With realignment talk finally on the back burner for good (well, at least for now), let's look at three big matchups for today!
* Oklahoma State at Texas A&M
The Cowboys hit the road for a top-ten tilt that will give the winner a clear shot to challenge Oklahoma for the Big 12 conference title. Brandon Weeden has led the Cowboys to three straight lopsided wins over outmatched opponents, but has been inconsistent with a league-leading six interceptions thus far. Ryan Tannehill is still looking to quiet the doubters, sporting higher effeciency rating than Weeden (164.8/157.5) and only one interception.
The biggest question for both teams is arguably defense. Oklahoma State surrendered a jaw-dropping 365 yards rushing to Tulsa in their late night marathon a week ago, but most of those yards came with OSU playing out the string with a huge lead and Tulsa playing without their starting quarterback. A&M has played virtually no competition of much note, so how they will fare against Oklahoma State's high-powered passing attack remains to be seen.
It sez here that OSU on the road against one of the toughest home environments in college football will be just a bit too much for the Pokes to overcome. With A&M on its Big 12 Farewell tour, look for Texas A&M to post a wild 42-38 win over OSU this afternoon.
* Arkansas - Alabama
The Crimson Tide may have one of the the best defenses in the country, teamed up with one of the best pair of running backs in the country. So what's a Razorback fan to do? Still, Bama hasn't exactly blown out its first three opponents, but has never been seriously challenged, either. Arkansas did blow out its first two opponents, but found itself in a bit of a battle against Troy before prevailing 38-28. Neither team has enjoyed success in winning the turnover battle (Bama at -3, Arkansas at -4), and Bama's special teams - particularly in the FG department - has been less than special.
One interesting difference is offensive efficiency. While both offenses have been productive inside the redzone, Arkansas has been better at converting those trips into touchdowns, while 'Bama has been settling for field goals. The Razorbacks have converted 100% of its 13 trips into points, settling for field goals only three times. By contrast, Alabama has converted only eight into touchdowns. That highlights the potential risk for Bama should the game come down to one of trading TD's for field goals.
It sez here that, honestly, though, FG's and redzones won't matter. Playing at home, Alabama will use its defense to upend a solid but largely untested Arkansas offense, and secure a 27-14 win over the Razorbacks
* Oklahoma - Missouri
Last year, the Sooners went to Columbia as the #1 team in the country, but a mistake-prone Sooner offense stumbled its way to a 36-27 loss at the hands of Blaine Gabbert and the Missouri Tigers. This year, the Tigers visit Norman with a young, inconsistent quarterback, a nearly-as-young team, and a Sooner squad fresh off a national TV road win against then-#5 Florida State.
It seems too easy, doesn't it?
It seems impossible to think Oklahoma could enter its contest tonight with the same emotional intensity it showed against Florida State, and that gives Missouri an early-game opportunity to make things interesting. If Oklahoma's defensive tendency to play guts-and-blood defense 90% of the time while allowing an inexplicable big play the other 10%, Missouri has the offense to take advantage. The key: A great early start for Missouri quarterback James Franklin.
If the Oklahoma offense comes out and establishes tempo, Missouri will be in trouble. Combine that with Oklahoma's defense that held Florida State to 27 yards rushing a week ago, and Missouri had better pounce on any early game opportunities - or it could be a long day for the Tigers.
It sez here Oklahoma may have a sluggish early-game start, but the friendly confines of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium combined with a revenge mindset gives the Sooners every chance for a lopsided win. Look for Oklahoma to come away with a 41-20 win.
Showing posts with label college. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college. Show all posts
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Big 12 Shuffling - Separating Fact from Fiction
Update 9/6/2011:
New info from several tweets:
1. Pac 12 doesn't want to expand. They're happy with current situation...but
2. If Big 12 explodes with A&M's departure, they would likely accept OU and OkState even without Texas. A&M must move first, however.
3. Academics are a concern among some schools, although there is no hard AAU membership requirement in the Pac 12.
4. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy was quoted as saying that it "didn't look like the Big 12 could be saved."
5. ACC denies last night's report that TX was joining their conference in non-football sports.
-----
Update 9/5/2011:
Last Update - 10:52PM - ACC commish denies TX membership pending.... Last tweet from Chip Brown @ Orangebloods says Texas in "intense" talks with OU to "save Big 12 - may work, may not." I personally think UT is going to try and bluff OU on status of OU-TX game should TX go ACC and OU go west to Pac 12. I think its all a bluff - OU needs Texas, Texas needs OU now that A&M is gone (or will be shortly). We'll see how it all works out, but my money for now still sits with the reports that seem to make the most sense - OU, Texas, Tech, and OSU to the Pac 12+, with a reworked LHN. We'll see. G'nite.
------------
Two reports emerging that indicate things are moving, but which direction is unclear. OKC sports reporter Dean Blevins from CBS affiliate KWTV-9 tweets that the Longhorn Network is the "only obstacle" to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas Tech moving to the Pac 12+, but that it "will be reworked."
The other report that tends to work against this is that of Chip Brown at Orangebloods.com, wherein he states that Texas is working to salvage the Longhorn Network, and may be entertaining a move to the ACC!
My personal opinion is that's a load of, ahem, "surplus bevo," with almost no chance of seeing the light of reality. Texas to the ACC makes no sense under nearly any theory. But we'll see. Ultimately, I think OU will lead the charge of the four named schools west in short order.
The ESPN (and other) message boards are rife with speculation about the final destinations of Texas, OU, and other Big 12 schools pending the apparent demise of that flailing conference. Amid the speculation is quite a bit of sheer nonsense, and I'd like to try to separate some of that fiction from the facts:
That's a summary of the biggest red herrings out there for the moment. Any others?
New info from several tweets:
1. Pac 12 doesn't want to expand. They're happy with current situation...but
2. If Big 12 explodes with A&M's departure, they would likely accept OU and OkState even without Texas. A&M must move first, however.
3. Academics are a concern among some schools, although there is no hard AAU membership requirement in the Pac 12.
4. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy was quoted as saying that it "didn't look like the Big 12 could be saved."
5. ACC denies last night's report that TX was joining their conference in non-football sports.
-----
Update 9/5/2011:
Last Update - 10:52PM - ACC commish denies TX membership pending.... Last tweet from Chip Brown @ Orangebloods says Texas in "intense" talks with OU to "save Big 12 - may work, may not." I personally think UT is going to try and bluff OU on status of OU-TX game should TX go ACC and OU go west to Pac 12. I think its all a bluff - OU needs Texas, Texas needs OU now that A&M is gone (or will be shortly). We'll see how it all works out, but my money for now still sits with the reports that seem to make the most sense - OU, Texas, Tech, and OSU to the Pac 12+, with a reworked LHN. We'll see. G'nite.
------------
Two reports emerging that indicate things are moving, but which direction is unclear. OKC sports reporter Dean Blevins from CBS affiliate KWTV-9 tweets that the Longhorn Network is the "only obstacle" to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas Tech moving to the Pac 12+, but that it "will be reworked."
The other report that tends to work against this is that of Chip Brown at Orangebloods.com, wherein he states that Texas is working to salvage the Longhorn Network, and may be entertaining a move to the ACC!
My personal opinion is that's a load of, ahem, "surplus bevo," with almost no chance of seeing the light of reality. Texas to the ACC makes no sense under nearly any theory. But we'll see. Ultimately, I think OU will lead the charge of the four named schools west in short order.
The ESPN (and other) message boards are rife with speculation about the final destinations of Texas, OU, and other Big 12 schools pending the apparent demise of that flailing conference. Amid the speculation is quite a bit of sheer nonsense, and I'd like to try to separate some of that fiction from the facts:
- Myth 1: OU is in secret talks to go to the SEC.
- Myth 2 - Texas really wants to go independent.
- Myth 3 - Texas can keep Oklahoma in check by threatening the future of their rivalry game
That's a summary of the biggest red herrings out there for the moment. Any others?
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
College Football: The Next Generation
With Texas A&M sending shockwaves through college football barely three weeks before kickoff, it doesn't take a rocket scientist from either the Pac 12 or the SEC to know that change is, again, on its way, and that change is going to be monstrous.
And in the midst of the change there will be winners and losers.
And I'm not sure the broader sport of college football won't be on the losing side of the ledger.
No, it isn't because of the greed of the game, or the money-grab spoiling the "purer" part of amateur athletics. It's simpler than that.
Its in knowing that once this next round of realignment happens, the face of the game will change, and some colleges playing now may not be playing tomorrow.
For every Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, and Nebraska that headlines ESPN in the fall, there's an Iowa State, a Baylor, a Colorado State, and a Kansas State that lives on the fleeting notoriety of a few magical seasons, but more largely on the coattails of the larger, more traditional programs. When this next shakeout occurs, it will consolidate the power of college football at the top. There will be a mad scramble to snag the membership of the few scattered power programs should conferences fracture, looking for Oklahoma and Texas, but hardly anyone will be too worried about the likes of Iowa State. Or Central Michigan. Or (insert mid-level program here).
Mind you, this is not intended as an insult to the Cyclones. Its just a recognition that a great many of these programs, full of dedicated, hard-working players and coaches, are quite likely to slip through the cracks and become forgotten in college football's race to power conferences and big-game payouts.
If Division I (sorry, it will never be "FBS") sports over 100 teams - perhaps closer to 120 - but the rumbling suggests that the superconference era might consist of four conferences of 16 teams each, that leaves those 120 teams vying for 64 spots. Let's get even more optimistic, and suggest a way is found to manage 24 teams in a conference - that's still only 96 teams, leaving close to two-dozen looking for a home.
If "traditional" college football is on a journey to its own future, the sad reality for smaller schools is that they may well find themselves on the Titanic, realizing they are among the unfortunate passengers stranded on deck, only to see the lifeboats to better conferences have set sail without them.
For college fans, that leaves one with a sinking feeling, indeed.
And in the midst of the change there will be winners and losers.
And I'm not sure the broader sport of college football won't be on the losing side of the ledger.
No, it isn't because of the greed of the game, or the money-grab spoiling the "purer" part of amateur athletics. It's simpler than that.
Its in knowing that once this next round of realignment happens, the face of the game will change, and some colleges playing now may not be playing tomorrow.
For every Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, and Nebraska that headlines ESPN in the fall, there's an Iowa State, a Baylor, a Colorado State, and a Kansas State that lives on the fleeting notoriety of a few magical seasons, but more largely on the coattails of the larger, more traditional programs. When this next shakeout occurs, it will consolidate the power of college football at the top. There will be a mad scramble to snag the membership of the few scattered power programs should conferences fracture, looking for Oklahoma and Texas, but hardly anyone will be too worried about the likes of Iowa State. Or Central Michigan. Or (insert mid-level program here).
Mind you, this is not intended as an insult to the Cyclones. Its just a recognition that a great many of these programs, full of dedicated, hard-working players and coaches, are quite likely to slip through the cracks and become forgotten in college football's race to power conferences and big-game payouts.
If Division I (sorry, it will never be "FBS") sports over 100 teams - perhaps closer to 120 - but the rumbling suggests that the superconference era might consist of four conferences of 16 teams each, that leaves those 120 teams vying for 64 spots. Let's get even more optimistic, and suggest a way is found to manage 24 teams in a conference - that's still only 96 teams, leaving close to two-dozen looking for a home.
If "traditional" college football is on a journey to its own future, the sad reality for smaller schools is that they may well find themselves on the Titanic, realizing they are among the unfortunate passengers stranded on deck, only to see the lifeboats to better conferences have set sail without them.
For college fans, that leaves one with a sinking feeling, indeed.
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.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Welcome to the ENDZONE REVIEW!!!!
Welcome to the INAUGURAL POST for the ENDZONE REVIEW!!!
Here we talk and post about all things FOOTBALL, although the author here tends to prefer COLLEGE football (particularly since, at this point, we technically have no NFL version). The hope here is to post no less than once per week, and hopefully much more frequently. Here are a few ideas we'll hit as we find ourselves a mere six weeks from football season:
* Big Ten: Pretenders to the national crown again?
* Texas: Big comeback ahead, or five wins in 2011?
* Big 12: That's more like *Castrated* 12, isn't it?
* Stanford: Can Luck carry the day without his lucky Harbaugh?
The idea here isn't just for me to post thoughts and keen insights, its to provoke thought and response from YOU. Join us every week, and we'll hope you join us here in the "EndZone!"
Here we talk and post about all things FOOTBALL, although the author here tends to prefer COLLEGE football (particularly since, at this point, we technically have no NFL version). The hope here is to post no less than once per week, and hopefully much more frequently. Here are a few ideas we'll hit as we find ourselves a mere six weeks from football season:
* Big Ten: Pretenders to the national crown again?
* Texas: Big comeback ahead, or five wins in 2011?
* Big 12: That's more like *Castrated* 12, isn't it?
* Stanford: Can Luck carry the day without his lucky Harbaugh?
The idea here isn't just for me to post thoughts and keen insights, its to provoke thought and response from YOU. Join us every week, and we'll hope you join us here in the "EndZone!"
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