Bleacher Report - Articles by Brent Parker

Will Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel's Loyalties Be Called into Question?

Brent Parker — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:02:28 -0400

Coach Jim Tressel has brought in top-flight talent from across the country since he began coaching the Buckeyes in 2001. Along with bringing in NFL talent, he has cleaned up a program that was being run into the mud by a previous coaching staff.

Though he had the Maurice Clarett fiasco to deal with, the Buckeyes have been a model for big-time programs to follow since then.

Coach Tressel has shown himself to be a man of integrity and loyalty to all walks of life and has instilled those traits into his players and staff.

However, loyalty to his coaching staff is what has derailed his team's chances of:

Ever getting national respect
Defeating an elite out-of-conference team
Winning another National Championship

After Ohio State looked like boys playing against men when they got beat by the USC Trojans on Sept. 13, many fans, alumni and media pundits have called into question Tressel and his coaching style.

Some have said "Tressel Ball" doesn't work, while some have stated Tressel plays too conservatively. Tressel has been quoted as saying "the punt is the most important play in football."

Playing conservatively doesn't mean playing slow or taking a "three yards and a cloud of dust" approach. It means being careful not to turn the ball over and limiting a team's odds of making mistakes. Nothing wrong with that approach.

Tressel's conservative approach wasn't the reason why they lost to USC, LSU and Florida. His conservative approach beat a legendary Miami team in 2002 and he has produced a Heisman winner.

The reason why he lost to the aforementioned teams is because his offensive and defensive schemes are transparent and predictable. Everyone knows what the Buckeyes are going to do.

Coach Les Miles of LSU, Ron Zook of Illinois and Urban Meyer of Florida all have mentioned that Ohio State's offensive and defensive schemes were predictable and they knew exactly what Ohio State was going to run.

Trojans QB Mark Sanchez commented on College Game Day that on one of his touchdown throws, he saw the same defense and same blitz package on film as he knew exactly what to do.

This is not an indictment of his players, either. He has top-notch players that any team including USC would take. Tressel brings in the best recruits in the country year after year, as indicated by uber-recruits such as Terrelle Pryor, Beanie Wells and Alex Boone.

However, this indictment falls on the shoulders of two men. Two men that Tressel has kept loyal to, in some Buckeye fans' eyes, far too long:

Jim Bollman, Offensive Coordinator
Jim Heacock, Defensive Coordinator

This doesn't mean that Tressel should cut them off as friends, rather he needs to look into making wholesale changes for the program's sake.

Tressel needs to start looking at new coordinators who will infuse both the offense and defense with new, innovative concepts.

Tressel is a Buckeye through and through. The last thing he wants is for his team to be a laughingstock of college football. Well, it might be too late as the nation now believes that the Buckeyes are overrated and slow.

The roster is overflowing with four- and five-star talent and future NFL players, so they aren't slow and prodding, rather it's the scheme they are in. They are being put in the wrong positions and therefore look to be less talented.

Tressel needs to do the right thing and put his players in a position to succeed. Tressel needs to check his loyalties at the door.

Will Tressel replace both Bollman and Heacock with new offensive and defensive gurus at the end of the year for "The Ohio State University" or will he stubbornly stick to what doesn't work?

Time will tell.

Ex-Buckeye Eugene Clifford and Ex-Tiger Ryan Perrilloux Could Have Been Stars!

Brent Parker — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:02:34 -0400

Another talent gone down the drain…at least that’s how it stands for now.

Eugene Clifford of the Ohio State Buckeyes will be dismissed from the football team, according to The Dispatch, a newspaper in Columbus, OH. Clifford will be allowed to sign with another team. Reports indicate he may sign with Tennessee State, an NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision team, where he would be eligible to play this fall.

Eugene is an example of a great talented player coming out of high school that never got a chance to show his talents on the field because of bad decisions off the field. Another prominent example is Ryan Perrilloux, a super recruit for the LSU Tigers also was kicked off the football team earlier this year for numerous run-ins with the law.

Both players had a world of talent. Clifford was a five-star safety from Cincinnati, OH that was ranked the No. 2 defensive back by Scout.com. He chose to sign with the Buckeyes over such teams as Miami, Florida State, and Michigan.

Perrilloux was pegged the next JaMarcus Russell before setting foot on a college campus. A five-star talent haling from Reserve, Louisiana, he possessed 4.6 speed and a rocket for an arm.

Some kids could only dream of having talent like these guys. They had it all—talent, speed, size, quickness, and the school to enhance those skills. Both Ohio State and LSU were only a pit stop before their final destination: the NFL.

How does this happen? How does a kid flush his career away? Is it the feeling of invincibility? Is it the pressure to succeed from peers and family?

For those of us that aren't in that position, we can only speculate as to why Clifford and Perrilloux chose the decisions that, for all intents and purposes, derailed their careers. Both still have an opportunity to make it to the NFL. However, the road just got a little harder, as NFL GMs and scouts will look back at their "moral record."

Imagine the immense pressure that some of these kids have. There are some kids that come from poor families that are counted on to be the breadwinner in a few years. Others come from families where their father played college ball and/or in the NFL.

Along with family pressure, a big time recruit from a big time school also has to deal with a bevy of potential situations that could put them into some tight binds:

Shady boosters offering money/incentives
Drug and alcohol misuse or abuse
Other top talent wanting your position
Enormity of school, media pressure, and expectations
Inappropriate sexual advances
Unruly fans
Grades

This is just to name a few, as I am quite sure there are more concerns that put daily pressures on these kids. Some kids handle it well—others don't.

I'm not going to say these were the reasons Clifford and Perrilloux were dismissed from their teams. Nevertheless, we can look to these pressures to try to understand what each player may have gone through.

Kids under extreme pressure make bad decisions. Even as adults, we may have made bonehead decisions that are affecting us even today. Therefore, we shouldn't hold college kids to a higher standard.

We should not automatically assume that these kids are a lost cause either. They can be reformed, but if they haven't been told before, they need to know that choosing your peers carefully is a lifetime decision.

Coach Jim Tressel and Coach Les Miles have given both kids ample opportunity to change their ways, so they both had guidance from well-qualified individuals.

However, many adults can attest to the fact that as young adults, we were more likely to listen and to follow advice from our peers (inner circle, friends) than older individuals (parents, coaches).

How many times have we heard a young one, perhaps a child say they know more than their parents. The parents try to give their child advice, but instead of listening to wisdom, the child listens to immaturity—their young friends.

I really hope both young men can learn from their errors. Both Clifford and Perrilloux have knowledge of their mistakes and the people that they have hurt.

However, applied wisdom is what both need to acquire to learn from their mistakes.

Pac-10 Power Arizona State Looks to Stick a "Fork" in SEC Foe Georgia

Brent Parker — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:57:52 -0400

2007 Team Recaps

Dennis Erickson’s first year had ASU fans buzzing as the Sun Devils shared the Pac-10 title with the USC Trojans. This was their first conference title since Jake Plummer and Pat Tillman led them to a memorable season in 1996 in which they upset the top-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers. Coach Erickson brought toughness, desire, and excitement back to a program that had been sleepwalking since.

Even though they lost to Texas in the Holiday Bowl, ASU has a lot to build on using the momentum of a 10-3 season. ASU fans can expect the same, if not more, for their '08 campaign.

Georgia comes in with the “hottest team” moniker riding their dominating momentum from last year. Georgia didn’t play for the SEC title, but many analysts believe they were the best team in the SEC.

Mark Richt's Bulldogs had one of the most memorable team celebrations in recent college football memory, as the entire team rushed the field to celebrate a touchdown in their victory against the Florida Gators. This undoubtedly set the tone for the remainder of their season, which culminated in a victory over Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl.

In many preseason polls, Georgia is ranked at or near No. 1 in the country and is picked to go to a BCS bowl game.

Now both powerhouses enter '08 with high expectations as they do battle in Tempe, Arizona on September 20.

What to look for

There are athletes on both sides of the ball for both teams. However, one area that will be of key concern and will ultimately make the difference in this contest is ASU’s offensive line.

ASU’s offensive line was absolutely atrocious last year, giving up a league-high 55 sacks (four per game), third-most in the nation behind Syracuse and Notre Dame. Rudy Carpenter is as tough as they come, starting 31 straight games for the Devils. However, one has to wonder how much more can he take.

Erickson addressed the offensive line woes that ex-coach Dirk Koetter left him by signing five offensive linemen in the '08 class and one for the '09 class. Even though they may not pay dividends now, the '08 class undoubtedly adds a deeper talent pool to draw from.

This unit was a topic of conversation in spring ball for Coach Erickson.

"We made a lot of progress. Are we where we need to be? No, we've got a long way to go, but I thought, from the beginning of the spring to where we're at now, it's way better. I thought our pass protecting has been a lot better. I thought we protected pretty well today. That's been an area of concern, but they've made a lot of progress," said Erickson.

ASU has a supreme athlete in Jon Hargis who was switched to left tackle from the defensive line. He will add much-needed speed to that unit.

Scheme and Game Plan

What must the Devils do to handle Georgia's pass rush? The SEC is known to have fast defensive ends that can get upfield and disrupt plays. Georgia's aggressive nature was on display for the nation to take notice as they destroyed the Hawaii offensive line with eight sacks in the Sugar Bowl.

ASU can't expect to win giving up that many sacks. Therefore, they have to find formations that give them the advantage and put Georgia at an disadvantage.

One formation to look for that will give Carpenter more time to throw and doesn't dilute their offensive flow is the three-receiver tight set.

WR FL LT LG C RG RT TE WR

This formation keeps the wide receivers tight within the formation. The flanker (FL) would be slightly off the line of scrimmage to catch quick screens or run reverses, or to run quick crossing routes that could match him up against a linebacker.

This tight formation forces the defensive end to go through an extra mental process to account for what the wide receiver and tight end could do to impede his pass rush. The defensive ends also have to account for screens. If they rush too quickly, they'll be out of position to assist in a tackle.

This formation can also be changed to a traditional set where the wide receivers spread out across the field. In this situation, Georgia must account for the increased space. They have three speedy linebackers, led by Dannell Ellerbe, so forcing Georgia to only play two at a time lowers their effectiveness.

ASU can also run draws and quick tosses to Keegan Herring, who has sub 4.3 speed, to slow down the aggressiveness of the Georgia defensive ends.

ASU must stay out of double tight end sets. ASU is less explosive running Power I sets, so they must use sets that give them the advantage at all times against Georgia.

Wrap up

ASU will not be intimidated by Georgia's speed as they play against speedy USC. Seeing speedy players means nothing to them—they are used to it.

Georgia can, at times, dig themselves in a hole when a team isn't intimidated and hits them back in the mouth. In the game against Troy last year, the Trojans exposed some major kinks in the Bulldogs' defensive armor as Georgia gave up a whopping 488 yards.

I expect ASU to play hard and fast and give Georgia all they can handle. The pressure of perhaps being the No. 1 team will be too much to overcome for the Bulldogs. ASU beats Georgia in a close game, 34-30.

Ron Zook's Feud with the Mendenhall Family Has Yet To Go Away

Brent Parker — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:20:05 -0400

The feud between now-Pittsburgh Steeler running back Rashard Mendenhall and his ex-coach Ron Zook continues to put Rashard in an unfavorable light.

If you haven't been following this story—better yet, "drama"—both seem like an embroiled, bitter divorced couple and neither wants to acquiesce and admit fault.

With any relationship gone sour, there are always two sides to every story. And finding out which person is right can be very dicey.

However, one thing is clear about this feud: Coach Zook is saying all the conclusive things, and Rashard Mendenhall is saying all the "cryptic" things.

Mendenhall, a highly-touted running back out of Skokie, Illinois, signed with the Illini, spurning other top colleges around the country.

This five-star running back wanted to play close to home, with his brother Walter, to form a formidable running tandem that would put Illinois football on the national map...however, it didn't turn out that way for one-half of the equation.

Walter Mendenhall sat on the bench as he watched his younger brother become Illinois' feature back.

Both brothers continued to support each other throughout their tenure with the Illini. This was evident when younger brother Rashard had an opportunity to break an Illinois rushing record, but took himself out the game and allowed his older brother Walter to get some playing time.

Even though this was a nice gesture on Rashard's part, forcing Zook's hand to put in a family member may not have went over well with coach Zook, who runs a tight ship.

Walter Mendenhall was not high on Zook's running-back list. For his career, he amassed 62 rushing yards on six attempts. That's a great line for a game, but definitely not a career.

Rashard must have seen this lack of appreciation for his older brother as disrespectful; however, Zook isn't under any obligation to put in any player who he doesn't think will produce for his team.

He doesn't owe anyone any playing time. Players have to show that they deserve to get on the field. You can't blame Rashard for feeling for his brother, as he badly wanted to see him succeed. However, Rashard has to realize that it's the coaching staff's decision to play Walter—not Rashard's.

He may not like it, but he has to respect the "call."

Frankly, I don't fully understand why Rashard thought Walter was any good, considering that he was a linebacker for five games and played on special teams. That tells me that the coaching staff was reaching to find a spot for Walter.

Sorry Rashard, he wasn't that good to begin with—time to move on. Instead of focusing on his NFL career, Rashard is still bitter about what Zook supposedly did or said. "It's just how things were run overall," Rashard said. "I'm not mad. There's no hard feelings. That's just how it was."

"As long as Ron Zook is there, it will be hard for me to support the University of Illinois football team," said Rashard.

Mendenhall also stated he doesn't feel that way because of his brother's situation or because he didn't start until his junior year, but he didn't offer any specifics.

Okay Rashard, if you aren't bitter then:

A) How come you're still talking about it,

and

B) why bring it up if you're not going to mention any specifics?

Do you want the media to pat you on the back and say, "We're here for ya...let it out..." and then you'll spill the beans on what really went down behind closed doors? If you want people to know your side of the story, stop giving us cryptic messages such as: "When you find things that were said, you can kind of read between the lines and see that everything wasn't as it appeared to be."

What does that mean?! What lines are you referring to?

Zook may not have endeared himself to the Mendenhalls, but one thing he can do without question is evaluate talent. Rashard went on to be a first-round draft choice and Walter is competing for a spot at Illinois State. And in the end, he was correct.

Zook knew exactly which of the two who would be NFL material, however, the jury is still out for Walter. This situation is a prime example of an athlete that was told at a young age that he was the greatest thing since sliced bread, and he felt that he was entitled to any and everything he wanted.

Rashard thought his older brother Walter was entitled to more playing time and thought he himself was entitled to "start" as a freshman. Now he's in the NFL, were entitlement doesn't get you far, and playing time is given to the player that performs the best.

It will be interesting to follow Rashard's choice of words at the pro level. Will he complain to the media about coach Mike Tomlin if he isn't starting as a rookie? Will he feel entitled to start since he was the Steelers' first pick in the draft and Najeh Davenport parted ways from the team?

Or will he learn that no one is entitled to anything, and that hard work and diligence are what get you ahead in life?

Only time will tell.

Georgia Tech: The Next ACC Powerhouse?

Brent Parker — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:01:53 -0400

Mark it down: Georgia Tech will return to dominance under first-year coach Paul Johnson and will win the ACC within three years.

All of a sudden I can hear the sighs and groans from the Hurricane and Tar Heel fans, saying that they themselves will dethrone the Hokies as king of the ACC.

Certainly, both teams are on the right track. Miami had a top-15 recruiting class in '07 and arguably the best recruiting class in '08, as Randy Shannon looks to strike fear once again in the hearts of their opponents.

Up tobacco road, Butch Davis has quietly stockpiled his team with NFL talent, such as defensive stud Marvin Austin, and they should compete this year for a decent bowl game.

However, there is more to the game than recruiting talented players. In order for a team to be the "next great thing", they have to have some key ingredients that, once mixed together, equal a powerhouse in the making.

History

Remember, college programs go through more cycles than a Hotpoint Washer. One decade they're good, and the next decade they're just fortunate to get TV time.

It wasn't long ago that the semi-pro team USC was barely winning games. From 1990 to 2001, the Trojans were winning an astounding six games per year. Now they are the darlings of college football and have played in seven straight BCS games.

The Georgia Institute of Technology has four National Championships to their credit, which ties them with LSU, Penn State, and Texas. They have a better all-time win percentage than such notable teams as: Boston College, Iowa, UCLA, and Wisconsin.

And they boast the fourth highest all-time win percentage in bowl games—for teams that have played at least 40 games—at 61 percent. That's higher than Ohio State, Miami, Oklahoma, and Norte Dame.

Recruiting Hot Spot

They are smack-dab in SEC country. Florida is just around the corner, and they can get kids from Georgia that the Bulldogs leave for scraps. And they can pull some kids from Tennessee and the Carolinas. Simply put, they don't have to go anywhere to build their team to their specifications, which brings us to our next ingredient...

A Hot Coach

G. Tech picked up one of the hottest coaches that many fans have never heard of in Paul Johnson. Paul brings a toughness and swagger that Chan Gailey seemed to be missing. Chan could put up the offensive numbers, but you never got the sense that he was the right fit for Yellow Jackets.

Paul Johnson brings with him the most unstoppable offense. No, not the spread, but the ever confusing Flexbone, commonly called the triple-option offense. Navy ran it to perfection with lesser talent. Imagine that same offense with better talent and more speed!

With a killer defensive line, Georgia Tech will be solid on defense, as the offense grows into their new weapons. Once the offense kicks off after year one, watch out ACC. The Yellow Jackets will put the sting back into their program.

LSU Tigers: A BCS Repeat?

Brent Parker — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:57:13 -0400

The last time we saw Les Miles and Co. they were hoisting up the Waterford Trophy that is given to the BCS National Champion.

LSU had a dominating performance over Jim Tressel's Ohio State Buckeyes, as they beat them with a little bit of trickery mixed with hard-nosed SEC football.

Now they've reloaded and seek to not only become the first team in the BCS era to win three national titles, but also to win two straight. Though many of the LSU faithful believe that Miles can "get 'er done", it's going to take a little more than just belief and a warm fuzzy feeling for them to repeat.

LSU will have to traverse the shark-infested SEC waters without their All-American Glenn Dorsey and stud running back Jacob Hester. Both brought toughness and swagger to their respective units, as well as quarterbacks Matt Flynn and Ryan Perrilloux.

One might say, "Well, this is LSU and we don't rebuild, we reload". That definitely is true, however, having a team littered with seniors, All-Americans, and All-SEC players is invaluable and can't easily be replaced by just talent alone.

Even with a team that had so many standout players, LSU still managed to lose twice, and it took a few teams to lose for them to get a spot in the BCS game. Oh...did I mention Bo Pellini is coaching Nebraska? With all that said, can LSU actually repeat and win the SEC?

Lets look at a few factors.

Experience

Looking back at past champions in the BCS era, they all had a good or dominate defense and a good or dominate offense. Some might argue that Ohio State had a dominate defense but a terrible offense, however, a good offense to me is one that A) doesn't turn the ball over, B) plays smart, and C) wins games when it counts.

You can put up all the points in the world, but if it doesn't win games, then it's meaningless. In '07, LSU had both in spades, however, this year, they have five returning starters on both offense and defense.

Yes, they have stars waiting in the wings, however, last time I checked, freshmen and sophomores win games, not championships. With no Flynn and Perrilloux, Miles has to turn to either Jarret Lee or Andrew Hatch to run the show.

SCHEDULE

All I will say is remember Michigan for the first game. This is a "trap" game by the truest definition. I am positive Les Miles will have his troops ready, however, Appalachian State believes they can shock the world, again!

I would not want this game first if I were Les Miles—especially at home!

The schedule is a lot tougher than one would think. After App. State, Troy comes calling, and this is another team that cannot be taken lightly. At Florida and home against Georgia are the marquee games.

Florida will be looking for revenge and Georgia looks to solidify their claim for SEC superiority. Mississippi State is on the rise and Croom will be looking for a statement game.

Aug. 30 Appalachian State

Sept. 6 Troy

Sept. 13 North Texas

Sept. 20 at Auburn

Sept. 27 Mississippi State

Oct. 11 at Florida

Oct. 18 at South Carolina

Oct. 25 Georgia

Nov. 1 Tulane

Nov. 8 Alabama

Nov. 22 Ole Miss

Nov. 28 Arkansas (Little Rock)

The Good

LSU will be well coached and well disciplined, as all of Les Miles' teams are. A solid defense will be led by Ricky Jean-Francois, who is an absolute beast. Their recruiting class in '07, which should pay dividends this year, is led by Demetrius Byrd.

Byrd has the potential to be the best wideout in the SEC, and Keiland Williams should be better than Hester in the backfield.

The Bad

LSU will have a tough time on offense. Yes, Byrd will fly and soar over defensive backs, but who is going to get him the ball. Their offensive line is one of the best in the country, and whoever is back there will have time to throw. However, the "throwing" is the tough part.

Record

I see losses to both Florida and Georgia, which are expected. However, the game against Auburn should be watched closely. LSU probably would have won that game even without that remarkable catch by Byrd, however, Auburn played them tough.

The year before, Auburn beat a very good team with JaMarcus Russell at quarterback, and the year before that; their game went into overtime. I look for another close game and perhaps Tuberville coming out on top.

Final analysis

8-3 record. They will get an invite to play in a bowl this year, but not the BCS. I see loses to Florida, Auburn, Georgia, and maybe...just maybe Alabama. The quarterback position will be too much to overcome, and the loss of phenom Jarvis Jones doesn't help their inexperienced quarterbacks.