff appearances.

5) Joined Lou Holtz as the only coaches in the past 20 seasons to win 3 games against No. 1 ranked teams in the AP Poll. He beat top-ranked UCLA, Notre Dame (snapping a 23-game winning streak for the Fighting Irish) and Florida (snapping a 16-game winning streak for the Siminoles).

So how did Erickson do in his first regular season at Arizona State? Not too shabby. He inherited a 7-6 team that had suffered an embarrassing 41-24 loss to Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl, and promptly won his first 8 games, rising to No. 6 in the AP Poll before losing to Oregon.

The Sun Devils finished the season at 10-2 with a No. 11 ranking in the BCS Standings. Arizona State will face Texas (9-3) in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27. He was again selected as Pac 10 Coach of the Year this year, and also nominated for the 2007 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.

Erickson did start with some talent but the statistics highlight his coaching ability. On offense the Sun Devils were no more than Average in Scoring Offense, Total Offense, Rushing Offense and Passing Offense and Good in Pass Efficiency Offense. On defense they were Good in Scoring Defense, Total Defense, Rushing Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense and Average in Pass Defense.

Erickson is known as an offensive innovator but his greatest legacy is winning football games. He lifetime record is currently 158-67-1. Dennis Erickson was a better coach than either Nick Saban or Mark Dantonio this year.

Editor's Note: This is Part 1 of a 3-Part Series. Part 2 evaluates Mark Dantonio's performance at Michigan State.

December 8, 2007

A Look at 'Bama, ASU and MSU

Evaluating Three First-Year Coaches: Saban, Erickson and Dantonio – Part 2

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

When Mark Dantonio took over as head coach at Michigan State University this year, he was really a low-profile appointee and far less known than Dennis Erickson and Nick Saban outside of the college football fraternity.

Dantonio had made his biggest impression as an assistant coach at Ohio State rather than as a head coach at Cincinnati. Not that he did poorly at Cincinnati. He became only the second head coach in Cincinnati history to take the Bearcats to a bowl game in his first season in 2004, topping Marshall 32-14 in the Fort Worth Bowl to cap a 7-5 season.

His 2006 Cincinnati Bearcats played the second toughest schedule in the country and went 7-5 overall with four losses to ranked teams and also an upset victory over then-ranked No. 7 Rutgers, marking the highest-ranked opponent ever defeated in Bearcat history.

While serving as the Defensive Coordinator at Ohio State, Dantonio helped the Buckeyes to a 32-6 record in three seasons, and Ohio State was 14-0 and won the national championship in 2002. His national championship defense was 2nd nationally in Scoring Defense.

In the 2003 season his defense ranked first nationally in Rushing Defense and 9th in Total Defense, which led the Buckeyes to an 11-2 record and a No. 4 national ranking. Six Buckeye defenders were named first team All-Big 10 during Dantonio's 3-year tenure and 13 were drafted into the NFL, including two first round picks.

Prior to becoming Michigan State's head coach, he spent 6 years with the Spartans as the secondary coach and associate head coach. He was instrumental in Michigan State's successful 1999 season when the Spartans were 10-2, won the Florida Citrus Bowl, and ranked No. 7 in the final polls.

Dantonio's first season at Michigan State was the school's most successful since 2003. His Spartans went 7-5, losing all 5 games by 7 points or less, and becoming bowl eligible for the first time in four years. The Spartans will play the Boston College Eagles in the Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 28. Coincidentally, Michigan State defeated Boston College for the College Hockey National Championship in 2007.

Dantonio, known for his defensive prowess, won 7 games this year despite his inherited players scoring Average in all major defensive categories: Scoring Defense, Total Defense, Rushing Defense, Pass Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense.

His offense was Good in Scoring Offense (24th nationally), Rushing Offense (22nd nationally) and Pass Efficiency Offense (23rd nationally) while his Total Offense and Passing Offense were Average.

The former defensive back at South Carolina inherited a team that was not bowl-eligible and went 5-7, 5-6 and 4-8 the last three years. Going 7-5 and earning a bowl game in his first season was an accomplishment, especially since Dantonio did not pick the talent-level of his players, and trust me when I say they had some slugs on defense.

Michigan State lost by a touchdown to both No. 1-ranked Ohio State and Iowa in away games, lost by a field goal to Wisconsin away, lost by a touchdown to Northwestern in overtime at home, and lost by 4 points to Michigan at home. In 4 of those losses, the Spartans gave up 48, 37, 34 and 28 points; that is simply giving up too many points to expect to win.

Dantonio's first recruiting class currently ranks 55th according to Scout.com with no recruits in the Top 100, no 5-star players and one 4-star player. This is not a good sign. Notre Dame has the top recruiting class in the country with seven Top 100 players, four 5-star players and thirteen 4-star players. Yikes!

Ohio State, another big competitor for recruiting in the Midwest, has nine Top 100 players, four 5-star players and eight 4-star players. The Spartans are going to have to tighten their helmet strap a little tighter and dig deeper to fight off this kind of opposition.

Let us hope that Mark Dantonio and his players understand that motivation is an inside job. The coaches pick the talent and convince the talent to come to their program, but the players ultimately make their talent pay. You cannot win big without talent, but talent has to not only show up but play on game day or you lose anyway.

Editor's Note: This is Part 2 of a 3-Part Series. Part 3 evaluates Nick Saban's performance at Alabama.

December 9, 2007

A Look at 'Bama, ASU and MSU

Evaluating Three First-Year Coaches: Saban, Erickson and Dantonio – Part 3

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Unlike the hiring of Dennis Erickson at Arizona State and Mark Dantonio at Michigan State, the hiring of Nick Saban as Alabama's new head coach became a national media event.

It was not just Saban's incredible coaching record that made his signing such a big deal, it was more the fact that his 8-year, $32 million contract made him the highest paid college football coach ever.

Saban paid his dues in the trenches as a defensive assistant and/or defensive coordinator at Kent State, Syracuse, West Virginia, Ohio State, Navy and Michigan State in the college ranks and with the Houston Oilers in the pros. As a head coach, Saban:

1) Took the Toledo Rockets from a 6-5 record to a 9-2 mark and the Mid-American Conference co-championship before leaving after a year to become Defensive Coordinator for the NFL Cleveland Browns for 4 years under Bill Belichick.

The Browns went from allowing the most points in the NFL (462) prior to Saban's arrival to allowing the fewest points in the league (204) in 2004, the sixth-fewest points surrendered in NFL history at the time. In 4 years of guiding Cleveland, the Browns never allowed an average of 20 points scored for any opponent.

2) Left the Browns to return to Michigan State as its head coach. When he arrived, the Spartans had played one bowl game in the last 5 years. Saban had the Spartans in 4 bowl games in 5 years, becoming the first Spartan coach to lead his team to consecutive bowl appearances in his first 3 seasons.

In 1999, his last year, Michigan State defeated Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State in the same year for the first time since 1965, and recorded 6 home victories for the first time since the 1912 season. The Spartans were ranked 7th nationally as a team, 5th nationally in Rushing Defense and 11th in Total Defense.

3) Served another 5-year stint at Louisiana State (LSU), producing a 48-16 record (.750 winning percentage in the SEC) while winning a national championship in 2003, 2 Southeastern Conference titles, and 3 SEC West Division championships. His 48 victories in 5 years were the 3rd most among Division 1A head coaches at that time.

He was selected as the 2003 National Coach of the Year by the Associated Press, and earned both the Paul "Bear" Bryant National Coach of the Year Award, and the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award by the Football Writers Association of America.

Saban promoted academic success at LSU as well as football success, producing 84 Academic All-SEC honorees in 5 seasons, including 25 members of his 2003 national championship team, which led the national in Scoring Defense and Total Defense. Twenty-eight of his players were selected in the NFL draft. Thirteen of his players from his 2003 national championship team would go on to play in the NFL.

Saban's 2001 team went 10-3 and won the program's first outright SEC title since 1986 and its first victory in a New Year's Day bowl game since 1968. And, yes, he probably could have been elected governor of Louisiana.

4) Spent 2 years as head coach of the Miami Dolphins in the NFL. Miami was 4-12 when he took over and 9-7 in his first season.

5) Moved on to the Alabama job after bolting from the Miami Dolphins 2 years into a 5-year contract. No one has questioned his success on the field but many have questioned his loyalty and coaching methods. Saban is not a big fan of mediocrity, and he does not tolerate false effort. He demands and gets a lot from his players.

He is comfortable under the klieg lights of Hollywood, and some think he is too full of himself. Given a vote at the University of Alabama, I would guess that the Crimson Tide are happy he is on their side of the field.

Among the three first-year coaches being evaluated in this article—Dennis Erickson of Arizona State, Mark Dantonio of Michigan State and Nick Saban of Alabama—Saban has had the least success.

Alabama's offense was Average in Scoring Offense, Total Offense, Rushing Offense and Passing Offense and Poor in Pass Efficiency Offense. Saban's defense, his strong suit, was Good in Scoring Defense (29th nationally), Total Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense (both 28th nationally), and Average in Rushing Defense and Passing Defense.

Overall, Alabama scored 32 of 50 possible points in my rating system, Michigan State scored 33 of 50 and Arizona State 35 of 50.

Alabama was 6-2 this year at its zenith before hitting a downward spiral in its last 4 games, losing by a touchdown to LSU 41-34, getting beat on the road at Mississippi State 17-12 (bad), losing at home by a touchdown to Louisiana-Monroe 21-14 (terrible), and then dropping its last game to Auburn by a touchdown on the road 17-10 (horrific). Friend, you just do not lose to Auburn when you coach Alabama.

Nick Saban and his Crimson Tide will have at least one shot at some redemption when they face Colorado (6-6) in the Independence Bowl on Dec. 30. A more accurate name for this bowl match-up might be the Mediocre Bowl. Despite Saban's first-year record, the smart money will still be on Alabama, at least for this game.

Editor's Note: This is the last of a 3-Part Series.

July 19, 2007

The Tide Hires a Proven Winner

Nick Saban: A Great College Football Coach Who Might Bring Alabama Back to Greatness

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Nick Saban recently became the University of Alabama football coach by signing the richest contract ever awarded to a college football coach.

His 8-year, $32 million deal with the Crimson Tide has a base salary of $225,000 that will be supplemented by a personal services fee of $3.275 to $3.975 million per year. College football supporters are awash with money for winners who they believe can put their team on top.

Saban's deal does not include a buyout clause if he leaves, but it does cap public appearances at 15 per year (for alumni and booster clubs) that are unrelated to endorsements.

The contract also has incentives that could generate another $650,000 for on-field and academic success with his players. One biggie is $200,000 if he reaches the BCS championship game and escalates to $400,000 if Alabama wins.

Saban also gets a country club membership, two cars, a luxury box at Bryant-Denny Stadium and up to 25 hours of yearly flight time for personal travel in a non-commercial plane.

Ah, it is good to be Nick Saban in Alabama today. Now he must win and win big, something he has been able to do at other college coaching positions.

In his only year as head coach at Toledo he took the Rockets from 6-5 to 9-2 and the Mid-American Conference co-championship.

Saban then went to Michigan State and in five seasons turned the Spartans from a mediocre, continual late-season failure into a 9-2 season that included wins over Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State before he resigned in 1999.

A season earlier, MSU knocked off then No. 1 ranked Ohio State 28-24 at Ohio Stadium and routed highly-ranked Notre Dame before folding later in the season.

If the Big 10 was not tough enough, Saban's next stop was another five seasons with the LSU Tigers in the even tougher, nastier Southeastern Conference.

He chalked up a 10-3 mark and an SEC championship in his second year and topped things off with a 13-1 record in his fourth season (2003) that earned the Tigers a second SEC championship with Saban as well as the BCS national championship title after a 21-14 win over the Oklahoma Sooners.

After two average years trying to get the Miami Dolphins of the NFL in gear, he left to become Alabama's new hope. Saban was able to build a defense with the Dolphins but never really got the offense going, suffering his first losing record as a head coach.

Saban's extended family has football connections. His cousin Lou Saban was a two-time All-Big Ten player at Indiana University and later was head coach for the NFL Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos and New England Patriots.

Saban played as a defensive back for Don James when James was head coach at Kent State University. James also coached NFL great Jack Lambert and led the Golden Flashes (it may be true) to their only Mid-American Conference title in 1972.

Like Saban, James was a winner. James went on to coach 18 seasons at the University of Washington. He was twice named National College Coach of the Year (1984 and 1991), guided Washington to the National Championship in 1991, took the Huskies to 6 Rose Bowls (winning 4), won the Orange Bowl title in 1985, had a 10-5 bowl game record, and won 22 straight games from 1990 to 1992.

James was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997; Saban will likely be inducted into the same Hall of Fame at some point in the future.

Here is what Saban had to say about James: "Don James was my college coach at Kent State. I guess he had as much of an impact on me as anyone in terms of organization, quality of work, (and) being the best you can be. He's the person that got me (into) coaching."

Saban was a graduate assistant and then defensive assistant for the Kent State University football team.

I have distant connections to Saban and James.

I graduated from Michigan State in 1966 and saw two great years of football before graduating. I remember the 1966 "Game of the Century" between then No. 2 ranked Michigan State and No. 1 ranked Notre dame that ended in a 10-10 tie when Norte Dame decided to settle for a tie rather than go for the victory.

There were 5 All Americans on MSU's 1966 team: fullback Bob Apisa, halfback Clinton Jones, defensive end Charles "Bubba" Smith, wide receiver Gene Washington and rover (linebacker) George Webster.

I remember a game in 1965 when All-American running back Jim Grabowski from Illinois and George Webster were running full steam toward each other and Webster flattened Grabowski. It was one of the greatest tackles I ever witnessed. Grobowski went on the play for the NFL Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.

Football at MSU then turned to crap until Nick Saban arrived and took the Spartans back to prominence. It was one long drought that lasted from 1967 to 1999.

I relocated to Washington State in 1973 and followed the University of Washington Huskies—and Don James—closer than I did Michigan State during those years. Here in Washington Don James is affectionately known as the "Dawgfather" and treated with as much respect as was Don Corleone in The Godfather movie.

You will not meet a better college football coach or person than Don James, he is always about honesty, integrity and doing the right thing.

My expectation is that Nick Saban will bring Alabama football back to its rightful place. I have been a Crimson Tide fan since the day "Joe Willie" Namath walked onto the Alabama campus.

I am also fired up for the football season to start as Michigan State has a new head coach, a guy named Mark Dantonio who is serious about defense and will instill the kind of discipline and winning attitude MSU needs.

The days of the country club atmosphere are over at Michigan State. Players will either get with it or get gone. Dantonio will not accept losing and neither will Saban. Look out SEC, here comes Nick Saban.

January 2, 2007

Trick Plays Bury the Sooners:

Boise State Looked Oklahoma in the Eye and Showed How Belief Makes a Winner

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

After checking out the list of college football bowl games, I focused on paying attention to two of the 32 games scheduled: Boise State taking on Oklahoma and Florida against Ohio State in the BCS National Championship Game.

The bowl season which started on December 19 ends with Florida/Ohio State this coming Monday, January 8, 2007.  When it is all said and done, 32 bowl games will be played in 21 days.

So why Boise State and Oklahoma on New Year's Day?

For openers, Boise State came into the game undefeated with a 12-0 record and was snubbed by the BCS system for a shot in the National Championship Game against Ohio State. The reason is simply that Boise State is a small Division I school and plays in what many pundits consider the substandard Western Athletic Conference.

The WAC includes Utah State, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, Idaho, Fresno State, Nevada, San Jose State and Hawaii. Boise State won the WAC title with an 8-0 record. Many die-hard football fans do not even consider the WAC a conference.

Oklahoma, on the other hand, plays in the mighty Big 12 conference which boasts such current powerhouse programs as Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Nebraska. Oklahoma won the Big 12 South championship with an 8-1 mark and came into the Fiesta Bowl with an 11-2 record.

You can imagine that Oklahoma was favored not only to take down but also slap around Boise State and its unblemished 12-0 record.

Someone forgot to tell the Boise State players not to bother showing up.

In one of the most exciting bowl games in college football history, Boise State not only led early on (21-10 at the half) but looked to put the game away until Oklahoma methodically mounted a comeback, taking a 35-28 lead with 1:02 remaining when Sooner cornerback Marcus Walker's returned an interception for a touchdown.

The Boise State Broncos subsequently found themselves at midfield with a fourth-and-18 and only 7 seconds left.

It was enough time for Boise State to pull off a jaw-dropping 50-yard pass play to Drisan James at Oklahoma's 35, and for James to lateral the ball to Jerard Rabb who raced into the end zone to tie the game at 35. It was a play the Broncos practiced all season but seldom ran.

Oklahoma's defensive secondary moved with James as his catch and run was going one way when James pitched to Rabb going the other way. The defensive secondary was out of position and could not stop Rabb from tying it up, sending the game into overtime.

The Oklahoma Sooners scored on the first play in overtime as Adrian Peterson scampered virtually untouched for 25 yards. It looked as if the game was over.

But Boise State receiver Vinny Perretta threw a fourth-down touchdown pass to Derek Schouman to put the Broncos within an extra point kick of tying it up yet again.

However, Boise State Head Coach Chris Petersen and his Bronco players decided not to give Oklahoma another chance and went for the two-point conversion and victory instead.

On the decisive last play, Broncos quarterback Jared Zabransky looked at three wide receivers to his right, pump faked, and then he handed the ball behind his back to Ian Johnson who raced untouched into the end zone for the dramatic victory.

Who would have thought to run the old Statue of Liberty play in a game this important? Answer: Boise State. Talk about a kahuna. Oklahoma could not even spell the word, much less stop Johnson on his run into Boise State history.

The final score read Boise State 43 and Oklahoma 42. There were a lot of unhappy Sooners and Sooner fans and a lot of ecstatic Broncos and Bronco fans after the amazing game-ending play.

Ian Johnson, who scored the winning two-point conversion, kept running right over to his cheerleader girl friend and proposed; she accepted and jumped into his arms. This is college football folks, not the pro football which sometimes can put you to sleep sometimes on its best day.

Petersen completed his first year at Boise State undefeated at 13-0 after taking over for Dan Hawkins who left to become head coach at Colorado.

Underlying this incredible college football bowl game was the belief of the Boise State players that they could upset Oklahoma, proving once again that anything man can see and believe he can achieve.

Never, never, ever underestimate the power of belief. Clearly, the Boise State players would not have won the game as underdogs unless they believed they could win.

One of my favorite expressions is ask and you shall receive, don't and you won't.

In this case, it was believe and you shall win, don't and you won't.

May 21, 2008

Rare DVDs Now Available

A Great High School Football Rivalry: Central vs. Northern in Flint, Michigan

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

The football talent to come out of the Flint, Michigan area in its heyday is legion. For openers, try the great Paul Krause, Lynn Chandnois, Don Coleman and Leo Sugar, then add Andre Rison, Carl Banks, Clarence Peaks, Leon Burton and Tom Alward.

The old-timers all played in the traditional Thanksgiving Day football game between Flint Central and Flint Northern High Schools, and now those of us who grew up in that era can relive some of those great games.

Rare films of the classic Thanksgiving Day football games in Flint, Michigan, between Flint Northern and Flint Central High Schools are now being made available to the public on DVD to help raise funds for the restoration of Flint's Atwood Stadium.

Plans for the DVD sale were recently announced by the Atwood Stadium Authority—an organization headed by Genesee County Circuit Judge Duncan Beagle—which has been helping restore the venerable stadium.

The football rivalry between Flint's largest public high schools began in 1928 after Northern High opened. The first game was held at Central's Dort Field and the 1929 contest was played at Northern. Starting in 1930, all Thanksgiving games were held in newly opened Atwood Stadium until the Turkey Day tradition ended after the 1976 game.

I attended the games during my high school years at Flint Central during 1959, 1960 and 1961 before graduating in June of 1962. Lynn Chandnois, Don Coleman and Clarence Peaks among others I have forgotten were all graduates of Flint Central.

The series was once Flint's biggest sports spectacle. In the 1930s, '40s and '50s it regularly drew more than 15,000 spectators and twice more than 20,000 attended. Some games were sellouts and in many years portable bleachers were required.

The Flint Journal, Flint's daily newspaper, covered the game with pages of sequence photos and numerous articles. Back in the day when there was no computers, no cell phones, no pagers, no Internet, no video games and other associated distractions, football was huge in Flint. No one with a lick of sense and a competitive nature ever missed the annual Thanksgiving clash between these two high school powerhouses.

Crowds dwindled in the 1970s after other Flint high schools opened and suburban schools began to draw large football crowds. Thanksgiving was abandoned in place of a regular Friday night date after high school playoffs required the change in schedule.

At least parts of 24 of the 49 Thanksgiving games have been found, and the search for others goes on. Films of individual games, transferred to DVD, are being sold for $25, plus shipping and handling. Half of the price goes for duplicating and sales expenses, and the other half is being donated directly to the Atwood Stadium Authority. The Authority chose VIDCAM in Grand Blanc, which donated film transfer service, to handle orders.

The DVDs may be purchased by contacting VIDCAM Productions, 7550 S. Saginaw St., Suite 1, Grand Blanc, MI 48439. The phone number is (810) 694-0996 and the e-mail address for VIDCAM President Craig Smith is craig@vidcamproductions.com.

Most of the films now available are for games played after 1950. Every game from 1951 to 1976 is available except for 1954, 1962, 1963 and 1967, although for four other games—1957, 1964, 1972 and 1973—only one half is available. Some are in black and white, some in color.

The color film of the famous 1953 game, won by Northern 15-13 and featuring a controversial safety, last-minute touchdown and last-second pass to the Northern 1-yard-line, has been given special treatment.

It has been edited for highlights, with narration of the highlights written by Larry Gustin, a onetime sports writer, author and Buick Public Relations assistant director (who covered the 1963 game for The Flint Journal). The highlights are voiced by Bill Harris, WJRT (ABC Channel 12) anchorman. The full game in silent mode follows the highlights. The other films are silent and have not been edited.

Only two games are available from before 1950—1938 and 1942. In the '42 game, Central's Lynn Chandnois, later a Michigan State all-American and professional football star, can be seen in several plays, notably tackling Northern's Bill Hamilton to end a 58-yard sprint.

Gustin began the search for Thanksgiving films in 2007 after learning several films taken by The Flint Journal in the 1950s were still in The Journal's files, where he had last seen them in the early '60s.

Gustin said he and a group of Flint football enthusiasts, including Ron Sack and Gary Fisher, are trying to locate some of the other films. Sack, who was drum major of the Northern band in the early 1960s, is a former teacher at Northern and former junior varsity baseball coach at Southwestern High in Flint. Fisher, a financial adviser and part-time radio show host, played for Central in the early 1980s.

Among game films being sought, one of particular interest is the 1950 game, which drew a record crowd of 20,600, and which was won by Northern on a spectacular 79-yard run by Leroy Bolden with less than three minutes left. So far it has not surfaced.

Gustin said he hopes people who shot amateur film of that game, or some of the others that are missing, will search their old home movies and find some. Already he has a few plays from what he believes is the tie in 1948 and from the snow-clogged field in 1949. There is not enough to offer for sale but such clips could be used if an overall highlights film of the series is eventually created.

Those who find old Thanksgiving films are urged to call Gustin at (248) 393-8239 or e-mail him at lrgustin1@aol.com, or contact Ron Sack at ronsacker@yahoo.com or Gary Fisher at ply2win2006@aol.com. Other sports events staged at Atwood, such as the 1947 Willie Pep-Jock Leslie featherweight title fight, are also being sought.

"The sale of these films will probably net only a small amount of money for Atwood Stadium renovation," said Gustin. "but this project will create new interest in the stadium, will allow former players and others to obtain film they will find priceless, and will capture an important part of Flint's sports history for future generations."

I got on the phone the day after finding out about the project and ordered DVDs of the 1953 and 1961 games.

To this day, my Flint Central varsity letter jacket hangs on the wall of my home office in Lacey, Washington. I was a cross-country and track runner for Flint Central but still remember the excitement of the big game at Atwood Stadium every Thanksgiving Day. The next time I return to Flint I will re-visit Atwood Stadium, close my eyes and remember the roar of the thousands with the opening kickoff.

Read my other articles on football, including "Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi, Knute Rockne and Lou Holtz During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss", "The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them" and my 14 consecutive weekly wrap-up articles on the 2007 College Football Season as well as wrap-up articles on all 32 College Bowl Games.<br><br>

Many of my articles can be published with no charge by newsletters, newspapers and magazines through EzineArticles.com, the largest articles directory on the Internet with 85,000+ authors and 1 million+ articles. Look for "The Biggest Mistake Potential Hires Make While Interviewing for a Job" and "Before You Interview, Learn and Practice Ed's 'Zip a Lip' Theory" in EzineArticles' Business Category under Careers Employment.

November 23, 2006

High School Football:

Thanksgiving in the Midwest Meant Rivalry Game

Copyright © 2006 Ed Bagley

I was born and raised in the Midwest, in Flint, Michigan which was at one time headquarters of the then industrial giant General Motors, with plants spread around Flint like cornfields in Nebraska, they don't call it the Cornhusker State for nothing.

Growing up we were a blended family, the remnants of a couple of marriages gone wrong, coming together as six children (three from each parent) to make a family of eight.

Thanksgiving dinner was always my favorite meal. I ate a lot more meat, potatoes and gravy than vegetables, and our relatives in Illinois were fond of saying that you knew you were in heaven when the first thing served at a meal was corn. I ate a lot of corn.

I ate two helpings of turkey, potatoes, dressing and gravy, and seldom bothered with dessert, preferring the basics to the sweet stuff.

Thanksgiving Day in Flint was always a big deal because the two oldest high school football teams played their annual rivalry game at Atwood Stadium (I doubt it is even there anymore). As I remember it, Atwood held thousands of fans, far more than could ever fit in a normal high school stadium. Atwood at one time hosted a minor league baseball team.

The game was early in the day, and the meal was always later in the afternoon. Some years the weather was better than others, but the fans always came and cheered as if it were the last high school game ever to be played (losing was taken as seriously as a death in the family).

Back then sports were a big deal. There were no video games, no rock bands, no kids involved in music as we see today; interest was focused on sports, and if you started on the varsity team in any sport at Flint Central High School, you were a big man on campus.

I never quite fit the mold because, while I was one of Michigan's top prep runners, I was a strapping 5-foot-9 and 111 pounds upon graduation. After competing at Michigan State University in cross-country and track, I weighed 118 going into the Vietnam Conflict.

I would return a very different person, but that is another story. Only now, after living for threescore and two years, can I appreciate how precious and fragile life is, and we are. Join me in counting your blessings today, and say a silent prayer for those who are less fortunate.

Be thankful for what you have this day, and for what you can do with the rest of your life to deserve the gifts you have been given.

2007 Pro Football

February 6, 2008

About Super Bowl 42

Here's a Different Slant on the Giants' Upset Win to Become World Champs

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

There is a reason why the winner of the Super Bowl earns the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a symbol of excellence in the football world. Lombardi encouraged his Green Bay Packer players to pursue perfection so they might catch excellence.

As it turns out, Lombardi and his players caught a lot more than 5 National Football League titles and the first 2 Super Bowl titles. They developed a bond among themselves that lasted a lifetime for those who have passed on, and still survives for those who continue the memory of Lombardi's great leadership and their great work ethic.

Perhaps some years from now the New York Giants will experience that same kind of bond that comes with such a great triumph as their conquest of the New England Patriots and the NFL world this year.

There is no way the Giants could have lived and played through the last 5 weeks of their season without becoming "one" with a purpose bigger than the odds they faced.

New York started by traveling to Tampa Bay and defeating the NFL's second-ranked defense on the Buccaneers home turf. Then the Giants traveled to Dallas to upset the Cowboys on their home field, becoming the first team to defeat a No. 1 seed in the NFL playoffs.

New York then played through a wind chill factor of 23 degrees in Green Bay to turn back the Packers and win the National Football Conference championship, earning the right to play the Patriots in Super Bowl 42. After upsetting New England 17-14 they walked away with the Lombardi Trophy and became the first NFC wild-card team to do so.

Perhaps Vince Lombardi said it best: "If it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?" Lombardi was a winner and now the Giants are too.

New England, which won Super Bowl 36, Super Bowl 38 and Super Bowl 39, will now be remembered as the team that was the first to go 18-0 and then lose in Super Bowl 42 to the Giants. Coach Bill Belichick's jaws were so wired after the defeat he barely uttered 10 words.

The 1972 Miami Dolphins remain the only undefeated NFL team in its 88-year history with their 17-0 record and Super Bowl 7 victory over the Washington Redskins, 14-7.

Embedded in the hard-drive of my mind 40 years from now (assuming I live to be 103) will be two memories:

1) Eli Manning, seemingly surrounded by Patriot rushers, breaking away like a magician from the grasp of an arm not strong enough to rip off his jersey, coming clear in desperation to heave an arcing pass down the field and a heretofore nobody named David Tyree leaping upward over rivals to catch the ball over his head, falling backward, and hanging on even though he was viciously hit in his arm on the way down by Patriot safety Rodney Harrison in an attempt to knock the ball free.

Tyree's 32-yard catch against all odds on 3rd-and-15 with 1:15 left on New York's game-winning drive has to be one of the greatest catches in the history of championship football at any level. Incredible is a weak description of just how good his catch and hold was. He will likely never have such a great moment if he plays another 15 years in the NFL.

Almost forgotten in all of this is just how close Manning was to being sacked and the Patriots going on to preserve their then 4-point lead and possible victory.

New England's great run to an 18-0 mark now becomes a lot less with their Super Bowl loss to the Giants. It is too bad for the Patriots; the Giants could not be happier.

2) Manning's 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Plaxico Burress in the corner of the end zone with 35 seconds left happened because 6-foot-5, 232-pound Plaxico Burress was left isolated one-on-one with 5-foot-9, 195-pound cornerback Ellis Hobbs. Hobbs was at least 2 steps behind Burress and in no position to even contest for the ball, which would probably have been useless anyway with Plaxico's tremendous leaping ability, kind of like 5-foot-9 me going one-on-one against Michael Jordan.

Do not blame Hobbs for the loss. Patriot quarterback Tom Brady, who had the snot beat out of him from taking hits all afternoon by the Giants' much faster defensive rushers, did his usual come-from-behind last minute drive to give New England back the lead, 14-10.

Even linebacker Teddy Bruschi, the heart of the Pats defense, had embraced fellow backer Junior Seau on the sideline after the Pats went ahead and prior to the fateful drive, acknowledging that Seau was about to earn his first, long-awaited Super Bowl ring. Somebody forgot to stop Eli Manning and the Giants during the last 2 minutes of the game.

Burress, who had predicted a Giant victory amid the laughs and derisive remarks of almost everyone, caught the winning TD pass. He is a Michigan State University product just like myself. I could not be happier for Plaxico. It pains me to acknowledge that Plaxico was born 11 years AFTER I graduated from MSU.

Last fall I made up my mind to cover college football in my blog and did not even attempt to cover or comment on the NFL. It has now proved to be an excellent decision. I cannot imagine following the New England Patriots all year, fawning over their perfect record run, and being so let down in the Super Bowl.

All hail to the Giants, well, at least until the first NFL kickoff next season, then it will be go Seattle Seahawks for me. What was the name of that almost perfect team? I seem to have forgotten already.

January 14, 2008

2007 NFL Playoffs:

Seattle Seahawks Croak as Packers Kick Them Silly in the Snowflakes, 42-20

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

Mike Holmgren's Seattle Seahawks did absolutely nothing to disturb the greatness of the NFL's most historic venue at Lambeau Field Saturday (1-12-08) in Green Bay, Wisconsin, home of the advancing Green Bay Packers.

Packer Quarterback Brett Favre (pronounced Farve) had a 7-2 postseason record at home that is now 8-2. He had a 4-2 record in the playoffs against Seattle that is now 5-2.

Favre is statistically the greatest signal-caller in National Football League history with a record 253 consecutive regular-season starts (second best in history at ANY position), a record 61,665 career passing yards, a record 442 career touchdown passes, and a record 160 career wins, the most by any starting QB.

And, oh yeah, Favre is the only 3-time NFL Most Valuable Player. He won in 1995, in 1996 when Seattle coach Mike Holmgren coached the Packers to the Super Bowl 31 title by beating New England, 35-21, and in 1997 when the Holmgren-led Packers lost Super Bowl 32 to Denver, 31-24.

The Packers record for playoff wins at Lambeau Field was 14-2 before Saturday. Now it is 15-2, thanks to Seattle. In a 2003 survey by ESPN The Magazine, the Packers ranked as the No. 1 franchise among the 121 major sports teams in North America.

The Seahawks also did absolutely nothing Saturday to advance their chances of getting into their second Super Bowl appearance in 3 years. After jumping out to a 14-0 lead by converting two fumbles by first-year running back Ryan Grant into touchdowns during the first 4 minutes of the game, the Seahawks laid down and died a slow death among the falling snowflakes at Lambeau Field.

The (we thought) vaunted Seahawk defense allowed the Packers to get back into the game and dominate it by giving up 6 straight touchdown drives to Green Bay. It was game, set, match, period, end of season.

Oh, the guy that fumbled twice to start the game, he finished with 201 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns. Favre? He was 18-of-23 for 173 yards and 3 touchdowns. Seattle put on a pathetic rushing display with a total of plus 28 yards to 235 for the Packers. Same field, same snow coming down, same slippery turf, same clogged cleats.

Green Bay will now advance to play the New York Giants (21-17 winners over the Dallas Cowboys Sunday) in the NFC Championship Game next Sunday. I hope the Packers dominate the Giants the same way they did the Seahawks.

The Seahawks will be watching television from here on out, wondering why they could not handle the snowflakes in Green Bay. The answer, of course, was Brett Favre in snow-crazed conditions having the time of his life playing football.

In short, the Seahawks defense did nothing but lose, 42-20. They did not fight off blocks. They did not tackle. They did not cover. They did not react. They did not bring their A Game against Green Bay's "hogs" up front who dominated the line and the game. Forget the charity trip. If the 'Hawks did anything at all, why did Green Bay score touchdowns on 6 STRAIGHT possessions?

Mike Holmgren, the Seahawks, the Seattle fans, the owners, the brain trust, the Seattle media and myself did not get what we wanted. I asked for too much. I wanted a game in which no one gets hurt on either side of the ball that comes down to the last play in a classic confrontation between two worthy teams.

Watching this playoff game was painful for me. After suffering through an entire season watching the Washington Husky defense raise ineptitude to an art form, I had to endure the Seahawks' supposedly much improved defense get demolished. This is not how you increase your fan base.

In the meantime, the San Diego Chargers waltzed into the Indianapolis Colts' playground Sunday and walked away with a 28-24 victory against the defending Super Bowl Champions on the road to advance to the AFC championship game against the New England Patriots (31-20 winners over the Jacksonville Jags Saturday).

Do not give me all of this crap about how hard it is to win on the road. Tell it to the San Diego Chargers, who had injuries to their stars, played some scrubs and won anyway. That is called desire. That is called attitude. That is called guts. That is called, "I do not want to win this game, I NEED to win this game."

And now for two disclaimers: 1) Brett Favre has been my favorite NFL player since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Favre is a gamer. 'Nuff said. 2) I am one of the few Green Bay Packer stockholders who was not totally uphappy when Holmgren moved from coaching Green Bay to coaching Seattle.

I was born and raised in Michigan and distanced myself from my family by following the Green Bay Packers closer than the Detroit Lions. Let me say that the Packers have let me down less over the years than the Lions.

I moved to the Puget Sound Area of Washington 34 years ago and so, of course, I have become a follower of the Seattle Seahawks. The only difference is that I am a fair-weather follower of the Seahawks, as you can tell. I do not apologize for it, I take pride in it. I hate losing. It takes no talent to lose, it takes talent to win. Any no good can lose.

Holmgren has done well in Seattle. He has taken the Seahawks to the playoffs 5 straight seasons, has won 4 consecutive NFC West titles, and has taken them to the Super Bowl in 2005, winning an NFC title along the way.

Seattle needs more and better players, and it is not Mike Holmgren's job to get them. That chore falls on the shoulders of President of Football Operations Tim Ruskell and Seattle Seahawk Owner Paul Allen.

September 3, 2007

What Are the Odds?

A Sports Fan's Dream: All 3 of Your Favorite Teams Win Their Game in the Same Weekend – Part 1

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

It was a magic weekend for this sports fan in Western Washington. All three of the teams I care about won—the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, the University of Washington Huskies on Friday and the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday.

Even though the Seahawks game was only an exhibition before the start of Pro Football's NFL season next weekend, it is always better to celebrate victory rather than defeat.

The Seahawks 19-14 win over the Oakland Raiders in Seattle did come at a price—the season-ending loss of mega-sized defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs who suffered a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in his right knee.

Tubbs was counted on heavily as a run stopper because the Seattle defense gives up too much yardage without him.

In the five games Tubbs played last season, the Seahawks allowed an average of 82 yards; in the 11 games while he was injured and required micro-fracture surgery on his left knee, the defense allowed an average of 147 yards per game.

The 26-year-old Tubbs, a 6-foot-3, 318-pound college prospect out of nationally-ranked Texas, was the first-round pick of the Seahawks three years ago. He has never played a full season due to injuries.

Seattle had crossed its fingers on Tubbs hoping he would not be injured again following successful surgery and apparent recovery on his initial left knee surgery. He tore the ACL on his right knee early in the Oakland game on Thursday after twisting his leg awkwardly.

Tubbs career in the NFL may be all but over. I would not give you two cents for his chances to recover from yet another disastrous injury. ACL injuries have ended the careers for many NFL running backs.

Tubbs could also be a player who is just huge, talented and brittle. The NFL can be a vicious playground and, as one player said, "this is a place where you can legally hurt people real bad."

While Tubbs' injury was clearly an accident, some players hold up better than others.

One is Bruce Matthews who holds the NFL record as an offensive lineman for the most games played—296—and most seasons played—19.

Matthews was an All-American at the University of Southern California and a first-round draft choice of the Houston Oilers. He played his entire career with the Oilers as they moved their franchise which later became the Tennessee Titans.

Matthews tied Merlin Olson's NFL record by being selected to the Pro Bowl 14 times. He was an All-Pro pick 9 times and an All-AFC pick 12 times.

Bruce Matthews was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year along with Dan Marino, Eric Dickerson, John Elway and Jim Kelly.

The Seattle Seahawks have another injured-prone lineman in Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack. Pork Chop is a very versatile player on the line and as brittle as a potato chip in action. He spends more time on the injury list than on the active roster.

(Editor's Note: This is Part 1 of a 3-Part Article.)

January 12, 2007

How Sweet It Is

Dear Dallas: Thank You for Bringing Your "Rookie" Quarterback to Seattle

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

A botched 19-yard-field-goal attempt on fourth down with only 79 seconds left caused the Dallas Cowboys to be one point short and one yard short of a first down as the Seattle Seahawks hung on to advance in the 2006 NFC playoffs, beating the Cowboys 21-20 at home in Seattle.

While there was blame enough to pass around for the loss in the wild-card game, the final mistake came when "rookie" quarterback Tony Romo lost control of the ball on Martin Gramatica's 19-yard-field-goal attempt.

Romo, the holder, caught the ball cleanly but bobbled the ball when placing it down for Gramatica's attempt. Romo tried to scamper into the end zone on the play but was stopped short by Jordan Babineaux's game-saving tackle at the 2-yard line, one yard short of a first down.

Untested quarterbacks who become starters historically screw up in big games, and Romo did not disappoint. He did not make any excuses for costing Dallas the victory and advancement in the playoff game, and Romo deserves credit for shouldering the blame.

He was the holder on kicks for the Cowboys last year before replacing Drew Bledsoe this year. He blossomed into a Pro Bowl pick by winning five of his first six starts and turning the Dallas season around at that point. Romo's fast start and big statistics fell apart quickly as the season progressed.

Many money players (including myself) bet Seattle to win behind Matt Hasselbeck's experience and Romo's inexperience in the playoffs.

True to form, Hasselbeck was 18-of-36 for 240 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, both of which resulted in Dallas field goals. Matt Hasselbeck was a Pro Bowl pick last year but was bothered by injuries and a weaker offensive line this year.

Romo was 17-of-29 for 189 yards and a touchdown and no turnovers, but all it took was the botched kick attempt to mar his effort.

Pushing aside all statistics, the ball clearly bounced right for Seattle and wrong for Dallas, but that is why we play the game. As a Seattle Seahawk fan, it almost goes without saying that I love first year starting quarterbacks playing for the opposing team.

Two other big plays helped Seattle advance in the playoffs.

The first big play happened when trailing 20-13 after failing on a fourth-and-goal play with 6:40 left in the game. The Seahawks started their comeback with two points on a safety when defensive back Kelly Jennings forced Dallas receiver Terry Glenn to fumble the ball into the end zone when the Cowboys took over deep in their own territory.

The ball shot out of Glenn's arms and took one bounce into the end zone as three Seattle defenders converged on the opportunity for the Seahawk defense to score in the Cowboy's end zone.

Linebacker Lofa Tatupu, an All Pro rookie last year, dove for the ball to keep it from going out of bounds and tipped it back into play then safety Michael Boulware recovered it for what appeared to be a touchdown.

A replay showed Tatupu was out of bounds when the ball was tipped inbounds, so the Seahawks were awarded a safety and the Cowboys lost possession of the ball.

The second big play came when Seattle received the ball on a free kick following the safety. The Seahawks took the winning lead on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Matt Hasselbeck to Jerramy Stevens.

Stevens arguably had the best day of his 5-year career, catching five passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns, his first touchdown being a 15-yarder to give Seattle a 13-10 lead in the third quarter. The Seahawks could not have won without Stevens because Seattle's go-to wide receiver Darrell Jackson (D-Jack) and D. J. Hackett both left the game with injuries.

Dallas was not to be denied as Romo drove the Cowboys right back down the field and into position for the win when a pass to Jason Witten was initially ruled a first down. A replay showed the Cowboys were short.

It looked as if Dallas Coach Bill Parcells was tempted to go for it on fourth-and-1 as he left his offense on the field until Seattle called for a timeout. Then Parcells sent in Gramatica for the ill-fated field goal attempt.

This playoff game was as exciting as any wild-card game ever played.

Miles Austin, an undrafted rookie, had a 93-yard kickoff return for Dallas that became the first kickoff return for a touchdown in the Cowboys playoff history. Austin's electrifying run put Dallas up 17-13 in the third quarter only 11 seconds after the Seahawks had gone ahead.

Defending on the play were such no-names as John Howell, Rich Gardner, Ben Joppru, Oliver Celestin, Marquis Weeks and Lance Laury.

Seattle lost starters Kelly Herndon and Jimmy Williams with season-ending injuries against Tampa Bay a week before the game. Starter Marcus Trufant, one of the best tacklers at cornerback in the NFL, suffered a high ankle strain earlier in the year.

Thrust into the spotlight to defend against Terrell Owens (arguably the best current receiver in the NFL) and Terry Glenn (arguably the fastest receiver in the NFL) was rookie Kelly Jennings (who caused the fumble that resulted in Seattle's safety), safety-turned-cornerback Jordan Babineaux (who covered Terrell Owens and made the game-saving tackle on Tony Romo) and nickel back Pete Hunter (who was out of football a week prior and was working as a loan officer in Dallas).

If you are not impressed by the performance of Jennings, Babineaux and Hunter, you are most certainly a Dallas homer.

The Seahawk defensive secondary that had been decimated going into the playoff game helped hold the Cowboys to a season-low 14 first downs, its second-lowest total yards at 284, its second-lowest net yards passing at 168 and only 23% conversions on third downs.

A lot of Seahawks played tough on defense and the defensive secondary, which figured to get a lesson in what not to do against Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn, held its own like the Seattle Seahawks NFC conference championship team of a year ago that went to the Super Bowl.

Is there unfinished business in Seattle? Yes, there is. Next stop is in Chicago against the Bears, the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Seahawks come in as a 9-point underdog.

The Bears humiliated Seattle 37-6 earlier in the season on their home turf, but as a betting man, I like Seattle to upset the Bears and continue on their run to another Super Bowl appearance.

The Seahawks earlier defeat by the Bears was played with a banged-up offensive line, Shaun Alexander was unable to play because he had a cracked bone in his left foot and Michael Boulware left the game with a concussion.

Let the Seahawks try again, this time healthier, stronger, hungrier and more focused on the prize that eluded them last year when Pittsburgh beat them 21-10 to win Super Bowl 40 (XL).

March 16, 2007

Sports Commentary:

Jerramy Stevens: A Troubled Tight End, a Great Talent, a Greater Disappointment

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Welcome to Seattle. I would like you to meet our poster child for success.

Shake hands with Jerramy Stevens, our troubled tight end who used to play for the Seattle Seahawks and never will again. He has worn out his welcome with the sorry excuses of a loser.

Stevens has proven to be a troubled tight end, a great talent and now a greater disappointment.

He could have been one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the National Football League, and even have ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At the rate he is disintegrating, it is more likely he will end up in jail or dead.

Stevens was arrested Tuesday morning (3-13-07) in Arizona on suspicion of DUI (driving under the influence for the uninitiated) and marijuana possession at about 2:30 a.m. (like after the bars close at 2 a.m. and you cannot drink any more so you get into your vehicle and drive home after admitting to drinking “four or five margaritas” according to the Scottsdale police report).

Stevens, a quarterback at River Ridge High School in Lacey, would play his college ball at the University of Washington as a tight end and create enough of a stir on the field to catch the attention of then Seattle Seahawks General Manager and Head Coach Mike Holmgren. Holmgren made Stevens the Seahawks' number one draft choice in 2002.

He was a 6-foot-7, 265-pound tight end that was not hard to miss.

Stevens was also no stranger to trouble. His criminal history dates to 1998 with convictions for assault, hit-and-run property damage and reckless driving.

Before he arrived at his first Seahawks' preseason camp, he had spent five days in jail for violating his probation after driving into a nursing home in 2000 in a hit-and-run case. He was a student and athlete at the University of Washington at that time.

In 2003 he pleaded guilty to reckless driving in a plea deal after being stopped in a Seattle suburb on investigation of drunk driving and spent another two days in jail.

Sixteen days after this arrest in 2003 was clocked traveling 90 mph in a 60 mph zone, his sixth infraction in an eight-month period.

His on again-off again performance on the field showed just enough possible greatness to escape harsher punishment for his indiscretions.

As an unrestricted free agent in a market short on tight ends, Stevens could probably have made a guaranteed $15 million during this signing period.

Among the many platitudes you can say about Stevens' talent you, can also say he will never be mistaken for a mental giant.

Holmgren clearly took a chance on drafting Stevens and giving him the opportunity of a lifetime to live a privileged existence that working stiffs could only dream about.

Holmgren also drafted another problem child a year prior when he took Koren Robinson as a number one pick in the 2001 draft. Robinson, a talented wide receiver from North Carolina, blew his opportunity of a lifetime and was released after too many run-ins with the law.

You may fuss at Mike Holmgren for his judgment in making those draft picks but in doing so you must also credit him for his first round draft choices of Shaun Alexander and Steve Hutchinson, both of whom became All-Pro players and legitimate All Stars in Seattle's 2005 Super Bowl season.

If you rounded up every miscreant like Stevens in the NFL over the past five years, you would have enough players to field a NFL expansion team.

We have far too many talented millionaire professional football players and players in every major sport who are simply underperforming adults with little sense of responsibility, accountability, judgment, common sense and decorum.

If you were to bring them together in one place you would have a room full of medicore minds. I am sure the majority of them would either find someone else to blame for their own stupidity or seek more sympathy for their miserably inadequate behavior while still refusing to correct it.

Enough is enough.

Those who would refer to Jerramy Stevens as a man-child simply enable him to act like a child in an adult world. He is a perfect example of a 27-year-old who acts like an irresponsible 13-year-old child.

We expect a 13-year-old to do something irresponsible during his maturation process. We expect a 27-year-old adult to grow up, take responsibility for his actions and do more to help himself.

Seattle Times sports columnist Steve Kelley had this to say about Stevens' latest encounter with stupidity: "Second chances are handed out like breath mints in Stevens' world. Every misstep is excused. Every arrest is forgiven. Every dropped pass is explained away." I agree.

Far too many sportswriters say this about miscreants like Stevens: "Trouble follows Jerramy Stevens." I say garbage. Jerramy Stevens follows trouble. He can and should make better choices.

I have little sympathy for Stevens. He and other talented millionaire professional athletes like him can grow up anytime they decide to do so.

Millions of working people without their God-given talent, opportunities and income manage to solve much greater personal problems than Stevens and his ilk ever thought about having, much less solving.

In football and in life there are really only two outcomes to any action: results or excuses. People who cannot produce results will always have excuses. Excuses are a game that losers play, not winners.

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