Bleacher Report - Opinion

After Calming Down Over Bad Officiating, 49ers Gameplan Was Wrong

Steven Resnick — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:43:12 -0500

After looking at the San Franicsco 49ers page on Yahoo Sports, there was a quote from Mike Singletary that made me wonder what the heck he was thinking when making the comment. It was in regards to the 49ers change in philosophy on offense.

Singletary is quoted as saying this about Frank Gore "Frank is not going to lose his mind if he doesn't get 100 yards because I think, at the end of the day, it's all about winning. He may be upset at the moment, but I know he's going to come back the next day and say, 'Hey, you know what? I'm glad we won. I know I did contribute"

I get the fact that Gore didn't get as many attempts as he would like only getting 16 carries for 33 yards and contributing seven catches for 13 yards. For a combined total of 23 touches.

The issue is that now that Alex Smith is getting comfortable playing, the 49ers need to do a better job of evening out the play calling. Team's have an easy time diagnosing when the 49ers are going to run the football and Gore hasn't been able to do much because of this.

When the 49ers went in to Seattle to play the Seahawks, the philosophy of throwing the ball was not the best choice of strategies. You have to wonder if Singletary and his offensive coordinator realized what Gore has been able to do against the Seahawks.

Which goes to show just how embarrassing it was to see that Gore had only nine carries against the Seahawks on Sunday. Considering the fact that in his previous eight games games against the Seahawks, Gore had rushed for 874 yards on 137 carries for an average of 6.4 yards per carry and three touchdowns.

There was a point in the game yesterday where the 49ers had attempted 21 passes to three rushing attempts. That's not going to win very many games. In order for the 49ers to actually be able to win games, Gore has to be involved in the offense, otherwise there will be games like the one on Sunday against the Seahawks.

For the 49ers, the gameplan should have involved Gore having as many touches as possible against the Seahawks defense, which would have opened up the passing game.

I would say the gameplan of throwing the ball a majority of the time was absolutely ridiculous when Gore has shredded the defense of the Seahawks. Smith may be more comfortable in the shotgun, so why not call running plays for Gore while Smith is setup in the shotgun? How about a designed run for Smith?

If the 49ers even want to remotely have a chance against the Arizona Cardinals, the team has to be able to run Gore. They are not going to beat the Cardinals in a shootout, because the Cardinals have too much talent to be able to get in a shootout with.

In order for the 49ers to win, the team has to control the clock, otherwise it could be a long day for the 49ers at home.

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Spurs Deserve a Proper Burial, and I'm Here to Give Them One

Robert Kleeman — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:01:53 -0500

I swore against this years ago. I know it's stupid.

I'm going to do something no one should ever do to the San Antonio Spurs in December.

Bury them.

As in, I think they're done, ready to be put in a casket for a massive fan viewing.

Get out your shovels. Start digging.

This $80 million team looks more like an El Camino with no transmission than a fancy sports car on the Audubon.

Richard Jefferson has been invisible in 90 percent of all of the fourth quarters in which he has played. He cannot make his free throws.

Tony Parker is a choke artist. He missed a wide open jumper that would have won the game tonight.

Tim Duncan is an old geezer who can't play anymore. My grandpa would take him to the woodshed, and he walks around with an oxygen tank.

Manu Ginobili need not check into any more basketball games. He would be as effective laying on a stretcher as he is on the court.

Don't get me started on Antonio McDyess. He's so washed up, his hands are bleeding from all of the soap and water. Zero points in three games after a double-double in Houston? Come on.

Final minutes of a close game against a playoff hopeful? I'm not sure this squad has a pulse. It has no heart, no will to win.

Tuesday marked the first time in Duncan's career the Utah Jazz won a season series against the Spurs.

Screw em'. They stink like fish guts and Bengay. Champions? Ha. Try has-been chumps.

I am burying the Spurs in hopes that such an extreme, premature act will infuriate the team enough to give a damn.

Yes, this is a brute, reactionary motivational ploy. It might work or it might expose me as dumber than a swimsuit model after a frontal lobotomy.

San Antonio does not need to beat the Sacramento Kings or Charlotte Bobcats this week. It needed a victory tonight like Regis Philbin does his back pills.

This was a must-win, a do or die. Well, folks, the Spurs died.

Choke. Gag. Pawned. Lottery-bound team.

The Houston Chronicle once published a picture of a tombstone that read "RIP: 2004 Houston Astros season." The team was 15 games under .500 then.

After the paper's harsh condemnation of the lousy early record ran, the Astros took off and did not stop until Game Six of the National League Championship series.

The next year, they recovered from another ghastly start to clinch the franchise's first ever World Series berth.

Former Chronicle columnist Fran Blinebury called Houston "Choke City" when the Rockets dropped 20-point leads in back-to-back home playoff games against the Phoenix Suns. He made sure editors ran the headline in large, bold print, so no one would miss it.

The Rockets would erase a 3-1 series deficit and eventually win their second consecutive NBA crown. After beating the Suns in seven games, the Chronicle altered its phrase.

"Clutch City."

At 9-9. the Spurs are a .500 ball club. If this were baseball and we were talking a first basemen, that number would be fantastic.

I didn't see a pitcher's mound or a center field at Energy Solutions Arena—just a lousy basketball team lacking a competitive spark.

Since when do almost comebacks count in the 'W' column?

I would rather smell vomit than what the Spurs are cooking.

Vanilla ice cream topped with potted meat tastes better than this.

So, get out your shovels. Dig away. If any Spur starts breathing or screaming, smack them over the head until they're unconscious again.

An overpriced underachiever with a hopeless roster stuck in the mud deserves a proper burial.

A thorough one.

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Snap Count: Week 13 Ruminations

Phillip Brennan — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:51:12 -0500

Snap Count's Week 13 observations:

ARI 30, MIN 17

The Vikings are who I thought they were; a pretty good, but not great team that plays in a weak division. They have a look of a team that will be one and done come playoff time.

Vikings' linebacker E. J. Henderson leg injury was pretty disturbing. However, the all time worst leg injury I've ever seen was the one suffered by former Raider running back Napolean McCallum on MNF.

NYG 31, DAL 24

It would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic, but someone needs to pull Cowboy cornerback Terence Newman to the side and teach him how and why he needs to shed a block. This isn't the first time I've witnessed Newman doing a 30-yard backpedal while locked up with a wide receiver as the ball carrier runs by him. Fall down, throw your man to the side, do something to force the ball carrier to change his angle.

While Giants running back Brandon Jacobs demonstrated his straight-line speed and agility by tight-roping the sideline, his effort was helped by teammate Darcy Johnson's blatant hold on safety Gerald Sensabaugh along the way.

If you didn't believe the media in general were made up of parroting idiots, listening to ESPN, Dan Patrick, and Rodney Harrison lay the blame of yesterday's game on Romo will do it.

Cowboys place kicker Nick Folk may be mentally toast. With two missed FGs yesterday, Folk has missed five of his last seven attempts and has had four straight games with misses. Kickers cracking mentally is nothing new. Former NFL kicker Mike Vanderjagt was once known as the league's most accurate kicker. After a crucial missed field goal in a 2005 divisional playoff game against the Steelers, Vanderjagt spiraled out of the league after a brief stint with the Cowboys a season later.

Mike Jenkins has assumed (or taken) the title of No. 1 corner from teammate Terence Newman. Jenkins has my vote for Pro Bowl consideration.

I hate to take credit from a team that won the game, but that's just what I'm about to do. The Giants' just don't impress me this season.

NO 33, WAS 30

If you needed further convincing that the Saints are having a charmed season, the win over the Redskins should be all the evidence you need. They've won in blowouts, close games, and registered more than a few come-from-behind wins. As a result, you're going to see a battle tested team that's prepped to go deep into the playoffs.

SEA 20, SF 17

Despite the loss, 49er quarterback Alex Smith put together another solid performance. The 49ers would do well to give Smith the certainty of being named starter early as they move into this offseason.

After years of unfairly being labelled a bust, tight end Vernon Davis is putting together a Pro Bowl season. His signature go-to route is straight up the seam over top of the safety. A large number of his 10 touchdowns this season has come via that route.

SDG 30, CLE 23

Without hesitation, Philip Rivers should be counted as one of the league's few elite quarterbacks. If the Chargers continue to finish strong, Rivers should be up for MVP consideration.

For a QB, must be nice to loft up passes to a pair of 6'5" wide receivers in Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd. On more than just a few occasions I've seen Rivers chunk a deep ball and let his receivers compete for the ball.

OAK 27, PIT 24

The Steelers' season may be in peril, but it looks like they may have found their starting running back of the future in Rashard Mendenhall . Mendenhall is primed to post the Steelers' first 1,000 yard rusher since Willie Parker in '07.

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For The Minnesota Twins, Signing Pavano Should Be Just The Beginning

Eric Johnson — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:21:04 -0500

The Ace List

Roger Clemens. Randy Johnson/Curt Schilling. Jarrod Washburn. Josh Beckett. Schilling again. Mark Buehrle. Chris Carpenter. Beckett again. Cole Hamels. C.C. Sabathia.

The ace list.

The ace list of number one starters from each World Series champion of the "oughts."

Aside from Washburn, who pitched very well for the Angels, but is a guy few would consider an “ace,” the list is impressive.

Yes. The ace list.

Who will be added to that list next year? It is sure to be a top notch starter; the type of pitcher who can lead a staff, and stop a losing streak.

Tim Lincecum, perhaps?

Sabathia again?

Maybe King Felix?

The answer, of course, is unknown. What can be said with relative certainty, however, is that Carl Pavano, Nick Blackburn, Scott Baker, and Kevin Slowey are not the type of pitcher you associate with the ace list.

Sure, they are somewhere between solid and good candidates when filling out the two-thru-five spots in the rotation, but there is nary an ace among them.

And therein lies the problem with re-signing Carl Pavano.

While Pavano could certainly ace the large nose, squinty eyed all stars; he certainly cannot ace a major league starting rotation. I think all Twins fans can agree on this, and would assume the Twins front office would as well.

I’m not claiming the Twins are signing Carl Pavano to be their ace. However, I think at this point we all fully expect them to enter the whatever-we-decide-to-call-next-decades with a rotation (in no particular order) of Baker, Slowey, Blackburn, Pavano, and the revolvo-de-garbage.

This is a fact with which I take umbrage. In fact, all our umbs should be fully raged. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

Most statistical analyses I have seen show Pavano’s peripheral numbers were much better than his 5.10 ERA would suggest, a fact made obvious from watching his 12 starts for the Twins. He was a solid middle-of-the-rotation guy. Better than a 5.10 ERA, but certainly not a top-tier pitcher.

Pavano’s overall stats were skewed greatly by his atrocious April—featuring a one inning, 9 ER shit show, and an ERA of 9.50 for the month. It’s hard to deflate your numbers after getting blown up like that. (Just ask John Smoltz who, aside from one epically bad game in early April, was a dominant closer in 2002. Smoltz got rocked for eight runs in 2/3 innings on April 6th, and it took until mid-July just to get his ERA below 4.00.)

I fully accept Pavano for what he is, as long as the Twins don’t ask him to be what he is not.

Assuming the Twins will not make another starting pitching move, signing Pavano was a poor decision. If the choices come down to Pavano or a Harden/Sheets/Bedard-type instead of Pavano and Harden/Sheets/Bedard-type—as seems the case—Pavano was the wrong choice.

Signing Pavano is just another deal that epitomizes the Twins franchise-wide creed of “good enough to contend,” and, by likely no fault of Pavano, the move will prove to be a bust.

Before re-signing Pavano the Twins rotation needed an ace. After re-signing Pavano, the rotation needs more of the same.

Would Sheets, Harden, or Bedard be the missing ace? Maybe.

There are no guarantees they would stay healthy, but they certainly have ace ability. Sometimes, that potential ability is worth taking a chance on a player’s health.

The difference between just making the playoffs, and contending for a World Series title, is taking a flier on high risk/high reward players. Sometimes, you have to unhook the training wheels, close your eyes, and let your bike fly. Sometimes you crash. And sometimes, you make it all the way to the finish, flying past all obstacles.

Taking that leap of faith is the difference between being good, or merely being good enough.

The Twins still have time to prove whether the Pavano signing is more than just good enough. If signing Pavano is the first step to solidifying a rotation that also needs an ace, the move was good. If re-signing Pavano leads to nothing but Pavano, the move was merely good enough.

The final grade of the Pavano deal stands at incomplete. What Bill Smith does between now and the regular season, will decide the deal’s final marks.

If Pavano leads to acquiring Bedard, Sheets, Harden, or someone else with ace ability, the grade will certainly increase. If not, it will look more like my college calculus grade.

Hopefully, the Twins will understand this fact, and move on someone with the ability to become the 2011 inductee of the ace list. Because, while I cannot guarantee another pitcher would find his way onto the ace list, I can certainly guarantee you Pavano, Baker, Blackburn, or Slowey will not.

www.undomed.blogspot.com

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Sheamus: Too Much, Too Soon

Jeremiah Graves — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:02:12 -0500

Not like this.

It just can’t happen like this.

The WWE is completely botching the push of Sheamus.

I’ve made it clear in the past how I feel about the WWE’s initial build of Sheamus, and I still hold the same feelings.

The company has done nothing to adequately build Sheamus as a main event talent, and—aside from one cheap-shot and bodyslam—we’ve seen him show nothing in the ring against John Cena.

I’ve got absolutely no problem with the WWE pushing new talent.

I ranted and raved about the direction the company took with Kofi Kingston, and I am a converted fan of the way CM Punk is being slowly built as a major heel after his initial quick turn.

Those facts notwithstanding, I still feel that the company is doing itself and Sheamus a major injustice by tossing him into the main event scene.

No one in their right mind actually expects Sheamus to win the title at the upcoming TLC pay-per-view because to the average viewer, Sheamus is a nobody.

Since his debut on RAW just six short weeks ago, we’ve seen Sheamus squash Jamie Noble, dominate a stagehand, kick Jerry Lawler in the face, beat the 600-year old Finlay, win a battle royal in which he avoided confrontation for the majority of the match, cheap-shot John Cena and put him through a table, and we saw him squash Santino last week.

Yep, that’s it.

I know all of this so well because the WWE has been showing video montages almost non-stop to try and prove to viewers that Sheamus is a main-eventer and worth paying $40 to watch on pay-per-view.

The montages, entitled “The Celtic Warpath,” fall short because all they show is Sheamus beating up on jobbers and non-wrestlers.

Sheamus has been incredibly overmatched on the microphone and appeared weak by not physically confronting Cena.

The build-up figures to be strong over the remainder of the week to convince viewers that Sheamus could win the match by putting Cena through a table and his brute strength might be all he needs.

They’ll undoubtedly pimp the fact that Sheamus doesn’t have to pin Cena or make him submit; all he needs to do is toss him through a table, which he’s already done.

If they’re smart, they’ll have Sheamus obliterate Cena in the “Championship Showdown” at the end of RAW and put him through a table once again, thus proving that Sheamus has what it takes to win the title.

Here’s the problem—even if they build up Sheamus enough to make him seem like a viable number one contender for this Sunday, what comes next?

If Sheamus doesn’t win the WWE Championship, it proves he’s out of his league. What’s worse is that it proves he’s out of his league in a match that is painted as being in his favor.

If Sheamus loses this Sunday, he’ll probably get a one-night rematch on RAW, but any legitimate shot he has at being a main-eventer goes down the toilet with the pay-per-view loss.

John Cena was in a similar situation back in 2003 when he was pushed into a main event program with Brock Lesnar. There was minimal build and an obvious loss at Backlash.

It took Cena two years to legitimately work his way back into the main event picture.

The Miz suffered a similar fate earlier this year when he and Cena had a small feud. Miz appeared to be gaining some real steam before Cena squashed him in multiple matches and forced a dramatic re-boot of his entire persona.

Six months later, he’s the United States Champion but is currently not on the radar for a main event push any time in the near future.

Pushing Sheamus this quickly leaves two options.

Sheamus can lose the match and, at best, attempt to carry the feud into the Royal Rumble before returning to the mid-card as an apparently failure at the upper echelon.

The alternative is to have Sheamus win the WWE Championship this Sunday.

It is feasible that the WWE could have Sheamus win the title without making Cena look too bad, thanks to the stipulations of the match, but then what?

Sheamus won’t be the WWE Champion at WrestleMania 26, that’s for sure. Any potential title reign would undoubtedly be a short one, after which he would once again return to the mid-card.

Either way you look at it, the end-game is the same. Sheamus returns to the mid-card and John Cena moves into a program that builds for WrestleMania.

I’m glad that the WWE didn’t shove another Cena vs Orton/HBK/Triple H match down our throat, but pushing Sheamus this quickly with no real resume to speak of only hurts themselves (buyrates) and Sheamus (potential) going forward.

Hopefully, the WWE will learn their lesson when, in six months, Sheamus has become another Kane. No longer an unstoppable monster, but rather just a big, bad heel who is occasionally thrown into title matches that he’ll never win.

For Sheamus it’s just too much, too soon.

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Enough With Tebow's Tears, It's This Heisman Thing I Don't Understand.

Jon Herrmann — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:38:59 -0500

Today we learned the five finalists for the Heisman Trophy include Florida's quarterback Tim Tebow. The question I have to ask is why?

Why is a quarterback who ranks 49th in passing yards, 39th in passing touchdowns, and has a completion percentage that is worse than quarterbacks like Greg Paulus, Riley Dodge, Riley Skinner, and Ryan Aplin, a Heisman finalist.

If there was any question to whether Tebow is put on a bit of a pedestal by the media and fans, the question has been answered. The media obsession with Tim Tebow has put him in a position he didn't earn this season, the Heisman presentation in New York City.

I understand that Tebow has won games, but that just isn't enough when you're talking about the best player in the nation. If that was, then you'd have to invite Greg McElroy to the ceremony (he does have more passing yards than Tebow with only one less touchdown and one less interception), and everyone knows that McElroy is not deserving of the Heisman Trophy.

This being said, Case Keenum, the quarterback who deserves to be where Tebow is, wasn't even voted into the top five players.

Keenum leads all of college football with an outrageous 5,449 passing yards and 43 touchdowns. This is 1,581 yards and 4 touchdowns more than any other other quarterback in all of college football. He has done all of this while completing 71 percent of his passes and only throwing nine interceptions.

Adding Tebow's rushing and passing stats together, he still falls 2,177 yards and 15 touchdowns short of Keenum's total while only turning the ball over four more times.

I once again understand that Tebow plays in the SEC and only lost one game while Keenum plays in Conference USA, and that there is a distinct differences between those two conferences. So to be fair let's compare the stats from the only team that each quarterback played, Mississippi State.

Tebow did not throw for a touchdown but did rush for one. He completed 12 of his 22 passes for 127 yards but threw two interceptions. He did run for 88 yards in this game as well.

Keenum also threw two interceptions, but threw for 434 yards and four touchdowns. He ran only three times for 13 yards (this was however a greater yard per carry average that Tebow averaged in the game).

Keenum led his team to a 10-3 record, recording back to back wins against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State (piling up 801 yards and four touchdowns passing along with two rushing touchdowns in those two games) early in the season.

The media obsession with Tim Tebow has gone too far. Tebow's numbers are down from last season and not close to the season he actually won the award. The fact that he would earn an invitation over the quarterback who has been by far the most impressive in college football all season long in Keenum just makes the Heisman presentation laughable.

Whether you are a fan of Tim Tebow or not, you cannot believe that he has been the best player in college football this season, even if it's what we've been fed by every media outlet all season long.

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College Football: It's Time To Air Grievances

Chip Minnich — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:37:13 -0500

Every college football season, it is the same thing again and again—top-ranked teams, who more than likely have been ranked high due to preseason conjecture, wind up in Bowl games.

It leaves the majority of fans believing that their respective teams have been unjustly denied a shot at the title, leaving them clamoring for a playoff system.

And every year, the powers that be within college football lie through their teeth and say that a college football playoff system would destroy the precious college Bowl system, better known as the BCS.

This time of year always results in my airing of grievances as it relates to my favorite sport—college football.

For the fans who say a college football playoff system would destroy the Bowl system, I quote the venerable Ebeneezer Scrooge: "Humbug!"

For those who share my opinion, who know in your heart and soul that a college football playoff is possible, please read below and let me know what you think—good, bad, or ugly.

Under my system, every conference champion (the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, all the way to the non-BCS conferences such as Conference-USA, the Sun Belt Conference, etc.) would get a berth in the tournament.

For those who traditionally oppose a playoff system by saying it would render the regular season meaningless, it's about rewarding those teams who have won their conferences. The conference champions would make up eleven teams in the tournament.

The remaining five spots would essentially be at-large berths determined by the computer polls used by the BCS currently.

Growing up and living in Ohio and being a football fanatic for all levels, I have always enjoyed and respected how Ohio high school football teams are selected for the postseason .

High school football teams in Ohio are based exclusively on computer points, with no biases or voting involved. Does the local media have polls ranking area high school teams? Absolutely, but they have NO say in determining if a team will be in the state football playoffs.

It purely comes down to a strength of schedule type system that rewards teams that play demanding schedules, while potentially penalizing other teams that do not play any tough opponents. It is not uncommon for teams to have a 6-4 or 7-3 regular season record and be selected for the Ohio high school playoffs over a 10-0 team that played weaker teams.

Using the computer rankings, the following five teams would be in the 16-team playoff: Florida, Iowa, Virginia Tech, LSU, and Penn State.

Again, this scenario is rewarding one-loss teams such as Florida, who were undefeated and played in arguably the toughest conference in college football. Seedings would be determined exclusively on the computer rankings.

I have averaged these rankings used by the BCS for the purpose of this article. The first round of the playoff system would have games at the home field of the higher seeded team. By doing so, it could open up scenarios where warm-weather teams could go into a cold-weather site and see how well they could do.

Here are the playoff seedings under this system:

First Round —December 12th

No. 1 Alabama (SEC champion) vs No. 16 Troy (Sun Belt Conference champion)

No. 2 Texas (Big 12 champion) vs No. 15 East Carolina (Conference-USA champion)

No. 3 Florida (At-Large seed 1) vs No. 14 Central Michigan (MAC champion)

No. 4 Cincinnati (Big East champion) vs No. 13 Penn State (At-Large fifth seed)

No. 5 Texas Christian (Mountain West champion) vs No. 12 Ohio State (Big Ten champion)

No. 6 Oregon (Pacific 10 champion) vs No. 11 Virginia Tech (At-Large third seed)

No. 7 Boise State (WAC champion) vs No. 10 Iowa (At-Large second seed)

No. 8 Georgia Tech (ACC champion) vs No. 9 LSU (At-Large four seed)

If the higher seeded ranked teams won the first round, the New Year's Day Bowl games could look like this:

Second Round—January 1

No. 1 Alabama vs No. 8 Georgia Tech (Sugar Bowl)

No. 2 Texas vs No. 7 Boise State (Cotton Bowl)

No. 3 Florida vs No. 6 Oregon (Orange Bowl)

No. 4 Cincinnati vs No. 5 Texas Christian (Fiesta Bowl)

As The Rose Bowl is serving as the site of the national championship game, it would serve as both the semi-finals as well as the championship game.

Semifinals—January 8

Game 1: Alabama vs Cincinnati

Game 2: Texas vs Florida

BCS Championship Game —January 15)

Alabama vs Texas

***

For those who think what a foolish idea, let me propose an alternative to you. Suppose the NFL were to tell its fans that the Super Bowl was going to be played by the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints, as they currently have the top records in their respective conferences? Is there a football fan out there who truly believes voting on a championship game is a logical turn of events?

Yes, there would be blowouts in some of the early games. For those talented teams such as Alabama or Texas, playing at home against a lowly team such as Troy or East Carolina should be no concern, right?

And under the system, every conference champion gets a shot at the title. No worries about anyone being left out of the big picture, as we have seen over the years. No worries about needing Congress to get involved . And for those of you who salivate over The New Mexico Bowl , rest easy—I am leaving all of those bowls alone, kind of like college basketball's NIT version to go with the NCAA tournament.

A very smart man once said that insanity was doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. College football does this, year after year, and the results have not changed.

Until changes are made for a playoff system, consider this lengthy diatribe my annual airing of grievances on the sport that I love more than any other.

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Georgetown, Butler, Indiana, & Pittsburgh All Need Jimmy V Classic Wins

Jameson Fleming — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:10:11 -0500

All four teams - Georgetown, Butler, Indiana, and Pittsburgh - will fight for much needed respect Tuesday night in the Jimmy V Classic.

It's fitting that Georgetown and Butler face each other as both squads could use a victory to legitimize top 25 rankings. Or in Georgetown's case, a 15 ranking.

In Tuesday night's other game, Indiana and Pittsburgh both look to knock each other off in order to avoid being seen as a conference doormat.

Butler has taken on a schedule that will for the first time challenge the Bulldogs during the non-conference slate. In past years, Butler had outstanding teams but didn't schedule enough games against major conference or top 25 opponents to showcase the school's talent.

This season that changed.

The Horizon League favorite traveled to Anaheim for the 76 Classic and faced Minnesota, UCLA, and Clemson. To come on the schedule after Georgetown is Ohio State and Xavier.

With two losses already against Clemson and Minnesota, Butler desperately needs to begin knocking off its remaining quality opponents. The Horizon League isn't strong enough to rely on dominating league play to solidify an NCAA bid if Butler slips up in the Horizon League Tournament.

So beating Georgetown is critical.

For the Hoyas, beating the Bulldogs isn't necessary to help secure a future NCAA Tournament bid. But it is important for John Thompson III's team to win this game to show the Hoyas they'll compete in a surprisingly strong Big East.

Right now, Georgetown has played one of the statistically worst schedules in the country and a narrow win against Temple is the only thing that can be used to gauge how good the Hoyas are.

Like Butler, Georgetown is about to enter a stretch of games that should define the Hoyas. After the tilt against the Bulldogs, the Hoya Saxa play Washington, Old Dominion, and Harvard as well as Duke in the middle of conference play.

A win would send both schools in the right direction entering the most critical portions of their non-conference schedules.

The second game Tuesday night features two teams that just need wins to show they'll be able to compete in conference play.

Pittsburgh is still short-handed from early season injuries and suspensions, but also lacks talent as four starters from last year's team either graduated or went pro.

The Panthers have a respectable early season loss to second ranked Texas, but also barely snuck past Wofford (won by three at home) and Jamie Dixon's team was tied with Youngstown State with 11 minutes remaining.

That doesn't sound like the Pitt Panthers of old or a team that can compete in the Big East. A win against Indiana doesn't mean much considering the Hoosiers likely won't finish higher than ninth in the Big 10.

A convincing win could at least demonstrate Pitt will stand a chance to finish in the top half of the conference.

Indiana is in a similar boat as Pittsburgh, but for different reasons. Tom Crean's attempt to rebuild the Hoosiers' once proud program has been slow, but not without hope.

Last year was a disaster on the court, but it didn't keep Crean from hauling in one of the best recruiting classes in the Big 10. Combine this year's class with all the experience last year's freshman received and things are looking up in Indiana.

A win against Pittsburgh won't mean Indiana will be an NCAA Tournament contender. It probably won't mean the Hoosiers are a top seven team in the conference.

But it will instill confidence in Crean's young players that they can compete with the boy bigs. It will show recruits the Hoosiers aren't far from being a top 20 team once again.

For more updates and commentary on college basketball, follow Jameson and Bleacher Report's College Basketball Page on Twitter.

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Swagger Regained, The Denver Broncos Must Step Up Once Again

Henry Gula — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:06:52 -0500

44-13 over the Kansas City Chiefs. The way it should be.

With their four-game freefall and the depths of depression feeling far off, the Denver Broncos have now won two games in a row to move their record to 8-4.

They currently sit at the fifth seed in the AFC, occupying the first of two wild-card openings. They are second in the AFC West, behind the red-hot San Diego Chargers, winners of seven straight.

The final four weeks of the season will prove challenging for the Broncos, and they will need to continue playing at the level exhibited on Sunday in Kansas City.

First on the schedule is a trip to "the Oil Can" or Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the undefeated Indianapolis Colts.

The Denver pass defense will be put to the test by Peyton Manning and the extremely high-powered Colts offense. It will be imperative for the Broncos to keep pressure on Manning, and the defensive backs must continue the exceptional play they have shown over the past two games.

As the New England Patriots and Houston Texans have both demonstrated, no lead is safe when Manning and the Colts' offense is on the opposite sideline, and the Broncos will have to score early and often to keep the pressure on for all 60 minutes.

If the Broncos end up on the short side of a relatively close game, it would be a respectable showing.

The following week, they must play the suddenly-upstart Oakland Raiders. With shocking last-second wins against the Bengals and Steelers, the Raiders have become a semi-legitimate opponent.

This will be a critical game for the Broncos, especially if they fall in Indy. A win at home against the Raiders would put the hypothetical record at 9-5, likely retaining the fifth seed.

Two days after Christmas, the Broncos will visit Philadelphia in Brian Dawkins' much-anticipated homecoming. In a game that could go either way, the Broncos will need to play physical football and put pressure on Donovan McNabb.

If the Broncos are able to leave Philadelphia with a 10-5 record, both players and fans should be very proud of their team.

More importantly, the team would then have the opportunity to give some starters a much-needed rest during the regular season finale against the Chiefs.

The Denver Broncos have re-focused themselves, worked hard, and righted the ship. As bad as the four game losing streak felt, in hindsight it may have happened at exactly the right time.

Losing streaks that begin a season can be detrimental to team and fanbase morale, and losing streaks to finish the season can knock a competitive team out of the play-offs, a situation that is all too familiar in Denver.

Losing streaks that fall smack in the middle of the season, however, can be enough to force the players to "wake up" and refocus without damaging either morale or even play-off hopes.

The Denver Broncos have a very real shot at finishing the 2009 season with an 11-5 record, far better than anyone would give them credit for in the preseason.

With this in mind, it is time to once again step things up. Step up practicing, step up effort, step up with the leadership.

The time is now for this team to drive away the demons of last year and regain their status as one of the AFC's strongest contenders, maybe even venturing to say "AFC's elite."

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Sherron Collins: Best Point Guard in the Country

J.D. Schaller — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:05:20 -0500

What an awkward time for the University of Kansas.

The football team is getting more press than its No. 1-rated basketball team and will likely continue to do so until a new head football coach is hired.

Also, what little attention (if you can call it "little") that is currently being directed at Kansas basketball seems to be aimed at Xavier Henry, the Morris twins, and Cole Aldrich.

In fact, even opposing defenses have focused their attention on the Kansas number three, four, and five men on the floor and left poor little Sherron Collins to his own devices.

Now, while Kansas fans understand Collins' vital role on this championship-caliber team, I'm starting to hear musings from the rest of the Big 12 and the nation that Collins is just along for the ride.

14 points a game? A lot of guards put up that number.

Three rebounds a contest? Just the average long rebounds he chases down.

Almost two steals every outing? That's not bad.

Nearly a 4:1 assist to turnover ratio? That's to be expected of a guard with his experience.

But what is most impressive? Which of these stats garners All-American hype?

It's the part where he's doing absolutely whatever it takes to win, even if that means doing less.

With Collins, it's the part of him that has to pass up the decent shots, let someone else control the ball, defend the most talented of the opposing guards, and still be warm when they need him.

Right now, Collins averages less than four assists per game, but Tyshawn Taylor is currently getting most of the handles. The added work will come in handy to Kansas later on as Bill Self gains trust in the increasingly reliable sophomore guard.

Collins is averaging a respectable 14 points a game, accepting the assumed five-point drop from last season—thanks to such good surrounding talent.

I can tell you right now, too, that if Self asked Collins to shoot less, I know for a fact that he would. It's easy to do when four other guys on your team average more than nine points a game.

The best part is that Collins, despite playing almost 30 minutes per contest, barely coughs up one turnover a game. This is his best stat, demonstrating his exceptional consistency, reliability, and experience.

Why is Collins playing so well? That's easy. As far as being a major factor on a national stage, this is the end of the road for Collins.

Most draft boards have him landing safely in the second round of the 2010 Draft, and he will likely have a long career as a reliable backup in the NBA. I hope he proves me wrong, but I might as well be realistic. Collins is, at least.

No giant stats, massive performances, super highlights, or personal bests are likely to raise the point guard's draft status much.

In fact, what NBA scouts are looking for, in terms of a reliable, long-term backup guard in the big leagues is the ability to do exactly what we've seen Collins doing. He shoots a high percentage of quality shots, he takes the biggest shots, he takes care of the ball, he plays defense, and he truly aims to do whatever it takes to win.

What will really impress the next-level big-wigs is a second national championship on Collins' resume as a result of his leadership.

A second national championship is just about the only thing Collins can add to his resume at this point, actually. As a seasoned veteran who was a role player on his first national championship squad, who has been on every end of the spectrum, being the leader of the best team in America would be the perfect ending to a storied collegiate athlete.

I know it's a cliche we've all heard before, but every great team needs the kind of guy that will do whatever it takes to win. Right now, Collins is better at that than any guard in the country.

Combine that with his astonishing talent and ability to come up huge whenever necessary, it's convincing, statistics or not, that he's still the most dangerous guy around.

There will be nay-sayers, and there should be. That's part of what makes basketball great.

However, at the end of the day, if Collins gets to cut down the nets one last time, it will be hard to argue against the senior Kansas guard as being the best in the nation.

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Five And...Oh! Titans Stumble, Still Harbor Hope

Dave Stanley — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:59:26 -0500

Meanwhile, back on earth...

So, it appears the Tennessee Titans got their inevitable reality check on Sunday, as the streaking Indianapolis Colts rolled to a 27-17 win.

However, all is not lost in Nashville. While it's true their slim play-off hopes took a significant hit, there's still an outside shot, given the inconsistent and sporadic nature of AFC teams that don't play in Indiana.

When Tennessee got their long-awaited first win against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Nov. 1, it could have easily been labeled as a fluke. Hey, even the Buccaneers and Lions got a victory or two in 2009, right?

But to rack up five straight wins against decent competition is more than luck; it's a talented roster playing to its potential.

That said, what does the rest of the season entail for these Titans? Most are wondering how they will digest their disappointing loss.

In fact, one could go a step further and say that how Tennessee bounces back from it will say more about their mettle than the five-game winning streak did.

Players and fans are no doubt tempted to espouse the "but, we can still go 9-7!" sentiment.

But to heck with their remaining schedule, their season right now is the St. Louis Rams. Nothing more, nothing less.

And given the Rams' woes this season, the Titans couldn't have picked a better opponent to start over with. It's not as if they have to travel to New Orleans this week.

That's not to say they should overlook St. Louis, either. The game looks to feature a running back duel for the ages. Much like the Titans in their seven losses, the Rams always run well, despite the final score.

Simply put, their running back Stephen Jackson is a beast. It will be interesting to see how the stout Tennessee run defense matches up against him.

In the bigger picture, the first day of the rest of Tennessee's season starts Sunday.

How they respond to a loss as a team will speak volumes. Yet, on an individual level, that statement couldn't be more true for Vince Young.

During those five wins, Young's playing was reminiscent of his Texas Longhorn days. By all accounts, it appeared that he had gotten his proverbial groove back, emerging from his hiatus on the bench as both a better player and a man.

However, the burning question from both admirers and critics alike was "how will he handle adversity?"

Initially, he didn't fare too well with it during his pro career. After his season and a half in the abyss, it was almost hard to remember that he won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2006.

Young didn't exactly stink it up this past Sunday, but he wasn't as good as he has been up to this point.

And that's not to pin the loss on his shoulders, either. All of the Titans not named Chris Johnson shot themselves in the foot at one time or another.

But Young needs to have the coveted amnesia that all quarterbacks must have. Forget about last week and move on.

Will he be able to do it? Yeah, probably so. We're talking about a guy who played decent in a non-embarrassing loss to a great team. It's not the end of the world.

But if the Titans start slow this coming Sunday, then it's the response to it, more than anything else, which will reveal not only the character of Young but of the team.

Henceforth, it's a four-game season, and it starts now.

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Young NY Giants Linebackers Bring Down Dallas!

Craig Santucci — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:48:54 -0500

So, there's a heart beat in New York and the NY Giants live another day.

Today was a good performance—not a great performance, they did give up almost 400 yards passing—but a win either way. See more at www.NFLtouchdown.com

The Big Blue defense still gives up too many yards down field and my boy, Steve Smith, dropped one too many passes; however, this will not stop me from raving about our new core of young backers.

Boley, Goff and Sintim brought an energy and a fire that had been missing behind the big boys upfront. The young backers were flying around the ball, shooting gaps, wrapping up would be ball carriers and defending passes.

I like these backers. Let them play!

1. Michael Boley - #52 Weakside OLB

Boley who came to the Giants as a free agent from Atlanta is by far, the most athletic linebacker on the team. Today, against Dallas he had four tackles and seven assists and one HUGE pass deflection down field as he was defending Dallas TE Jason Witten.

Boley has been a great addition to this team, when healthy. He's making tackles and flying all over the field. He also has a good sense of the ball when he is in coverage. It's been a long time since the Giants had an outside linebacker with his skills set. Just think of the last crop of outside linebackers the Giants have had...Reggie Torbor, Kevin Lewis, Carlos Emmonds, Barrett Green, Brandon Short. Should I go on?

2. Jonathan Goff - #54 Middle Linebacker

Goff got his first start for the Big Blue Wrecking Crew at MLB, replacing Chase Blackburn. He did not disappoint and pulled down a solid performance. I was watching No. 54 closely. He was flying to the ball and made some great, instinctual plays. I am sure the adrenaline got the best of him, as the first time starter over pursued many of his lanes, causing him to miss a handful of tackles.

Overall, Goff showcased a good nose for the ball and was on top of the ball carrier before or just as he got to the hole. His game time speed was impressive.

Goff had four tackles & four assists.

3. Clint Sintim - #97 Strong Side Linebacker

I love this guy. Danny Clark is a nice player; however, he has never been a stud on any team he has ever played for. Now would be the perfect time to let Sintim run wild. CS has excellent speed as displayed today by snaring his first sack against Dallas' Tony Romo.

Sintim hit the edge unblocked and was pressing Romo's faces mask in matter of seconds.

It was very refreshing too see.

Bill Sheridan:

I am not a fan of the Giants Defensive Coordinator, Bill Sheridan. This one defensive stand will not win him any new fans, but the shuffling of players did wonders for execution. Osi being benched and used on third and fourth down plays was certainly a wake up call for the former pro bowl defensive end.

He did rush the quarterback with a bit more passion and showcased some heart by coming up with a fumble recovery and run back.

Over all, Sheridan seemed to have a good grip on what needed to be done and his scheme finally made some sense. The players responded well and kept the great Dallas Cowboys rushing attack to 45 rushing yards with one costly fumble.

Going Forward:

Salvage the season! It might be too late for the GMen but there destiny lies in their own hands as they take on the Eagles next week. The Giants need to beat Philadelphia Sunday to continue this run for the wild card...and Sheridan...Let the young guys play!

See more on this story at www.NFLtouchdown.com

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Yes They Can! New York Giants Have a Shot at NFC East Crown

Michael Cohen — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:39:23 -0500

If you asked a Giants fan on a Black Friday that was black for reasons other than retail stores getting into the black, about their team's chances to win the NFC East, they would tell you: Fugeddaboutit!!

Coming off a Thanksgiving night where the Giants played turkeys to the Broncos Pilgrims, and coming off five listless performances over the last six weeks, one would think that the G-Men could be dead team walking when the seemingly surging Dallas Cowboys came prancing on their high horses into chilly Giants Stadium, Sunday evening.

Fugeddaboutit, Dallas!

The Giants not only beat the Cowboys 31-24, they overmatched the Boys in the big play department, they firmly planted themselves right in the middle of the NFC East race; a race that looked unlikely to involve the Giants just hours before kickoff.

The Giants, 7-5, seemingly have control of their own destiny. With two divisional games left to play (home vs. Philadelphia, @ Washington), followed by a terrible Carolina team, and a Vikings team that could be taking the week off after clinching the No. 2 seed in the NFC, the Giants could, and will have to, run the table if they have any plans of making it to the postseason.

Granted the Giants are in third place in their division, and one should be concerned about the Giants battered D, which gave up 392 yards to Tony Romo, with Jason Witten hauling in 14 passes for 156 yards, and Miles Austin catching 10 balls for 104 more and a touchdown, it is simple: if the Giants win their games they could make it.

How is this possible? Let's break it down carefully.

Giants vs. Cowboys: The Giants now own a huge tie-breaker over the Dallas Cowboys, having swept Dallas this season. This means if Big Blue should finished tied with Dallas at 11-5 or 10-6, that would mean that the Giants would have the edge in capturing the division, or wild card from the Cowboys.

Keep in mind, the Cowboys face a brutal schedule down the stretch. They host a red hot San Diego team next week, will visit a Saints team that is poised to go 16-0 this year, followed by a gritty Washington team that gave Dallas all they could handle a few weeks ago, and the Eagles at home.

Considering Dallas' checkered past over the last decade, the idea that the Cowboys could go 1-3 or 0-4 in this stretch is not inconceivable. The Cowboys are inconsistent in December, 5-9 in fact under Romo since 2006. Sunday night's performance leaves little doubt that Dallas could struggle again this Christmas.

Giants vs. Eagles: If Dallas takes another swan dive in the standings it will put huge emphasis on next weekend's Giants/Eagles clash. In fact, one could argue that the winner of the game will ultimately win the division.

The Eagles have been playing extremely well of late. Even though they didn't have the services of Brian Westbrook and DeSean Jackson against Atlanta, the Eagles still rolled up 34 points in the blow out victory.

LeSean McCoy has done a nice job running the ball, while the combo of Jason Avant, Brent Celek and Jeremy Maklin have served as incredible weapons for McNabb all season long.

The Eagles already beat the Giants on Nov. 1, 40-17, down in Philadelphia; but, if the Giants should win this game they would have a better division record then Philadelphia (4-1) vs. (3-2). Plus, the Giants would own a tie-breaker over Philly, having swept the Cowboys, while the Eagles lost to Dallas on Nov. 8.

The Giants have lost their last three to the Eagles, including last year's divisional playoff game, the law of averages should dictate that the Giants are due for one.

The math seems very simple, and with two teams likely to make it to the postseason from the NFC East, these games will be critical.

A home playoff game could go a long way to building up momentum for the next round to face a seemingly impossible assignment in either New Orleans and/or Minnesota.

The question is can the Giants do it? The answer is Yes.

In spite of all of the problems the Giants have had in keeping their defensive players healthy this year, i.e. Michael Boley, Aaron Ross, and Antonio Pierce to name a few; in spite of constant calls to fire new defensive coordinator Mike Sheridan, and consistent questioning of Kevin Gillbride's play calling, the Giants have one thing going for them: experience.

Two years ago, the Giants were struggling to just qualify for the postseason. They entered week 16 against Buffalo at 9-5 needing to win that game in order get a wild card spot, a loss and things could get really dicey.

The Giants rolled over the Bills in the snow, running Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward all over the Buffalo defense.

The Giants clinched the sixth seed, but even with that victory the skeptics questioned whether the Giants were going to be long tenants come postseason time.

The Giants came out inspired against the 15-0 Patriots the following week, and had them sweat out a 31-28 victory for New England. That game, as we all know, was the turning point in the Giants season.

They used that game as a measuring stick for what was possible, and went onto win their next four games, including a thrilling 17-14 victory against those same Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Plus this year's Giants team is eighth in total offense and eighth in points scored. Eli Manning is having a brilliant year throwing for 2,925 yards and 20 touchdowns; and this is with a mediocre running attack.

Steve Smith, who has developed into Manning's favorite target, is on pace to record more than a 1,000 yards receiving, while Mario Manningham has been a nice second option for Manning.

Defensively, the pieces are there. They still have Justin Tuck, Osi Umineyora, and Fred Robbins there to create pressure. The defense will have to play a lot better if the Giants are to win the NFC East, but the talent is definitely there.

Anything can happen. It's a long season for a reason.

Perhaps Eli Manning's desperate flip to Kevin Boss, who just so happened to be standing in the backfield, and turned a negative play into a 16 yard gain, was this year's "Helmet Catch"?

Perhaps the 2009 NFC East champions were born when Giants Stadium roared with approval as Big Blue built up a 31-17 lead late in the fourth quarter?

You never know, but if you ask these Giants, they would agree, but, they would rather play a game or two at rabid and cold Giants Stadium this time around.

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Dixon vs. Ingram: Crunching, Comparing Numbers

Brad Locke — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:31:04 -0500

The week of the Mississippi State-Alabama game, I did a brief statistical comparison between tailbacks Anthony Dixon and Mark Ingram . With Ingram having a really good shot at winning both the Heisman Trophy and a BCS national title with the Crimson Tide, I thought it’d be good to take a closer look at these two fine specimens and what they did on the field this season.

First, the obvious numbers.

• Rushing yards: Dixon 1,391; Ingram 1,542

• Yards per game: Dixon 126.5 (11 games); Ingram 118.6 (13 games)

• Yards per carry: Dixon 5.4; Ingram 6.2

• Rushing touchdowns: Dixon 12, Ingram 15

• Receptions-yards-TDs: Dixon 18-123-0; Ingram 30-322-3

OK, now let’s go a little deeper.

• 100-yard games: Dixon 8 (in 11 games); Ingram 8 (in 13 games)

• Season low (carries-yards): Dixon 15-53, vs. Florida; Ingram 16-30, vs. Auburn

• Season high (carries-yards): Dixon 33-252, vs. Kentucky; Ingram 24-246, vs. South Carolina

• Yards per game vs. ranked opponents: Dixon 95.8 (five games); Ingram 144.8 (four games)

• Yards per game vs. bowl teams: Dixon 126.8 (10 games); Ingram 127.1 (9 games)

• Yards per game against common opponents (6 games): Dixon 135.3; Ingram 108.2

• Percentage of rushing offense accounted for: Dixon 50.93; Ingram 54.95

• Percentage of total offense accounted for: Dixon 33.92; Ingram 34.65

So there you have it. Of the 13 categories I covered here, Ingram comes out ahead in eight of them, but most of them are close. So maybe he is a better running back than Dixon, but it’s really hard to make a clear delineation between them. The national pundits have done so by essentially ignoring Dixon, which has been easy because MSU went 5-7 and is not a perennial powerhouse like Alabama.

And that’s the only reason Ingram is getting so much love and Dixon isn’t. It’s why Ingram is a Heisman frontrunner, why he’s a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year award, why he’s a finalist for the Doak Walker award, which goes to the nation’s top running back.

That’s too bad, because Dixon is being punished for playing on the wrong team. If he and Ingram switched places, who do you think would be getting the pub? Dixon, of course. Because people make the elementary logical error of equating your team’s ability to win with your value as a player.

MSU’s offensive line was much improved this season, as evidenced by the fact that the Bulldogs were first in the SEC and 10th in the nation in rushing offense (227.6 ypg). But there was so much more help around Ingram—at quarterback, at receiver, and on the other side of the ball. Ingram didn’t have to win games for Alabama; Dixon sure had to for State.

Should Ingram win the Heisman? No, but he probably will. (If I had a vote, it’d go to Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh ). Let’s just hope that whatever else Ingram accomplishes, Dixon’s greatness won’t be forgotten.

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Please Don't Forget About the Pacific Islands

James Mortimer — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:16:31 -0500

The Autumn Internationals have concluded, and it was the first time that all three Pacific Nations had toured, been involved, and played consistent top level rugby against major nations outside of a World Cup.

Two or three times since the turn of the century, the Islands have toured the North, but it has not been a consistent affair.

As a consequence, the nations struggle to continually develop. Since 2000 Samoa has played 61 games, Fiji has played 62 and Tonga has played 57. It is a solid number of matches, but half that of any major test nation's. The lack of consistency and structure to their test seasons are hurting them in long term.

Also, it is not as attractive to tour the countries themselves.

Samoa has a population of less than 200,000, and a GDP—according to the International Monetary Fund—of approximately 500 million. Fiji has nearly 900,000 people with a GDP of over 3.5 billion. Tonga has just over 100,000 people with a GDP of little over 250 million.

These are numbers that do not represent the big money that is now part and parcel of the rugby touring landscape. Why would the big tier one nations tour the Pacific Islands when far more hype, crowds, media exposure, and pay checks come when playing at a Twickenham, or taking the product into developing rugby markets—but mature economical markets—like Tokyo or Hong Kong.

This is why the money and funding from the IRB is crucial to their survival.

The implementation of strategic programmes such as the Pacific Rugby Cup and Pacific Nations Cup are helping.

The Rugby Cup features representative teams from each of the three Island nations, but it is more fitting to call them “composite” teams. Samoa fields Upolu Samoa and Savaii Samoa, Fiji has the Fiji Warriors and Fiji Barbarians, and Tonga has the Tau-uta Reds and Tautahi Gold.

This is a promising competition, with each team playing five matches throughout April and May. It gives local players a chance to play in more meaningful competition.

But it is not the answer.

All players are drawn from local domestic competitions. The cream of the Island talent players is overseas; some in the South, but most are drawn to the big money in Europe.

Some believe that the Islands are pillaged by countries such as New Zealand and Australia, but this is not really true. Most Pacific Islanders who do turn out to play for Tier one nations have lived in their “adopted countries” for some time, and are products of the local systems.

It is the lack of top level and regular competition in the Islands that hurts the sides most of all. But it is almost impossible to fix. The best solution moving forward is either to have teams (either full international Pacific Island sides or Pacific Rugby Cup teams as above) enter a top level competition such as the Super 14.

But again the spectre of money raises its head, with the money from sponsorship and broadcasting from these countries unlikely to attract the capital needed to sustain these sides.

These “handicaps” spill onto the national teams.

They do not have the luxury of calling their players into regular camps, and often draw their representatives from all over the globe. Pacific Island coaches and selectors do not have the resources or time with their elite players that other nations do, and the Islands consistently have issues with the clubs that have more overall rights to their players than the nations do themselves—if not more money.

The Pacific Nations Cup is giving the test sides regular and meaningful competition, but the comparative strength of the teams—the Junior All Blacks or Maori aside—are all of a second to third tier level, and while it is a good start, it is not flooding the Islands with the quantity or quality of rugby they require to become and/or remain strong.

Radical ideas have had some merit, but not produced the results required.

PIRA (The Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance) was formed and created the Pacific Islanders team, very much a South Pacific version of the Lions.

But it had too many cons, primary being that the assembly of the team actually inhibited the development of the individual test nations. The group is essentially now a non entity, as Samoa has quit the Alliance.

Much depends on extra money coming in, or a top level side making some level of financial sacrifice to play the teams.

A tier one touring side from the Tri or Six Nations could play all three Islands in a tour, but much depends on what occurs in the following years with re-structuring of the SANZAR competitions within the Super 14 and Tri Nations.

The World Cups are the only time we get to see the full potential of the Islanders come to bloom, somewhat paradoxical as the money generated from these tournaments are what helps the countries develop their rugby.

But a diamond in the rough sits quietly, far too dormant for such a great resource to be.

As the game grows, let us hope that the Pacific Islands are forefront in the administrator’s minds.

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Rutgers Football Fans: Now Is Not the Time To Give Up On the Program

Jayson Love — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:16:31 -0500

Jarrett Brown's stutter-step move for the game-sealing first down was so eerily representative of the state of the Rutgers-West Virginia series and of the state of Rutgers football—close, but no cigar.

You see, it's always something that crops up for Rutgers that always seems to make them fall short against W.V.U.

Fans of Rutgers are in melt-down mode if you take a gander at the Internet message boards. The bloggers and New Jersey sports writers want the university to apologize for their bowl game appearance this year, and many are calling the program "stagnant".

While some of the criticism is fair, Rutgers did play two FCS teams, and had a sub-.500 record in the Big East, it is time to table all of that. It's "bowl time", and for the fifth straight year, Rutgers is invited to the party.

Rutgers fans must think back to the bowl situation that was established prior to the West Virginia-Rutgers kick off 12:00 Saturday afternoon. Rutgers was projected to be invited to either the Meineke Car Care Bowl, the Papa John's Bowl, or the St. Petersburg Bowl. The Gator Bowl; the Big East's best non-BCS bowl was already awarded to West Virginia whether Rutgers beat them 100-0, or lost on a last second field goal.

Why? The answer is simple: Reputation. West Virginia fans travel, and everyone knows it. In fact, Rutgers was projected to go to the Meineke over a superior Pittsburgh team because its fans have started to develop a reputation for traveling.

However, that rug was pulled out from under Rutgers when UNC made a behind the scenes deal with the Meineke representatives to buy up all the tickets Pitt admitted they'd be unable to sell.

And so, the lessons is this: Though Rutgers fans are upset, they feel the program should be better than it is, and are unsure if this current coaching staff will be able to get Rutgers to the next level, this is no time to lose sight of the big picture. Rutgers fans cannot afford to in haste and anger, begin to tear down the reputation of travelling that they are starting to build.

Rutgers fans must take out the check book, purchase the plane ticket, book the hotel, buy the game tickets and, show up in mass quantities to support the team and this program as it travels to sunny St. Pete to play the U. of Central Florida.

Building a program is about the coaches and the players, but it is also about the fans. It's time to think big picture and put aside the questions for another date. This is no time to give up. Help to establish the reputation that Rutgers travels!

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Rutgers Football Fans: Now Is Not the Time to Give Up on the Program

Jayson Love — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:16:25 -0500

You see, it's always something that crops up for Rutgers that seems to make them fall short against WVU.

Fans of Rutgers are in melt-down mode if you take a gander at the internet message boards, and the bloggers. New Jersey sports writers want the university to appologize for their bowl game appearance this year and many are calling the program "stagnant."

While some of the citicism is fair, Rutgers did play two FCS teams and had a sub .500 record in the Big East...it is time to table all of that.

It's "bowl time" and for the fifth straight year, Rutgers is invited to the party.

The Gator Bowl; the Big East's best non-BCS bowl was already awarded to West Virginia whether Rutgers beat them 100-0 or lost on a last second field goal.

Why? The answer is simple: reputation. West Virginia fans travel and everyone knows it. In fact, Rutgers was projected to go to the Meineke over a superior Pittsburgh team because its fans have developed a reputation for traveling.

However, that rug was pulled out from under Rutgers when UNC made a behind the scenes deal with the Meineke representatives to buy up all the tickets Pitt admitted they'd be unable to sell.

And so, the lessons is this: Though Rutgers fans are upset, this is no time to lose sight of the big picture.

Rutgers fans must take out the check book, purchase the plane ticket, book the hotel, buy the game tickets and show up in mass quanitities to support the team and this program as it travels to sunny St. Pete to play the U. of Central Florida.

Building a program is about the coaches and the players, but it is also about the fans. It's time to think big picture and put aside the questions for another date. This is no time to give up.

Make a difference in Helping to establish the reputation that Rutgers travels!

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Osgood's Situation: Can a Play-off Goalie Win During the Season?

Eric LaForge — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:09:59 -0500

Chris Osgood has admitted that he hasn't played his best hockey this year. In fact, there was an article in SI that talked about this being the worst year of his career.

Needless to say, Red Wings fans have started to question our goalie, and have started to put games in the hands of Jimmy Howard. That hasn't been working out either.

Most people would agree that goaltending is the reason the Detroit Red Wings are having such a bad year. Part of the reason is consistency, we'll see them let in only one goal one night, and then two nights later see a ton of pucks go past them.

It's frustrating as a fan to see both Howard and Osgood let in soft goals and lose the game. It's also frustrating when the offense is fighting to stay in the game and the puck keeps getting in our net.

Let's face it, Osgood is a goalie that thrives in the play-offs. His run for the last two years supports that.

However, that's not enough for Wings' fans this year. We need a solid goalie right now. We can't wait until the end of the season, we need one right now.

It's not just the fans that understand that, it's Osgood too. In fact, the phrase "solid goalie right now" is pretty much what Osgood used to describe the situation to NHL.com. He understands that he has to play like he did in the play-offs last year for this team to finish well.

In a more positive turn of events, Osgood is beginning to expect more of himself. We're starting to see his competitive fire flare up again. If there's any time Osgood performs well, it's in a high pressure situation.

Like the rest of us, Osgood understands that he has to play well. He doesn't have a choice. I can't back this up, but I think that Ozzie would agree with us when we complain about the Wings' goaltending. He expects better of himself, and we expect better of him.

Especially with as many injuries as we've had to face this season. Can we really win without solid goaltending?

So, can Osgood bring his play-off game into the regular season? I don't know, but I can tell you that Osgood expects more out of himself. Whether or not that will end up meaning anything, we have yet to find out, but we had better hope so.

Originally Posted at Tips for Hockey

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Winter Meetings Day One Wrap: Mariners

Griffin Cooper — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:04:25 -0500

It’s finally that time of year, folks. This is what we’ve been waiting for since the Mariners fell out of the AL West race back in July: the winter meetings are finally here.

Day one was relatively uninteresting, with no major news taking place. There were a few minor signings and arbitration decisions—however none of them involved the Mariners so I’m not even going to talk about them.

There were a few developments on the Mariners front, though.

It sounds like what Felix and his agent Alan Nero are looking for is somewhere in the six year/$100 million range. Even for Felix, six years is a really, really long contract, and when dealing with starting pitchers, giving out extremely long term contracts is pretty risky.

However, we are talking about Felix Hernandez here, who happens to be a 23 year old ace. And although it could be pretty risky, if he were to stay healthy, we’d probably get at least $100 million in value from him over the course of six seasons.

Another development, which Taylor already mentioned, is that the Mariners are apparently showing a lot of interest in Nick Johnson. That’s awesome—and unsurprising. Let’s hope Jack Z locks him up.

Another day, another 40 people calling Jason Bay a “great fit for the Mariners”. Reports are still that the Mariners are interested in Bay, but I remain completely faithful that Jack Zduriencik is way too smart to give a butt load of money over multiple years to a player like him.

It just wouldn’t make sense. I’m not sure why that’s so hard for some people to grasp. He can’t play defense, he’s going to cost significantly more than he’s worth, and he’s a right handed power hitter who would be playing at a park that murders right handed power hitters. It seems simple enough to me.

Other names the Mariners have been linked to today: Orlando Hudson, Miguel Olivo, Josh Willingham, and Mark DeRosa.

I’m pretty much indifferent towards all four of these guys.

Hudson would be nice, but only if we trade Jose Lopez. I don’t want him moving to first base.

Willingham is a good player, but he’s a right handed power hitter who plays slightly below average defense out in left and he'd be blocking Michael Saunders. I just don’t think it’d be worth it.

Miguel Olivo isn’t bad, but I don’t know if it’d be the best idea to bring in a veteran catcher when you have Adam Moore ready to seize the starting job—especially now that Gregg Zaun is off the market. He would have made a lot more sense than Olivo.

And finally, I just don’t think DeRosa makes much sense now that we’ve got Figgins. The difference in value between him and Jose Lopez would not come close to being worth the difference in price.

That pretty much sums up today’s action.

You can follow me on Twitter here

Or visit my Seattle Mariners blog, SoDo Mojo, here

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2009 Pittsburgh Steelers: Where to Go From Here?

Lee Heisler — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:56:42 -0500

As inept as Bruce Arians and his play calling has been this year, it is the defensive secondary that has likely put the final nail in the 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers' coffin.

Once again a 4th quarter lead turned into a heart breaking loss. Late in the games the Steelers secondary has failed when teams spread them out and go pass heavy.

After the loss to the Oakland Raiders the Steelers record has dropped to 6-6, so where do they go from here?

First of all, the Steelers don't need to abandon all hopes for this season; they are still mathamatically alive for the playoffs. If the Steelers can win out they can make the playoffs.

The Jaguars currently hold the final wildcard spot, but they still have games against the Colts and at New England.

The Ravens have to play the Steelers again—at Pittsburgh.

The Dolphins have a tough stretch of games left: at Jacksonville, at Tennessee, vs Houston, and most importantly vs the Steelers.

The Jets have games at Indianapolis and against Cincinnati.

Although it may be unlikely that everything will fall the Steelers way, we learned in 2005 that it can and if you get hot at the right time "Super" things can happen.

As poor as the Steelers have played recently, don't forget that the Steelers have played and beaten some very good teams so far this season such as San Diego, Minnesota, and Denver.

Secondly, the Steelers have to make adjustments on offense. The biggest issue facing the Steelers offense is their red-zone performance. It's been horrible thus far this season; too many times the Steelers settle for a field goal or turn the ball over. In this area especially, the Steelers need to quit trying to outsmart other teams and pound it at them. The Steelers offensive line and running backs proved that they can have success against a good defense (Baltimore) as long as Bruce Arians stays committed to the run.

If you're going to pass in this situation, don't make it so obvious by using the empty backfield set. Using this formation lets the defense know that there is no chance that this play is a run, thus you're telling the defense what you're going to do and making the job easier for the defense.

Also, by not using this formation you protect your QB. Too often in this formation an un-blocked player has a kill shot on the QB, even if the QB gets the ball away.

If the Steelers would have performed better in the redzone this season they would have likely not lost these games in the last seconds. Although they still may have been too close for comfort.

Next, the Steelers have to get better play from the secondary. William Gay has played very poorly much of this season as has Ryan Clark.

Gay's play has regressed from last season; does that mean he is done? No, because if you remember Ike Taylor had to be benched once before also. After having a good season last year and being handed the starting job heading into this year, Gay's ego may have become inflated.

While Gay will be out for at least the next game at Cleveland, it may be in his best interest to be demoted even after he comes back. Hopefully he will refocus and play up to the potential that he showed last season.

Rookie Joe Burnett is likely to get the start this week and fellow rookie Keenan Lewis should see his most extensive playing time of the season also. This will be their opportnunity to show the coaches what they can do. If neither succeed in the starters role, look for Deshea Townsend to take over while the others get their chances in the nickle and dime packages.

But, if the Steelers are offically eliminated from the playoffs, look for these two rookies to get an extended look so that the Steelers can get a better feel for them and what they need to do during the offseason.

While Ryan Clark has become a fan favorite, he has showed this season that he can be taken advantage of. He is a hard hitting safety that is good in run support but has difficulty in pass coverage and playing the ball. Lee Flowers anyone?

Unlike the situation at cornerback, the Steelers don't have anyone with lots of upside waiting in the wings at safety.

Ryan Mundy is a young player with some upside, but likely not enough to become an impact player. So while he may get an extended look, I don't feel that Ryan Clark should be benched in favor of Mundy.

Ike Taylor is a player that I feel has been the target of many fans and I feel undeservingly so.

While not having his best season, he is still a well above average cornerback in a league that has made efforts to eliminate "shutdown corners" from existance.

And while not wanting to seem as if I am placing blame or defending a player, it was likely a miscommunication or blown coverage that led to Taylor being beaten for a long touchdown pass yesterday.

As the announcer explained during the game, Taylor was in an outside technique, thus giving the WR the middle of the field. I believe it's safe to assume that he wouldn't have used this technique had he not expected help on the inside.

Hopefully the Steelers can make these adjustments and make the playoffs, but if they can't here are my thoughts for the offseason.

While it's hard to judge the development of players, predict the signings of players, and who will be where in the draft, it is very easy to know that Bruce Arians is not the answer as offensive coordinator.

If you look at his body of work as a head coach in college and as a coordinator with the Steelers and Browns you can see that the same problems always exist.

Without going into too much detail (if you want the details see some of my prior articles) Arians should be relieved of his job duties as offensive coordinator.

During his tenure as offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers they have been very inconsistant offensively overall, their redzone performance has been dismal, the playcalling has been predictable, the players talents have not been maximized, the offense is too often one diamentional, and the playcalling in critical situations has been horrible. (see 4th & 3 QB sweep call behind third string OT in 2007 playoff game vs Jaguars for one example)

If you look a the Cleveland Browns during the time that he was O.C. there you will see that they had the same exact problems. The old saying is that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, therefore it is time to end the Bruce Arians experiment.

Next, you have to look at Bob Ligashesky and evaluate the special teams. This year the coverage units have been horrible. But if the Steelers were to give him one more year as special teams coordinator I wouldn't be opposed due to the fact that the Steelers had the best coverage unit in the NFL in 2008.

The Steelers have several players that are going to be free agents, but Heath Miller must be resigned.

Casey Hampton has to be given a decent offer, if he decides to walk Chris Hoke can fill in for a year or so until another NT is drafted or signed.

Willie Colon is a restricted FA, so he will likely be back for at least one more season.

While Justin Hartwig is a UFA and should likely get a decent offer, depending on the Steelers higher priorities and their opinion of their other options.

But if Colon walks Trai Essex, Tony Hills, Ramon Foster, or even Kraig Urbik could battle for the RT spot. And if Essex goes to RT, Foster, Urbik, and Darnell Stapleton can battle for the RG spot.

If Hartwig walks Darnell Stapleton and A.Q. Shipley can battle for the center spot.

Jeff Reed should also get an offer, but he must realize that the Steelers will not make him one of the highest paid kickers in the NFL. His off-field issues and poor kickoffs lower his value.

Willie Parker will not likely be back. With Rashard Mendenhall taking over as the starter and the very versitile Mewelde Moore backing him up Parker isn't really needed. Unless he'd be willing to sign for the veterans minimum, which is unlikely.

As far as Ryan Clark goes I'd make him an offer with the understanding that it will be based on his play during the 2009 season, which was very poor. I'd also want him to understand that a possible replacement will be drafted or signed, so there is a high possiblility that he'd be a backup.

Tyrone Carter's situation would depend on Ryan Clark's decison. If Clark re-signs, Carter is gone.

I'd like to see DeShea Townsend come back on a 1—year contract and I feel that's very possible.

I believe Charlie Batch is expendable due to Dennis Dixon. Having Dixon as the backup QB over Batch would save the Steelers some money and every little bit helps when you're close to the cap like the Steelers are.

Darnell Stapleton will likely be kept due to the fact that he's a RFA, versitle, and coming off an injury.

Free Agents that I'd look to sign (keep in mind that the Steelers very rarely sign big name free agents or get in a bidding war for player):

Dan Krieder. While he isn't what he once was, he's still a very good FB and that would allow the Steelers to use D. Johnson at TE on the line where he's a very good in-line blocker.

Darren Sharper. His age may keep him from commanding a big contract, therefore that along with his relationship with Mike Tomlin may allow him to become a Steeler. He is the ballhawking center field playing free safety that the Steelers need opposite of Troy. And he'd be willing to teach a rookie, if the Steelers would draft a FS in the draft.

Anthony Henry. Once played CB, but is now a safety. Would be better in coverage than Ryan Clark.

Mike Bell. Hard nosed runner that could spell Mendenhall and will likely come cheaper than Parker.

Kendrick Clancy. If Casey Hampton doesn't resign and a NT isn't drafted, Clancy could split time with Hoke.

Roman Harper. Kind of like Ryan Clark, but with better ball skills.

I'll talk about the draft and players available in the draft at a later date.

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UConn-UK: Looking Past the Marquee Walker-Wall Match-up

George Peterson — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:40:18 -0500

After surviving the typhoon that was Harvard's Jeremy Lin on Sunday, the last person UConn would want to see on the other side of the court is John Wall at 9:30 Wednesday evening.

Unfortunatley for Jim Calhoun's squad, that is exactly who will be leading the charge for John Calapari and Kentucky when the teams face off at Madison Square Garden.

The match-up between Kentucky's superstar and UConn's own lightning-quick pointman Kemba Walker should have Dickie V foaming at the mouth.

That's if he can stop talking about the meeting between the two coaches, who have had their own bitter rivalry with each other since Coach Cal's UMass days.

Looking past the obvious though, for a UConn team still reeling from the losses of Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien, the match-up between both teams' post players should determine the outcome.

Kentucky's junior forward Patrick Patterson has been a perfect complement to Wall thus far, shooting close to 70 percent from the field and averaging over sixteen points per game. The 6'9" Patterson has been no slouch on the glass either, with ten per game.

Along with 6'11" freshman DeMarcus Cousins, and his 2.4 blocks per game, scoring inside in the half-court set should be an adventure for UConn.

Senior forward Gavin Edwards has been the only UConn player to show the ability to score down low or get to the line on a consistent basis.

Forward Stanley Robinson has been his usual jumpy self, whether skying to the rim in transition or back-door alley-oops or coming out of nowhere to swat opposing shots.

If Patterson, Cousins and the rest of the Wildcats can clog up the driving lanes defensively, forcing UConn into a perimeter offense, things could go south quicker than the last time the Huskies played at MSG.

A 68-59 loss to Duke 11 days ago in the final of the preseason NIT championship.

In that game the Huskies were out-rebounded 56-43, continuing a trend of lackluster efforts of cleaning the glass for UConn.

Sunday was no different, as guard Jerome Dyson of all people, led UConn in rebounds with 14.

A player to watch, for UConn in this game, is their freshman forward Alex Oriakhi.

Oriakhi, who had possibly his worst game in his young career against Harvard, has now found himself planted firmly in Calhoun's crosshairs, after the coach told the press afterwards, "He couldn't catch the ball, he couldn't rebound the ball, and he couldn't play defense. Besides that, he was terrific."

Jim Calhoun Motivational Techniques-101.

The guards are going to have enough to worry about, trying to contain Wall, Eric Bledsoe and a seemingly endless amount of Wildcat wingmen.

If UConn can control the paint they just might be able to negate some of Kentucky's guard play.

If not, Ater Majok's arrival is just around the corner, most likely to give Oriakhi his next lesson in Calhoun's MT 101...watching and learning from the bench.

**Quote courtesy of The Hartford Courant

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Bowl Matchups Robbing Us of Progress (And It's Not a Playoff Problem)

Nino Colla — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:04:23 -0500

Every year people root for chaos within a system they believe doesn't do them justice in determining who should play for the highest achievement in all of college football.

Many don't want to hear it, but they've been steered wrong in their thinking. The Bowl Championship Series sets out to do one thing and one thing only.

And it does it very well.

I sat down to write this and started going at it from an angle that most definitely would have made people angry with my stance.

I then deleted all of it, not because I don't want people to disagree with me, but because I realized the point I was making wasn't the one I set out to make.

I'm not here to dispute or defend the BCS. As I said earlier, the BCS does what it is set out to do and that is pick the two best teams to play for the championship. It does not set the rules that we are given and it does not dictate who goes to which bowl beyond that.

Alright, I know you are already thinking that I'm going back on what I said I wasn't here to do. I kind of am, but I need it to get to my point.

Since we don't have a playoff and one isn't on the horizon anytime soon, I'm perfectly content with watching 30-some bowl games. What I'm not content with is watching 25 bowl games that aren't very good.

Traditions aside, let's focus on our so called "money bowls" in the BCS.

The Orange, Sugar, Fiesta and Rose are all out there as the cash cows of college football. It goes back to the reason we do not have a playoff and it goes to the reason it won't change.

The people who run these bowls and those who run the participants in these bowls do not want to mess up what they have going. I have no problem with them continuing to deny us a playoff.

But when their selfish agendas get in the way by screwing up something that doesn't impact them at all?

Then I've got a problem.

Texas Christian was paired up with Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, a meeting that will pit two undefeated teams and two non-BCS entrants for the first time in a non-title game.

Last year, I was ecstatic when these two teams were paired and the results of that pairing did not disappoint. TCU won a thrilling game that showed both should be taken seriously on a national scale.

Mission accomplished. So why are we seeing it again?

Pairing Boise State and TCU in this year's BCS sets back everything they've both accomplished by going undefeated this season. Not only are they both robbed of a chance to take down a BCS-team, they are robbed of ever being taken seriously for a national championship game.

In just about every inaugural address a president will make, he speaks of change and movement. He will say we have to initiate change and initiate it now, but it won't happen overnight. Change is a long process, but it does need to be initiated to ever begin that process.

TCU, Boise State, last year's Utah team...they are all pioneers for that change. In order to change people's minds, we need teams like Utah to come into the BCS and beat Alabama. In order for change we need a team like TCU to take on a superpower like Florida and beat them.

We need a Boise State team to challenge a Cincinnati team and show them that a Big East and a WAC can get together and put on one hell of a game.

If we don't have that, progress will not be made. You may not like to chip away at a mentality, but that is the only way to go and this year's slate of BCS bowls sets that back yet another year.

I'm relatively happy with the slate in terms of the types of games we will see. I have no doubt after last year that Boise and TCU will put on a show. Georgia Tech and Iowa are perhaps the weakest BCS teams and they are in the same game. Florida and Cincinnati are going to get together for some fireworks.

However the bowl representatives couldn't have screwed this year up. They got Oregon and Ohio State in the Rose Bowl as a lock and a good team that will travel well in Iowa to pair up with Georgia Tech.

They had four very good teams for two very big stages.

Yet somewhere along the way, someone was led astray.

I think it's safe to assume that Florida went to the Sugar Bowl after TCU was put into the Fiesta, which would lead the Fiesta Bowl to make the decision of whether to select Boise State or Cincinnati.

I don't blame the Fiesta Bowl for wanting to make history. They have been one of the best in the past in welcoming different matchups and different scenarios. But I think they dropped the ball on this one.

They're going to get a good matchup. A team close to them in proximity in TCU that is undefeated against a team that owes them a lot for giving them the chance to beat Oklahoma on a big stage.

Not to mention, they get to make a little bit of that history they always like to make.

But again, the progress that these teams have made in just going undefeated has been ruined by pitting them against each other.

By seeing two non-BCS teams face each other it defeats the true purpose of these "BCS Busters" being included in the fray.

It isn't to give these programs a nice bonus for making it this far. Boise State has been there, done that and TCU is a storied program that has seen some true greats come through.

Once again, this is about changing the landscape and we aren't changing it by letting them face each other.

If the people who set this system with five big bowls and the money it makes for all involved really wanted to get it right, they'd eliminate the traditions and the nonsense that is attached.

Without a doubt, tradition is awesome, but not at the expense of what is right. And what is right is good football and rewarding teams who deserve it. As a fan of a team in the Big Ten, I cannot defend it when they and the PAC-10 sit back and fight hand in hand with the Rose Bowl committee in keeping tradition.

Do remind me, what is the tradition of the Sugar Bowl?

Off the top of my head, here are the teams I remember playing in the game as long as I've lived: Florida State, Miami, West Virginia, Georgia, Hawaii, Oklahoma, Ohio State, and Utah.

There are teams from the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Mountain West, and of all conferences, the WAC. Where is your tradition? The tradition for me is sitting down in the late afternoon-early evening of New Years Day and watching the Rose Bowl with my family.

The tradition for me is watching whatever big time bowl game is on that same day, later that night. I think I'm in the majority when I say this, but the tradition isn't watching what teams are in it; it's watching it when I can normally expect it.

I could care less who plays in it, just as long as the game is a good one and I can get into it.

So here I sit, with two wishes, very different in what they would accomplish. If we bring them together with this much hated computer, we may just get something that can appease us all.

If you use the angry computer to establish a ranking of teams, that would essentially seed your bowls, then you are guaranteed five games that are of the caliber of the National Title Game. You may not be getting the first and second best teams, but you are getting the same intensity level with two teams equally talented.

You are getting Cincinnati and TCU against each other. You are getting Florida and Boise State, ready to put on an offensive show. Every once in awhile, the Rose Bowl will get lucky and have their own traditional matchup with Ohio State and Oregon in the same game.

If something doesn't happen often, when it does happen, it becomes just a little more special. That may not be what the Rose Bowl officials want to hear, but sometimes you have to sacrifice for the good of your sport.

You are also getting that change. If Boise State and TCU happen to end up ranked right next to each other then you live with the consequences. But that goes right along with the Rose Bowl mentality.

To appease the football fans that want good games everywhere they turn, start pitting the top ranked teams against each other. We may not be giving the people what they want in a playoff, but we are taking a step towards the change it could bring about.

In the end, taking steps is the best you can do, so we might as well start walking.

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At Notre Dame Change Is Coming

Mike Muratore — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:56:21 -0500

Exactly one week after the announcement of Charlie Weis' departure comes the second least surprising declaration of all time.

At a 2 p.m. press conference, Notre Dame offensive standouts Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate declared themselves eligible for the NFL Draft.

The sight of perhaps the nation's most potent QB/WR tandem announcing that they would each give up their senior season to enter the draft could shake most programs to the core, but amid the chaos that is the Notre Dame football program, today's announcement is simply par for the course.

Clausen came to Notre Dame with the subtlety of a hammer blow to the forehead. Arriving in a stretched Hummer Limo at the College Football Hall of Fame, Clausen proudly declared his desire to win four titles for the Irish.

He will leave school after only his third season with no championships and only one bowl appearance on his resume. Still, despite his 16-18 career record as the Irish starting QB, he will be remembered as one of the best ever to don the Blue and Gold.

In his three years at the helm of the Irish, Clausen posted 60 touchdowns and only 27 interceptions. He threw for 8,148 yards, completed 61.7 percent of his passes, and grew into the leader of a very good offense.

In fact, over his tenure at Notre Dame, Clausen played better than the record would indicate. Many times he rallied his team to win, making big plays seem routine.

More than anything he seemed to learn that he needed to be coached. In each of his years with Notre Dame his QB rating improved, along with his completion percentage, yards, touchdowns, and TD-to-INT ratio.

In 2009, Clausen showed that he had matured beyond some of the on-field pitfalls that had cost him dearly in 2008. His coach said that Clausen "didn't miss a read all year." The stats don't argue.

In his junior and final year Clausen completed 68 percent of his passes for 3,722 yards, 28 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. His stats were the second best of all FBS passers.

Even more remarkable is that of his four interceptions, three bounced off his intended receiver's hands prior to being picked.

In a statement released to the press announcing his departure, Clausen said that he sat down with his family and Coach Weis and discussed his future. Following the meeting, his decision was clear.

"Coach Weis told me whether he was going to be here or not be here, it was time for me to go," Clausen said. "He thought I've improved so much since I came to Notre Dame. So, I'm taking his advice, and I'm going to head out."

Clausen's favorite target over much of the last two years will also be playing on Sundays in 2010.

Golden Tate came to Notre Dame as a player without a position. After not making it as a running back in the spring of 2007, Tate slowly transitioned to wideout.

He had a big year in 2008 making the most of every touch, but exploded in 2009. Scoring in every way short of an interception, Tate was one of college football's most electric players. He ran the wildcat, returned punts, and on occasion threw the ball.

Notre Dame's Mr. Everything's stock will never be higher, and with a new coach and new quarterback next year, there is no reason for Tate to stick around.

The losses of Notre Dame's two most visible players are still only some of the big changes that will take place between now and kickoff next September.

Biggest is the vacant coach position.

Brian Kelly, everyone's odds-on favorite to replace Weis will arrive in South Bend tomorrow for his long awaited "sit down" with Jack Swarbrick.

"It would take a pretty special situation" says Kelly of leaving Cincinnati, who he has just led to a second consecutive Big East title and BCS bowl.

Tomorrow will determine if Notre Dame is the kind of "special" that Kelly is searching for.

For Kelly, what remains at Notre Dame may present the right fit.

From a facilities and funding standpoint, you won't find many universities more endowed than Notre Dame. A historic Stadium, plush new football training center and practice complex, and a beautiful campus to host recruits don't hurt in selling the university.

Also helpful to Notre Dame's hopes of landing Kelly (in addition to a blank check) is what the Irish will return on offense.

Quarterback Dayne Crist is built to run Kelly's type of offense. He can throw, run, throw while running, and run an option.

The receiver and tight end corps were left loaded by Charlie Weis, with standouts Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph both returning along with a host of younger players with a ton of athletic talent. Running backs are deep and talented, and the offensive line's best players will be returning.

The big on-field questions for the incoming coach to answer surround the defense.

Kelly's defense is also suspect at Cincinnati, requiring the Bearcats to outscore Connecticut, Illinois, and Pittsburgh while giving up over 30 points in each game, and allowing more than 40 to both UConn and Pitt.

The biggest change that needs to come to South Bend for next year is toughness.
Throughout the Weis era, Notre Dame never developed that killer attitude. There was never a swagger, never the fierce play that has been absent since the Holtz era.

Notre Dame is often beaten by teams it should bury. Often safe leads fade into tight victories or losses. Too often the Irish must rely on late heroics when the game should have been put to rest long ago.

Notre Dame must once again be feared, not just revered.

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Pivot Points: The LA Lakers' Biggest Foe May Be The Image In The Mirror

Hadarii Jones — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:54:59 -0500

After witnessing the Los Angeles Lakers' latest blow-out victory against the Phoenix Suns, several realizations dawned upon me. One was that the Suns were horribly over-matched, and another was that the only team that could prevent the Lakers from repeating might be the Lakers themselves.

Regarding the Suns being over-matched, that's without question. There was simply no place on the court where Phoenix was able to establish an advantage. Even Steve Nash looked pretty normal in the face of the Laker defense.

Defense. Saying that word and consistently relating it to the Lakers seems to be a little out of the ordinary (at least before this season), but it seems that the men in purple and gold have finally grasped the concept.

With the exception of a fourth quarter break-down against the Miami Heat, the Lakers have been playing a suffocating brand of defense since the return of Pau Gasol.

They have been tenacious, aggressive, relentless and consistent. Consistent is what really stands out, because Los Angeles has always been capable of playing great defense; only in spurts.

If the Lakers are somehow able to maintain the vestiges of their current defense, what team in the NBA is capable of beating them in a seven game series?

Not many, especially if you consider that the Lakers may have one of the most dominant offenses that the NBA has seen in quite some time.

This Los Angeles team is able to get double digit scoring performances from their top six players. More importantly, they play unselfishly and in rhythm, operating the triangle offense to its highest degree of efficiency.

In my series Five Potholes On the Road To A Repeat, I analyzed every team that I perceived to be a threat to the Lakers' chances of a repeat, but failed to include what may be their biggest adversary: complacency.

Any real Laker follower has been accustomed to their tendency to play down to the level of their opponent, but that quality has been absent for most of this season.

That's not to say that it won't return, and if it does then the Lakers would have to hold themselves accountable for doing what no other team may be able to do.

Last season's championship should be evidence enough. If not, look no further than 2008 to see that this is a team that was constructed for the post-season.

Los Angeles prefers to play at a high tempo, but have players that are comfortable performing at a tedious and grinding pace. This is often what you see in the playoffs when the game slows down.

Any team that the Lakers would face in the Western Conference edition of the playoffs would have little to no chance of advancing; it would be next to impossible to induce the Lakers to run if they didn't want to.

No other team, not San Antonio, and not Denver, have post players that are capable of trading baskets with Los Angeles and no one else has the breakdown ability of Kobe Bryant, should all else falter.

The Eastern Conference has better defensive teams, but they lack the offensive ammunition to counter the various options that Los Angeles will throw at them. They can score, but not nearly enough.

I am led to this conclusion: the Lakers' most viable foe may not be found on the court, but within themselves, if they don't take time to heed the ominous warnings around them.

Their nine game winning streak is great, but the level of competition does matter and the fact that 17 out of their first 21 games are played at the Staples Center cannot be taken for granted.

The Lakers have taken great strides but have to remember that 40 percent of their home games will have been played after the next two. The road and stiffer competition beckon.

They would also do well to pay no heed to the media and fans who have all but assured themselves of a repeat trip to the Finals, ending with another banner being added to the roof of their home stadium.

The task is long and arduous and many obstacles, real and imagined, remain. Injuries, of course, are the unpredictable equalizer and are capable of rearing their ugly visage at the most inopportune times.

The chemistry that the Lakers have shown has been predicated on the ability of Ron Artest to limit his antics to the microphones and the talk shows, and so far tranquility has been the rule in Lakerland.

But the threat remains, especially since his latest Hennessy revelation came to pass. We can only hope that his locker is now free of all alcoholic beverages, and that his desire to win a championship supersedes all else that is damaging.

Finally, the Lakers have to participate in a bit of self-reflection, because the time will come when the chips are down and their resolve is tested.

How they rise above the challenges of their inner demons may be all that can stop Los Angeles from repeating. There aren't many teams that seem capable of accomplishing that task in seven games.

If the Lakers can fight the tendency to become complacent, and glance in the mirror to see the image of a champion, their road to a repeat may already be paved.

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A Log For The Hot Stove: Carl Pavano

Dan Wade — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:51:30 -0500

The Winter Meetings kicked off this morning, and while no blockbusters have been reported as of yet, the buzz has been quite good regarding players like Curtis Granderson, Brad Penny, Milton Bradley, and even Edwin Jackson. The Twins are traditionally lesser players this time of year, 2007 excepted, but that hardly dampens the fun of watching deals get made and forecasting which teams will come out winners in the annual Great Trade Melee.

While they may not be generating much buzz, the Twins are eagerly waiting to hear from Carl Pavano as to whether or not he'll accept their offer of arbitration. Reports are that Pavano would like to capitalize on last year's strong finish by signing a two-year deal, but that teams, including the Twins, are more interested in a one-year pact. Pavano said on a number of occasions that he liked pitching for the Twins and liked the staff, so, if everything else is equal, he'll likely come back to the Twins by accepting arbitration.

However, if he feels he can get that second year from another team, he's likely to sign with them for the added financial security. While most of the reports now have him leaning toward accepting the Twins' offer, I find it hard to believe that a team like the Brewers, so badly in need of pitching, wouldn't take a chance on the second year and sign him if given the chance. He may have to wait until the market bottoms out for them to realize it, but Pavano is a solid option in what has become a very, very shallow market for pitching.

John Lackey is the cream of the crop, said to be a target of the Mets if the Angels can't resign him, but below him is a precipitous drop off. Eric Bedard and Rich Harden are unbelievably talented pitchers, but both carry such substantial injury risks that they aren't likely to get much in terms of money or years. Harden has the advantage of having had a fairly healthy 2009, so he's probably the second best arm on the market. Bedard, Bill Bavasi's grandest folly, hasn't made 20 starts in a season since 2007 and made just 30 starts in 2008 and 2009 combined. One could add Ben Sheets to the list of talented-but-injured-aces, as he missed all of 2009 following surgery.

The Third Estate is comprised of veteran arms, third starter types: Justin Duchsherer, Doug Davis, Jose Contreras, and of course, Carl Pavano. Given the quality of those around him, it would be hard to believe anyone but the three pitchers above (Lackey, Sheets, Harden) would be a much more attractive option than Pavano would be. That doesn't guarantee that he'll get the deal he wants, but all it takes is one injury in camp and a team could be left scrambling to add a starter. The difference between 1-year, $5 Million and 2-years, $10 Million seems a lot smaller when you're desperate.

All this is to say, if Pavano returns to play a season in Target Field, I suspect that it will be because he accepted arbitration, which I predicted he would from the get-go.

So, if Pavano returns, it is a good thing for the Twins?

In the sense that if they bring him in, it means that Harden goes off the board, I'd say no, but in any objective evaluation, the answer is probably yes.

Pavano's one-year bargain with the Indians was largely a ploy to rebuild his value after a horrid stint in New York. Pavano made just 17 starts his first season in the Bronx and then just nine in the next two seasons combined. When he did pitch he was below average and that type of performance isn't going to win you many fans in New York. His time in Cleveland was unspectacular as he went 9-8 in 21 starts with a 5.37 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP, and while he improved after being traded to the Twins (5-4 in 12 starts, 4.64, 1.37) he was still a bit below league average. His start against the Yankees in Game Three of the playoffs was one of his best of the season, and would have looked a whole lot better if he had been pulled at the end of the 6th when he was clearly gassed.

So why should the Twins be hoping that a reliever who was below average even when he was pitching better accepts their offer to return? Why would they want him back in the first place?

The proof is in the pudding, or the peripherals in this case.

Pavano's QERA--a predictive stat based on strikeout, walk, and groundball rates, scaled to ERA--was under four and would have been the best on the Twins' staff. His strand rate was 66.1% (h/t to Over The Baggy), three points below his career average and five points below league average. Combine that with a BABIP well over .300 and you have a lot of runners reaching, and a lot of runners scoring, that normally wouldn't score. As both of those rates return to normal, Pavano's ERA and RA will both drop back into normal rates. A decline in BABIP will also portend a drop in his WHIP, and that doesn't even factor in improved defense behind him.

Pavano will slot in at the three or four spot in the rotation depending on how Nick Blackburn pitches, so even if he's around league average, he'll give the Twins much better production than they got out of either Glen Perkins or Francisco Liriano. I think there's an excellent chance that he rates slightly above league average and finally earns the long-term deal he's been hoping for in the 2010 offseason.

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Clemson's C.J. Spiller Is Not Invited to New York

Jeffrey Fann — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:48:34 -0500

C.J. Spiller is not going to win the Heisman Trophy. C.J. Spiller is not going to New York for the Heisman presentation either, and it isn't right. It's not right at all.

Tigernet.com reported today that C.J. Spiller gets to stay at home for the presentation .

The guys over at Tigernet cover it pretty well. He was the only player in the country to score a touchdown in every game this season. He is also career leader in the ACC in all-purpose running. He is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He can score running, receiving, returning kicks, and even throwing. He threw a touchdown against NC State earlier this year.

He singlehandedly ended Miami's run at an ACC Title when he dropped 310 all-purpose yards on the Hurricanes.

He almost led Clemson to its first ACC Champion since 1991 in a spectacular performance against Georgia Tech when he rushed for 233 yards and four touchdowns.

He was named the ACC's Player of the year for 2009. Clemson has elected to retire Spiller's jersey placing him among the greatest players ever to suit up for the Tigers.

I'm not going to get into the legitimacy of the other invitees, Florida's Tim Tebow, Texas' Colt McCoy, Stanford's Toby Gehart, Alabama's Mark Ingram, or Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh. They are all great players; but you can't convince me that Spiller shouldn't be among them.

C.J. Spiller is not only a very good player, he is a great individual. Just last month he spoke in front of around 1,000 people at a church in Spartanburg, SC, and has been speaking to youth and church groups for some time now.

He let the NFL and its millions wait in order to try and lead Clemson to an ACC Title. He's been playing with a toe injury since the beginning of the year. He's a consummate team player, and incredible talent. He belongs in New York and should have been invited to the awards presentation.

This article is also featured at All About Sports

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10 Thoughts on Mark Mangino, Turner Gill, Dezmon Briscoe, and Kansas

J.D. Schaller — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:37:01 -0500

I don't think there's any real way to organize everything running through my mind concerning Kansas Football as a result of the past two weeks.

But I suppose I'll try to do it anyway.

So in no particular order, here are some thoughts that have plagued me throughout the week...

10) Dezmon Briscoe going pro...

I did predict this at one point during the season, and still think that, with a new coach, quarterback, and system on the way, that this was the right decision. I always held out a touch of hope, though, that Kansas' dismal end to the season might keep him around.

I think, due to issues with fumbles, drops, and speed, he could land high in the third round. Briscoe doesn't have excellent potential, but seeing him become a productive number three receiver over time would be no surprise.

9) Mark Mangino's future...

I've said before that I don't expect Mangino to retire from football. He's up there in years and has enough money to go around, but may want one more chance before he gets too big and/or old.

I still like the idea of his potential as an offensive coordinator somewhere like Kansas State under his mentor Bill Snyder (not saying it's a possibility, just a thought). I'm just not sure he's got enough left to resurrect any small program that would hire him.

8) Opportunities Kansas provides...

It seems like everyone is simply ready to dismiss Kansas as a nobody again. I just wonder why Kansas is apparently such an unattractive destination? The Big 12 North provides BCS quality but with a wide-open top. Wichita and Kansas City become better recruiting destinations each year. Lew Perkins could pay big (I'm not sure he will). Don't forget, there's talent on this team, too.

It's not ideal for the best of names. To the right coach, though (i.e. Mangino), Kansas could be a prime, career-sort of destination.

7) The candidates...

The University Daily Kansan has released a list of eight likely candidates for Kansas, including names from Fedora, Cromwell, Holtz, Edsall, and Fullmer to Harbaugh and Veneables, however unlikely the chances.

Most notably, several sources say Kansas and Lew Perkins are most interested in and have possibly already interviewed Buffalo head coach Turner Gill.

6) The Turner Gill bio..

Gill is only 20-30 overall with a 14-18 conference record in four seasons at the University of Buffalo. While I, like many, am not particularly impressed by such a resume, it should be noted that Buffalo is not the best place around to coach.

Gill, a former Nebraska quarterback, is an offensive minded guy and brought Buffalo from the deepest pits of NCAA football to respectability at least , and because of an only so-so 2009 season, his price tag may not be too bad either.

5) What Gill would mean for Kansas

I've had my bits about Kansas offensive coordinator Ed Warriner, but something tells me he may look good next to a guy like Turner Gill. Kale Pick would certainly benefit from the presence of Gill, and the talent on offense is there to be the kind of team both Gill and Kansas seem to like.

The only thing I don't really like about Gill is that I expected a bit more out of his Bulls this season, and that I think part of the reason for a hire like this concerns the afore-mentioned price tag. That's not good reasoning if you ask me.

4) Clint Bowen...

Call it 'looking for a reason', 'holding a grudge', or anything else, but if Turner Gill comes, then Clint Bowen has to go. Let Louie Matsakis, a scout team favorite, focus on that group, Bowen take a pay-cut to handle the special teams like he used to, and use the money you've saved on Gill to get a real defensive coordinator

No offense to Gill, but his experience with defense is not suitable for Kansas, and Bowen couldn't even handle the defense properly with Bill Miller at his side.

3) The other staff members...

Just a few questions I have that maybe readers can answer for me...

Would Turner Gill or whichever coach accepts our position bring their own assistants and staff? What happens to Kansas' staff?

Also, David Beatty, Bill Miller, and Clint Bowen are the current interim coaches. Why isn't Ed Warriner, a finalist for assistant coach of the year, part of that group? Is it a reason personal to Warriner, or to Perkins?

2) The recruits...

Speaking of staff, what happens to their individual recruits? And what's happening to the young men who originally committed to Mark Mangino?

I have part of that answer. I've heard rumors that JuCo cornerback verbal commit Dave Clark and high school wide-out Keeston Terry aren't so solid in their verbal commitments to Kansas any longer. On the other hand, a few guys like Hutch High defensive end Geneo Grissom have actually reconfirmed their commitment status.

1) The outlook on next season...

I know it's a long ways off, and the hardwood Jayhawks look great, don't they? But I still have a hard time not getting a little excited for the 2010 grid-iron group at Kansas, even if only to see what happens.

There are few names I'm going to keep an eye on in the summer in particular that I expect Kansas football fans to get a little excited for as well.

Tanner Hawkinson (LT): Just imagine what a year of experience and an extra summer of work will do for the quickly-improving young blind-sider.

Huldon Tharp (OLB), Lubbock Smith (S): Despite Kansas' struggles defensively through the final seven games, these two freshman made a name for themselves.

Kale Pick (QB): The main attraction of Turner Gill at KU, to me, is what he could do with a kid like Kale Pick. Good speed and a formidable arm are just about all Gill would need to get a lot of success out of the most important position in football.

Hopefully the next few weeks will yield some answers to some of these important questions, but until then, all we can do is wait patiently.

In the meantime, Bill Self and the basketball team had better make Kansas proud, or there could be a university-wide, athletics-induced depression in Lawrence, Kansas.

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New Stadium, New Look: Cal In Need Of Coaching Change

Chris Berry — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:31:32 -0500

I’m done drinking the kool-aid. After Saturday’s disgusting 42-10 loss to Washington, I now realize it is time to fire Jeff Tedford. I still believe in what I wrote earlier, that we need the new stadium at Berkeley. But I realize that with the new stadium, we now also need to clean house in total, and bring in a new coach. The reasons are quickly starting to pile up against Tedford.

Special Teams:

The play of the Cal special teams in the Tedford era has been brutal, to put it kindly. Cal, on average, kicks the ball to the opponent’s 15 yard line. Add to it that we can never tackle them when we do get down there. Hence this sets up the opposing team with excellent field position, which seems to kill any momentum Cal has after scoring. And don’t get me started on our field goal kicking, which is sub-par at best. This year we have used two kickers which are 1-4 from 30-39 yards and 3-8 from 40-49 yards. If you watched the Big 12 Championship game, you saw top tier programs with top tier kickers. Obviously it pays to have good special teams.

Loyalty:

Tedford is known to be a “loyal” guy. He has shown this to all us Cal fans. When Longshore was QB, he stuck with him for far too long. Even my 62 year old mother could tell that Longshore was constantly throwing off his back foot, scared to step into the throw and take a hit. If she could see this, wouldn’t the opposing coaches see it as well? And this year, Riley has been inconsistent to say the least. So why not throw in the redshirt freshman Beau Sweeney?

We have seen USC and Stanford play their freshman QBs, and too some degrees of success. Tedford should have gone through the growing pains of playing a young kid at QB. Riley has shown time after time that he is not taking this team anywhere near a Pac-10 Championship.

Special teams coach Pete Alamar needs to go, as discussed earlier. But rumor has it that he and Tedford have been great friends, and Tedford (being the loyalist) will not part ways with him. This will hurt the Cal program in the long run. Friends or not, if someone is not doing their job (be it a coach or player), then changes need to be made. Tedford has not shown the ability to make these changes.

His Demeanor:

Tedford has a very calm, easy going demeanor on the sideline. Rarely do we see any emotion from the head coach. The only time that he truly got animated was the 2007 Oregon St game in which Riley was engineering the last drive, and ran the last play incorrectly with no time outs. Thing is, that was not Riley’s fault (he had been subbed in on that last drive). It was Tedford’s fault for not preparing his young QB.

All one needs to do is look around the country at the top program’s coaches like Stoops, Carroll, Saban, etc. These coaches show animation, excitement on the sideline. And their teams play the same way. With Tedford, it is a very calm, mellow look. And his teams play a very low-key game, and are far too inconsistent.

Results against Ranked Teams:

If I told you a coach’s record against top 25 teams was a lackluster 10-16, would you be happy with that? Excited? Well, that is Jeff Tedford’s record against ranked teams. He has only one win against a top 10 team. If you go .500 or better against ranked teams, then you belong. Tedford doesn’t, meaning Cal does not deserve some of that “false” respect they seem to get year after year. He basically faces three ranked teams a year, wins one and loses two. Is that a top program coach? I think not. You have to beat the best to be the best, and year after year, Cal and coach Tedford fall short.

Recruiting and Dealing with Players:

Tedford has been mixed at best when it comes to recruiting. Sure, we got Desean Jackson one year. But Cal has not had a top 25 class since 2006-2007. How can one expect to compete with USC and Oregon, if you cannot recruit a class that is in the top 25? A friend of mine (and Cal graduate) has told me, “Our graduation rate in football is too high”.

What he meant by this was that the emphasis on graduating was far too important to our football coaches, than winning a Pac 10 championship. Tedford has all his coaches making sure that each player is going to and passing his classes. This is the job of the professors, tutors, and administrators at the school, not his defensive backs coach. I want my coach to COACH. If a kid is in trouble with school or grades, then discipline him. Tedford’s job is not to graduate kids, but to win football games.

After the loss to Washington (loss…that was a blowout!) Cal earned itself a bid to a red flower bowl. And no, it is not the one we want, the Rose Bowl. It is the “what’s the” Point-Setta Bowl. I’m tired of these lame bowl games we continually get invited to. Only one bowl matters to all Cal fans, and it’s the one that Jeff Tedford will never get us to. We all want to go see Cal play in the Rose Bowl. Time to make a change, and get us to the Promised Land!

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USC Football: What Went Wrong and How To Fix It

Patrick Hamblin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:13:42 -0500

USC fell to the Arizona Wildcats Saturday afternoon, 21-17.

With that defeat, the Trojans fell out of the Top 25 for the first time since 2001 (actually finishing No. 24 in the final BCS rankings) and are just fortunate enough the USC name is big enough to keep them in a bowl game taking place after Christmas Day.

How did it get to this point?

How did a program, heralded as recently as early this season as possibly the nation's greatest program, fall to the middle of the Pac-10?

Is it the inexperienced defense?

The obsession of head coach Pete Carroll to start true freshman Matt Barkley?

The rest of the conference closing the talent gap?

The turnover in the coaching staff?

All of these answers have been put forth to rationalize the sudden mediocrity of the Trojans.

While all of those answers have some validity, the clear picture being shown to us by this year's USC football team is that there are fundamental flaws across the board.

Flaws which, if not corrected, will consistently keep the Trojans playing second fiddle in the conference, even if they continue their run of high-ranking recruiting classes.

It's important, first of all, to look back on the so-called dominant years of USC football, especially 2003-2005, when USC won two national championships and was a Vince Young touchdown run from a third.

USC could have easily lost four games in either 2004 or 2005.

Take 2004 for instance. USC had to hold on to beat an awful Stanford team 31-28, needing a Reggie Bush punt return to set up the go-ahead touchdown.

The Trojans defeated Cal 23-17, a fourth-down stop deep in USC territory being the difference as Aaron Rodgers had a record setting day in the Coliseum.

The season closed out with an eight-point win at an average Oregon State (the famous Reggie Bush punt return in the fog) and a five-point win over UCLA (where Drew Olson and the Bruins had the ball with a chance to win, and USC needed a then-career-high 204 yards rushing from Bush to secure the victory).

Any and all of those above games could have been USC losses.

The difference being that the Norm Chow-led offense knew how to get the ball to its playmakers in key situations.

Even the offensively dominant 2005 squad, which dropped 70 points on Arkansas and was held to no fewer than 34 points, could have been 9-3 if a couple of balls had bounced differently.

Everyone remembers the "Bush Push" game, but do not forget the Trojans trailed Arizona State 21-3 on the road at the half, and USC had to fight to hold off underdog Fresno State 50-42.

While there have been issues this season with the defense, the kickoff return team never gets a big return, and the Trojans can't kick a field goal longer than 40 yards; the total inability to get the team's best playmakers the ball in a position to make plays is why USC finished the season 8-4, instead of continuing their string of BCS bowls.

Hindsight is always 20-20 and Trojan fans should have got their first clue when new play-caller Jeremy Bates mentioned early in spring practice how hard it was to learn the offense.

Clearly, college offenses have become more complex with time, but it was not that long ago that Pete Carroll touted the ease of learning the USC offense when Norm Chow was coordinating.

An example of this complexity is Mitch Mustain admitting it took him two years to learn the USC offense.

Those Chow-led offenses didn't seem to have a problem scoring.

A basic tenet of offensive football is getting the ball to your athletes in space.

USC used to do this in many ways.

They would get the ball to wide receivers Mike Williams, Steve Smith, Keary Colbert, and Dwayne Jarrett on quick slants and seam routes, and, when defenses inevitably backed off, used the bubble screen.

Chow would frequently motion out Reggie Bush as a wide receiver, where he was unguardable, or have him run pass routes over the middle out of the backfield.

And you could always count on a powerful running game, whether it was Justin Fargas/Sultan McCullough in 2002, or the famed Bush/Lendale White "Thunder and Lightning" backfield.

What was the Carroll-Bates plan this year?

Honestly, I could not tell.

I have heard the coaches compare Joe McKnight to Bush, and he had a successful year, going over the 1,000-yard rushing mark.

But how often did it seem that every sweep, stretch run, or swing pass he got was to the short-side of the field?

Rarely did he ever line up or motion out to wide receiver.

How often did it seem that the only routes the wide receivers ever ran were bubble screens and fades?

Where were the three-step drop and let-it-fly pass plays?

USC supposedly has NFL-type talent at the wideout position.

Heck, Damian Williams will probably leave early for the league, but why did we never see the athleticism of Williams, Ronald Johnson, David Ausberry, (pre-injury) Brice Butler, Travon Patterson, etc., ever get the consistent opportunity to use their speed where they could do damage?

Matt Barkley gets a ton of blame for his high number of interceptions, but, be honest, did Pete Carroll and Jeremy Bates ever give him the opportunity to be successful with easier throws, such as regular crossing routes, seam routes, or rollouts?

No.

Carroll/Bates kept calling out routes, where defensive backs with much less athletic ability were able to use the sideline as an extra defender or bubble screens with cornerbacks in tight coverage.

Think about the pass routes out of the backfield I mentioned earlier.

Remember the Ohio State game when plays over the middle to Joe McKnight were the hallmark of the game-winning drive?

Does anyone remember McKnight ever catching a pass over the middle this season?

The other issue I have with Pete Carroll's Trojan offense is the need they feel to get the ball to so many athletes.

The coaching staff has, for three years now, been juggling how to get the ball to its stable of running backs: Stafon Johnson, Joe McKnight, Allen Bradford, and CJ Gable.

(Not to mention the two who transferred, Emmanuel Moody and Broderick Green.)

Then there's the struggle to find room on the field for seven different wide receivers.

Remember when the only two running backs were Bush and White?

Remember when the only two wide receivers for two years seemed to be Jarrett and Smith?

Heck, the third wide receiver during the '05 season was often walk-on Brad Walker, infamous for being the guy Bush tried to pitch the ball to in the '06 Rose Bowl.

The offense played one tight end, Dominique Byrd, with Fred Davis occasionally backing up. This year, Carroll/Bates tried to balance three.

It just seems to me that instead of getting the ball to the top three or four players on a consistent basis, Pete Carroll feels he needs to keep his stockpile of five-star talent happy.

Compare USC offensively with Oregon.

Sure, the Ducks spread the field, but the ball is, for the most part, in the hands of four people.

For that matter, look at Oregon State.

Ninety percent of the time the ball is going to the same family, either James or Jacquizz Rodgers.

And, besides Toby Gerhart and Andrew Luck, quickly name me one more Stanford offensive player.

Yet, both the Cardinal and the Beavers finished ahead of the Trojans in the Pac-10.

Sure, the USC defense has flaws.

Taylor Mays playing safety in punt return formation. Not to mention his inability to break up passes.

I know everyone loves the after-first-down-catch-jarring-hit and the stare down, but what does it accomplish?

Eversen Griffen diving down the line of scrimmage while the quarterback rolls out around him.

Where does he think he's going, while Andrew Luck keeps running outside of him for a first down or touchdown?

Dude, your job is not to stop the dive play, but containing a quarterback once would be nice.

And those two are supposedly the top two defenders on this Trojan team.

This defense, however, only gave up an average of 20.4 points per game.

Shouldn't this amazing collection of talent be able to score more than 24 points per game?

The USC offense used to be great when Pete Carroll focused on the defense and left the offense in the hands of Norm Chow.

Since Carroll began inserting himself into the offense, first with Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin, and now this year with Bates, the offense has been steadily going downhill.

It's past time for one of the five most recognizable programs in college football, to not shortchange itself on the offensive side of the football.

Go get a top-shelf coordinator, let him implement his system, and get out his way.

Then Coach Carroll, you can spend your time figuring out how to stop the spread.

You can follow my random thoughts on the sports world on Twitter at @plh55.

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Jimmy Clausen at Notre Dame: A Legacy of Mixed Feelings

Eric Murtaugh — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:03:03 -0500

It was a bittersweet day for Notre Dame fans, as junior Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen declared for the NFL draft on Monday.

Golden Domers can take solace in the fact that Clausen may be the highest Irish draft pick since Todd Lyght, Rick Mirer, and Bryant Young all went in the top 10 in the early 1990s.

If only Clausen's time in South Bend generated more victories for the Blue and Gold.

Ultimately, Jimmy Clausen's legacy is a mixed bag involving a myriad of factors and circumstances.

The future seemed promising for the No. 1 recruit from California, as he came to Notre Dame specifically to play under the tutelage of offensive mastermind Charlie Weis.

And, coming off two relatively successful seasons, the Irish program seemed to be rising out of mediocrity.

But things didn't stay wonderful for very long.

First, Clausen's own ego-filled commitment to Notre Dame at the College Football Hall of Fame rubbed thousands of people the wrong way.

Then, a lingering arm injury prevented him from weightlifting and strength training right up until the beginning of his freshman season.

And, of course, the Notre Dame program was about to fall to depths never seen before in history.

With Clausen’s injury, the team couldn’t find a quarterback or an identity, the offensive line seemed to quit, and Notre Dame racked up nine losses.

Last year, the Fighting Irish improved to a record of 7-6, with some highlights along the way, but Clausen threw 17 interceptions, and the team could not hold leads in the second half.

This year, Clausen had a coming-out party and finally displayed all of the skills and talents that made him such a highly sought after recruit.

Unfortunately, Notre Dame collapsed late in the season and finished 6-6, despite a half-dozen miracle comebacks (and near comebacks) engineered by Clausen himself.

And, in the blink of an eye, Clausen is done at Notre Dame.

It is probably the smart move for Clausen to turn pro at this point, given the new coaching staff about to be hired, his high draft stock, and his age and experience.

Still, Clausen’s time at Notre Dame will leave many fans with mixed feelings and, likely, many of those will be negative.

The cocky attitude. The brash Californian swagger. The hyped press conference. The untimely interceptions. The crushing losses to inferior opponents. The (small) off-the-field issues.

Perhaps these things do not make Clausen a bad person (or obviously a bad football player), but they are the kind of things people will remember, especially when he followed in the footsteps of Brady Quinn.

It makes matters worse that Clausen’s first two seasons were bad, but were followed by an incredible individual effort in 2009, where he made progress as a leader on the field and innumerable other areas.

The ND Nation was ripped of Clausen after his full potential only began to come to light, and it will likely leave many Irish fans feeling a bit empty and unsatisfied.

The ridiculously accurate passes. The heroic fourth-quarter comebacks. The toughness battling through injuries. The increased leadership. Earning his degree early.

These will also be part of the memories associated with Jimmy Clausen.

In the end, though, many will remember Clausen at Notre Dame for this: an extremely talented quarterback who never really fit in at South Bend and did not live up to expectations.

Still, Clausen finishes his career with some eye-popping numbers:

695 completions

1,110 attempts

62.6 percent

8,148 yards

60 touchdowns

27 interceptions

Those are about as good of numbers as you are going to find from someone playing big-time Division I football and ending up with a 16-18 record as a starter.

So, while Clausen’s decision to forgo his final year of eligibility leaves many Irish fans upset, sad, and depressed, we can take some comfort in the fact that we witnessed one of the greatest individual efforts in Notre Dame history in 2009.

Plus, there is hopefully a new coach about to be signed who will do something about that annoying .500 winning percentage that’s really putting frowns on the faces of Notre Dame fans everywhere.

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