Bleacher Report - Articles by David Singleton

It's Time for Tiger Woods to Come Clean

David Singleton — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:08:35 -0500

Tiger Woods, come on down. You are the next celebrity athlete to face the harsh glare of the spotlights on, “What has he done now?”

When the story initially broke on Saturday afternoon about Woods’ single-car accident late Friday night, the attention was squarely focused on whether he was seriously injured.

Once it was revealed that Woods was treated and released, things started to calm down. He hadn’t given a statement to the police, but surely he would have an explanation for his middle of the night departure.

Maybe it was a late-night fast food run or he needed to go to the store to get diapers. Surely there was nothing serious about this.

But then you trace back to a tabloid story about Tiger Woods being in Australia with an alleged mistress.

And the odd circumstances of Elin having to bust out the rear window of his Cadillac with a golf club to get him out.

And the repeatedly cancelled interviews with the Florida Highway Patrol.

The story has gotten curiouser and curiouser with each passing turn and the stonewalling coming from Tiger’s camp.

Woods released a statement on Sunday on his website that reads as follows:

As you all know, I had a single-car accident earlier this week, and sustained some injuries. I have some cuts, bruising and right now I'm pretty sore.

This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again.

This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.

The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false.

This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received.

But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be.

Now, wait just a minute here.

I’m willing to buy that the car accident has been stressful. No argument there from me.

I understand the need for privacy. Most human beings value their privacy. And Tiger is legendary for keeping his circle small and booting out those who violate his cone of silence.

However, here’s where I struggle with his statement:

There is a way to put an end to the “false, unfounded and malicious rumors” that are making the rounds because of “intrusive people”:

Have the damn interview.

The Florida Highway Patrol are just trying to do their due diligence in this instance, investigating the matter of an accident that required a call to 911.

The circumstances surrounding why Tiger left the house at the odd hour will have to be part of the line of questioning.

By continuing to decline to grant the interview with FHP, it makes it seem as if there is something untoward about why he was driving away from home at that hour.

But as a public figure, and one of the most famous athletes in the world, you would think Tiger Woods would realize why this is such a big deal.

Woods is no dummy. That much is true. I also would not have expected him to be so naïve as to think that asking for privacy will stop people from spreading rumors.

Here’s how you stop rumors: You either confirm them as fact or debunk them.

If you have nothing to hide, Tiger, then sit down with FHP and give a full account of what happened that evening that led to you hitting a tree and a fire hydrant.

If there are some skeletons in that closet trying to get out, in this day and age you are better off throwing open the door and letting the light hit the bones.

We are a forgiving people—as long as you tell the truth.

But the more you try to cover things up, the worse it is when you do finally come clean.

No amount of statements released on your website will substitute for us knowing what happened.

So Tiger, it’s time to step up to the tee and drive the truth home, straight and true.

Recent BCS Transparency a Hollow Man

David Singleton — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:21:43 -0500

First it was the hiring of an executive director named Bill Hancock.

Then it was the creation of a Facebook page and a Twitter feed. Congrats on joining the 21st century, guys.

Then it was the hiring of former White House spokesperson Ari Fleischer to help with the public relations push.

The final straw, though, may be the creation of a Web site called “The Playoff Problem.”

Here I was, waiting patiently to see if this year’s potential Bowl Championship Series mess would sort itself out, but then the BCS goes and forces my hand by taking the offensive against those of us who push for a playoff.

You know, a playoff like every other college sport has—including the other three divisions of football.

Listening to Hancock (who is a nice guy, from all accounts I read from other folks) try to defend this 11-year-old train wreck of a system has been a painful experience.

Especially after Hancock stated on Mayhem in the AM on 790 The Zone in Atlanta that he would be in favor of a plus-one—which is essentially a four-team playoff.

Of course, the stale arguments trotted out by the BCS Twitter feed disregard the need for a playoff because it would lead to inevitable bracket creep and expansion. This is the critical point that the new playoff problem website states as well.

Like the bracket creep has to be a fait accompli.

I think it comes down to two things, and they are things that all of us can understand: money and power.

Unless it can be definitively shown that there is a contract from someone willing to pay more money for a playoff than can be earned through bowl revenue, these guys are not going to go for it.

Since they are in the unique position of not having to reveal just how much revenue is generated wholly from this entire industry, it becomes hard to present a scenario that they are going to find plausible.

There is a power aspect as well: The people running this system enjoy the power that comes with it, plain and simple.

Only when their hands are grudgingly forced do they allow things to change. Hell, I firmly believe that the BCS would rather have schools like Boise State or TCU on the outside looking in like Tulane was in 1998.

In fact, I think that this recent PR push was driven, in part, by the grandstanding that was done in Washington, D.C. earlier this year. It’s a way for them to say, “Look at how open we are. Of course we are willing to listen to the arguments for a playoff. We’ll disregard them and shoot them down at every turn, but yeah, we’ll listen.”

It’s an attempt at transparency, but it still rings hollow to me.

BCS Mess Now Includes Public Relations Spin

David Singleton — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:32:48 -0500

I think I am about to hit the breaking point.

Some days, I find it hard enough to slog through the promotional emails I get from teams and conferences promoting certain players for individual awards.

I’m okay with that, though. Individual awards are something of a beauty contest, and a marketing push can call attention to a player from a lesser league that you may simply have not heard of before.

What I find untenable, however, is the newer trend that is cropping up.

The case for BCS inclusion has been turned over to public relations people.

Iowa sends out an email blast to national media making the argument for why they should be the number four team in the BCS standings ahead of Boise State, TCU and Cincinnati.

You know, to be in position in case Alabama, Florida, and Texas all slip up before December 6.

The WAC has retained the services of a PR firm to help boost the case for Boise State to be included in the BCS as an at-large team or, depending on position, to argue for inclusion in the national title game in case one of the predetermined Big Three slip up.

And I haven’t even begun to mention the potential lobbying that could take places from the coaches themselves as we get closer and closer to the end of the regular season. While he doesn’t need to do it this season, Mack Brown could teach a course about this at a coaching clinic somewhere.

I know, I know; under the old bowl system, this could even be worse because there was not even a (semi)coherent system for trying to determine which two teams were the best.

Furthermore, I know a playoff would not necessarily be the panacea to this problem either; the same arguing and lobbying would be taking place unless the playoff were designed to include all eleven conference champions and the best independent team only.

Which will happen about the time Adriana Lima dumps Marko Jaric for me.

But, if the university presidents want to continue to act as if they are acting in purely the best interests of their student-athletes, they could step in and order their athletic directors to refrain from this senseless public bickering and lobbying and arguing, as it takes away from the pure simple beauty of intercollegiate athletics and the spirit of competition.

The odds of that happening? Negative zero to one.

So we continue to be left with a broken system, influenced by algorithms, coaches that don’t even vote in their own poll and former football people who may or may not have time to follow the sport enough to be informed by something more than the scores crawling across the ESPN ticker.

Oh, and public relations people spinning away, too.

Fantastic.

Pigskin Punditry 2009: Week Five Review, Week Six Preview

David Singleton — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:41:23 -0400

It’s time for my weekly take on a few topics from the week in college football. It’s time for Four Downs.

1) Running Down a Bunch of Rebels

If, before kickoff, I told you that your team would hold the ball for about thirty minutes and turn the ball over four times on fumbles, it would be safe to assume that your team lost the football game.

If I then told you that your team didn’t punt the ball once and went 7-for-7 on third down conversions, you might think that I was talking about two totally different games.

Nope. These events transpired in the same game last Saturday, as the University of Nevada destroyed their arch-rivals, UNLV, 63-28 in Reno.

The Wolf Pack, who had been struggling most of the season, had 773 yards of total offense—559 of those yards coming on the ground!

The Wolf Pack had three players rush for 170 yards or more.

Oh, and did I mention that the game was tied 28-28 with about five minutes to go in the third quarter?

An abysmal performance by UNLV now has their head coach on the hot seat.

2) Celebrate Good Times—Until the Whistle Blows

Of course, Coach Mike Sanford’s seat is relatively cool compared to the heat that the crew from last week’s LSU-Georgia game must be feeling right now.

While everyone around the country has had a chance to review and super slo-mo the footage of Georgia wide receiver AJ Green’s post-game celebration that was apparently too hot for the officiating crew, once again, the spotlight falls onto the ridiculous hyper-enforcement of a rule that strips the joy out of the college game.

I understand the intent behind the rule; the committee that put the rule in place wanted to cut down on the “look at me” aspect of celebration. They didn’t want student athletes to call attention to themselves in any unseemly manner. It was viewed as a sportsmanship issue.

I’ve got that loud and clear.

But we know by now that that isn’t the case.

(I also want to make this clear mid-rant: there is no actual specific rule called illegal celebration. It more generally falls under the unsportsmanlike conduct rule. End of sidebar.)

If the celebration is choreographed; if the players all pull out white sequined gloves and do simultaneous moonwalks, then by all means throw the yellow flag.

If the player scores and points at the opposing player after scoring and/or mouths off at him, throw the flag.

But penalizing the player because you thought he pointed at the crowd?

How is that unsportsmanlike?

How is that taunting?

Especially when it’s his own crowd?

I am just completely and utterly baffled by the misapplication of this rule, and demand that the rules committee review and clarify the parameters under which an official should penalize a team for an excessive celebration.

(By the way, the penalty in and of itself did not cost Georgia the game; they still had opportunities to stop LSU on the final drive and failed to do so. However, the penalty still did have an impact on the game—mentally, if nothing else.)

3) A Cinderella Story—Busted!

Cinderella had it rough.

I’m not simply talking about the whole wicked stepmother and stepsisters thing, either. Granted, they did make her life a living hell, but she was pure of heart and was ultimately rewarded with an opportunity to head to the ball.

At the ball, she met Prince Charming, but a curfew forced her to leave before her date with destiny was supposed to end.

Yes, it did all work out for old Cindy in the end, because even though her stepmother broke one of the glass slippers, she managed to keep the other one just in case.

But if the (Disney) version of the story teaches us nothing else, it is this:

Glass slippers are fragile things. They break easily.

Don’t believe me? Ask the University of Houston right now.

After an amazing two-game stretch where they were able to knock off Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, the Cougars traveled across the state and allowed UTEP to score 58 points on them in a 58-41 loss.

This same UTEP team gained 53 yards in total in a beat down at the hands of the University of Texas last week.

But Houston still has their spare glass slipper in place. If they can handle Mississippi State easily this Saturday afternoon, they might—might!—have a chance to hop back into the BCS buster race.

Of course, they would need a lot of help from their fairy godmother.

4) A Difficult Decision

At this time, Tim Tebow is still considered a “game-time decision” as far as if he’s going to play against LSU.

The Florida Gators quarterback suffered a concussion during the third quarter of a victory over Kentucky two weeks ago.

Tebow has practiced this week, but has not been cleared for contact yet.

I don’t think that this is a matter of gamesman ship by the Florida Gators. I think that they truly don’t know if he will be cleared to go yet, and might not know until Saturday afternoon.

With all of the information that is out there right now about concussions (and with more studies still pending), the prudent thing to do is to wait for the medical staff to clear him before putting him at further risk.

I don’t expect them to clear him unless he is a hundred percent ready to go.

And that is the prudent thing to do.

Last week, I went 3-3 again in my Pick Six, bringing my overall record to 19-11 for the season. And it only gets harder from here:

Nebraska 24, Missouri 22: This score is based around the projected forecast of up to five inches of rain hitting the Columbia, Missouri area around game-time.

Of course, the rain could come before the game or come after. It’s Missouri. Just wait for 10 minutes; the weather will change.

However, if the rain does arrive during the game, look for Missouri’s strength (the passing game) to be somewhat neutralized by the inclement conditions. Missouri’s defensive front struggled with runs up the gut by Nevada in their last game two weeks ago.

Look for Nebraska’s stable of backs to try and attack the Missouri front with Roy Helu and company, and the Husker’s front four will get enough pressure to force Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert to make a mistake in the bad weather. That will give Nebraska the win and the inside track to the Big 12 North title.

Georgia Tech 40, Florida State 27: Florida State is a program in disarray right now due to the controversy surrounding Bobby Bowden’s status as the head of the Seminoles program. A season that started out with a lot of promise looks like it’s teetering on the brink, and I think that the triple option offense will push the young defense over the edge. A home crowd that will start out supportive of the ‘Noles will turn ugly by the end of the game as Georgia Tech pulls away on the ground.

TCU 24, Air Force 17: The hope of the Mountain West Conference getting back to the BCS rests on the shoulders of the Horned Frogs. These are two teams that like to run the football, and will try to do so initially. I think that TCU’s defense is stronger than Air Forces, which is usually a bit undersized. I think the Frogs will wear down the Falcons and grind out a close victory with ball control and that typically tenacious defense.

Ohio State 33, Wisconsin 24: I’m still not quite sure how Wisconsin is 5-0; luck and ingenuity as best as I can tell. Scott Tolzein has been a find at quarterback, and the Badgers are ranked 14th in the country in rushing.

The Buckeyes are ranked 10th in rushing defense. Something has to give.

I’m also concerned by how many points that Wisconsin’s defense is giving up. I think the Badgers will struggle with Terrelle Pryor’s versatility and his ability to make plays on the move.

Alabama 31, Ole Miss 17: I think it’s hard to say that anyone is playing harder than Alabama right now. Greg McElroy and Mark Ingram are keying an offense that is averaging 40 points a game. Oh, and Julio Jones has been a non-factor this season. Imagine if they managed to actually get him the ball?

Plus, the Tide is number two in total defense.

But Ole Miss is now the underdog. The Rebels collapsed under the weight of expectations against South Carolina. But Houston Nutt is an excellent motivator when his team is not expected to win.

But the Tide are (excuse the pun) rolling right now. They’ll take Ole Miss best shot, but they will easily win in Oxford this weekend.

LSU 17, Florida 16: This prediction is based on my assumption that Tim Tebow will not dress out for this game. The Gators offense will look somewhat different with John Brantley. If Tebow does not play, look for the running backs to enact some of the single-wing; Wildcat style plays. But not having Tebow to hammer the defenses on third and short will put the Gators at a slight disadvantage.

LSU’s offense is a bit of disappointment this year, averaging 322 yards per game. The offensive line is improving, but is still struggling with being a cohesive unit. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson has struggled as well, missing open receivers with bad overthrows at times.

So why do I think LSU will win? I think that the bag of tricks will be opened up by Les Miles. They may not throw every gadget out there, but count on at least one special teams touchdown—either from a fake field goal or from kick returner Trindon Holliday—being the difference for the Tigers at night in Death Valley.

Pigskin Punditry 2009: Week Four Review, Week Five Preview

David Singleton — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 04:26:19 -0400

One of the things about living in Las Vegas is that you sometimes miss out on the seasons changing.

If I still lived back east or in the Midwest where I went to school, October is the time of year you definitely start to break out the long sleeved t-shirts, sweatshirts and jackets—maybe even wear a fleece vest a few days during the month.

Yesterday in Las Vegas, it was 83 degrees during the day.

Yeah, I do miss the leaves falling. But I’ll take the lack of fall and the hot summer for the relatively mild winter.

What does this have to do with college football?

Well, as the calendar page turns from September to October, it is time to start focusing on those traditional rivalries, think about homecoming opponents and count the magic number as your team reaches bowl eligibility—or is eliminated from postseason contention.

With that in mind, let’s look at four newsworthy stories from this past week in Four Downs:

1) Injuries Pile Up

It all started before the season even began, when Oklahoma lost tight-end Jermaine Gresham to a knee injury.

The OU lost Sam Bradford in the season opening loss to BYU.

It’s all gone downhill from there for lots of teams.

It came to a head last weekend when Oregon lost cornerback Walter Thurmond for the season with a knee injury.

Baylor has lost dynamic quarterback Robert Griffin for possibly the rest of the year with a knee injury.

Tim Tebow suffered what looked like a severe concussion against Kentucky.

Hawaii just lost quarterback Greg Alexander on Wednesday night to a knee injury against Louisiana Tech.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

I know, I know: Injuries are a part of the game.

It just certainly seems like we’ve lost a lot of big names this season already.

2) Mike Leach bans Twitter, suspends one of his players

After a gut-wrenching loss to Houston last Saturday, apparently there is discord in Red Raider nation.

Mike Leach stripped offensive guard Brandon Carter of his captaincy and suspended him indefinitely for violating team rules (an always nebulous suspension).

Leach also banned the use of Twitter by Red Raiders players after linebacker Marlon Williams asked, according to sources, why he was still in a meeting room when, “the head coach can’t even be on time.”

Williams' Twitter account was closed and the post deleted soon afterwards.

Carter had also expressed frustration with how the season was going on his Twitter page after the game, although I do not think that the suspension had anything to do with the tweet.

It seems to me that Coach Leach, who is nothing if not loquacious, might be overreacting a bit to the fact that the team has lost two straight games.

It’s not like they’ve lost to awful teams; Texas is a national title contender and Houston is a pretty good team, having already taken down Oklahoma State.

Tech gets a chance to right the ship this week facing New Mexico at home. New Mexico is also dealing with their own internal problems right now, since an investigation is ongoing involving Mike Locksley punching one of his assistant coaches in the face during a staff meeting last week.

3) LeGarrette Blount—Returning to a field near you soon?

While it is not definite yet, Oregon head coach Chip Kelly has left the door open for running back LeGarrette Blount’s possible return to the Ducks this season, although the reinstatement could not happen before November 7th.

Blount was suspended after losing his composure after the Ducks were defeated by the Boise State Broncos on September 3rd.

After the loss, Blount punched Boise State linebacker Byron Hout in the face after Hout taunted Blount during the post-game celebration. Blount also had to be physically restrained by coaches and security as he was escorted back to the Oregon locker room.

The educator in me says that this can be a good thing: Blount only gets reinstated if he meets certain conditions laid out in a contract that Kelly drew up and Blount signed last week. The onus is on Blount to demonstrate that he belongs back on the field by what he does academically, behaviorally and in a football capacity.

This situation has provided Blount with a second chance, provided that he achieves the goals laid out before him. It is a teachable moment.

The cynical, sports writer side of me looks at this and says: Oregon just thumped Cal 42-3, leaving a bit of an opening for the Ducks to claim the Pac-10 title. Oregon’s biggest hurdle on the road to Pasadena is the home game against USC on Halloween. USC has struggled recently in the state of Oregon, losing their last three games played in the state.

If the Ducks get past the Trojans on Halloween, it might be smooth sailing to the Rose Bowl. A trip made even smoother by having a fully committed LeGarrette Blount as a fresh battering ram late in the season.

Is this actually the line of thinking being employed by Oregon? I don’t know. Like I said, this is the cynical side of me talking.

But it’s not completely implausible, is it?

4) New Bowl Game at Yankee Stadium

In the House that the taxpayers of New York City built, someone has thought that it is a good idea to play a bowl game matching up the fourth place team from the Big East and the seventh place team from the Big 12…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Or actually, considering what the weather can be like in my hometown that time of year: brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I mean, I know that these new stadiums cost a lot of money, and that you’ve got to get revenue in somehow, this matchup makes almost no sense.

Well, okay, the Big East makes some sense, between Rutgers and Syracuse (assuming Doug Marrone can get the ‘Cuse turned around soon).

But the Big 12?

I mean, really?

Look, if the Yankee Bowl (such an original name) needed a Midwestern conference to play the Big East, they overlooked the most obvious one:

The Big Ten.

Penn State is a four hour drive from New York City. There are lots of New Yorkers that are alumni of Big Ten schools (Northwestern, Ohio State, Michigan).

That conference seems like a more natural fit for that game than the Big 12.

I fear that this bowl game will be short lived.

Besides, we really—really!—don’t need any more bowl games between 6-6 teams.

Speaking of .500 records, I went 3-3 last week in my picks, bringing my season total to 16-8. This week’s Pick Six:

LSU 27, Georgia 24: Georgia’s defense has been suspect in its two conference games, although the Bulldogs have won both of them. LSU’s scoring defense has been very good, but the offense needs to run the ball better.

Georgia quarterback Joe Cox has been inconsistent this season but has played well when the defense has struggled. LSU will probably give him fits, and a late interception will set LSU up for a game winning field goal to score a road victory for the Tigers.

Penn State 31, Illinois 6: Penn State got flat out embarrassed by Iowa in prime time last week. After a great first pass by quarterback Darryl Clark, the Hawkeyes kept him off balance the rest of the game.

Illinois, however, does not have Iowa’s defense. Take that fact and couple it with a struggling offense and this game has the makings of a blowout. Look for the Nittany Lions to use this game to try and get their offense back on track and the Illini are the right team at the right time for the boys from State College.

UNLV 31, Nevada 27: These two schools plain don’t like each other. Nevada’s season started with a lot of promise, but they have struggled mightily on offense, turning the ball over with surprising frequency. Oh, and Nevada’s defense still struggles against the pass, as quarterbacks Jimmy Clausen of Notre Dame and Blaine Gabbert of Missouri riddled Nevada’s secondary for huge numbers.

UNLV can throw the ball with the best of them, but their defense has struggled to make plays at times, and could not contain Nevada quarterback Colin Kapernick at all in last season’s game in Las Vegas. The Rebels have only won two road games during Mike Sanford’s tenure, but look for them to make it three and reclaim the cannon due to a late Nevada fumble.

Michigan 38, Michigan State 27: Yet another team struggling under the weight of increased expectations appears to be Michigan State. Their season is probably hanging in the balance heading into this game, as a potential dark horse candidate for the conference title will look to avoid going 1-4 and keep their season from spiraling out of control.

Michigan looks to be right on track, if not a bit ahead of schedule. True freshman quarterback Tate Forcier continues to make plays when it counts, showing a maturity that is not normally expected from true freshman. A well balanced running game that is averaging 240 yards a game helps immensely.

The defense is a little suspect for the Wolverines, though, giving up 33.5 points per game against non-MAC schools. I don’t expect this contest to be as close as the games against Indiana or Notre Dame, but it will be contested well into the third quarter.

USC 21, Cal 16: USC’s defense is playing excellent against the run. The strength of Cal is running back Jahvid Best. The immovable object will meet the unstoppable force in this game on Saturday night.

Cal’s defense got lit up to the tune of 524 yards of offense in a 42-3 devastation at Oregon last Saturday. While the Trojans have sputtered on offense at times this year, and Cal’s defense will surely turn in a more inspired effort at home in this game, I think the rumors of USC’s demise may have been greatly exaggerated. Much like the Ohio State game, it won’t be pretty. But the Men of Troy will get the job done.

Oklahoma 27, Miami 21: In a unique scheduling quirk, the University of Miami will step out of conference play for the first time this season.

Their opponent? Oklahoma, who will be without Sam Bradford yet again after there was some speculation that he might be ready to go for this big game.

Oklahoma has rebounded nicely since the loss to BYU, pitching two straight shutouts. Okay, one game was against Idaho State, but holding Tulsa’s offense scoreless quite a feat, indeed. Landry Jones has filled in valiantly in Bradford’s stead, exhibiting a quick release and some good instincts.

The “U,” on the other hand, struggled mightily in inclement weather in Blacksburg last week, getting easily handled 31-7. Quarterback Jacory Harris went 9-for-25 passing last week for 150 yards, and lost 28 yards rushing as well. It was an all around brutal game for the Hurricanes.

This game will serve to put a spotlight on the ‘Canes for the second week in a row. I think that they will be better prepared this time around and will execute better in the friendlyish confines of Land Shark Stadium. But I think OU has slightly better talent (even with their green quarterback) and will come out ahead in the end.

Pigskin Punditry 2009: Week Three Review, Week Four Preview

David Singleton — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:33:27 -0400

For most teams, the time at the pastry wagon needs to come to an end soon.

Non-conference play is wrapping up in earnest for most teams, and while a directional school here or there will dot the weekly composite schedule, it is time to start setting sights on those traditional rivals and begin working on winning the conference title and securing bowl bids.

Speaking of rivals, I can think of no better way to begin Four Downs than by looking at a rivalry game from last week:

1) Lane Kiffin vs. Urban Meyer: The Saga Continues

Do you think that SEC Commissioner Mike Slive has these guys on speed dial yet?

Maybe it’s more like the Bat Phone; a dedicated phone line to get in touch with these guys so that he can tell them to knock it off.

In case you missed it, in this week’s round of “Gossip Coaches,” Urban Meyer opined that Tennessee did not seem to be playing with a sense of urgency in the fourth quarter of Florida’s 23-13 victory in the Swamp last Saturday.

Meyer also added that some of his players had to fight through the flu during the game and that they did not perform as well as usual, which prompted Kiffin to fire back, saying, “I don't know. I guess we'll wait and see, and if we're not excited about our performance, we'll tell you that everybody was sick.”

And somewhere on a golf course around Columbia, SC, don’t you think Steve Spurrier is both chuckling and asking himself, “how can I get in the middle of this?”

Okay, probably not.

But while this seems immature and childish on many levels, if Kiffin can get Tennessee turned around quickly, this rivalry could once again become marquee.

2) USC Stubs Toe Against Unranked Conference Foe—Again!

So, who actually had Washington winning last week, besides Stewart Mandel of SI.com?

Anyone? Bueller?

Did I think it was possible? Sure. Much in the same way that it’s possible that Scarlett Johansson could knock on my door tomorrow evening—actually forcing me to use my Scarlett Johansson bag.

In other words, not bloody likely at all.

Give Steve Sarkisian and company a lot of credit; they pulled off what many thought was not feasible.

Now, it is worth mentioning that USC was without all-world safety Taylor Mays.

But last time I checked, Mays doesn’t play quarterback, either.

Maybe this idea of USC simply reloading needs to be examined again. Because while Aaron Corp did not play well at all in this game, I wonder if the result really would have been any different if Matt Barkley had been able to go.

In the future, when we look back at college football in this decade, I believe we will look at USC and wonder, “what if?”

What if USC doesn’t lose to Oregon State and UCLA in 2006?

Or Stanford in 2007?

Or Oregon State in 2008?

Or Washington in 2009?

I’m not saying that the sky is falling in Troy. But it does seem as if there is something that runs deep with this program and not necessarily always playing up to their talent level.

3) BSC Busters—Busted!

It was not a good week for the Mountain West big boys.

TCU whipped up on Texas State, as I think most people expected them to do. Having played Virginia as well, though, does very little to tell us who TCU is. They have a big opportunity this week, as the Horned Frogs travel to Clemson.

But Utah got beaten by Oregon in Autzen Stadium, 31-24, despite forcing four turnovers and holding the Ducks to 95 passing yards for the game.

BYU, meanwhile, got obliterated by FSU 54-28. The Seminoles, with a full week of rest after the Jacksonville State debacle in Week Two, came out firing, scoring 30 first-half points and holding the ball for almost 40 minutes in the game. The ‘Noles also forced five turnovers without committing one themselves.

So Utah drops out of the polls, and BYU falls out of the top 10 and remains barely alive in the top 20.

Boise State currently sits at number eight in both polls, with TCU and Houston as the next contenders left.

Another team to keep an eye on from the coalition conferences, if you’re looking for a BCS buster dark horse, might be Southern Mississippi. The Golden Eagles have a difficult task ahead of them as they travel to Lawrence this week to face the Kansas Jayhawks.

4) Slow Down the Hype Machine

Last night, in Columbia, SC, the hype machine was definitely slowed down for the Ole Miss Rebels as they got beaten by South Carolina 16-10. Jevan Snead, the Ole Miss quarterback, was pressured and hit—a lot. He finished the game 7-of-21 for 107 yards and was sacked four times, including once on the final, stalled drive.

South Carolina still looks inconsistent on offense, with Stephen Garcia going 16-of-34 for 220 yards, and the Gamecocks running game produced only 65 yards.

But that defense was stifling. If they had played that way in the Georgia game, this team might be 4-0. If the offense can become consistent, the Gamecocks might be a threat in the SEC East race—although they are a game behind because of the divisional loss to Georgia.

As for the Rebels? Well, they have some time off before they play at Vanderbilt, but then they have to host Alabama. The Rebels have to get their offensive line protection shored up, get Snead refocused, and figure out a way to get Dexter McCluster the ball more than one time in the first half.

If they can do that, then maybe they have a chance at upsetting Alabama.

Maybe.

On to Pick Six, where last week I went 5-1, bringing my season record to 13-5. I only missed on the Notre Dame-Michigan State game (thanks, Kirk Cousins).

This week’s array has the potential for a lot of drama as well.

Missouri 41, Nevada 21: A Friday night at altitude in Reno, Nevada. A young quarterback making his first true road start (although it’s his second start away from home). A team on the rise that is in reloading/rebuilding mode versus a veteran team that came in with high expectations and has struggled mightily under the weight of those expectations.

Missouri has to weather what could be a riled up, yet tense crowed at Mackay Stadium. If the Tigers can jump out to a quick lead, that could be all it takes to get an already on edge and frustrated fan base to turn on the Wolf Pack’s coaching staff.

Nevada’s defense has struggled against the pass. Missouri has a quarterback that throws a good deep ball. Look for Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert to have yet another solid performance as his team cruises.

Houston 38, Texas Tech 35: Houston upset Oklahoma State in Stillwater two weeks ago. Texas Tech is coming off of a tough loss in Austin this past weekend. Houston is looking for yet another major conference pelt, and Tech might be ripe for the picking this weekend. I think that in the battle of gunslingers, Case Keenum of Houston and Taylor Potts of Texas Tech, Houston will barely nip the Red Raiders.

Boise State 45, Bowling Green 17: Boise State brings their hopes for an undefeated season to northwestern Ohio for a game against the Bowling Green Falcons. The Falcons put a good scare into Missouri before collapsing at the end, and then gave up 246 yards rushing to Marshall last week in a 17-10 loss.

Boise State lost a weapon when running back D.J. Harper tore his ACL. But a balanced Boise offense will be able to handle the Falcons easily.

Miami (FL) 27, Virginia Tech 20: The gauntlet continues for the University of Miami as they face the third of four consecutive top 25 opponents to open the season. Miami is averaging 465 yards per game and 35.5 points per game so far this season against Florida State and Georgia Tech.

Virginia Tech’s offense is still inconsistent, due in part to quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s inconsistent play. I think that Jacory Harris, the confident sophomore quarterback for Miami, and the receiving corps from the “U” will make one key play that Taylor won’t.

California 31, Oregon 24: Speaking of inconsistent quarterback play, meet Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who went 4-of-16 for 95 yards against Utah last week. While Masoli is a tough, bruising runner, he has got to become a better passer if the Ducks are going to live up to the expectations set before them. His footwork is sloppy and he needs to not lock onto his primary receiver, or else he will start throwing a lot of picks.

Cal quarterback Kevin Riley has been solid but not spectacular, but he doesn’t have to be more than solid with Jahvid Best as his running back. Best scored five touchdowns in the Bears' nice 35-21 win last week at Minnesota.

Oregon’s defense has been solid, so look for Cal to try and run the ball with Best and set up the play action pass. Cal will force Masoli to make a mistake in the passing game, and that turnover will be the game-changing moment that leads to a Cal victory.

Penn State 24, Iowa 21: Penn State has demolished the opposition to this point in their schedule.

Of course, that opposition has been Akron, Syracuse, and Temple.

Iowa hasn’t necessarily faced a murderers' row, either, although they have rebounded nicely from the scare that Northern Iowa put into them early in the season.

Both teams are nicked up a little bit. Iowa is missing left tackle Bryan Bulaga, tight end Tony Moeaki, and wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, which makes Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi even more important. His decision-making will be important in this game.

Penn State linebackers Sean Lee, Nathan Stupar, and Navarro Bowman are all battling injuries, as well.

Both of these teams are not really going to use gimmicks. Penn State is still breaking in a brand new receiving corps, and finally managed to get their running game going a bit against Temple. Iowa has also managed to rediscover how to run the ball the last two weeks against Iowa State and Arizona.

Penn State will need to give Daryll Clark time to throw the ball if they want the victory. The inconsistent pass protection this season cannot continue if the Nittany Lions want to continue on the road to the BCS championship. Getting past Iowa will be the first step. Look for Evan Royster to break a big run late in the fourth quarter to set up the game winning score.

College Football: Week Two Review, Week Three Preview

David Singleton — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:36:08 -0400

I was stunned when I logged on to my Twitter feed and saw that Dr. Myles Brand, NCAA President, had died from pancreatic cancer. He was 67.

Brand was known mostly for being the Indiana University President who fired Bob Knight.

When Dr. Brand took over the NCAA a few years later he was the first academic to lead the organization.

While I didn’t always agree with certain elements of how the NCAA functions (and I still don’t), I do believe that Dr. Brand’s commitment to making sure that the focus was on the student athlete was always the proper approach.

As someone who works in higher education, I think that the idea of trying to ensure that student athletes are making proper academic progress to degree completion is a noble thing—and in my mind is the right thing to do.

I am also a believer in Brand’s mission to make sure that athletics are better integrated into the missions of institutions of higher education.

His background as an academic and as president at two BCS institutions played a big role in his ability to try and move the NCAA in a better direction—one that was more responsive to the needs of the member institutions and also focused on the concept of the holistic student athlete.

It’s a shame that he will not be around to further move the NCAA in the right direction.

With that said, let’s line up for Four Downs:

1) Freshmen Quarterback Play

To start discussing Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier and USC quarterback Matt Barkley, I need to steal from the PGA Tour’s advertisements:

These guys are good.

Barkley’s raw numbers were not great on Saturday night, but when he needed to be centered, controlled, and focused leading the final drive, he was not rattled at all.

Yes, it helps to have Joe McKnight and Stafon Johnson in the backfield (and McKnight did much of the heavy lifting on the drive). But the 26-yard-pass to tight end Anthony McCoy looked gorgeous and showed me that he will be ready to have the weight on his shoulders sooner rather than later.

Meanwhile, in Ann Arbor Forcier went 5-for-7 for 56 yards and a winning touchdown pass running the two minute drill for the Wolverines. While it may still be a bit early to say that the Wolverines have turned the corner, this football team looks much improved over the squad that they fielded last season.

2) Questionable Play Calling

I don’t want to detract from the stories that are being woven about these two freshmen quarterbacks, but I found the play-calling by the Buckeyes and the Fighting Irish to be odd.

Odd may not be the right word.

Confusing might be more apropos.

I know that Charlie Weis and Jim Tressel are well-respected coaches—Super Bowl and national title-winning head coaches.

But why wouldn’t you run the football at critical times?

Notre Dame had the ball with 3:07 left in the fourth quarter. Michigan had all three timeouts remaining. Notre Dame ran for 11 yards and then was stopped for no gain before Michigan called time with 2:29 to go.

So the Wolverines had two timeouts left.

Notre Dame should have made Michigan use them.

Instead of throwing two incomplete passes, let’s say the Irish ran twice more and were stuffed twice.

The clock is running and Michigan has to use those timeouts.

Instead, the Wolverines had two timeouts that they were able to use on their final drive, which enabled them to score. Not having those timeouts would have raised the level of difficulty for Forcier and company. Maybe they have to line up and clock it, forcing them to burn a down.

But giving the Wolverines those timeouts essentially extended the game for the Michigan coaching staff.

In the Ohio State-USC game, the critical time came at the end of the first half. Ohio State got the ball with 1:49 on the clock at their own 27. USC had no timeouts.

Terrelle Pryor threw incomplete. Dan Herron ran for seven yards. Pryor threw incomplete. Ohio State punts to USC. USC marches into field goal range and ties the game at the end of the half.

I repeat: USC had no timeouts. I understand wanting to try and score. But Ohio State had two timeouts left. They didn’t have to try and throw the ball downfield to move the ball.

It’s funny that Tressel is now getting killed for his conservative playcalling, yet I would say that on two critical drives at the end of the first half and before USC’s final scoring drive, that Tressel wasn’t conservative enough. And that it cost him and his team dearly.

3) Colorado’s Early Season Struggles

It has got to be tough to be a Buff, or rather, a fan of the Colorado Buffaloes.

Ralphie has got to be one unhappy bison right now, as the Buffaloes got absolutely blasted against the Toledo Rockets, 54-38.

624 yards of total offense?

Four turnovers?

Two 100-yard rushers allowed?

A 61-yard run (untouched) by Aaron Opelt—a quarterback no one is going to mistake for Pat White or Mike Vick?

A deficit that reached 27 points twice during the third quarter?

Yowza.

Did I mention that Wyoming comes to town on Saturday?

A Wyoming squad that has a new head coach in Dave Christensen—the same Dave Christensen that was offensive coordinator at Missouri during the last two years, when Mizzou outscored Colorado 113-10?

Double yowza.

4) Mr. Kiffin? Mr. Lane Kiffin? Please Pick Up the White Courtesy Phone

Does anyone have any idea how bad it could possibly be on Saturday afternoon at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium?

It could—could—be really bad.

Urban Meyer has the steely resolve and demeanor to turn this game into Lane Kiffin’s worst nightmare. And the weapons to make it happen.

Looking back at last year’s game, the final score was 30-6, but the Vols defense held Florida to 243 yards of offense. Hell, take out a punt return by Brandon James and the score becomes a respectable 23-6. Three turnovers really cost Tennessee.

But that was last year when Phil Fulmer was in charge. In other words: B.L. (Before Lane).

Before Lane Kiffin was hired and started running off at the mouth about singing Rocky Top in the Swamp and calling Meyer a cheater.

Well, time to go get that check cashed, Lane.

Which serves as a perfect segue into this week’s Pick Six. I went 4-2 last week, bringing my season record to 8-4

Florida 45, Tennessee 7

I know that certain folks have thought (or called for) this to be a 50 or 60 point blowout.

But let’s not forget that game last year. Eight starters from that defense have returned, including all-world safety Eric Berry. Yes, they are playing a new scheme. But the Vols defense did not turn into Western Kentucky overnight.

The problem for the Vols will once again be their offense letting them down. I think the Florida defense will force turnovers and the Gators will take advantage of the short field.

Miami (FL) 31, Georgia Tech 27

Which Georgia Tech team will show up on Thursday night? The team that was running up and down the field on Clemson in the first quarter of the game last week, or the team that gagged and gave up 27 unanswered points during the second, third, and fourth quarters?

The answer lies somewhere in between. I think that Georgia Tech is better than the team showed last week, but I wouldn’t count out Miami. Jacory Harris played a good game against Florida State on Labor Day, and has had time to prepare to face the triple option offense.

I think Tech comes out strong once again, but that the ‘Canes pull off the upset late.

California 48, Minnesota 10

Minnesota has played two very close games to open the season, scraping past Air Force and Syracuse.

Meet Jahvid Best and the Cal Bears, Golden Gophers. You haven’t seen anything yet.

Even with the potential time zone issues for the Bears, I highly doubt that there will be any jet lag problems this year.

Virginia Tech 21, Nebraska 17

Nebraska takes a break from its Sun Belt home schedule and heads on down to Lane Stadium for a road test against Virginia Tech.

The Hokies beat up on a struggling Marshall program after losing to Alabama in Atlanta to open the season.

I look for both defenses to be stout, but Virginia Tech will get just enough plays from Ryan Williams and Tyrod Taylor to make the difference. Zac Lee will acquit himself well in his first true road start.

Michigan State 37, Notre Dame 31

These two rivals are each coming off of heartbreaking losses. Michigan State all but had the game won against Central Michigan, but an offsides penalty on a field goal attempt led to a 29-27 loss.

The Spartans have won the last three games that they’ve played at Notre Dame Stadium. The Fighting Irish have a bit more offensive talent, but Michigan State has a slightly better defense. Unless Notre Dame can figure out a way to correct some of its sloppy penalties from last week, I see the Spartans winning their fourth straight in South Bend.

Texas 42, Texas Tech 27

An early season conference game for these two Big 12 South powers.

Last season’s game was a classic, but Texas Tech has lost two of the most prolific players in NCAA history in quarterback Graham Harrell and wide receiver Michael Crabtree. Taylor Potts has filled in well, already tossing nine touchdown passes, and the yards have been distributed fairly evenly.

Texas still has its primary offensive weapons in quarterback Colt McCoy and wide receiver Jordan Shipley. The Longhorns struggled last week in the first half against a game Wyoming squad, with the altitude of War Memorial Stadium being an issue.

But this game is at home for the Longhorns, where the Red Raiders have struggled of late. They’ll get some points. The Longhorns, though, will be too tough to beat at home on Saturday night.

Terrelle Pryor Said What?

David Singleton — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:26:00 -0400

So I am sitting in the ESPN Zone in Anaheim last weekend having breakfast and watching the Ohio State/Navy game. I looked up at the screen when Ohio State took the field and blanched a little when I looked at Terrelle Pryor’s eye black strips.

Does that strip under his left eye say “Vick?”

What?

Nah. It had to be the lack of sleep catching up with me.

But lo and behold, Pryor really did have the word “Vick” written on his eye black.

Obviously, I wasn’t the only person who saw this; anyone near a tv screen saw what he had done.

When asked about the writing after the game, Pryor, a true sophomore, delivered this gem:

“Not everybody is the perfect person in the world…Everyone does -- kills people, murders people, steals from you, steals from me. I just feel that people need to give him a chance.”

Again I ask: What?

As someone who holds a degree in communications, I’ve scratched my head over and over again trying to parse this statement and diagram these sentences.

I am puzzled.

But that leads me to this point: Terrelle Pryor has the right to express himself on his eye black if he so chooses. I may not agree with his convoluted reasoning, or with his statement, but he has that right, since there is no team or NCAA rule prohibiting this practice.

Furthermore, the idea of freedom of speech is something that most colleges and universities hold dear (or should) and consider central to their missions. The marketplace of ideas can only function if someone is allowed to make a statement that they then have to defend.

What bothers me is how inarticulate Pryor sounded in defending himself.

Maybe his words just got jumbled during the comedown after the tense victory over Navy. Maybe he would be more articulate if asked the question in another setting.

I wonder, though, how much media training players in all sports are given.

I’m not just talking about the superstars, but it should be something fundamental that every student athlete should go through.

I’m not talking about teaching student athletes the art of spin and spin control. I am referring to giving these teenagers simple training to allow them to answer questions (or teaching when they should deflect questions).

Some people are naturally more loquacious than others; the media savvy ones can handle themselves with no problem.

But everyone could use some basic assistance in knowing how to carry themselves and conduct themselves during group and one-on-one interviews.

These players are basically representatives of their institutions—and some need all the help they can get.

Pigskin Punditry 2009: Week One Review, Week Two Preview

David Singleton — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:04:41 -0400

We have a lot of ground to cover, so let’s hurry up to the line of scrimmage for Four Downs:

1) Oklahoma’s M*A*S*H Unit

It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Bob Stoops. It has not been a kind birthday week for him with the news that tight end Jermaine Gresham has to have season ending surgery on his right knee.

Oh, and there’s also that little thing about losing a Heisman winning quarterback Sam Bradford for two to four weeks with a sprained shoulder.

And that's all before we even mention the Sooners' loss to BYU—wasn't it shocking to see how harshly the Sooners were penalized for that loss in the polls?

2) The ACC versus the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA)

Thank goodness for Florida State and Miami playing a turn-back-the-clock game on Monday night.

That helped to deflect some attention from a bad week for the ACC in non-conference play this week.

Of course, the biggest losers of the weekend were Duke and Virginia—the two schools that did not go to bowls from the league last season.

Duke outgained the Richmond Spiders, defending Division 1 FCS champions, 369 total yards to 282 yards, but the Blue Devils fell behind by a score of 24-9 before falling short, 24-16.

Virginia, meanwhile, looked absolutely putrid against Richmond’s rival, William and Mary. The Tribe forced the Cavaliers to commit seven turnovers on the way to a 26-14 victory. Oh, and the Tribe shut the Cavaliers out in the second half.

While the league is mostly balanced from 1-10, Virginia and Duke still have a long road to hoe.

3) Mountain West Conference chooses their next victim

After scoring resounding victories over the Pac-10 last season, it looks like the Mountain West has found their next victim—the Big 12 conference.

Okay, that’s a bit of a reach, given that New Mexico was torched by Texas A&M, a team that is expected to finish in last place in the South Division of the Big 12.

But BYU did notch a huge win over Oklahoma, which puts the Cougars in the driver’s seat for the chance to be a BCS buster.

The more puzzling loss for the Big 12, though, was Colorado going down against rival Colorado State 23-17.

This is the year of “10 wins and no excuses” as head coach Dan Hawkins put it this offseason.

The Hawk Love has definitely ebbed in Boulder. At this point, he's closer to the hot seat than anyone's hearts. The locals are restless, wondering why highly touted running back Darrell Scott is not getting more touches. (Scott is wondering that himself.)

Also, fans have to be wondering about the issue of nepotism; especially since quarterback Cody Hawkins (Dan’s son) was not removed for Tyler Hansen—especially after Hawkins struggled in the first half of the game. Hawkins went 7-14 for 46 yards, and Colorado trailed at the half 20-3.

So it’s not like the Mountain West is pounding on the Big 12. They earned two close victories (and one very ugly loss). But if Wyoming could pull an upset this week, and New Mexico figures it out in time for the Texas Tech game later this month, the case for the Mountain West as a formidable Big 12 rival could get stronger.

4) Did Boise State do the right thing?

I feel like enough words have been written about the punch heard ‘round the world last Thursday. Most of the attention has rightly been focused on Mr. LeGarrette Blount.

But in my head, I’ve gone back and forth about what I would have done if defensive end Byron Hout was my player. Hout, if you don’t recall, was the Boise State player that slapped Blount on the shoulder pads, said something to his face, and then was on the receiving end of the punch.

Hout has been "disciplined internally" (one of my favorite bits of coachspeak), according to reports.

Blount was suspended for the rest of the season, which is a gigantic leap backward for his career.

Personally, I would have probably suspended Hout for one game.

I know, I know: He was on the receiving end of a wholly unnecessary punch.

But here’s the deal, from my perspective: Hout doesn’t get punched if he doesn’t talk trash and actually touch Blount. Hout is the one who instigated things by his actions. I highly doubt that he was saying “Good game, man. Good effort.” I haven’t been able to do a Zapruder-esque analysis of the film and read his lips; I’m just making an assumption based on his body language.

But Boise State coach Chris Petersen decided that internal punishment would be enough—whatever that means. I just don’t think it’s enough.

Last week, the Pigskin Pundit went 4-2 in his picks, whiffing on the Oregon/Boise State and BYU/Oklahoma games. This week’s Pick Six:

Texas 45, Wyoming 17

The Dave Christensen era got off to a good start with a 29-22 win over Weber State last week. The Cowboys will quickly step up in class against the Texas Longhorns, and will quickly get put away.

Look for the Colt McCoy/Jordan Shipley connection to be on fire again as Texas rolls on towards a date with Texas Tech next week.

Oklahoma State 37, Houston 24

Houston blasted Northwestern State last week, 55-7. Oklahoma State won a hard fought game against Georgia 24-10. Oklahoma State showed they had a bit of a defense last week, but we will see just how improved that defense is when it takes on Case Keenum and company.

I think that the defense of the Cowboys will make enough key plays to avoid the dreaded letdown against the Cougars.

BYU 27, Tulane 7

Speaking of Cougars and letdowns, BYU travels to New Orleans to take on the Green Wave. Will the Cougars get caught looking ahead to the visit from the Seminoles next week?

If Florida State had beaten Miami on Monday night, I would have said that there was a chance for an upset in this BYU-Tulane game. No need to look ahead to a team that's 0-1, right? Therefore, BYU will be focused on the task at hand and take care of the Green Wave. Look for Max Hall to have another solid game against a slowly rebuilding Tulane program.

TCU 30, Virginia 6

Well, the good news is that Virginia is facing a team coming off of a bye week, so they will have had a week’s head start in playing real games. The bad news is that they are facing a TCU team that hasn’t given up a touchdown in the last two games and is a candidate to win the Mountain West title.

The sorry state of the Cavaliers' offense against William and Mary makes me think that it will be another long day for Al Groh. He might want to start looking for a realtor.

Notre Dame 27, Michigan 24

Both of these teams looked good on offense. Both teams played stout defense against veteran quarterbacks. Both teams are searching for some measure of redemption on a national level.

I think Notre Dame’s passing game with Jimmy Clausen, Malcolm Floyd and Golden Tate will be the difference in what should be a close game.

USC 28, Ohio State 17

The Buckeyes have a true threat at quarterback with Terrelle Pryor (somewhat misguided eye black notwithstanding). But Matt Barkley showed a lot of moxie in his first game against San Jose State.

Navy’s triple option caused all kinds of headaches for the Buckeyes. That does not seem to bode well for Jim Tressell's group with USC and their stable of backs heading into Ohio Stadium.

For Ohio State to have a chance, they have to force Barkley to win the game. Pryor can keep OSU in the game for a while, but look for the Trojans to run, run and run some more on the way to victory.

One Final Thought on LeGarrette Blount

David Singleton — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:30:00 -0400

I've been traveling all day, so I haven't had a chance to comment yet on the news of Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount's season-long suspension.

The suspension effectively ends his career, as he was a senior.

It's an ignominious conclusion to his career. The stat line is absolutely horrific.

Eight carries for negative five yards.

And one sucker punch to an opponent after the game.

As I wrote here, what Blount did was reprehensible and unconscionable. You simply cannot do that.

But as ESPN's Ted Miller wrote, let's hope that Blount can learn from this.

There's no question in my mind that this incident will cost Blount. He went from a possible day one draft pick to potentially being an undrafted free agent.

I doubt that he has lost the opportunity for an NFL career because of this punch.

The road to making it to the league has become much harder for him, though. The only film for the scouts to look at is the entirety of the 2008 season and this one sad night in 2009.

Yet if you have talent, someone will take a chance on you.

This will not be the last time we hear about LeGarrette Blount.

Let's hope that in the future, we are only hearing about his positive exploits on the field.

How Do You Solve a Problem like LeGarrette Blount?

David Singleton — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:29:00 -0400

It was a decent game on the Smurf Turf in Boise State, although it was quite a sloppy victory for the Broncos.

But the real action took place after the game, as the Oregon Ducks' star running back LeGarrette Blount punched Boise State defender Byron Hout.

Now, Hout did push Blount in the shoulder and shouted something in his face.

But I'm sorry—unless he trashed your momma or another close female relative, you don't punch a player in the face.

Hell, even if he did trash talk a female relative, you just simply cannot do that.

Things also began to escalate further as Blount had to be restrained by Boise Stadium event staff and local police as he started to charge at some of the fans sitting near the players tunnel.

I think that new head coach Chip Kelly has to have a long, long conversation with Blount. Considering that Blount was kicked out of practice earlier this year, I think he might be sitting out some more.

The behavior that Blount exhibited Thursday night was immature and unconscionable.

Preseason Picks for the 2009 College Football Season

David Singleton — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:52:00 -0400

As loyal readers should now by now, the Pigskin Pundit is not a big fan of preseason polls or rankings.

I am a fan of making predictions, however.

Except when I forget to include them in my opening column. Fortunately, that's why I also have the blog.

(Although now that the blog feeds into Bleacher Report, I think I have to watch my language.)

Anyway, here are my stabs at who I think will win the various Division I FBS conferences:

ACC Atlantic: Florida State
ACC Coastal: Virginia Tech
ACC Champion: Virginia Tech

Big 12 North: Kansas
Big 12 South: Texas
Big 12 Champion: Texas

Big East: Rutgers

Big Ten: Ohio State

Conference USA East: Memphis
Conference USA West: Houston
Conference USA Champion: Houston

MAC East: Bowling Green
MAC West: Central Michigan
MAC Champion: Central Michigan

Mountain West: TCU

PAC-10: USC

SEC East: Florida
SEC West: Ole Miss
SEC Champion: Florida

Sun Belt: Troy

WAC: Boise State

Pigskin Punditry 2009: Week One Preview

David Singleton — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:14:40 -0400

(Author's Note: Due to the recent news that Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones and running back Mark Ingram have been reinstated, the selection of the Alabama vs. Virginia Tech game has been revised. The initial pick was Virginia Tech 17, Alabama 10.)

I can hear the siren’s song of college football calling out to me.

It’s inescapable. I can’t help but be drawn in as the calendar page has turned from August to September.

Sure, by the end of the season, I usually find myself ranting about the illogical Bowl Championship Series and some team getting screwed out of a major bowl game.

But right now? In the time right before week one kicks off?

I am weak.

Yes, the Pigskin Pundit has returned for a second season, offering some wit, some wisdom, and some picks each and every week during the football season.

With the increase of Thursday and Friday night games, I am aiming to be more consistent this season and have the column up on Thursday mornings.

Without further ado, let’s begin with "Four Downs"—four quick takes on college football news, notes and issues.

The Michigan Situation

I wrote a blog about this earlier in the week, but I wanted to briefly revisit the current state of things in Ann Arbor.

We all know that winning is what matters to most (if not all) schools. If the players that complained anonymously had experienced victories last year, there would not have been a peep from them.

But losing (and losing badly) can breed discontent.

It’s imperative that the Wolverines get off to a good start this season. A 4-0 start (or even a 3-1 start with a close loss to Notre Dame) would do wonders for taking the heat off.

Of course, if the Wolverines were to get upset by Western Michigan on Saturday—which would be the third straight season opening upset by a non-BCS opponent—it could be the start of a very long season.

Matt Barkley Named USC Starting QB

With Aaron Corp still not 100 percent, and Mitch Mustain an afterthought (more on that here), Pete Carroll is starting the first true freshman in the history of the program.

The concern about Barkley is that he has a propensity for throwing the ball to the other team (see 18 interceptions last season at Mater Dei in Santa Ana).

USC has an excellent offensive line and a bunch of running backs. I don’t think Barkley will be asked to throw the ball 35 times a game.

But considering that USC faces a ball-hawking defense in San Jose State’s 4-2-5 alignment, and then faces a traditionally salty Ohio State defense at Ohio Stadium, it will truly be a baptism by fire.

If Barkley can win both of these games, the Pac-10 race becomes USC’s to lose (again).

Greg Paulus Named Syracuse Starting QB

Meanwhile, across the country, a college football program with a proud tradition is also starting a QB with no collegiate football experience, although he has spent the last four years as a point guard at Duke University.

Greg Paulus returned home to northern New York to play college football as a fifth-year senior for a rebuilding Syracuse program. New coach Doug Marrone has elected to start his career off by taking a chance on the former local hero.

It’s not a bad move.

Syracuse football can only go up from where it has been recently. Taking a shot on Paulus for one season isn’t going to make or break the program. It also gives Marrone and offensive coordinator Rob Spence more time to prepare backup quarterback Ryan Nassib to take over for real next season.

Now, it will be tough for Paulus, because he hasn’t been hit by a football player in nearly five years. It will be interesting to see how he reacts when he gets pounded by one of the Minnesota defensive players on Saturday. Also, I would expect Minnesota to disguise coverage and maybe dial up a few zone blitzes to make his head spin.

NCAA Clearinghouse

Every day there seems to be a note or two from a school announcing that another one of their incoming freshman has (finally!) been cleared to play by the NCAA Clearinghouse.

In college basketball, the NCAA Clearinghouse was part of the problem in allowing Derrick Rose to be considered okay to play—even though he submitted an allegedly fraudulent SAT score.

Now, as someone who works in higher education on the academic affairs side of the house, this whole concept of the NCAA Clearinghouse somewhat troubles me. Why is the NCAA making what I would consider to be secondary decisions about who a school can or cannot admit?

The NCAA has a sliding scale of high school GPA and SAT score that determines initial eligibility.

But if I am a school, and I admit the student, why can’t he be eligible? He (or she) met my admissions standards as a student; why is the word of the academic institution not considered good enough?

Don’t tell me that it would lead to fraud; the current system has done that quite well, thank you very much.

I think the NCAA means well, but the implementation of those well-meaning individuals in Indianapolis has been grossly mishandled and underfunded.

Time for the weekly "Pick Six," where I take a guess at predicting the outcome of six games every week. Pick Six is not conducted with the point spread in mind; we are simply picking winners.

Oregon 34, Boise State 31

The Ducks have wings this year. They also have revenge on their mind for losing to Boise State at home in Autzen Stadium last year, 37-32. Oh, and some of the Oregon players accused Boise State for taking some cheap shots during the game—including one that knocked quarterback Jeremiah Masoli out of the game.

Boise State almost never loses at home, but this is by far the biggest regular season non-conference game in school history. I think the Ducks will grab a quick lead and hold off a valiant comeback effort by Kellen Moore and company.

Notre Dame 40, Nevada 21

I am on the Nevada bandwagon this year. I think that Colin Kapernick is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the NCAA right now. I think that the backfield is loaded with Vai Taua and Luke Lippincott.

But that Nevada defense was a sieve at times last year.

Defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta has had time all summer to prepare for the Pistol offense and devise a game plan that will shut down the high-powered attack. This might be a time where Notre Dame has the schematic advantage, and I figure that Charlie Weis, Jimmy Clausen, and Golden Tate have been licking their chops all offseason when they’ve cued up Nevada game tape. This might be close early, but Notre Dame should pull away late.

Oklahoma 52, BYU 17

The first college football game being played in the House that Jerry built will display two very good quarterbacks in Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford and BYU’s Max Hall.

The difference, though, is that Max Hall tends to struggle in his biggest games (see TCU, Utah, and Arizona games from 2008). Also, Oklahoma has more talent than BYU on both sides of the ball.

Yes, some of that talent has left, and both teams are rebuilding their offensive lines. I just think that Hall will be rattled more by Oklahoma’s defense than Bradford will be by BYU’s front. National title game notwithstanding, Oklahoma’s threshing machine was rarely stopped last season. I don’t think BYU can offer resistance.

Oklahoma State 28, Georgia 14

This is one of the harder games to call this weekend, because I think there are a variety of unknowns. Georgia is bringing in a new quarterback, new starting running back, but a veteran defense to Stillwater, Oklahoma for a game against an explosive set of triplets in quarterback Zac Robinson, running back Kendall Hunter, and wide receiver Dez Bryant.

The key will be Georgia’s defense. Can they disrupt this high octane, versatile attack and shorten the field for their offense? Joe Cox will be able to target AJ Green, but I think he will make a couple of critical mistakes—and that will be the difference in the game in the end.

Alabama 24, Virgina Tech 17

This will be an all-out slugfest. Virginia Tech hangs its hopes on good defense, special teams, and some dynamic play from junior quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Without Sean Glennon looking over his shoulder, this is now Taylor’s team—although the loss of running back Darren Evans has to give some Hokies fans pause.

Meanwhile, Alabama has been dealing with their own off-the-field issues. Starting defensive end Brandon Deaderick was shot in the arm earlier this week when someone tried to rob him and a friend. Also, there are questions surrounding the eligibility of wide receiver Julio Jones and running back Mark Ingram after the two participated in a fishing trip that has caught the attention of the NCAA.

As of this writing, the NCAA has not ruled on the eligibility of the two offensive players, but an Alabama internal investigation has determined that the two players did not commit a violation. However, considering Alabama’s past history with the NCAA (including recent sanctions for a textbook scandal), you can understand why the program might be cautious about this.

Given that the two players have been reinstated on the condition of repayment of the cost of the fishing trip, I think that having both playmakers back will make the difference.

Michigan 28, Western Michigan 24

To bring things full circle for this week one column. I think Michigan avoids the dreaded three-game home opener losing streak and will barely get by Western Michigan. This has more to do with my continued lack of confidence in the Michigan quarterback situation—although I would say that the addition of freshmen Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson increases the overall talent level at the position compared to last season.

Western Michigan is just as dangerous an opponent as Appalachian State was two years ago. Tim Hiller has been somewhat overshadowed in the MAC West by Central Michigan’s Dan Lefevour, but Hiller has put up some impressive numbers of his own. Western Michigan also went 9-4 last season, so they are definitely a threat.

This will be a close game, but Michigan will make a play late to pull out the victory.

Okay, enough talk. Let’s get it on!

Mizzou Cuts Ties with Promising Frosh QB

David Singleton — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:53:00 -0400

Having spent a good deal of time drinking in Columbia, MO (much of it underage), I consider myself fortunate to have had the common sense to not get caught.

Then again, I wasn't a freshman vying for the backup QB spot.

After Blaine Dalton's second arrest on Friday morning, head coach Gary Pinkel swiftly dropped the hammer, booting Dalton from the team.

Again, Dalton was suspended after the first incident in April, where he managed to avoid being charged with drug possession because of 10 Hydrocodone pills that were found in his car.

Dalton was forced to surrender his driver's license as part of his sentence for the minor in possession he was charged with.

So, you're a freshman QB. You've had your license suspended and been suspended from the team for a minor in possession and traffic violations.

Why would you think that it's a good idea to get behind the wheel (after having had a few drinks) and think you can drive home?

Especially when you don't have a license!

It's simply inconceivable.

Michigan Revelations Speak to Larger Issue

David Singleton — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:59:00 -0400

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg has a good point with this blog post regarding the allegations coming out of the University of Michigan football program.

Part of the issue regarding the remuneration of college football players centers around the fact that being a football player is a full time job.

Yes, the NCAA mandates that players can only spend four hours a day and 20 hours per week on football related activities.

And if you believe that all programs strictly adhere to this limit, I have a lovely old bridge in New York that I'd love to sell to you.

Especially to succeed at the highest level in the sport.

However, I think that the bigger issue is that this has all been made so public.

I remember when former offensive lineman Justin Boren left Michigan and transferred to Ohio State. He made the point of saying that the program had lost its family values and atmosphere.

While there is attrition in every program when a new coaching staff takes over, it does seem as if Rich Rodriguez has been cursed for whatever reason:

The messy divorce from West Virginia
The very public defections before last season
The train-wreck of a season on the field
Now these allegations

Of course, we all know that if this team comes out and goes 9-3 this season and beats Ohio State, and demonstrates a lot of positive momentum and progress, that some of the chatter will die down.

If this season is a clunker as well, then expect the already warm seat to get blazing hot.

Where Have You Gone, Mitch Mustain

David Singleton — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:17:00 -0400

The decision over whether Pete Carroll should start true freshman Matt Barkley or redshirt sophomore Aaron Corp at quarterback was rendered yesterday when Carroll announced that Matt Barkley had won the competition.

Opinions about whether this was the right move or not fall on both sides of the spectrum.

However, I wanted to look at this from another perspective:

Where the hell is Mitch Mustain in all of this?

You remember Mitch Mustain, right?

One of the most highly touted quarterback recruits ever out of Springdale, Arkansas
Houston Nutt wanted Mustain (and teammate Damian Williams) so badly that he hired their high school coach, Gus Mahlzahn, to be his offensive coordinator.
Mustain went 8-0 as a starter (in the SEC, mind you) in 2006. Okay, so he was in the same backfield as Darren McFadden, Felix Jones and Petyon Hillis.
Nutt went with Casey Dick as his starting quarterback for the Tennessee game (and subsequently for the rest of the season), angering some of his backers (including Mustain's parents).
After the season, Mustain and Williams transferred to USC. Mahlzahn went to Tulsa as offensive coordinator and has recently returned to the SEC West in the same role at Auburn.

Yeah, that about sums it up.

Mustain arrived at USC in 2007 (his redshirt season). The 2009 season is set to kick off in less than a week.

Having been in the system for two seasons prior, shouldn't Mustain have had the inside track on the starting spot? Or if nothing else, have been neck and neck with Aaron Corp (who also arrived in 2007)?

Maybe this can be a case for not going overboard with recruiting rankings and potential.

Or is it just that USC was a bad fit?

Why No Big Ten Love?

David Singleton — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:10:00 -0400

It's funny that I wrote a piece talking about four FBS conferences that I thought were searching for respect on a national level, and most of the comments address one conference that I didn't discuss:

The somewhat lamentable Big Ten.

Was it oversight on my part?

Nope.

I think the Big Ten gets a proper amount of respect given the current state of the conference:

Wisconsin is trending down
Michigan hit rock bottom last season and has to prove that they are on the road back
Michigan State lost some senior leadership and needs to prove that last year was not a fluke
Ditto Northwestern
Illinois has some work to do, although Juice Williams and Rejus Benn have the potential to be a dynamic pitch-and-catch duo.
Purdue and Indiana are afterthoughts at this point
I personally don't trust Minnesota and Iowa to be consistent at this point

Which leaves us with Ohio State and Penn State.

The lasting image for Penn State right now is Mark Sanchez and the Trojans running roughshod over the Nittany Lions. Couple that with one of the weakest non-conference schedules I've ever seen, and I feel like the Penn State season basically comes down to the Ohio State game.

Ohio State's task is tougher: They have to beat USC. No excuses. The game is in the Horseshoe, and USC's quarterback (if it's Matt Barkley or Aaron Corp) will be starting his first road game ever.

That is the game that can help raise the Big Ten's image; it rests on the backs of the Buckeyes to bring honor to the clan.

Mountain West, ACC, Pac-10, Big East in Search of Respect in College Football

David Singleton — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:35:38 -0400

Respect.

It’s a funny word. Whether it’s Aretha or Otis Redding singing about it, or some athlete somewhere complaining because the media isn’t giving their team enough of it, it’s something that we all clamor for.

Respect usually has to be earned; it is not simply bestowed upon those who want it. It’s something you have to show that you are worthy of being granted.

In the 2009 season, there are four college football conferences that could be seen as fighting for respect on a national level. Let’s take a close look at these four conferences.

Mountain West Conference

The Utah Utes' defeat of the Alabama Crimson Tide got the program some love and showered some attention on the league. An offseason attempt to “storm the palace” and overthrow the BCS ultimately fell short, but look for the league to continue to try to make noise for a more equitable postseason arrangement.

The depth of the conference is not really there unless the traditional dregs of the conference step up to challenge BYU, TCU, and Utah. New blood at Wyoming and San Diego State, plus marked improvement by UNLV, could be just what the respect doctor ordered.

Of course, victories are what ultimately matter. The league is going to have to deliver in their non-conference games—and not just in the games played by the big three. If some of the bottom-of-the-league teams can beat Nevada, Oregon State, Minnesota, and UCLA, that would go a long way to affecting the national perception of the league.

ACC

The ACC went 4-6 in their bowl games last season. That may not seem like a big deal at first until you realize that the ACC sent 10 of their 12 teams to bowl games in 2008.

That’s right—10 teams. Only Duke and Virginia found themselves home for the holidays.

Of course, that fact forces us to wonder this: What is the line between being a balanced league and a league that is mired in mediocrity? It’s a razor-thin margin, to be sure.

The league might be on the upswing in the respect area, though, if you look at the preseason rankings. These must always be taken with a grain of salt, or a salt lick, depending on how much of a cynic you are.

There are four ACC teams in the top 25 in both the coaches and media polls. Virginia Tech is the highest ranked at No. 7 in both polls. The perception is that the strength of the conference is in the Coastal Division, which is where Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina reside. Florida State is the only representative of the Atlantic Division in the top 25.

What the ACC needs for respect is for someone to emerge as a legitimate national title contender. Virginia Tech has the inside track for that honor, and if they manage to get past fellow top 10 team Alabama on opening weekend, then they could position themselves to be that power team that the league needs.

If Florida State can also raise itself up with a win over BYU and become a dark horse title contender heading late into the season, then the ACC title game will appear to have significance. That would certainly draw more attendance than last year's tilt in Tampa.

Pac-10

Why does the Pac-10 need respect?

Simple: USC is the team that has eaten the respect from other teams.

Oh sure, it seems like every year there is a team that manages to upset the Trojans on their march to the BCS championship game.

Time and time again, though, there sit the Men of Troy on top of the conference standings.

But it’s not only a USC problem, which can only be alleviated by someone finally knocking them off. The problem overall is national perception.

Pac-10 schools play solid out-of-conference schedules. They are one of only two BCS leagues to play a true round-robin schedule (more on that other league in a minute). The league went 5-0 in their bowl games last season.

But what most folks remember about the Pac-10 is how they got schooled by the Mountain West in regular season play.

Couple that with the seeming nonsensical idea that this league is located in some hidden, misty locale like Brigadoon, and you have a perception problem.

With Larry Scott taking over as commissioner in July, the Pac-10 is going to start being more aggressive at tooting its own horn. While the West Coast has the perception of being a more laid-back region of the country, make no mistake about the passion of the fans out West.

That passion, and the success of these teams, has got to be pumped up and put out there more and more in order for some of the perception issues to wash away.

Big East

Take a second and count the number of Big East teams ranked in the top 25 of the coaches and media polls.

Go ahead. I’ll wait.

(Waiting.)

Time’s up. How many did you count?

The correct answer is none.

So much for the fallacy of East Coast bias, I guess.

Keep in mind what I said about not putting a lot of stock into the preseason rankings. However, it is difficult to ignore the fact that the Big East has been virtually eliminated from having any stake in the national title discussion for the 2009 season.

Heck, the Mountain West and the WAC have a better shot of having a team crowned as the national champion than the Big East will.

The league has been fighting perception issues about its viability as an automatic qualifier since the league lost Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College to the ACC.

Sure, West Virginia served as the putative class of the league during the Pat White era, but now that he’s gone, the perception is that the league is due to slide back quite a bit.

Much like the ACC, the Big East needs to have a program step up and become a national threat. As the only league besides the Pac-10 to play a true round-robin schedule, the Big East needs to take advantage of its five non-conference games and start barnstorming a bit by regularly scheduling inter-sectional non-conference games with the perceived national powers of the Big 12, Big Ten, and SEC.

Temporarily take on two-for-one games at those mega-stadiums in those leagues to rebuild the strength of the brand.

Remember, respect is not just given. It needs to be earned.

Tennessee and Nine Other Teams on the Road To Respect or Being a Total Train Wreck

David Singleton — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:19:01 -0400

As the start of the college football season approaches, let's take a look at ten programs that might be worth watching during the 2009 college football season. There are programs on the rise from obscurity, big name programs trying to get back to the top, and a couple of mid majors that could make some national noise as the season progresses.

Begin Slideshow

It's Got Wings: Oregon Unveils Yet Another Set Of New Uniforms

David Singleton — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:18:00 -0400

I will admit this right off the bat: I am a big fan of the Oregon Ducks football uniforms.

I think that the school has been very inventive and has capitalized on the well documented connection between the institution and the Nike corporation.

Even with the jerseys that took the field for most of the games last year, with the grips on the shoulders that looked like metal treads, I thought they always looked snazzy. After all, Oregon with wacky looking uniforms is kind of what makes them Oregon in the 21st century. They are innovators in that respect.

But with today's announcement of a new uniform set, I have to wonder: Wings? Really?

Wings on the shoulder replacing the tread that was there last season?

Can someone buy me a clue?

I'll take things one step further: I was reading the article above, and there were words in the press release that I could not understand in relation to the material being discussed.

From the press release:

The latest editions have improved ergonomics and ventilation characteristics, and feature laminate numbering that does not soak up any moisture and has an 85-percent weight differential compared to traditional tackle twill.

Laminate anti-abrasion shoulder reinforcement, in the form of wings, takes the place of "diamond plate" on the current jersey, a 200-percent savings in weight differential between materials. A lighter weight fabric has also been introduced for non-critical panels, trimming the weight from 7.46 ounces down to 5.5 as 75-percent of the panels from last year's jersey have been replaced.

Additional improvements include titanium d-rings on belts and the integration of Nike Pro Combat pads, eliminating pocket bags and structures that accommodate various aftermarket pads. The benefit of the latter is streamlined pads and added protection.Total weight savings over the previous model is estimated at 25 percent.

Titanium D-rings?

Laminate reinforcement?

Are these jerseys, or specs for a new car?

Good luck, Chip Kelly and company. Even I can't defend these (which were sneak previewed in a game against Arizona last season).

College Rooney Rule: Let's clarify something

David Singleton — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:58:00 -0400

As part of my daily routine at work, I was checking out CollegeFootballNews.com's Daily Roundtable series.

Today's discussion was interesting, as the question was "Should college football have an official Rooney Rule, the NFL rule that requires teams to interview minority head coaching candidates?"

The answer I have is: yes, to a degree.

Before engaging in further discussion on this point, remember that the general point of the rule is to simply interview minority candidates. There is no implication that the minority candidate has to be the one hired.

I think that the issue that some people have is the problem a lot of people have with affirmative action programs; they presume that increasing the candidate pool means that they have to hire that person.

But what the Rooney Rule and a true affirmative action program sets up is an interview. That is all.

There is no mandate that the minority candidate has to be hired to fulfill some sort of quota system.

The best man will, and should, get the job. It just serves as a reminder that the best man may not always look the way he has traditionally looked.

While the Auburn hire of Gene Chizik is curious (at best, IMHO), at least Turner Gill was in the candidate pool. Now, if he wasn't good enough to get the job, then that's fine. Auburn found the coach that was the best fit.

I'd be more concerned if he didn't even get the call to come down to the Plains.

Shroud Of Secrecy: Division 1 FBS Coaches To Keep Final Ballot Private

David Singleton — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:43:59 -0400

Once again, it appears that the Division 1 FBS coaches just don’t seem to get it.

No, I’m not talking about the silly little sparring that has been going on in the Southeastern Conference since Tennessee hired Lane Kiffin. (Although you have to admit that SEC commissioner Mike Slive verbally smacking down the coaches and athletic directors regarding the silly little taunts was amusing to read.)

Instead, I am referring to the decision that the American Football Coaches Association rendered yesterday to keep the final USA Today coaches poll ballot from being publicly revealed.

So, while the BCS has tried to recently become transparent with regards to their selection, the coaches have taken a step in the opposite direction.

Secrecy is the preferred method of most college head coaches. Heaven forbid anyone truly know anything regarding how the program is run.

But this comment by Grant Teaff, AFCA executive director, really takes the cake:

“Why do you think they have voting booths,” Teaff told the Tulsa World. “Why do you think they have curtains around voting booths? Experts believe that's the truest way of getting the purest vote. That's what coaches are after.”

Excuse me?

The purest vote?

Are you kidding me?

Usually when one enters a voting booth, you are actually doing something of truly impactful value like selecting a president, congressional representatives, state and local leaders, etc.

You aren’t trying to arbitrarily decide on which two teams from power conferences get to play for a crystal football and a claim as the mythical national champion.

No one is probably asking for the coaches to make every single ballot public; quite frankly, I don’t really care which coach has which team number one on September 18th.

However, when the calendar pages flip to November and December and January, then you’re damn right it matters. If you want me, as a fan, to be invested and care about this sport, then you need to make things as transparent as possible.

Look, we know that coaches have inherent biases; as much as they may want us to believe the opposite, these guys are human beings. Look at the voting patterns in last season’s final poll. Some of the positioning of teams is quite curious, indeed.

But you know what? At least we have the opportunity to question these decisions instead of inventing fictional straw men to rail against if our team gets the proverbial shaft.

Sadly, the coaches instead have voted for secrecy.

Shameful.

Urban Meyer Lashes Out: You're Either with Us or Against Us

David Singleton — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:02:23 -0400

""If you want to be critical of a player on our team or a coach on our team you can buy a ticket for seat 37F, you're not welcome back in the football office....You're either a Gator or you're not a Gator.'"

The quote above is from a speech that Urban Meyer gave at a Central Florida Gator Club meeting a couple of weeks ago.

In that speech, Meyer also lashed out at NFL draft pundits for thinking that Tim Tebow is not going to be an NFL caliber quarterback. Meyer described draft pundits as, "[G]uys with a microphone who have no idea what they’re talking about. They’ve never played football, never had to be accountable, they just babble, go home and drink a Heineken.

“They think (Tebow) can’t play quarterback at the next level. So the job description in the National Football League, the job description is different in college? Winning, leadership, all those things aren’t real important. Can he throw the ball far? Can it come out cool? On fourth- and-two, I’ve got mine. We’ve got ours, right?”

Look, I can understand the allegiance that Meyer has to Tebow. He's not the only person in the country with a man-crush on the quarterback. And after all, Tebow has gotten Meyer two BCS championships in three years. Why wouldn't he defend the guy?

My bigger issue is with the quote I used to open this piece.

Because that quote is completely and utterly appalling to me as someone who works in higher education.

At every college and university, head coaches are paid professional staff members. Since they work with students participating in what is essentially extracurricular activity, the head coach should do whatever they can to provide the students in their charge with what we call "life skills or soft skills."

In other words, the tools that the student needs to be successful in the real world.

When I see a quote like the one above, it makes me gag, because it appears that Urban just wants to build a bubble around his program, allowing only sycophantic yes-men to have access to his players. Heaven forbid someone offer any criticism of Saint Urban, his disciples and his followers—constructive or otherwise.

Most of the reports I've read about this comment are saying that it is being directed at former Gators players. Apparently, former Florida quarterback Shane Matthews was critical of the play-calling during the sole loss of the season last year to Ole Miss, 31-30.

I know, I know. Most coaches are demagogish to some degree. They want to micromanage as many aspects of their players's lives as possible.

But to say that I can't be honest if I see something that deserves criticism? That I'm just supposed to slap them on the back and say, "Good job, Billy" when there is clearly something that they could be doing differently? And to do the opposite is to be viewed as someone who is not loyal to my alma mater?

Please.

Let me go ahead and place my order for a season ticket in section 37F.

Unless Meyer is going to bug the bleachers and get me thrown out of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Way to be a molder of men, Urban. Way to teach your players to deal with the harsh realities that will face them when their college careers are over.

Bravo.

Don't Call It a Comeback: Brett Favre Considering Joining The Vikings.

David Singleton — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:58:39 -0400

Maybe Brett Favre missed his calling in life.

I’m thinking that Favre would have made a helluva professional boxer.

He already has the concept of coming out of retirement for one more bout down to a science.

If the reports on ESPN.com are true, we might get to witness the sight of Brett Favre taking snaps with Adrian Peterson in the backfield.

Ed Werder is reporting that there is allegedly a clandestine meeting set up for later this week between Favre and Vikings head coach Brad Childress to see if Favre would be willing to renounce his retirement and try to win that elusive second Super Bowl title.

My initial thought is: Not again.

Look, I can kind of understand Favre wanting to play again. Last season’s comeback drama had a great start, but tailed off at the end and fell flat on its face.

So when that happens, of course you green light (or in this case, purple light) a sequel. Redemption knows no boundaries. Grudges don’t know boundaries, either.

What better way for Favre to ride off into the sunset on that lawnmower of his than to go head to head with his former employer two times this season – with a playoff spot on the line, no less?

The Vikings have a good defense, a solid offensive line, and an outstanding running game with Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor as a dynamic one-two punch. Favre truly would just have to be a game manager in this situation. He wouldn’t have to play the hero’s role.

Although we all know that he would not be able to help himself. That’s just who Brett Favre is. He will always be the gunslinger – even when the old six-shooter is broken (as it was at the end of last season).

I’ve never been one to rant and rave about iconic sports figures “tarnishing their legacy” by playing for another team or teams at the end of their careers searching for a ring. I get that.

But this? This is spite. Pure and simple.

This is someone – a grown ass man – that cannot let go of how he was replaced.

Was it a messy ending in Green Bay? Absolutely. But this almost mercenary streak that he is displaying for the second year in a row seems…sad to me.

I can only imagine what that little kid that wore the Brett Favre jersey all of those years must be thinking now.

Michael Phelps Should Learn From His Mistakes

David Singleton — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:10:09 -0500

Michael Phelps has had a much, much worse incident in his past, you know.

Remember back after he wowed the world by winning six gold medals in Athens? He was 19-years old and charged with drunken driving.

In this writer's opinion, that was a much stupider act than toking up from a bong at a party. Because—worst case scenario—he could have killed someone by getting behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol. I think we all know that drunk driving can kill.

In this instance, there is no accusation of his getting behind the wheel while stoned. So that's good, at least.

The worst Phelps can be charged with in this instance is naivete.

In today's society, with 24-hour coverage of everything, and fame coming to folks for the simplest (and sometimes stupidest) reasons, anyone who has something to lose has to be extra vigilant about their image. This is especially true when there are endorsement dollars on the table.

Whether you're Matt Leinart hosting a party in the offseason and getting photographed with a beer bong and some nubile 20-somethings, or Vince Young heading back to Austin and getting caught shirtless at a party holding a fifth of liquor, it's hard to be a young athlete in today's society. So many people are looking to cash in on you and your fame, or looking for a way to tear you down, that you just have to build a wall around yourself.

I'm not talking about having a posse following your every move (because that really doesn't work, does it Pacman?), but rather making sure that if you're out at a party that contains anybody that you don't know, you'd better make sure that you do nothing but smile, greet everyone warmly and drink nothing but water or soda from a can all evening.

Yes, it's hard for some people to feel sorry for athletes because they're famous and rich. Nonetheless, I know I would not want to live life constantly looking over my shoulder to see if someone has a camera or a cell phone out, documenting every move.

Was Phelps dumb? Yeah, he probably was. He should have learned by now that he can't just blend into the background anymore.

At the end of the day, every up-and-coming athlete, hopefully, is paying attention to this. Take heed and take note—once you start getting attention, you'd better make sure you never wind up in a situation like this.

Hopefully, Phelps has truly learned his lesson this time. The next transgression could be his last.

2009 NFL Draft Analysis: Missouri WR/RS Jeremy Maclin

David Singleton — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:11:07 -0500

Dynamic is a word that has been associated with Missouri wide receiver/return specialist Jeremy Maclin since he first set foot on the field.

Maclin had an outstanding, albeit brief, college career: two 1,000-yard receiving seasons, 33 touchdowns scored four different ways (rushing, receiving, kick return and punt return).

Maclin was named a first team All-American both years he started at Missouri (as the all-purpose player) and holds 18 team records.

Maclin was a very productive receiver in college, and his obvious skill in the return game is a bonus.

His speed will be an advantage, as he has an extra gear that allowed him to blow past defenders if given a step or two on them.

His versatility will be a bonus as well, as he carried the ball on end-arounds, sweeps and direct snaps a total of 91 times in his career. Any team that has a “Wildcat” or similar package in their playbooks could take advantage of his skill set in this area.

On the flip side, while it might be hard to question Maclin’s toughness, he does have a bit of a problem with the injury bug.

He is coming out this season as a red-shirt sophomore because his true freshman year was lost to a knee injury during the summer of 2006.

He came back from that knee injury as fast as or even faster than before he went down, but it is a flag on his medical history. Also, he has played with a variety of other nagging injuries (hand, ankle) that may cause some teams to doubt his durability and whether he can handle a pounding at the next level.

Coupled with the slightly checkered injury history is his size.

Maclin is listed in the Missouri media guide at 6' tall and 200 pounds. While his weight is not a concern as long as he maintains his speed, the height may raise questions with some teams concerning his ability to be a true number one receiver.

In Missouri’s offense, Maclin often lined up in the slot, so it will be interesting to see if he can handle the transition to a split end or flanker position full time.

There are three teams that Jeremy Maclin would be a good fit for. These three teams are all playoff teams from 2008 that could use a little help in the kicking game.

Team No. 1 is the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens ranked 19th in punt return average (8.6 yards per punt) and 31st in kickoff return average (20.1 yards per kick).

Also, Derrick Mason was Baltimore’s leading receiver last year and he just turned 35 last month, so Maclin could be in line to serve as a third receiver and possibly take over that position in a year or two.

Also, it wouldn’t necessarily hurt quarterback Joe Flacco to have an additional target in the passing game.

Team No. 2 is the Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts finished tied for 31st in punt return average (6.0 ypp) and 28th in kickoff return average (20.8 ypk).

With the Colts, Maclin would probably be the fourth receiver behind Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Anthony Gonzalez and Marvin Harrison, who will turn 37 before the start of this season.

Peyton Manning is one of the best quarterbacks in the game today, and any kind of jolt that Maclin could give to the Colts special teams could help lead Indy back to the Super Bowl.

The third team that would be a good fit for Jeremy Maclin would be the world champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

Yes, I know that Hines Ward is not as old as Harrison or Mason.

Ward could serve as a mentor to the younger Maclin while still also being a solid contributor to the team.

Yes, the Steelers did win the Super Bowl with the 29th-ranked kickoff return game (20.3 ypk) and the 31st-ranked punt return game (6.0 ypp, tied with Indianapolis for worst in the NFL), but could a repeat be in the works with just a few more yards of field position? I think so.

These would be three ideal situations for Missouri’s Jeremy Maclin.

Pigskin Punditry No. 17: Handicapping Championship Week

David Singleton — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:07:56 -0500

Championship Week is here, and with it a bit of sadness begins to come over me, as the end of the regular season is here.

It seems like just yesterday there was that preseason buzz in the college football universe, as we all were making our predictions and projections and trying to sort this crazy mess out.

Alas, the end is near. But fear not, because bowl season will be upon us soon enough. Plus coach hiring season has already begun, so there will still be topics of conversation for the next few weeks.

Four of the six BCS conferences will have their conference titles decided this week (Penn State already won the Big Ten; Cincinnati has won the Big East). Also up for grabs is the Conference USA title and a potential 13-0 record plus a MAC title for Ball State.

Here are the Week 15 guesses..

Ball State 31, Buffalo 24 – MAC Title game in Detroit, MI

Two recent MAC cellar dwellers have risen to the top of this league.

Ball State is playing for national respect, and Buffalois playing to prove that it has arrived in Division 1 football. Brady Hoke of Ball State and Turner Gill of Buffalo are two names that will continue to get attached to BCS conference jobs until the finally take one. These two teams did not meet in the regular season.

I think it will be a hard-fought game, but that Ball State has just a little bit more talent and will pull it out with a late touchdown by quarterback Nate Davis.

Tulsa 45, East Carolina 38 – Conference USA title game in Tulsa, OK

One of the sickest offenses in recent college football memory will take on a dangerous East Carolina team. Since

Conference USA does not play its title game at a neutral site, I think that this game will be decided by Tulsa’s home field advantage. The partisan crowd will make a difference in elevating the Golden Hurricane to victory over the Pirates.

Virginia Tech 21, Boston College 17 – ACC title game in Tampa, FL

Neither one of these teams was really expected to be in this game this year. Much like the Big 12 title game, this is a rematch of last season’s title game. Much like the Big 12 title game, I think that the winner from last year will win this year’s game.

These are two teams that rely on their defenses and athletic quarterbacks to make plays. I think that Virgina Tech’s quarterbacks are just a bit better than what BC has to offer, so I’ll take the Hokies to head off to face Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl.

USC 34, UCLA 7

Provided that USC wins this game, they will go to the Rose Bowl to face Penn State. While the Bruins want nothing more than to deny their cross town rivals the joy of another Pac-10 title, watching what the Arizona State defense did to Kevin Craft and the UCLA offense last week was frightening.

Couple that with the dominance that USC’s defense has shown much of this season (Oregon State game not included), I just don’t think that UCLA can pull off a stunner.

Oklahoma 61, Missouri 35 – Big 12 title game in Kansas City, MO

Missouri has an Oklahoma problem. The problem is that the Tigers can’t beat the Sooners.

Doesn’t matter if the game is in Kansas City, or Columbia, or Norman or San Antonio; the Tigers can’t beat the Sooners. Oklahoma is on too much of a roll, and I think that after the embarrassing losses in the Fiesta Bowl the past two years, Bob Stoops and company want one more chance on the biggest stage possible.

A win over Mizzou sends Oklahoma to the National Championship game at Dolphin Stadium. Missouri’s atrocious pass defense allows Oklahoma to cruise to victory.

Alabama 33, Florida 30 – SEC title game in Atlanta, GA

Florida has been as red hot as Oklahoma has been over the last few weeks. The Gators appear to be unstoppable as well. The big difference between the game above and this game is that Alabama is NOT Missouri.

The Crimson Tide are a physical team on both sides of the ball, and have dictated tempo to their opponents much of the season. The last time that the Gators faced a team as physical as the Crimson Tide, they lost to Ole Miss 31-30. Look for Alabama to control the clock and control the line of scrimmage.

Florida will hit their big plays, but ‘Bama will grind out a victory.

NCAA Football: A Revolutionary Division One Re-Alignment Proposal

David Singleton — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:56:38 -0500

Congratulations, Boise State. You went undefeated in your conference for the second time in three seasons and have climbed to number nine in the current Bowl Championship Series standings.

We hope that you have a wonderful time at the Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl, which is played in lovely, picturesque, Boise.

Do you think I’m kidding? This scenario could happen.

The way that the BCS is currently structured, if multiple teams from the non-automatic qualifying conferences are undefeated and fall within the top 12 of the BCS standings only one of them gets to go to the big show. Considering that memories are short in today’s sports world, Boise State’s thrilling overtime victory over Oklahoma has been completely overshadowed by the absolute beating that Hawai’i took in the Sugar Bowl this past January.

A season full of hard work leads to a bowl game that is played in your own stadium. Instead of heading off to warmer climes, you get to stay home.

Woohoo.

In that vein, I got to thinking: what if the non-automatic qualifying conferences simply seceded. I’m not saying that these schools should drop down to Division 1 FCS. Instead, these schools should consider forming their own playoff system.

If you aren’t going to be allowed to challenge the big boys in the current system, and if the rules can’t be adapted to even begin considering you as an equal, then secession may be the only logical response.

In order for this to work, however, there would have to be radical realignment because of the number of teams involved.

What I did was looked at all of the schools in the current non automatic qualifying conferences (Mid-American, Conference USA, Mountain West, Western Athletic, Sun Belt) and the two irrelevant academy teams, Army and Navy. (Western Kentucky begins play in the Sun Belt Conference in 2009.)

Notre Dame is considered an automatic qualifier for the BCS because, well, they negotiated those rights.

If you look at the schools above, that list totals 54 schools. I thought that adding one more school to the mix would help with realignment into five eleven team conferences. Why not offer an invitation to a FCS school that has made a national name for itself by winning three consecutive national championships and beating Michigan at the Big House? Appalachian State, come on up!

There you have it. 55 teams that will be aligned into five conferences with eleven teams each. Each team will play a ten game round robin schedule in conference and be allowed to schedule up to two non-conference games.

The realignment I propose is based mostly off of geography to help limit travel costs and minimize long road trips. Granted, that was not possible in some cases (or at all, in Hawai’i’s case). But an attempt was made, and in Hawai'i's case, I'm sure nobody would protest too hard if they had to fly out there. Also, some attention was paid to who was shifting conferences to try and preserve, or resurrect, traditional rivalries.

Three current conference names will remain, although obviously teams will be shuffling under those banners. Two new conference names were created to try and encapsulate where the bulk of those teams play. These affiliations will not affect the teams in other sports; this is simply a football realignment.

Also, this set up would allow for an eight team playoff: Five division winners advance, plus the three teams with the next best records. Ties would be broken thusly:

1) Head-to-head result

2) Record within conference (when examining cross-conference ties)

3) Record versus common opponents

4) Average of ranking in AP poll, USA Today poll and Harris Poll

5) Tie broken by random draw

Without further ado, here is the new alignment for the teams that play in Division 1-NBCSS (Non-Bowl Championship Series Subdivision):

Eastern Conference

Akron

Appalachian State

Army

Buffalo

Central Florida (UCF)

East Carolina

Florida Atlantic

Florida International

Kent State

Navy

Temple

Gulf Coast Conference

Alabama-Birmingham (UAB)

Houston

Louisiana-Monroe

Louisiana-Lafayette

Louisiana Tech

Memphis

Middle Tennessee

Rice

Southern Mississippi

Troy

Tulane

Mid-American Conference

Ball State

Bowling Green

Central Michigan

Eastern Michigan

Marshall

Miami (OH)

Northern Illinois

Ohio

Toledo

Western Kentucky

Western Michigan

Mountain West Conference

Air Force

Arkansas State

Boise State

Colorado State

Idaho

North Texas

Southern Methodist (SMU)

Texas Christian (TCU)

Texas-El Paso (UTEP)

Tulsa

Wyoming

Western Athletic Conference

Brigham Young (BYU)

Fresno State

Hawai’i

Nevada

New Mexico

New Mexico State

San Diego State

San Jose State

UNLV

Utah

Utah State

The odds of this happening are slim to none. But why not at least throw this idea out there as something to think about occurring in the future.

Big 12 Problem: Oklahoma Advances to Big 12 Title Game on Tiebreaker

David Singleton — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:29:26 -0500

You’re kidding, right?

Tell me that this is a bad dream or a joke.

Tell me that Oklahoma didn’t just leapfrog past Texas for a chance to play for the national championship.

Now before I get angry emails from the greater Cleveland County, Oklahoma area, let me make this point:

I don’t really have a problem with Oklahoma heading up to Arrowhead Stadium this Saturday night to play Missouri.

The problem I have is with the methodology that places Oklahoma on the road to Kansas City.

The fault lies not with the Sooners, but with the Big 12 conference, because the conference made the indefensible decision to link one of their tiebreakers to the fraudulent BCS standings.

I know, I know. At some point, a line has to be drawn and a determination of a winner has to be made.

But to link a spot in a conference championship game based on the results of computer formulas and coaches/observers from around the country is ludicrous.

I am sure, in their infinite wisdom, that when the Big 12 presidents and athletic directors didn’t actually expect to use that part of the tiebreaker procedure.

Remember, this tiebreaker process is only for more than two teams. I guess it’s reasonable to expect that steps one through four of the process would be enough to weed one team out and force things to go back to head-to-head.

The thing is, though, why would you even leave yourself open to the possibility of this scenario occurring? Why not use something like point differential against divisional opponents? Or use point differential against common opponents (which would include conference and non-conference play)?

It’s not perfect either, because it would encourage “running up the score.” But at least it would keep the outcome of the tiebreaker tied to events that transpired on the field of play as opposed to putting it in the hands of allegedly neutral or outside observers.

Any thoughts on a new Big 12 divisional tiebreaker? E-mail pigskinpundit@gmail.com

Pigskin Punditry No. 16: More Rivalry Games Highlight Thanksgiving Weekend

David Singleton — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:22:30 -0500

From the makers of “Rivalry Week,” we now present “Rivalry Week, Part Deux: The BCS Chaos Continues.”

Okay, maybe not total BCS chaos just yet. But Texas Tech’s decimation at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners last Saturday night has potentially started a chain reaction that will impact all of the one-loss teams hanging around the top 10.

When you factor in that this is rivalry week for many of these top teams, well, the stakes just got raised even higher.

And of course, it is Thanksgiving. So eat lots of turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and stuffing, and before the tryptophan coma hits you, tune in for Texas A&M vs. Texas. That will be the first chance for an upset that tips the BCS and Big 12 South applecart completely over.

Of course, the Lone Star showdown is just the first course. There is plenty of college football to go around. Oh, and if your rivalry game didn’t make this list, I am sorry. This isn’t a ranking the rivalries list; I was just cherry-picking some off of the schedule this week. Otherwise, this column would be 10 pages long.

Without further ado, here are the Week 14 picks.

Texas 45, Texas A&M 24

The Aggies would love nothing more than to ruin their heated rival’s chance to go play for the national championship. I don’t think that the Aggies have the horses to keep up with a Colt—McCoy, that is. With the game being in Austin, it’s safe to say that Texas can pack their bags for Kansas City for a rematch against Missouri next weekend.

West Virginia 28, Pittsburgh 20

I think that Pat White and the rest of the Mountaineers have a bit of revenge on their minds. West Virginia had a shot to play for the national championship last year, only to be taken out by Pitt 13-9 in the regular season finale.

Pat White missed most of that game with an injury, and I think he’d like to prove that he would have been a difference maker by leading the Mountaineers over Pitt in the Backyard Brawl.

Arkansas 27, LSU 17

Take LSU’s inconsistent quarterback play, and it really does make you wonder if the landscape of the SEC West and the BCS would look different if Ryan Perrilloux was under center for the Tigers. I would say yes. I’m taking Arkansas because I simply don’t trust whoever plays QB for the Tigers.

Nebraska 42, Colorado 17

Colorado is fighting for bowl eligibility in the Big 12. Nebraska has turned it around recently and appears to be moving forward under Bo Pelini. Right now, the Cornhuskers appear to be the better team and are more likely to win at home than lose to a somewhat drifting Colorado program. I wonder if Coach Hawkins regrets leaving Boise State.

Georgia 17, Georgia Tech 14

Paul Johnson and his triple option offense get introduced to Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate as the Yellow Jackets travel to Athens to face the Bulldogs. Because of the triple option, and because both teams play decent defense, this will be a low-scoring affair. I think a late field goal by Georgia gives them the win.

Missouri 45, Kansas 21

Chase Daniel and company want to win three straight and keep the Marching Drum for another year. Kansas would love to finish 7-5 instead of 6-6. I expect the Tigers to use the game as a tune-up coming out of the bye week before returning to Arrowhead Stadium for the Big 12 championship.

Alabama 31, Auburn 17

Nick Saban ends the streak of losses against Auburn and potentially sends Tommy Tuberville out of the Plains. The margin of victory is small because Saban calls off the dogs early, because next week, he faces...

Florida 41, Florida State 20

Urban Meyer and the Gators are on a roll right now, and the Gator Train steamrolls through Tallahassee on the way to the Georgia Dome for the SEC championship next weekend.

Oklahoma State 35, Oklahoma 34

Last time the Cowboys were on the national stage, they got throttled by Texas Tech, who got throttled last week by the Sooners. But when it comes to Bedlam, the Cowboys are long overdue for a victory that would keep the Sooners from potentially heading to Arrowhead Stadium next weekend or from a possible BCS berth. This will be a wild one, and a late touchdown by Dez Bryant will seal the upset.

Oregon State 20, Oregon 19

No Quizz Rodgers for the Beavers spells trouble. A still questionable Lyle Moevao also is bothersome. But the Beavers can see the finish line that is the Rose Bowl berth, and they will find a way to get the job done on senior day in Corvallis.

USC 28, Notre Dame 3

Theoretically, this game could come down to which USC team shows up: the one that lost to Oregon State and could have lost to Arizona, or the one that destroyed the two Washington schools by a combined score of 125-0. I think we’ll get a version somewhere in between.

The seat under Charlie Weis will get extremely hot, and considering that the current athletic director did not hire him, it could be an interesting week coming up.