ZN's CFB Top 25 :: Week 3 2008

There wasn't much movement this week. The biggest jumps were West Virginia (No. 8 to No. 24), East Carolina (Unranked to No. 20), and Penn State (No. 9 to No. 5). I know, you think I'm crazy for moving PSU so high, but I'm not the only one. So you can't call me just a homer. Ohio State needed a kick in the ass, so I moved them down. And yes, Georgia beat a MAC team. If a Big Ten team beat CMU, we'd hear "it's only a MAC team," but since UGA beat the Chipps, it's a "quality win" somehow. Bull. Enjoy.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. USC (2), [1-0, DNP]
2. Ohio State (1), [2-0, Def. Ohio 26-14]
3. Georgia (3), [2-0, Def. Central Michigan 56-17]
4. Oklahoma (4), [2-0, Def. Cincinnati 52-26]
5. Penn State (9), [2-0, Def. Oregon St 45-14]
6. Missouri (6), [2-0, Def. SE Missouri St 52-3]
7. Auburn (7), [2-0, Def. Southern Miss 27-13]
8. Florida (5), [2-0, Def. Miami 26-3]
9. Oregon (11), [2-0, Def. Utah St 66-24]
10. BYU (10), [2-0, Def. Washington 28-27]
11. Arizona State (13), [2-0, Def. Stanford 41-17]
12. LSU (12), [1-0, DNP (PPD)]
13. Texas Tech (14), [2-0, Def. Nevada 35-19]
14. Utah (16), [2-0, Def. UNLV 42-21]
15. Texas (15), [2-0, Def. UTEP 42-13]
16. South Florida (17), [2-0, Def. Central Florida 31-24 OT]
17. California (20), [2-0, Def. Washington St 66-3]
18. Wisconsin (18), [2-0, Def. Marshall 51-14]
19. Wake Forest (21), [2-0, Def. Ole Miss 30-28]
20. East Carolina (NR), [2-0, Def. No. 8 West Virginia 24-3]
21. Kentucky (19), [2-0, Def. Norfolk St (I-AA) 38-3]
22. Fresno State (22), [1-0, DNP]
23. Kansas (23), [2-0, Def. LaTech 29-0]
24. West Virginia (8), [1-1, Lost to East Carolina 24-3]
25. Alabama (24), [2-0, Def. Tulane 20-3]

Dropped Out:
Virginia Tech (25), [1-1, Def. Furman (I-AA) 24-3]

On the Cusp:
Clemson (NR), [1-1, Def. Citadel (I-AA) 45-17]
Georgia Tech (NR), [2-0, Def. Boston College 19-16]
Virginia Tech (25), [1-1, Def. Furman (I-AA) 24-3]
Illinois (NR), [1-1, Def. Eastern Illinois (I-AA) 47-21]
Michigan State (NR), [1-1, Def. Eastern Michigan 42-10]

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ZN’s CFB Top 25 :: Week 2 2008

Finally, we have some game results to go by. So here you go, the Week 2 top 25 for 2008. I wasn’t ready to follow the trend on all the teams, but Clemson just looked awful, Oregon looked great, and the non-BCS teams are on the prowl.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Ohio State (1), [1-0, Def. Young. St. 43-0]
2. USC (3), [1-0, Def. Virginia 52-7]
3. Georgia (2), [1-0, Def. Ga. Southern 45-21]
4. Oklahoma (6), [1-0, Def. Chattanooga 57-2]
5. Florida (7), [1-0, Def. Hawai’i 56-10]
6. Missouri (4), [1-0, Def. No. 24 Illinois 52-42]
7. Auburn (5), [1-0, Def. ULM 34-0]
8. West Virginia (8), [1-0, Def. Villanova 48-21]
9. Penn State (11), [1-0, Def. Coastal Car. 66-10]
10. BYU (10), [1-0, Def. No. Iowa 41-17]
11. Oregon (19), [1-0, Def. Washington 44-10]
12. LSU (12), [0-0, Def. App. St. 41-13]
13. Arizona State (13), [1-0, Def. No. Arizona 30-13]
14. Texas Tech (15), [1-0, Def. E. Wash. 49-24]
15. Texas (17), [1-0, Def. FAU 52-10]
16. Utah (22), [1-0, Def. Michigan 25-23]
17. South Florida (23), [1-0, Def. Tenn-Martin 56-7]
18. Wisconsin (14), [1-0, Def. Akron 38-17]
19. Kentucky (NR), [1-0, Def. Louisville 27-2]
20. California (NR), [1-0, Def. No. 18 Michigan St. 38-31]
21. Wake Forest (NR), [1-0, Def. Baylor 41-13]
22. Fresno State (NR), [1-0, Def. No. 25 Rutgers 24-7]
23. Kansas (NR), [1-0, Def. FIU 40-10]
24. Alabama (NR), [1-0, Def. No. 9 Clemson 34-10]
25. Virginia Tech (16), [0-1, Lost to E. Carolina 27-22]

Dropped Out:
Clemson (9), [0-1, Lost to Alabama 34-10]
Rutgers (25), [0-1, Lost to Fresno St. 24-7]
Oregon State (20), [0-1, Lost to Stanford 38-26]
Michigan State (18), [0-1, Lost to California 38-31]
Pittsburgh (21), [0-1, Lost to Bowling Green 27-17]
Illinois (24), [0-1, Lost to No. 4 Missouri 52-42]

On the Cusp:
East Carolina (NR), [1-0, Def. No. 16 Va Tech 27-22]
South Carolina (NR), [1-0, Def. N.C. St. 34-0]
Boston College (NR), [1-0, Def. Kent St. 21-0]
Cincinnati (NR), [1-0, Def. E. Kentucky 40-7]
Connecticut (NR), [1-0, Def. Hofstra 35-3]

Ed. note - I'm bumping the Paterno press conference stuff until tomorrow. I'll also have the Big Ten Bloggers roundtable.

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ZN’s CFB Top 25 :: Week 1 2008

There was some big movement in the ZN Top 25 since we last ranked teams on June 13, 2008. The biggest reasons for some of these changes included more consideration of the strength of schedule, major injuries and player losses. So here you go, the Week 1 top 25 for 2008.

*Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result] - Comment on the team.
1. Ohio State (6), [0-0, DNP] - I know I’m inviting criticism for sounding like a total homer, but I realized that OSU has been suffering from prejudice. Because they lost the last two BCS title games, the media has been scared to peg the Bucks No. 1. I’m not scared anymore.
2. Georgia (1), [0-0, DNP] - It’s not a huge drop, but something just doesn’t seem right in Athens, Ga. It’s almost like this team is too good.
3. USC (7), [0-0, DNP] - Even with the Sanchez injury, the Trojans are the only team with talent like this. Now, it all depends how Pete Carroll puts it all together.
4. Missouri (5), [0-0, DNP] - This is a team not many are talking about on a national scale. I am. The Tigers will only meet Oklahoma in the Big XII title game, and in a battle of quarterbacks, I’ll give the (extremely) slight edge to Chase Daniel.
5. Auburn (8), [0-0, DNP] - I get this creepy feeling about what Tommy Tuberville is cooking down south. If the Peach Bowl was a true preview of the 2008 Tigers, look out SEC title game.
6. Oklahoma (2), [0-0, DNP] - The more I look at the Sooners, the more fragile they look. The offense will be fine by all measures, but the defense not so much, especially in the secondary.
7. Florida (4), [0-0, DNP] - The injuries are really killing the Gators’ mojo right now. Between TE Ingram’s ACL (not to mention FOUR other players lost to ACL injuries), and the fact that Percy Harvin hasn’t done squat this summer, don’t expect a fast start this year.
8. West Virginia (9), [0-0, DNP] - WVU has something to prove this season: that it can win without Rich Rodriguez. All the pieces are there to get to a BCS bowl.
9. Clemson (18), [0-0, DNP] - I haven’t seen another ACC team that could contend with Clemson’s potential. But how often have we heard that before?
10. BYU (11), [0-0, DNP] - The Cougars should coast to a 10-win record. But if they play up to their billing, BYU will win a lot more than the conference.
11. Penn State (10), [0-0, DNP] - Between the injuries and the dismissal of a few players, there are some growing doubts about how high this team can reach. The Lions are still the second best in the Big Ten, though.
12. LSU (12), [0-0, DNP] - Call it a rebuilding year in the bayou, but a nice Cotton Bowl bid is possible for the Tigers.
13. Arizona State (13), [0-0, DNP] - Maturity was this team’s biggest problem last year. It shouldn’t be so in 2008, but don’t exactly count on a magical BCS run.
14. Wisconsin (15), [0-0, DNP] - You won’t find a better running back/offensive line situation outside of Madison. Yes, that even includes USC.
15. Texas Tech (14), [0-0, DNP] - You can only outscore so many teams. Luckily, TT can do just that. Keep in mind, however, that TT plays in one of the toughest divisions in college football.
16. Virginia Tech (16), [0-0, DNP] - Count on the Hokies vs. Clemson in the ACC title game. Don’t count on the Hokies in that one.
17. Texas (17), [0-0, DNP] - I don’t see the Longhorns of old coming back in 2008. Hey, the Holiday Bowl isn’t all that bad... again.
18. Michigan State (25), [0-0, DNP] - These days, eight wins will get a team ranked, provided it played a good schedule. MSU has all that, and some, going for it in 2008.
19. Oregon (NR), [0-0, DNP] - With one of the best secondaries in the nation, UO is setting itself up nicely for a strong Pac-10 run.
20. Oregon State (19), [0-0, DNP] - Be sure to tune in for the Civil War this year, which could end up being a low-scoring defensive football game.
21. Pittsburgh (20), [0-0, DNP] - If the passing game does anything this year, Pitt will easily go bowling. The question is from there, how high will the Panthers climb?
22. Utah (NR), [0-0, DNP] - This team is finally out from under the 2004 Utes’ shadow. Now it’s their time to shine, and should do just that in 2008.
23. South Florida (NR), [0-0, DNP] - The problem is that the Big East isn’t as soft as everyone’s made it out to be.
24. Illinois (NR), [0-0, DNP] - Rose Bowl or not, the Illini weren’t good enough for the BCS last year, and sure aren’t good enough for it this year’s tough schedule. Harsh, but true.
25. Rutgers (NR), [0-0, DNP] - I’m going out on a limb here, but the loss of Ray Rice isn’t all that bad. Enough key players return to propel the Knights into the rankings again.

Dropped Out:
Tennessee
Mississippi State
Boston College

On the Cusp:
South Carolina (NR), [0-0, DNP]
Tennessee (22), [0-0, DNP]
California (NR), [0-0, DNP]
Mississippi State (23), [0-0, DNP]
Wake Forest (NR), [0-0, DNP]

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Terry Bowden praises Joe Pa... I guess that's a good thing

Yahoo's Terry Bowden fell all over himself for Joe Paterno yesterday. Catching up with what's going on, Bowden wrote a big article on how SEC West coaches are all over-paid, and can't reasonably expected to win their division every year. Yeah, and we all knew that for a while. But what caught me--I wouldn't have even seen this had I not kept skimming reading his article--was this love fest with Joe Paterno. (I used 'love fest' twice today... I need a break)

"Remember the old commercial, "When E.F. Hutton talks … people listen."

Well, I don't know what you made of it, but Joe Paterno stated unequivocally, that the argument against a college football playoff is "bogus." Folks, if there is one person in college football who represents every aspect of the integrity of the game it is Paterno. He stands for dignity, class, tradition and perspective. He has spent a lifetime championing everything that is good about the game. In my mind, his comments about the need for a playoff render every contrary argument meaningless. There is not a single person on this planet who has as much credibility when it comes to knowing what is good for the game of college football than JoePa.

Paterno has spoken. It's time for the decision makers to listen."

Ok... um, yeah...

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Blue and White Roundtable :: Bootleg Edition

I'm pretty sure no one would have a problem with this. So here it is. ZN will take on the latest Blue and White Roundtable, we'll call it the "Bootleg Edition."

Fine Penn State blogs that participate in the BWRT:

http://www.nittanywhiteout.com/
http://www.blackshoediaries.com/
http://thenittanyline.blogspot.com/
http://gloryofoldstate.blogspot.com/
http://www.yurasko.net/wfy/
http://tangledupinwhiteandblue.blogspot.com/
http://thebigeleventh.blogspot.com/
http://mvn.com/ncaa-pennstate/
http://runupthescore.wordpress.com

1. The announcement Wednesday is that contract talks are on hold until the conclusion of this season, and that Joe might not even need a contract to coach, how do you see this saga ending? Is this the final year for Joe Paterno?

ZN: If Penn State wins more than 10 games and notches a January bowl victory, that’s it for Paterno. He, the administration and the other powers want him to get—as left-field as it sounds—one more double-digit season before he goes. Ideally, he’d want an undefeated season. Paterno’s said that before. As messed up as this off-season has been, it is still possible. So I’ll go with yes, it’s his final year. Bradley will be named, and everyone will be screaming “why didn’t they f***ing do that when we still had a shot at Terrelle Pryor?”

2. Joe will clearly not be on the sidelines in 10 years time. Whether he is awarded another extension or is forced out against his will, a new face will inevitably be on the sidelines for the Lions in the years to come. Which candidates would top the list when it comes to a coaching search? Should it be an in-house hire or should we start off with a blank slate?

ZN: I’m selling my self out to the idea of giving Bradley a shot. I know it would still leave the door open to Jay Paterno staying, but it’s a risk I think Penn State should take. If there were a short list of candidates—Penn State will have to do this, just to make it seem like someone else has a chance—it would be Scrap, Greg Schiano, and Al Golden. Throw in a Randy Edsall or Brian Kelly for the outside shots. Other than that, it’ll really be between Scrap and Schiano.

3. It almost seems as if we find another athlete in trouble with the law each morning when we read the newspaper. What has gone wrong with the once pristine image of the Penn State program?

ZN: Not as much as people think. It’s not the program. The recent run-ins with the law are just exacerbated by the rest of Penn State’s problems. Face it, more college football players are getting in trouble, not just at Penn State, everywhere. Penn State is still a clean program. Arrests have not as much to do with a program’s reputation as recruiting scandals, gambling scandals and academic scandals. Penn State’s had none of them. Hey, it’s not like Joe Paterno is allowing Chris Bell to play, or Chris Baker to play until his fate is decided. Then we’d be in trouble.

4. After 14 years in the Big Ten, Penn has not dominated the conference in football as most presumed when we joined winning only 2 Big Ten titles in that span. In 1994, Joe Paterno’s undefeated Nittany Lions were also backstabbed by its Big Ten brethren when most conference members voted for Nebraska instead of Penn State. Is the Big Ten the right home for Penn State? Or would Joe Paterno’s dream of an all-eastern conference be a much more ideal conference for the Nittany Lions?

ZN: Go back to 1989, and the eastern conference would have still worked like a dream. But now, it’s nearly impossible. With the Big East on the rise, and the ACC not going anywhere, Penn State doesn’t have the pull to lure some of those teams away. Plus, it would look real bad if Penn State backed out of the Big Ten to form its own conference. We’d never hear the end of it, “PSU couldn’t hack it in the Big Ten, so it quit.”

5. With the lack of our traditional rivals in the Big Ten conference, and our unwillingness to reschedule any of them in any consistent manner, which teams are emerging as Penn State’s chief rivals in the Big Ten? (USC-Notre Dame proves that rivalries aren’t all about geographic significance.)

ZN: I would LOVE to see Penn State and Nebraska strike it up more than twice every couple years. Get them on at least every three of four years. Both programs need a boost right now, and what better way than to have a slam dunk September match up each year? I know, there are others out there like Pitt, Syracuse, Maryland, West Virginia, but Nebraska and Penn State have more national history between them. I think this would even top Penn State vs. Miami on a yearly basis, although that would be my strong No. 2. Oh, wait. That wasn’t the question. Sorry. Ohio State is becoming a marquee game. And with Penn State having a better record vs. Ohio State than Michigan since 2001, it’s been more competitive than the conference’s “big game.” I also really like what the Penn State vs. Michigan State rivalry has become.

Bonus question: Are you going to the Blue White Game?

ZN: No. I went to five straight, and it rained for three of them. Following the 2005 game, I was doused with mug from a moron in a JEEP. Then I totaled my car on Rt. 80 West a few days later when I hit an icy bridge at mile marker 190. Four other cars hit that ice and wrecked. Oddly enough, none of us hit each other. Weird. I’m rambling a lot today.

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Michigan's academic situation

Do football players deserve to schedule easier classes? Michigan's "General Studies" major has been the subject of scrutiny for years, now one Michigan newspaper is attacking the university head on. If this is true, and Michigan has been passing football players regardless of academic performances, what does this mean for Michigan, and the Big Ten?

Who's been saying for years now that Michigan gives its football players a free academic ride? Yes, I'm raising my hand. Actually, I'm jumping up and down waving both arms high in the air. I guess the Michigan paper which is doing the series wanted to wait until Lloyd Carr left. After all, he did manage to beat PSU for all these years.

But I just don't understand how anyone is surprised by all this. Michigan fans have buried their heads in the sand, while the rest of the conference pretty much turned a blind eye. If Michigan goes down, then what would be left? Penn State? Wisconsin? These teams are well known--PSU more so--and could garner national ratings every football week, but Penn State is not the face of the Big Ten. Wisconsin is up there, but can they be the second bell cow next to Ohio State?

I'm not accusing anyone at Michigan of doing anything, as I have no way to back it up. However, are those in Ann Arbor really that dumb to what was going on inside the football academic advising offices? I've already read on message boards, Michigan fans defending their school by saying the newspaper had no real substantial evidence to back it up. That's like saying Joe Paterno doesn't make every, single decision regarding Penn State football. It's just a fantasy.

When you have the complete support of those in power, you can get away with anything. Michigan did that. I'm sure the Big Ten and Michigan officials will deny they knew anything about this. On that, I'll call preemptive shenanigans. If the powers that be deny anything looked funny, it's a flat out lie. They're going to tell us that this didn't throw up red flags? I probably shouldn't get so worked up over this. Penn State has its own issues right now. I'm not going to pull the "well, at least..." comeback, either. The Chris Bell thing just ruined everything for PSU this spring, and unless things move forward quickly, it's not going away soon. It's nice to see the conference working hard to improve its image, from PSU players packing machetes to half the Iowa football program going to jail, and Ohio State being well, Ohio State to Michigan maintaining the academic standards of Boobie Miles. This is a bad time for the Big Ten, and it deserves every bit of it.

--On a side note, and completely unrelated to this Michigan bash fest, I found this absolutely hilarious post by one of the fine UM bloggers out there. Take a read. It's worth your time.

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Student Ticket Uproar

Every year, we hear thousands of complaints that the student ticket process is broken, scalping is rampant, and seniors who got tickets the three previous years are getting screwed out of seeing their final season because some punk-ass branch campus freshman wants to make a killing off of the season tickets he got over that senior. Now that Penn State actually wants to do something about it, those branch campusers are crying foul. Nuha. I’m calling shenanigans on this.

There’s a healthy debate going on over at RUTS, which I’ve taken part. Since the branch campusers don’t really have an argument to stand behind, they’ve resorted to “we will not be treated as second-class students” even though, they are! Instead of paraphrasing my points against them, I’ll just give it to you straight.

Here’s ZN’s official (as official as blogging can get) argument from RUTS:

“There’s a gigantic hole in the “what, so UP students are better?” argument. Listen, if priority were given to seniors, then juniors, etc., most of the branch campus kids wouldn’t be eligible anyway! So, yes, since most of the seniors and juniors (I think pretty much all are at UP) are at UP, they ARE MORE IMPORTANT. And I don’t have an interest in supporting UP students, either. Yes, I was at UP, but I was in the Blue Band all four years, so I never had to get tickets. But I did, however, fall victim to scalpers every time I wanted to let my folks see a game. (No, contrary to popular belief, Blue Band members DON’T get comp tickets for even their own parents to see them) So don’t give us that crap argument about branch campus kids being “less important,” because you’re most likely a frosh or sophomore… AND NOT IMPORTANT!”

The truth hurts. Especially when you’re on the wrong side of it. As a matter of fact, I just thought of one more thing to poke yet another hole in the opposition’s argument. Some of the LTEs (Letters to the editor) argued that Penn State is correct in this newly proposed policy because branch campus students are less likely to attend every game. I didn’t like that argument at first, but now I realize why it’s valid.

It took me four years to figure this out, but there’s a little known (relatively) ticket window on the east side of the stadium, across from the visitor center. On game days, four hours prior to kickoff, they actually sell tickets to the general public! No, not just at Youngstown State or Florida International games. My senior season—2005—in Blue Band, senior day was against No. 12 Wisconsin. My parents didn’t have tickets, but were going to try their luck with the scalpers, but my dad soon saw a line by that side of the stadium. He asked what it was, and the half-dozen people there said “we’re buying tickets.” He figured that it was pre-order only, but no, he just bought four tickets for face value. Why can’t branch campus students just get to the game four hours early, and get tickets that way? Don’t tell me they can’t leave that early, because I live in northern Virginia, and I left for the FIU game last season at 4:30 a.m.

Go State! Stand up (Finally) for your senior class!

Collegian article on tying student tix to ID cards.

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It's the Bowden bashing hour, brought to you by Foot Locker

Mike over at BSD tore Bobby Bowden a new one, after EDSBS took the initial swing at the legendary FSU coach. All I have to say is Bowden had it coming sooner or later. Wrote Mike of BSD:

"This is a common practice in these southern schools. They are only supposed to sign no more than 25 kids in any one recruiting class. But every year there's Alabama taking 32, Auburn taking 30, LSU taking 26. This year Florida State granted scholarships to 30 kids. Inevitably someone has to get cut. So you start hearing stories about kids being declared academically ineligible. Or suffering mysterious injuries that cut their career short. Or in this case, fifth year seniors who are basically asked not to come back."

Read the original letter sent by former FSU lineman Geoff Berniard's girlfriend to Larry Williams, of the Post And Courier in Charleston, SC. The letter explained how the Bowden family is following a disturbing trend--win at any cost, even if you ruin some people's lives along the way.

But let's take a different angle on this. I'm not going to get on Bowden's case today. I've done plenty of that, and usually focus on his wins at Samford--they count towards his career wins record, even though Joe's were all at a major program like PSU.

Where I'm going with this is PSU's recruiting efforts in recent years. Every one's been bashing the coaching staff for the last two hauls in '06 and '07. The loud minority fan base, which has cried for a top-ten class every year, says that PSU won't win championships by awarding fewer than "the other" do. Mike mentioned earlier that SEC schools usually sign between 25 and 30 recruits... each season. Maybe that's the reason SEC schools usually rank so high on the recruiting class lists. These coaches--in this case, when I say "SEC" I really mean most southern schools--offer kids a scholarship, with nearly no guarantee that they'll remain on scholarship if the on-field performance isn't up to par. That's just plain bullshit. You offer a kid to play for your team, and if he doesn't pan out, tough luck for you, not him. The coaches should never encourage a kid to leave school, just to save a freaking scholarship for next year's recruiting class. Bowden--and by Bowden I mean his whole staff, since he's responsible for their actions--has now fell into the "SEC" category of coaches. Mike's take was hardly as sweet as mine:

"Like I said before, in a way I was glad Joe Paterno broke his leg in 2006. It delayed him from entering the College Football Hall of Fame by one year. If you remember, he was supposed to enter the Hall alongside Bobby Bowden and they were both going to share the stage. I'm glad Joe didn't have to share anything with that fat jerk. The only thing these two men have in common is a lot of wins on the football field. Outside of that, the two programs could not be any more different."

That's just it. Penn State is nothing like Florida State. To many sportswriters and "experts" lump the two schools together all to often. Why, because the two coaches have been around forever and racing to see who could finish with the most wins? Sure, but that's the one and only connection between the two schools. How many times has Florida State played Penn State? Three times. Wow, I'm impressed. Bowden was forced to play PSU in the '70s because West Virginia always played PSU. I don't see FSU scheduling PSU anytime soon. Actually, I don't see FSU scheduling any living, breathing opponents anytime soon.

Let FSU die its slow, painful death. It'll be good for college football. The age of cheating and under-the-table deals is gone in this sport. I'm not being naive. I know there's still wheeling and dealing every hour of every day. But a program like Florida State--rulers of the late '80s and the entire 1990s--needs to go to rehab after its 15-year high. Penn "Mr. Boring Straightedge" State might not be as exciting or fun. PSU is surely not the life of the party in college football, but if you consider what Joe Paterno and his coaches have done for the last 50 years, it's a feat no other school could fathom doing. How many times has PSU been on probation in the Paterno era, or any era for that matter? NONE. Penn State wins with honor.

Oh, and if you didn't get that Foot Locker reference, go look up "Florida State," "Foot Locker," and "1993."

Email ZN: ZombieNationPSU@gmail.com Please take a moment to support ZN, by visiting some of our sponsors.

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This just in: Nothing happened today

I tried. I really did.

After mustering up all the will power in me, I just couldn't stay away. That said, I'm happy to report to you that absolutely nothing happened today. Sure, there was the Phil Taylor thing, but that's really just old news. So, I won't go into it. It's kind of like the Administration's stance on the economic recession: Just ignore it until it goes away.

I'm not in the mood to think anymore--another reason I could be as good of a president as W--so if anyone wants to see a post on something, anything, just shoot me some ideas. Really, I'm open to anything Penn State football-ish. Historical, current, analyical or editorial; you name it, you got it.

Email: ZombieNationPSU@gmail.com

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Special Feature: College Football Requires Coaching, Not Just Playcalling

I got the idea for this from the radio last week. I usually listen to Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio. If you’re like me, you know that show has about 20 minutes per hour of actual talking, the rest being filled by seemingly endless commercial breaks. It’s not that bad though, as it gives me plenty of time to tune in to other sports radio shows. In fact, if it wasn’t for commercial break No. 386 on Mike and Mike last week, I never would have gotten the idea for this post. Thank you, Steve Czaban of The First Team on Fox, FSR XM 142.

Czaban argued with his co-hosts that the NFL is a horse’s league, meaning the players run the show and everything depends on them. Their points were made very clear and solid. Names like Mike Martz, Charlie Weis and Mike Nolan were thrown around, nearly proving the fact that NFL coordinators are way over-hyped. I couldn’t agree more.

But in college, coaching is everything. How many times have we seen big time coaches take a horrible program and get it on track within a few seasons? Bill Snyder at Kansas State? Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech? Some will say that the biggest difference between college and pro ball is parity. Others will say that college ball is coming along, and 2007 was a great example of the growing parity. I think 2007 was a fluke, and parity is a long way off, if you’re going to compare it to the parity that thrives in the NFL.

What if Drew Bledsoe never got hurt in 2001? Tom Brady would have remained the backup—yes, backup. Where would the Patriots be right now, if Brady never got the nod? I can’t say exactly, but I would bet a pretty penny that Brady, Vrabel and Belichick wouldn’t have a handful of Super Bowl Rings. What if Terrell Owens didn’t go to the Cowboys? You’re going to tell me that Terry Glenn and Patrick Crayton would pick up that sort of slack? It’s all about who’s on the NFL rosters.

I find it hard to believe that Charlie Weis will ever win a national championship at Notre Dame. I don’t mind the Irish. I actually rooted for them when Ty Willingham was there. Now, it’s a different story. The elite in South Bend, with no real evidence that Weis could coach at the collegiate level, showered the man with a contract like none other—at least, that early in a coach’s tenure.

What did Weis do at New England? He won with the best team. And don’t give me “They beat the Rams.” The Rams were all offense, and the Patriots only scored 24 points. After that first Super Bowl win, the Patriots were on auto-pilot. I think Weis was given a little bit too much credit for “his” offense. If Weis was the wheel that turned the engine, then why didn’t that Patriot offense go into the tank after he left, or at least slow down a bit.

Fast forward to 2005. When Weis landed in South Bend, he inherited a plug-and-play team. He had a Heisman contender in Brady Quinn, and two huge receivers that gained more than 1,000 yards each that season. It was perfect for a “Charlie Weis Offense.” It’s easy to make up all sorts of crazy, complicated plays when you’re working with NFL-calibers players, as Weis did at Notre Dame in 2005 and 2006. Keep in mind, Weis had two full seasons to lean on those players—Willingham’s recruits—while he built up the kind of depth that would suit his offensive preferences.

Fast forward again, to 2007. Weis has had two full seasons of top-10 recruiting classes, with the best talent coming in, outside of Southern California. One could argue, Notre Dame has brought in more talent in two classes than most schools recruit in a decade. I’m talking about four and five-star guys across the board.

Super-recruits like 2006’s James Aldridge, Sam Young, Demetrius Jones, Matt Carufel, Raeshon McNeil, Eric Olsen, and 2007’s Jimmy Claussen, Armando Allen, Duval Kamara, Matt Romine, Andrew Nuss and others. Oh yeah, and about half of those players mentioned were offensive linemen and all of them were offensive players. Notre Dame finished dead last in offense in 2007. But don’t even consider yet the kind of class that Weis is bringing in for 2008. It’s not even signing day and he’s got three five-stars, and fifteen—yes, fifteen—four-stars.

Any half decent college coach would have been able to win eight or nine games in 2007. But with or without the hundreds of excuses given by the Notre Dame fanbase, it was still horrible coaching that doomed the Irish in 2007. Sure, the defense was okay over the last half of the season, but not enough to overcome the epic struggles of the offense. Charlie Weis never realized that college isn’t nearly the NFL. I think he started to take the hint when his Irish team lost to Navy for the first time since Roger Staubach’s time under center. But watch, Weis will stockpile enough talent to mask his coaching deficiencies. He'll win 10 or 11 games consistently, but he'll never make it over that hump. Winning championships requires a good coach, not just good players.

Switch gears now and think of someone like George O’Leary, Mark Mangino, or even Jim Grobe. Where have they taken UCF, Kansas and Wake Forest? Two BCS bowls and fielded the nation’s leading rusher. Five years ago, those teams were laughing stocks. But it was the coaching that got them to the level they’re at now. I know, recruiting is everything in college football. That’s true, but how then do you explain Notre Dame’s 3-9 record? It’s not like they just missed at 6-6 or 5-7.

Go back to even 1989, when Steve Spurrier was only known for his Heisman Trophy. That was before he stepped into Gainesville, where a Gator program had been established for years, and the recruits would give anything to play in sunny Florida. He took a pathetic Duke program and turned it into a regular winner. It wasn’t exactly Miami or Florida State, but the Blue Devils won the ACC that year. The Blue Devils have had one winning season since Spurrier left. Their overall record from 1990 to 2007 is 43-160-1. Oh yeah, they lost that 1994 All-American Bowl.

You can’t just expect your players to do their jobs in college the way they do in the NFL. And it’s because of that one word that separates the two sports—job. It’s Tom Brady’s job to win the Super Bowl. It’s Randy Moss’s job to catch a gazzilion passes. For guys like Jimmy Claussen and Sam Young, it’s still just a game. Certain coaches who think going from the NFL to college is easy are usually given a rude awakening, probably once they realize just how good you have to be at coaching, not just calling the plays.

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The BCS: A Playoff in Disguise

Georgia could have played for the BCS title.

USC could have played for the BCS title.

If Oklahoma wins just as big, throw them in, too.

LSU and Ohio State are playing for the BCS title.

You know what, all of those teams are—or have just finished—playing for the BCS title. No, I haven’t officially lost it, even after suffering through two of the worst New Years Day games ever. In fact, I’ve just had a moment of clarity unlike any other. The 2007-08 BCS games are a playoff, a weird, demented playoff—for the 2008-09 BCS title that is.

In college basketball, tournament seeding is everything. If a team is seeded No. 1 or No. 2, they have a decided advantage over the lower-seeded teams. And while basketball actually allows teams to play their way to the title, each team’s position going into the tournament has everything to do with their chances of getting to the title game.

Now, look at the BCS. Georgia just blew out an undefeated Hawai’i team, and USC obliterated Illinois. If you want to take it one step further, Missouri pantsed Arkansas. And if Oklahoma tears apart West Virginia, they’ll be in this same boat. Sure, none of those teams moved closer to playing for this season’s title, but they vastly improved their chances for making it into next season’s. More likely than not, Georgia will roll into the 2008 preseason rankings somewhere in the top-5, along with USC and the winner of the LSU/OSU game—or both if it’s a close came. Missouri will round it out somewhere in the preseason top-10, and if Oklahoma wins, count them into the top-10 also, if not No. 1 or No. 2. Had Georgia, USC or Missou played poorly or lost, they wouldn’t get the preseason accolades they’re in line for right now. If the BCS title game turns into it’s 2007 predecessor—for either team—the loser will have a long climb up the polls, come the 2008 season.

However, this sounds a lot like the old poll system. Scary stuff, considering the BCS taunts itself as the be-all-end-all answer to college football’s age old question of “who’s number one.” Back then, if a team won it’s bowl game, they would have to wait and hope the pollsters chose them as worthy enough for the title. The only difference between then and now is that the decision is postponed until August, and the title is actually the following season.

Preseason polls are too powerful, too influential in college football—a sport in which “each week is a playoff.” Those polls are the very life blood for most title runs. In 2004, Auburn was buried by the AP at No. 17. USC and Oklahoma both began the season ranked No. 1 and No. 2. In 2004, Auburn defeated No. 4 LSU, No. 8 Tennessee in Knoxville, No. 5 Georgia, No. 15 Tennessee in the SEC Championship Game, and then No. 10 Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl. Oklahoma defeated No. 5 Texas in Dallas, No. 20 Oklahoma State away, No. 22 Texas A&M in College Station, and got blown away by USC. USC defeated No. 7 California, No. 19 Arizona State, and blew away Oklahoma. The only reason Auburn was kept from playing for the 2004-05 national title was their low preseason ranking. The Tigers’ schedule was tougher, their wins more impressive and their performance more consistent, week in and week out.

Fast forward to August 2007, when USC was ranked No. 1, LSU No. 2, Oklahoma No. 8, Ohio State No. 11, Georgia No. 13, and Missouri receiving 128 votes in the AP poll, placing them just below No. 25 Texas A&M. You already know where I’m going with this one. The two teams playing for the 2007-08 BCS national title also happened to be the second and fourth highest ranked of those the teams claiming they’re deserving of this season’s title. USC lost to Stanford, which validates their exclusion outright and at Oregon. Oklahoma lost at Colorado and at Texas Tech. Georgia lost to South Carolina and Tennessee. Missouri lost to Oklahoma, twice. All of those teams lost twice, and Ohio State lost once, to Illinois. So Ohio State is essentially omitted from this argument. But if you look at LSU, which lost to mediocre Kentucky and Arkansas teams, and barely got by Tennessee in the SEC title game, the major factor propelling that team to the title game was its lofty preseason ranking.

The voters wanted LSU in the title game. They hated Missouri at No. 1, and despised South Florida and Boston College at No. 2. Even California and Oregon were sketchy at No. 2, in the pollsters’ minds. What about Kansas at No. 3? Forget about it, they found a reason to throw them back down after their single loss of the season.

So the next time someone tells you “In college football, every week is a playoff,” you tell them “Yeah, for next season’s title.”

I want to see a playoff, and I want to see the polls count for nothing until the first week of October. However, I also want to see Notre Dame join a conference, and FBS (D-1A) drop about 50 teams to FCS (D1-AA). But unless the SEC realizes it’s not “faster,” Charlie Weis loses about 200 pounds, or Penn State is rightfully given the 1994 National Championship, nothing will change any time soon.

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