Bleacher Report - Articles by Joe Penkala

Memo to Voters: Oregon Beat USC

Joe Penkala — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:23:37 -0500

Besides for the NFL, no sport is more popular then college football, and unfortunately for fans, no other sport is more flawed then college football.

Many of us sports fans start thinking up excuses to miss work or school come March because we cannot wait to have the NCAA Basketball tournament get underway. Imagine what it would be like should college football have the same.

Many football fans agree that a playoff is much needed in college football. The FBS Division is the only division in college football that doesn't have one. What makes this system even more flawed is the factors that go into determining college football rankings.

On Halloween night, the nation got to see Oregon hand USC and Pete Carroll its worst loss in years, beating the Trojans 47-20. This was USC's second loss and dropped them to 6-2 on the year.

This win was impressive for Oregon, moving them up to eighth in the BCS rankings but on the other hand, USC still remained in the top 15.

One week later, USC barely got by unranked ASU, 14-6 and Oregon suffered its first conference loss to Stanford, 51-42.

So here we are, one week later and we are presented with the exact reason why the college football rankings have become a joke.

With their win, USC moved to 7-2 on the year and jumped back up to #9 in the BCS standings. At the same time, Oregon's loss dropped them to 7-2 but moved them back to #13 in the BCS standings.

After you combine all the factors in the BCS, the only ranking to get it right was the computers who have USC ranked #11 and Oregon #10. So what's the problem? Human voting.

With the game on Halloween only one week old, human voters had already forgotten what had happened in Eugene and moved USC right back up the polls.

If you look blindly at these teams you would see the following:

Team A and B have the same record

Team A lost to the #6 team in the nation and a team that is 6-2. Both losses were on the road.

Team B lost to the #10 team in the nation and to a 3-6 team. Both losses were on the road

Team A has a stronger strength of schedule

Team A beat Team B head to head by 27 points.

I am sure based on the article you guessed right that Oregon is team A.

At the end of the day, what's worse then not having a playoff is having voters who look at the name on the jersey and have that play into their rankings.

Its time for the NCAA to take a look at the ranking system and bowl system and really see if they are doing what's best for football. Until then we will continue to see rankings that make no sense and leave all of us college football fans feeling empty come mid January.

Red Wings Fans, Mark Your Calenders: Five Must See Red Wings Games

Joe Penkala — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:34:07 -0400

Though it may seem like the Stanley Cup playoffs just ended, the 2009-2010 NHL season is just around the corner and the full league schedule has been released. The season will officially begin on October 2nd in Sweden, when the St. Louis Blues take on the Detroit Red Wings. Here are five games that all Red Wing fans will be sure to watch.

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Previewing the Oregon Ducks: Wide Receivers

Joe Penkala — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:04:07 -0400

Coming into the 2009 season, the Oregon Ducks' wide receiver group lost some talent with the graduation of Jaison Williams and Terrence Scott. This year, the Ducks will look for contributions from all of their wideouts.

Before the season has even started, the group has taken a hit due to two transfers.

With the coaching transition that has gone on at Oregon, Aaron Pflugrad has decided to transfer after his father Robin didn't have his contract renewed.

Pflugrad just recently ended up at Arizona State.

More important than Pflugrad's transfer was the loss of Chris Harper. Harper spent much of his freshman year bouncing around different offensive positions, but it's clear that he has a natural gift.

Harper had the desire to play quarterback in college, and after realizing he would be used at wide receiver or running back at Oregon, he decided to transfer to Kansas State.

Even with these departures, the Ducks have a lot of targets for quarterback Jeremiah Masoli.

Jamere Holland

The junior speedster will look to be a gamebreaker this year. After transferring from USC to Oregon, Holland will look to step into the spotlight this year and do so with his speed.

Holland will be the go-to guy, and the Ducks will look to get the ball in his hand in various formations. If Masoli has improved on his deep ball, teams could be forced to play deep, opening up the run.

D.J. Davis

D.J. Davis is another junior who will look to make an impact this year. After cracking the lineup last year, Davis suffered a knee injury that cut his season short.

Davis showed some promise last year and will look to build on that this year. I expect Davis to be the No. 2 receiver on the team by the middle of the season.

Ed Dickson

While Ed Dickson is a tight end by position, he has the surest hands on the team. Dickson had a strong 2008, ending up second in receiving yardage and fourth in receptions for the Ducks.

With the ability of players like Holland to spread the field deep, Dickson could become a deadly target across the middle.

Tyrece Gaines

New to the Ducks this year is junior transfer Tyrece Gaines. Gaines is 6'2" and 225 pounds and looks to be a playmaker. Gaines played the slot in junior college but will most likely be put out wide with the Ducks.

Gaines is already getting up to speed with the team and getting used to the change from junior college to Division I. Last year, the Ducks struck gold with junior college transfers LeGarrette Blount and Masoli, and I expect Gaines to live up to those standards.

Jeff Maehl

Jeff Maehl will also be relied on to keep the chains moving and go across the middle. Maehl had a strong 2008, ending the year by scoring three touchdowns in his last four games.

Maehl is a guy that Masoli will be able to look to early and often, and he seems to have a nose for the first down marker. He has the build of a Wes Welker-type player and will be key to the Oregon air attack.

To go along with these talented wideouts, the Ducks will look for other receivers to step up. Rory Cavaille, Garrett Embry, Dion Jordan, and Blake Cantu are additional players that will see playing time and will have a chance to make a name for themselves.

Group Grade

With a running attack that seems to get stronger every year, the Oregon Ducks' passing attack should be able to take advantage of teams that will load up to stop the run. With a great combination of speed and playmakers, the Ducks receivers will continue to make things difficult on defenders.

While the Ducks do have solid depth throughout this group, they lack a true No. 1 receiver. After the first few weeks of the year, Holland may emerge as that player, but for now, that is the one thing lacking from this offense.

Grade: B+

Detroit Red Wing Free Agents Stay in Division; Wings Wait to Make Move

Joe Penkala — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:30:31 -0400

Marian Hossa did exactly what he said he wanted to–find a place to be long-term. He was able to secure a 12-year deal for around $68 million. He will be staying in the Central Division and the Midwest, but not as a member of the Detroit Red Wings. Instead, Hossa will return as a Chicago Blackhawk.

With most of their big names locked up, Detroit was only able to offer Hossa a 10-year, $40 million deal. Hossa and his agent had been searching for a deal that was closer to 5-6 million per year, and many believed that teams like Montreal, New York, and Los Angeles would be likely destinations for Hossa.

Hossa wasn't the only Red Wing to head to the Windy City, as close friend Tomas Kopecky joined him, signing for two years and $2.4 million. Hossa and Kopecky share the same agent, so it is no surprise that both free agents ended up on the same team.

The third and final Red Wing to leave was backup goalie Ty Conklin. Conklin was told about a week ago that Detroit would not be offering him a new contract, allowing him to turn his attention to free agency. Conklin decided to also stay in the division by heading to the St. Louis Blues for two years.

Heading into the second day of free agency, a few players from the Wings are still up in the air. Mikeal Samuelsson is a free agent who has yet to sign, and with the exit of Hossa, his return becomes more likely.

Also, the Wings will now have room to try and sign restricted free agent Jiri Hudler. The only obstacle in the way of the Wings with Hudler is, should another team come along and give him a huge offer, they may not be able to match it.

Last up is Ville Leino. Leino played in spots with the Wings this year but for the most part was down in the AHL. He has made it clear that he is ready for the NHL and will not be willing to go back to the AHL, leaving the Wings with a decision to make.

Many knew the Wings would be silent for the most part in free agency. They still need to add a few role players and depth players for the third and fourth lines, but most of the heavy lifting was done in the regular season when they were able to get Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen re-signed, preventing them from hitting the open market.

Time for day two.

Fantasy Football Alert: 10 Players To Draft With Caution in 09

Joe Penkala — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:00:03 -0400

With the month of July one day away, the start of the NFL season is about two months away. With the start of football also comes a nation wide event, fantasy drafts. Fantasy football is played around the world and continues to grow in popularity ever year. Fans can find themselves playing 2, 3 or even more leagues at the same time. While some people spend their time looking for the sleepers in this years NFL season, I take a look at the top 10 players you need to stay away from in your draft.

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Previewing the Oregon Ducks: Running Back

Joe Penkala — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:18:51 -0400

In 2008, the Oregon Ducks were one of the most successful running teams in the nation. They were able to get both Jeremiah Johnson and LeGarrette Blount to over 1,000 yards rushing. Not many teams could slow down the Ducks, and they hope to continue their rushing attack this year.

LeGarrette Blount

Blount returns this year for his senior season, and he is a handful to take down. He rushed for 1,002 yards and also set a school rushing touchdown mark with 17.

This year, Blount will be relied on to be the go-to back, unlike last year, when he was able to split time with senior Jeremiah Johnson.

Blount has continued to work on his conditioning throughout spring and summer workouts, and when he is ready to go come September, defenses could be in for some long Saturday afternoons.

Andre Crenshaw

Andre Crenshaw will provide Oregon with a change of pace. Blount is a back that has speed but does not shy away from going right at defenders.

Crenshaw, on the other hand, possesses speed and will be able to take advantage of worn-down defenses late in drives and in the game.

Last year, Crenshaw only saw limited stats, but this year, he will be relied on much more. After only gaining 121 yards last year, Crenshaw could be in for a big senior season

Jeremiah Masoli

Normally I would move on to the next back on the Oregon depth chart, but Masoli is a huge part of the Oregon running attack. Last year, Masoli was the third leading rusher with 718 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The key this year will be Masoli forcing defenses to respect his running ability but actually running less. It has been years since the Ducks have had a QB stay healthy the entire season, and with the passion and aggression that Masoli runs that ball with, it would only be a matter of time before he gets banged up.

LaMichael James

James is a redshirt freshman with a ton of upside. He has great speed and vision, and many expect him to make an impact this year.

With the amount of talent that Oregon has at running back, they will be able to use James in certain spots to allow him to gain experience and confidence as the season goes on.

Group Grade

The Oregon ground game has been one of the top rushing attacks in the nation for a few years now. With the implementation of Chip Kelly's spread offense, backs have found themselves being able to play in space and pick up big yards.

Other backs that may have an impact on the season include Remene Alston Jr. and possibly redshirt freshman Kenjon Barner.

The Ducks have a lot of talent in the backfield, and when trying to defend an option keeper between Blount and Masoli, defenses will have to stay disciplined in order to have a chance.

Grade: A

Previewing the Oregon Ducks: Quarterbacks

Joe Penkala — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:39:40 -0400

Going into 2008, quarterback was a huge question mark for the Ducks after the departure of Senior Dennis Dixon. On top of that, another hurdle for the Ducks would be to keep their quarterbacks healthy, considering they were down to their fifth-string QB by the end of the year.

The Ducks entered the year with Justin Roper under center as the starter but also mixed in newcomers Jeremiah Masoli and Chris Harper. It wasn't long again before the Ducks' bad luck continued.

The Ducks had already lost their true starting quarterback, Nate Costa, a week before the season kicked off and now after three games they had lost Justin Roper to a knee injury.

As the season continued, the focus shifted to Masoli, as he continued to develop week after week.

Masoli capped off his year by being named Holiday Bowl MVP and looked to improve on that this year.

Thats bring us to the present and the current Ducks depth chart.

Jeremiah Masoli- Starter

Masoli improved by leaps and bounds last year and is the clear-cut starter in Eugene. Masoli is both a pass and run threat and is not afraid to put his head down and go for extra yardage.

The focus this off-season for Masoli has been developing as a passer. It became quite obvious from last year that Masoli can create with his feet, but he still has some work to do both on his deep ball and learning to put some touch on his short passes.

Many national outlets believe that if Masoli can strengthen his passing game, he will be in the Heisman conversation.

Nate Costa- Backup

Costa is a player that all Duck fans feel for. He has continued to put in his work and develop as a quarterback, but for the second straight year, he suffered a season-ending knee injury, forcing him into surgery.

Costa has again fought his way back into the conversation and continues to recover from surgery and has looked good in the spring. He is a mobile QB with a good arm and is a solid fit for the Ducks' spread offense.

Unfortunately for Costa, he seems destined to be in a backup role with Junior Jeremiah Masoli under center.

Darron Thomas- Backup

The hope of the coaching staff last year was to redshirt Thomas and allow him to have an extra year to develop. That plan was quickly thrown out against Boise State last year.

During the game, Masoli was knocked out on a cheap late hit and Chris Harper was wildly ineffective.

Late in the third quarter, the Ducks turned to Thomas, who led a spirited comeback, throwing three touchdowns, but the Ducks still came up short as they were unable to recover an onside kick.

Throughout 2008, Thomas was used in different spots and showed glimpses of greatness, but you could still see that development was needed.

Coming into 2009, the coaching staff again hoped to use a redshirt of Thomas but due to the transfer of Justin Roper, this may not be possible.

Thomas has a strong arm and can certainly move around the pocket but needs to work on his accuracy. If the Ducks are able to get Thomas an extra year to develop, Duck fans could be in store for a couple of great years with Thomas under center.

Group Grade

Assuming everyone is able to stay healthy (knocking on wood), the Ducks are very strong under center and should be for the next few years.

Throughout the spring, Masoli has continued to work on his passing and should he improve, even slightly, the Ducks are in store for another great year.

Grade: A-

Pac-10 Football on Paper: Up for Grabs in 2009

Joe Penkala — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:15:42 -0400

Since 2002, the PAC 10 conference has been dominated by the USC Trojans. Year after year, the Trojans have been able to reload rather then rebuild but this year could prove to be different. When the 2009 College Football season kicks off this year, the Trojans will have questions at various positions including quaterback. With the amount of talent that left the Trojans to go to the NFL, the conference could be an interesting race between three teams and a dark horse team could certainly join the chase for the conference crown. Since the PAC 10 plays a true round robin schedule, allowing every team to play the entire conference, this will get settled on the field but lets take a look at how they finish on paper.

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Marian Hossa: Will He Stay or Go?

Joe Penkala — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:54:15 -0400

One year ago, the Red Wings pulled off a deal that nobody saw coming. They managed to get Marian Hossa to turn down long-term, big-money deals to go to Detroit and play on a one-year contract.

Many people believed this to be a one-year shot for Hossa, who was attempting to win his first Stanley Cup. After leading the Wings in goals with 40, Hossa headed into the playoffs looking to achieve his goal and win the Stanley Cup.

While playing great defense throughout the playoffs, Hossa offensively disappeared and was only able to put up six goals through 23 playoff games.

More importantly, Hossa saw the Stanley Cup Finals come and go with out scoring a single goal.

Now,with July 1 rapidly approaching, the Detroit Red Wings face a question: Will Hossa stay or go?

The Wings gave out two long-term contracts this year when they signed both Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen and many have speculated that they are looking to sign Hossa to a similar contract.

The benefit to the Wings for these long-term contracts is the ability to front load the contract and have the yearly salary decrease towards the end of the contract. By doing this, the team is able to achieve a lower cap number and keep more of their talent.

So what will Hossa do?

He has stated his desire to stay in Detroit and sign a long-term contract. Many Pens fans remember that he stated the same thing to them no more then a year ago.

The Wings would realistically have around $4 million remaining to sign Hossa, so in order to stay in Detroit, he would have to be willing to give the Wings a discount.

In the end, Hossa will end up staying with the Wings. He doesn't have to be the star here and if his goal is to win the Stanley Cup, there is no better place to give it a shot. Once the dust settles, I believe the Wings will end up giving Hossa a front-loaded, long-term deal, much like the contracts of Zetterberg and Franzen.

One thing is for sure, if Hossa does leave, you will not see fans burning Hossa jerseys, much like Penguin fans did last year. Should Hossa stay, he will need to reappear come playoff time or the love Wings fans have shown him will quickly vanish.

Steven Yzerman: NHL Hall of Fame Has Its Captain

Joe Penkala — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:59:04 -0400

The 2009 Hockey Hall of Fame class will be one Detroit Red Wings fan will remember forever.

The Hall opens its doors for four players, three of whom are former Wings. Brian Leetch, Luc Robitaille, Brett Hull, and Steve Yzerman were all anounced as first ballot Hall of Famers yesterday.

With the exception of Leetch, the remaining three players all wore the winged wheel and played together when capturing the Red Wings' 10th Stanley Cup in 2002.

Wings fans should be happy for Robitaille and Hull as they enter into the Hall, but all eyes will be on the Red Wings captain.

Yzerman played over 1,500 games with the franchise and was the youngest captain in franchise history. He has a laundry list of accomplishments throughout his career, including three Stanley Cups, the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs MVP, 2000 Selke winner, and 10 All-Star Game selections.

Above all these awards and accomplishments, Yzerman is remembered as the ultimate leader and captain.

He was a player who had increadible offensive talent and the numbers to prove it, but he was willing to put the personal achievements aside in order to help the team succeed.

After trade rumors surrounded Yzerman in the early '90s, the captain went on to lead the Red Wings to their first Stanley Cup in 42 years in 1997, and followed it up with another in 1998.

Many things will be remembered about Yzerman, but for Wings, fans the lasting image will be the 2002 Stanley Cup playoff run.

Going into the playoffs, the Red Wings captain had already missed 30 games due to a knee injury and it was apparent that things had not gotten better. As each series wore on, it became obvious he was not healthy and had the look of a man playing on one leg.

In the end, the Red Wings were able to lift the cup once again, but it was later reaveled that Yzerman would need complete knee realignment surgery. This led to him missing the first 66 games of the following season.

This is another special day for Hockeytown as our captain finds his rightful spot among the hockey elite in the Hall of Fame.

Fans will always remember his 65-goal season in 1988, his double overtime winner in 1995, raising the cup at Joe Louis in 1997, passing the cup to Vladimir Konstantinov in 1998, playing through pain in 2002, and even his last step off the ice in 2006 in Edmonton.

But most importantly, fans will always remember him for being Hockeytown's captain.

Oregon Ducks Unveil 2009 Look

Joe Penkala — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:34:01 -0400

The Ducks found themselves in the headlines again yesterday as their jerseys continued to evolve. The Ducks introduced 4 new jerseys to go along with their "lights out" looks from last years Arizona Game. The "lights out" look proved to be the template they worked from and led to them designing a traditional green, lightning yellow, white, black and white and steel color scheme. Since 1998, the Oregon Ducks have been on the leading edge, in terms of jersey innovation. When the Ducks take the field against Boise State this September, they will be wearing their seventh jersey set since 1998 and you can bet it wont be their last. Most schools are known for their traditional jerseys and the history behind them. With the close relationship Oregon has with owner and alum Phil Knight, the believe they are creating a tradition of change and innovation. You can love them or hate them but you can't deny that they get your attention and continue to promote the Oregon program.

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Turning Moments Too Much For Wings

Joe Penkala — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:11:25 -0400

As free agency in the NHL approaches, I take a look back at the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals and notice there were five distinct turning moments that led to a Red Wings loss.

Turning Moment 1

Before the puck was even dropped on Game One, it seemed that the Wings had a laundry list of things working against them. Above the four games in six nights—including back-to-back games on two days' rest for the Wings—were all the injuries they had to deal with. Anytime you get to the Stanley Cup finals you are dealing with injuries, but not normally to the extent that the Wings were. The final list was long and included two of the top 10 players in the league; Nicklas Lidstrom had to undergo surgery for a damaged testicle, Pavel Datsyuk didn't appear in the finals until game five due to damage to his foot and ongoing issues with a charlie horse, Brain Rafalski played through a separated shoulder and herniated disk in his back, Kris Draper went in and out of the line-up with a pulled groin, Dan Cleary played through a torn groin, and Jonathan Ericsson had an emergency appendectomy. With the players effected and the time they missed, the Wings hobbled into this series with some major concerns. One might wonder how the Pens would have fared with these same types of injuries to their key players.

Turning Moment 2

After toughing out two key wins at home, the Wings took a 2-0 series lead to Pittsburgh and had the chance to deliver a series knockout punch to the Pens. After falling behind quickly, the Wings struck twice to take a 2-1 lead late in the first. This is when things got strange. Late in the first, the Pens went on a powerplay and were deep in the Wings zone, attacking them six men to five. They continued to cycle and move the puck when....wait, six on five? That's right, it was not a powerplay but rather the Pens officially had an extra man on the ice for 23 seconds without one ref noticing. The Pens did not score on this short powerplay, but moments later did pick up a penalty, when in reality the Wings should have been on their own powerplay. The Pens would capitalize on this opportunity and tie the game before the end of the first. There is no way to say how much of an impact this may have had on the game and series but the situation would have been a lot different had the Wings gone on the powerplay up 2-1 late in the first rather then heading to the dressing room tied at two.

Turning Moment 3

We move one period ahead from the last turning moment, and this was a lost opportunity by the Wings. Tied at two, the Wings came out and dominated the second period, out-shooting the Pens 14-4, going 0-1 on the powerplay, and watching both Mikael Samuelsson and Dan Cleary hit the post. After being haunted by strange goals at the Joe, Fleury stood on his head and kept the game tied at two. The Pens seemed to feed off of his performance and struck mid way through the third, again on the powerplay, to take the lead and the win.

Turning Moment 4

With the series now 2-1 in favor of the Wings, they still had the chance to put the Pens away in Game Four. Early on, Malkin put the Pens up 1-0 and they held that lead until Darren Helm tied it up late in the first. The Wings carried that momentum over to the second period as Brad Stuart scored in the first minute of the period to put the Wings up 2-1. Things seemed to be going the Wings' way as they got a powerplay opportunity and a chance to go up two mid-way through the second period. After failing on the first powerplay, the Wings got a second powerplay and a chance to take command of this game, but instead it was the Pens who grabbed control. Early into that powerplay, Jordan Staal took the puck out of his zone and carried it across center. Seeing he had room to continue, Staal gained a step on Rafalski and headed straight to the net, where he stuffed a short-handed goal past Chris Osgood. The Mellon Arena came unglued and the next six minutes would change the series, as the Pens went into full attack mode and scored three goals in that stretch, taking a 4-2 lead that would hold up and tie the series at two.

Turning Moment 5

After winning Game Five in a rout 5-0, the Wings took a 3-2 series lead and had two chances to win the franchise's 12th Stanley Cup. Going into those games, if you had told Wings fans that you would hold the Pens to two goals in both games, most would have taken that deal in a heartbeat. Most felt that the 5-0 beat-down would affect Fleury's confidence and allow the Wings to close out the series. After missing out on some outstanding opportunities in Game Six, which included hitting a post by Zetterberg and a kick save by Pens defender Rob Scuderi, the Wings lost 2-1 and headed back to Detroit for Game Seven. Again, the Wings had their chances, but found themselves down 2-0 heading to the third on two Max Talbot goals. After Jonathan Ericsson found the back of the net with six minutes remaining, the Wings continued to attack but again couldn't beat the goal post as Nicklas Kronwall rang one of the crossbar. As the final seconds ticked down, the Wings would have one last outstanding opportunity. After a face-off deep in the Pens zone was won by the Wings, the puck managed to find its way onto the stick of Nick Lidstrom who was stoned on diving save by Fleury.

At the end of the day, the Cup is in Pittsburgh and the head to head cup count is even at one. Who is ready for the rubber match next year?