I sat down Wednesday night to blog about the Cavs and the Buckeyes, and I just couldn't find the words to say. I was thrilled with the way the Buckeyes faced adversity in their tough battle with Northwestern. They found themselves in a dogfight with a weaker opponent and stood their ground. The result was a win.
But the Cavs....man, how the hell do you lose to Philly when they no longer have Iverson and Webber.....at home, no less?
When I couldn't find the words, I held off. I was pissed. I tried my best to figure out a way to explain these Cavaliers. The absence of an explanation equaled an absence of blogging at the BBC.
Then the Cavaliers took the floor last night. The same Philadelphia team, this time on the road, minus LeBron James? We were in trouble, I thought. I was right for a while. We fell behind 15 points by halftime, which grew to 17 points early in the third quarter.
And then during a timeout, I saw the look in Drew Gooden's eyes. Drew already looks like a guy you would not want to face down in a darkened alley...the guy is a scary motherfucker. But this was not an angry look or a frustrated look. This was a determined look. He knew what we all know...that this team is capable of so much more, and this type of performance is no longer acceptable in a Cavaliers uniform.
I don't know if Gooden knows who Ted Stepien is. But if you know who he is, then you remember a day when crappy basketball was expected in Cleveland and nothing was done to improve it. Drew Gooden probably doesn't give a shit about Ted Stepien, but he sure as hell doesn't want to see this team settle for Stepien-like play. So he led his teammates, motivated his teammates, and gave his teammates every ounce of effort and desire. And the Cavs came back and won on the road....all without LeBron James.
Hell of an effort. I'm impressed. Next up is Phoenix, on a 16-game win streak. No preview of this one. I think I am jinxing the Cavs with my previews.
As for the Buckeyes, they have a night game tonight at home against Michigan State. Tom Izzo always has the Spartans on top of their game, so don't take this one for granted. Interesting matchup of the day - Greg Oden vs. Goran Suton. Suton is two inches shorter than Oden and is only a sophomore. Plus, he doesn't rebound the ball particularly well.
Ohio State goes in at 17-3, 5-1 in the Big Ten. MSU is 17-4, 4-2. Both teams are on their way to the NCAA Tournament, and this is exactly why a win today is big. We must beat the better teams, and here comes one of them.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Monday, January 22, 2007
OK, now I'm REALLY back
Damn, I hate taking time off from blogging...especially when it means going two or three days between posts.
But I honestly had very little time until today. I had a few extended days at work, I drove to Columbus to spend Saturday night with my daughter, and I spent a lot of time painting my living room...scarlet walls, gray door, blinds and switchplates. This week I'll get a frame for my Pittman jersey and a shelf for my autographed football.
Anyway, back to the enjoyment of our Cavaliers and Buckeyes.
Saturday night was a nice little roller-coaster, wasn't it? By the time I put my daughter to bed, the Buckeyes were a few minutes into the second half, and I was able to catch the rest of the game. And it appeared as if the moment that I joined the game was the same exact time that Iowa decided to stop playing. I turned it on, we were up by four points. Not soon after, Greg Oden began dominating inside. There was nobody there to slow him down...nobody at all. When he took the ball through the lane (and no less than three Hawkeye defenders) to an easy slam-dunk, it was almost unfair.
The Buckeyes, now showing what they are capable of, have 10 games left in the regular season, followed by the Big Ten Tournament (which should be three more games for the Bucks). And I am not very worried about most of the upcoming competition. 9 of the final 10 regular-season games are opponents that are not nearly as talented as Ohio State. The tenth opponent is the AP's #2 team, Wisconsin....but it's in Columbus.
As the NCAA Tourney approaches, it's interesting to note that the first two rounds will have games at the Schottenstein Center. So the Buckeyes can have their first two rounds at home....which leaves a mighty challenge to get that coveted #1 seed.
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UPDATE - Ohio State cannot play at home in the tourney, per NCAA rules (h/t Greg456). But the #1 seed is still up for grabs.
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Ohio State, quite simply, HAS to win their next 13 games. No other way will do. Win the final ten games, then win the Big Ten tourney. And while a majority of the games will be against teams underqualified, at least one (most likely two) of the wins will have to be against Wisconsin, ranked #2 in the AP poll.
So here we go, another "hell of a ride" moment for Ohio State.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers nearly crashed and burned last week. Three straight losses left them clinging to their position as the Eastern Conference leaders, and they were facing a newly-revamped Golden State team.
I was driving home from Columbus, listening to the game...halfway home, we were down 19 points and I was pissed. So I turned the game off. Turned it back on, and they were within 5 points. Then they fell behind by 11 again. So I turned it off. Turned it back on later, and they were within two. Then they fell behind by 9. Holy crap, I'm bad luck! Just in case, I kept the game off and lo-and-behold, they won in overtime!!!!
So I am no longer permitting myself to listen to the Cavs in my car. I'm a superstitious guy.
Tonight, another test for Cleveland. Orlando comes to the Q. Very recently, Orlando was within a half-game of the Cavs in the race for #1. But 5 straight losses have the Magic reeling. The Cavs need to put their foot on Orlando's throat tonight. They need to stomp the life out of them and coast into two easy games against a depleted Philadelphia squad Wednesday and Friday night.
But I honestly had very little time until today. I had a few extended days at work, I drove to Columbus to spend Saturday night with my daughter, and I spent a lot of time painting my living room...scarlet walls, gray door, blinds and switchplates. This week I'll get a frame for my Pittman jersey and a shelf for my autographed football.
Anyway, back to the enjoyment of our Cavaliers and Buckeyes.
Saturday night was a nice little roller-coaster, wasn't it? By the time I put my daughter to bed, the Buckeyes were a few minutes into the second half, and I was able to catch the rest of the game. And it appeared as if the moment that I joined the game was the same exact time that Iowa decided to stop playing. I turned it on, we were up by four points. Not soon after, Greg Oden began dominating inside. There was nobody there to slow him down...nobody at all. When he took the ball through the lane (and no less than three Hawkeye defenders) to an easy slam-dunk, it was almost unfair.
The Buckeyes, now showing what they are capable of, have 10 games left in the regular season, followed by the Big Ten Tournament (which should be three more games for the Bucks). And I am not very worried about most of the upcoming competition. 9 of the final 10 regular-season games are opponents that are not nearly as talented as Ohio State. The tenth opponent is the AP's #2 team, Wisconsin....but it's in Columbus.
As the NCAA Tourney approaches, it's interesting to note that the first two rounds will have games at the Schottenstein Center. So the Buckeyes can have their first two rounds at home....which leaves a mighty challenge to get that coveted #1 seed.
--------------
UPDATE - Ohio State cannot play at home in the tourney, per NCAA rules (h/t Greg456). But the #1 seed is still up for grabs.
--------------
Ohio State, quite simply, HAS to win their next 13 games. No other way will do. Win the final ten games, then win the Big Ten tourney. And while a majority of the games will be against teams underqualified, at least one (most likely two) of the wins will have to be against Wisconsin, ranked #2 in the AP poll.
So here we go, another "hell of a ride" moment for Ohio State.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers nearly crashed and burned last week. Three straight losses left them clinging to their position as the Eastern Conference leaders, and they were facing a newly-revamped Golden State team.
I was driving home from Columbus, listening to the game...halfway home, we were down 19 points and I was pissed. So I turned the game off. Turned it back on, and they were within 5 points. Then they fell behind by 11 again. So I turned it off. Turned it back on later, and they were within two. Then they fell behind by 9. Holy crap, I'm bad luck! Just in case, I kept the game off and lo-and-behold, they won in overtime!!!!
So I am no longer permitting myself to listen to the Cavs in my car. I'm a superstitious guy.
Tonight, another test for Cleveland. Orlando comes to the Q. Very recently, Orlando was within a half-game of the Cavs in the race for #1. But 5 straight losses have the Magic reeling. The Cavs need to put their foot on Orlando's throat tonight. They need to stomp the life out of them and coast into two easy games against a depleted Philadelphia squad Wednesday and Friday night.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Back in the saddle
Like the Cavaliers, I haven't been home much lately....but when I have been home, I've been busy redecorating. Wait until you see the pictures!
Still no time, but I'll post a long entry either later today or tomorrow morning.
Yesterday, both the Buckeyes and Cavs won. Hooray! Cavs made a GREAT comeback from 19 points down to win in OT. Buckeyes had a game going until Iowa ran out of ways to defend Greg Oden. The man's a beast inside.
More later, plus a little news about "the rumor".
Still no time, but I'll post a long entry either later today or tomorrow morning.
Yesterday, both the Buckeyes and Cavs won. Hooray! Cavs made a GREAT comeback from 19 points down to win in OT. Buckeyes had a game going until Iowa ran out of ways to defend Greg Oden. The man's a beast inside.
More later, plus a little news about "the rumor".
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
I spoke too soon
Dammit, I am going to have to learn to stop saying what our record will be if we win the next game. I honestly think it's bad luck. Case in point, losing to the Sonics last night.
Seattle was barely over .500 at home and the Cavaliers are the best team in the East. But yet, we still lost. And frankly, I can't seem to figure out how this one got away from us.
I could go over the stats until I'm blue in the face and I could probably find a few low points that held us down. But the simple fact is, we are LEADING THE EASTERN CONFERENCE. We should NEVER let a game like this one get away from us. And until we learn to beat the teams we are supposed to beat on a consistent basis, we will still be second fiddle to the Pistons and the Spurs of the world.
Anyway, we have another "should win" tonight. The Portland Trailblazers are 15-24 and only 8-12 at home. But the Cavs are 3-7 on the second night of back-to-back games this year. Something's gotta break. Learn to beat the teams you should beat, Cavs......
Meanwhile, in Columbus, the Cavaliers take on the Northwestern Wildcats, who are almost always buried in the lower regions of the Big Ten standings. Eleven Warriors referred to their "Princeton offense", and what that means is that it'll take patience to knock them off. They will play ball-control and use a lot of back-door passes to score. But their leading scorer is on the injury block.
I look for Greg Oden to dominate on offense and he will find himself being worked over on defense. We'll have to go to zone several times, because any thoughts of man-to-man will be shot down with the aforementioned back-door passes and well-executed screens.
Seattle was barely over .500 at home and the Cavaliers are the best team in the East. But yet, we still lost. And frankly, I can't seem to figure out how this one got away from us.
I could go over the stats until I'm blue in the face and I could probably find a few low points that held us down. But the simple fact is, we are LEADING THE EASTERN CONFERENCE. We should NEVER let a game like this one get away from us. And until we learn to beat the teams we are supposed to beat on a consistent basis, we will still be second fiddle to the Pistons and the Spurs of the world.
Anyway, we have another "should win" tonight. The Portland Trailblazers are 15-24 and only 8-12 at home. But the Cavs are 3-7 on the second night of back-to-back games this year. Something's gotta break. Learn to beat the teams you should beat, Cavs......
Meanwhile, in Columbus, the Cavaliers take on the Northwestern Wildcats, who are almost always buried in the lower regions of the Big Ten standings. Eleven Warriors referred to their "Princeton offense", and what that means is that it'll take patience to knock them off. They will play ball-control and use a lot of back-door passes to score. But their leading scorer is on the injury block.
I look for Greg Oden to dominate on offense and he will find himself being worked over on defense. We'll have to go to zone several times, because any thoughts of man-to-man will be shot down with the aforementioned back-door passes and well-executed screens.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Now things are getting interesting!
We're nearing the halfway point of the NBA season, and I'm loving every minute of it so far. If you care to join me, all you need to get excited is a quick glance at the standings.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are in first place in the Eastern Conference, a full 2 games ahead of the Detroit Pistons and the Orlando Magic. Damn, that felt good to write!
Tonight, the Cavs get a chance to extend their lead as they travel to Seattle. The Sonics are not a good team, and the Cavs exposed that last month in a 106-84 blowout. Seattle has lost 14 of their last 18 games and are probably going to lose their lone star Ray Allen in a trade before the deadline....but let's not take this game for granted.
Detroit is idle tonight, so the Cavs can put 2.5 games between themselves and the Pistons.
But here's where it gets interesting.....the Pistons have signed Chris Webber. I'd like to say that I'm not worried because Webber has become a spoiled brat, a cancer in his own way that was overshadowed by Allen Iverson's cancerous attitude. With Iverson's drama gone from Philly, Webber was going to get exposed...and he will, just in a new city. Seriously, do you think Webber will become a good guy around the likes of the Pistons?
Yes, that's what I think will happen....but let's not forget, he's going back to his hometown in Michigan. He's already got a huge fan base in Michigan, having been a member of the Fab Five at UM.
I fear that Webber will be at home in a Pistons uniform and he might be the factor they need to rise up again. So we will have to see.
But Webber said one thing that I must laugh at.....
"This is the best I've felt in three years," Webber told ESPN.com last week. "Now the thing I want to do most is win a championship, put myself back on that kind of level."
Put yourself BACK on that level??? Chris, have you forgotten? You have NEVER won a championship! No NBA team you have played for won a title. The Fab Five NEVER won a championship...no Big Ten titles, and certainly no NCAA titles (or do you need to take a timeout to recall that?)
So seriously, you can't put yourself "back on that kind of level" when you were never on that level to begin with.
Let the games begin.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are in first place in the Eastern Conference, a full 2 games ahead of the Detroit Pistons and the Orlando Magic. Damn, that felt good to write!
Tonight, the Cavs get a chance to extend their lead as they travel to Seattle. The Sonics are not a good team, and the Cavs exposed that last month in a 106-84 blowout. Seattle has lost 14 of their last 18 games and are probably going to lose their lone star Ray Allen in a trade before the deadline....but let's not take this game for granted.
Detroit is idle tonight, so the Cavs can put 2.5 games between themselves and the Pistons.
But here's where it gets interesting.....the Pistons have signed Chris Webber. I'd like to say that I'm not worried because Webber has become a spoiled brat, a cancer in his own way that was overshadowed by Allen Iverson's cancerous attitude. With Iverson's drama gone from Philly, Webber was going to get exposed...and he will, just in a new city. Seriously, do you think Webber will become a good guy around the likes of the Pistons?
Yes, that's what I think will happen....but let's not forget, he's going back to his hometown in Michigan. He's already got a huge fan base in Michigan, having been a member of the Fab Five at UM.
I fear that Webber will be at home in a Pistons uniform and he might be the factor they need to rise up again. So we will have to see.
But Webber said one thing that I must laugh at.....
"This is the best I've felt in three years," Webber told ESPN.com last week. "Now the thing I want to do most is win a championship, put myself back on that kind of level."
Put yourself BACK on that level??? Chris, have you forgotten? You have NEVER won a championship! No NBA team you have played for won a title. The Fab Five NEVER won a championship...no Big Ten titles, and certainly no NCAA titles (or do you need to take a timeout to recall that?)
So seriously, you can't put yourself "back on that kind of level" when you were never on that level to begin with.
Let the games begin.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Sigh....oh, well
So by now you've heard the news. Antonio Pittman and Ted Ginn Jr. have declared themselves eligible for the NFL draft. I honestly thought we'd keep Pitt for one more year. Oh, and by the way, was that a FUCKING GATOR on his hat during the announcement????
Ginn's announcement adds fuel to the fire that I seemingly have stoked with my posting of the infamous "nasty little rumor" a few days ago. Let me state this again....I do not take stock on either side of the "is it true" argument. Nor do I think it would have made a difference in the BCS Title Game. I just think it's interesting, and to be honest, I would have been torn on what I would do if my son were Ted Ginn Jr. Sure, I'd want him to play every single down in the title game for my Buckeyes, but unless Lloyd's Of London had set me up with an awesome insurance policy, I'd be tempted to have him sit out on a tender foot.
Either way, the blogs (well, not the blogs, but their readers) are tearing me apart for supposedly making the story up, or they claim I am trying to use it as an excuse for OSU's loss. To that, I laugh.
Anyway, I propose an overhaul on offense next year. Start Boeckman for the first few games, and work Antonio Henton in at QB as soon as possible. Robiskie and Hartline at WR, Beanie Wells and Saine at RB. No, we won't go 12-0, but we could go 8-4 or 9-3 and set ourselves up perfectly for 2008 and 2009.
Of course, that's not my call and I will always leave my trust in the able hands of Jim Tressel. But it's what I'd do at least.
Ginn's announcement adds fuel to the fire that I seemingly have stoked with my posting of the infamous "nasty little rumor" a few days ago. Let me state this again....I do not take stock on either side of the "is it true" argument. Nor do I think it would have made a difference in the BCS Title Game. I just think it's interesting, and to be honest, I would have been torn on what I would do if my son were Ted Ginn Jr. Sure, I'd want him to play every single down in the title game for my Buckeyes, but unless Lloyd's Of London had set me up with an awesome insurance policy, I'd be tempted to have him sit out on a tender foot.
Either way, the blogs (well, not the blogs, but their readers) are tearing me apart for supposedly making the story up, or they claim I am trying to use it as an excuse for OSU's loss. To that, I laugh.
Anyway, I propose an overhaul on offense next year. Start Boeckman for the first few games, and work Antonio Henton in at QB as soon as possible. Robiskie and Hartline at WR, Beanie Wells and Saine at RB. No, we won't go 12-0, but we could go 8-4 or 9-3 and set ourselves up perfectly for 2008 and 2009.
Of course, that's not my call and I will always leave my trust in the able hands of Jim Tressel. But it's what I'd do at least.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Antonio Pittman, and "Now that's more like it!"
Two topics for me today (other than the Ted Ginn rumor blowing up, that is...my little 70-hits-a-day blog has had over 1,700 hits in the past 48 hours.
First, Antonio Pittman. I think he's going to stay at Ohio State. He's "the man" next year if he stays, instead of being an excellent player who gets 4th or 5th billing on a team of superstars, like he was this season. Plus, I'm not convinced he's ready for the NFL. I know he's got the capability, but he hasn't yet been the centerpiece like most high-profile NFL running backs have had to be in their college years. Just my opinion.
Next, I liked what I saw on Saturday. Both Ohio State and the Cavaliers won, and they both looked good in their wins.
The Buckeyes went up early and stayed in the lead until late in the second half. Tennessee is a ranked team (FINALLY we got to play one of those at home), and when they fought back to take the lead, I feared the worst. But the Buckeyes would not fold, and when trailing with under a minute to play, they asserted themselves against a very good Volunteer defense. After a horrible week to be a Buckeye, our boys made us proud to wear the scarelt and gray again.
Ohio State stays at home for the rest of the week, taking on Northwestern (10-7, 0-4) on Wednesday night, and Iowa (10-7, 2-1) on Saturday night. The Bucks should win both games, and probably won't have a challenge until the take on 15-4 Michigan State the following Saturday night.
Meanwhile, the Cavs needed a huge lift to their spirits after getting defeated so easily at Phoenix. But the Clippers are one of the best NBA teams at home, and they were not going to go quietly.
You knew LeBron James would come up big, as he always does. He pumped in 28 points to go with 6 boards and 6 assists. But when you want to challenge for a title, you need support for your superstar. Z and Eric Snow gave us just that kind of support, as they scored 20 and 18 points, respectively. Hell, even the Wild Thing pulled down 12 rebounds to lead both teams. That kind of teamwork needs to be executed nightly. If we can play like that, I'm confident in this teams' chances.
The Cavs hold a 1.5 game lead over the Pistons in the Eastern Conference as we near the end of the first half of the season. They are at Seattle and at Portland on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Sonics are a dismal 14-25 and only 10-9 at home. The Blazers are slightly better at 15-23 overall, and a shocking 8-11 at home. The Cavs should be favored in both games, but Portland scares me because it's the back end of two games in two days. The Cavs do not perform well on the 2nd game in 2 days, going 3-7 under said circumstances.
Frankly, I look for this week to be good to both the Buckeyes and the Cavs.
First, Antonio Pittman. I think he's going to stay at Ohio State. He's "the man" next year if he stays, instead of being an excellent player who gets 4th or 5th billing on a team of superstars, like he was this season. Plus, I'm not convinced he's ready for the NFL. I know he's got the capability, but he hasn't yet been the centerpiece like most high-profile NFL running backs have had to be in their college years. Just my opinion.
Next, I liked what I saw on Saturday. Both Ohio State and the Cavaliers won, and they both looked good in their wins.
The Buckeyes went up early and stayed in the lead until late in the second half. Tennessee is a ranked team (FINALLY we got to play one of those at home), and when they fought back to take the lead, I feared the worst. But the Buckeyes would not fold, and when trailing with under a minute to play, they asserted themselves against a very good Volunteer defense. After a horrible week to be a Buckeye, our boys made us proud to wear the scarelt and gray again.
Ohio State stays at home for the rest of the week, taking on Northwestern (10-7, 0-4) on Wednesday night, and Iowa (10-7, 2-1) on Saturday night. The Bucks should win both games, and probably won't have a challenge until the take on 15-4 Michigan State the following Saturday night.
Meanwhile, the Cavs needed a huge lift to their spirits after getting defeated so easily at Phoenix. But the Clippers are one of the best NBA teams at home, and they were not going to go quietly.
You knew LeBron James would come up big, as he always does. He pumped in 28 points to go with 6 boards and 6 assists. But when you want to challenge for a title, you need support for your superstar. Z and Eric Snow gave us just that kind of support, as they scored 20 and 18 points, respectively. Hell, even the Wild Thing pulled down 12 rebounds to lead both teams. That kind of teamwork needs to be executed nightly. If we can play like that, I'm confident in this teams' chances.
The Cavs hold a 1.5 game lead over the Pistons in the Eastern Conference as we near the end of the first half of the season. They are at Seattle and at Portland on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Sonics are a dismal 14-25 and only 10-9 at home. The Blazers are slightly better at 15-23 overall, and a shocking 8-11 at home. The Cavs should be favored in both games, but Portland scares me because it's the back end of two games in two days. The Cavs do not perform well on the 2nd game in 2 days, going 3-7 under said circumstances.
Frankly, I look for this week to be good to both the Buckeyes and the Cavs.
Friday, January 12, 2007
You ain't got no alibi
Well, that was ugly.
Actually, it wasn't looking too bad until about 5 minutes remained in the first half. At that point it was 46-39, and the Cavs had managed to stay within 7 points the entire half. They had yet to make a big run and were keeping the powerful Suns close. Then the big run came....but it wasn't the Cavs who made the run.
The Suns scored 21 points over the final 5 minutes of the half. The Cavs scored 2. The Cavaliers never threatened Phoenix again.
So what does this mean to the Cavs and their title run? Frankly, not a damn thing. They weren't supposed to win this game, and they will learn from their play. But what WILL mean something is if they don't pick up the pieces immediately. Saturday night, they play in Los Angeles against the Clippers. L.A. is only 17-19, but that's due to a horrific road record. They are 12-6 at the Staples Center, and they are returning from a 6-game road trip.
We need to rebound strong and win this one. We cannot afford a slump now.
Actually, it wasn't looking too bad until about 5 minutes remained in the first half. At that point it was 46-39, and the Cavs had managed to stay within 7 points the entire half. They had yet to make a big run and were keeping the powerful Suns close. Then the big run came....but it wasn't the Cavs who made the run.
The Suns scored 21 points over the final 5 minutes of the half. The Cavs scored 2. The Cavaliers never threatened Phoenix again.
So what does this mean to the Cavs and their title run? Frankly, not a damn thing. They weren't supposed to win this game, and they will learn from their play. But what WILL mean something is if they don't pick up the pieces immediately. Saturday night, they play in Los Angeles against the Clippers. L.A. is only 17-19, but that's due to a horrific road record. They are 12-6 at the Staples Center, and they are returning from a 6-game road trip.
We need to rebound strong and win this one. We cannot afford a slump now.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
A nasty little rumor
UPDATE --- I've been reading many blogs over the past few days, as this rumor has heated up. Nobody, including myself, will claim that Ohio State lost because of Ginn's injury. I have never made excuses for the defeat...we got beat. Period. The discussion on the topic is interesting to me, but that's all it is...discussion.
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I heard something today...and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I have a couple of friends inside the Ohio State football locker room, and apparently "something" happened on the sidelines of the game Monday night.
I will not be revealing my sources, but I will assure you that they are good enough for me. Debate what you hear as you wish, deny or confirm the existence of this rumor, whatever you want. I'm passing on what I have been told.
As you may or may not have known, Ted Ginn Jr has been playing all year with a fractured bone in his foot. Early reports discussed a bad toe, but were never explored in-depth.
Anyway, one play into the BCS Title Game, Roy Hall rolled up Ginn's foot and sent Ginn limping to the locker room for tests. Later in the quarter, Ginn came running back onto the sidelines, clearly anxious to return.
The rumor says that Ginn's father, upon seeing his son ready to play again, sought out Junior and told him that he would NOT be entering into the game again. Words along the lines of "you're in the draft after this game" and "it's not that important". Ginn sported a pair of crutches in the 2nd half.
I am not going to take issue with it. IF it happened, I can understand why he forbade his son to play. Millions of dollars a year....yeah, that's tempting enough for me to say that to my son. And IF it happened, it upsets me a little bit for reasons I can't properly assess.
I hope it didn't happen. But it's the info I have and I felt it necessary to share.
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I heard something today...and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I have a couple of friends inside the Ohio State football locker room, and apparently "something" happened on the sidelines of the game Monday night.
I will not be revealing my sources, but I will assure you that they are good enough for me. Debate what you hear as you wish, deny or confirm the existence of this rumor, whatever you want. I'm passing on what I have been told.
As you may or may not have known, Ted Ginn Jr has been playing all year with a fractured bone in his foot. Early reports discussed a bad toe, but were never explored in-depth.
Anyway, one play into the BCS Title Game, Roy Hall rolled up Ginn's foot and sent Ginn limping to the locker room for tests. Later in the quarter, Ginn came running back onto the sidelines, clearly anxious to return.
The rumor says that Ginn's father, upon seeing his son ready to play again, sought out Junior and told him that he would NOT be entering into the game again. Words along the lines of "you're in the draft after this game" and "it's not that important". Ginn sported a pair of crutches in the 2nd half.
I am not going to take issue with it. IF it happened, I can understand why he forbade his son to play. Millions of dollars a year....yeah, that's tempting enough for me to say that to my son. And IF it happened, it upsets me a little bit for reasons I can't properly assess.
I hope it didn't happen. But it's the info I have and I felt it necessary to share.
The state of the team (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Obviously, if you're a Cavs fan, you know where the team stands right now. But this is a new chapter of The BBC, so I've got to start fresh.
Historically, the Cavaliers are a streaky team. Fortunately, the Cavs opened up this season with a win streak against some rather formidable opponents, including Washington, San Antonio, and Chicago. They opened up with a 7-2 record.
Then came the losing streak. The Cavaliers lost 5 of their next 8 games, their record slipping to 10-7.
Back and forth it went, as a win streak came next. Cleveland won 4 of their next 5 games, but followed it up with three straight losses, including a humiliating defeat at home against Detroit. They stood at 14-11, in my opinion a VERY crappy record for a team that came a rebound away from the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
But since that loss against the Pistons, the Cavaliers have lost just one game, while winning eight. This is clearly the highest point of the season, and it shows in the standings. The Cavs are leading the Eastern Conference by a game (and leading the NBA Champion Miami Heat by a full 7 games). The Cavs even knocked off San Antonio again, sweeping the season series from the NBA's third-best team.
If you pay attention to the local sportscasters, you've heard all the discussion about this being a crucial 7-game west-coast swing for the Wine and Gold. Tuesday night, we started off on the right foot, taking down Sacramento by ten points.
Later tonight, the toughest game of the road trip takes place. The Cavs travel to Phoenix to take on the Suns, who stand at 26-8 and 15-3 at home. This one is not supposed to go our way....but if it does, it is a huge step towards greatness and the Cavs need this. Believe it or not, a win over the Suns sets us up for a 7-game sweep on the road trip. Only one team left on the trip has a record over .500 (Denver, at 17-16).
So I will be firmly planted in front of the screen at 1030 Thursday night. This game could be the building block upon which a championship is built. Or it could be another dagger in the heart. Chances are it'll be neither, but it has potential.....
UPDATE - The Cavs remain a game ahead of Orlando, and extend their lead over Detroit to 1.5 games. The Pistons lost last night to Charlotte....at home. The Hornets are now 10-23. They were 3-12 on the road heading into the game, and the Pistons lost to them. Folks, Detroit is reeling, having lost 5 of their last 7 games. NOW is the time to bury them. Win this huge game tonight, and you begin to put some distance between the two teams.
Historically, the Cavaliers are a streaky team. Fortunately, the Cavs opened up this season with a win streak against some rather formidable opponents, including Washington, San Antonio, and Chicago. They opened up with a 7-2 record.
Then came the losing streak. The Cavaliers lost 5 of their next 8 games, their record slipping to 10-7.
Back and forth it went, as a win streak came next. Cleveland won 4 of their next 5 games, but followed it up with three straight losses, including a humiliating defeat at home against Detroit. They stood at 14-11, in my opinion a VERY crappy record for a team that came a rebound away from the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
But since that loss against the Pistons, the Cavaliers have lost just one game, while winning eight. This is clearly the highest point of the season, and it shows in the standings. The Cavs are leading the Eastern Conference by a game (and leading the NBA Champion Miami Heat by a full 7 games). The Cavs even knocked off San Antonio again, sweeping the season series from the NBA's third-best team.
If you pay attention to the local sportscasters, you've heard all the discussion about this being a crucial 7-game west-coast swing for the Wine and Gold. Tuesday night, we started off on the right foot, taking down Sacramento by ten points.
Later tonight, the toughest game of the road trip takes place. The Cavs travel to Phoenix to take on the Suns, who stand at 26-8 and 15-3 at home. This one is not supposed to go our way....but if it does, it is a huge step towards greatness and the Cavs need this. Believe it or not, a win over the Suns sets us up for a 7-game sweep on the road trip. Only one team left on the trip has a record over .500 (Denver, at 17-16).
So I will be firmly planted in front of the screen at 1030 Thursday night. This game could be the building block upon which a championship is built. Or it could be another dagger in the heart. Chances are it'll be neither, but it has potential.....
UPDATE - The Cavs remain a game ahead of Orlando, and extend their lead over Detroit to 1.5 games. The Pistons lost last night to Charlotte....at home. The Hornets are now 10-23. They were 3-12 on the road heading into the game, and the Pistons lost to them. Folks, Detroit is reeling, having lost 5 of their last 7 games. NOW is the time to bury them. Win this huge game tonight, and you begin to put some distance between the two teams.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
The future of The BBC
A lot of people want to know what this blog will become now that the season/bowls are over. Well, not a lot of people, but January (my ex-girlfriend) asked me, and that's good enough for me to post on it.
I will continue on by blogging about Ohio State basketball and the Cleveland Cavaliers. These are two incredible teams who will be fun to spotlight. By the way, did anybody notice that the Cavaliers are leading the Eastern Conference by 1 game??? Hell, yeah.
Also, if I find something worth passing along, I will post it also.
In other words, don't go away. I won't.
In recent months, I have found that my readers include the people who run the best Ohio State blogs in the biz. It started with JD Arney from Around The Oval, and has entended to Pfef, PoJo, sportsMonkey, Andy, Eleven Warriors, Penalty Kill....and damn, I could keep going. If I didn't name you, it's because there are SO MANY Buckeye bloggers who are incredible, and my memory is shot. Anyway, I'd like you all to know that your writing inspired me to start The BBC, and knowing that my work is appreciated by you keeps me going.
So here I go with my evolution of the BBC.....
Cavs won tonight. They remain a game up on Detroit.
Buckeyes lost to Wisconsin. Nearly took it to OT, but just came up short.
That's it for now. I'm still hungover from that game Monday night. I need a day more to get back into character.
I will continue on by blogging about Ohio State basketball and the Cleveland Cavaliers. These are two incredible teams who will be fun to spotlight. By the way, did anybody notice that the Cavaliers are leading the Eastern Conference by 1 game??? Hell, yeah.
Also, if I find something worth passing along, I will post it also.
In other words, don't go away. I won't.
In recent months, I have found that my readers include the people who run the best Ohio State blogs in the biz. It started with JD Arney from Around The Oval, and has entended to Pfef, PoJo, sportsMonkey, Andy, Eleven Warriors, Penalty Kill....and damn, I could keep going. If I didn't name you, it's because there are SO MANY Buckeye bloggers who are incredible, and my memory is shot. Anyway, I'd like you all to know that your writing inspired me to start The BBC, and knowing that my work is appreciated by you keeps me going.
So here I go with my evolution of the BBC.....
Cavs won tonight. They remain a game up on Detroit.
Buckeyes lost to Wisconsin. Nearly took it to OT, but just came up short.
That's it for now. I'm still hungover from that game Monday night. I need a day more to get back into character.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
It's all my fault
I hereby take the blame for Ohio State's horrific loss last night. I can explain why.
Karma decided to kick my ass as payback for Texas and Iowa fans. Somewhere, someone is making an "Ohio State had a bad day" video. It'll suck because it'll be created by an amateur with no skills, but it's still being put together right now. I can just feel it happening.
OK, so what really happened? I can't honestly say. The whole night is a big blur. I cannot look back and recall any single play after the 14:44 mark of the first quarter. But I know that when Ginn got hurt, something disappeared. Nothing was sharp. Nothing was executed properly. Pittman looked good, and that was it.
So I'll just come out and say it.
Florida manhandled us. They looked good and made all the right moves. They brought their A game, and we barely played our B game.
Today, I will wear my new Pittman jersey. For I am proud to be a Buckeye, and I ALWAYS will be.
By the way, at least I know my blog is more popular than I thought. The barrage of people who decided to leave comments (which all got the big reject) was quite impressive. Leaving the comments anonymously was the extra touch of bravery, by the way.
Karma decided to kick my ass as payback for Texas and Iowa fans. Somewhere, someone is making an "Ohio State had a bad day" video. It'll suck because it'll be created by an amateur with no skills, but it's still being put together right now. I can just feel it happening.
OK, so what really happened? I can't honestly say. The whole night is a big blur. I cannot look back and recall any single play after the 14:44 mark of the first quarter. But I know that when Ginn got hurt, something disappeared. Nothing was sharp. Nothing was executed properly. Pittman looked good, and that was it.
So I'll just come out and say it.
Florida manhandled us. They looked good and made all the right moves. They brought their A game, and we barely played our B game.
Today, I will wear my new Pittman jersey. For I am proud to be a Buckeye, and I ALWAYS will be.
By the way, at least I know my blog is more popular than I thought. The barrage of people who decided to leave comments (which all got the big reject) was quite impressive. Leaving the comments anonymously was the extra touch of bravery, by the way.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
The final bowl game of the season
I had planned to write a large preview of the BCS National Championship game tomorrow...but now I have to work all day and won't have time. So today's the day!
Before I begin, I think the best in-depth-yet-still-brief preview you can find is from MotSaG (as usual). It's well worth the read, and don't be shocked if I borrow a few important points from the Men.
The BCS National Championship Game
Ohio State (12-0) vs. Florida (12-1)
First, let me vent.
MotSaG brought up an interesting point regarding a multitude of prognosticators calling the game for Florida and their various reasons. And as I read those reasons, which include "southern speed", Heisman jinxes, extended layoffs between games, and the SEC being better than the Big Ten, I became infuriated.
Seriously, in the history of college football, has there ever been a team that was a wire-to-wire #1 that gets less respect than Ohio State? For crying out loud, how many #2 teams do we have to knock off before we get the accolades for it? How many other bowl teams do we have to beat by 20, 30, and 40 points before somebody says "this is the best team in college football this year"?? And yes, we did beat bowl teams by that much. Of bowl teams, we beat Michigan by 3 points, Texas by 17, Iowa by 21, Penn State by 22, Northern Illinois by 23, Cincinnati by 30 and Minnesota by 44. When you beat EVERY bowl team you play by an AVERAGE of 23 points per game, that should earn more promotion than a supposed Heisman jinx, predicated on Vinnie Testaverde choking against Penn State in the late 80s.
OK, enough venting. Now for my genuine (although extremely biased) anaylsis. Hey, I went to Ohio State and I run this blog. I can be biased if I want.
Ohio State earned their trip to this game with incredible and solid play all year long. Florida cannot repeat that claim.
Florida did not earn their trip. They backed in. They got in because Michigan couldn't close the deal. They got in because USC choked. They got in because nobody else wanted it bad enough.
But that's not to say they are not a great team, because they are. They do have a lot of speed, their defense is strong, and they (most of the year) made the plays they needed to make in order to win big games. I just don't believe that their strengths will be enough to overcome Ohio State's strengths.
When Florida has the ball
Florida does not have a particularly strong rushing game. Their two best rushers are DeShawn Wynn (53 yards per game) and Tim Tebow (33 yards per game), and Tebow won't be in the game most of the time. He's a second-team QB who gets put in to run the ball, in what could be the worst case of telegraphing plays I've ever seen.. Add to all of this the fact that Ohio State has the 15th-best rush defense in the NCAA, and you can envision Florida being unable to use the run to set up the pass.
Florida's biggest offensive threat is their passing game, and we will be able to key on that. Chris Leak was once a Heisman candidate, and he is one of the better QBs we will see all year. So we have to key on him. As Leak goes, so go the Gators. And if he starts out strong, we will have to pull back on rush D to buckle down on him.
When Ohio State has the ball
Clearly, Ohio State's biggest strength is their passing game. Troy Smith didn't win the Heisman Trophy by accident, and he simply does not disappoint in big games. Ask Michigan. Or Texas. Or Michigan. Or Notre Dame. Or Michigan. But even worse for Florida is that Smith is not alone. 5 solid WRs and a backfield to throw to make us the hardest team to defend against the pass. So Florida will need a LOT more help on defense than Reggie Nelson can provide. Ask Leon Hall about that one. And this is where the game will be decided.
Florida has the 48th-ranked pass defense in the NCAA.
Think about that. 48th against the pass.
Notre Dame has the 47th-best pass defense in the NCAA. Notre Freaking Dame's pass D is statistically better than Florida's. Have you EVER heard anybody with integrity say "damn, that Notre Dame pass defense is good"???
If Ohio State can spread the offense out and open it up like they did so successfully down the stretch, they should win their 8th National Championship.
When OSU needs to run the ball, they've got a lot of weapons to choose from. Antonio Pittman has nearly 1,200 yards and is the workhorse. Chris Wells is just shy of 600 yards in his freshman campaign, and really showed his big-game capability in The Game. Add to that the under-used Troy Smith's rushing attack and you have a complete team. Only problem is that Florida has the 6th-best rushing defense in the NCAA.
Ohio State hasn't played a team with as good of a rushing defense since....the last game they played, when they beat #1 Michigan. And for good measure, they also beat #3 Texas.
Season schedule
Ohio State has been attacked for a weak schedule. God only knows why, but they have. Yet, beating two #2-ranked teams by an average of 10 points, beating 7 bowl teams by an average of 23 points, and blowing out the lower-echelon opponents by an average of 30 points per game is what a championship team SHOULD do.
Florida's schedule is good, but I just don't buy into the whole SEC supremacy argument. So I refuse to look at Florida's schedule through rose-colored glasses.
- A 1-point win against Tennessee....meh. Penn State beat 'em by 10.
- A 6-point win against Vanderbilt....meh. Michigan beat 'em by 20.
- A 1-point win against South Carolina....big meh. A kicker who doesn't wet himself involuntarily would have won that game.
- A squeaker against Florida State.....meh. Any other year, I'd be impressed. Not when FSU goes 7-6 though.
- And that Auburn game. You do remember they lost that one, don't you? By 10. And they choked it up big time there. Hell, Auburn scored ZERO points on offense, and still beat the almighty Florida.
I've been scared going into Ohio State games this year. Texas frightened me. Iowa worried me. Michigan gave me nightmares. Florida just concerns me. That's all.
Give me Jim Tressel with a team loaded with talent, and I'll give you a championship.
Ohio State wins this one and brings home their second BCS Championship, the first team to win the BCS twice.
Ohio State 34
Florida 24
Oh, and one last thing. I cheered for Michigan in the Rose Bowl, like I do EVERY year when they play a bowl game. That's what Big Ten fans do...at least the ones who "get it". When Ohio State wins this game, I fully expect a blogswarm to the M-Zone, for their public support of Florida, a team they claimed to hate just four days ago. Attack, attack, attack.
Before I begin, I think the best in-depth-yet-still-brief preview you can find is from MotSaG (as usual). It's well worth the read, and don't be shocked if I borrow a few important points from the Men.
The BCS National Championship Game
Ohio State (12-0) vs. Florida (12-1)
First, let me vent.
MotSaG brought up an interesting point regarding a multitude of prognosticators calling the game for Florida and their various reasons. And as I read those reasons, which include "southern speed", Heisman jinxes, extended layoffs between games, and the SEC being better than the Big Ten, I became infuriated.
Seriously, in the history of college football, has there ever been a team that was a wire-to-wire #1 that gets less respect than Ohio State? For crying out loud, how many #2 teams do we have to knock off before we get the accolades for it? How many other bowl teams do we have to beat by 20, 30, and 40 points before somebody says "this is the best team in college football this year"?? And yes, we did beat bowl teams by that much. Of bowl teams, we beat Michigan by 3 points, Texas by 17, Iowa by 21, Penn State by 22, Northern Illinois by 23, Cincinnati by 30 and Minnesota by 44. When you beat EVERY bowl team you play by an AVERAGE of 23 points per game, that should earn more promotion than a supposed Heisman jinx, predicated on Vinnie Testaverde choking against Penn State in the late 80s.
OK, enough venting. Now for my genuine (although extremely biased) anaylsis. Hey, I went to Ohio State and I run this blog. I can be biased if I want.
Ohio State earned their trip to this game with incredible and solid play all year long. Florida cannot repeat that claim.
Florida did not earn their trip. They backed in. They got in because Michigan couldn't close the deal. They got in because USC choked. They got in because nobody else wanted it bad enough.
But that's not to say they are not a great team, because they are. They do have a lot of speed, their defense is strong, and they (most of the year) made the plays they needed to make in order to win big games. I just don't believe that their strengths will be enough to overcome Ohio State's strengths.
When Florida has the ball
Florida does not have a particularly strong rushing game. Their two best rushers are DeShawn Wynn (53 yards per game) and Tim Tebow (33 yards per game), and Tebow won't be in the game most of the time. He's a second-team QB who gets put in to run the ball, in what could be the worst case of telegraphing plays I've ever seen.. Add to all of this the fact that Ohio State has the 15th-best rush defense in the NCAA, and you can envision Florida being unable to use the run to set up the pass.
Florida's biggest offensive threat is their passing game, and we will be able to key on that. Chris Leak was once a Heisman candidate, and he is one of the better QBs we will see all year. So we have to key on him. As Leak goes, so go the Gators. And if he starts out strong, we will have to pull back on rush D to buckle down on him.
When Ohio State has the ball
Clearly, Ohio State's biggest strength is their passing game. Troy Smith didn't win the Heisman Trophy by accident, and he simply does not disappoint in big games. Ask Michigan. Or Texas. Or Michigan. Or Notre Dame. Or Michigan. But even worse for Florida is that Smith is not alone. 5 solid WRs and a backfield to throw to make us the hardest team to defend against the pass. So Florida will need a LOT more help on defense than Reggie Nelson can provide. Ask Leon Hall about that one. And this is where the game will be decided.
Florida has the 48th-ranked pass defense in the NCAA.
Think about that. 48th against the pass.
Notre Dame has the 47th-best pass defense in the NCAA. Notre Freaking Dame's pass D is statistically better than Florida's. Have you EVER heard anybody with integrity say "damn, that Notre Dame pass defense is good"???
If Ohio State can spread the offense out and open it up like they did so successfully down the stretch, they should win their 8th National Championship.
When OSU needs to run the ball, they've got a lot of weapons to choose from. Antonio Pittman has nearly 1,200 yards and is the workhorse. Chris Wells is just shy of 600 yards in his freshman campaign, and really showed his big-game capability in The Game. Add to that the under-used Troy Smith's rushing attack and you have a complete team. Only problem is that Florida has the 6th-best rushing defense in the NCAA.
Ohio State hasn't played a team with as good of a rushing defense since....the last game they played, when they beat #1 Michigan. And for good measure, they also beat #3 Texas.
Season schedule
Ohio State has been attacked for a weak schedule. God only knows why, but they have. Yet, beating two #2-ranked teams by an average of 10 points, beating 7 bowl teams by an average of 23 points, and blowing out the lower-echelon opponents by an average of 30 points per game is what a championship team SHOULD do.
Florida's schedule is good, but I just don't buy into the whole SEC supremacy argument. So I refuse to look at Florida's schedule through rose-colored glasses.
- A 1-point win against Tennessee....meh. Penn State beat 'em by 10.
- A 6-point win against Vanderbilt....meh. Michigan beat 'em by 20.
- A 1-point win against South Carolina....big meh. A kicker who doesn't wet himself involuntarily would have won that game.
- A squeaker against Florida State.....meh. Any other year, I'd be impressed. Not when FSU goes 7-6 though.
- And that Auburn game. You do remember they lost that one, don't you? By 10. And they choked it up big time there. Hell, Auburn scored ZERO points on offense, and still beat the almighty Florida.
I've been scared going into Ohio State games this year. Texas frightened me. Iowa worried me. Michigan gave me nightmares. Florida just concerns me. That's all.
Give me Jim Tressel with a team loaded with talent, and I'll give you a championship.
Ohio State wins this one and brings home their second BCS Championship, the first team to win the BCS twice.
Ohio State 34
Florida 24
Oh, and one last thing. I cheered for Michigan in the Rose Bowl, like I do EVERY year when they play a bowl game. That's what Big Ten fans do...at least the ones who "get it". When Ohio State wins this game, I fully expect a blogswarm to the M-Zone, for their public support of Florida, a team they claimed to hate just four days ago. Attack, attack, attack.
Friday, January 05, 2007
29 down, 3 to go
OK, I'm going to make these quick because I'm somewhat offended that lower-status bowls get played after BCS bowls. That's not right...the best ten teams should be the LAST ten teams to play.
International Bowl
Cincinnati (7-5) vs. Western Michigan (8-4)
Western Michigan has a lot of weaponry on offense...or at least ESPN says so. They're expected to win this game, especially since Cincinnati is without their head coach, Mark Dantonio, who headed off to Michigan State early.
But I've been looking at WMU's schedule and wondering about it. I see no quality wins, except for knocking off Virginia in Week 3, 17-10. They got pounded 31-7 by Central Michigan, who then sent their head coach to take over Cincinnati's program, and they lost to Ohio U. So when it comes down to it, they lost to the best schools in the MAC.
Cincinnati spent the first few weeks of the season being everybody's punching bag. Blown out 37-7 by Ohio State. 33-15 to Pitt. 29-13 to Virginia Tech. But then something happened. They started to come together. They were 16 yards away from knocking off Louisville before falling 23-17, and then they humiliated Rutgers 30-11, ending their perfect season.
I've gotta say it, new coach or not, Cincinnati came together and learned how to play in big games down the stretch. They're not a great team, but they have played enough big games that they won't get their heads caught in the clouds.
Plus, I've gotta go with Ohio teams.
Cincinnati 30
W. Michigan 20
-------------------------------
GMAC Bowl
Ohio (9-4) vs. Southern Miss (8-5)
Well, I don't know where to go with this one. I've seen them both play and I think both teams make me shrug my shoulders and say "meh".
Ohio rattled off 7 wins in a row before losing badly in the MAC title game.
Southern Miss played 5 teams that went on to Bowl Games. They went 0-5.
Make it 0-6 after Sunday night. Frank Solich has his boys in a bowl and they're excited about it. National TV with nothing else on at all during their time slot? Oh, yeah. They'll be pumped.
Plus, I've gotta go with Ohio teams.
Ohio 28
S. Miss 27
International Bowl
Cincinnati (7-5) vs. Western Michigan (8-4)
Western Michigan has a lot of weaponry on offense...or at least ESPN says so. They're expected to win this game, especially since Cincinnati is without their head coach, Mark Dantonio, who headed off to Michigan State early.
But I've been looking at WMU's schedule and wondering about it. I see no quality wins, except for knocking off Virginia in Week 3, 17-10. They got pounded 31-7 by Central Michigan, who then sent their head coach to take over Cincinnati's program, and they lost to Ohio U. So when it comes down to it, they lost to the best schools in the MAC.
Cincinnati spent the first few weeks of the season being everybody's punching bag. Blown out 37-7 by Ohio State. 33-15 to Pitt. 29-13 to Virginia Tech. But then something happened. They started to come together. They were 16 yards away from knocking off Louisville before falling 23-17, and then they humiliated Rutgers 30-11, ending their perfect season.
I've gotta say it, new coach or not, Cincinnati came together and learned how to play in big games down the stretch. They're not a great team, but they have played enough big games that they won't get their heads caught in the clouds.
Plus, I've gotta go with Ohio teams.
Cincinnati 30
W. Michigan 20
-------------------------------
GMAC Bowl
Ohio (9-4) vs. Southern Miss (8-5)
Well, I don't know where to go with this one. I've seen them both play and I think both teams make me shrug my shoulders and say "meh".
Ohio rattled off 7 wins in a row before losing badly in the MAC title game.
Southern Miss played 5 teams that went on to Bowl Games. They went 0-5.
Make it 0-6 after Sunday night. Frank Solich has his boys in a bowl and they're excited about it. National TV with nothing else on at all during their time slot? Oh, yeah. They'll be pumped.
Plus, I've gotta go with Ohio teams.
Ohio 28
S. Miss 27
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Putting an end to the myth
It's the middle of the night right now. Three hours ago, I watched the final moments of LSU's win over Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. It was embarrassing, but not unexpected. It was a complete travesty of what the BCS should be. Notre Dame has no business being on the field of a Bowl Championship Series game.
But more than anything, it should put an end to the myth that Charlie Weis is a great college coach. He's not. Far from it.
When Weis was hired, he was hailed as a master, a genius, the savior of the Irish. To this day, he is still discussed in such terms on national television. And it's time that this comes to an end. Weis cannot win the big game, in fact he cannot even come CLOSE to winning a game against a big team.
In his two years as head coach of the Irish, Weis has lost six games. His losses?
Michigan State, at South Bend, 44-41
USC, at South Bend, 34-31
Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, 34-20
Michigan, at South Bend, 47-21
USC, at Los Angeles, 44-24
LSU in the Sugar Bowl, 41-14
Take another look at the scores of those games. ND gave up AT LEAST 34 points in every game. Ohio State scored the LEAST of all those teams, and you watched that game....ND was not in the game at all.
His wins against big-name schools?
Michigan in 2005, who finished the year 7-5.
Tennessee in 2005, who finished the year 5-6.
Pittsburgh in 2005, who finished the year 5-6.
Georgia Tech in 2006, who finished the year 9-5.
Penn State in 2006, who finished the year 9-4.
That's it. Every "big win" was against a team that had 4-6 losses the same year. THAT, my friends, is NOT the work of a genius.
His other wins, by the way?
Stanford, Stanford, Syracuse, Navy, Navy, BYU, Army, Air Force, Washington, Purdue, Purdue, Michigan State, UCLA, and North Carolina.
Please, college football broadcasters, for the sake of your own reputation, it's time to retire the word "genius" when it comes to Weis' tenure at Notre Dame. He's just not.
Believe me, nothing makes me happier than to see Notre Dame get humiliated on national TV. But nothing infuriates me more than hearing how Godlike their coach is DURING the massive destruction.
For the love of God, let it go. He's no longer a great college coach. He had success in the NFL.....under another man's leadership. But that's it. He's void of a college resume that can qualify him as brilliant, and until he achieves one, please cease and desist your high praise. Save it for a more deserving object of praise.
But more than anything, it should put an end to the myth that Charlie Weis is a great college coach. He's not. Far from it.
When Weis was hired, he was hailed as a master, a genius, the savior of the Irish. To this day, he is still discussed in such terms on national television. And it's time that this comes to an end. Weis cannot win the big game, in fact he cannot even come CLOSE to winning a game against a big team.
In his two years as head coach of the Irish, Weis has lost six games. His losses?
Michigan State, at South Bend, 44-41
USC, at South Bend, 34-31
Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, 34-20
Michigan, at South Bend, 47-21
USC, at Los Angeles, 44-24
LSU in the Sugar Bowl, 41-14
Take another look at the scores of those games. ND gave up AT LEAST 34 points in every game. Ohio State scored the LEAST of all those teams, and you watched that game....ND was not in the game at all.
His wins against big-name schools?
Michigan in 2005, who finished the year 7-5.
Tennessee in 2005, who finished the year 5-6.
Pittsburgh in 2005, who finished the year 5-6.
Georgia Tech in 2006, who finished the year 9-5.
Penn State in 2006, who finished the year 9-4.
That's it. Every "big win" was against a team that had 4-6 losses the same year. THAT, my friends, is NOT the work of a genius.
His other wins, by the way?
Stanford, Stanford, Syracuse, Navy, Navy, BYU, Army, Air Force, Washington, Purdue, Purdue, Michigan State, UCLA, and North Carolina.
Please, college football broadcasters, for the sake of your own reputation, it's time to retire the word "genius" when it comes to Weis' tenure at Notre Dame. He's just not.
- A genius does not call for a fake punt from his own 30 yard line on the first possession of the game, like Weis did tonight. A fool does that. Two plays later, LSU scored.
- A genius of a coach would have been able to make halftime adjustments to counter LSU's attack. In the second half of tonight's game, Notre Dame had one first down. They got it on an LSU penalty.
- A genius of a coach could have at least moved the ball with a Heisman candidate as his QB. Quinn was 4-9 for 24 yards and an interception in the second half.
- A genius does not go for it on 4th-and-2 against A.J. Hawk and the Ohio State defense when a field goal would be a chip shot (the ball was at the 7). A fool does that. At the time, the score was 7-7. Momentum swung HARD to Ohio State after that, and they scored 2 more TDs before ND got the ball within 50 yards of the goal line again.
Believe me, nothing makes me happier than to see Notre Dame get humiliated on national TV. But nothing infuriates me more than hearing how Godlike their coach is DURING the massive destruction.
For the love of God, let it go. He's no longer a great college coach. He had success in the NFL.....under another man's leadership. But that's it. He's void of a college resume that can qualify him as brilliant, and until he achieves one, please cease and desist your high praise. Save it for a more deserving object of praise.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
It's time
Are you ready to experience that amazing feeling you had four years ago? I hope so...because it's coming up fast. 5 days to go....here's a little taste of what it felt like the last time we were here.....
Spread this one far and wide...you can find it here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qO4sYmwOj0 - ...and LET'S GO BUCKEYES!!!!!!!!!!!
Spread this one far and wide...you can find it here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qO4sYmwOj0 - ...and LET'S GO BUCKEYES!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Not bad.....not bad
So far, I'm 16-11 in my bowl predictions. It's not great, but I have a winning record and I'm pretty sure that if I were gambling, I'd be ahead in the financial category.
By the way, I'm not one to openly pat myself on the back, but I'd like to piont out something I said early this morning.....
Yeah, I'm gonna crow about that one. I called it. Me. You're welcome.
As for the next couple of bowl games.....
Orange Bowl
Wake Forest (11-2) vs. Louisville (11-1)
I watched Louisville twice this year, against Rutgers and West Virginia. They looked dominant in both games, but let up on Rutgers. They had all the tools to make the BCS title game, but losing to Rutgers ended their dreams. I honestly believe a 12-0 Louisville would have been given their shot over Florida and Michigan.
One 3-point loss does not change my opinion about how good they are. They should, and will pound Wake Forest into submission.
But Wake is no patsy. They earned their BCS bowl, playing a tough schedule down the stretch. Their last 5 games were against bowl teams, and they went 4-1, falling only to Virginia Tech.
Still, it won't be enough. Brohm will have Louisville racing up and down the field
Louisville 48
Wake Forest 24
---------------------
Sugar Bowl
LSU (10-2) vs. Notre Dame (10-2)
A few major points to remember when evaluating this game.
-LSU is a veteran of big bowl games. Remember, there are a LOT of players that will start Wednesday night who are wearing National Championship rings.
-Notre Dame sucks in bowl games worse than Michigan
-Charlie Weis has never beat a good college team
-Brady Quinn has never won a big game
Nuff said
LSU 31
Notre Dame 21
By the way, I'm not one to openly pat myself on the back, but I'd like to piont out something I said early this morning.....
Fiesta Bowl
I want to take Oklahoma. I really do. But I'm going to be the guy who likes storybook endings today. Just like I did with Rutgers, I'm taking the team that nobody knows over a Big 12 school. Boise State in a squeaker
Yeah, I'm gonna crow about that one. I called it. Me. You're welcome.
As for the next couple of bowl games.....
Orange Bowl
Wake Forest (11-2) vs. Louisville (11-1)
I watched Louisville twice this year, against Rutgers and West Virginia. They looked dominant in both games, but let up on Rutgers. They had all the tools to make the BCS title game, but losing to Rutgers ended their dreams. I honestly believe a 12-0 Louisville would have been given their shot over Florida and Michigan.
One 3-point loss does not change my opinion about how good they are. They should, and will pound Wake Forest into submission.
But Wake is no patsy. They earned their BCS bowl, playing a tough schedule down the stretch. Their last 5 games were against bowl teams, and they went 4-1, falling only to Virginia Tech.
Still, it won't be enough. Brohm will have Louisville racing up and down the field
Louisville 48
Wake Forest 24
---------------------
Sugar Bowl
LSU (10-2) vs. Notre Dame (10-2)
A few major points to remember when evaluating this game.
-LSU is a veteran of big bowl games. Remember, there are a LOT of players that will start Wednesday night who are wearing National Championship rings.
-Notre Dame sucks in bowl games worse than Michigan
-Charlie Weis has never beat a good college team
-Brady Quinn has never won a big game
Nuff said
LSU 31
Notre Dame 21
Monday, January 01, 2007
Big Ten beats SEC, and Michigan demands a neutral field again
Part 1 - Damn, the Big Ten showed the SEC who is boss today. Penn State beating Tennessee and Wisconsin beating Arkansas were great preludes to the Big Game. If Ohio State beats Florida and sweeps the SEC, will we get apologies from Tommy Tuberville and CBS???
Probably not, but damn, it'll be fun harassing them for the next 12 months.
Part 2 - I can't wait to hear Michael Hart whine and cry about playing on a neutral field and how they were the better team. Once again, they cannot win the big games. It's that simple.
I wanted Michigan to win tonight because I am all about the Big Ten....but that was embarrassing and I think all the whining from Hart and the Michigan blogs will disappear rather quickly now, as it should. They didn't deserve the rematch with us because they lost once to us already, and tonight they showed why they are not a championship-calibre team.
Probably not, but damn, it'll be fun harassing them for the next 12 months.
Part 2 - I can't wait to hear Michael Hart whine and cry about playing on a neutral field and how they were the better team. Once again, they cannot win the big games. It's that simple.
I wanted Michigan to win tonight because I am all about the Big Ten....but that was embarrassing and I think all the whining from Hart and the Michigan blogs will disappear rather quickly now, as it should. They didn't deserve the rematch with us because they lost once to us already, and tonight they showed why they are not a championship-calibre team.
I'm not lazy, I'm just busy
Seriously, this whole "having a job" thing has to go. It's messing up my blogging schedule.
Time isn't on my side, so here's my calls for today's HUGE day.
Outback Bowl
Penn State is going to pull off the upset. Tennessee is a damn good team, but the Big Ten won't let us down in '07. Please, dear God, don't let us down against the SEC.
Cotton Bowl
Nebraska is the most overlooked team on 2006. They'll prove in in '07 when they beat Auburn in a high-scoring game.
Capital One Bowl
Wisconsin deserved a BCS Bowl. A rule kept them out. They're pissed off, and Arkansas will be the victim.
Gator Bowl
I had Georgia Tech, until "academic probation" changed everything. Take West Virginia in their second straight bowl win over a better team.
Rose Bowl
A friend pointed this out to me....this one should be called the SCUM Bowl. After all, it's SC vs. UM, isn't it? Take Michigan and give as many points as you like. They're pissed off and they're going to play their best bowl game in a decade.
Fiesta Bowl
I want to take Oklahoma. I really do. But I'm going to be the guy who likes storybook endings today. Just like I did with Rutgers, I'm taking the team that nobody knows over a Big 12 school. Boise State in a squeaker
Have fun, and I hope you had a safe New Year's Eve!
Time isn't on my side, so here's my calls for today's HUGE day.
Outback Bowl
Penn State is going to pull off the upset. Tennessee is a damn good team, but the Big Ten won't let us down in '07. Please, dear God, don't let us down against the SEC.
Cotton Bowl
Nebraska is the most overlooked team on 2006. They'll prove in in '07 when they beat Auburn in a high-scoring game.
Capital One Bowl
Wisconsin deserved a BCS Bowl. A rule kept them out. They're pissed off, and Arkansas will be the victim.
Gator Bowl
I had Georgia Tech, until "academic probation" changed everything. Take West Virginia in their second straight bowl win over a better team.
Rose Bowl
A friend pointed this out to me....this one should be called the SCUM Bowl. After all, it's SC vs. UM, isn't it? Take Michigan and give as many points as you like. They're pissed off and they're going to play their best bowl game in a decade.
Fiesta Bowl
I want to take Oklahoma. I really do. But I'm going to be the guy who likes storybook endings today. Just like I did with Rutgers, I'm taking the team that nobody knows over a Big 12 school. Boise State in a squeaker
Have fun, and I hope you had a safe New Year's Eve!
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