The BIG 12 may be in trouble! The issue of revenue sharing continues to heat up as the haves and have not’s take sides. Nebraska, Oklahoma and naturally Texas don’t want to do revenue sharing when it comes to the conferences TV contract.
Missouri sounds ready to pull the trigger and leave for the BIG 10 and who could blame them. The BIG 10, like the SEC, does revenue sharing. Step back and take a look at TV revenue between the BIG 12 and BIG 10. When you compare Texas, which benefits the most from the current TV deal, to say Illinois it’s not even close. Illinois gets $21 million a year to Texas’ $12 million. If Missouri was a member of the BIG 10 they too would get around $21 million instead of the $9 million they currently receive.
If NU, OU and UT would do the right thing the conference should benefit and every school’s TV revenue could increase. If they would work with the other nine schools they should be able to land a much more lucrative TV deal for the conference. Instead they do only what is best for them and say to heck with the other BIG 12 schools. They don’t seem to understand that holding down the other schools does indeed have consequences. Sure it makes it near impossible for the others to compete with the big three but it also makes the little nine begin to look elsewhere.
The BIG 10 and PAC 10 have both said they are looking into possibly expanding to 12 teams each. The BIG 10 already has 11 teams so they only need one more and Missouri would be a logical choice. However the PAC 10 would need two more teams to reach 12. The question is who would they go after?
I know this would be a long shot but I think the PAC 10 should consider going after Texas Tech and Colorado. I believe that both CU and Tech would rather be in the PAC 10 if given the choice. Considering the current discrepancy in revenue between them and NU, OU & UT they would be insane not to jump ship if asked to do so. The benefit to the PAC 10 would be exposure in parts of the country they don’t normally get it and recruiting should benefit.
So if Missouri, Colorado and Texas Tech all leave for greener pastures what does it mean for the BIG 12? They could either dissolve, move forward with nine teams or replace them with weaker athletic programs. If they chose the latter I’m sure UT and company would not mind. It would mean an even easier path to championships.
After reading this if you still think that no one would be crazy enough to leave the mighty BIG 12 then click on the link below. It’s an interview with Missouri’s Athletic Director. From his tone the Tigers are as good as gone if the BIG 10 comes knocking.
http://www.tigerextra.com/news/2009/dec/20/frustration-and-temptation/
Monday, December 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
My Friend Is An Idiot Homer!!!
I spoke with a friend of mine about the Texas vs. Colorado game. My friend is a graduate of UT so you can only imagine how many excuses, and yes they were indeed excuses, he had for their poor performance.
For those of you who have been in a cave the Longhorns won the game 38-14. At no point did they look like a true national contender. Going into the game Colorado had been laughable at best. They had just one win against a Wyoming team that couldn’t beat most junior high squads. Colorado lost to Toledo 54-38 earlier this year….TOLEDO for crying out loud!!! At halftime they actually led the all powerful Longhorns 14-10. In the second half the Horns managed to take control of this high school group and secured the victory.
Now back to my friend and his lame excuses. Actually I won’t dive into the excuses because everyone would be dumber for reading them. I will dive into a ridiculous comparison he made in an attempt to make their crappy performance seem less crappy. He had the nerve to say UT’s win over the Buff’s was just as impressive as Florida’s win over LSU. He did this of course once he realized that the Horns fell from #2 to #3 in the polls. Alabama who easily beat #20 Ole Miss 22-3 jumped over Texas to take the #2 spot. Naturally he thought UT’s win over Colorado was much more impressive than the Tide’s win over a top 20 team, but that’s a whole other topic.
His logic was when you compared the Gators performance to the Horns both teams struggled but eventually won. He even pointed out that the Horns won by a larger margin. I quickly pointed out the following to which he had no credible response. 1) UT was playing at home while Florida was playing in front of an insane LSU crowd. 2) LSU was undefeated while Colorado only had one win. 3) Colorado was not ranked anywhere near the top 20 or 50 for that matter while LSU was #4 in the nation. 4) LSU vs. Florida is a huge rivalry with lots of passion while UT and Colorado have NO rivalry at all. 5) Tim Tebow was fresh off a concussion and didn’t look 100% and the Gators still beat the #4 team ON THE ROAD! 6) If LSU or Florida were playing Colorado neither would have trailed in the game for one second let alone one half. Either of those two teams would have won the game 70-0. Granted the last one can’t be verified but even horn’s fans know deep down inside that it’s true.
With all this said what does it mean for UT and Florida? Well if both keep winning, and winning the way they are, it will be a blowout in the BCS Championship. My prediction is Florida 45, Texas 14. Against Florida, Texas won’t be able to play poorly and only be down by a few points at the half. If they play like they have been it will be at least 24-7 at halftime. Also, if they continue their pattern of slow starts there will be no second half come back. A team like Florida will expose them for what they are…very lucky to be in the championship game. As a matter of fact they probably wouldn’t make it to the championship game if there were a playoff.
For those of you who have been in a cave the Longhorns won the game 38-14. At no point did they look like a true national contender. Going into the game Colorado had been laughable at best. They had just one win against a Wyoming team that couldn’t beat most junior high squads. Colorado lost to Toledo 54-38 earlier this year….TOLEDO for crying out loud!!! At halftime they actually led the all powerful Longhorns 14-10. In the second half the Horns managed to take control of this high school group and secured the victory.
Now back to my friend and his lame excuses. Actually I won’t dive into the excuses because everyone would be dumber for reading them. I will dive into a ridiculous comparison he made in an attempt to make their crappy performance seem less crappy. He had the nerve to say UT’s win over the Buff’s was just as impressive as Florida’s win over LSU. He did this of course once he realized that the Horns fell from #2 to #3 in the polls. Alabama who easily beat #20 Ole Miss 22-3 jumped over Texas to take the #2 spot. Naturally he thought UT’s win over Colorado was much more impressive than the Tide’s win over a top 20 team, but that’s a whole other topic.
His logic was when you compared the Gators performance to the Horns both teams struggled but eventually won. He even pointed out that the Horns won by a larger margin. I quickly pointed out the following to which he had no credible response. 1) UT was playing at home while Florida was playing in front of an insane LSU crowd. 2) LSU was undefeated while Colorado only had one win. 3) Colorado was not ranked anywhere near the top 20 or 50 for that matter while LSU was #4 in the nation. 4) LSU vs. Florida is a huge rivalry with lots of passion while UT and Colorado have NO rivalry at all. 5) Tim Tebow was fresh off a concussion and didn’t look 100% and the Gators still beat the #4 team ON THE ROAD! 6) If LSU or Florida were playing Colorado neither would have trailed in the game for one second let alone one half. Either of those two teams would have won the game 70-0. Granted the last one can’t be verified but even horn’s fans know deep down inside that it’s true.
With all this said what does it mean for UT and Florida? Well if both keep winning, and winning the way they are, it will be a blowout in the BCS Championship. My prediction is Florida 45, Texas 14. Against Florida, Texas won’t be able to play poorly and only be down by a few points at the half. If they play like they have been it will be at least 24-7 at halftime. Also, if they continue their pattern of slow starts there will be no second half come back. A team like Florida will expose them for what they are…very lucky to be in the championship game. As a matter of fact they probably wouldn’t make it to the championship game if there were a playoff.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Texas Tech falls despite outplaying longhorns
The texas longhorns got the victory but looked very average doing it. As a matter of fact a blown no-call on a helmet to helmet by Sergio Kindle on Taylor Potts may have cost Texas Tech the game. On that play Potts fumbled and UT recovered and went on to score. Even the announcers said it was definitely a blown no-call and Sports Center reiterated it later in the night.
You must also take into consideration that Texas Tech was not even close to being at full strength. Sophomore walk-on Brett Dewhurst started at safety instead of Franklin Mitchem who is injured, and true freshman D.J. Johnson went in at cornerback when starter LaRon Moore had to come out in the second half. That wasn't all missing from the defense either. Starting defensive end Ra'jon Henley missed the game due to an injury and the other defensive end, Brandon Sharpe, was suspended for the game. In addition Texas Tech's best receiver, Detron Lewis, only played a few plays in the first series. Apparently he aggravated a hamstring injury that kept him out of most of the Rice game as well.
When you look at the stats Tech went to Austin and outplayed the horns. Tech had 25 first downs on 81 plays while the horns had 24 on 76 plays. The Red Raiders out gained ut by 115 yards (447-332). Texas Tech averaged 5.5 yards per play to ut’s 4.4.
Also worthy of mention is that Heisman candidate colt mccoy was absolutely out played by Taylor Potts. Potts threw three times as many TD’s, half as many interceptions and over twice as many yards. Potts had 447 passing yards with three TD’s and only one INT to mccoy’s 200 passing yards with only one TD and two INT’s. If you knew nothing of either QB except that one was a Heisman Candidate and one was not you would have thought Potts was the one in the running for the Heisman.
The difference in the game really came down to the special teams TD by shipley on a punt return and the no call mentioned earlier. After watching this game I came to two conclusions. First the texas longhorns are not the #2 team in the country. Second the Red Raiders are much better than I would have ever expected.
You must also take into consideration that Texas Tech was not even close to being at full strength. Sophomore walk-on Brett Dewhurst started at safety instead of Franklin Mitchem who is injured, and true freshman D.J. Johnson went in at cornerback when starter LaRon Moore had to come out in the second half. That wasn't all missing from the defense either. Starting defensive end Ra'jon Henley missed the game due to an injury and the other defensive end, Brandon Sharpe, was suspended for the game. In addition Texas Tech's best receiver, Detron Lewis, only played a few plays in the first series. Apparently he aggravated a hamstring injury that kept him out of most of the Rice game as well.
When you look at the stats Tech went to Austin and outplayed the horns. Tech had 25 first downs on 81 plays while the horns had 24 on 76 plays. The Red Raiders out gained ut by 115 yards (447-332). Texas Tech averaged 5.5 yards per play to ut’s 4.4.
Also worthy of mention is that Heisman candidate colt mccoy was absolutely out played by Taylor Potts. Potts threw three times as many TD’s, half as many interceptions and over twice as many yards. Potts had 447 passing yards with three TD’s and only one INT to mccoy’s 200 passing yards with only one TD and two INT’s. If you knew nothing of either QB except that one was a Heisman Candidate and one was not you would have thought Potts was the one in the running for the Heisman.
The difference in the game really came down to the special teams TD by shipley on a punt return and the no call mentioned earlier. After watching this game I came to two conclusions. First the texas longhorns are not the #2 team in the country. Second the Red Raiders are much better than I would have ever expected.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Why Your Coach Votes Republican
The following comes from The Wall Street Journal
In Politics, Football's Bosses Usually Run Right; Mr. Friedgen Picks on 'Socialists'
By STEVE KORNACKI
American politics are rich with characters and stereotypes—Joe the Plumber, Harry and Louise, Nascar dads and hockey moms, to name a few. But one persistent type hasn't gotten much attention: the Republican football coach.
During the 2008 campaign cycle, college and NFL head coaches (and their wives) contributed a total of $13,286 to John McCain and the Republican National Committee. From that same group, Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee received just $4,600—half of it from Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears and the other half from San Jose State's Dick Tomey.
In all, 20 coaches active in the 2008 season gave to Republican candidates seeking federal office. Three donated to Democrats. This disparity is even more striking given that, among the individual donors in the '08 campaign cycle, Mr. Obama outraised Mr. McCain by more than a 5-to-1 margin.
Pep Talk From Holtz
Some coaches display their largely conservative instincts in non-financial ways. Jack Del Rio of the NFL's Jaguars led the crowd in the pledge of allegiance at a Sarah Palin rally in Jacksonville last fall. Longtime Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs addressed last summer's Republican National Convention. Lou Holtz fired up congressional Republicans with a pep talk in 2007 and recently flirted with running for Congress in Florida. Ralph Friedgen, the portly University of Maryland coach, good-naturedly called one of his Canadian players a socialist last fall.
There's no evidence that coaches with a conservative bent are better coaches or more likely to get jobs. Football coaches aren't the most diverse group, which may help explain their political similarities.
Still, could it be that football coaches, just by the nature of the job, are more comfortable on the right end of the political spectrum?
"I'd say that sounds likely—very likely," said Bobby Bowden, the longtime Florida State coach and an outspoken Republican.
Mr. Bowden, a 79-year-old native Alabaman, describes himself as a lifelong conservative who—like many white Southerners of his generation—migrated from the Democratic Party to the GOP a few decades ago. There is, he says, a natural connection between his political and coaching philosophies.
"In coaching, you've got to have more discipline and you've got to be more strict and just conservative, I think. It fits with the Republicans," he said.
Mr. Holtz, who coached Notre Dame to its last national championship in 1988, draws a parallel between the standards and rules that most coaches set for their players and the Republican vision of how American society ought to operate.
"You aren't entitled to anything. You don't inherit anything. You get what you earn—your position on the team," Mr. Holtz said. "You're treated like everybody else. You're held accountable for your actions. You understand that your decisions affect other people on that team…There's winners, there's losers, and there's competitiveness."
Tom Osborne, who coached the Nebraska Cornhuskers for 25 seasons before serving three terms in Congress as a Republican, suggested that football coaches probably look at their own lives and careers as testaments to the conservative principle of self-reliance.
"There's an awful lot of people who want to be in coaching for the number of jobs," he said. "It's highly competitive. And many of them have had to spend a fair amount of time as graduate assistants, interns—as much as four, five, six, seven, eight years—making very, very little money to get into the profession. And they will work 70, 80, 90 hours a week during the season.
"I think that background—adherence to discipline, sometimes sacrifice, loyalty to core values—those things tend to have people move in that direction."
Some cite geography—the fact that so many coaches have roots in the South, a staunchly Republican region. Others point out that Republicans tend to revere strong, singular executive leaders—a pretty good description of a coach.
'Not a Dictatorship ...'
"That definitely does fit the football coaches' mold," said Mr. Bowden. "It's not a dictatorship, but it's on the verge."
Mr. Osborne even noted that most coaches are ex-players, joking that "I'm sure many who are more liberal would say it's because they got hit in the head too much."
There are, of course, exceptions. Mr. Tomey, the only college head coach to donate to Mr. Obama last year, said he's never really paid attention to the political leanings of his fellow coaches and that he was "shocked" to learn how many of them seem to favor the GOP.
With successful runs at Hawaii, Arizona and, since 2005, San Jose State to his name, he's clearly no less committed to hard work, discipline, and accountability than his GOP colleagues.
But Mr. Tomey estimates that he's only voted Republican "about three times" in his life (for Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, Arnold Schwarzenegger this decade, and maybe one other time).
When Mr. Tomey was at Arizona in 1990, state voters rejected a proposed Martin Luther King holiday. "Our players were really upset with that, and I remember asking them how many of them had voted and, like, two of them had," he recalled. "So we decided as a staff that from that time forward we were going to get our guys registered to vote," an effort he has maintained since then, although he stressed that it's non-partisan in nature.
Some Democrats, Too
There are some other Democratic coaches, too. Southern California's Pete Carroll, for instance, openly proclaimed his support for Mr. Obama last year, and George Perles, who coached Michigan State from 1983 to 1994 (before helping launch the Motor City Bowl), is waging a long-shot bid for the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Michigan.
And when Mr. Obama was running last year, several African-American coaches—including Ty Willingham (then at the University of Washington), Herm Edwards (then with the Kansas City Chiefs), and Mr. Smith of the Chicago Bears—expressed their support.
Some coaches keep quiet about politics to avoid alienating boosters and other higher-ups.
This is what led Jim Tressel, Ohio State's head coach, to declare last fall that, "When it comes to political endorsements about candidates, it's out of bounds."
But while he was publicly mum about the '08 election, Mr. Tressel did do some talking with his bank account—cutting a $1,000 check to the Republican National Committee a month before Election Day.
In Politics, Football's Bosses Usually Run Right; Mr. Friedgen Picks on 'Socialists'
By STEVE KORNACKI
American politics are rich with characters and stereotypes—Joe the Plumber, Harry and Louise, Nascar dads and hockey moms, to name a few. But one persistent type hasn't gotten much attention: the Republican football coach.
During the 2008 campaign cycle, college and NFL head coaches (and their wives) contributed a total of $13,286 to John McCain and the Republican National Committee. From that same group, Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee received just $4,600—half of it from Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears and the other half from San Jose State's Dick Tomey.
In all, 20 coaches active in the 2008 season gave to Republican candidates seeking federal office. Three donated to Democrats. This disparity is even more striking given that, among the individual donors in the '08 campaign cycle, Mr. Obama outraised Mr. McCain by more than a 5-to-1 margin.
Pep Talk From Holtz
Some coaches display their largely conservative instincts in non-financial ways. Jack Del Rio of the NFL's Jaguars led the crowd in the pledge of allegiance at a Sarah Palin rally in Jacksonville last fall. Longtime Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs addressed last summer's Republican National Convention. Lou Holtz fired up congressional Republicans with a pep talk in 2007 and recently flirted with running for Congress in Florida. Ralph Friedgen, the portly University of Maryland coach, good-naturedly called one of his Canadian players a socialist last fall.
There's no evidence that coaches with a conservative bent are better coaches or more likely to get jobs. Football coaches aren't the most diverse group, which may help explain their political similarities.
Still, could it be that football coaches, just by the nature of the job, are more comfortable on the right end of the political spectrum?
"I'd say that sounds likely—very likely," said Bobby Bowden, the longtime Florida State coach and an outspoken Republican.
Mr. Bowden, a 79-year-old native Alabaman, describes himself as a lifelong conservative who—like many white Southerners of his generation—migrated from the Democratic Party to the GOP a few decades ago. There is, he says, a natural connection between his political and coaching philosophies.
"In coaching, you've got to have more discipline and you've got to be more strict and just conservative, I think. It fits with the Republicans," he said.
Mr. Holtz, who coached Notre Dame to its last national championship in 1988, draws a parallel between the standards and rules that most coaches set for their players and the Republican vision of how American society ought to operate.
"You aren't entitled to anything. You don't inherit anything. You get what you earn—your position on the team," Mr. Holtz said. "You're treated like everybody else. You're held accountable for your actions. You understand that your decisions affect other people on that team…There's winners, there's losers, and there's competitiveness."
Tom Osborne, who coached the Nebraska Cornhuskers for 25 seasons before serving three terms in Congress as a Republican, suggested that football coaches probably look at their own lives and careers as testaments to the conservative principle of self-reliance.
"There's an awful lot of people who want to be in coaching for the number of jobs," he said. "It's highly competitive. And many of them have had to spend a fair amount of time as graduate assistants, interns—as much as four, five, six, seven, eight years—making very, very little money to get into the profession. And they will work 70, 80, 90 hours a week during the season.
"I think that background—adherence to discipline, sometimes sacrifice, loyalty to core values—those things tend to have people move in that direction."
Some cite geography—the fact that so many coaches have roots in the South, a staunchly Republican region. Others point out that Republicans tend to revere strong, singular executive leaders—a pretty good description of a coach.
'Not a Dictatorship ...'
"That definitely does fit the football coaches' mold," said Mr. Bowden. "It's not a dictatorship, but it's on the verge."
Mr. Osborne even noted that most coaches are ex-players, joking that "I'm sure many who are more liberal would say it's because they got hit in the head too much."
There are, of course, exceptions. Mr. Tomey, the only college head coach to donate to Mr. Obama last year, said he's never really paid attention to the political leanings of his fellow coaches and that he was "shocked" to learn how many of them seem to favor the GOP.
With successful runs at Hawaii, Arizona and, since 2005, San Jose State to his name, he's clearly no less committed to hard work, discipline, and accountability than his GOP colleagues.
But Mr. Tomey estimates that he's only voted Republican "about three times" in his life (for Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, Arnold Schwarzenegger this decade, and maybe one other time).
When Mr. Tomey was at Arizona in 1990, state voters rejected a proposed Martin Luther King holiday. "Our players were really upset with that, and I remember asking them how many of them had voted and, like, two of them had," he recalled. "So we decided as a staff that from that time forward we were going to get our guys registered to vote," an effort he has maintained since then, although he stressed that it's non-partisan in nature.
Some Democrats, Too
There are some other Democratic coaches, too. Southern California's Pete Carroll, for instance, openly proclaimed his support for Mr. Obama last year, and George Perles, who coached Michigan State from 1983 to 1994 (before helping launch the Motor City Bowl), is waging a long-shot bid for the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Michigan.
And when Mr. Obama was running last year, several African-American coaches—including Ty Willingham (then at the University of Washington), Herm Edwards (then with the Kansas City Chiefs), and Mr. Smith of the Chicago Bears—expressed their support.
Some coaches keep quiet about politics to avoid alienating boosters and other higher-ups.
This is what led Jim Tressel, Ohio State's head coach, to declare last fall that, "When it comes to political endorsements about candidates, it's out of bounds."
But while he was publicly mum about the '08 election, Mr. Tressel did do some talking with his bank account—cutting a $1,000 check to the Republican National Committee a month before Election Day.
Monday, September 14, 2009
USC and Their Fresham QB
I would imagine that anyone with ANY interest in college football was tuned in Saturday night when the Ohio State Buckeyes and USC Trojans squared off. I was particularly interested because I wanted to see how the USC freshman QB, Matt Barkley, would fair. It’s always interesting to see how someone so young will handle the added pressure of a big road game.
Early on I couldn’t tell how he would react late in the game if it were still close. But I have to say that based on his last drive this guy is the real deal. It also made me wonder how many of the top tier QB’s that are not freshman would have led their teams to victory, given that they were in the exact same position on the road at Ohio State.
Jevan Snead of Ole Miss is one heck of a QB. He has proven that he can handle pressure but I don’t think he would have led his team down the field in those circumstances. I realize he plays in the SEC and the road crowds are insane but the crowd in the Horse Shoe was possibly louder than it has ever been. All 107,000 fans were screaming at the top of their lungs creating the ultimate home field advantage. The crowd was even more insane than usual because it wasn’t just a big game for Ohio State but also for the Big 10. For Snead I would predict two first downs before turning it over on downs and losing the game.
Colt McCoy of the Longhorns, poster child for the red neck nation, is the next QB I thought of. While McCoy certainly has his fair share of big game experience I don’t think he has faced a crowd that compares to what Matt Barkley dealt with at Ohio State. Last year at Texas Tech, a game McCoy lost, the crowd was crazy but nothing compared to the Horse Shoe Saturday night. If you were to measure noise level on a 1 to 10 scale the Texas Tech vs. UT game last year would probably have been a 7.5. The noise that Ohio State fans generated against USC would measure a 15…completely off the chart! Also let’s not forget that last year, at a neutral site against a weaker Ohio State team, McCoy was lucky at best to leave with a win. If you put McCoy in the same situation as Barkley I predict he would get one first down but end the drive throwing a pick six. The final score would have been Ohio State 22, Texas 10.
Now let us consider the Geico Caveman himself, Sam Bradford of Oklahoma. My prediction is that he would injure his shoulder and leave the game…ha-ha! But seriously, he is perhaps the most talented QB in the nation this year and no doubt has much more pro potential than the red neck from Austin. However that doesn’t necessarily mean he would have led the Sooners down the field the way Barkley did the Trojans. As a matter of fact I believe that he would have gone three and out. The reason I say this is Bradford and the Sooners only play to their full potential in meaningful games IF they are CLEARLY more talented than their opponent. When Captain Caveman and company played UT and Florida last year they lost both. Those two teams were the only teams they faced all year that matched them talent wise and they were soundly defeated by both. So I truly believe that if Bradford was at the Horse Shoe with one drive left to win the game that OU would move the ball less than ten yards.
Finally we have to look at Superman himself…Tim Tebow. There is absolutely no doubt that Tebow would have led the Gators straight down the field for the game winning touchdown. Simply look at his past and the guy is a natural born leader. Where he goes others undeniably want to follow. While Bradford may be the most talented quarterback Tebow is the most dominant football player. When you compare Tebow to Snead it is a joke because Snead doesn’t even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence. When you compare Tebow to Hillbilly McCoy it is another no contest. Tebow is better than McCoy even if Tebow played the entire game on one leg. The biggest challenge for Tebow in that situation would be not to score too quickly and allow Ohio State time to answer.
So as you can see, based on what happened Saturday night I feel Barkley is well on his way. By the end of this season I wouldn’t be surprised if he is getting Heisman hype for next season. USC could have an all time great for all we know. But only time will tell because it’s a long season and anything can happen.
Early on I couldn’t tell how he would react late in the game if it were still close. But I have to say that based on his last drive this guy is the real deal. It also made me wonder how many of the top tier QB’s that are not freshman would have led their teams to victory, given that they were in the exact same position on the road at Ohio State.
Jevan Snead of Ole Miss is one heck of a QB. He has proven that he can handle pressure but I don’t think he would have led his team down the field in those circumstances. I realize he plays in the SEC and the road crowds are insane but the crowd in the Horse Shoe was possibly louder than it has ever been. All 107,000 fans were screaming at the top of their lungs creating the ultimate home field advantage. The crowd was even more insane than usual because it wasn’t just a big game for Ohio State but also for the Big 10. For Snead I would predict two first downs before turning it over on downs and losing the game.
Colt McCoy of the Longhorns, poster child for the red neck nation, is the next QB I thought of. While McCoy certainly has his fair share of big game experience I don’t think he has faced a crowd that compares to what Matt Barkley dealt with at Ohio State. Last year at Texas Tech, a game McCoy lost, the crowd was crazy but nothing compared to the Horse Shoe Saturday night. If you were to measure noise level on a 1 to 10 scale the Texas Tech vs. UT game last year would probably have been a 7.5. The noise that Ohio State fans generated against USC would measure a 15…completely off the chart! Also let’s not forget that last year, at a neutral site against a weaker Ohio State team, McCoy was lucky at best to leave with a win. If you put McCoy in the same situation as Barkley I predict he would get one first down but end the drive throwing a pick six. The final score would have been Ohio State 22, Texas 10.
Now let us consider the Geico Caveman himself, Sam Bradford of Oklahoma. My prediction is that he would injure his shoulder and leave the game…ha-ha! But seriously, he is perhaps the most talented QB in the nation this year and no doubt has much more pro potential than the red neck from Austin. However that doesn’t necessarily mean he would have led the Sooners down the field the way Barkley did the Trojans. As a matter of fact I believe that he would have gone three and out. The reason I say this is Bradford and the Sooners only play to their full potential in meaningful games IF they are CLEARLY more talented than their opponent. When Captain Caveman and company played UT and Florida last year they lost both. Those two teams were the only teams they faced all year that matched them talent wise and they were soundly defeated by both. So I truly believe that if Bradford was at the Horse Shoe with one drive left to win the game that OU would move the ball less than ten yards.
Finally we have to look at Superman himself…Tim Tebow. There is absolutely no doubt that Tebow would have led the Gators straight down the field for the game winning touchdown. Simply look at his past and the guy is a natural born leader. Where he goes others undeniably want to follow. While Bradford may be the most talented quarterback Tebow is the most dominant football player. When you compare Tebow to Snead it is a joke because Snead doesn’t even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence. When you compare Tebow to Hillbilly McCoy it is another no contest. Tebow is better than McCoy even if Tebow played the entire game on one leg. The biggest challenge for Tebow in that situation would be not to score too quickly and allow Ohio State time to answer.
So as you can see, based on what happened Saturday night I feel Barkley is well on his way. By the end of this season I wouldn’t be surprised if he is getting Heisman hype for next season. USC could have an all time great for all we know. But only time will tell because it’s a long season and anything can happen.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
TCU Opens Season This Weekend
TCU has six offensive returning starters this year and only one of those is a Sr. On the defensive side of the ball they have five starters returning, three of which are seniors. The Frogs finished the year ranked 7th in the country with an 11-2 record last year. The season was capped off with a 17-16 bowl victory over an undefeated Boise State team.
So many, including myself, might ask what should we expect from the Horned Frogs this season. The biggest contrast to a year ago, I believe, will be a change in offensive strategy. This spring Dalton and the receivers have been trying to make TCU more of a passing offense despite a long tradition as a running team. Last season, Dalton didn’t have a passing touchdown until the eighth game against BYU. He did have five rushing touchdowns.
By seasons end Dalton had thrown 2,242 yards and 11 touchdowns. Many around TCU think the offense will be even more productive in 2009. The Horned Frogs bring back leading receiver Jimmy Young this season. Young had 988 yards and five touchdowns last year. TCU also brings back its second-leading receiver in Ryan Christian, as well as impact players Jeremy Kerley and Antoine Hicks.
TCU’s offense from a year ago was fairly balanced. However they hope to score even more points in order to help out the defense, which was the strength of the team.
If all goes well TCU may be looking at a 12-0 record and a BCS birth. The one big non-conference challenge will be their third game of the year when they travel to Clemson.
So many, including myself, might ask what should we expect from the Horned Frogs this season. The biggest contrast to a year ago, I believe, will be a change in offensive strategy. This spring Dalton and the receivers have been trying to make TCU more of a passing offense despite a long tradition as a running team. Last season, Dalton didn’t have a passing touchdown until the eighth game against BYU. He did have five rushing touchdowns.
By seasons end Dalton had thrown 2,242 yards and 11 touchdowns. Many around TCU think the offense will be even more productive in 2009. The Horned Frogs bring back leading receiver Jimmy Young this season. Young had 988 yards and five touchdowns last year. TCU also brings back its second-leading receiver in Ryan Christian, as well as impact players Jeremy Kerley and Antoine Hicks.
TCU’s offense from a year ago was fairly balanced. However they hope to score even more points in order to help out the defense, which was the strength of the team.
If all goes well TCU may be looking at a 12-0 record and a BCS birth. The one big non-conference challenge will be their third game of the year when they travel to Clemson.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
#3 OU downed by #20 BYU
Well BYU & the MWC showed once again that not only can they compete with the big boys, they can defeat them too. Now I realize that Bradford was knocked out of the game before the end of the first half. But BYU, who plays in the Mountain West, was predicted to finish third in the conference. By comparison many had OU finishing either first or second in the Big 12. Most would agree that the Big 12 is a more talent rich conference than the MWC. With that said OU should have at least been able to pull off a close victory. Also let’s not forget, OU wasn’t exactly running away with it when Bradford was in the game. A lot of credit must go to BYU for a hard fought victory.
Oklahoma’s defense couldn’t get the stop they needed when it counted. The Sooners should be concerned that their defense may not be able to stop some of the Big 12’s top offenses. On the other hand BYU should be pleased that they moved the ball when the game was on the line against a very talented Big 12 defense.
TCU didn’t have a game this week but travel to Virginia next Saturday. So it wouldn’t be fair to say that BYU is now the MWC favorite but I will say I believe they’ll finish no lower than second in the conference.
Oklahoma’s defense couldn’t get the stop they needed when it counted. The Sooners should be concerned that their defense may not be able to stop some of the Big 12’s top offenses. On the other hand BYU should be pleased that they moved the ball when the game was on the line against a very talented Big 12 defense.
TCU didn’t have a game this week but travel to Virginia next Saturday. So it wouldn’t be fair to say that BYU is now the MWC favorite but I will say I believe they’ll finish no lower than second in the conference.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Biggest Hick to Ever Play QB?
It took me all of two seconds to decide who the biggest red neck hick QB of all time is. Only a fool would argue that Colt McCoy doesn't win this one by a mile. The only people that would disagree are horn fans who are too blind to see this guy looks dumber than Cooter from the Dukes of Hazzard. The below picture is irrefutable evidence that supports my point.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Leach has answer for BCS haters: How about a 64-team playoff?
This was taken from Dave Campbell's Texas Football
07/29/2009
By Dennis Hall/Texas Football
IRVING, Texas -- Texas Tech coach Mike Leach has this college football playoff stuff all figured out.
Ten regular season games.
A 64-team playoff that would last six weeks.
Every team is guaranteed 12 games, whether or not they make the postseason. Bowls would be factored into the mix.
The idea might seem outrageous to many – especially since many of those playoff games would be played around final exams -- but don’t try telling that to Leach.
“There ain’t nothing unique about anything I’m saying,” Leach said. “I’m the mainstream. This other system isn’t the main stream. ... Let’s have a 64-team playoff. The champion will play 16 games. I’m not off the mark here. Everybody else does it this way. Texas high school football championship, 16 games. Division II championship, 16 games. …
“If you played 16 games, it’d be a lot of fun. If academics is an issue, then they need to cut every sport but football because football is the least intrusive on academics. But I don’t think they should cut any of them because I don’t think they’re too intrusive. “
Leach started on this tangent at Wednesday’s Big 12 Media Days because he was asked about last year’s three-way tie in the South, which was solved by a tiebreaker that sent Oklahoma to the Big 12 championship game and ultimately to the BCS championship game.
Leach had no specific qualms with the tiebreaker because it was spelled out clearly beforehand in the Big 12 rules. He’d just rather see these matters decided on a football field.
And if there has to be a tiebreaker, Leach has an answer for that one, too.
“I think it ought to be based on graduation rates,” Leach joked, knowing his school’s graduation rate is higher than Texas’ or Oklahoma’s. “I think that’d be a fair, open-minded and progressive way to do it.”
LEACH: DON’T WORRY ABOUT PREDICTIONS
Many are predicting that Texas Tech will take a step back this year with the loss of star receiver Michael Crabtree and quarterback Graham Harrell. That would include Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine, which predicted the Red Raiders will win four fewer games than last year to finish at 7-5.
Leach isn’t worried much about preseason predictions. He pointed out that nobody had ever heard of Harrell or Crabtree a couple of years ago, just as few fans today know much about their replacements, quarterback Taylor Potts and receiver Detron Lewis.
Leach said he’s not worried about Tech’s offense. He said Potts is ready to go. There’s no individual receiver with Crabtree’s skills, but he said that overall the wide receiver group has more talent and depth than a year ago.
“The only way a preseason poll is worth anything is if we’re going to cancel the season,” Leach said. “So until I get my memo that we’re going to cancel the season, I’m not going to worry about them.”
TECH’S CARTER DRAWS ATTENTION
Texas Tech lineman Brandon Carter found a way to draw the photographers’ attention Wednesday. He showed up with a Mohawk haircut and a big tattoo of a skull on the side of his head.
Add in his size (6-7, 340) and Carter presents quite an imposing presence. But he insists that’s not the point.
“It’s not to intimidate anybody,” he said. “It’s really to psyche myself out. I get all excited and get ready to go.”
Carter said he had as many as 26 body piercings in the past but has gotten rid of them over time, mostly because some were ripped out or lost while playing football.
Leach joked about Carter’s tattoos and piercings. Leach said if he had to get one, he’d get a piercing because he could always take it out if he decided he didn’t like it.
“I think he should either get a septum pierce, right in the nose, or maybe a cheek pierce,” Carter said. “I think it would help his look.”
07/29/2009
By Dennis Hall/Texas Football
IRVING, Texas -- Texas Tech coach Mike Leach has this college football playoff stuff all figured out.
Ten regular season games.
A 64-team playoff that would last six weeks.
Every team is guaranteed 12 games, whether or not they make the postseason. Bowls would be factored into the mix.
The idea might seem outrageous to many – especially since many of those playoff games would be played around final exams -- but don’t try telling that to Leach.
“There ain’t nothing unique about anything I’m saying,” Leach said. “I’m the mainstream. This other system isn’t the main stream. ... Let’s have a 64-team playoff. The champion will play 16 games. I’m not off the mark here. Everybody else does it this way. Texas high school football championship, 16 games. Division II championship, 16 games. …
“If you played 16 games, it’d be a lot of fun. If academics is an issue, then they need to cut every sport but football because football is the least intrusive on academics. But I don’t think they should cut any of them because I don’t think they’re too intrusive. “
Leach started on this tangent at Wednesday’s Big 12 Media Days because he was asked about last year’s three-way tie in the South, which was solved by a tiebreaker that sent Oklahoma to the Big 12 championship game and ultimately to the BCS championship game.
Leach had no specific qualms with the tiebreaker because it was spelled out clearly beforehand in the Big 12 rules. He’d just rather see these matters decided on a football field.
And if there has to be a tiebreaker, Leach has an answer for that one, too.
“I think it ought to be based on graduation rates,” Leach joked, knowing his school’s graduation rate is higher than Texas’ or Oklahoma’s. “I think that’d be a fair, open-minded and progressive way to do it.”
LEACH: DON’T WORRY ABOUT PREDICTIONS
Many are predicting that Texas Tech will take a step back this year with the loss of star receiver Michael Crabtree and quarterback Graham Harrell. That would include Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine, which predicted the Red Raiders will win four fewer games than last year to finish at 7-5.
Leach isn’t worried much about preseason predictions. He pointed out that nobody had ever heard of Harrell or Crabtree a couple of years ago, just as few fans today know much about their replacements, quarterback Taylor Potts and receiver Detron Lewis.
Leach said he’s not worried about Tech’s offense. He said Potts is ready to go. There’s no individual receiver with Crabtree’s skills, but he said that overall the wide receiver group has more talent and depth than a year ago.
“The only way a preseason poll is worth anything is if we’re going to cancel the season,” Leach said. “So until I get my memo that we’re going to cancel the season, I’m not going to worry about them.”
TECH’S CARTER DRAWS ATTENTION
Texas Tech lineman Brandon Carter found a way to draw the photographers’ attention Wednesday. He showed up with a Mohawk haircut and a big tattoo of a skull on the side of his head.
Add in his size (6-7, 340) and Carter presents quite an imposing presence. But he insists that’s not the point.
“It’s not to intimidate anybody,” he said. “It’s really to psyche myself out. I get all excited and get ready to go.”
Carter said he had as many as 26 body piercings in the past but has gotten rid of them over time, mostly because some were ripped out or lost while playing football.
Leach joked about Carter’s tattoos and piercings. Leach said if he had to get one, he’d get a piercing because he could always take it out if he decided he didn’t like it.
“I think he should either get a septum pierce, right in the nose, or maybe a cheek pierce,” Carter said. “I think it would help his look.”
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Does MWC Deserve Automatic BCS Bid?
I have heard the argument on many occasions that the Mountain West Conference winner should be awarded an automatic BCS birth. The argument that I hear most often is that the Big East has an automatic birth and the MWC is at least their equal.
While one can rationalize all day in their heads weather or not the MWC is just as deserving and the Big East, I thought of another way. I went to http://www.whatifsports.com/ and used their SimMatchup feature. It allows you to pit two teams against each other. You can even pick what year you want each team to be from, allowing you to have all time great squads face off. In addition to telling you the final score it also breaks down the stats. It's a really cool feature!
So what I did was pit the 2008 teams from the MWC and Big East against each other. I had each 1st place team play each other, each 2nd place team play each other and so on. I had to leave San Diego St. out of it because they finished in last place in the MWC which has nine teams vs the Big East's eight teams.
I had each series at a neutral field with no rain and 70 degree weather. I did five simulations for each matchup to increase accuracy. The matchups are below.
Utah vs Cincinnati
24 - 16
31 - 0
34 - 14
34 - 38
18 - 10
----------------------------
28.2 - 15.6
In the series between each conference’s top team UTAH won four of five games. Overall the average points per game for UTAH were 28.2 while Cincinnati had a 15.6 average. The MWC clearly wins this one.
TCU vs Pittsburgh
66 - 0
29 - 12
42 - 10
34 - 10
29 - 3
----------------------------
40.2 - 7
In the series between number two’s TCU easily won all five games. They outscored Pitt, on an average point’s per game basis, of 40.2 to 7. Even if you throw out the first 66-0 blowout TCU still averaged 33.75 pts per game to Pitts 8.75. This one was absolutely no contest. Another win for the MWC.
BYU vs West Virginia
17 - 37
24 - 36
24 - 44
17 - 41
35 - 30
----------------------------
23.4 - 37.6
When the third place teams met it was another series that was one-sided. West Virginia took the first four games and BYU finally got a victory in the final contest. Even the one BYU win was by a slight margin; it was the only game not won by double digits. When averaged, West Virginia out scored BYU 37.6 to 23.4. This one goes to the Big East in a major way.
Air Force vs Rutgers
33 - 44
17 - 20
20 - 44
34 - 26
14 - 31
------------------------------
23.6 - 33
Yet another lop-sided series. Rutgers won four out of the five meetings. In spite of having only one win, AF was fairly competitive. The average points per game were AF 23.6 to Rutgers 33. Regardless this is another victory for the Big East.
Colorado St. vs UCONN
27 - 48
29 - 51
12 - 73
17 - 70
13 - 73
------------------------------
19.6 - 63
WOW! This one wasn’t even close. UCONN wins all five games with the closest victory by 21 points. I expected UCONN to win but not like this. They averaged 63 ppg while Colorado St. only averaged 19.6 ppg. The one is a win for the Big East in a VERY big way.
UNLV vs South Florida
14 - 34
24 - 38
7 - 31
7 - 40
7 - 77
-----------------------------
11.8 - 44
Yet another “no contest” meeting. The Bulls win all five meetings. In the last three games their defense took it to another level. The Bulls averaged 44 ppg while the Rebels only managed 11.8 ppg. The Big East now leads four series to two. Things are looking grim for the MWC.
New Mexico vs Louisville
24 - 21
48 - 27
29 - 17
44 - 21
45 - 27
------------------------------
38 - 22.6
The MWC finally gets their third series here. I wasn’t sure how this one would turn out but I certainly didn’t expect either team to get a sweep like the Lobos did. It’s not exactly like the toughest boy in school getting his ass kicked by the prettiest girl in school but its somewhat of a shock. The Lobos averaged 38 ppg which was more than two TD’s better than Louisville’s 22.6. Now things are a little more interesting. Big East 4 – MWC 3.
Wyoming vs Syracuse
45 - 20
27 - 10
31 - 13
42 - 17
24 - 30
------------------------------
33.8 - 18
Wyoming comes through for the MWC. They win all but one game and even it was close. The four games the Cowboys won were all blowouts. Wyoming averages 33.8 ppg to Syracuse’s 18 ppg. This MWC win ties things up at four series each.
So the question is, does this suggest that the MWC deserves an automatic BCS bid? I for one think they do. I thought so before I even did this simulation. If the MWC wanted to make a fuss over not having an automatic bid it would be a legitimate gripe. The Big East hasn’t done less to prove they deserve one than the MWC but they certainly haven’t done more to prove it either. I hope we see the day when the MWC is invited to the party.
While one can rationalize all day in their heads weather or not the MWC is just as deserving and the Big East, I thought of another way. I went to http://www.whatifsports.com/ and used their SimMatchup feature. It allows you to pit two teams against each other. You can even pick what year you want each team to be from, allowing you to have all time great squads face off. In addition to telling you the final score it also breaks down the stats. It's a really cool feature!
So what I did was pit the 2008 teams from the MWC and Big East against each other. I had each 1st place team play each other, each 2nd place team play each other and so on. I had to leave San Diego St. out of it because they finished in last place in the MWC which has nine teams vs the Big East's eight teams.
I had each series at a neutral field with no rain and 70 degree weather. I did five simulations for each matchup to increase accuracy. The matchups are below.
Utah vs Cincinnati
24 - 16
31 - 0
34 - 14
34 - 38
18 - 10
----------------------------
28.2 - 15.6
In the series between each conference’s top team UTAH won four of five games. Overall the average points per game for UTAH were 28.2 while Cincinnati had a 15.6 average. The MWC clearly wins this one.
TCU vs Pittsburgh
66 - 0
29 - 12
42 - 10
34 - 10
29 - 3
----------------------------
40.2 - 7
In the series between number two’s TCU easily won all five games. They outscored Pitt, on an average point’s per game basis, of 40.2 to 7. Even if you throw out the first 66-0 blowout TCU still averaged 33.75 pts per game to Pitts 8.75. This one was absolutely no contest. Another win for the MWC.
BYU vs West Virginia
17 - 37
24 - 36
24 - 44
17 - 41
35 - 30
----------------------------
23.4 - 37.6
When the third place teams met it was another series that was one-sided. West Virginia took the first four games and BYU finally got a victory in the final contest. Even the one BYU win was by a slight margin; it was the only game not won by double digits. When averaged, West Virginia out scored BYU 37.6 to 23.4. This one goes to the Big East in a major way.
Air Force vs Rutgers
33 - 44
17 - 20
20 - 44
34 - 26
14 - 31
------------------------------
23.6 - 33
Yet another lop-sided series. Rutgers won four out of the five meetings. In spite of having only one win, AF was fairly competitive. The average points per game were AF 23.6 to Rutgers 33. Regardless this is another victory for the Big East.
Colorado St. vs UCONN
27 - 48
29 - 51
12 - 73
17 - 70
13 - 73
------------------------------
19.6 - 63
WOW! This one wasn’t even close. UCONN wins all five games with the closest victory by 21 points. I expected UCONN to win but not like this. They averaged 63 ppg while Colorado St. only averaged 19.6 ppg. The one is a win for the Big East in a VERY big way.
UNLV vs South Florida
14 - 34
24 - 38
7 - 31
7 - 40
7 - 77
-----------------------------
11.8 - 44
Yet another “no contest” meeting. The Bulls win all five meetings. In the last three games their defense took it to another level. The Bulls averaged 44 ppg while the Rebels only managed 11.8 ppg. The Big East now leads four series to two. Things are looking grim for the MWC.
New Mexico vs Louisville
24 - 21
48 - 27
29 - 17
44 - 21
45 - 27
------------------------------
38 - 22.6
The MWC finally gets their third series here. I wasn’t sure how this one would turn out but I certainly didn’t expect either team to get a sweep like the Lobos did. It’s not exactly like the toughest boy in school getting his ass kicked by the prettiest girl in school but its somewhat of a shock. The Lobos averaged 38 ppg which was more than two TD’s better than Louisville’s 22.6. Now things are a little more interesting. Big East 4 – MWC 3.
Wyoming vs Syracuse
45 - 20
27 - 10
31 - 13
42 - 17
24 - 30
------------------------------
33.8 - 18
Wyoming comes through for the MWC. They win all but one game and even it was close. The four games the Cowboys won were all blowouts. Wyoming averages 33.8 ppg to Syracuse’s 18 ppg. This MWC win ties things up at four series each.
So the question is, does this suggest that the MWC deserves an automatic BCS bid? I for one think they do. I thought so before I even did this simulation. If the MWC wanted to make a fuss over not having an automatic bid it would be a legitimate gripe. The Big East hasn’t done less to prove they deserve one than the MWC but they certainly haven’t done more to prove it either. I hope we see the day when the MWC is invited to the party.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
WOULD BETTER DEFENSE MEAN BCS CHAMPIONSHIP FOR TEXAS TECH?
As a Texas Tech Alum I have had the pleasure of watching some of the most exciting offenses in the country during the Mike Leach era. I attended Texas Tech during a transitional period. My freshman and sophomore years Spike Dykes was our head coach. Then Mike Leach began his reign at Tech my junior year.
So needless to say, from the time that I started at Tech until the day I graduated, I saw Tech football (style wise) do a 180. Both coaches were effective but in very different ways.
Spike put together an overall record of 82-67-1 with a bowl record of 2-5. Leach has so far achieved an overall record of 76-39 with a bowl record of 5-4. Leach arguably does a better job of recruiting but Spike didn’t have the nice facilities that Texas Tech now offers. Spike relied on his defenses to win games while Leach relies on his offense.
Spike Dykes always put a dominating defense on the field. Spike consistently had the Tech D ranked among the nation’s best. I remember many games at Jones Stadium when our D was the only reason we were in games. On the other hand his offense was a little less fun to watch. Tech always had good receivers during his years but never relied on them too much. Spike ran a run first offense and used time of possession and ball control. Unfortunately for him, fans began to grow tired of the vanilla offense. I’m certain I’m not the only Tech fan from that era that remembers the crowds chanting “SCORE DEFENSE SCORE!” And you know what?...they did!
From day one Mike Leach has had the Texas Tech offense hitting on all cylinders. As an offensive coordinator, at Kentucky and then Oklahoma, Leach had begun making a name for himself well before arriving at Tech. He has transformed the offense from a running game to a high flying passing attack like no other. His offenses are always one of the nations most productive. He is consistently attracting top WR, QB & OL recruits and rightfully so. He has even begun recruiting defense extremely well. But in some regards he is the exact opposite of Spike Dykes. His defenses haven’t matched up against his offenses.
In comes a new D coordinator. For the last year and a half Ruffin McNeill took over as defensive coordinator. It has proven to be a smart move for the Red Raiders. The defense looked better than at any point in the Leach era last season. I truly believe that McNeill understands how to utilize his players to their fullest. I really feel that this change in defensive attitude is what will get Tech over the hump. Like you heard your high school coach say a thousand times “defense wins championships”. Even if you don’t fully buy into that statement there is some level of truth to it.
I also believe that the offense can actually help the defense improve. While I don’t think it would be wise to change the offensive strategy I do think it would be wise to instruct Taylor Potts and the other QB’s to use the play clock. I would like to see the Tech offense do this more, especially when the D is winded from the prior series. All it would require is telling the QB’s that in certain situations wait until there is less than 10 seconds on the play clock before snapping the ball. This would give the defense more time to rest before trotting back onto the field.
Another way the defense, and entire team for that matter, could improve is through strength and conditioning. Take TCU for example; they are extremely competitive year after year. They are especially tough on the defensive side of the ball. It is even more impressive when you consider that they don’t recruit nearly as well as Texas Tech. I have heard numerous people attribute their success on the field to their strength and conditioning program. According to Phil Steele roughly 75% of the roster can bench press at least 400 lbs.
That’s impressive and it made me wonder who their strength and conditioning coach is. His name is Don Sommer’s and he is in his ninth season with TCU. That makes at least nine seasons that he has been a big part of their success. This is someone that Texas Tech Athletic Director, Gerald Myers, needs to be speaking with before another BCS team snatches him away. Sommer’s and TCU’s linebacker coach, Tony Tademy, are two guys I would love to see in Lubbock in the not too distant future. If Tech has no interest in either of these men they at least need to find out what they do and mimic it.
I realize that these few suggestions are not enough to completely turn around the program. I'm not even dumb enough to think that if the Tech defense became a regular top 15 D that we would be destined for a BCS Championship. I can however say that if that were to happen we would be much more likely to be in that position. I would like to see us make the effort; and who knows, maybe the defense will again begin to score.
So needless to say, from the time that I started at Tech until the day I graduated, I saw Tech football (style wise) do a 180. Both coaches were effective but in very different ways.
Spike put together an overall record of 82-67-1 with a bowl record of 2-5. Leach has so far achieved an overall record of 76-39 with a bowl record of 5-4. Leach arguably does a better job of recruiting but Spike didn’t have the nice facilities that Texas Tech now offers. Spike relied on his defenses to win games while Leach relies on his offense.
Spike Dykes always put a dominating defense on the field. Spike consistently had the Tech D ranked among the nation’s best. I remember many games at Jones Stadium when our D was the only reason we were in games. On the other hand his offense was a little less fun to watch. Tech always had good receivers during his years but never relied on them too much. Spike ran a run first offense and used time of possession and ball control. Unfortunately for him, fans began to grow tired of the vanilla offense. I’m certain I’m not the only Tech fan from that era that remembers the crowds chanting “SCORE DEFENSE SCORE!” And you know what?...they did!
From day one Mike Leach has had the Texas Tech offense hitting on all cylinders. As an offensive coordinator, at Kentucky and then Oklahoma, Leach had begun making a name for himself well before arriving at Tech. He has transformed the offense from a running game to a high flying passing attack like no other. His offenses are always one of the nations most productive. He is consistently attracting top WR, QB & OL recruits and rightfully so. He has even begun recruiting defense extremely well. But in some regards he is the exact opposite of Spike Dykes. His defenses haven’t matched up against his offenses.
In comes a new D coordinator. For the last year and a half Ruffin McNeill took over as defensive coordinator. It has proven to be a smart move for the Red Raiders. The defense looked better than at any point in the Leach era last season. I truly believe that McNeill understands how to utilize his players to their fullest. I really feel that this change in defensive attitude is what will get Tech over the hump. Like you heard your high school coach say a thousand times “defense wins championships”. Even if you don’t fully buy into that statement there is some level of truth to it.
I also believe that the offense can actually help the defense improve. While I don’t think it would be wise to change the offensive strategy I do think it would be wise to instruct Taylor Potts and the other QB’s to use the play clock. I would like to see the Tech offense do this more, especially when the D is winded from the prior series. All it would require is telling the QB’s that in certain situations wait until there is less than 10 seconds on the play clock before snapping the ball. This would give the defense more time to rest before trotting back onto the field.
Another way the defense, and entire team for that matter, could improve is through strength and conditioning. Take TCU for example; they are extremely competitive year after year. They are especially tough on the defensive side of the ball. It is even more impressive when you consider that they don’t recruit nearly as well as Texas Tech. I have heard numerous people attribute their success on the field to their strength and conditioning program. According to Phil Steele roughly 75% of the roster can bench press at least 400 lbs.
That’s impressive and it made me wonder who their strength and conditioning coach is. His name is Don Sommer’s and he is in his ninth season with TCU. That makes at least nine seasons that he has been a big part of their success. This is someone that Texas Tech Athletic Director, Gerald Myers, needs to be speaking with before another BCS team snatches him away. Sommer’s and TCU’s linebacker coach, Tony Tademy, are two guys I would love to see in Lubbock in the not too distant future. If Tech has no interest in either of these men they at least need to find out what they do and mimic it.
I realize that these few suggestions are not enough to completely turn around the program. I'm not even dumb enough to think that if the Tech defense became a regular top 15 D that we would be destined for a BCS Championship. I can however say that if that were to happen we would be much more likely to be in that position. I would like to see us make the effort; and who knows, maybe the defense will again begin to score.
This Years BCS Buster?
Many people around here seem to think that if TCU makes it past Clemson that an undefeated season is likely. I tend to agree. This could be the year that TCU finally makes it to that elusive BCS bowl.
It should be interesting, when you consider that the offense may actually be the strength of this team. With that said, as long as Gary Patterson is the head coach expect the Frogs to have one of the nations top D's as well.
http://cfn.scout.com/2/881459.html
It should be interesting, when you consider that the offense may actually be the strength of this team. With that said, as long as Gary Patterson is the head coach expect the Frogs to have one of the nations top D's as well.
http://cfn.scout.com/2/881459.html
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