It's been a wild day of college football, so lets take a break from the dizzying rumors of realignment to talk actual games:
Clemson 38, Auburn 24 - We all knew that Auburn was probably the worst 2-0 team in the country, with last-gasp wins against marginal foes staking them to an unbeaten early start and a top 25 ranking. Clemson, however, exposed all that is wrong with Auburn, especially on defense. After falling into a 21-7 hole, Clemson reeled off a 38-3 rally that carved up the Tiger secondary like so much Thanksgiving turkey. Throw in a bushel-basket full of bad and broken arm tackles, and you have all you need to know about Clemson's win. Of course, Clemson being what it is, they'll try to make this win into something akin to an upset of the '74 Steelers, with Dabo Sweeney bellowing like a madman to the ESPN cameras in a post-game interview. C'mon, Dabo.
Iowa 31, Pittsburgh 27 - After staking the Panthers to a 24-3 lead early, the Hawkeyes pounded Pitt just as the ink dried on their application to the ACC. You know, since their national title in 1976 with Tony Dorsett, has Pitt really done anything of significance?
Texas 49, UCLA 20 - Okay, with Garrett Gilbert permanently on the sidelines and a guy named McCoy at the helm, Texas looks like a legitimate football team again. Then again, I think Paul Rhoads' Iowa State juggernaut could probaubly hang 30+ on UCLA. As Texas rolls, the one thing for Horn fans to worry about is that the Bruins' best weapon was - get this - running right at the Horns. Which was eerily like UT's biggest defensive liability last year, too. UT fans should be cautiously optimistic - they've got a QB, a RB, and they're already clearly better than last year. But temper that with the reality that UCLA will struggle to find a winning record this year. I can't believe a program like UCLA has allowed itself to get this bad.
Ugly Stat: In four years under Rick Neuheisel, UCLA is a dreadful 2-19 against teams that go on to finish at or above .500.
Seems to me a long year is ahead for the Bruins, and a new job is in Neuheisel's future. Despite his baggage, I still think Mike Leach would be a perfect fit for that job, football-smart to get the job done, wacky enough to fit into LA culture like a glove. Question is whether the support is there for UCLA football to get it back to its former level....who knows..
More commentary and updates as the mood hits...
Showing posts with label Auburn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Auburn. Show all posts
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Actual College Football!!
For those of you getting sick to death of realignment updates, take heart. Here's a post on ACTUAL college football for September 10th!
Later Games:
In one of the most phenomenal finishes you'll ever see, Michigan upends Notre Dame on a 18-yard Denard Robinson pass with 2 seconds left to propel the Big Blue to an absolutely stunning 35-31 win. Robinson's heroics capped an 80-yard touchdown drive in 28 seconds, taking possession at their own 20 after Notre Dame scored what appeared to be the game-winning touchdown themselves with 30 seconds to play.
This is one of the truly classic wins in CFB history.
South Carolina 45, Georgia 42: The seat couldn't get any hotter for Georgia coach Mark Richt, who just led the Bulldogs to their first 0-2 start in 15 years. Georgia came *that* close to rallying from a 10-point deficit and getting a final chance to close the gap late, only to miss an onside kick and allow South Carolina to pick up a game-sealing first down and run out the clock. Four Aaron Murray touchdown passes could not overcome turnovers and 68-yard run off a fake punt for the Gamecocks. This may be the beginning of the end for Richt.
Texas 17, BYU 16: With Garrett Gilbert looking lost an inept, throwing two early first-half interceptions, UT found itself in a 13-0 hole. Enter the tandem of David Ash and Chase McCoy, who sparked the Horn offense to life and two second-half touchdowns that staved off BYU's upset bid. The Cougars drove the ball deep into 'Horn territory twice in the first half, but settled for field goals both times; clock mismanagement just before halftime cost BYU at least a chance at another long-range FG. The decisive factor: No serious interior run game from BYU, and second-half defensive adjustments shut down the Cougar passing game. Most important takeaway: Gilbert's likely seen his last duty as Texas' starter.
USC 17, Utah 14: This game had the wildest ending you've probably never seen. Down only 3 with but seconds to play, Utah drove the ball to the USC 49. On 4th and 10, Utah completes a pass to the USC 38 for an apparent first down, only to have the officials mark the ball a full yard short of the receiver's forward progress. Measurement for first down comes up short, ball goes to USC - until a replay review puts the ball at the 39 (still short), and gives Utah a first down. Following a pass interference penalty, Utah tries a 41-yard field goal with 11 seconds left, only to have the ball blocked and returned by USC for a touchdown to give the ridiculously deceptive final score. USC escaped this one with its lives.
More updates later...
Arizona State 37, Missouri 30 - OT: Mizzou QB James Franklin's two-touchdown, 319-yard aerial performance against the Sun Devils fell short in overtime against Arizona State, as ASU upended the Tigers just as lightning approached Sun Devil Stadium. For ASU, it was the biggest win at home in years, against a ranked opponent from a name conference. For Mizzou, one can't help but wonder why coach Gary Pinkel purposely opted to call two straight timeouts just as his Tigers were lining up to kick a likely game-winning field goal - one that was finally missed (badly) left to force the OT. Gary, why ice your own kicker? Isn't that the other team's job?
Iowa State 37, Iowa 30 - 3OT: Paul Rhoads is quietly becoming a giant killer in college football. In his first three years, he's upended Nebraska, Texas, and now Iowa. Not bad on your coaching resume. The Clones simply refused to cave to conventional wisdom and razzled, dazzled, and threw their way to a thrilling three-overtime win against the Hawks. Where it seemed Iowa was content to muscle its way down the field, a late shift to a pass-oriented philosophy put the Hawks behind the eightball and the Cy-Hawk trophy into the hands of the folks in Ames.
Ohio State 27, Toledo 22: That Ohio State won isn't surprising. That Toledo had the ball with a chance to win with under 2 minutes on the clock most certainly is - which is almost as surprising as the fact that Toledo outgained the Bucks on offense - and all this coming in front a Buckeye home crowd at the 'Shoe. Methinks more games like this are ahead for the Bucks until their eligibility issue(s?) are sorted out, and the accountants run through all the receipts (sarcasm). Next up for tOSU: Miami. How poetic is that? Maybe we should call it the Ineligibowl. :)
Auburn 41, Miss 34: Gene Chizik must be getting his tacos and ridiculous luck from the same vendor as Les Miles. The Tigers pulled off yet another hold-your-breath finish, but this time courtesy of the defense, as Miss QB Chris Relf was stung at the Auburn goal line as time ran out to preserve the Tigers' second consecutive breathless victory.
More comments as they come...
Later Games:
In one of the most phenomenal finishes you'll ever see, Michigan upends Notre Dame on a 18-yard Denard Robinson pass with 2 seconds left to propel the Big Blue to an absolutely stunning 35-31 win. Robinson's heroics capped an 80-yard touchdown drive in 28 seconds, taking possession at their own 20 after Notre Dame scored what appeared to be the game-winning touchdown themselves with 30 seconds to play.
This is one of the truly classic wins in CFB history.
South Carolina 45, Georgia 42: The seat couldn't get any hotter for Georgia coach Mark Richt, who just led the Bulldogs to their first 0-2 start in 15 years. Georgia came *that* close to rallying from a 10-point deficit and getting a final chance to close the gap late, only to miss an onside kick and allow South Carolina to pick up a game-sealing first down and run out the clock. Four Aaron Murray touchdown passes could not overcome turnovers and 68-yard run off a fake punt for the Gamecocks. This may be the beginning of the end for Richt.
Texas 17, BYU 16: With Garrett Gilbert looking lost an inept, throwing two early first-half interceptions, UT found itself in a 13-0 hole. Enter the tandem of David Ash and Chase McCoy, who sparked the Horn offense to life and two second-half touchdowns that staved off BYU's upset bid. The Cougars drove the ball deep into 'Horn territory twice in the first half, but settled for field goals both times; clock mismanagement just before halftime cost BYU at least a chance at another long-range FG. The decisive factor: No serious interior run game from BYU, and second-half defensive adjustments shut down the Cougar passing game. Most important takeaway: Gilbert's likely seen his last duty as Texas' starter.
USC 17, Utah 14: This game had the wildest ending you've probably never seen. Down only 3 with but seconds to play, Utah drove the ball to the USC 49. On 4th and 10, Utah completes a pass to the USC 38 for an apparent first down, only to have the officials mark the ball a full yard short of the receiver's forward progress. Measurement for first down comes up short, ball goes to USC - until a replay review puts the ball at the 39 (still short), and gives Utah a first down. Following a pass interference penalty, Utah tries a 41-yard field goal with 11 seconds left, only to have the ball blocked and returned by USC for a touchdown to give the ridiculously deceptive final score. USC escaped this one with its lives.
More updates later...
Arizona State 37, Missouri 30 - OT: Mizzou QB James Franklin's two-touchdown, 319-yard aerial performance against the Sun Devils fell short in overtime against Arizona State, as ASU upended the Tigers just as lightning approached Sun Devil Stadium. For ASU, it was the biggest win at home in years, against a ranked opponent from a name conference. For Mizzou, one can't help but wonder why coach Gary Pinkel purposely opted to call two straight timeouts just as his Tigers were lining up to kick a likely game-winning field goal - one that was finally missed (badly) left to force the OT. Gary, why ice your own kicker? Isn't that the other team's job?
Iowa State 37, Iowa 30 - 3OT: Paul Rhoads is quietly becoming a giant killer in college football. In his first three years, he's upended Nebraska, Texas, and now Iowa. Not bad on your coaching resume. The Clones simply refused to cave to conventional wisdom and razzled, dazzled, and threw their way to a thrilling three-overtime win against the Hawks. Where it seemed Iowa was content to muscle its way down the field, a late shift to a pass-oriented philosophy put the Hawks behind the eightball and the Cy-Hawk trophy into the hands of the folks in Ames.
Ohio State 27, Toledo 22: That Ohio State won isn't surprising. That Toledo had the ball with a chance to win with under 2 minutes on the clock most certainly is - which is almost as surprising as the fact that Toledo outgained the Bucks on offense - and all this coming in front a Buckeye home crowd at the 'Shoe. Methinks more games like this are ahead for the Bucks until their eligibility issue(s?) are sorted out, and the accountants run through all the receipts (sarcasm). Next up for tOSU: Miami. How poetic is that? Maybe we should call it the Ineligibowl. :)
Auburn 41, Miss 34: Gene Chizik must be getting his tacos and ridiculous luck from the same vendor as Les Miles. The Tigers pulled off yet another hold-your-breath finish, but this time courtesy of the defense, as Miss QB Chris Relf was stung at the Auburn goal line as time ran out to preserve the Tigers' second consecutive breathless victory.
More comments as they come...
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Auburn: The Ecstasy and the Agony
Not quite seven months ago, Gene Chizik and the Auburn Tigers rode the Cam Newton Wave of Negative Publicity right into the BCS throneroom. Denying (or merely in denial) the rampant allegations that Newton's quarterback services were, essentially, auctioned off to the highest bidder, Auburn's powers-that-be made a decision that the opportunity for glory dwarfed the risk for scandal, and somehow (we leave the reader to fill in the details) persuaded Newton to head for the Tigers.
That was the Ecstasy.
Now, what stands to come is a long road of agony.
With the requisite caveats that nothing "official" has been proven, there's every reason to believe that an NCAA noose is heading Auburn's way. When the rumors of Newtongate first surfaced, some reports indicated that the mechanism Newton's inner circle allegedly used to solicit and receive payment also involved shady financial institutions and even casinos, all under scrutiny by federal officials. So abject was the scrutiny that the products of that federal probe supposedly even include recorded conversations that describe a vast array of corruption schemes. If those recordings truly exist, and if any of those schemes trace back to Auburn in general or Cam Newton in particular, prepare for the NCAA to send a punitive shock wave through the Tigers and college football.
Critics slammed the NCAA for its lack of aggressively pursuing and punishing Southern Cal for its involvement in a scheme to deliver improper benefits to Reggie Bush and his family. And the primary reason for that seeming distance was simple - the NCAA has no subpoena power to extract information from relevant players to prove their allegations. Investigators had to rely substantially on voluntary statements to reconstruct the web of deceit that led to one of the harshest penalties assessed on a football program since SMU received the death penalty some three decades ago.
But this Auburn case may prove to be drastically different, and that difference doesn't bode well for UA. The NCAA has been, in a word, petrified of the potential influence of organized crime and gambling into its sanctioned collegiate sports. The rumors of the mechanism that allegedly routed funds to Auburn football players include the alleged distribution of blank electronic funds cards from a casino, which the players could then take to the casino and cash in while leaving no trail. If that card scheme has drawn the attention of the federal government as a possible source of money laundering, and thus have conversations about its existence on wiretaps, the NCAA would, theoretically, have in its hand the smoking gun necessary to link casino gambling to a major college football team.
That's a recipe for a NCAA punishment hammer to come down on Auburn unlike any school before it. Under pressure to punish improper benefits, yet having scant evidence to punish some suspected offenders, the NCAA would be crazy not to make an example of Auburn if, in fact, the trail of hard evidence really leads to the Tigers' front door. And, of course, until the NCAA's knowledge is made public, everything remains "alleged."
Combine that with the fact that college oddsmaker Danny Sheridan came out this week with his own allegations that the Newton family employed a "bag man" to deliver the "winning" school's cash payment to Newton while giving the family plausible deniability, and further allege the system was apparently well established among recruiting circles, and it all starts to spell the beginning of what may be a very long, dark path for Auburn football.
Tis truly the Agony. And one will wonder if the Ecstasy will truly have been worth it - especially if the BCS title and Heisman trophy won as a result disappear from the record books.
And the rest of college football would do well to take notice.
That was the Ecstasy.
Now, what stands to come is a long road of agony.
With the requisite caveats that nothing "official" has been proven, there's every reason to believe that an NCAA noose is heading Auburn's way. When the rumors of Newtongate first surfaced, some reports indicated that the mechanism Newton's inner circle allegedly used to solicit and receive payment also involved shady financial institutions and even casinos, all under scrutiny by federal officials. So abject was the scrutiny that the products of that federal probe supposedly even include recorded conversations that describe a vast array of corruption schemes. If those recordings truly exist, and if any of those schemes trace back to Auburn in general or Cam Newton in particular, prepare for the NCAA to send a punitive shock wave through the Tigers and college football.
Critics slammed the NCAA for its lack of aggressively pursuing and punishing Southern Cal for its involvement in a scheme to deliver improper benefits to Reggie Bush and his family. And the primary reason for that seeming distance was simple - the NCAA has no subpoena power to extract information from relevant players to prove their allegations. Investigators had to rely substantially on voluntary statements to reconstruct the web of deceit that led to one of the harshest penalties assessed on a football program since SMU received the death penalty some three decades ago.
But this Auburn case may prove to be drastically different, and that difference doesn't bode well for UA. The NCAA has been, in a word, petrified of the potential influence of organized crime and gambling into its sanctioned collegiate sports. The rumors of the mechanism that allegedly routed funds to Auburn football players include the alleged distribution of blank electronic funds cards from a casino, which the players could then take to the casino and cash in while leaving no trail. If that card scheme has drawn the attention of the federal government as a possible source of money laundering, and thus have conversations about its existence on wiretaps, the NCAA would, theoretically, have in its hand the smoking gun necessary to link casino gambling to a major college football team.
That's a recipe for a NCAA punishment hammer to come down on Auburn unlike any school before it. Under pressure to punish improper benefits, yet having scant evidence to punish some suspected offenders, the NCAA would be crazy not to make an example of Auburn if, in fact, the trail of hard evidence really leads to the Tigers' front door. And, of course, until the NCAA's knowledge is made public, everything remains "alleged."
Combine that with the fact that college oddsmaker Danny Sheridan came out this week with his own allegations that the Newton family employed a "bag man" to deliver the "winning" school's cash payment to Newton while giving the family plausible deniability, and further allege the system was apparently well established among recruiting circles, and it all starts to spell the beginning of what may be a very long, dark path for Auburn football.
Tis truly the Agony. And one will wonder if the Ecstasy will truly have been worth it - especially if the BCS title and Heisman trophy won as a result disappear from the record books.
And the rest of college football would do well to take notice.
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