May 6, 2009

Northwestern Examiner: Northwestern could benefit from Big Ten expansion

There was a time when I though the game had passed Joe Paterno by. I was wrong.

Say what you will about the often gruff coach – he’s old, he can’t relate to kids, the game has passed him by – but he is usually correct. And by the way, like me, you would be wrong on all three counts.

Never one to hold his tongue, Paterno said last week that he would like to see the Big Ten expand to 12 teams, enabling the also-ran conference to create a championship game and play later into the season. The wizened one said he thought that the extra team and game would allow the Big Ten to stay in the minds of the media (read voters) later and possibly get the conference more shots at the National Title.

It is a tough sell, not only because commissioner Jim Delaney has already turned it down, but because the last leagues to try and make waves through expansion haven’t yet shown that it works.

Yet, when Paterno talks, we should listen. After all he was the first to conceive of an East Coast football conference – it became the Big East, but ironically without Penn State.

Plus, with Penn State the relative newcomer to the Big Ten, Paterno can almost speak from an outsider’s point of view. It is not like the Nittany Lions have a strong tie to the Rose Bowl like the rest of the league seems to have.

No, Penn State and JoePa are just the right messengers to push change onto the league that seems perpetually stuck in the 1950s (Now talk about irony!).

Read the rest of this story at Examiner.com.

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January 7, 2009

Jagodzinski out at Boston College

In what is a evolving story, Jeff Jagodzinski has indeed been let go from his head coaching position at Boston College.

The announcement was made at a press conference held by Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo. Jagodzinski's status had been up in the air since he was reportedly threatened with termination if he interviewed with the NFL's New York Jets.

Jagodzinski met with the Jets on Tuesday which led to his firing today.

According to ESPN's Wendi Nix, defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani is expected to be named the interim head coach.

That would be an interesting move because Spaziani has also been involved in coaching rumors and could lead to an even bigger void at the top of the Golden Eagle staff.

Jagodzinski was 20-8 in two season as head coach, including two ACC Atlantic Division titles and a bowl win against Michigan State in last season's Citrus Bowl.

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January 6, 2009

About Last Night: Fiesta Bowl Edition

And who says that bowl games don't mean anything to the participants?

Just when you thought that maybe Ohio State could shed that losing feeling, Colt McCoy comes and stomps on their heart. For the Buckeyes, there can be no more brutal way to lose.

Think about it. They just got shellacked against Florida two years ago. Last year, LSU toyed with them, letting the Buckeyes run out to a 10 point lead before just stomping on them.

And then there was last night. Ohio State seems to have the victory at hand. Just stop Texas and the Fiesta Bowl is yours.

But then there is the reach for a first down on 4th and 3. And then a total commitment to stopping the short passing game that left Quan Cosby with no chasers after breaking through the linebackers.

Yep, Ohio State has now been totally humiliated for the third straight season.

Maybe they should be thankful for 2005's Fiesta Bowl when they drew Notre Dame. Playing Notre Dame in a bowl game is like a gift from heaven. You can't possibly be humiliated, unless I guess you are Hawaii.

But no matter how much of a humiliation this was for Ohio State, we can be pretty much assured that Texas will not be splitting the National Championship.

While it takes guts and determination to come back in the final two minutes, it is the statement that the AP voters will be looking for when Friday rolls around.

Just look at all of the mistakes that Texas made during the game that could have removed a lot of the drama from the final two minutes.

Before the half, Colt McCoy drove his team 80 yards in less than a minute. He could have had Texas up 10 - 6 at the half.

Instead, an ill-advised pass gets intercepted at the 1-yard line. Not exactly sound judgment, when the worst Texas could have hoped for was a field goal and a tie game.

Or what about the failure of Texas's defense scheme to catch on that when Terrelle Pryor lines up at quarterback, someone needs to spy him out. The option offense that Ohio State ran on the Longhorns looked unstoppable. Texas looked cooked.

And even when Pryor lined up outside, Texas had no answer. Just replay the coverage (if you can call it that) on his touchdown catch. The defender didn't even know the ball was coming and barely got his arms up in the air.

You don't win football games scheming and executing that way.

But Texas did.

It just won't win them any National Titles.

Ben Miraski is a freelance reporter, edits and writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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August 29, 2008

Tailgate Preview - Week 1

The college football season kicks off this week with a snorer of a slate. Nothing like padding your resume with wins over Chattanooga, Georgia Southern and Tennessee-Martin (That means you Oklahoma, Georgia and South Florida).

I am not expecting any Appalachian State-type upsets this season during the first week, not even from Appalachian State. LSU might not have its defensive core from last season, but they are no 2007-version Michigan (or 2008-version Michigan either).

A departure from the norm this week then with a little wider focus, not just previews of the Big XII and the ACC.

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at the games that actually mean something this weekend:

Illinois vs. Missouri (-9) in St. Louis – Missouri is coming off a high last season, and Chase Daniel is a likely strong contender for the Heisman. Illinois might have a strong defense, but they have lost Rashard Mendenhall and the Juice (Williams) might end up getting squeezed with the loss of his backfield-mate. Illinois head coach Ron Zook should be a little scared. The Tigers are one of the strongest teams in the country on both sides of the ball.

Look for Missouri to cover in the Border War.

Alabama vs. Clemson (-4.5) in Atlanta – Call me crazy, but I can see Tommy Bowden’s season at Clemson getting off to a rough start. While the Tigers might be the best in a very mediocre ACC, Alabama just rings of a better season, even if its final win total might be less than Clemson. I think the Tiger line troubles might be too much to overcome this early in the season.

Take Alabama with the points.

Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina (+9.5) in Charlotte – I worry about Virginia Tech. There is a quarterback situation, the defense is a major question mark and the ACC is so weak, they might get a big head thinking they have an easy road ahead. That is a perfect storm of a situation for East Carolina, a team that should be among the class of Conference USA.

Take the Pirates with the points.

Tennessee at UCLA (+7.5) – UCLA’s struggles with injuries at the quarterback position continue into the Neuheisel era, with both Ben Oldon and Patrick Cowan out. That should serve to make things ugly in his first season. Tennessee, meanwhile, is just a middle pack team in the SEC, but should still be able to run all over the Bruins.

Tennessee covers the 7.5.

Utah at Michigan (-3.5) – Ready to see Michigan fans cry after the opener for the second season in a row? Utah is strong enough to make it happen. Add in the first season under Rich Rodriguez, with the wrong personnel for his system, and it is more likely.

The Utes cover, and pull the straight-up upset.

Michigan State at Cal (-5.5) – Ever have one of those games that you just can’t tell? The Spartans look like they could be anywhere from mediocre to decent. The Bears look like they have a lot of work to do on offense to really finish high in the PAC-10 as they are predicted to do.

I am feeling the 5.5 for Michigan State, but this is my shakiest pick of the weekend.

Colorado at Colorado State (+11) in Denver – The big rivalry game of the weekend, because honestly, who cares about Kentucky or Louisville this year? Then again, who cares about Colorado and Colorado State outside of the attendees at the Democratic National Convention? I really like Colorado this season, and think they will be last year’s Kansas in the Big XII. They won’t win 12 games, but they should finish respectably, and ahead of the Jayhawks. Colorado State, by contrast is bad. Not rotten old fish bad, but bad. There is too much going against the Rams.

Take the Buffs to cover the spread.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His ACC and Big XII previews appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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August 24, 2008

2008 ACC Preview

It is quite a change to cover the ACC in addition to the Big XII this season. For starters, the ACC has nowhere near the depth of the Big XII. It has never become the super-conference in football that it hoped it would be when it added Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College.

While Virginia Tech and Boston College have been competitive, Miami has been a flop since coming over. And this season, it looks like both the Hokies and BC will be taking a step backwards, leaving the door open for new participants in the ACC championship game.

Without further ado, the ACC

Atlantic Division

1. Clemson
Coach: Tommy Bowden
2007: 9-4 (5-3), Lost Chick-Fil-A Bowl
Head of the Class – There is little to criticize about James Davis and CJ Spiller, except last year’s performance. While Clemson was favored to win last season’s Atlantic Division, they ended up blowing the conference lead and letting Boston College slip into the title game. The pair are still the best pair of backs in the conference, and among the best pairs in the NCAA. Look for them both to step up this season.

Underachievers – While it is tempting to pick Bowden as the biggest underachiever, grasping defeat from the jaws of victory over and over again, I think the offensive line is a big question mark. Almost the entire group will be new starters and while talented, the lack of a solid group up front was what held back the head of the class last season.

Academic Suspension – This is Clemson, so you have to be wary of picking them to finish in first place. This year, I also worry about a brewing quarterback controversy. The only reason this didn’t become a major issue last year was that freshman Willy Korn got injured and took a medical red shirt. This year, he is back to challenge Cullen Harper and it will be interesting to watch how Bowden handles a full year of competition.

2. Wake Forest
Coach: Jim Grobe
2007: 9-4 (5-3), Won Meineke Car Care Bowl
Head of the Class – This is a team built on solid defense. Ignore the offense for right now, this team returns nine starters on the defense and that should be enough right there to keep them in the hunt not only the division title, but another ACC title. Alphonso Smith should be one of the top defensive backs in college football, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he had 10 or more interceptions.

Underachievers – Hey, offense, wake up. Actually, this season is Riley Skinner’s last, and I think the experience should help him to settle in and push for another post-season honor. Together with Josh Adams at running back, the pair should add enough numbers on the board to outscore the little that the defense will let up.

Academic Suspension – This is the theme of the ACC Atlantic: the offensive line looks weak. While it should not be as big an issue as it is with Clemson who is built on running, it is still a concern. Again, it is the defense that is Wake’s strength, but the weak line could affect that side of the ball also by only producing short series.

3. Maryland
Coach: Ralph Friedgen
2007: 6-7 (3-5), Lost Emerald Bowl
Head of the Class – Maryland has the most experience on offense of what I think will be the top three teams. They return a huge strong offensive line and that should be enough to improve already. Add a terribly weak schedule and the Terps could actually come out ahead in the league (getting the feeling that this is still wide open?).

Underachievers – The defense could be a big question with only five returning starters, but that is still a group with a lot of experience. The biggest holes are in the defensive backfield, but given the running bent of the ACC and the loss of some of the more experienced receivers and quarterbacks, I think Maryland has enough ramp up time to get their new starters ready to play.

Academic Suspension – Who schedules for Maryland? Delaware, Middle Tennessee State and Eastern Michigan in the non-conference? You want to maybe put a challenge in there? They do play Cal, but the other three games make it look as if a Big Ten team were putting their schedule together. Even if Maryland surprises in the ACC, the weak non-conference slate could kill any high ranking they could hope to achieve.

4. Florida State
Coach: Bobby Bowden
2007: 7-6 (4-4), Lost Music City Bowl
Head of the Class – The team returns 15 starters from last season, including eight on defense which should be a huge start for Florida State. The team replaces only a single man on the line, at linebacker and in the defensive backfield. Look for the defense to be the strength which will be huge for the Seminoles given that the offense has been troublesome for the last few years.

Underachievers – Drew Weatherford is back again, which may not be a good thing. There is always a chance that his senior season will be a jump up in production, sort of like the free agent year in most pro sports. This time Weatherford will be trying to take his game to the pros. I am not sold yet.

Academic Suspension – The offensive line is really inexperienced. The two returning starters are only sophomores and Rodney Hudson, one of the returnees, changes position to the all important left tackle. This is not a good sign for a team that already struggles in its offensive game. Lucky for Florida State, they have two 1-AA games to get things together before Wake Forest comes to town.

5. Boston College
Coach: Jeff Jagodzinski
2007: 11-3 (6-3), Won Champs Sports Bowl
Head of the Class – The offensive line is the strength of the returning starters, though that isn’t saying much (only 10 total starters back). Whomever is back behind center after the loss of Matt Ryan will at least have a little time to figure out what to do with the ball.

Underachievers – It looks like Chris Crane will be taking over for Matt Ryan at quarterback. He has taken all of 40 snaps in his career. He is no Matt Ryan though. The entire quarterback troupe will have a lot of learning to do and fast because…

Academic Suspension – The schedule for Boston College is not easy. Non-conference games against Kent State, Central Florida and Notre Dame are not simple wins, especially without your star QB. Clemson comes to Boston College, but the team goes on the road to Florida State and Wake Forest. It will be a long second season for Jagodzinski, but he might see a glimpse of a bowl at the end of the year if things break the Eagles’ way
.
6. North Carolina State
Coach: Tom O’Brien
2007: 5-7 (3-5)
Head of the Class – It is year number two of the Tom O’Brien experience so that should help the play of the Wolfpack. That is about all the good news there is for this team.

Underachievers – How fast can the new guys learn? NC State returns only 10 starters and lost almost half the team to graduation. O’Brien can work some miracles, but this would be a tough task for even Jesus to come through with some upbeat news.

Academic Suspension – It is hard to rip on a team for scheduling tough, except that this was not the year to have the schedule that the Wolfpack put together. South Floirda, at South Carolina and one of the top C-USA teams, East Carolina, all make this a tough row to hoe for O’Brien and his young squad. Start looking forward to 2009 now.

Coastal Division

1. North Carolina
Coach: Butch Davis
2007: 4-8 (3-5)
Head of the Class – What’s not to like? The team returns 18 starters, they are in the second year of the Davis system, and they get Virginia Tech at home. The team should be improved just by getting older, and there is a big drop in a number of teams in the division. The ACC has a record of sending a surprise team to the Championship game each season, so why not the Tar Heels?

Underachievers – We will know everything about North Carolina’s season by the end of September. They miss out on Clemson in the regular season, so there is no looming giant in the conference late in the schedule (sorry, Duke). But September is the gantlet, with a trip to Rutgers, a visit from Virginia Tech and a visit to Miami. Go 2-1 in those three with the loss not coming against Virginia Tech and this team rolls to the division title.

Academic Suspension – I don’t like taking the Tar Heels at number one in the division, which is about my only complaint. The team struggled on both sides of the ball last year, and a year of improvement might not be enough. However, the rest of the division is also not improving, so this might be the best of the available.

2. Virginia Tech
Coach: Frank Beamer
2007: 11-3 (8-1), Lost Orange Bowl
Head of the Class – The best quarterback in the conference is Sean Taylor, er, Tyrod Glennon. Ok, so Virginia Tech has a quarterback controversy, but together Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor are the best quarterback in the ACC. Glennon will get the majority of the snaps, but expect Taylor to be used like Tebow was when he was a freshman. Near the end of the season, I wouldn’t be surprised if Taylor gets more time under center as he moves to the featured arm.

Underachievers – Glennon and Taylor can’t win the games themselves, and the running core and receivers are all a little green around the edges. That means trouble scoring, and that could lead to even more issues because…

Academic Suspension – Where is the defense? It is risky to put a Beamer team on notice for their defense, but I think we all remember how exposed they looked against LSU last season. Now take away the experience they had then, and bring in seven new starters. Yeah, not pretty, but better than what comes after them.

3. Miami
Coach: Randy Shannon
2007: 5-7 (2-6)
Head of the Class – Here is where the entire bottom of the conference gets murky. But Miami has the edge in defense, which could give them enough to squeak out a few wins against the weak offenses out there. They do draw Florida (ouch), but outside of that, the non-conference slate looks fairly winnable with the defense clicking. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Hurricanes can get a bloated-looking eight wins.

Underachievers – The quarterback continues to be an issue for the Hurricanes. They haven’t been able to get stability there for the last 5 years, and with four freshmen lining up for the job, it doesn’t look to get very clear this season. The best thing the QB can do is to not make mistakes, which freshmen are prone to do. Someone has to emerge for even a third place finish here.

Academic Suspension – And that should translate into another anemic offense from Miami. I don’t know what happened in South Florida to the super-teams that used to stalk the field. It will be up to the rag tag bunch to put together just enough to outscore what the defense can provide. I will take that chance, but not with a great deal of certainty.

4. Virginia
Coach: Al Groh
2007: 9-4 (6-2), Lost Gator Bowl
Head of the Class – Virginia returns three of the four starters at linebacker in its 3-4 defense. Expect those four to get a workout and have their names called quite a bit on Saturday. Last season was a success through close wins, achieved through defense. If the linebackers can anchor the fairly inexperienced squad, they should do just fine.

Underachievers – Eugene Monroe is a force on the offensive line, but the rest of the line looks like a really question mark. In the ACC, someone has to win, so maybe the unit can come through, especially when some of the defenses look like swiss cheese. But this will be a tough struggle with three new faces beginning every game.

Academic Suspension – The front three are all new on defensive side, one of the primary reasons that the linebackers will be busy. If teams can run all over the Cavaliers, there might not be hope for even a fourth place finish. But again, the lines in the ACC are not the greatest in the world. Look for some interesting series on D.

5. Georgia Tech
Coach: Paul Johnson
2007: 7-6 (4-4), Lost Humanitarian Bowl
Head of the Class – Paul Johnson likes to win, and he does win. Navy was one of the best offenses and most exciting teams to follow over the past few years under Johnson. If he can bring that excitement to Georgia Tech, there is no telling the havoc that the Yellow Jackets can cause in the ACC.

Underachievers – The transition to Johnson’s offense will not be easy, and it will require the offense having a lot more speed. Georgia Tech is already faster than Navy could ever be, but the bigs on the line will need to move faster. I have no doubt that Andrew Gardner can after a 1st Team ACC honor last year, but dragging along the rest of the squad might be difficult.

Academic Suspension – At Virginia Tech, at Clemson, at Georgia, at North Carolina – Need any more proof that the best Georgia Tech might dream about is eight wins? Oh yeah, don’t forget Mississippi State, so make it seven. If the team comes around quickly, they will be a shock to a lot of ACC teams, and that might be enough to get them bowling again. It will be extremely close.

6. Duke
Coach: David Cutcliffe
2007: 1-11 (0-8)
Head of the Class – At least when Duke struggles, they have the law on their side. A judge ruled that Duke is pretty much terrible in a dispute between Louisville and the Blue Devils over a cancelled football game. But even Duke has a bright spot and that is ten returning defensive starters. Say what you will about how bad Duke is, but an experienced defense can do you wonders. I don’t know if it will be enough to get to four wins, but it is enough to win maybe two.

Underachievers – The offense needs some kind of rhythm and Cutcliffe should be able to provide them a plan to get some. I understand that new systems take time to learn, but anything would be an improvement over Duke last season. Anyone recall the first half of the Duke – Notre Dame game? Yeah, that should be proof enough, and that was late in the season. Cutcliffe, go to work.

Academic Suspension – This is Duke. Again, a judge said they are terrible. It is basically law at this point. The worst part of the whole thing? Northwestern and Vanderbilt, the misfits of their own leagues, will beat them this season.

Bold Prediction:
I think North Carolina winning the Coastal division should be bold enough, but how about another.

• One of the duo at tailback at Clemson ends up on stage in New York for the Heisman.


• Miami will get shut out twice this season.


• Maryland will end the season ranked.

Top Games:

• Virginia Tech at North Carolina – winner takes the Coastal division.


• Clemson at Florida State, Clemson at Wake Forest, heck, how about every Clemson game with the twisted focus on when the whole thing will fall apart for Bowden this year.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His ACC and Big XII previews appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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August 21, 2008

2008 Big XII Preview

It is time to get back into the swing of things at MRISports.com, and that means a return to what you all come here for: A chance to rip on my predictions.

Once again as part of the Tailgate at Blogcritics, I will be previewing the Big XII conference each week, and this year, I will also be tackling the ACC.

To start though, the old standby: The Big XII

Big XII South

1. Oklahoma Coach: Bob Stoops 2007: 11-3 (7-2), Lost Fiesta Bowl Head of the Class – What is there not to like about the Sooners? There was no off-season drama. Sam Bradford looks like the real deal, and again they have one of the most punishing offensive lines in the country. Plus, their schedule shapes up well skipping Missouri and with all of the toughest games at home.

Underachievers – Since Adrian Peterson was injured and then left early for the NFL, it is has been running back by committee in Norman. Now that Bradford is a known commodity, the running game is going to have to back him to a greater extent. Not a problem with the line the Sooners have but it is always a little tricky when there is not a featured back game after game.

Academic Suspension – It is always a good sign when the worst thing someone can say about you is that you are starting a freshman kicker. Jimmy Stevens should be taking over the reins of the kicking job, and we know how many games often come down to important kicks. With Oklahoma’s offense, this shouldn’t be an issue, but it is something to watch.

2. Texas Coach: Mack Brown 2007: 10-3 (5-3), Won Holiday Bowl Head of the Class – Mack Brown has turned Texas into Linemen University. The Longhorns again have one of the best lines on both sides of the ball despite losing two starters from the defense. While the Big XII is slowly shifting to a spread-offense conference, most of the games are still won and lost in the trenches and there is nothing bad to say about the men who work on those lines for Texas.

Underachievers – Where did the Colt McCoy from his freshman season go? He might have still been feeling the hangovers of that season’s injuries and hit last year. When the defenses finally got to him, I think it made him wake up and realize that he was in college. Last season, McCoy seemed more tentative with the ball. It will be up to him to get Texas back to the top of the league, so he better be ready for it.

Academic Suspension – The defense loses 7 starters and the schedule is not too kind to Texas. They get Missouri and Texas A&M at home, but still have a tough trip to Kansas (wow, that is strange to say) and Texas Tech. Don’t expect an undefeated run with a stretch of games like this. Mack Brown might want to make sure he actually beats A&M this year too (two straight losses).

3. Texas Tech Coach: Mike Leach 2007: 9-4 (4-4), Won Gator Bowl

Head of the Class – Defense and air power are the name of the game in Lubbock. The Red Raiders had one of the best defenses in the league after they dumped their defensive coordinator following the loss to Oklahoma State last year. And no one can underestimate the air attack that Leach puts on the field. Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree are both back to make defensive backs’ heads spin.

Underachievers – The running game (yes, they have one) took a step backwards last season, but the Red Raiders actually did better in the win-loss column. With the entire line and running core back, Texas Tech should actually have a more balanced offense this year, giving Harrell a break from running from the defense.

Academic Suspension – To move up to 10 wins, the Red Raiders are going to have to find a way to get past both Oklahoma and Texas which will not be an easy task. While this might be their most talented team, they are still a step behind the two goliaths of the division. Plus, Tech has to travel to Oklahoma, where they haven’t won since 1996.

4. Oklahoma State Coach: Mike “41” Gundy 2007: 7-6 (4-4), Won Insight Bowl

Head of the Class – Now that all that craziness about Bobby Reid is over with his transfer, the Cowboys can settle on Zac Robinson at quarterback, where he did fairly well in his replacement role last season. Add in one of the most experienced offensive lines in the conference, and the big score attack of Oklahoma State might just show up this season.

Underachievers – The defensive backfield finished in the bottom quarter of the league in terms of effectiveness. That leaves a lot of room for improvement. With most of the unit back, they should be improved, a big necessity in the now high flying Big XII. The Cowboys should live and die by the effectiveness of their defense this season, so let’s say their life depends on that improvement.

Academic Suspension – While I am tempted to say Mike Gundy should get the nod here, I am going to go with the not so friendly schedule and division that Oklahoma State has to tackle. They play Missouri, Texas and Texas Tech all on the road which will not help them, plus they have a super-weak non-conference slate. All that, and having to play in the South Division will do them no favors. They are fourth by default.

5. Texas A&M Coach: Mike Sherman 2007: 7-6 (4-4), Lost Alamo Bowl

Head of the Class -- The best news for A&M might have been the departure of Dennis Franchione, who not only had his newsletter scandal, but a knack for losing too. Enter Mike Sherman who had some success at the pro level and will be looking to have that translate into something in College Station. Keeping his nose clean might be the best move in a first season which looks to be a little rocky.

Underachievers – The entire starting backfield returns which should be good news, but they were squite spotty in games last season. Stephen McGee should step it up in his senior season and if Jorvorskie Lane can return to his 2006 form, maybe there is some hope for the offense.

Academic Suspension – The offensive line is a huge issue going into the season. With only one major starter returning, the early part of the season will be spent not only learning a new system, but learning to play together. McGee is going to need a lot of ice bags to recover from all the pounding he will take. The second big issue will be whether the team keeps it together. It was obvious they quit on Franchione last year. Now with a new system, will the team lose confidence quickly if the wins don’t happen?

6. Baylor Coach: Art Briles 2007: 3-9 (0-8)

Head of the Class – Returning nine offensive starters is the only thing looking good for Baylor this season. While last season seemed to be their best chance to get to a bowl, they couldn’t eek out a single Big XII victory. Having the experience on their side, especially on the offensive line, should help, but then again, this is Baylor.

Underachievers – This is Baylor. They always underachieve. New coach Art Briles might have a few surprises up his sleeve. Briles comes from Houston, where he had some success. Now, he has a chance to show what he can do in the big leagues with the consistently worst team in conference.

Academic Suspension – Baylor will be lucky to squeak out 2 victories this season, playing in the South against Oklahoma, Texas and the rest. Let’s just stick with the Underachiever mantra: This is Baylor.

Big XII North

1. Missouri Coach: Gary Pinkel 2007: 12-2 (7-2), Won Cotton Bowl

Head of the Class – Missouri starts and ends with Chase Daniel. The Heisman contender should be right in the mix for the most prestigious award in college football until the last week of the season. The biggest knock against him this season might be the schedule as Missouri misses Oklahoma and outside of Illinois, the non-conference slate is very weak. There should be little keeping Daniel from at least repeating as Big XII offensive player of the year.

Underachievers – Sean Weatherspoon should lead one of the best linebacking cores in the country this season once again. He scored 130 tackles last year, and with the whole unit returning, behind a very veteran defensive line, look for teams to have to take Missouri deep to get anything going against them. While all the talk this year will focus on the offense, the defense will keep this team in the running for an undefeated year.

Academic Suspension – It is hard to find holes in Missouri. The biggest challenge might be having lost their center and left tackle on the offensive line, two important positions. If the line gels quickly with its new blood, there is nothing holding Missouri back.

2. Nebraska Coach: Bo Pelini 2007: 5-7 (2-6)

Head of the Class – I am still smarting from picking Nebraska to win the North last season, so call me a little skeptical putting them at #2 in the division this season, especially with a new head coach. My best bet for Nebraska is that Marlon Lucky will emerge as a dark horse Heisman candidate. While the runners in this year’s class are very good, Lucky has shown he has the ability and in a new offense focused on running, Lucky will excel. Plus he will take the head off new quarterback Joe Ganz.

Underachievers – The defense has to improve. Last year’s squad never looked like the famed Blackshirts and has a lot of ground to make up to get that label back. Adding Pelini at head coach should help, having been an assistant at Nebraska, and leading the great defenses at LSU. This unit will have Nebraska competing while everyone counts them out.

Academic Suspension – Nebraska only returns 11 starters, but that might be a bonus for the team which was just embarrassing last season. Forgetting the Bill Callahan Experience should be easy when so many of the names on the field change. Plus Pelini will likely run a much more disciplined team, which should stop them from having off-field incidents that went along with the sorry on-field play last season.

3. Colorado Coach: Dan Hawkins 2007: 6-7 (4-4), Lost Independence Bowl

Head of the Class – With so much returning talent, Colorado should improve on its .500 conference record last season. They had a couple of close losses go against them, and they have a big upset win against Oklahoma to build on. Look for Cody Hawkins to lead a much more mature offense in 2008.

Underachievers – Behind Hawkins in the backfield are likely two freshmen, one a red shirt. Getting the running game moving will be a big part of Colorado’s success but they should have an easier time than you would expect with very highly rated Darrell Scott the likely starter. Scott’s 4.3 speed should have the Buffs running all over the competition…

Academic Suspension – …until you see who that competition is. West Virginia and Florida State are part of the non-conference slate, and Colorado has Missouri, Texas A&M and Missouri on the road. Colorado has upset ability so don’t count out them as my surprise third place team. However, it is going to take some luck like they had last season against Oklahoma.

4. Kansas Coach: Mark Mangino 2007: 12-1 (7-1), Won Orange Bowl

Head of the Class – Todd Reesing was spectacular in leading Kansas to the Orange Bowl last season. He should continue to be the best part of the Jayhawk team, despite my ranking of them fourth this season. He will be challenged with some changes on the offensive line, but if the brilliance of last season is there, you can’t count out Kansas yet.

Underachievers – Someone has to catch the ball from Reesing, and Kansas lost two of its best receivers to the pros. The receiving core will need to mature quickly, especially since Kansas won’t be sneaking up on anyone this year.

Academic Suspension – Kansas again draws the top three teams from the South division on their schedule, something they missed out on during last season’s run. I didn’t like Kansas last year when they had the easy schedule. I really don’t like it when they have to play all the best from the other side. This is probably underestimating the Jayhawk team, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them fall back to Earth.

5. Kansas State Coach: Ron Prince 2007: 5-7 (3-5)

Head of the Class – Kansas State returns seven starters on offense, and adds a number of JUCO transfers which should offset some of the losses. Look for the more experienced offense to run smoother than last year, and not have the fitful starts and stops. This team had a majorly disappointing season last year, and the offense can only improve its standing with all of the returns.

Underachievers – Kansas State was the ultimate underachiever last season, losing to a discombobulated Nebraska team and Iowa State. And that was after a surprising win against Texas. The Wildcats will need to pull one upset to get back to a bowl this year and not collapse against a team they should beat.

Academic Suspension – Kansas State replaces a large part of the defensive line, and given that some of the best offensive lines in the country play in the Big XII, that could mean a long season. Luckily, the Wildcats have an easier run through the non-conference slate before the challenges, so it is possible to get ahead of the pain that is coming.

6. Iowa State Coach: Gene Chizik 2007: 3-9 (2-6)

Head of the Class – Oklahoma and Texas are gone from Iowa State’s schedule, so they have a little more breathing room in conference this season, even after surprising with two wins in the league last year. Iowa State also gets all of the tough foes coming to them this year, which could bode well for an upset. Don’t count out Iowa State from being better than last year and getting a win that makes you scratch your head.

Underachievers – Austen Arnaud takes over for four-year starter Bret Meyer which could be a big question mark for the offense. Arnaud has some speed and Chizik plans to take advantage of his versatility to shake up the game plan. If Arnaud quickly comes of age, he could be one of the best stories in the league this season especially behind a veteran offensive line.

Academic Suspension – Iowa State doesn’t yet have the talent to compete week after week in the Big XII. While they make get a couple more upsets this season, the Cyclones are more likely to go winless in the league than end up .500.

Bold Prediction:

• Oklahoma runs the table and plays for all the marbles against a team from the SEC… and wins.
• Missouri will be undefeated when they meet Oklahoma in the Big XII title game, making the battle the best, and most important, conference championship in any league.

Games to Watch:

• The Red River Shootout, which is no longer called that, pitting Oklahoma and Texas will be one of the best games of the season, and should decide the South, although I don't think Texas will only have a single loss in conference.
• Missouri at Nebraska the first week in October will be the best gauge of whether Nebraska has turned the corner.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII preview appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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December 12, 2007

College Football Notebook

There is still a little over a week to go until the bowl games, but I thought I would run through a couple of the top stories in the college football world.

• Tim Tebow Wins the Heisman: I thought this was going to be the case. It would not have been such if Dennis Dixon had not gotten hurt, or Darren McFadden hadn't disappeared for an entire month. However, it came to pass and Tim Tebow became the first sophomore to win the award.

  I will say it now. He will not win again next year.

  This is mainly because he had the perfect confluence of events in order to get the award this season. Not only was there not a front running team with a single main contributor, but Florida was without a featured running back, leaving Tebow to rack up numbers unlike we have seen in the scoring column.

  Next year, Florida should be good again, but Tebow should go back to having numbers in the mortal range. I would look for numbers similar to what Dixon had done, or would have been projected to do with a full season.

  There will also be some strong competition from a true running back on a contending team next season. Should Texas contend, Jamaal Charles will be a major part of that, however, it might be situation like Pat White and Steve Slaton, if both are healthy and contributing, with Colt McCoy potentially bouncing back from a poor season (I might go out there and say that McCoy will not bounce back. I think those concussions and other injuries have really shook him to the point where he can't produce anymore at the college level.) Pat White should also still be around and contending (he has to stay healthy!). And of course, Chase Daniel, will again be among the contenders after he had such a run near the end of this season. Beating Oklahoma will be a huge necessity for him to win though.

  So with the number of good to great players going into next year, and the expected fall off of Tebow, you will not get an Archie Griffin-experience next year. Although, with the way this season went, you never know what to expect next year.

• Paul Johnson to Georgia Tech: If there is one team that can win Johnson's triple option offense, it is Georgia Tech. I think they are perfectly set up for it, with the number of strong backs they get to the school. Plus, they have never really been a great passing offense with Chan Gailey, despite all the attempts with Reggie Ball and Calvin Johnson. In the ACC, a league with less speed than an SEC, or Big XII on defense, I see success, and a chance to return Georgia Tech to the success they should be having.

  I know the ACC likes to think of itself has a big time conference. That was why they added Virginia Tech, Boston College, and Miami into the league. Before those three got there, the league was Florida State, maybe 2 teams a year that were OK, and then everyone else. Those two "OK" teams rotated every year, but were mainly North Carolina State, Clemson, Georgia Tech, or Virginia. Every blue moon a team like a North Carolina or Maryland could jump up and win at that top level, but there was little consistency outside of Florida State every year. Therefore it should be no surprise that two of the top teams they brought (bought?) from the Big East are now the powerhouses in the league.

  With a situation like that, there is no reason that Paul Johnson can't take Georgia Tech to a 9-3 record every season, and some years, a 10-2 record, with his offensive style. The ACC is not as competitive overall nor does it have the stopping power defenses.

• Bobby Petrino to Arkansas: Given his situation in Atlanta and the success he had at the college level, it was only a matter of time before Petrino would be back. Arkansas is a nice program, although in a very tough coaching division in the best football conference in the country. I still think there will be a few seasons before Arkansas is where they think they should be with Petrino at the helm. The main reason is that they need to find someone to quarterback that offense if they are going to play the Petrino way. There is nothing left in the cupboard for him to start with at that position, and he likely loses McFadden to the draft (although Felix Jones is nothing to cough at). Again, good hire (albeit a little shady, but what hire isn't in college football these days), but Arkansas fans better give it time to succeed.
• Big Ten to Grant Bye Week: With the expansion to a 12 game season, the conference affected the most had to be the Big Ten. With a "tradition" of being done with their football season prior to Thanksgiving, squeezing in an extra game meant losing their bye week. It also meant that without a week off, scheduling went downhill. This is because teams were so worried about injuries, they stopped facing bigger and stronger teams, while the MAC and Division 1-AA got a few more shots.

  I am not so down on teams like Michigan State and Michigan, who consistently play against tough opponents, like Notre Dame and teams from other BCS conferences. Ohio State tries to do the same, although they spent three of their games on the other schools in Ohio this season. They should go back to a schedule like 2006, when they played Cincinnati, Texas, and a good Northern Illinois (although they lucked out on the last one). Then playing a team like Youngstown State or Akron is a little more palatable. The rest of the Big Ten is a joke when it comes to scheduling.

  This ruling changes that. It allows an early bye week, which could be placed after a tough game against a team from the SEC, or PAC-10. Even a game against a tough Big XII foe would be acceptable (not a Baylor, or Iowa State). Teams would not be beaten down so badly after 12 weeks that they would have nothing left at the end of the season. Teams would not be out of the public eye for so long while other conferences might have two or three games still remaining. Teams would be more competitive come bowl season, because they will have been tested during the year with the tougher scheduling, and will be playing later and be focused longer.

  The Big Ten needed this, and probably could have gone further to allow games until the final week of the season. But this is the right step. Now the individual teams need to do the necessary things to make the league a powerhouse in college football again.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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December 6, 2007

Two Rants: Dennis and Journalism

There is no action taking place on the field, but there are two things that I couldn't let pass in the last few days.

The first of those has to do with the Heisman finalists which were announced last night. Four players are going to be invited to New York for the ceremony, a step up from the farcical three that have been invited in the last few seasons. Colt Brennan, Chase Daniel, Darren McFadden, and Tim Tebow will be making the trip this season.

I have to give the voters the benefit of the doubt for the most part. If you go by performance alone, there is a wide variety of choices this season. You could go with the best two way player in Tebow, you could go with the most skillful running back, or you could go with the two quarterbacks who did a lot to improve the status of their teams. A voter could even have put together a ballot that had Sam Bradford, Kevin Smith, and Todd Reesing, and they would have had enough of an argument to defend it.

However, I think the voters missed the boat on at least one of the two players in my top three who are not being invited to New York. As I pointed out in my last Heisman article, there were two players who exhibited the leadership and the skill to elevate their teams beyond what those teams were without him. Dennis Dixon and Pat White both put together seasons which could have them considered as the "best" player on the field this season.

I can understand potentially not voting for Pat White outside of his region. His big televised games were not the kind that would stand out to the rest of the country who did not see him play consistently. However, I see no reason for not voting for Dennis Dixon.

Even if you didn't see him play often this season, any voter worth his salt knew when he got hurt, and what happened to the Oregon team without him. Dixon made Oregon into a National Championship contender. Without him, they are in the Sun Bowl. That is a massive difference, and a testament to the skill of a single player.

I am quite surprised. Most of the ballots I have seen have Dixon at least in third place. So, I would think he would have gotten at least an invite. However, he isn't. I would have thought that a 5th spot on the stage would have been reserved. However it wasn't. That is a major loss for the world of college football who had a very good player left out of the mix in this season of turmoil from week 1 to week 14.

My other rant has to do with the decline in one aspect of good journalism. I know I just lost half of my audience, however small that is, with that sentence, but I think this is important.

We saw it start on Saturday, and even earlier, when Les Miles was rumored, and then reported to be going to Michigan. This led to Miles having to hold a press conference to stop the madness, and report that he was staying at LSU. This reporting (mostly blamed falsely on Kirk Herbstreit, when the blogosphere and others were all jabbering about this for weeks ahead of time. I am far from the biggest Herbstreit fan, and I thought he was jobbed on this) was just wrong, and ignored one of the fundamental principles which is verification, getting multiple sources to ensure that the proper information is released to the public.

I understand the pressure that is journalism in the new age. There is a race to be the first to report the information. However, there should also be a duty to ensure that the information is correct prior to that report. Anyone who has seen or, god forbid read, "All The President's Men" knows how many sources that Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein needed before they were allowed to publish anything. There should be no less importance placed on multiple sources in today's world with the faster technology and increased pressure.

The reason this is bothering me beyond that single incident is the massive number of rumored reports about the coaching vacancy at Arkansas. First Tommy Bowden was leaving Clemson for the Razorbacks. Hours later, he wasn't. Last night, it was Jim Grobe of Wake Forest leaving, based on analysis of flight patterns between Charlotte and Fayetteville. Turns out that Grobe is also staying put with the Demon Deacons.

College Football journalists and bloggers alike need to take a step back and allow the schools to go through their processes. Michigan, Arkansas and others, all deserve the respect that responsible reporting should allow, to complete their search without losing candidates to the rumor mill of the Internet. These schools allow the journalists on campus each season, give them probably more than their fair share of access to players and coaches, and treat them better than what the journalists are giving in return.

It is time for the profession of journalism to act professional.

/soapbox

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 30, 2007

Big XII - Championship Preview

Dennis Franchione is out, as expected. Mike Sherman will be taking his place.

Bill Callahan is gone, as expected. Shocking is that he could have kept his job had he just finished above .500. That wasn’t out of the question at the time Tom Osborne was hired. Callahan just couldn’t make it happen.

Guy Morriss has been replaced at Baylor by Art Briles, not Mike Singletary as expected. I have to say I am disappointed. I bet Singletary’s eyes would have put some fire into the Bear players.

I have not been replaced by Jack the Monkey. A 3-2 final week kept me somewhat respectable this season at 12-22-1.

Oklahoma managed to win while Texas could not, so they get the nod to face Missouri again, who managed to expose Kansas for who they were before allowing them to make the score closer than the game actually was.

At stake this week might not just be the automatic BCS bid for the conference, but also any shot of a Big XII at-large team. Should Missouri win, and be playing for the National Championship, the smart money is on Kansas getting chosen for the Fiesta Bowl. If Oklahoma wins, the door likely closes on another team from the conference. The only small murmur to the contrary that I have heard is that there is a chance that the Fiesta Bowl might choose Kansas to face Oklahoma in a “conference” game which didn’t happen this season. Must See Football? Probably not as much as seeing Georgia or Arizona State coming to town.

Oklahoma (-3) vs. Missouri in San Antonio - Tony Temple was not in the game the first time around. Is Temple worth 4.5 points, which would be the difference if you factor in the 3 point home field advantage that most lines have in them? I would say he is. Strong running games often take the pressure off quarterbacks, by loosening the defense. He probably is worth more, maybe 5 or 6 points. It is too bad that won’t overcome the ten they lost by last time. Oklahoma has more talent across the board, even if there are some positions where Missouri has an advantage. Sooners take this game again, and cover.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII preview appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate. You can read the full preview for week 14 here. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 29, 2007

National Firing Day? ESPN Would Love It

Columnist John Bridges is a little shocked how quickly some of the college coaching hires have been done. It took less than 24 hours for Houston Nutt to move from Arkansas to Mississippi.

It took only a single interview with Mike Sherman (who the AD previously didn't even know) for Sherman to take over the Aggies. The best part is that Sherman will be the 3rd highest paid employee of the State of Texas, just behind Mack Brown and the still vacant position of University President at the school he is going to be coaching at. President search time, over a year. College football coach, less than a day.

Technically, according to Bridges, this should have taken at least 10 days by law since it is a state paid position. But the AD was able to get an exemption because of an emergency. The emergency was possibly losing recruits which Dennis Franchione had already lured to the school.

Seems to me that the ex-coach of the team did more to ruin the recruiting class than a vacancy at the top for 10 days. And it also seems that the guidance of one of the ten biggest universities in America would be a little more of an emergency. Are you telling me that over the course of a year you can't find an educator qualified for the job in a year's time, yet you can be certain about Mike Sherman who has never been a college head coach?

Bridges suggests that the NCAA goes to a National Firing Day, much like National Signing Day, where coaches can be hired and fired all within 24 hours. Of course, it would be televised on ESPN. At least then we could get rid of the charade that some amount of due diligence has been done on these coaching hires.

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November 28, 2007

Got a Beef With Your Opponent? Call the Rice Marching Band

Rice might be one of the worst football teams on the field, but their band has to be in the top ten. The marching band is known for putting together half time shows which poke fun at their opponents.

Case in point, this halftime show when Rice played against Texas, making fun of the legal troubles of some of the players, and the lax punishment by Mack Brown. (Side note: I had a feeling at the beginning of the season that all these distractions from the legal issues would harm Texas. I just didn't see at the end of the season how they could lose to A&M. At the beginning of the season, you bet. But after Franchione all but destroyed that team, no way.)

Apparently their show when they faced Tulsa ruffled a few feathers. See, the Tulsa coach, Todd Graham, was the head coach at Rice for a single season. That would be just before he bolted without warning to Tulsa, leaving fans and Rice in the lurch.

Well, the Rice band put together a fun little show lambasting the coach through the circles of hell, calling it Todd Graham's Inferno.

Tulsa didn't take too kindly to the humor, nor the coach being called a "d-----bag" prior to the final part of the piece.

A formal complaint has been filed with the Conference USA office. Don't you wish other conferences had so little to worry about that this is what they filed complaints over? Maybe Tulsa should worry more about how they are going to beat Central Florida for the Conference USA title, than a band for a team that barely won anything this season.

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Dr. Robert Cade, Dead at Age 80

You can watch sports all your life, but no symbol will stand for the world of sport more than Gatorade. The presence of large orange coolers on the sideline, the little green squirt bottles, the inumerable little green cups. Drinking Gatorade, or dunking it on the head coach after a win (or an almost win in Rich Brooks' case) has become a part of sport culture that will surely not change anytime soon.

The creator of the symbol of sport is dead at age 80.

Dr. Robert Cade, a man with a passion for science and studebakers, was the creator of what would become a multi-million dollar franchise. While his relationship with the University of Florida was strained over the years, mostly because of the invention of the drink, Cade was a professor at the university and continued teaching and experimenting until just a few months ago.

Here's to Dr. Cade, a true legend of sport.

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November 23, 2007

Big XII - Week 13 Preview

Looking back on the season, if you would have told me that neither of the participants in the Big XII championship would be decided until the last week of the season, I would have thought you were crazy.

Then again, if you have been following my picks this season, I might have to say the same thing (9-20-1). Like Guy Morriss, I definitely took my lumps this season.

So, how does the championship picture shake out? In the North, the winner of the Kansas – Missouri game will go to the championship. Simple, yes? The South, not so much.

If Oklahoma and Texas both win Saturday, then Oklahoma will be the South division champion. If only one of the two teams wins, then that team represents the division.

The big mess happens if both teams manage to lose, dropping them into a three-way tie with Oklahoma State. That means having to go to the massive Big XII tiebreaker procedure. And with that, it takes until the fifth criteria before a winner is determined.

That criteria: The team with the best ranking in the BCS standings will go to the championship. It could be late on Sunday before anyone knows who is playing on December 1.

At least we won’t be choosing out of a hat, like my picks this week.

Nebraska (+4.5) at Colorado - Winner goes to a bowl game, maybe. Colorado covers at home.

Kansas State (even) at Fresno State - Seven wins for Fresno is a bigger deal than six for Kansas State. Bulldogs win at home, keeping Kansas State from bowling. Serves them right for being crushed by Nebraska.

Oklahoma State (+11) at Oklahoma - Oklahoma is banged up, slowing their offense. Sooners win, but don’t cover.

Texas (-5.5) at Texas A&M - Dennis Franchione’s last game. Fittingly, it’s a loss. Longhorns win big.

Kansas (-2.5) vs. Missouri in Kansas City - The worst thing for the Big XII in the BCS would be a Missouri win. Of course, that is exactly what will happen. Missouri wins in an upset.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII preview appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate. You can read the full preview for week 13 here. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 9, 2007

Big XII - Week 11 Preview

“Ben, since Steve the Monkey went 2-0-1 last week, do you have any reason to believe you might be asked back next season?”

“I’m going to let the powers that be make those decisions.”

“Are you thinking of resigning? You did pick Nebraska to win the Big XII North.”

“That term resignation is not in our vocabulary.”

“Come on, Ben, a buyout is in the works, isn’t it? They can get the monkey a lot cheaper than you.”

“I am not going to get into the rumor game with you guys. Can we just talk about the games?”

Kansas (-6) at Oklahoma State - Kansas’s season has been an anomaly – wins on the road, undefeated, national championship talk. Oklahoma State has something to prove after blowing last week’s game against Texas late. Total points in this game might hit triple digits. Kansas wins, but Oklahoma State keeps it close.

Texas A&M (+19.5) at Missouri - The general consensus after the last couple of weeks is that the Aggie team has quit on the season. Missouri is just getting started. Chase Daniel should repeat as offensive player of the week. Take Missouri to cover.

Texas Tech (+6.5) at Texas - Texas Tech likes to scare Texas. The biggest thing on the line here is positioning for bowl bids. Expect a shootout and Texas needing to make another comeback late to win. Take the Red Raiders to beat the spread.

Likely Winners: Colorado (Iowa State), Kansas, Kansas State (Nebraska), Missouri, Oklahoma (Baylor), Texas

Upset potential: Oklahoma State over Kansas, Texas Tech over Texas

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII preview appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate. You can read the full preview for week 11 here. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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The MRI Says...11/9/07

Pat White almost fumbled himself out of Heisman contention last night. Ball control problems always seem to plague the West Virginia Mountaineers and last night was no exception. Add in the multiple penalties they received when about to get Louisville off the field and you had a recipe for disaster.

However, after Louisville tied the game late, West Virginia was able to drive and put themselves in position to win the game with a late touchdown. Pat White still deserves a lot of the credit for the win. He moved the ball more with his legs than his arms, but he still was the leader on the field.

While you can't fault him for one of the fumbles (he took a massive hit that they replayed just so that the sound could be heard. He left the field with what looked like a minor concussion.), he still needs to hold onto the ball a little better during his runs. Of the great running quarterbacks, this somewhat reminds me of Michael Vick, who would hold the ball out for all to swipe at. White might not have the speed that Vick had in college, and therefore he gets hit a lot more often. Holding that ball might make the difference between a win and a loss for West Virginia.

And so with the win last night, and one later in the BYU game, the MRI goes 2-0. That brings the week's record so far to 3-1. A nice start. Can we hold on? Looks from the games tonight that we might have a repeat of last night.

Bowling Green at Eastern Michigan - Another mediocre MAC game. What is the point? Bowling Green rolled over Akron last week in this spot. Eastern Michigan is nowhere near as good as Akron. The MRI likes BGSU.
MRI Says: Bowling Green Confidence Factor: 70.77%

Rutgers at Army - Oh Rutgers, how we thought we knew you. You did everyone the big favor of beating South Florida. But now, two weeks, later, you have lost to West Virginia and UConn. What is going on in Piscataway? Isn't the pandemonium still there? Don't you want to go to a bowl? Oh, wait, you scheduled Army. Ok, this should be an easy one then. Count on Ray Rice hitting 200 yards rushing, and Rutgers taking this one home with a voictory, even on the road. The MRI agrees.
MRI Says: Rutgers Confidence Factor: 76.96%

This Week: 3-1
Season Record: 242 - 96, 71.60%
Lifetime Record: 1604 - 670, 70.54%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 8, 2007

The MRI Says...11/8/07

Akron wasn't nice enough to play along and let Ohio win last night. Ohio was shooting to still have a chance at 7-5 overall which would have put them in line for a number of at-large bowl openings. Remember, there is a new-ish rule which requires bowls who can not fill their automatic bowl bids to take 7-5 teams before 6-6 teams.

Of course, now they need to win their last game to just get to 6-6 which won't guarantee them of anything past their final regular season game. It almost guarantees that they won't be bowling at all since there will likely be an excess of teams from the Big XII who could fill in the bowls. Let's be honest. More people would go see Kansas State at 6-6 than Ohio.

Two games tonight, and both are important.

TCU at BYU - BYU could have been in for a special season, if it only weren't for UCLA and Tulsa. Heck, they would have been respected more than Hawaii with the schedule they played. So, this season becomes an "if only". I mentioned in my AP vote this week that BYU was one of the teams I considered for the #25 spot on my ballot. I wanted to wait however until this game. I wanted to see if BYU could beat the team which was picked to win the conference, and do it with that team at full strength. It also doesn't help that BYU has only had 5 days since their last game. This will be a test for sure. The MRI likes the Cougars, but they fall into one of those strange bands in the history of the MRI with a dip in the confidence factor. Maybe that is appropriate with everything that BYU will be going against tonight.
MRI Says: BYU Confidence Factor: 68.31%

Louisville at #4 West Virginia - I keep having this sneaking suspicion that West Virginia will back its way into the championship game. I don't know why, but the way this season has gone, would it really be so surprising? In order for that to happen they have to get by Louisville who was everyone's cutesy pick for the championship this season.

While there were huge numbers picking USC to face LSU, their was that contingent that thought Louisville had what it would take to make it. On my side, the only thing I predicted is that we wouldn't have a Big XII team playing there. That was assuming we would have a couple of big name undefeated teams at this point. We don't. Every team that has a zero in the loss column would be one of those teams that would have to actually have their names on their jerseys because otherwise no one would know who they were.

And so that brings us back to Louisville who has no defense, and West Virginia who has just enough defense to probably beat down whatever shred of dignity that Louisville still has remaining after their fall from grace.

Pat White is #3 on my Heisman ballot right now, not so much because of the numbers, which are good, but because of his leadership. With White on the field, West Virginia should win every game they play. In their sole loss this season, White had to spend time on the bench with an injury and you see what happened.

If Louisville doesn't stomp all over Pat White in some fluke, this is West Virginia's game. And that will probably mean a jump in their MRI score, maybe enough to get them to #2 overall. The MRI likes West Virginia too with a massive confidence number.
MRI Says: West Virginia Confidence Factor: 94.39%

This Week: 1-1
Season Record: 240 - 96, 71.43%
Lifetime Record: 1602 - 670, 70.51%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 7, 2007

The MRI Says...11/7/07

Hey, there was a football game last night. As I worked to put together this year's basketball MRI, which is expanded to 340 teams by the way, I totally missed the fact that the MAC decided to start their week long drive to get some television time.

And luckily I noticed the game on television a bit later. Central Michigan and Western Michigan were matched up very evenly. Central Michigan, with a win, could clinch the West Division of the MAC. With that as a background, you could imagine the game would be close, and after three quarters, the score was 10-7 in favor of the Chippewas.

It did not stay that way.

The teams exploded for 48 points in the final quarter, including multiple scores from both teams in the last five minutes. The winning touchdown was scored by Dan LeFevour, the same Dan LeFevour who was selected last year as the Heisman-like performance twice as a freshman. It took him two tries and two replayed plays before his quarterback sneak touchdown was put on the board with 18 seconds left.

Western Michigan's attempt to duplicate the Trinity 15-lateral play didn't come through on their drive, although they did give it a great shot.

I will throw Dan LeFevour's name into the hat for the Non-BCS auto qualifier, who should be considered for the Heisman award next year, as a junior quarterback. While he won't get a serious look, maybe until his senior year, he should at least be tracked with the big boys who stay around until next season.

Another MAC game this Wednesday. Let's see what the MRI says.

Ohio at Akron - Ohio features the #2 scorer in the country in Kalvin McRae. McRae has rolled over opponents for 1200 yards, and 18 total touchdowns this season. Given how the MAC has just beaten themselves up this season, with no real outstanding team (although Central Michigan has been a beast in conference), this won't be a slam dunk for Ohio, just because they can run the ball. Look for it to be another close MAC game. The MRI agrees to not put all your eggs in one basket.
MRI Says: Ohio Confidence Factor: 53.76%

This Week: 1-0
Season Record: 240 - 95, 71.64%
Lifetime Record: 1602 - 669, 70.54%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 6, 2007

Kirk Bohls Ponders A&M's Next Coach

With all the rumors about a Dennis Franchione buyout in the mill now, it is time to look ahead to who will be patrolling the sidelines next season. A school like A&M probably wouldn't have any issues filling their head coaching position, but this year will not be normal.

There are potential openings at Michigan, LSU (Les Miles to Michigan), Arkansas, and Nebraska (almost definitely) to contend with. And that doesn't count any more openings which might trickle open as the dominoes fall (Tommy Tuberville seems to be at the top of everyone's list).

So with that all going, Kirk Bohls of the Austin American Statesman thought it would be worthwhile to make some recommendations on who should be at least called in to interview for the A&M opening.

His list, on which I am guessing at his order of interest:

Tommy Tuberville (although a $6 million price tag might be a little steep after the buyout)
Steve Spurrier
Butch Davis
Chris Petersen (Boise State HC)
Will Muschamp (Auburn DC, Will anyone be able to understand him in Texas?)
Mike Sherman (Texas OC)
Dan Mullen (Florida OC)
Charlie Strong (Florida Asst. Head Coach, Co-Defensive Coordinator)

I would guess that given A&M ability to NOT move the ball this season, most people would like to see some semblance of offense come to College Station. I only rate Muschamp as #5 because if you can steal a defense that has been at the top of the game for the last four years at least in my recent memory, I think you have something. This is the defense that has shut down Florida the last two seasons. No one else can say that.

Bohls does have a do not disturb sign on a couple of names:

Jeff Tedford (Apparently collapsing teams are not welcome in Aggie-land. Go figure.)
Gary Kubiak (Houston Texas HC)
Bo Pelini

Pelini on the DND list shocks me. When any coaching vacancy even is hinted at, Pelini's name is usually at the top of the list for candidates. With the LSU job potentially going to open, or with Nebraska needing that high profile defensive mind, perhaps it is right for A&M to steer clear. The price tag will be big. And if Bohls is correct, and Pelini would slack on the recruiting, well, maybe you don't want him around, especially not in Texas where you have a wealth of talent to choose from. You don't want kids getting scared off by a gruff coach.

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November 2, 2007

The MRI Says...11/2/07

Normally the MRI Says article doesn't come with graphics but this one was too good to pass up. Last night, when I said it would come down to a field goal, I meant it. Meant it in the way that I meant Georgia Tech only scored a field goal, losing 27-3. When your quarterbacks combine for 5 interceptions, that is not a recipe for victory, at least not normally. And so the MRI lost.

What America got was probably one of the bigger laughs of the night. A few of Virginia Tech's jerseys were stolen prior to the game, so as you can see, a few players had to play in borrowed jerseys from Georgia Tech. They blacked out the names and the Russell logo (the Hokies are a Nike squad), and wrote their names on the back. At least they were wearing road whites. This would have looked really ridiculous if the quarterbacks (since both had their jerseys taken) were in Georgia Tech Yellow. It would have been like practice jerseys.

My favorite part of all this was that the players tried to draw the Nike swoosh logo on the jerseys. And they did, but got it backwards. Oops. Five bucks says that they did it while looking in a mirror.

So with the opening loss for the week, the computer has three games to try and redeem itself with. Let's see where those lead. Oh no, not the MAC!

Temple at Ohio - How 'bout them Owls? They have won three straight and in the very blah MAC, they are right in the race in the East Division. Could you imagine how deflating this must be for the MAC? This was a Temple team that was consistently batted around by the Big East and forced them out. This was a Temple team that had won all of three games in the three years, including one year where they were winless. Now they join the MAC and have three wins, all in conference. Ouch. Tonight is another game they may be able to take in the MAC which would be a big score for Temple and their coach Al Golden.
MRI Says: Ohio Confidence Factor: 68.16%

Akron at Bowling Green - Two more mediocre teams meet from the MAC in another Friday night contest. The computer thinks that Bowling Green should win. You should too. They beat Temple, while the Zips lost to the Owls.
MRI Says: Bowling Green Confidence Factor: 73.26%

Nevada at New Mexico State - Nevada, in the middle of turmoil on campus after three men were killed at a party, will travel to New Mexico State to get a little time away and concentrate on football. While a shooting at a campus party might not normally affect a team, when there are team members at that party, and the brother of one of the players might be involved, it definitely will.

The good news for Nevada is that New Mexico State is a huge passing team, and Nevada has one of the better pass defenses in the country. While they may not have many interceptions, they are only giving up 180 yards through the air per game. That means that the Aggies (of NM St.) will have to try and run the ball to be successful.

The MRI doesn't think they can do it.
MRI Says: Nevada Confidence Factor: 55.56%

This Week: 0-1
Season Record: 197 - 83, 70.36%
Lifetime Record: 1559 - 657, 70.35%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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Big XII - Week 10 Preview

In their pursuit to be the most mediocre conference in America, the Big XII keeps proving that beyond Oklahoma, maybe Missouri, and Kansas of all teams, they have nothing to offer us as a real team. While 9 teams may likely get into bowl games, don’t count on a stellar performance from the “other” six, which only makes my record picking games in this conference apropos.

0-fer last week means that I am 6-15 on the year. A monkey could do better.

In fact, this week, Steve the Monkey is going to pick the games.

Texas A&M (+21) at Oklahoma - My favorite quote this week was from Michael Bennett, Martellus “Not a Crook” Bennett’s brother, after Texas A&M again managed almost zero offense, this time against Kansas.

"I'm not impressed,'' said Texas A&M defensive end Michael Bennett, who went as far as to say the Aggies would beat the Jayhawks in the Big 12 championship game.

Maybe he missed how hard that will be, after losing last week and this week facing Oklahoma’s run defense. Dennis Franchione will likely avoid running the ball again which is not a winning strategy for the Aggies. Steve the Monkey says, “EEEEEK!!” He is going with Oklahoma to cover.

Nebraska (+18.5) at Kansas - Kansas is on the map now, albeit with a few more hurdles remaining. The first of those is Nebraska. It seems that Tom Osborne won’t worry about the result of the game. He is already looking for a new coach based on some quotes in a TV interview. Steve the Monkey says, “OOK! OOK!” He likes the Jayhawks to cover.

Texas (-3) at Oklahoma State - America’s coach Mike Gundy has over 50 Lone Star Staters on his team. Most of them have a reason to get back at the Longhorns and their coaching staff. Steve the Monkey says, “ARRRRRRROOOGUH!” He likes Oklahoma State to pull the upset.

Likely Winners: Kansas State (Iowa State), Kansas, Missouri (Colorado), Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech (Baylor)

Likely Losers: Colorado, Iowa State, Nebraska, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M

Upset potential: Oklahoma State over Texas

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII preview appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate. You can read the full preview for week 10 here. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 1, 2007

The MRI Says...11/1/07

Last week was able to get the MRI back on track. The computer was one of the top experts last week, and it got off to a very good start earlier in the week with a perfect record as we entered the weekend.

I am excited for this week as I think the computer has a lot of really good match-ups so that it can lead the standings again (and beat down those stupid other computers who "pick" early in the season. I don't understand how you could even think your predictions are anything more than name based at that point.)

This week starts the same way as last week, with Virginia Tech on Thursday night. I think they must sign their own contract with ESPN during the off-season to make sure that they play at least 4 games in prime time every year. Let's see if the MRI thinks they will collapse in the final three minutes again.

Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech - I was at this game a few years back and it was a total blowout. Last week though showed that Virginia Tech without Tyrod Taylor can't really generate too much offense. For some reason, Branden Ore just hasn't come to play this year, and Sean Glennon is not the answer despite what should be a great throwing arm.

So can they beat Georgia Tech with offensive problems? It is a possibility since Georgia Tech has their own offensive problems, given the loss of Tashard Choice.

This will be a huge defensive game and I think it will likely be one that could come down to a field goal. The MRI is predicting that Georgia Tech is almost 3-1 to win the game.
MRI Says: Georgia TechConfidence Factor: 73.68%

This Week: 0-0
Season Record: 197 - 82, 70.61%
Lifetime Record: 1559 - 656, 70.38%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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QBs Hobbling

Given some of the hits I have seen this season, I am surprised more quarterbacks haven't been knocked out for the year. It seems that the injuries and the brain damage from all the hits is really taking its toll this week.

We saw last week what a difference at quarterback can make for Virginia Tech. Without their new speedy signal caller, held out because of an ankle injury that they didn't want to risk in the rain, Tech wasn't able to quite get enough ahead to stop Boston College.

Lost in the past week was Sam Keller, at Nebraska, which just adds to Bill Callahan's woes. Now he has Joe Ganz to lead the team. Yes, "Who?!" is exactly what I said.

Kyle Wright is injured in Miami (not that it matters much this year), and Xavier Lee is suspended for Florida State.

Also lost, Ryan Perrilloux at LSU, which should cause a little rejoicing in Alabama. Perrilloux wasn't lost to injury though, unless a brain fart is an injury, and it should be considered one. Seriously, I think big time college programs should hire a group like the secret service to just keep tabs on their star players.

Unfortunately for us, injuries might affect the outcome of Oregon and Arizona State this weekend. Rudy Carpenter practiced this week, but he still has an injured thumb. It would be a shame if it affected his throws this weekend. Of course, Dennis Erickson will probably just pound the ball about 100 times like he did last week if the passing game isn't working.

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In Case You Missed It...

The first coach fired this year was not Bill Callahan despite his AD hinting strongly in a television interview that a new coaching staff was on the way.

The first coach fired was not Dennis Franchione who seems to have tried everything to get fired from giving out trade secrets, to refusing to run bowling ball Jorvorskie Lane on every play.

No, the first coach fired was Phill Bennett at SMU. You really have to feel for a guy who took over a dreadful program like he did. He did manage to get back to 5-6 two years ago, and 6-6 last season, although that didn't lead to any bowl appearances for the Mustangs. Apparently slipping backwards to 1-7 was a little much for the school to take.

Bennett will coach out the rest of the season, although the only thing he may have to look forward to in that is the game with Rice on November 10. It may be his 18th and last win at SMU, and the only game that the Mustangs will be favored in the rest of the season.

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October 31, 2007

How Over Rated is Hawaii?

I admit it. I have Hawaii in my top 25. According to most bloggers out there, this is a sin.

Why? Because even according to the MRI, Hawaii has the worst strength of schedule in the nation.

That's right, they are 120 out of 120. If I ranked Division 1-AA teams, they would probably be even worse. Even Western Kentucky, who I am including in the rankings this year, and who has played 4 non-1-A teams already, has a better schedule strength.

Still, my computer seems to think they have done well enough against that schedule to be the 12th best team in the country. It shouldn't be surprising. They have blown out most of the teams that they have played. Remember, this is tempered by the cap I put on margin of victory, but they have been doing about as well as they could against the teams they have played.

But really, how bad is the schedule? To judge, I pulled out one of the tricks I use for judging how well a basketball team does against their schedule to make the tournament. Basically it is a way of saying "Well, anyone could win 20 games with a schedule like that". Except there has only been 8 games so far this season.

Given Hawaii's schedule so far this season, and their "performance" over that schedule, played over time, Hawaii would be expected to have won, on average, 6.7 games.

So with some rounding, they would on average go 7-1 with the schedule they had. That sounds about right. They had one close overtime win over San Jose State, which could have been that expected loss. In fact, that was the game they had the second worst chance to win. They also had the close win over Louisiana Tech which could easily have gone the other direction. Either way, they seem to have done a little better than they would have been expected.

Now, what if an average team played Hawaii schedule? An average team, according to the MRI is a cross between TCU and Fresno State. Both aren't terrible teams, but neither has exactly blown away the competition this year.

If an average team would have played Hawaii's schedule to date, they would have, on average, won 5.8 games. Rounding again, that is on average 6-2. So, basically, any team, given Hawaii's schedule could be expected to do about as well as Hawaii has done this season. One of the most important notes for the average team is that they still would have been favored in every game this season. While they don't have the same percentage chance of winning as Hawaii, they are still likely more than half the time in all cases to come away with the victory.

I am sure everyone is wondering what that means for Hawaii the rest of the way. Their schedule strength actually improves over the rest of the season, although they play most of the games remaining at home. Percentage-wise, Hawaii is still favored to win all the games remaining, with the worst percentage being only around 70%. So, with a team of Hawaii's strength, on average, against their entire schedule, they would win, 9.9 games, or about 10, going 10-2. 12-0 is not such a leap from there.

However, an average team would struggle in the remaining four games. An average team would be expected to only win about 2 games the rest of the way, and finish with an average record of 8-4. That is really saying something when an average team, with a normal schedule, would be expected to finish about 6-6, and they would actually improve by 2 games, a 33% increase in wins, if only they lucked into Hawaii's schedule. Heck, an 8-4 record in a conference like the WAC or Mountain West would be in line for a nice bowl game. Normal average teams are lucky to get to the Armed Forces Bowl.

For a laugh, I plugged Hawaii into LSU's schedule so far this season (and the average team also). LSU is 7-1 in their first 8 games. Hawaii, with the MRI of their team so far would, on average, win 5.5 games out of the eight. So, they could be anywhere between 5-3 and out of any running and 6-2 which is still far back in the pack this season.

Over the course of the entire season, Hawaii would be expected to win 8.4 games or 8-4, or 9-3 on the season. A good season, but definitely not a season which would warrant National Championship consideration. That might not even warrant BCS bowl consideration most years (unless your name is Notre Dame).

How would an average team do with LSU's schedule? So far this season, they would be expected to have won about 3.6 games. That is a 3-5 or 4-4 record. In the SEC, that might be enough to have the boosters calling for your dismissal. Over the full season, it doesn't get much better with the final record averaging out to 5.6 wins, or somewhere around 5-7 or 6-6. That is middle of the pack at best, and at worst, home for the holidays.

So what does that really say about the strength of Hawaii? They are in all likelihood an "above average" team. They aren't a great team, like an LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, or even a West Virginia. They are barely out of the range of +1 standard deviation with their MRI score, and in any other league, with any other schedule, they would likely fall back into the realm of the mortals, as opposed to their lofty undefeated status.

Maybe I should consider that next time I put together my ballot.

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October 26, 2007

A Cautionary Tale About Top Ranked Recruiting Classes

With all the talk about Notre Dame's highly ranked recruiting classes, and the lack luster results, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at another program which had pretty high marks (and expectations).

The culprit? Nebraska, now home to the lamest lame duck coach on the board.

I think the most telling paragraphs are these:

"Take a look at the 2005 class, which Rivals.com ranked fifth nationally. They would be juniors or third-year sophomores today, but of the 30 recruits only nine became starters. Nine transferred, five are backups, four are part-time starters, two were academic casualties and one stuck with track and field.

Chris Brooks, a top-15 national receiver out of St. Louis, has caught one pass. Defensive end David Harvey of La Plata, Md., hasn't played a down yet. This means either Callahan missed on many recruits, or he has done a lousy job developing them."

It isn't just getting the kids in the door which is important. It is then teaching them the game so that they develop into the stars that they were expected to be out of high school. So far, I haven't seen the commitment to developing the younger players at Notre Dame by Charlie Weis (edit: Apparently, I am not the only one who sees this lack of talent development. Jonathan Chait at Slate calls Weis a fraud) . Maybe he should start studying the situation in Nebraska.

This article originally appeared on the FanIQ Blog.

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The MRI Says...10/26/07

Last night showed us that miracles can happen. Boston College's dreams of a National Championship stayed alive with a comeback win against Virginia Tech.

For three quarters, the rain soaked the Eagles' chances and Matt Ryan. When the rains finally let up, the country got to see why Ryan is being considered for the Heisman trophy. Or, they would have had the World Series not been going on.

Ryan made an amazing pass on the run to Andre Callender in the back of the end zone, over two Hokie defenders to grab the go ahead score with 11 seconds remaining. It was the type of pass, as the commentators said, that NFL scouts drool over. It was the sort of pass that wins you trophies, especially ones with a famous pose.

So, maybe Boston College is for real. Maybe some of the #2 over rated talk will stop. It certainly was not the outcome I expected last night (although all of Virginia Tech's losses on Thursday night have come against BC). But it was the outcome that the MRI predicted, albeit with a very tiny margin of confidence.

The MRI also predicted correctly the other game of the night, and got some help from Air Force's 5 turnovers. And with that good start to the week, time to look at what the MRI says about tonight's game.

#16 Boise State at Fresno State - For years, this has been the game in the WAC. It has supposedly been the game where Fresno State would be stepping up to stop Boise State's run to another WAC title. And yet, it hasn't happened.

This year doesn't seem to be headed toward a different result. Fresno State's defense has been fairly porous and that is a bad sign when you go up against the Boise State offense. The good news for Fresno is that the game is at home, so they don't have to contend with the curse of the Blue Turf which seems to plague the WAC. And Ian Johnson, the man whose name surfaces in Heisman talk and then disappears again just as quickly is expected to be out with a bruised hip. However, it still doesn't seem that the Bulldogs have the guns to run with Boise State.

The best bet for Fresno may be in keeping Boise State's offense off the field. They can do this with their running game led by the two headed attack of Ryan Mathews and Lonyae Miller. If that rushing attack is going, maybe they can control the clock long enough to win the the game. Maybe.
MRI Says: Boise State Confidence Factor: 53.97%

This Week: 2-0
Season Record: 159 - 69, 69.74%
Lifetime Record: 1521 - 643, 70.29%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

Posted by bmiraski at 12:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Big XII - Week 9 Preview

I sort of feel Like Dennis Franchione at this point. With the picks I have been making, I should totally lose my “job”. But I won one game, my “Pink Slip Bowl”, to save me from another shut out last week. With a 1-2 week, I “improve” to 6-12. No more quotes. Let’s go to my ridiculous picks in week 9.

Kansas (-2.5) at Texas A&M - Martellus Bennett is not a bank robber. He resists the several offers he has to fill that job. But he is a crook at heart. Bennett steals a touchdown against Kansas and A&M makes Franchione the most successful coach who is going to get fired at the end of this season. Can you believe that the Aggies will be a half game ahead in the Big XII South if they win and Franchione is still an endangered species in College Station? A&M pulls the upset and ends this Kansas craziness.

Nebraska (+20.5) at Texas - Nebraska has one of the worst run defenses in the nation. Texas has an average running game at best, and even then they can hold onto the ball. Something has to give here and I don’t even think Bill Callahan’s players are trying for him at this point. Take Texas to cover.

Iowa State (+28.5) at Missouri - Iowa State has screwed with me for the past two weeks. Missouri can’t blow this like the Sooners and Longhorns did. I mean, this can’t be like last year’s game, can it? Tigers win and cover to take the lead in the North.

Likely Winners: Kansas State (Baylor), Missouri, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (Colorado)

Likely Losers: Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Nebraska, Baylor

Upset potential: Kansas over Texas A&M

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII preview appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate. You can read the full preview for week 9 here. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 25, 2007

The MRI Says...10/25/07

I don't know why ESPN couldn't pull some strings and move tonight's Boston College - Virginia Tech game to Friday night, the off day in the World Series. Instead, it will largely be ignored by fans in Boston, and the "nation" who might be inclined to normally tune in.

So much for Matt Ryan and the rest of the Eagles getting any respect should they pull out the win tonight. Maybe there will be hope that the first hour of tonight's football game will end up as such a blow-out one way or the other so that fans around the country don't feel too bad turning the game off for the World Series.

Air Force at New Mexico - This is a huge game in the Mountain West conference, not that anyone would know it. If Air Force wins the game, they will move to 6-1 in conference with the only defeat coming to BYU. BYU has yet to run the gauntlet of the conference, and therefore has multiple chances to screw it up. Air Force only has one more chance to lose if they win tonight. That would look good for the service academy to take a big step here.

New Mexico has a few more games to go in the conference, but they can make a big statement here. They can show how tough their rushing defense is. It is always a strong test to defend a team that will grind it out over and over again over the course of the game, but that is where New Mexico's strength is. Look for New Mexico to take the Falcons to task here.
MRI Says: New Mexico Confidence Factor: 77.60%

#8 Boston College at Virginia Tech - Last year, Virginia Tech was embarrassed by Boston College. Don't expect them to have forgotten that. Don't forget that the Hokies still have one of the most feared defenses in the country. I don't expect that point was lost on Boston College in prepping for this game over the last two weeks.

Virginia Tech's biggest problem? Boston College has one of the toughest running defenses in the country and the Hokies may be without their starting quarterback. Not a great combination of facts there.

The MRI likes BC, but this one will be close. Blacksburg is not an easy place to play any time, and especially not at night.
MRI Says: Boston College Confidence Factor: 53.72%

This Week: 0-0
Season Record: 157 - 69, 69.47%
Lifetime Record: 1519 - 643, 70.26%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 24, 2007

Limas Sweed Is A Threat

Last season, Limas Sweed had 8 catches for 119 yards and a touchdown during the very close game in Lincoln between Texas and Nebraska (in the snow).

Apparently this has Bill Callahan concerned.

It is too bad that Sweed is done as a Longhorn after undergoing wrist surgery almost a month ago.

I can't wait to see the look on Callahan's face when the "new look" Longhorns take the field on Saturday.

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Martellus Bennett Is Not A Crook

Texas A&M's Martellus Bennett is thinking of heading to the NFL after this season, although Mel Kiper only has him as the second best junior tight end in the country.

And apparently, some people have been pushing Bennett towards the draft. But according to Bennett, he doesn't listen to those people.

Lucky for him, he doesn't listen to some others either. As Bennett said:

"People tell me I should go rob a bank with them, but I don't do it."

OK, who has these conversations? When do people come up to you in a college environment and talk about going to rob a bank? And has there been a rash of bank robberies lately in College Station? I think you know where you can begin the questioning now if there was. Mr. Bennett might know something.

At least Bennett is saying "No" to them. Roger Goodell would probably not approve of a convicted bank robber in the league.

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Endow a Song Girl!

TMQ, in an awfully long article, which could rival something I write, alerted me to this little piece on the USC website:

"A long-range dream would be to endow each of the twelve (12) Song Girl positions in a similar manner as the endowed football positions"

So, you can endow a cheerleader? Really? How much does this cost? Only $1900!

Now, it is just me, but I thought endowing someone took a lot more money than that. And these girls don't look like they need that much help in that area.

Oh wait, this is that other type of endowment. Oh well. At least it gave a reason to post the picture.

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October 19, 2007

NYT has the perspective

The New York Times might be the old grey lady of journalism, but maybe they have the right perspective on the new look college football world.

Harvey Araton makes the case for Notre Dame giving up its long standing tradition of holding out as an independent and becoming part of the Big East for football.

Why? The Big East, while getting strong play, is still looked upon as weak since losing Miami, Boston College, and Virginia Tech. Apparently it is lost on the rest of the nation that the Big East also made the decision (the right one) to shed an over-matched Temple team in the big reshuffle that occurred. That means that there is no longer a cream puff on the conference schedule (despite what you may think of Syracuse. Just ask Louisville about that one.)

Now, as it is trying to regain prominence, the Big East needs more tradition and some bigger, more well known names to rebuild as a football powerhouse. Meanwhile, Notre Dame needs something to tie its season to, other than its name, in the BCS world, especially if the spiraling downfall doesn't ever reverse into a recovery.

Good argument. Too bad Notre Dame will never go for it.

Posted by bmiraski at 4:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The MRI Says...10/19/07

I am going to wait a little while to address the South Florida loss last night. I do think it was important in the grand scheme of things, but I still only had South Florida at #5 and I (not the MRI) actually picked Rutgers to win last night on FanIQ.

While there has been a lot of moaning about how South Florida didn't deserve its ranking, I don't think I can agree. They had two very good wins, and even this loss should be considered one of quality. Or have we forgotten that Rutgers can actually play ball.

Another bad start to the week from the MRI, going 0-2 last night, when it probably should have one at least one of the games last night. Tonight, I would imagine might be a little more of the same. Let's start with the easy one featuring the school for my next degree.

Northwestern at Eastern Michigan - Northwestern continues what has been the tragedy of Big Ten scheduling this season as they travel to Eastern Michigan. I think we saw that Northwestern can play this year given their games against Michigan and Michigan State, at least well enough to play against a MAC school. Their 4-3 record says as much. Wait, one of those losses was against Duke. Er, uh. OK, so Northwestern is going to have their hands full on the road with Eastern Michigan.

Wait, Eastern Michigan is #115 in the MRI. Even Notre Dame is better than that! #115 is down in Marshall territory, and only 5 away from being Florida International.

Apparently no rational analysis can work here. The MRI likes Northwestern, even if they did lose to Duke. Last time I checked, Northwestern was still in the Big Ten, and that means, you shouldn't lose to directional Michigan.
MRI Says: Northwestern Confidence Factor: 70.49%

Louisville at #12 Connecticut - Given Louisville's pattern this year, they should lose this game. They win against team that they should lose to, and they get beat by teams that should be no problem.

However, Connecticut just lost its first game of the year. While they are still up there in the MRI, a loss against Virginia knocked them down quite a bit. Even with the loss, Connecticut still has one of the best defenses in the nation in terms of yardage allowed per game.

Maybe Brian Brohm can change that. He looks like he plays for New Mexico State or Hawaii with the way he is throwing right now. He almost has 3000 yards on the season and should pass that in this game. He might be on track to get 6000 by the end of the year, after the bowl games. That is sure making a statement for the draft (including his #5 passer rating this season).

The MRI likes the Huskies, but I see this one going the other way.

Of course, this year, anything is possible.
MRI Says: Connecticut Confidence Factor: 76.00%

This Week: 0-2
Season Record: 121 - 51, 70.35%
Lifetime Record: 1483 - 625, 70.35%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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Big XII - Week 8 Preview

Maybe I should start a chant: "1 – and - 2, 1 - and – 2!" I actually won a game last week, thanks to Missouri and 10.5 points. I really loved that little extra half point. It allowed me to stay at a stellar 33.3% winning percentage on the season. Total record: 5-10. What better way to celebrate than more predictions sure to blow up in my face.

”The Pink Slip Bowl”: Texas A&M (+2) at Nebraska - With all the developments of the past two weeks, it looks like Dennis Franchione and Bill Callahan are headed out the door come the end of the year. Winning this game is therefore crucial to determine which one gets the bigger severance package.

Ok, it isn’t like their seasons have been a total loss. There is a chance that both teams could still make bowl games. We will let the winner continue coaching when they are in some exciting locale, like Shreveport, Louisiana. Jorvorskie Lane, don’t hurt me two weeks in a row. You should be able to beat Kevin Cosgrove’s defense - everyone else has. Take A&M in the upset victory.

Oklahoma (-29.5) at Iowa State - If Texas can beat Gene Chizik by 53, I see no reason why Oklahoma can’t beat him by 30. Chizik was barely able to stop Oklahoma when he was at Texas. Why should things change now? Take Oklahoma to cover. (Sam Bradford for Heisman?)

Texas Tech (+3.5) at Missouri - Wait, this game is actually important?!? Michael Crabtree catches 4 more touchdowns. Red Raiders take this one on the road. (Crabtree for Heisman?)

Likely Winners: Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas (Baylor), Texas A&M, Texas Tech

Likely Losers: Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Baylor

Upset potential: Colorado over Kansas, Kansas State over Oklahoma State

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII preview appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate. You can read the full preview for week 8 here. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 18, 2007

Injury Update

It appears a certain pick which I will be making tomorrow in my Big XII preview just got a little safer, at least if this past week's game was anything to go on.

The Kansas City Star is reporting that Missouri running back Tony Temple will likely miss this Saturday's game against Texas Tech.

Given the struggles that Missouri had this past Saturday when Temple was out against Oklahoma, this may be a good sign for the Red Raiders.

And it will be a good sign for my upset pick. Lord knows I can use all the help I can get in that area.

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Weis Has Too Much Pride

Greek tragedies always had one thing in common. The hero had a little too much hubris. Yes, hubris. That was one of those words you were supposed to learn back in high school freshman English class. In case you missed it, it meant pride. The hubris would eventually bring the hero down, much like Kevin Spacey did to Brad Pitt in "Se7en" as he persecuted those guilty of the seven deadly sins. You see, pride is one of those too.

Maybe Charlie Weis should visit the local Blockbuster in South Bend. It appears he might be next on Spacey's list of targets. Weis has just sunk to new lows in his quest to "re-establish" the Notre Dame brand.

As if being openly mocked on Saturday Night Live wasn't enough for the coach and his team, he lost his third player to transfer this week. Not only the third player, but the third player that Weis personally recruited.

Now, I don't know what it is like to be a player for Notre Dame, but something tells me this is a life long ambition. I knew kids in grade school who wanted to give their all for the Irish on Saturdays. It isn't something that comes to you one day as you are looking at all the pretty letterhead on your offer letters. This is something that starts early in life. It is not something that you change your mind on.

So to lose the third player you brought to the school, to play under the great Charlie Weis (at least that is what everyone says about you right? It has to be true then), has to be a little bit of a slap in the face. But apparently Weis doesn't care much that he is losing players to other schools.

"Usually the guys that transfer got beaten out," Weis said. "That's why they leave. If you're telling me that John Carlson is transferring tomorrow, I'm going to start worrying. But I really can't worry too much about guys that leave that aren't starting. I've got to worry about the guys that are playing."

Really Charlie, is that so? Funny that, as Brian Hamilton, the writer of that post, points out, the latest player to transfer, Matt Carufel, had started the last three games for the Irish.

Maybe Charlie should worry. Maybe he should worry that his system, the great offensive system he supposedly brought with him, that really didn't just rely on the arm of Brady Quinn, has lost three players since the beginning of the year. Maybe Charlie should worry about the lack of depth that he breeds with his NFL-colored glasses look at the world.

Charlie brought this on himself. When he had the chance to play backups in lopsided wins over Navy, Air Force and Army last season, we didn't see any on the field. When he had chances to play them in lopsided losses to USC and LSU, we didn't see them. No, this week's quarterback, Evan Sharpley only saw 2 passing attempts all last season, none in those games. Maybe Charlie was trying a little to hard to win glory (and the Heisman) for his new found "Brady" at quarterback. Maybe Charlie thought college was a little too much like the NFL.

And so, Charlie Weis goes into what will for sure be his seventh loss with a quarterback who should have been starting his last 6 games (any fan with a brain could see that), with a load of players sitting on his bench who apparently won't see the field until the players in front of them graduate.

Charlie, you can bring in all the ex-players you want. They don't coach the team. They don't make them play any better on Saturday. They may let them know what it was like to play under the Golden Dome, in front of Touchdown Jesus, to touch the "Play Like a Champion..." sign, but they can't actually play for them.

Charlie, it is time to wake up from your slumber made comfortable by the ten year contract under your considerably large belt and see the forest for the trees. You are losing, and given what we have all seen through the last 7 weeks of the season, it won't get any better, not any time soon.

It is time to put your pride aside and figure out what it means to coach for a college team. Prove that you can do what Bill Callahan, Al Groh, Dave Wannstedt, and all the other "smart" NFL types have not been able to do: coach a team you built yourself.

Maybe you should look across to the other sideline this week and see what Pete Carroll has put together in LA. That might be a good start for understanding what it really means to coach a winning college program.

Just don't let your considerable pride get in the way. We all know what happened to those Greek heroes who did.

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The MRI Says...10/18/07

It seems funny that I do so badly during the early week games, and then the weekend comes and I do well. Granted most of the games earlier the week recently have been in the range which only have about a 50-50 chance of being correct. But that seems to be no excuse.

Maybe I shouldn't be so upset about this, but readers out there (all 7 of you) must wonder if I am making this stuff up. I swear I am not, but it has to seem to seem that way.

The good news is that we finally have some games that mean something early in the week. Maybe the most important game is happening Thursday night as BCS #2 South Florida takes on last year's upstart, Rutgers.

But first, the appetizer for the evening:

Utah at TCU - TCU was supposed to be the darling child this year, busting into the BCS and making waves in the way that Utah had in the past, or that Boise State had done last year. Well, we know now that this won't happen. Three losses have taken care of that, and the one chance they had to make a real statement has already gone by the wayside. This game is really for positioning in the Mountain West standings more than anything at this point. All that will determine is which minor bowl one of these teams might qualify for. TCU probably has more talent than Utah, but Utah has the more memorable wins this season (UCLA and Louisville). Still, playing at TCU should give the Horned Frogs the edge in this one.
MRI Says: TCU Confidence Factor: 70.88%

#10 South Florida at #19 Rutgers - This is South Florida's chance. It isn't as if wins against Auburn and West Virginia aren't enough, but Auburn isn't really ringing many bells as a contender, and the West Virginia win was at home (even if it was for the second year in a row). This is a prime time game on the road, when all they have to compete against is the baseball playoffs. So, outside of Cleveland and Boston, there is a good chance that most of the country might actually watch this, including the voters in the various polls. Both teams have some pretty good defense on their side, so this might be a pretty low scoring game. I think that they might come down to South Florida's defense (led by the very good Ben Moffitt, who deserves a look from multiple NFL teams) causing a number of turnovers from the Rutgers team.

Look, I feel for Mike Teel and Ray Rice as much as anyone. You had a great season last year, which just crumbled at the end, and you thought this year might be your chance to repeat the magic. Instead you are overshadowed by this little upstart that you let into your conference as an afterthought. This was supposed to be the return of the little red machine that could! I mean, how could the whole country forget about Pandemonium in Piscataway? How could they?

The answer: Tampa is a lot nicer in the winter than New Jersey.

The MRI says South Florida will win a close one. Maybe Jeremy Ito misses the kick this year.
MRI Says: South Florida Confidence Factor: 53.67%

This Week: 0-0
Season Record: 121 - 49, 71.18%
Lifetime Record: 1483 - 623, 70.42%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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Your Next Undefeated to Fall? Arizona State

It won't happen this week, but just watch on October 27th. Arizona State will start to lose.

Why?

Leading rusher Ryan Torain is out for the season with a toe injury. Normally this is something that you could pass off with the backup coming in to fill in admirably, especially when they have split time.

However, this is also when you have to wonder if the backup has what it takes to carry the full load.

There is that, and well, they are playing Cal.

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October 17, 2007

Call The Wolf

In Pulp Fiction, The Wolf helped people get out of messes. You called him, he sped over in his fancy car, he cleaned things up, he goes out for pancakes.

Harvey Perlman, the Chancellor of Nebraska, has called in The Wolf, in the person of Tom Osborne.

Two damaging losses will force your hand like that. In two weeks time, the Nebraska football program has gone from contender for the conference championship, to an also ran, whose biggest goal will now be just reaching a bowl game. Even that looks in jeopardy given that Nebraska's defense hasn't been able to stop anyone yet this season. Unfortunately for them, they already played Iowa State.

Leave aside for a moment that this basically tells basketball coach Doc Sadler that he is an afterthought. Basketball has always been an afterthought at Nebraska, even when their team seemed just on the edge of breaking through.

Instead, focus on Bill Callahan. Bill, the hourglass has flipped and your sand is running out fast. You might find yourself wearing an UC-Santa Cruz Banana Slugs t-shirt soon. First because Osborne is going to dress you down and hose you off. Second, because once you are fired at the end of the season, that may be the only place you can find a job.

You were safe while buddy Steve Pederson was in the driver's seat. He inexplicably fired Frank Solich, Tom Osborne's handpicked successor, when Solich had failed to win at least nine games only once in his six years. And he brought you in, someone with no ties to the program, to lead it. Well, now we see that leadership in action. Outscored 86-20 in the last two weeks, it seems you have hit rock bottom, nevermind that you have had no shot at competing with the top programs in the country, getting walloped by USC the past two years.

The Wolf will come in, get out the cleaning supplies, and start working on getting all the bits of Pederson's brain out of the back seat of the car. Yes, the Wolf is going to call for Bill Callahan's head. It won't be his first move, but you can be sure it is on the list.

After that, he might get some pancakes.

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October 12, 2007

The MRI Says...10/12/07

Apparently Florida State is not back.

You have to wonder about how much longer Bobby Bowden can continue to coach at the school when he can't motivate his players to take revenge on a team that embarrassed them last season. Previous incarnations of Florida State would have had no trouble with the Demon Deacons. This version had a very different result.

Recruiting looks to be down at the school. Motivation on the field looks to be down. Even the ability to take a game and close opponents out is gone. This team hasn't been the same since their National Championship win over Virginia Tech, almost 8 years ago.

Maybe Florida State should look to go back to being an all girls school. It seems that is how they have been playing lately.

Friday night brings us a yawner to go up against two MLB LCS games. Watch Hawaii continue to roll tonight.

#15 Hawaii at San Jose State - The undefeated Hawaii Warriors look to continue that trend as they come to the mainland for a showdown with the San Jose Spartans. The biggest issue in this game will be the health of Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan. He has already missed one game this season and has left several others early, giving way to backup Tyler Graunke. Graunke has shown that he is more than capable of the task, but Brennan's absence and Graunke's easy success prompt questions about Brennan's candidacy for the Heisman. Look for Hawaii to win this one going away.
MRI Says: Hawaii Confidence Factor: 77.53%

This Week: 0-2
Season Record: 82-35, 70.09%
Lifetime Record: 1444 - 609, 70.34%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

Posted by bmiraski at 11:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Big XII - Week 7 Preview

Last week’s pathetic 0-4 performance sent bookies across the country into a tizzy. Apologies go to all those with broken legs now. Rest assured you aren’t the only ones. Here’s a tip: Start betting against me.

With my sad 4-8 record, you would think I would take some sure things, but no.

Texas A&M (-9) at Texas Tech - Red Raider fans may not be able to get their “Vick ‘Em” t-shirts, but I am sure they will find ways to taunt the Aggie team. The Aggies haven’t won a game in Lubbock since 1993, which should be cause enough for concern. That didn’t stop Aggie running back Jorvorskie Lane from guaranteeing a win on Saturday. He then followed that up with his best Mike Gundy, proclaiming, “I’m a man!” when asked if his prediction would go over well with coach Dennis Franchione. I am going to look for Lane to man up on Saturday and keep A&M close, at least closer than the 9 point spread.

Texas (-16) at Iowa State - The Longhorns have lost their best receiver, Limas Sweed, for the year and Colt McCoy was named one of the most disappointing players of the year by SI. Taking that offense against former defensive coordinator, now ISU head coach, Gene Chizik, is a recipe for disaster. Iowa State doesn’t have the athletes to play with Texas, but Chizik should have something up his sleeve. I am taking the Cyclones to stay within 16 points.

Missouri (+10.5) at Oklahoma - Chase Daniel for Heisman? Beat Oklahoma, and maybe. Take the Tigers to beat the spread.

Likely Winners: Kansas State (Colorado), Texas, Kansas (Baylor), Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas Tech

Likely Losers: Colorado, Iowa State, Baylor, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M

Upset potential: Oklahoma State over Nebraska

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII preview appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate. You can read the full preview for week 7 here. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 11, 2007

A&M Throws Franchione Under the Bus

You may remember last week's story that Dennis Franchione, the coach of Texas A&M, was selling a newsletter to boosters willing to pay $1200 for inside information.

Well, apparently the administration didn't take too kindly to that.

The school reported Franchione to the NCAA today for possible violations of three areas.

I would say this is the first step in firing Franchione at the end of the season. Can't say that I blame them for adding additional fodder to their case against keeping him around. As if his record at the school, against Texas, and in bowl games wasn't enough.

Link to The Official Report, shows that not only boosters, but also Franchione's wife and daughter received copies.

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The MRI Says...10/11/07

The MRI would like to thank head coach Dave Wannstedt for totally blowing last night's game and the MRI's pick.

With the ball on the two yard line on third down, needing only a field goal, in the second overtime, Wanny chose to pass the ball twice, going for the win. Pittsburgh had only ran for 227 yards to that point in the game, and definitely could have pulled 2 yards in two plays if he really wanted to go for the win.

Instead, they put the ball in the hands of a freshman quarterback.

Thanks Dave, thanks. The MRI thinks you really deserve to have your name enthroned in the great coaching realm for that brilliance. /sarcasm

Tonight's game is big for the ACC, assuming anyone actually pays attention to that conference these days.

Florida State at Wake Forest - It doesn't look like much, but Thursday night's tilt is a big one in the new look ACC. With Boston College threatening to run away with the division, and the conference, both Florida State and Wake Forest need a win here to keep pace with the Eagles. The bad news for Wake Forest is that they have already gone down to BC and therefore doubly need this. That said, Florida State will be looking for some revenge for the 30-0 loss they took at home at the hands of the Demon Deacs last season. The MRI likes this one to be close since Wake has the Seminoles in North Carolina this time around.
MRI Says: Florida State Confidence Factor: 53.01%

This Week: 0-1
Season Record: 82-34, 70.69%
Lifetime Record: 1444 - 608, 70.37%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 10, 2007

Stay Classy Tech Fans

Who knew that Michael Vick could cause issues at a school he didn't even attend?

An entrepreneurial student at Texas Tech was using the latest Vick dog fighting scandal to cheer on his football team. T-shirts saying "Vick 'Em" on the front and a picture of a #7-wearing football player on the back with a dog in a noose were being sold on Tech's Lubbock campus this week. The dog is meant to represent Reveille, the mascot of the Texas A&M Aggies who Tech plays this weekend.

Tech officials have shut down the operation, although 300 of the shirts were sold. No word on if students wearing the shirts will be allowed in the stadium.

When asked about the shirts, the student had said that he was going to donate half of the proceeds to charity "because we knew there would be a controversy about the shirts, you know, animal rights, stuff like that."

Stay classy, Texas Tech.

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The MRI Says...10/10/07

I guess we saw last week what happens when I open my mouth and say what a good week the MRI had on picking games. Last week, we had more upsets than we can shake a stick at.

The losses dropped the MRI back into human territory, although I should point out that the MRI did better than most of the other computer rankings which are tracked by the dutiful guys at FanIQ.com.

So, let's start the week on a good note, with what we hope will be a win. Today's game is a renewal of an older rivalry which, for some reason, hasn't been played since 1989.

Navy at Pittsburgh - Navy likes to run the ball. We should all know that by now, with their tongue-twisting Hawaiian quarterback, the Midshipmen run the old school triple option and rarely pass the ball. Last in the league in passing numbers, they will prove a tough test for the Pittsburgh defense. However, there is good news. Pittsburgh, so far, has only been giving up modest numbers on the ground. Still, in their last game, against Virginia, and not even the best running backs that they have seen this year, the Panthers surrendered 173 yards on the ground. Ouch. They are also starting a freshman quarterback who is only starting his second game. Given Navy's very disciplined team, this could be a really long night for Pittsburgh. The MRI thinks this one is a close one.
MRI Says: Pittsburgh Confidence Factor: 53.23%

This Week: 0-0
Season Record: 82-33, 71.30%
Lifetime Record: 1444 - 607, 70.40%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 6, 2007

The MRI Says...10/6/07

It's time once again to look at what the MRI says about its Top 25 teams. Remember that these are the MRI's Top 25, not those voted on by the sports writers, the coaches, or celebrities.

Last week's results were encouraging because, with all of the actual top 25 upsets, the MRI was still able to pull off about 75% of the wins. Let's hope that trend continues through the rest of the season.

Central Michigan at #25 Ball State - Ok, I don't know how Ball State got into the Top 25, but they are so we have to look at this game. The Chippewas might not be able to beat anyone outside of the division but Dan LeFevour is still a great quarterback and their 2-0 mark in the MAC is a huge start to the season. If Ball State wants to stay with Central Michigan, they need to win here. Having the Chippewas in Muncie is a good start to that.
MRI Says: Ball State Confidence Factor: 95.55%

#2 Oklahoma vs. #24 Texas - The Red River Shootout is always a great game, but lost in the mix is how the favorite in the game has won and covered in the last four seasons. Oklahoma is favored this season, and there is no reason to think they won't win this game. Texas is not as good as everyone wanted them to be and chances are that Colt McCoy may not make it through the full game thanks to concussion last week. Oklahoma should roll.
MRI Says: Oklahoma Confidence Factor: 77.01%

Minnesota at #23 Indiana - Ohio State showed that this is still the same Minnesota. Indiana showed that this is not the same old Indiana. Kellen Lewis should lead them to another win.
MRI Says: Indiana Confidence Factor: 81.94%

#6 Kansas at #22 Kansas State - Kansas is going on the road for the first time this season. The MRI is going to favor the Jayhawks but the margin is slim. I think Kansas State's big win against Texas should keep the Wildcats rolling over their in-state mates. And that is despite what happened last season.
MRI Says: Kansas Confidence Factor: 54.59%

Nebraska at #21 Missouri - The MRI likes Missouri and their offense. I like Nebraska and their ability to outscore the Missouri offense. Either way, this one will see a lot of points on the board. You might want to bet the over on 1000 yards of offense.
MRI Says: Missouri Confidence Factor: 73.20%

#10 Cincinnati at #20 Rutgers - I knew last week seemed too good to be true for Rutgers. This week, Mike Teel and Ray Rice need to get back on track. This is a huge game for Cincinnati. Win this and Brian Kelly's team has arrived. Something tells me that it is unlikely.
MRI Says: Cincinnati Confidence Factor: 52.89%

#19 South Florida at Florida Atlantic - South Florida has made the real Top 10. Florida Atlantic has not. Time for the Bulls to show they can still keep it together even when they are facing a very bad opponent.
MRI Says: South Florida Confidence Factor: 52.66%

#3 Ohio State at #18 Purdue - Purdue didn't look like they should still be unbeaten with the way they played in the second half against Notre Dame. I seriously thought we would see an upset before they came back to score again. Ohio State is no Notre Dame. Don't expect those same lapses to be forgivable.
MRI Says: Purdue Confidence Factor: 54.59%

Northwestern at #17 Michigan State - Northwestern almost managed to beat Michigan, which means this is totally another game that Michigan State can manage to lose. After last week's loss at Wisconsin though, they may want some revenge.
MRI Says: Michigan State Confidence Factor: 81.94%

Iowa State at #16 Texas Tech - This is still Iowa State. No chance.
MRI Says: Texas Tech Confidence Factor: 95.55%

Bowling Green at #15 Boston College - Boston College struggled against Massachusetts. Something tells me the struggles might continue against Bowling Green. BC needs to show that they belong at the elite level they are currently ranked at. They already have an inside track in the ACC, not they need to make a move towards a bigger prize.
MRI Says: Boston College Confidence Factor: 76.05%

Utah State at #13 Hawaii - It's on the islands and Utah State is one of the worst teams in Division 1. Colt Brennan, this is your chance to pad your stats a little more.
MRI Says: Hawaii Confidence Factor: 95.55%

#9 West Virginia at Syracuse - If the Louisville Cardinals can lose to Syracuse, then maybe anything is possible. Then again, maybe not.
MRI Says: West Virginia Confidence Factor: 67.68%

Stanford at #7 USC - USC is probably going to lose a game in the PAC-10 but chances are it won't be against Stanford.
MRI Says: USC Confidence Factor: 95.55%

#5 Florida at #1 LSU - This is by far the marquis game of the weekend. Unfortunately for Tim Tebow, it looks like this could be one he would want to watch on television rather than from on his back. LSU is the fastest team in the league. LSU is the strongest team in the league. Tim Tebow doesn't have enough help on offense to carry his team all the way through this one. And so will end the quest for a repeat (but maybe the beginning of one in the MRI for LSU).
MRI Says: LSU Confidence Factor: 67.68%

#4 Arizona State at Washington State - This one is a special for my Washington State alum friend Kim. Kim, Washington State will get to a lead here, maybe even a double digit lead. But as you are fond of saying, they will Coug it in the end. Arizona State, still rolling.
MRI Says: Arizona State Confidence Factor: 73.20%

This Week: 1-3
Season Record: 45-18, 71.43%
Lifetime Record: 1407 - 592, 70.39%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

Posted by bmiraski at 9:00 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 5, 2007

Big XII - Week 6 Preview

Two major upsets last week have the Big XII South in disarray. Colorado made a huge fourth quarter comeback with a last second field goal to take down Oklahoma. That shocking win might have cost the conference its best shot at a National Title participant but it was able to give this preview a win in at least one game last week, leaving us 4-4 for the season.

Kansas (+3) at Kansas State - Kansas State scored a major win against Texas, beating the Longhorns for the second year in a row. Last year’s victory led to a major let down against Kansas the next week. It seems unlikely for a repeat of that despite Kansas’s huge offensive output in their first four games. I am going with Kansas State to win and cover.

Nebraska (+7) at Missouri - Neither team in this game has shown much of a defense so this one could be a good call for the over. The winner here stays in the race for the North. I think Sam Keller’s arm and Marlon Lucky’s legs will trump Chase Daniel and Tony Temple. Take Nebraska.

Oklahoma (-11) vs. Texas - What should have been the biggest game of the weekend now looks like a fight for survival. The loser of this game will have two conference losses and is all but out of the race for the Big XII title. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy could still be woozy from last week making him vulnerable to the Oklahoma defense. The favorite in this game has won and covered the last four seasons so look for the Sooners to beat the spread.

Oklahoma State (+6.5) at Texas A&M - Dennis Franchione is no longer selling the secrets on how to beat his team. For that reason alone, Oklahoma State will not have a shot to pull off the upset here. The Aggies move to 2-0 in the conference and cover the spread. Aren’t you glad you didn’t pay $1200 for that advice?

Likely Winners: Colorado (Baylor), Kansas State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (Iowa State)

Likely Losers: Iowa State, Kansas, Missouri, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Texas

Upset potential: Oklahoma State over Texas A&M, Kansas over Kansas State

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII preview appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate. You can read the full preview for week 6 here. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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The MRI Says...10/5/07

Spurrier did it again. He has never lost to Kentucky, no matter where he has coached. And last night was more of the same with the great Spurrier defense beating out the Kentucky offense. Two turnovers returned for touchdowns by Eric Norwood proved to be a huge difference in this one. And so the MRI takes another loss, although this one was supposed to be close (only 53% chance of Kentucky winning that one).

Thursday's big game leads directly into Friday's contest. While not a king maker, this one is important for at least one of the teams. Louisville needs to win this game to help right the ship for the Big East stretch run. They follow this with six straight games in the conference. Coming from an 0-1 record, they almost need to win out. That's a tough call when they can't stop anyone's offense, and West Virginia, South Florida, and Rutgers are still on the slate.

Side note in tonight's game is that this is a big one for Brian Brohm to stay on the Heisman radar. He needs to show he can light up a lesser opponent again.

Let's see what the MRI says about tonight:

Utah at Louisville - When I received this year's ESPN the Magazine College Preview issue, it had the 3 headed monster of Louisville on the front cover, looking at a title. Sure, the offense had what it takes in order to win. But the defense was what cost the Cardinals last season, and this season didn't look like it could be that improved, did it? Maybe we all had hope, but with two losses, that hope is all gone. This is a huge trap game for the Cardinals. We shouldn't forget what Utah did to UCLA already this season. Big games for Louisville in the Big East follow this. They need to get well right here.
MRI Says: Louisville Confidence Factor: 74.83%

This Week: 1-2
Season Record: 45-17, 72.58%
Lifetime Record: 1407 - 591, 70.42%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 4, 2007

The MRI Says...10/4/07

I am as shocked as everyone else. There was no way I thought that Rice would be able to pull that game out last night. Neither did most of the fans or the experts who weighed in on FanIQ. (Note: The MRI is considered an expert on that site.

But the Owls managed to win what is now their seventh straight conference game, which is just amazing considering how bad that Rice has been against everyone else. Southern Mississippi's fourth quarter comeback came up a little short, but you have to give credit to Rice who pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year so far.

One very important game on Thursday night has Kentucky traveling to a very dangerous South Carolina. Let's see what the MRI says:

#11 Kentucky at South Carolina - Even before South Carolina lost their first game to LSU, they were lowly ranked in the MRI, keeping them well away from the Top 25. The Kentucky Wildcats have been firmly in place in the higher ranks thanks to their strong performances against Louisville and Arkansas. This is a big game for Kentucky prior to the back to back hurdles of LSU and Florida. They could be caught looking ahead to those games, but I don't think so. This is a big shot on a Thursday night for the Wildcats to show that this team is for real and deserves the high rankings that they have earned so far through the year. Look for a big game from Andre Woodson and the Kentucky offense to thwart the stingy South Carolina defense.
MRI Says: Kentucky Confidence Factor: 52.98%

This Week: 1-1
Season Record: 45-16, 73.77%
Lifetime Record: 1407 - 590, 70.46%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 3, 2007

The MRI Says...10/3/07

Memphis put together an emotional win last night to get the MRI off to a good start again this week. Playing with a heavy heart and a second string quarterback, the Tigers held off the still winless Marshall to move to 2-3 on the season.

The win puts the MRI at exactly 75% correct on the season so far. One game to look at for Wednesday night. Let's see what the MRI Says about Rice and Southern Mississippi.

Rice at Southern Mississippi - If you missed Southern Mississippi's game against Boise State on the blue turf last Thursday, you missed a team that didn't look like itself. Of course, they were going up against the real powerhouse of the smaller conferences on the road. The truth is that Southern Mississippi's performance on last Thursday is not the Golden Eagle team we should judge. They were out of their element. The real team will take the field tonight and be tough on Rice's passing game, unlike the outmanned team against Boise State. The real team will shut down the run, not be run over by Ian Johnson. This is Southern Mississippi's game to lose as they move towards the C-USA championship.
MRI Says: Southern Mississippi Confidence Factor: 82.52%

This Week: 1-0
Season Record: 45-15, 75.00%
Lifetime Record: 1407 - 589, 70.49%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 2, 2007

The MRI Says...10/2/07

Even with all of the upsets over the weekend, the MRI still held strong with a 75% performance in its first week, way above the all-time average. That can either be a good sign for the coming season, or it could mean that there is a big drop coming in the weeks ahead.

Let's hope for the former.

Tuesday night brings the first week of the terrible scheduling in Division 1. In order to get more television time for some of the smaller conferences, we start getting games on every single day of the week, which is just a ridiculous trend for college football to fall into, and happens every season. Not only does it make scheduling a mess across the country, it also isn't truly fair to the teams which end up playing the off weeks.

Tuesday night also brings us a little bit of tragedy. Memphis took a big blow on Sunday night as defensive end Taylor Bradford was shot to death. The players chose to continue to play the game tonight. It will be a big test to see if their minds are truly in it.

Marshall at Memphis - The only game that Marshall has looked well in all season was against their rival West Virginia. As we saw last Friday, maybe there was a reason for that. Marshall will have their hands full with an emotional Memphis team which barely lost last week to Arkansas State.
MRI Says: Memphis Confidence Factor: 75.90%

This Week: 0-0
Season Record: 44-15, 74.58%
Lifetime Record: 1406 - 589, 70.48%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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September 29, 2007

The MRI Says...9/29/2007

Each Saturday, the MRI will look at its currently ranked teams and let you know which ones should be on upset alert this coming weekend. Note that all rankings are those of the MRI, not the mainstream press, the coaches, or the pack of voters that Harris employs. All FBS schools will always be favored over FCS school. That means the MRI would not be picking Appalachian State to beat Michigan, Duke, or Temple.

A tough loss for the MRI last night takes away the perfect season. Oh well, a man...er,computer can dream.

#25 Indiana at Iowa - Indiana has been a pleasant surprise this season, mostly because a lot of people feared that the death of coach Terry Hoeppner. In addition, a loss to Illinois is finally something that you should not be ashamed about. Iowa however has not been a pleasant surprise. They lost to struggling Iowa State a week after the Cyclones lost to Northern Iowa. Kellen Lewis's skills will certainly be on display this weekend, but the MRI sees this one going to the home team
MRI Says: Iowa Confidence Factor: 52.79%

Northwestern State at #24 Texas Tech - A new defensive coordinator should not make a difference here.
MRI Says: Texas Tech

#16 Michigan State at #22 Wisconsin - Wisconsin hasn't been able to take a real fight to anyone this season, just winning games that you would think they would win in a blowout. Maybe they are content to be the Ohio State of 2007. Maybe they just aren't as good as we all thought they might be. Michigan State coming to town should show us who Wisconsin wants to be the rest of the way.
MRI Says: Wisconsin Confidence Factor: 52.79%

Florida Atlantic at #21 Kentucky - Kentucky needs to not be caught looking ahead. Andre Woodson should make another strong point in his case for the Heisman trophy. Florida Atlantic will take a loss.
MRI Says: Kentucky Confidence Factor: 76.25%

#19 Clemson at Georgia Tech - Clemson's running game made a big splash in this game last year, rolling up 321 yards. Both James Davis and C.J. Spiller are back to continue that effort. With running back Tashard Choice still questionable for the game on Saturday, Georgia Tech might be in for a long night.
MRI Says: Clemson Confidence Factor: 54.72%

#18 Cal at #8 Oregon - Dennis Dixon has been making people believe that Oregon may have what it takes to really compete in the Pac-10 this season, not just make a good showing like years past. The Ducks have a tough test in Cal this weekend. Something tells me the home field might be a huge difference in this one. Either that, or the replay officials might give Oregon a little help.
MRI Says: Oregon Confidence Factor: 76.25%

Notre Dame at #17 Purdue - Don't even get me started.
MRI Says: Purdue Confidence Factor: 95.44%

Massachusetts at #15 Boston College - Another FCS demolition. The only question here is how many yards Matt Ryan will have before the coaches take him out.
MRI Says: Boston College

Kansas State at #14 Texas - Texas made a big deal this week about how this game is not about revenge for last season's loss. Let's get one thing clear. These games are always about revenge. And for that reason, Kansas State is in a load of trouble.
MRI Says: Texas Confidence Factor: 76.25%

Akron at #13 Connecticut - Win this one and Connecticut has a chance to be undefeated until late in October. Lose this one and everyone talks about how over rated any big start in the Big East is.
MRI Says: Connecticut Confidence Factor: 83.33%

#12 Cincinnati at San Diego State - Cincinnati isn't so lucky. They are going to have to hope that their secondary doesn't get tired of chasing after San Diego State receivers all night.
MRI Says: Cincinnati Confidence Factor: 77.38%

#11 Arizona State at Stanford - Arizona State seems to have righted the ship after last season's debacle. Stanford isn't quite ready yet to take the next step.
MRI Says: Arizona State Confidence Factor: 70.69%

#10 Hawaii at Idaho - Colt Brennan will have 500 yards passing and 5 TDs before he watches the second half from the bench.
MRI Says: Hawaii Confidence Factor: 77.38%

#7 USC at Washington - While I am sure Ty Willingham is getting a kick out of watching the demise of Notre Dame this season, this game will be no laughing matter. Washington almost pulled off the upset last season. This year, USC is back to being USC.
MRI Says: USC Confidence Factor: 70.69%

Maryland at #6 Rutgers - It would be just like Rutgers to lose this game. Being at home, the chances of that happening drop off sharply.
MRI Says: Rutgers Confidence Factor: 83.33%

#4 Ohio State at Minnesota - Ohio State looks like they barely lost a beat from last season. This team might even be better than last year. Too bad that a number of other teams got better than them. Minnesota isn't one of those teams.
MRI Says: Ohio State Confidence Factor: 77.38%

#3 LSU at Tulane - Come on, seriously?
MRI Says: LSU Confidence Factor: 66.67%

Auburn at #2 Florida - Tim Tebow is now getting some serious consideration for the Heisman. Auburn has fallen off the map. Make the Tigers 0-2 against the state of Florida this season.
MRI Says: Florida Confidence Factor: 83.33%

#1 Oklahoma at Colorado - The only question here should be if Oklahoma will beat the 23 point spread out there. I don't think they will. Colorado is still another year or so away from being able to truly contend in this game.
MRI Says: Oklahoma Confidence Factor: 77.38%

This Week: 2-1, 66.7%
Season Record: 2-1, 66.7%
Lifetime Record: 1364 - 575, 70.35%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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September 28, 2007

The MRI Says...9/28/2007

Oh how sweet it is. It took a massive comeback by Arkansas State but the MRI began the year 2-0. Considering it doesn't pick games at the beginning of the season when most teams are beating up on the Little Sisters of Poor (though not as badly as in basketball), starting out 2-0 is quite a feat.

Of course, tonight has the ability to mar that perfect beginning. A nailbiter takes the spotlight on Friday night.

#9* West Virginia at #20* South Florida - Last season, South Florida ruined what West Virginia thought was a shot at the National Title. That came on the road. This year, the upstart Bulls get the Mountaineers at home. Sounds good right? That is what I thought too, until I saw this last night:

Lou Holtz hasn't inspired any team to a win yet this season. The MRI like this one to go to Rich's speedsters, but I think it will be a close call.
MRI Says: West Virginia Confidence Factor: 53.02%

This Week: 2-0, 100%
Season Record: 2-0, 100%
Lifetime Record: 1364 - 574, 70.38%

All rankings are the current MRI ranking of the team

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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Big XII - Week 5 Preview

Lost in Mike Gundy’s tirade was one by Mike Leach in the other media room. His led to Texas Tech’s defensive coordinator “stepping down”. Needless to say, Texas Tech likely won’t have the same issues with Northwestern State this week. But last week they did, and so I enter this week 3-3.

Oklahoma (-22.5) at Colorado - Colorado may not be the favorite but they have one advantage -- their ties to Boise State. Head coach Dan Hawkins may have been watching Boise trick their way past Oklahoma on television, but he was a big reason for the Bronco win. I don’t think Colorado can beat the juggernaut from Norman this week, but 23 points seems a little over the top, no matter what the recent history of these two teams. Oklahoma wins, but Colorado and the points are the winners here.

Kansas State (+14.5) at Texas - It looks like the Texas team that we thought we would have this season is back. But then again, their comeback came against Rice. Kansas State’s issue in this one is that Texas’s defense will be tough up the middle, much like Auburn was against them in their first game. Not being able to start the running game will not bode well for them. Texas gets well at just the right time. Longhorns win and cover.

Bonus: Oklahoma State hasn’t stopped anyone on defense so far this season. Ex-Oklahoma quarterback Rhett Bomar returns to town this week with Sam Houston. Look for Bomar to make a difference in this one. Don’t count out an upset in Stillwater.

Likely Winners: Nebraska (Iowa State), Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M (Baylor), Texas Tech

Likely Losers: Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas State, Baylor

Upset potential: Sam Houston over Oklahoma State (Maybe Mike Gundy can yell at me too)

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII preview appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate. You can read the full preview for week 5 here. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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September 27, 2007

The MRI Says...

Week 5 starting means that the MRI can begin its predictions.

Thursday night brings us two games on the gridiron. The MRI weighs in

Memphis at Arkansas State - The trouble with Memphis's football team is that it isn't their basketball team. Arkansas State was able to hang with Texas and they didn't look terrible against Tennessee. This is a make-up game from a rain out earlier this year. Memphis didn't have a chance to win then, and still none now.
MRI Says: Arkansas State Confidence Factor: 66.24%

Southern Mississippi at Boise State - They may have already lost this season, something they haven't done since 2005, but this is Boise State. This is the Blue Turf. This is a team that hasn't lost at home since 2001*!! Southern Mississippi might be the class of Conference USA, but that isn't saying much.
MRI Says: Boise State Confidence Factor: 66.24%

* Regular Seasn only

This Week: 0-0 Season Record: 0-0 Lifetime Record: 1362 - 574, 70.35%

The MRI is a computer football ranking system. It has been picking games since 2003. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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September 26, 2007

Time to Let It Go

The last few days, watching the drama that is the Mike Gundy - Jenni Carlson debate, have shown us that people can be, well, ... mean.

Was Jenni Carlson's article the best piece of journalism out there? No. Did she probably make it too personal and use too much innuendo to make her point? Yes.

However, does that make it right for her to be dressed down in front of her colleagues by another professional, someone who counts on the press and media to cover and make himself known? No.

As I said in the post, Gundy makes a solid point about the media maybe being too harsh on some athletes in the college ranks. By some, I mean the ones that are not in trouble off the field, the ones that follow the rules, and presumably, the ones that go to class. As Gundy said, you can write bad things about the ones that get in trouble, because, even being kids, they brought that on themselves.

However, I still don't agree with the tone of Gundy's message. Choosing the forum that he did may inspire confidence from his team and it may make him a hero in some of the fans eyes, but it was not the mature adult thing to do. That is especially true when it is a role model, a coach to "kids", showing the immaturity to do it when he did.

Still more disconcerting though is not Carlson, not Gundy, but the reaction of many of the fans to this incident. I have read comments on articles across the web which are filled with attacks on the writers, all just lending their own commentary to the discussion. Do a lot of them come down somewhat in favor of Carlson? Yes. Many of them defend her right to have her opinion. They aren't saying that they agree with her opinion, just that she has the right to it.

Many of the same articles also agree to an extent with what Gundy said. But they also agree with me that the way he said it was probably not the best choice.

So for being squarely in the middle, not fully supporting Gundy, not fully putting down Carlson, they get blasted for it. My own comment box on my site was filled with very hate filled venom. Personal attacks, the same thing that got Carlson in trouble in the first place, have been hurled at myself and at Carlson. Gundy has gotten it to a lesser extent too, but still, I have not had one comment that I would let go to print. I am surprised that the comments which were posted on the BlogCritics site with the same article were as calm as they were.

If someone wanted to start a discussion about the issue that Gundy brings up, that would be fine. Instead, everyone wants to follow a bad lead and attack the writer. And then everyone wants to attack me for writing about the incident, and appearing to stand up for Carlson.

If I couldn't take criticism, I wouldn't be out on the web. Safe to say, I have gotten worse for my computer rankings and computer based tournament projections than this issue.

However, as I said in the last line of the column, it is time for everyone to take a deep breath and let it go. Continuing the personal attacks on Carlson, Gundy, and any other writers (OK, you can still rip on Dennis Dodd, because anything I write won't stop that), is just furthering the hatred and not addressing the true issue. If you really want to talk about how college athletes are covered and have a serious discussion on both the ways they are treated, both good and bad, then please write away.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. He keeps hoping that someone will write a rational comment, but doesn't have much faith in that. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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September 25, 2007

Carlson Responds

Jenni Carlson chose to respond yesterday on Oklahoma television, and also in the paper this morning.

You can read her rebuttal here.

While I think she could have been stronger sticking by her story and potentially give out the sources who gave her the information, I think she does make a point. If Mike Gundy has such an issue with the story, or its timing, then he should be forthcoming with the facts, such as why a quarterback change was made even though Bobby Reid was supposed to be "the guy".

Sure Gundy can be upset that his player was criticized for his off the field behavior, behavior which may not have been bad. However, Gundy can't just complain without stating precisely what the truth is if something is inaccurate.

Of course, maybe Gundy should worry about his 13-15 record, and bring the fire he showed in his press conference to the field, especially with his conference season now in full swing.

Posted by bmiraski at 11:06 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 24, 2007

Mike Gundy's Explosion Raises Questions

I didn't get the pick in my weekly Big XII preview correct this week. Luckily, my job (and my cash) don't depend on that. However, four jobs were affected in a big way by the fallout from the game this weekend.

In case you missed it, Texas Tech decided not to play defense against Oklahoma State. The week before, Oklahoma State had trouble scoring against Troy. They had no such problem on Saturday, winning 49-45.

However, after the game, OSU coach Mike Gundy chose to go off on Daily Oklahoman reporter Jenni Carlson, instead of using his time to discuss the game. He ranted and raved... oh heck, you can just watch for yourself.

What was probably the most important victory of the season so far for Oklahoma State was lost in that. And now caught up in it are four jobs.

The one you probably didn't hear about, probably because it was much more quiet compared to the ruckus above, was Texas Tech defensive coordinator Lyle Setencich stepping down for personal reasons. Nothing specific, just personal reasons. I know why my reason would be after the performance of his squad on Saturday. Yes, Oklahoma State billed themselves as the most explosive offense in the country, but if Troy was able to take them down, then Texas Tech certainly should have been able to do the same. Setencich was replaced by assistant head coach Ruffin McNeill.

More concerning from the mess is what is going to happen to Carlson, Gundy, and the embattled quarterback Reid.

Reid has most certainly lost his job as Cowboys quarterback after this. He will likely have to take a side role as a wide receiver, or a trick play target. Reid is now taking the back seat, one that Carlson called potentially the right move in her very controversial article.

I read her article. I didn't see anything necessarily wrong with it. Did she say that Reid maybe didn't play hurt when he could have? Yes. Did she call him out for laughing on the sideline when he his team was getting blasted by Troy? Yes. Truth be told, Carlson didn't say anything that any fan watching on television wouldn't have said in a blog or on campus the next day. However, she got blasted for it.

She got blasted for incorrect facts, but no editor I know would have let the article go to print if the facts hadn't been checked. Chances are, Carlson's facts are right. And Gundy is the one in the wrong for criticizing her without specifying where the errors were.

Carlson was strangely absent from the Oklahoman's website today although she was defended by those who she works with. Perhaps a couple of days of absence will help her to come back without lashing out and making this worse. Maybe she is taking the higher ground here.

The same can't be said for Mike Gundy who is standing by his reaction. He still refuses to come clean on what the mistakes are in the article, and he refuses to say he was wrong with the way he reacted. His only regret is that he didn't prepare a response because, "The only thing I said is that I should have written it out because there were other things that I wanted to say that I didn’t get out because I forgot.”

This is where an Athletic Director needs to step in. This is where the leadership in the athletics department needs to let the coach know that what he did is not appreciated and that it doesn't reflect well on the program or the school when coaches react that way. OSU's AD, Mike Holder, needs to release a statement on this incident before more is written or said and it becomes too late to take something back that might come out in all this heat.

Gundy does bring up the good question. Are we too hard on some of today's student athletes? Probably. Is that an excuse for the way he reacted, no, but he needs to realize that reactions like that won't change anything, and may have the opposite effect on the coverage.

Again, Carlson didn't write anything that a fan of the team wouldn't have written had they the same access or the same sources. Yes, she may be a trained journalist and should know how to temper her comments better than the average blogger on the Internet. But at heart, most beat writers, most columnists, they are all fans. Mike Gundy needs to think about what kind of reaction he would have for a fan who wrote the same story, a fan who attends his school, who is a real peer of the quarterback in question. Mike Gundy needs to think and realize that there is no way he would barge into a dorm and make the same spectacle of himself.

It's time for everyone involved to take a deep breath. And then...Let...It....Go.

Posted by bmiraski at 11:00 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

September 21, 2007

Big XII - Week 4 Preview

Let’s start with a quick look back at last week. Week 3’s prediction came true bringing me to 3-2 on the season. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that there is a lot of the Big XII that I can’t even begin to understand.

Iowa State managed to do the unthinkable last week, beating a much better Iowa team. This was a Cyclone team that lost to 1-AA Northern Iowa the week before.

Strong props should go out to Gene Chizik for performing that miracle this early in his time in Ames. Too bad the Cyclones will return to their losing ways this week.

Thursday night continued the trend of mind benders.

Texas A&M traveled down to play a Miami squad that was just humiliated by Oklahoma just two weeks ago.

Miami paid the favor right back.

This one was out of hand (31-0) before the Aggies even had any semblance of an offense on the field. A few late scores made the game look close, but this one wasn’t anything like a real contest. Miami closed it out, 34-17. I shudder to think what Oklahoma will do to A&M if this is what Miami could do to them.

Texas Tech (-6) at Oklahoma State: Everyone was high on Oklahoma State’s explosive offense coming into the season. Instead of impressive, they have been inconsistent and have a quarterback controversy brewing.

They were supposed to have a decent defense too, at least enough to let their offense win games for them. But they are ranked 93rd in the nation against the pass -- Not a good stat to see before you face pass happy Texas Tech.

Saturday is a chance for everyone in the nation to remind themselves how good Graham Harrell is. Texas Tech takes this one and covers.

Bonus thoughts: I hope Texas’s staff had some time to prepare for their game against Rice this week, since the team hasn’t looked prepared for any team this season. In response to the arrest of James Henry this week, an assistant coach mentioned that they have been monitoring the MySpace and Facebook pages of their players. Perhaps then they saw their team highlighting their dancing skills last week against Central Florida. Maybe this week, they can do the Macarena on the sidelines after they fumble two or three times in the 4th quarter.

Likely Winners: Colorado (Miami Ohio), Kansas (Florida Int’l), Missouri (Illinois State), Nebraska (Ball State), Baylor (Buffalo), Oklahoma (Tulsa), Texas, Texas Tech

Likely Losers: Iowa State (Toledo), Oklahoma State

Upset potential: None

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII preview appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate. You can read the full preview for week 4 here. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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Tarnish On Golden Helmets Get Bigger

The Season Preview chapter in the Notre Dame media guide is titled "Weis, Fighting Irish Set to Build
On Notre Dame Football Tradition". Unfortunately, the Irish have done little to uphold the tradition of their school this season.

Things haven't been pretty in South Bend. The Irish are 0-3, they haven't scored a touchdown on offense yet, and there are strong rumors that Charlie Weis is losing the team.

One of the biggest reasons for the last item is the handling of the departure of Demetrius Jones from the school. Jones started Notre Dame's opener against Georgia Tech but didn't last the first half.

He later "shocked" coaches by not showing up for the bus to Michigan, although Jones claims that he had informed the program that he would be leaving. Jones enrolled at Northern Illinois over last weekend with the announcement coming just before Notre Dame took the field against Michigan.

Notre Dame is not quite happy with Mr. Jones, but they have taken this to an extreme.

Originally, the school was threatening to not release Jones from his scholarship, although it is a common practice to let young players go where they will be happy. They claimed that because Jones did not handle his end of the deal in the proper way, they were not going to release him. Needless to say, doing this to a very popular player from the largest city within 1000 miles of Notre Dame probably isn't going to make future recruits from that area happy. Imagine if the city of Chicago suddenly became a no man's land for Notre Dame? Not that the Irish can't recruit from anywhere they feel like it. It just wouldn't help matters.

Late last night, it seems, the school has reversed their decision...but only if Jones would transfer to a school which is on a list of "approved" institutions. That list, of course, is being put together by Notre Dame.

The list would not include any of the schools which Notre Dame would play in the near future, probably so Jones would not give away Notre Dame's offense to that school's team. Not that the team would need any help with the way that Notre Dame has played this year, but somewhat understandable.

Northern Illinois apparently won't be on the list.

But why? Jones would have three years of eligibility remaining at whatever his new school is. Notre Dame, as far as we know is not scheduled to face Northern Illinois in the next three years. At least, they aren't on the schedule for next season, and given that Notre Dame always has 6 guarantee games, plus a number of return contests that they will owe, it is unlikely that Notre Dame was thinking of scheduling NIU.

In fact, Notre Dame has never played Northern Illinois...ever. The Irish have only played 4 games against the MAC in all of their history. It should be safe to say that Northern Illinois wasn't on the short list of schools which were going to get a scheduling call from the AD at Notre Dame anytime soon.

So why not let Demetrius Jones go to the school he wants to go, instead of being heavy handed? Notre Dame, you are not making yourselves look any better in the grand scheme of things by trying to pull this trick on this player now.

You haven't gained any points in this area, much like you haven't put many points on the board this season. It is time to start acting right and treating this player with respect, even if he didn't handle the situation perfectly. Remember, this kid is 19 years old. Your school and the members of the administration are a lot older and should show more class than this.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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September 18, 2007

Book 'Em Horns

At least that is what the message boards over at the Austin American-Statesman were saying today about the sad sage that continues in Austin.

Another Longhorn player, James Henry, was arrested today, and subsequently suspended indefinitely from the team by Mack Brown.

Even better, Henry has taken the arrests to a new low. He was arrested for threatening the victims of the robberies committed by two other Longhorn players. Of course, he led cops right to him, because he was recorded on the phone with the two other players while they were in custody. Apparently no one told Henry that unless he was a lawyer, all of those conversations are taped. Henry told the other players that he would get back at the people who turned them in and teach them a lesson.

Before the cops caught him, he had already assaulted one of the players which he is lucky wasn't worse than it could be. According to the report, Henry kicked the man in the head several times, and punched him repeatedly. For Henry's sake, he better hope there is no long term damage to the victim from his act.

Still, another sad chapter in what is becoming a weekly occurrence in Austin.

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September 14, 2007

Big XII - Week 3 Preview

If I hadn’t made a third prediction on my site last week, my record against the spread would have been pretty pathetic at this point. Apparently believing in TCU and Miami last week was the wrong thing to do (although Fresno State did me right).

This week though, there is no doubt in my mind about the featured game in the Big XII. Nebraska is in trouble as they take on National Championship game favorite, USC.

Surprisingly, it is the defense that worries me. You may wonder how a defense which has given up less than 300 yards on average over the first two weeks could worry someone. However last week, I watched Wake Forest, whose offense is not USC’s caliber, drive consistently down the field against Nebraska. Then Nebraska’s defense would make a big stand inside the 10 yard line to keep control of the game.

Defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove attributed a lot of the problem to missed tackles, 12 by his count, against Wake Forest.

“We need to improve on our fundamental techniques,” Cosgrove said. “That’s the biggest thing.”

Improvement better be on the list. USC is not going to be as easily tamed as Wake was in the red zone. And USC is going to be a heck of a lot harder to bring down than Wake Forest.

No upset prediction this week. USC is going to win and cover(-10).

Likely Winners: Kansas (Toledo), Kansas State (Missouri State), Missouri (Western Michigan), Baylor (Texas State), Oklahoma (Utah State), Oklahoma State (Troy), Texas (Central Florida), Texas A&M (UL-Monroe), Texas Tech (Rice)

Likely Losers: Colorado, Iowa State (Iowa), Nebraska

Upset potential: Colorado over Florida State

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII preview appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate. You can read the full preview for week 3 here. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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September 13, 2007

Oklahoma Hopes Run High

Since Oklahoma has absolutely dismantled their first two opponents, hopes are running high in Norman.

The Daily Oklahoman has an article today speaking to how Sooner fans are starting to talk about Championship #8.

However, no matter how good Oklahoma has looked in their first two games, they still are yet to play a conference opponent, and that means the Red River game against Texas is still a major hurdle in their way.

The article actually tabs one of my favorite computer rankings experts, Richard Billingsley, for his thoughts on OU's chances. He basically echoes what I said at the beginning of the season in my Big XII preview.

The Big XII is not necessarily strong enough to send a team to the National Championship right now. Some of that is their own doing, and some of that is just the way the league is structured without a lot of power in the North. I also thought that Oklahoma would lose a game along the way (Darn, you Miami!), and that would end any hopes right there.

Anyway, here is Billingsley's take on the strength of the Big 12:

"It's way too early to tell, for sure,” said Richard Billingsley, who operates one of the computer rankings factored into the BCS standings. "Against a one-loss SEC or Pac-10 team, they would be comparable. Being undefeated carries a lot of weight in the Coaches/Harris polls, as we saw last year with Rutgers.

"But against an undefeated SEC or Pac-10 team, it would depend on whether the Big 12 can keep it together and have several good teams on into November. Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech or OSU, and at least one team from the North to be a quality opponent in the championship game; maybe a one-loss Nebraska or Kansas State or Missouri, or an undefeated Kansas.

"If the Big 12 falls apart with no other superior teams (top 15), it hurts OU's chances.”

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Texas Cloud Continues

Injuries, Arrests, More Injuries, More Arrests.

It seems like a continuing chain of events in Austin, TX, these days.

The Bevo Blog is reporting yet another entry to the line of bad news surrounding the Texas football program.

Backup safety Tyrell Gatewood was arrested early Thursday morning on a misdemeanor drug charge.

No details as of yet, but it really makes you wonder what is going on in Austin. So far this season, they have more bad news around their program than Miami. Either Randy Shannon is doing a spectacular job keeping his kids in line, or Mack Brown is asleep at the wheel.

Update: Gatewood has been suspended from the team indefinitely by coach Brown, the third such suspension this year for the Longhorns.

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September 12, 2007

12th Man Profile

The 12th Man is one of the greatest traditions in college football with a real story, not just a legend that some people think might have happened.

During Saturday's very exciting 3 OT win for the Aggies, Texas A&M's 12th Man got a little more action than normal when injuries forced him into the game at fullback. He even caught a pass.

The Austin Statesman does him up right. Meet Nick LaMantia.

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September 8, 2007

Week 2 - Late Afternoon Edition

And everyone in the country thought that Michigan had learned its lesson last week. It appears that they may need some extra tutoring in order to get that lesson to stick. Another loss that just is inexplicable for the Wolverines.

Mike Hart Should Have Fumbled (Oregon 39 - Michigan 7)

That would have made the embarrassment complete for Michigan. Let's count now the stack of bad things that have piled up for Big Blue:

• Bo Dies.
• They lose all hope of the National Championship losing to Ohio State.
• Michigan gets blown out by USC in the Rose Bowl.
• Ohio State gets blown out, showing that maybe Michigan was even that much worse.
• They lose at home to Appalachian State.
• They paid $400K for that honor.
• They are the first team since the AP poll went to 25 teams to drop from #5 to unranked
• They lose at home again to Oregon.

Oregon was so confident in this game, they started using trick plays including a fake Statue of Liberty on which quarterback Dennis Dixon just waltzed into the end zone.

The once vaunted Michigan defense is now just pathetic. I don't care if they did lose seven starters from last year. There should be absolutely no reason for a drop off like this. Heck, even Notre Dame could beat this defense. They have no coverage on passes, they don't contain the run. They might as well just ask some of the fans to come out on the field.

Yes, Mike Hart should have fumbled. At least then this team would have no hope.

Fresno State is Still Scary (Texas A&M 47 - Fresno State 45)

At least I got one of these predictions right. Fresno State not only came back from 19 down, they had a drive with less than two minutes left to try tie the game. After bowling ball Jorvorskie Lane slammed the ball into the end zone with only about ninety seconds remaining, I thought this one was over.

It all came down to a 4th and goal from the two, on which junior quarterback Tom Brandstater had to scramble to avoid the rush. His pass appeared to be sailing over everyone until it was caught in the back of the end zone.

In the first OT, Texas A&M's offense was held by Fresno and had to settle for only a field goal. On Fresno's first play, Brandstater threw a pass to the right which was caught by Marlon Moore. As he was hit inside the 5 yard line, he tried to reach for the end zone. Moore appeared to fumble into the end zone but was called down at the one yard line, apparently because he had stepped out (He hadn't). Upon further review and then again further review, the play was reversed which should have given Texas A&M the win.

But the officials had called a roughing the passer personal foul on A&M! Fresno ended up having to settle for a field goal themselves to tie.

It took two more overtimes and a missed two-point conversion before the Aggies were able to get the win. By the time the game ended, both sides were spent, probably the reason that Fresno had to pass for their conversion rather than run. But give all the credit to the Bulldogs for showing that they still go anywhere to play anyone. And shame on whoever set the line at 17.5 points.

Hey Notre Dame, At Least You Play Michigan Next (Penn State 31 - Notre Dame 10)

Mistakes, including having more penalty yards against them than offensive yards at the beginning of the 4th quarter, continue to plague Notre Dame. I know they lost all of their backfield, but at this point, you would have thought they could do something on offense. I am beginning to think that Notre Dame was a little quick in judging Ty Willingham's ability as a coach (Has anyone seen Washington this year?). And yes, I did question the coaching change when it happened.

Maybe we should start to question the ability of Charlie Weis instead. For two straight games his team has shown up lifeless against their opponent. They can't get any rushing game, and without that, they have no hope of a rhythm in the passing game. By the time they actually seem somewhat comfortable in the game, they are down so much that they have to pass. Notre Dame's speed is not such that they can consistently do that with success. Couple that with the lack of strong senior leadership and Notre Dame is in a major hole.

Boys, at least you play Michigan next week. One of you has to win. If it isn't Notre Dame, you might want to concentrate on making sure you prepare for Navy. That might be your first shot at a win all year, and even that might not be a guarantee anymore.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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Week 2 - Early Edition

Guess I was a little incorrect on Miami hanging close with Oklahoma. There is no doubt now that Oklahoma is on a mission this season. If the North Texas blowout didn't get you on board, the dismantling of Miami's defense should.

Did Oklahoma dodge a bullet? (Oklahoma 51 - Miami 13)

Oklahoma's early dominance of this one almost fell apart. A long snap over the head of the punter, with five minutes left in the first quarter, was covered up at the Oklahoma 7. Miami was only able to turn that into a field goal. The momentum to that point was all Oklahoma and could have been the big turning point to Miami, but instead the OU defense kept it in their favor.

Maybe we under-estimated the win over the terrible North Texas team. I thought that Miami's secondary wouldn't even come into play because the defensive line would make Bradford have to stay short all day long. Boy was I wrong. Oklahoma just beat Miami on every pass. The speed of Miami teams of old was not present today.

Switching QBs to Kyle Wright seemed to give the Miami offense a little spark. He doesn't have the legs of Freeman, but Freeman wasn't able to do much with them while he was in. Wright's arm was obviously stronger than Freeman's, moving the chains consistently on his first drive. However, it took a fake kick to get a first down at the 3, and two pass interference calls on Oklahoma in the end zone, for Miami to get a touchdown. Again, not the fierce Miami team of old which wouldn't need that many chances.

If this was supposed to be the new look Miami, with more discipline under Randy Shannon, I didn't see it. Mental mistakes, including costly penalties still seem to plague the Hurricanes. This team was expected to at least hang in there in the ACC. After today's pasting, I am not so sure.

Nebraska's Defense a Question Mark (Nebraska 20 - Wake Forest 13)

You can't let the team charge down the field every possession just to hold strong near the goal line. Especially when that team is Wake Forest. Didn't we see last year that Wake doesn't have a great offense, just a spectacular defense that can keep them in games?

I am starting have some serious doubts about the strength of the Nebraska defense over the course of the season. You are playing with fire to give the opposing team that many chances in every game.

Yes, they came up big with a late stand as Wake was driving to tie. However, that same defensive strategy is not going to work against USC. No one needs to tell Bill Callahan that.

Tarnish on Slaton's Heisman Hopes? (West Virginia 48 - Marshall 23)

Slaton had all of 2 yards in the first half. He had to wait until West Virginia had worn down Marshall's defense to do anything. And then he had a typical Slaton game.

The man is fast, but as I said last year, let me see it when you can consistently perform, play after play. He is too much flash and style, relying on a couple of big plays to get his stats, than he is a consistently good performer, like Michigan's Mike Hart.

I may be in the minority here, but Slaton's QB, Pat White is now ahead of him on my Heisman list, and Slaton may still be the 4th best running back in the race.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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AP Clarifies Nothing

Earlier this week, thanks to Appalachian State's win over Michigan, the AP clarified its rule around voting in the Top 25 poll. They will now allow votes for Division 1-AA teams in the poll, after some voters expressed that they would have liked to vote for the Mountaineers. However all this does is muddy the waters.

How does anyone expect to be able to consider a Division 1-AA team for the poll, even one like Appalachian State who can pull off the biggest upset in history? This week the boys from Boone, NC, take on Lenoir-Ryhne, a Division II school. Even with having to schedule 12 games in a season now, no Division 1-A school faces a D-II school, although maybe Duke should consider it.

With the disparity of scholarships, and the strength of schedule, it will be impossible to honestly consider ranking a team in the lower division for longer than one week. And that is without the added challenge now facing voters of trying to consider the games for 80 more teams in addition to the 120 already in the top division. When was the last time you saw a 1-AA game on television during the regular season?

This ruling clarifies nothing. No voter is going to waste his time considering an Appalachian State for longer than 5 seconds as a novelty. And no voter is going to have the team hanging around his poll longer than a single week, if at all.

At least two voters agree with me that the decision will make no difference in the poll. Kirk Bohls of the Austin American Statesman, and Mike Strain (who voted Michigan in at #25 on his ballot last week) of the Tulsa World, both expressed their views on their blogs this week. Neither is exactly thrilled with the decision (Strain also gives his reasoning behind the #25 next to Michigan's name), so I would guess they weren't among those who requested the change. I would like to know who was.

I know one thing for certain. There will be no D-1-AA teams in my "AP" Ballot. Not last week, not any week in the future, even if Appalachian State goes undefeated this season and wins their third straight title in their division.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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September 7, 2007

Big XII - Week 2 Preview

Week Two in the college football schedule appears on paper to be shaping up quite well for the Big XII. Every team but Colorado is the favorite in their game. That should mean that things should be simple this week, right? Not so fast. As Appalachian State proved last week, anything can happen. Look for these three games to define the week for the Big XII:

TCU (+9.5) at Texas: I see no reason why Texas should lose this game… except for everything about the way they played against Arkansas State. TCU is being touted as this year’s Boise State and for good reason. Just see last week’s 27-0 win over Baylor. With injuries and suspensions (Hey, Billy Pittman, borrow any cars lately?) hanging over their heads, Texas looks prime for an upset. Take TCU and the points.

Fresno State (+17.5) at Texas A&M: Fresno State will take on anyone, anytime, anywhere. They will be putting that on the line this week traveling to College Station and the home of the 12th man. This is not last year's Fresno State team that basically imploded on itself. This will one will be closer that the line indicates. Take the Bulldogs with the points.

Miami (+10.5) at Oklahoma: It is hard to tell anything about Oklahoma based on week 1. North Texas was so bad that Dave Sittler of the Tulsa World compared them to a high school team and then said that was being too harsh to some high school teams. We know one thing -- Miami’s D-Line will not give Sam Bradford a rest all afternoon. Kirby Freeman, Miami’s signal caller, should also sparkle with his speed and arm. This was the only game I had Oklahoma losing this year, which is a stretch, I know. I just have one of those feelings. Take Miami with the points.

Likely Winners: Iowa State, Kansas (SE Louisiana), Kansas State (San Jose State), Missouri (Ole Miss), Nebraska (Wake Forest), Baylor (Rice), Oklahoma State (Florida Atlantic), Texas, Texas A&M (Fresno State), Texas Tech (UTEP)

Likely Losers: Colorado (Arizona State), Oklahoma

Upset potential: Northern Iowa over Iowa State, TCU over Texas, Miami over Oklahoma

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII preview appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate. You can read the full preview for week 2 here. Both the ACC and Big XII preview call for a Miami upset. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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August 31, 2007

Big XII - Week 1 Preview

The premier game in the Big XII this week figures to be Oklahoma State traveling between the hedges to face Georgia. By my count, Oklahoma State will be in the middle of the pack in the North. How they fare against a team projected to be among the tops of the SEC will say much about the total strength of the Big XII conference.

Oklahoma State’s linebackers, including two Butkus pre-season watch players, Chris Collins and Patrick Lavine, will be put to the test against the Georgia offense. The Bulldogs return starting quarterback Matt Stafford and tailback Thomas Brown returns from injury to the starting role. With a short passing game behind an experienced offensive line, they will test the speed of the linebackers to get outside fast and stop them.

OSU has touted themselves as the “most explosive offense in the world” – pretty tough words to live up to. However, the Cowboys do have Adarius Bowman looking to make a statement early in the Heisman race and seven other returning starters on offense. With Georgia’s defense depleted from last season, they have a tough assignment against an offense which was one of the tops in the nation last season. Yet, the new pieces on that side of the ball are more than capable of keeping up with the Cowboys.

The best I feel Oklahoma State can do is to outlast Georgia. Defensive coordinator Tim Beckman said that they will rotate in at least 22 players against the Bulldogs in the first quarter. If this strategy can keep their defense fresh, and their offense is as “explosive” as they claim to be against the Georgia D, maybe they have a shot to pull a late shocker. However, the solid money will be on Georgia to win, and cover (-6.5), in Athens.

Likely Winners: Colorado (Colorado State), Missouri, Nebraska (Nevada), Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas (Arkansas State), Texas A&M (Montana St.), Texas Tech (SMU)

Likely Losers: Baylor (TCU), Kansas State (Auburn), Oklahoma State

Upset potential: Illinois over Missouri, Central Michigan over Kansas

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII preview appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate. You can read the full preview for week 1 here. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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August 29, 2007

2007-8 Big XII Preview

Last season was a down year for the Big XII. They were not represented in the National Title game for the first time after three straight appearances, they didn’t place a team in the top ten in the final poll, and they were just 3-5 in bowl games.

This year appears to be more of the same. While there may be a few teams at the top of the league which may challenge for the National crown, the performance of the rest of the league, plus the dearth of scheduling, will likely come back and hurt the league. Despite two teams in the top of the pre-season rankings, the league champion will likely be headed back to the Fiesta Bowl and not the National Championship game.

How will they stack up this season? Let’s take a look. All records are projected based on predicting the full schedule for all 12 teams in the league.

Big XII South:

1. Oklahoma (11-1, 8-0) – The Sooners struggled with bad calls and off the field problems in 2006 and should be beyond that this year. Despite the loss of Adrian Peterson and Paul Thompson, the Sooners are more than equipped to repeat as league champions. They have two of the most punishing lines in the nation, and their running backs proved they are more than up to the challenge when Peterson was out last season. They do replace their QB, but at least this year’s starter, Sam Bradford, has been taking snaps for the last year and not playing wide receiver. Look for the Sooners to challenge for the national crown but a projected early loss to Miami may keep them from the title game.
2. Texas A&M (10-2, 6-2) – The Aggies are poised to strike this season. They return nine offensive starters from last year including their very dangerous quarterback Stephen McGee. I have the Aggies only losing to Nebraska and Oklahoma, the two teams I project to be in the Big XII championship again this season. Look for them to pull a huge win in Miami on a Thursday night late in September which should vault them up the national rankings and for them to seal a January Bowl with a late win against Texas in College Station.
3. Texas (10-2, 6-2) – The Longhorns have struggled with off the field problems before the start of the season and that may have more impact than anything on the field. Quarterback Colt McCoy is looking to build on his record setting rookie season, but will have to overcome a defense which had losses both on the field and in the coaching box. I see the Longhorns struggling this season. I have two projected losses to Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout and to A&M for the second straight year to close the season. Along the way, there are three games where Texas could be tested and they could easily go 7-5. The good news is that this year looks to be only a blip on the trend of good seasons that have graced Austin lately.
4. Texas Tech (7-5, 3-5) – And then there were these teams… The Red Raiders still have their potent passing offense, and for the first time in a number of years, the same quarterback will be at the helm. Graham Harrell will look to help Texas Tech break into the upper tier in the Big XII. That will be a tough challenge given the talent in the South Division.
5. Oklahoma State (6-6, 3-5) – The Cowboys don’t look to influence the conference any, but they do have one of the more intriguing out of conference schedules. They face a Georgia team on the first week of the season which should be challenging for the SEC crown. At the end of September, they take on Div. 1AA Sam Houston, and former Oklahoma quarterback Rhett Bomar, who was dismissed from the team last season because of extra benefits he received. The Cowboys also face what should be a tough Troy team on September 14th. Look for that one to be closer than you would expect.
6. Baylor (2-10, 0-8) – You can’t return only 4 starters on offense and hope to compete in the Big XII. One win will come against a Div. 1AA team and the other will be against Rice. Don’t look for anything special after the 3rd week of the season.

Big XII North:

1. Nebraska (10-2, 7-1) – The Cornhuskers don’t return the wealth of talent that you would like but Bill Callahan is developing the former powerhouse back into something special. With new quarterback Sam Keller, this will be an interesting team to watch, as we know that Keller has an arm from his time at Arizona State. The offensive line is huge and should protect him well. The question will be the defense and if they can stop the run. I only project a single loss in the league to Texas, and what will likely be a crushing defeat by USC. Otherwise, Nebraska should be able to handle their division and get back to the title game in the conference for the second year in a row.
2. Missouri (9-3, 5-3) – Last year’s surprise team in the Big XII won’t be able to sneak up on anyone this year. Chase Daniel is back for his junior season, and a second year at the helm should help him in the pocket and allow him to improve on his shocking numbers from last season. The team loses a chunk of defense including the core of the linebackers and a big piece of their defensive backfield. In a league with so many quarterbacks returning, that could leave them vulnerable. They will have to count on the offense improving over what was a very impressive last season to have any shot of competing for the conference title.
3. Kansas State (8-4, 5-3) – The Wildcats could surprise this season and were one of the hardest teams to read based on the numbers and their returnees. I see a close loss to Texas and two losses late to Nebraska and Missouri which keep them out of the lead in the North.
4. Colorado (5-7, 3-5) – Too many close losses and late collapses are what did in the Buffaloes last year in Dan Hawkins’ first year. While it is too early in his tenure to predict a Colorado North Title, you can see better things on the horizon especially with most of the team back from last year. With a second year in the Boise State system, Colorado should come close to breaking back into bowl territory. Look for a very close game against Missouri late in the year to be the difference between a bowl and a long winter break.
5. Kansas (4-8, 1-7) – Kansas never finishes in the top half of the division and this year will be more of the same. While most of their defense returns, they just don’t seem to have the offense, especially with half of their offensive line being new. They should start 3-1 but look for October and November to be very dark months in Lawrence.
6. Iowa State (2-10, 1-7) – Iowa State surprisingly fired Dan McCarney last season, yet named a big replacement, pulling in Texas’s defensive coordinator Gene Chizik. While Chizik won’t perform miracles in his first season as a head coach, he will have seven returning starters on the defensive side to work with. The biggest questions will still be on offense. Look for them to come close to surprising Texas in October and get a late win in Lawrence, a place where Kansas never loses.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII recap appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate Cleanup. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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March 12, 2007

Donna Shalala Goes To Washington

Since I travel, I don't get to see the news the day it is run. Most of this then ends up becoming "olds" for me. So imagine my surprise when I spent an hour at the airport catching up on my news from the previous week only to come across this lovely piece from Tuesday.

Apparently, Donna Shalala will be co-chairing President Bush's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors.

Yes, that is right. It is the same Donna Shalala who couldn't enforce a policy retroactive to punish her Miami players for participation in last year's terrible brawl.

Shalala does have a great background for this having served in President Clinton's cabinet while he was in office, but given her recent history, I think Bush probably should have thought better about this (and this is no matter what political affiliation you have).

This is the woman who didn't see fit to throw a player off the team for stomping on an opponent who was lying defenseless on the ground. This is the woman who let a player who swung a helmet with the intent to harm another come back to the team. And now, Shalala will be spending time on this instead of watching over her University which seems to have a number of problems of its own.

I guess the good news is that she can bring her own goon squad should any of the military officials choose to mess with her.

This article originally appeared on FanIQ.com

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January 11, 2007

Top 10 On the Field Moments

I guess it is appropriate that my football articles fall under the title of "On The Field", as today I am going to reveal what I thought were the top 10 moments on the field.

An "On the Field" moment is one that was truly something to watch. It doesn't need to be a good thing, as you will see, but it is something that changed the college football landscape this season. That means the game, or moment, fit one of three categories for me:

1. The game was crucial to the BCS. I am not just talking about "this team won, so it moved up in the rankings". I am talking about those games that truly decided the BCS. And no, the SEC championship is not on the list.
2. The game redefined what we thought about a team, a league, or a very important player. There weren't too many games like this over the course of the season, but there were enough.
3. The game's result had major off the field ramifications. Maybe a coach gets fired, maybe a team suspends people, maybe an entire system is put under the microscope. You get the idea.

I looked back over the entire list of games this year to pick these out, and I had to make two cuts because after just the first week, I had 10 games that were big because they either made a strong announcement about a team or raised some serious doubts.

So with that, let's go to the list.

10. Hello Razorbacks, Arkansas d. Auburn, 27-10: Just making the cut at #10 was the arrival of Arkansas. After they lost the first game of the year in pretty sad fashion to USC, I was beginning to doubt my SEC West pick. This game proved that they had actually arrived. Darren McFadden ran all over the Auburn Tigers and Gus Malzahn pulled out all the stops in his high school-style playbook to win. This was the game when Arkansas's Reggie Fish crouched behind the offensive line and hopped his way from the huddle. He broke on a direct snap and Auburn never saw him until he was 15 yards down the field. Arkansas only lost one SEC game on their way to the West title and eventually, a spot in the Capital One Bowl. They came out of nowhere, without a quarterback, and with less that stellar pre-season ratings, but they definitely arrived on this day in October.

9. "Waterlogged Colt", Kansas State d. Texas, 45-42: It may seem insignificant, but the Texas loss to Kansas State probably not only cost Texas their chance at the Big XII title, but also a shot at repeating as National Champions. How? Fab frosh Colt McCoy went down early from a hit and had to be replaced by his back-up Jevan Snead (who has now transferred to Mississippi). McCoy never returned in the game, and although Texas made it close, their offense was not the same without him. He was still feeling the effects of the hit the next week against Texas A&M, when he was again knocked out later in that game. The Longhorns lost the Big XII South by losing those two games in a row. What about the National Championship? Before Kansas State pulled the upset, Texas was climbing back up the national rankings. Should the Longhorns have won out, there is a good chance they would have earned the rematch against Ohio State in the championship game. This loss, and the injury to McCoy cost them that chance and basically any chance at a BCS game.

8. Notre Dame d. Michigan State, 40-37: Brady Quinn engineered maybe his biggest win of the season by coming back against Michigan State in this game early in November. The Irish had just lost badly to Michigan the week before and a loss here could have tanked the rest of the season for Notre Dame. The Irish were down 37-21 with less than half a quarter to go, and Quinn, along with some help from Michigan State's fumbly offense, help the Golden Domers to a win. This game was important for two reasons. First, it saved the Notre Dame season. There were honest comparisons between the Ty Willingham era (who still got a raw deal) and the Charlie Weis era being thrown about before this game. They were able to dispel those thoughts. Second, it marked the downfall of Michigan State. Michigan State lost the next week to Illinois of all teams, and only won a single game the rest of the year. Yes, that game was the largest comeback in the history of college football. But that was against Northwestern, a team that had no business leading the Spartans like they did. This loss was also the start of the farewell tour for John L. Smith, he of the face-slapping post-game news conference.

7. National Championship Game, Florida d. Ohio State, 41-14: You may be thinking it is crazy that this game is so far down in the standings, but really the top games had more impact on the BCS, the game, and the teams involved than this single championship. Plus, this game was overshadowed a week earlier by a little team from Idaho. The extension of the bowl season almost made this the anti-climax of the year, putting the game on Monday night, after the NFL playoffs had begun. Not many outside of the Gainesville family thought Florida had a chance in this one, and after Ohio State's Ted Ginn ran back the opening kick, the better part of the nation thought they were correct. However, Florida's speed proved to be too much for the Buckeyes and earned the Gators and Chris Leak the title. This was the second time that Urban Meyer's magic took hold in his second year at a school. Something tells me that magic might be working for a long time.

6. UCLA d. USC, 13-9: Florida may not have had their chance to win that title if UCLA hadn't pulled off this miracle against USC on the final week of the year. While everyone was wondering who would finish third, since it seemed almost a foregone conclusion that USC was going to the championship game, UCLA was concerned with one thing - Beating the Trojans. It took some great defensive play to shut down USC, who looked almost as good during the season as they had last year with all of those first round draft picks on the field. So many close calls for the Trojans over the course of the season made another upset almost a definite. UCLA just got to be the one with the glory and in spectacular style. It was too bad they couldn't repeat the feat against Florida State in the Emerald Bowl, or they might be favored more going into 2007's season.

5. #1 vs. #2 Redux, Ohio State d. Michigan, 42-39: This was the one single game that decided a place in the National championship. Yes, we thought USC would have gone had they beaten UCLA. Yes, Florida needed to beat Arkansas in the SEC Championship in order to pass Michigan in the polls. This game though was the only one where the winner was guaranteed to be playing on January 8, 2007. And to make it mean a little more, Bo Schembechler died just a day before the big game. An Ohio born man, and a Michigan ex-coach, Schembechler was the face of this game for more than a decade. And fittingly, both teams played their hearts out, and it was a very clean game back and forth. Despite all of the scoring, there was never a moment where it seemed like Ohio State was going to lose their grip on the game. Yes, they got a little help from a roughing the quarterback penalty on a long third down, but Ohio State was constantly in charge and Michigan, despite all of their offense, was continually the one catching up. The Buckeyes deserved their title shot after winning this one, and we never did get that rematch.

4. Replay Mess, Oregon "d." Oklahoma, 34-33: Other than game #5 on my list, and the bowls, I don't think any game got more coverage and press time than Oregon's "win" over Oklahoma thanks to two blown replay calls. The PAC-10 officials, which the conference mandates officiate the non-conference home games, definitely gave a new meaning to "home field advantage" after this. Oklahoma had recovered an onside kick late in the game, but the ball was given inexplicably to Oregon, even though their player had touched the ball early and an Oklahoma player left the pile with the football. On the ensuing drive, a crucial pass interference call was made even though the football was tipped at the line of scrimmage. Replay refused to overturn both calls. In the aftermath, the replay official received death threats, had to take a leave of absence, eventually quit, and then came out later saying that he was never provided the crucial angle for him to overturn the onside kick. Talk about backpedalling. I don't think that makes Bob Stoops sleep any better at night. That's because this loss may have cost Oklahoma their shot at the National Title. Without it, the Sooners finish the regular season with only a single loss, and with a strong case behind them.

3. Rutgers d. Louisville, 28-25: That little team from Piscataway sure cause quite a stir this season, and no game was bigger than this one. With both teams undefeated and playing in the spotlight of a Thursday night, the Big East had the nation's eyes upon them. Could Rutgers really be this good? Was Louisville on the fast track to the National Title? For the first 30 minutes, it sure looked like the Cardinals were going to make a strong case to be in consideration. Louisville led 25-7 with a little more than half the game remaining, but that half of the game belonged solely to the Scarlet Knights. Louisville never scored again and punted on seven straight drives after kicking a field goal with six minutes left in the second quarter. After that time, Ray Rice contributed two touchdowns and Jeremy Ito added a field goal to tie the game with 10 minutes remaining. After the seventh consecutive Louisville punt, Mike Teel and Rice drove the Scarlet Knights over 80 yards to give Ito a chance to win it. On his attempt, the kick went wide, but an offsides penalty against the Cardinals gave Ito another chance. The second time, he nailed it and gave a two gun salute to the over field camera. After time (and Louisville's championship game aspirations) expired, the field was covered in a swarm of red. Rutgers had arrived at 9-0 and would go on to finish the season 11-2 with a win in the Texas Bowl. Greg Schiano has created something big in New Jersey, and with a young team, they could do it again next season.

2. "The Brawl", Miami d. Florida International, 35-0: Miami may have won this game on the field, but their reputation definitely took a blow off the field because of it. This was supposed to be the beginning of a friendly rivalry between the two schools located in Miami. However, pandemonium broke out as an all out brawl overtook this game. Players from both sides threw punches, helmets, stomps. An announcer for Miami cheered them on. It looked like nothing was going to be able to stop the fighting, even though the coaches tried. The fighting almost resumed after a Miami player led a jumping and helmet thrusting episode by the full Hurricane team on the sideline which just served to taunt the Florida International players. Flat out, it was a mess. Miami president Donna Shalala just added to that mess then by laying down less than strict penalties for the players involved with the fighting, although the worst of it came from her squad. Florida International took the high road, suspending all of those involved indefinitely. Miami's players however received what amounted to a slap on the wrist, with most of them only being suspended for a game against big scary Duke. The University of Miami was the laughing stock of college athletics after this. There was no doubt. The brawl also probably cost both head coaches their job, although Larry Coker might have survived had his team managed to win a few more games. Miami does like its rough image, after all. The one good thing that this did bring about? Miami hired within the team, promoting Randy Shannon to head coach beginning in 2007. This not only brings a former Miami player (and native) to the top job, it adds one to the still lacking African American head coach numbers in big time college football.

1. The Fiesta Bowl, Boise State d. Oklahoma, 43-42: Poor Oklahoma. They are one of two teams to appear on this list twice and both times it is for the wrong reason, losing the game. This game was by far the must see event of the season. Sure Ohio State and Michigan was a nail biter. Sure, Florida's defeat of the Buckeyes has possibly bigger recognition to go with it, but this game, more than any other, captured the heart of the nation. The final three minutes of this game, along with the overtime, may have been the best football played all season long. Oklahoma State came back, then took the lead, and then Boise came back again. Overtime! Adrian Peterson, coming back from an injury runs the first play in and you would have thought the game was over. Boise State still had a few tricks left in the playbook though, including the finest Statue of Liberty play you may ever see in a football game for the two point conversion. There is no way for words to describe what occurred on the field or what Boise State accomplished with the win. While we may be talking about this one for years to come as one of the greatest games ever played, and while it may one day be a case for a post-season change in college football, all the Broncos players cared about was the moment. Ian Johnson made the most of it by proposing to his girlfriend on the sidelines after the game. Just a note to all single men out there. You will never be able to top that. Best. Proposal. Ever. Boise State was the little school that could on New Years Day, 2007. They came from being a junior college to be the only undefeated team in Division 1-A football. Now that is something special, and totally worthy of my moment of the year.

Of course, I want to know what were your top moments of the year. You can take a poll at FanIQ to tell me, or just post them in the comments.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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January 2, 2007

The Effects Of Monday Night

The nation is agog with visions of blue turf today. Those who watched the instant classic Fiesta Bowl between Boise State and Oklahoma witnessed a game of the likes that we probably won't see again for a long time. And this game had nothing to do with the National Championship.

Or did it?

Today, there has been a great deal written on why this was the game that was going to change everything. How this was the game that will finally force the end of the BCS. How this was the game that will create the playoff.

Some have gone so far to say that this may be the most important college football game in history, although I would contend that it has tough competition from the very first game, the first game after the college football broadcast decision, and if Michael Weinreb has his way, the 1987 Fiesta Bowl

Why do I feel that this isn't the end for the current system and the BCS? Oh, let me count the ways.

First off, we have been here before. Or have you forgotten that Utah team of 2004 already? The Utes didn't get the credit they deserved because they played a team which was largely considered a joke for even being in a BCS game, Pittsburgh. It made the Fiesta Bowl look like one of those freak shows at the circus where only those with strong stomachs should take notice. Even Utah moving through the year undefeated, and finishing the year as one of three teams without a blemish that season, didn't change anything. I would venture that calls for a playoff were even larger after that year thanks to a certain team from the SEC who felt they got left out. It is going to take more than one game, or two Fiesta Bowls in 3 years, to move mountains, and even coming up with a playoff system which is fair to the smaller conferences and that protect the big money the automatic qualifier conferences covet, will be like climbing Mount Everest.

Speaking of playoffs, Boise State was a big underdog, and went undefeated, so who says they deserve to get a shot to run through three games like this? Playoffs are tricky. You can't pull out almost the entire playbook in one game like Boise was able to do when no one would be watching and game planning for next time. Do you think that they were going to have six or seven new trick plays by next week if they had to play again against a team that won their game like Wisconsin, or USC? You can't consistently win when you need to gimmick every time you get backed into a corner. After a while, even that well runs dry. Welcome to the college football version of "One and Done" if that were the case.

Plus, part of the reason they went for two in OT is that their team was worn out. The defense was dragging which is why Oklahoma was able to easily punch the ball in on the first play of their OT possession. If Boise would have kicked the extra point on their possession and tied the score again, do you honestly think they would have ever had a chance to stop Adrian Peterson and the Sooners? I don't. They would have been scrambling to keep up on offense with the lack of defense that was left. I almost thought they were going to go for two when they scored the touchdown at the end of regulation for just this reason. I was actually shocked they didn't, especially since the underdog will rarely play for the tie time and time again.

Most of all, there is the big difference between the big boys and the mid-majors, mostly size and strength. It doesn't mean you can't get an upset every once in a while, but it makes it difficult to keep doing week after week. It doesn't mean you can't have a team who has a dream season like this, like Utah in 2004, or dare I say, TCU in 2005. It is just harder to do it consistently when you have to keep playing bigger and bigger opponents. How does a Boise team recover from this game in a week? You can't. They aren't used to the pounding. Maybe they play one game with a team the size of Oklahoma a year, and they get to follow it with a team like Idaho which is nowhere close to playing a Wisconsin or USC next, and then if they somehow win again, one more bigger, stronger team after that.

When you reflect on this game, I think maybe the only big change you will see is teams like Boise State, TCU, and Utah getting more credit in the polls going forward. Of course, I think that every year, and it was part of the reason I began the MRI for college basketball. Teams like BYU, Hawaii, and San Jose State showed that some of them were worthy of a higher number (or even a number) next to their name this season, and probably at the expense of some of those marginal AQ teams. It is not like there isn't space for them. When you rank 25 teams, you are ranking the top 20% of college football. There is no reason that space shouldn't include the Boise States, the BYUs, the TCUs, and the Utahs or Hawaiis. They have a place in that 25. Do they need to be in the top 10? No, not necessarily unless you can see that they truly deserve it, like Boise State does this year.

Those smaller teams play their hearts out on Saturdays (and Thursdays, and Wednesdays, and sometimes Sundays now), just like the big boys. I think the biggest compliment we can give them is to look at them with respect they deserve. After Monday night, I think we can safely say, that amount is a lot..

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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December 4, 2006

Grading The Experts - Harris Poll

From the Editor: With sports guru and FanIQ blog editor, Critical Fanatic on vacation in Paris, I was called in to assist. That might be why it has been a little light around here lately. This article originally appeared on the FanIQ blog. This article is part of a recurring series on the 'Q'.

You have probably seen a lot about the Harris Poll already. The 113 voters are supposed to be statistically representative of the Division 1-A college football landscape, and should eliminate bias, blah, blah, blah. As we talked about when the names were first announced, it seemed difficult to understand the process of selecting these members, including Boomer Esiason, who last time I checked paid more attention to the NFL (His ballot wasn't so bad.).

You can see the full list of voters and links to their votes on the official Harris Football Poll website. Here though are some of the highlights as only FanIQ can bring them to you.

Sammy Winder (Former Denver Bronco, Southern Mississippi)

8. West Virginia
9. Cal
15. Oklahoma
17. Wisconsin

Cal at #9? Maybe before they played USC. I think Cal continues to show us they can not win the big games, which makes it interesting that Jeff Tedford is being rumored as a candidate at Alabama.

Grade: C-, because I am grading on a curve here.

Ed Podolak (Former KC Chiefs player, Iowa), who apparently was only watching the SEC and Big XII championship games on Saturday.

6. Louisville
9. Rutgers
19. West Virginia

Grade: C, remember, this is on a curve.

Bert Emanuel (Former NFL Player, Rice)

4. Boise State
25. Rice

Rice? Really Bert? Homer.

Grade: B-

And now, those who deserves some failing grades:

Tim Neverett (Broadcaster for UNLV, Mountain West, Colorado ESPN Radio)

2. Florida
3. USC
4. Michigan
5. Oklahoma
6. Louisville
7. LSU
8. Boise State
9. BYU

USC still at #3, and ahead of Michigan? I am going to find Tim's email and ask him if he is taking the Trojans in the Rose Bowl. If he says no, you know he was a "rematch hater"

Paul Zeise (Writer, Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

2. Louisville
3. Florida
4. Michigan
9. Wake Forest

Louisville at #2, which would have made sense had they beaten Rutgers. Yes, they are one of the best teams in the country, but not this good, are they? This is what you call not making the decision that matters.

Larry Keech (Retired sportswriter, Greensboro, NC)

2. Boise State
3. Michigan
4. Wisconsin
5. Florida
8. Notre Dame
9. LSU

I understand what Keech is saying here. Boise State was the only other team to not lose a game, but be honest, do we think Keech really thinks this? Florida at #5 and LSU below Notre Dame just don't make any sense.

Robert Lawless (Consultant, former president of Tulsa and Texas Tech)

2. Michigan
3. Wisconsin
4. Louisville
5. Florida
6. Boise State

Another of the Florida #5ers. I don't see it.

And last, but certainly not least, Jim Walden (former coach at Washington State, Iowa State), who needs to re-examine his voting method, which apparently involved his own calculations, the position of the sun on a Thursday at 3PM, the cost of the tea in China, and a butterfly flapping its wings in Mongolia.

1. Florida
2. Ohio State
3. Michigan
4. Oklahoma
5. Boise State
7. Wake Forest
11. LSU
23. Texas

There's a lot wrong here. I just have no idea where to begin, so I will leave it for you to start. Comment away on the strangest piece of the BCS, the Harris Poll.

Editor's Note: Thanks to Google for helping me figure out who these guys are...

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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Grading The Experts - Coaches Poll

From the Editor: With sports guru and FanIQ blog editor, Critical Fanatic on vacation in Paris, I was called in to assist. That might be why it has been a little light around here lately. This article originally appeared on the FanIQ blog. This article is part of a recurring series on the 'Q'.

Guess who Lloyd Carr thought was the #2 team in the country? Yep, that's right. Michigan.

Guess you can't blame him. Urban Meyer doesn't vote, so he had to hope the other 61 coaches would see things his way.

Looking at the board, 50,000 feet up: 18 coaches liked Michigan at #2, 44 liked Florida. Guess they went with Meyer.

All the coaches had their votes released as per the agreement for the last week of the regular season. Let's see who really was watching this season, and who needs a little extra coaching.

Howard Schnellenberger (F) - Florida Atlantic - He liked Florida. But he apparently didn't watch a lot of football on Saturday, or the rest of the season for that matter.

#5 USC
#7 Boise State
#8 Notre Dame
#10 Rutgers
#13 West Virginia
#15 LSU
#18 Oklahoma

Grade: F

John L Smith (M) - Michigan State - Can we still say that? He smacked himself hard enough to agree with Howard about Notre Dame. He was a Michigan supporter.
#4 Wisconsin
#7 USC
#8 Notre Dame
#9 Oklahoma

Grade: C-

Charlie Weis (M) - Notre Dame - Our round mound of coaching fun liked Michigan and his own team (#8), but apparently there is one coach out there who liked his team, Notre Dame, better

Phillip Fulmer (F) - Tennessee - The man in Orange liked Florida at #2, and does not like the Big East.
#6 USC
#7 Notre Dame
#10 Louisville
#11 Oklahoma
#13 Tennessee
#15 West Virginia
#16 Rutgers

Grade: D+, plus a homer vote since Tennessee finished 18th in the final tally.

Bob Stoops (F) agrees with Steve Spurrier (F) on two things. Florida is #2, and Oklahoma is #4. Spurrier didn't vote for Duke this time, go figure. He didn't vote for his own team either, which got two points. He obviously didn't like Notre Dame, who he had #16. Larry Coker (F) liked them just a little better, putting the Irish #15.

One last note. Ron Zook (F) doesn't hold a grudge. He voted Florida #2, and was the only coach from the Big Ten or SEC to vote against the team in their conference.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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Grading The Experts - AP Poll

From the Editor: With sports guru and FanIQ blog editor, Critical Fanatic on vacation in Paris, I was called in to assist. That might be why it has been a little light around here lately. This article originally appeared on the FanIQ blog. This article is part of a recurring series on the 'Q'.

It's that time again... Time to grade your favorite experts and their votes in the numerous polls. Even better? This week, we should be getting all the votes released in the AP, Coaches, and Harris Polls. (Editor's Note: Here is a fun little deal. We are going to label the voters with (F) or (M) based on the higher team in their poll.)

Coaches Poll: Jim Tressel (I)

First, I want to say that I think what Jim Tressel did - not casting his vote in the Coaches Poll - was a good move. With the actual votes being released in the final tally, you don't want to look biased one way or another, especially when the drama around #2 is so large. I think he might still have cast his vote had USC won. There was little doubt that USC was going to be #2 if they had beaten the Bruins. But that didn't happen and Tressel showed class in not directly involving himself in the controversy. It is a shame that this might cost him his vote in the poll.

Grade: A+

AP: Susan Miller Degnan (F) - Miami Herald

You can't fault her for voting Florida #2. She has to go to work everyday and sell papers, and it doesn't pay to upset your readers. But...
7. Auburn
8. USC
9. Notre Dame
10. Boise State
11. Oklahoma

Did I miss something? Didn't Oklahoma just win the Big XII? 21-7? I know they have two losses, but ranking them below Auburn, ND, and Boise State is a little out of whack, especially when the Sooners finished 7th when all the votes were counted.

Grade: D

AP: David Jones (F) - Florida Today

Something in the water in Florida.
6. USC
7. Louisville
8. West Virginia
9. Boise State
10. Auburn
11. Oklahoma

At least he realized that the Sooners were better than Notre Dame.

Grade: C-

AP: Mark Tupper (M) - Decatur Herald

#11 Wisconsin

That's it. His poll otherwise doesn't look too bad, but 11? And below SC, Arkansas, Auburn, and Boise State.

Grade: B-

AP: Jason Whitlock (F)

Oh, Jason, still up to your old tricks...
#4 Oklahoma
#14 Wisconsin
#17 Boise State
#18 Nebraska
#19 Texas

Wackiness. And how do you rank Nebraska above Texas when the Longhorns beat them, beat Oklahoma who beat them, and have the better record?

Grade: D

AP: Kirk Herbstreit (M)

So this week, Herbie got a little criticism from the Ombudsman for ESPN that he should rethink his vote in the AP. I don't know if that is right or not, since he probably watches more ball than the other voters, and there are other ESPN/ABC voters on the panel too. However this is too good.

#2 Michigan - Didn't I see Herbie on ESPN saying that he thought the BCS got it right with Florida in the title game? Then how does he vote Michigan #2 in his own vote?

#5 USC - They lost, but apparently the cheerleaders still looked nice on television.

Grade: See Me

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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December 3, 2006

Big XII Recap - Championship Game

Let’s say that this Big XII Championship had a little less drama associated with it than it has recently. It might be the renewal of an old rivalry in Nebraska and Oklahoma, but this game didn’t have the stakes of the last few contests.

Go back.

2003 – Oklahoma was the leader all season and lost(!) the game yet still went to the BCS championship game. And then they lost to LSU, causing the only split champion under the BCS system.

2004 – Oklahoma again had to put their unblemished record on the line for a chance at the BCS title game. A win got them a chance to be blown out by USC.

2005 – Texas had to roll through this game on their way to the National Title.

So, far be it for this game to attract a lot of attention when the National Title isn’t on the line. All that was at risk was the “Boise State Challenge Cup”. The winner’s greatest victory was getting a chance to play the upstart Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl in January. Well, that and a great deal of cash.

Oklahoma, who the football gods apparently had a grudge against earlier in the season, managed to overcome adversity to get to the game. They lost what they thought was their opening day quarterback. Their best running back broke is collar bone. They lost a controversial game at Oregon because of obvious replay issues. They needed two losses by South division leader Texas in order to pass them. And yet, Oklahoma kept on running, earning their berth in Kansas City.

Come Saturday, the Sooners took all that adversity and changed it to a positive, winning 21-7 over Nebraska.

The Sooners had to rely on the throwing arm of Paul Thompson more than at any time this season in order to win the game. While Nebraska shut down the running game, holding Oklahoma to only 42 yards, they attacked through the air.

Thompson finished 19 for 34, gaining 265 yards. He threw two touchdowns and only one interception. All told, this was by far his best performance of the year. Not bad for a quarterback who was expected to be a wide receiver during spring practice.

His counterpart, Zac Taylor, did not have as great a day. Taylor threw three interceptions, which were just the beginning of the issues for Nebraska who had 5 turnovers, a title game record.

The game was also record setting for a few players. Malcolm Kelly, who caught both touchdowns for Oklahoma, had 142 yards receiving, breaking the title game record. The Nebraska punter also set a record. Dan Titchener hit 6 punts inside the 20, a testament to how poor the offense was for the Cornhuskers, but also a lesson in great kicking.

With the victory, Oklahoma will go on the Fiesta Bowl to play Boise State. Nebraska gets a trip to the Cotton Bowl to face the Auburn Tigers.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII recap appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate Cleanup. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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December 1, 2006

Conference USA Championship Game Preview

Conference USA is a conference in search of an identity. When it was created, it was supposed to be the big basketball conference. It had names that rang of tradition in hoops, like DePaul, Cincinnati, Saint Louis, and Louisville.

Now, all four of those schools play somewhere else.

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that this is the next great football conference. Just look at last year’s title game between Central Florida and Tulsa. Where was Central Florida the year before? At the bottom of the nation in terms of win and strength, that’s where. But George O’Leary did wonders there. Tulsa just beat out Mike Price and UTEP for the berth in the title game. Price brought that program back from nothing. And Tulsa is a name we hear over and over again as one of the top programs not in a BCS conference.

And this year, we have Houston, another program with some tradition, and Southern Mississippi, the alma mater of a certain quarterback who now plays in Green Bay.

This is a conference on the rise, and could be the next group of teams to break into the BCS party, maybe as early as next season.

When the teams take the field on Friday night, it will be a showcase for C-USA offensive player of the year Kevin Kolb. Kolb had some early Heisman talk about him, but his team’s performance didn’t help him. Losing three straight to Miami, Louisiana-Lafayette, and Southern Mississippi will do that to an award chase.

However, the loss to Southern Mississippi was their only blemish in conference and Kolb ended the season with over 3000 yards passing and 25 touchdowns. He is a legitimate NFL prospect, and has thrown for 3000 yards in three of his four seasons. This game will be his tryout for the scouts who have been following him all year. He will have to show he can do it in the big game, something that will be important at the next level.

Before you think that Houston is all about passing the ball, the two running backs would like to talk to you. Both Anthony Alridge and Jackie Battle had over 800 yards rushing this season and Battle led the team with 12 touchdowns. This is a high powered offense that Southern Mississippi was only able to hold to 27 points the first time around.

It is no surprise that Houston can score, with one of the best offenses in the country. However, they did lose that first game against the Eagles. And a lot of that loss could be attributed to the play of Jeremy Young who had three touchdowns (2 passing, one rushing) in that game. The defense for Houston will have to concentrate on stopping Young, who has already shown he knows how to play in a big game.

The Eagles also feature a 1000 yard rusher in freshman Damion Fletcher. He is the leading touchdown scorer for Southern Mississippi and had 80 yards in the first game between these two. He is also only a freshman which means we will likely be hearing his name mentioned in bigger circles in a few years.

I honestly can’t see a reason why Houston won’t win the rematch. The first time was a fluke and Houston didn’t do a good job of containing Young. Remember that this was also the third game of the losing streak. That had to play on Houston’s mind.

Southern Mississippi has the second best defense in the conference, but I think this time around, Kevin Kolb has some extra incentive, like a few million dollars for a good draft slot. If he can avoid the pass rush of the Eagles (24 sacks this year), this one goes the Cougars’ way.

Houston takes this, 35-28.

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November 30, 2006

2006 MAC Championship Game Preview

Thursday night, the MAC championship will take place in Detroit. However, it doesn’t have the same air to it that it once did.

In the past, the two participating teams were the only teams from the conference who would earn bowl bids. This game would decide where those would be, with the winner returning to Detroit for the Motor City Bowl, and the loser headed south for the GMAC bowl.

This year, both participants, Central Michigan and Ohio, have already accepted their bids, to the two bowls already mentioned, and two other MAC programs are also on their way to sunny destinations like San Diego, and … Toronto?

Well, at least San Diego is sunny. Toronto might be under a foot of snow by the time that Western Michigan heads there to play a yet unnamed opponent.

This game used to feature junior and senior quarterbacks, who were going on to play in the NFL when they graduated. This was their highlight film. Forget what happened at the combine – The MAC championship game was where their placement in the draft was going to be settled. Current NFL quarterbacks that have come through this game include Chad Pennington, Byron Leftwich, Ben Roethlisberger, and Bruce Gradkowski.

This year, no such show will be put on for the scouts. Central Michigan features a young freshman quarterback, and Ohio is lead by a strong running attack.

So, yes, Thursday night will have a different flavor than we are used to in the MAC championship game.

Back on October 10th, I would never have guessed that Central Michigan would have been playing for the MAC title. They were 3-0 in conference, but that made their record 3-3 overall, and their losses were brutal, against Michigan, Boston College, and Kentucky.

Still, quarterback Dan LeFevour put a huge performance on Toledo the weekend before, and he was my Heisman-like performer in Week 6. LeFevour continued that performance through the rest of the year, earning MAC freshman of the year honors by totaling 2555 yards and 22 touchdowns to only nine interceptions. Central Michigan lost only one more game along the way to taking the West Championship.

Ohio had a similar trip to the East title. They started the year shocking Garrett Wolfe and Northern Illinois. That week was quarterback Austen Everson’s best game of the year, throwing for 322 yards, three touchdowns, and also winning the Heisman-like performance in Week 2. Ohio stumbled through three straight losses including one to Bowling Green (they of the only team to lose to Temple). They righted the ship and didn’t lose a game the rest of the way, getting to a 9-3 record and the East title.

If you want to talk in clichés, this game is likely to come down to how well the defenses can stop the strengths of the opposing offenses.

Ohio puts a strong defensive backfield to work against Central Michigan’s passing attack. The Bobcats only give up 164 yards a game through the air, which is a very small number considering they play in the pass happy MAC conference. Both TJ Wright and Mark Parson have sixteen passes defended this year, a school record. The team also has 11 interceptions to their credit. They will have their hands full with covering leading Central Michigan receiver Bryan Anderson, who has 61 receptions this season. Anderson, like LeFevour is only a freshman, so this tandem could be making multiple appearances in the MAC championship over the next few seasons.

In addition to the cornerbacks, look for lineman Jameson Hartke to put pressure on LeFevour all game. Hartke leads the Bobcats with 5.5 sacks on the season.

For Central Michigan, it will come down to them stopping the rushing attack of Kalvin McRae, the reigning offensive player of the week in the MAC. McRae is the leading rusher for Ohio, with 1139 yards, and the leading receiver with 27 catches on the year. Only a junior, McRae will likely becoming the all time leading rusher at Ohio next season.

Leading the Chippewa defense will be linebacker Red Keith, who was a pre-season all conference selection for Central Michigan. He led the team with 109 tackles this season and will be a big part of containing the run.

And don’t forget all All-American candidate Daniel Bazuin. Bazuin was on the watch list for numerous defensive awards this season, and is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in the MAC conference. He is widely considered one of the top defensive ends in the country and a likely NFL draft choice.

Bazuin is the career record holder at Central Michigan for sacks and tackles for loss. His sack record includes 11.5 sacks this year and he has also forced four fumbles. In other words, watch out if #93 is bearing down on you.

I’d like to say that I think Ohio has a chance against Central Michigan, but the fact is, I can’t. I think that there is too much talent on the Chippewa defense and that Ohio will struggle all game long to try and move the ball.

Plus, while having a great passing defense is great for Ohio against the young quarterback and receivers, it only takes a couple of breakdowns for big plays to throw the advantage squarely in favor of Central Michigan. If the Chippewas get out to a big lead, it will also be difficult for Ohio to come back with their run based offense.

Look for this one to be a good game, but decidedly in favor of Central Michigan, 27-14.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 28, 2006

My Token Nice Column about Notre Dame

Let's be honest. Anyone who knows me knows I have no love for Notre Dame. They are (these days) consistently overrated. Their fans are (often, not always) overly enthusiastic. Expectations of a National Championship are (most often) over reaching.

I think Pete Fiutak at Fox Sports put it best:

"This just in to anyone paying attention: Notre Dame was overrated to start the season, it's overrated going into the BCS, it was overrated last year. This is a team that got by over the last two seasons on a near-miss in a classic loss to USC. In other words, it's Cal.

Michigan whacked the Irish 47-21 in South Bend. Fine, so the Irish beat Georgia Tech, who'll probably win the ACC title, but the next best win this year was against, um, uh, Navy? UCLA? Remember that it took a miracle meltdown to beat the Bruins as well as Michigan State. This team has no secondary, no pass protection, and got by on bombing away and hoping for the best. "

Ok, so, while I am not a big Notre Dame fan, there is something I am going to say that may shock you.

Notre Dame deserves to play in a BCS bowl game.

There, I said it. If you read a few days ago, you know I have them still projected to the Rose Bowl, although others are now saying that Saturday's loss was too great to still get there. They are thinking the Irish might be passed over for LSU or Louisville and slip to the Sugar Bowl. Either way, they will be going.

Here are five reasons why Notre Dame deserves to go.

#1, I went to a game at Notre Dame this season and they put on a great show. The atmosphere on campus is something to see, from the band playing and marching to the stadium, to the throngs of people that come out. I would say they rival any SEC school for atmosphere around their team (though I still think that going to any football game in the South, SEC or southern based ACC teams, wins out because football is such a part of the total culture there). That spirit travels with Notre Dame where ever they go. That is a big consideration when it comes to the BCS or any bowl, and therefore, Notre Dame should get the benefit of the doubt when being selected to a bowl game that some people think they may not have earned, even if that bowl is the Gator Bowl.

#2, It might be unwarranted in the eyes of other teams' fans, but let's be honest. Notre Dame did what it had to in order to be eligible for the BCS games. Remember, this is the first year that the requirements are more stringent for Notre Dame. Previously, they would have been automatically in at this point (I think). This year, they aren't. They are only on the list of teams that can be considered. They got the votes in the human polls that they needed, and the computers gave them enough support through SOS (Strength of Schedule) and their record to make it to the top 10. They met the requirements, period.

#3, For those who say "SOS?! They have no SOS! They played Army, Navy, and Air Force!" Actually, Navy and Air Force probably helped the SOS of the Irish. And Army is still better than dropping down to I-AA to face schools that won less than 10% of the games that they played against the upper division. It is tough to find too many teams that didn't take that almost automatic win.

Schedules are in place years in advance in most cases. Outside of the military academies, ND could do nothing about the performance of North Carolina, the collapse of Michigan State, or the struggles of Stanford. Even with playing middle of the pack Big Ten teams, they are still scheduling better than playing numerous MAC or Sun Belt teams. The only thing they miss by not being in a conference is having guaranteed difficult games on their schedule. They usually still accomplish this through playing Michigan and USC.

Scheduling for the Irish doesn't get "easier" either moving forward. Next season, Boston College replaces Army, although Duke replaces North Carolina. I think that is a net "harder". They play on the road at Penn State, Michigan, and UCLA, which should make some of their tough games even tougher. So, while I will say that on paper, the schedule looks easy, look at everyone else's schedule in comparison before you make the judgement that the Irish don't play one of the ten toughest schedules in the nation.

#4, Money. If they are eligible, they are going to get picked. And they will always get the benefit of the doubt because of their name, and the guaranteed money that comes with it. No school in the country has a bigger draw. That is why every Notre Dame game is televised somewhere. So getting them to come to your bowl is a great thing. No one is going to give that up. That is why ND is the #2 choice for the Rose Bowl in my mind after Michigan (Or SC if there is a huge shake-up).

#5, Without the BCS, Notre Dame would still be going to one of the BCS bowls. Think about it. They would be headed down to play in at least the Orange Bowl no matter what. They are a bigger name than any team out of the Big East, and they would bring the fans and money (See #1 and #4). I can't see the Orange Bowl passing them up for another team if the world was like it was in years prior to the BCS. Notre Dame is a college football institution, and like it or not, like Michigan, like USC, like Penn State, they will always get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to their selection.

Now, those of you who seem to think that I have an unwarranted grudge against the Irish, or that my computer somehow contains an "Irish factor", can rest easy. I am on your side on this one. Of course, I still don't think that Notre Dame will win the BCS bowl. They did, however, earn their shot.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 27, 2006

Coaching Carousel On High

With most teams finally finishing their seasons, coaches around the country have started to fall.

Today's casualties:

Alabama released Mike Shula of his duties. You will remember that Shula was hired over Mississippi State head coach Sylvester Croom, another Alabama alum. Croom and the Bulldogs beat Alabama this season, for the program's first signature win.

"I am deeply disappointed to be fired as the Head Football Coach at the University of Alabama. From my very first day on this job, I had a single mission: To return the Crimson Tide to its place among the elite programs in college football. Although I maintain that we were moving steadily in that direction, I regret sincerely that I will not be given the opportunity to finish the job I was hired to do." - Mike Shula on his firing

Usually doing the job at Alabama involves beating Mississippi State, and also beating Auburn, something that Shula failed to do in his four years. Athletics Director Mal Moore seemed to indicate there was no list of candidates at this point, but indicated the program was looking for a proven winner.

Sources indicate that Butch Davis coveted the Alabama job, but has already been hired at North Carolina, and was announced as the head coach officially today. The MRI likes Bobby Petrino for this opening, should he be willing to part with Louisville. He has ties to the SEC and has proven he can win with the Cardinals.

Chuck Amato was fired from North Carolina State on Monday. During his time at NC State, Amato was over .500 overall, but couldn't break through in the ACC. However, Amato did have a strange success that many other ACC teams couldn't find. He beat Florida State. North Carolina State was 4-3 against the perennial leaders in the ACC during Amato's time at the helm.

"When I came to North Carolina State University, I set my dreams very high. My vision was to take this program to places that it had never been before in 100-plus years of playing football. We really don’t know how long or how difficult it is to be able to attain those types of goals because we’ve never been there before in football." - Chuck Amato on his firing

Early rumors have two names in contention. Norm Chow is by far the leader. The former USC offensive coordinator, and now coordinator for the NFL's Tennessee Titans, worked at North Carolina State during the time when Philip Rivers was the Big Man on Campus. Also in the rumors is Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher, who recently bought a house in the area.

Meanwhile three jobs found their men. Butch Davis was officially hired at North Carolina today. While sweater vests work for Jim Tressel, I am not sure that they do as much for Davis.

In addition, Mark Dantonio was hired at Michigan State to replace John L. Smith. Dantonio was the coach at the University of Cincinnati, and led them to a 7-5 record this season, including a big win over Rutgers. This will be the second year in his three year tenure that the Bearcats qualified for a bowl game.

"It's tremendous to be a Spartan. To me, I know the phrase 'boldness by design' exists here right now. I can tell you as a Spartan, whenever I walked into any school in America, whether that was in Michigan, Ohio, the East Coast, in Florida, Texas, California, I walked in with boldness because I knew I represented something that was special. I knew I represented something that had history behind it, had tradition behind it, had championships behind it, a place that was nationally known for its athletics, not just basketball and football, but for its entire athletic program. I am so, so proud to be here today, to represent Michigan State University in this capacity." - Mark Dantonio on his hiring

Dantonio is no stranger to Michigan State, where he served as the secondary coach for six years. He has a tough job on his hands. The Spartan program which went 4-8 this season will be losing their starting quarterback and just imploded after losing a big lead against Notre Dame in September. His biggest challenge might be teaching the players to hold on to the ball. The Spartans fumbled the ball 15 times this season, most costly in the game against the Fighting Irish.

Gene Chizik, defensive coordinator at Texas and former defensive coordinator at Auburn, who was looked at for many of the openings around the country, has accepted the head coaching job at Iowa State. Chizik signs a five year deal for the Cyclones program which has had only two winning seasons in the last five.

“It’s been a lifetime professional dream to be the CEO of a football program and I couldn’t be more pleased that Iowa State University is the institution providing me this opportunity. I’ve had great mentors to learn from in my career, and I am fully prepared and energized to begin my Cyclone tenure." - Gene Chizik on his hiring

Chizik will have to reform a defense which surrenders nearly 400 yards and 31 points per game. He will begin coaching Iowa State right away and will not coach the Longhorns in whatever bowl they attend.

Jobs open, in order of prominence (outgoing coach): Miami (Larry Coker), Alabama (Mike Shula), Arizona State (Dirk Koetter), North Carolina State (Chuck Amato), Cincinnati (Mark Dantonio), North Texas (Darrell Dickey), Florida International (Don Strock)

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 26, 2006

Big XII Recap - Week 13

Oklahoma sat at home Friday, stuffed with turkey, and became the biggest Texas A&M fans out there. By three in the afternoon, they knew that their game Saturday would be for the Big XII South title.

Texas A&M pulled the upset over the #11 Texas Longhorns, 12-7. The Aggies were able to control the clock by consistently running the ball, gaining over 240 yards against what had been a stout rushing defense. Coming into the game, Texas was only surrendering 43 yards per game on the ground.

Quarterback Stephen McGee, who only managed 58 yards passing, was the leading rusher for the Aggies. He also scored the go ahead touchdown with an eight yard run that came with only 2:30 remaining in the game.

Colt McCoy, returning from an injury suffered against Kansas State, still had two more chances to pull Texas back into the lead. On the first drive, McCoy threw right into the arms of an A&M linebacker, his third interception of the day. On the play, he took a vicious hit which left him on the ground for several minutes.

Texas A&M failed to run out the clock leaving McCoy with one more chance. However, on the second down after taking control of the ball, the freshman again took a hard hit. A cart was needed to help McCoy off the field this time. Jevan Snead came on, but his first pass was intercepted by A&M to seal the win for the Aggies.

And so the only scenario that could have given Oklahoma a chance had taken form.

Oklahoma took advantage of everything they were given and won the Big XII South by defeating Oklahoma State 27-21. It was again the rushing game for the Sooners which gave them the victory.

Allen Patrick rushed for 163 yards and a touchdown while Chris Brown added 74 yards of his own and two scores. Oklahoma has relied heavily on the two backs since the loss of Adrian Peterson earlier this season. It is still unknown if Peterson will be able to play next week against Nebraska or in whatever bowl game Oklahoma participates in.

In other action, Nebraska warmed up for the Big XII championship by defeating Colorado 37-14. Zac Taylor threw for two touchdowns to tie the Nebraska career record for a quarterback. The Cornhuskers finish 6-2 in conference, winning the Big XII North.

Missouri recovered from their controversial loss to Iowa State last week by beating up on Kansas 42-17. Chase Daniel threw for a career best 355 yards and four touchdowns in the victory.

The Big XII Championship game will be held December 2nd, in Kansas City. Oklahoma leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 42-38-3, and has won the last two meetings between the teams. The series had been an annual tradition from 1928 – 1997, but the formation of the Big XII conference has made it a rarity in the last ten years. This is the first meeting of the two for the Big XII conference title.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII recap appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate Cleanup. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 24, 2006

Miami Bowling, Coker Walking

According to reports out of South Florida this morning, Larry Coker will officially be let go at a press conference later this morning.

The Miami Hurricanes beat Boston College last night to finish the season 6-6, and become bowl eligibile.

In a season marred by on and off the field incidents, Miami might have acted like the Hurricanes of old, except in one aspect -- winning games.

Now, they will be looking for a new head coach. Early rumors pointed towards South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, but the Ol' Ball Coach said that he will not be looking to leave South Carolina. With former coach Butch Davis already taking the head coaching job at North Carolina, the search will be wide open.

Coker, who began his career at Miami with 24 straight wins, had the 5th highest winning percentage among Division I-A coaches since 2001 when he took over the Hurricanes.

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November 19, 2006

Big XII Recap - Week 12

While conference races across the country were decided this weekend, there is still some drama remaining in the Big XII. Oklahoma defeated Baylor 36-10 to keep their hopes for a Big XII South division title alive.

The Sooners had five turnovers on the day, two leading to scores by Baylor, but they were able to overcome mistakes to get the easy win. Sophomore Malcolm Kelly had his second straight great receiving week, catching five passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. Chris Brown, who had two touchdowns against Texas Tech a week ago, ran for 169 yards and a touchdown of his own in the victory.

Oklahoma had been left for dead in the Big XII chase after they began 3-2, including a loss to division leader Texas. Things looked even bleaker in the next game against Iowa State when they lost Adrian Peterson with a broken collarbone. However, that was the beginning of a six game winning streak which has taken them to 6-1 in conference. The Sooners need to beat Oklahoma State next week and hope for a Texas A&M upset of Texas to get to Kansas City.

Earlier in the week, Missouri gave head coach Gary Pinkel a raise to $1.3 million a year, and extended him through the 2011 season. Maybe they will rethink that decision after Saturday. The Tigers lost to Iowa State 21-16, to fall to 7-4 overall. After starting the season 6-0, Missouri has lost four of its last five.

The Cyclones needed a defensive stop on 4th and goal to clinch the win. It was their first conference victory of the season, coming in Dan McCarney’s final game as head coach.

Texas Tech began the day down 17-0 against Oklahoma State midway through the second quarter. The Red Raiders then went on a tear, scoring 27 straight points to beat the Cowboys, 30-24. Graham Harrell threw for 353 yards and two touchdowns, both to Robert Johnson, in the victory.

Kansas State was unable to build on their defeat of Texas last week. They closed their regular season with a 39-20 loss on the road at Kansas. Josh Freeman who had been a big part of the Wildcat victory last week, did not have a touchdown pass, and threw three interceptions in the loss.

Senior tailback Jon Cornish had 201 yards rushing and two touchdowns for Kansas. The Jayhawks became the ninth bowl eligible team from the conference with their win.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII recap appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate Cleanup. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 17, 2006

Place Your Bets

Sports isn't sports without a little friendly wager on the side.

Faced with tradition, I am putting some money where my mouth is. Talking with a friend in Seattle, we have gone in on a little bet.

Being as I liked Michigan to win the Big Ten at the beginning of the year, and I picked this game for Michigan way back at the beginning of the year, I am choosing men in Maize and Blue.

My friend will be going with Ohio State, seeing as she has no idea how I could root for a team like Michigan.

On the line?

If Michigan wins, I will receive two pounds on non-Starbucks coffee.

If Ohio State wins, she will receive a 1-gallon tin of caramel and cheese corn from Garrett's Popcorn in Chicago.

I believe I will be enjoying a fresh cup of joe fresh from Seattle soon. Enjoy the game Saturday.

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Ohio State and Michigan - The First of Two?

Bo and Woody, Jim and Lloyd. The names change but the game remains one of the top draws in college football.

If you haven't heard the talk about #1 Ohio State and #2 Michigan this week, you must have no electricity and not get the paper. No matter what happens on Saturday, the winner will be playing for the National Championship in Arizona. That is a given.

But what about the loser? Does the team that loses still deserve to be considered the second best team in the country and get a shot at the winner again, in the championship game?

This is a tough question to answer. What is to say that the two teams which I have though were the two best teams in the nation all year long don't deserve the chance to face off again, almost two months from now? Yet, something gnaws at me to say that should be the case.

You had your shot. You didn't win. Why should you get a second chance?

This isn't the NCAA Basketball tournament, where teams might run into each other again, after 30 game seasons, after playing many other opponents. This is college football, where we don't like rematches from the regular season.

The last time we had a "rematch" for the National Championship was 1996. In the final game of the regular season, #1 Florida lost at #2 Florida State, 24-21. The Gators went on to win the SEC championship game against Alabama and move to #3 in the final poll before the bowl games. They were matched by the Bowl Alliance (the direct ancestor of the BCS) against Florida State in the Sugar Bowl.

On January 2nd, 1997, Florida got its revenge, 52-20, and took the National Championship.

It leaves a little bit of bad taste in your mouth, doesn't it? You weren't able to take care of business during the regular season, yet with a month to prepare, you were able to blow out the other team.

I don't want that for my National Championship.

No matter who wins, I don't want the loser to come back almost two months later and totally destroy the other team.

Here are three reasons why I don't want to see a rematch in the National Championship Game (Sponsored by Tostitos. Pass the Salsa):

1. It goes against tradition - If you go all the way back in the history of the bowl games, to the grandaddy of them all, the Rose Bowl, the whole point of the bowls was to put on a show that would attract tourists from the cold parts of the country to the warm parts. The Rose Bowl's grand idea for this was to put a team from the West against one from another part of the country, inviting those fans to travel to Los Angeles to experience the weather.

So why should we put two teams from the same conference into the title game and go against tradition? If anything, the team with the biggest argument in reason #1 is USC. Despite losing to Oregon State, they have taken care of every other opponent on their schedule, including the possible winners of the SEC (Arkansas) and Big XII (Nebraska) conferences, largely regarded as the two best conferences other than the Big Ten and Pac-10. So USC, should they win out against Cal, UCLA, and Notre Dame, deserves their shot to face the Big Ten winner.

And if you want tradition, there is nothing better than Pac-10 vs. Big Ten, the Rose Bowl formula from 1946-2001.

2. What if the other team wins the second time around? - It happened in 1996. Despite the pollsters giving Florida the title for the 1996 season, Florida and Florida State split the two games. Yes, Florida won by a bigger margin in the rematch on a neutral field, but the truth is, the two teams split the series. Where is the rubbber game? Who is really the best team in a series between the two?

With two games you can't tell. You have to let the one game stand as written and move on from there. We don't get the chance to have a three game series, or more like in other sports.

In college football, you get one chance. It might be harsh, especially considering that most of those playing the game are between 18 and 22 years old, but that is the way it goes.

3. Conference Champions should be the only ones to play for the National Championship - Jim Tressel, on the verge of the biggest game of his season was asked the question.

REPORTER: Just following up, do you think to play in the National Championship game a team should have to win their conference?

COACH TRESSEL: Yeah.

I may not agree with Tressel much, but here I do.

Let's be honest. The last couple of times when teams who didn't win their conference played for the championship, everyone complained.

The last of these was 2003, when Oklahoma lost to Kansas State in the Big XII championship, yet still finished at the top of the BCS standings, somewhat thanks to a high computer score. The Sooners went on to lose to LSU in the Sugar Bowl and give us the only split champion since the BCS took form.

The most controversial game of the BCS-era, where a non-conference champion played for the title happened in the 2001 season. That year, Nebraska at 11-0 was #2 in the country on November 18th. The next week, they lost to Colorado to lose the Big XII North Title. The loss dropped them to sixth in the polls. Colorado went on to win the Big XII championship, defeating Texas.

Nebraska moved up in the polls thanks to the loss by Texas, a loss by Florida to Tennessee, and a loss by Tennessee in the SEC championship. They finished fourth in both polls used in the BCS formula at the time, but managed to sneak into the Rose Bowl as the #2 team in the formula overall.

Miami easily beat them 37-14.

Based on this history, we have seen what happens when non-conference winners play for the title. They lose. I don't know if we want history to repeat itself for a third time, especially when it also involves a rivalry this big.

Let's give another team a shot at the winner. There are enough deserving teams in other conferences that it seems worthwhile. A Florida, Arkansas, USC, West Virginia, or even Rutgers, deserve their shot at the winner of this game, provided they win out.

I think even Bo and Woody could agree to that.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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Bo Schembechler Dies at Age 77

While the nation prepares to watch the big football game this weekend, the game has lost one of its greatest personalities. Bo Schembechler has passed away at age 77, from an apparent heart attack.

During his time at Michigan as the head coach, Schembechler won 194 games. His teams won or shared 13 Big Ten titles and went to play in 10 Rose Bowls.

In a combined 26 years of coaching, both at Miami (Ohio) and Michigan, Schembechler never had a losing season.

As tributes roll across the airwaves today, it seems only appropriate that the most fitting tribute, an Ohio State-Michigan game, is set to play tomorrow. I think it is safe to say that Bo and Woody Hayes will be sitting together in college football heaven tomorrow, watching, and coaching from above.

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November 16, 2006

History Might Just Be On Ohio State's Side

Andrew Jackson has been dead for 161 years, but I am guessing if he were alive he would have a pick in Saturday's football game. And my bet is that he would be going with Ohio State.

Why Ohio State? Well, it turns out that the history of the rivalry between the states of Ohio and Michigan can be traced back to before there was even a State of Michigan.

Between 1835 and 1836, the State of Ohio and the Michigan Territory battled over the small strip of land that covers the border between the two, known as the Toledo strip.

Both sides scrambled their militias to the area around the Toledo river. Although no shots were fired at each other, there was much trash talking across the waters, much like there will be on Saturday afternoon.

Then President of the United States Jackson stepped in on the conflict, offering a compromise to the people of Michigan.

In exchange for Michigan ceding the land to Ohio, the Michigan territory would be granted statehood as the 26th state. They would also be entitled to most of what is now known as the Upper Peninsula, which at the time belonged to the Wisconsin Territory. While this seems like a grand idea, it took two meetings of delegates in Michigan to approve the treaty.

The exchange at the time was seen as a loss for Michigan until copper was discovered in the UP and they were better able to take advantage of the timber prevalent in the region.

So what does this have to do with football? Well, it seems only appropriate that the winner was Ohio, the #1 team and favorite in Saturday's game. The loser, Michigan got a piece of land that's true value wasn't seen until later, much like they might if they lose on Saturday. A likely trip to the Rose Bowl is nothing to sneeze at, and won't be appreciated until much later. And even better, in the treaty, Michigan got to get a little of Wisconsin's goat. Wisconsin, the #3 team in the Big Ten conference lost to Michigan earlier this year, 27-13, their only loss of the season.

Seems like history has a chance to repeat itself one more time.

Credit to Ivan Maisel and Beano Cook for the lead on this story from their weekly ESPN podcast.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 14, 2006

Wanted: Offensive Coordinator, Must Like Extreme Pressure

Normally, an offensive coordinator resigning from a struggling football team wouldn't be news.

But this isn't a normal football team, or a normal situation.

Florida State's offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden resigned on Tuesday during the school's normally scheduled press conference. The resignation becomes effective at the end of the season.

His father, Bobby Bowden, is not only the head coach at Florida State but also the all-time wins leader in college football. Bowden has repeatedly refused to fire his son despite being under pressure from the alumni over the past few years when the Seminoles have been less than stellar.

Bobby refused to comment other than saying this:

"I am disappointed in Jeff's decision. I tried my best to encourage him to stay the course, but he was firm in his belief that it is time to move on. This is a big loss to me personally. I would hope that everyone understands that his decision is an emotional one for me and for that reason I'm not going to discuss it any further at this time."

Jeff had been the offensive coordinator since the end of the 2000-1 season when he took over for Mark Richt, now the head coach at Georgia. During Bowden's time as coordinator, the Seminoles have gone 49-25, mostly blamed on the poor offensive production. The Seminoles have averaged just under 30 points per game during his time at the helm of the offense, although that has been significantly down over the last three season. For comparison, under Richt, the Seminoles were 76-9-1, and scored 38 points per game. More importantly, they won a National Championship during that time, something that Florida State has not been close to during Jeff Bowden's time as offensive coordinator.

Florida State backed into a BCS bowl last season when Virginia Tech couldn't take care of business, despite being heavily favored in the ACC Championship game. It marked the 6th season that Florida State had made a BCS bowl game in the eight year history of the series. Despite all the appearances, the Seminoles have only been victorious once, in 1999, defeating Virginia Tech for the National Championship.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 12, 2006

Big XII Recap - Week 11

With the number of games winding down, the tickets to the Big XII Championship Game will be handed out with a simple formula. Win and you’re in. That is all that Nebraska and Texas needed to do after setting themselves up with big victories last week.

Nebraska was able to do just that, albeit with a little drama mixed in. The Cornhuskers had been up 21-7 and looked on their way to an easy victory over Texas A&M. However, the Aggies were able to run off 20 straight points and looked to have control of the game after intercepting a Zac Taylor pass with less than three minutes remaining. But a field goal attempt by A&M that would have sealed the win was blocked by Nebraska giving them the ball back with a little under two minutes left.

Taylor took advantage, driving the team down the field and tossing a touchdown pass to Maurice Purify with 21 seconds remaining to give his team the win, 28-27. It was the second touchdown pass for Taylor in the game and made him the all-time leading passer at the school. His 21 touchdown passes are also a Nebraska school record for a single year. The win gave Nebraska the Big XII North title and reserves their place in the Kansas City.

Texas wasn’t so lucky. They scored the first seven points of the game on a quarterback sneak by Colt McCoy and that is when things started to go bad. McCoy injured his right shoulder on the run, after being crushed underneath the pile. He was forced from the game and freshman Jevan Snead came in to run the Longhorns offense.

Kansas State took advantage of the rookie signal caller, sacking him five times. They were unable to shut him down totally as the Longhorns still managed to put 45 points on the board. The Wildcats needed an onside kick recovery and a first down within the final minute to seal the victory, 48-45. Quarterback Josh Freeman threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns for Kansas State.

The loss puts a lot of pressure on Texas, especially with the status of McCoy’s injury unknown. The Longhorns had hoped to stay in the National Title hunt after Louisville’s loss earlier in the week. Now they are just hoping to win the South division. Texas must win against Texas A&M in two weeks or hope for Oklahoma to slip against either Baylor or Oklahoma State in their final two games in order to clinch the division.

In other action, Oklahoma needed some big plays of their own, scoring the final 24 points of the game to beat Texas Tech, 34-24. Paul Thompson had 309 yards passing, his career high, and fourth string running back Chris Brown had 84 yards and two touchdowns for the Sooners in the victory. Oklahoma State had no such trouble defeating Baylor 66-24. The win was the Cowboys’ sixth on the season, making them the 8th team in the conference to become bowl eligible. On a week where their coach Dan McCarney resigned, Iowa State did nothing to pick him up. The Cyclones lost to Colorado 33-16 to fall to 0-7 in conference. They have a single game against Missouri remaining to get a win, and avoid going winless in the Big XII for the first time since the inception of the conference.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII recap appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate Cleanup. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 10, 2006

Fallout From The Rutgers Win

Piscataway, New Jersey, celebrate. This might be the last time you get to this season. I hate to break it to you, but chances are you aren't going to a BCS game.

I know, this doesn't seem correct right now, knowing that you are still awash in the adrenaline from last night. But given your standing in the last BCS rankings (13) and how much you trailed the other Big East teams, it is likely you will be left out.

I know you are crying, "We can still win the Big East!" Yes, you might. I thought you would lose last night, which would have ended that chance. But my computer gave you a chance since you were playing at home. A 46% chance to be exact (Anyone else channeling Lloyd Christmas here: "So you're sayin' there's a chance!). And you lived up to the 46% and won.

But there is a bigger challenge on the horizon. Playing at West Virginia the last week of the season could be the game to decide the conference. Assuming that all three teams (West Virginia,Rutgers, and Louisville) win out the rest of the way, that final game will decide who goes to the BCS as the conference champion. There is little chance that any of the three will be in line for the #2 spot overall in the BCS. Therefore, the winner of the conference will only have a shot at the Orange Bowl.

The MRI, counting last night's game, give the Mountaineers a 64% chance of winning at home that final week. That will change as the next few weeks move along, but right now, it looks likely that all three teams will be tied with one loss in conference. According to the Big East website, the tiebreaker when there are three teams tied is to form a mini-conference of the tied teams. Because all the teams finished 1-1 in that little conference, the Big East champion will be the one rated highest in the BCS standings.

Based on what happened when Louisville beat West Virginia, I think we will see Rutgers being the higher team going into the game against the Mountaineers. But if the Mountaineers win, they would take over that lead again. West Virginia would be the Orange Bowl participant, with Louisville and Rutgers on the outside looking in.

Rutgers might get shafted even more. Because bowls have the ultimate decision on the teams they invite, the Gator Bowl might decide to choose Louisville, the team with the "bigger draw" if you can say that about the Cardinals. The Scarlet Knights might not be any better off than before last night, headed to the Texas Bowl.

Of course, you can prove me wrong and win on December 2nd. You can once again be the underdog based on the numbers and come out on top. But 36% is not 46%.

Sorry Rutgers. I hope you enjoyed your time on top.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 6, 2006

Big XII Recap - Week 10

Nebraska and Texas set themselves up nicely with only two weeks remaining in the regular season. Before this week, they needed to win out and they would be guaranteed a spot in the Championship game. After wins this weekend, both teams can slip a little and still get that ticket for the December 2nd game.

In their victory, Texas did what Nebraska couldn’t last week - beat Oklahoma State. The freshman Colt McCoy was again brilliant, tossing for 346 yards and three touchdowns. McCoy now has 27 touchdown passes this season, passing Vince Young for the single season record for touchdown passes at Texas.

Nebraska had to make up for their loss last week by beating Missouri this weekend. The stout Tiger defense which had been carrying them through the first six games of the year has been missing the last few weeks. Missouri gave up 419 yards to Nebraska as they dropped their third game in the last four. Nebraska’s Brandon Jackson ground out 111 yards on the ground coming on 32 carries. He also scored the final touchdown for the Cornhuskers as they moved to 7-2 with the victory in a game that was never in doubt.

Texas got their breathing room thanks to Oklahoma. The Sooners went on the road to College Station and beat the A&M Aggies, 17-16. Running back Allen Patrick gained 173 yards and scored a touchdown for Oklahoma. They needed him to come up big too as they were only able to gain 39 yards through the air on a 3 for 12 passing performance by Paul Thompson. Oklahoma closes with three straight South division games, against Texas Tech, Baylor, and Oklahoma State. Two wins would put them in position to head back to the Cotton Bowl.

In other conference action, Texas Tech got over 500 yards passing from Graham Harrell to beat down Baylor 55-21. The win gets the Red Raiders bowl eligible. Kansas State won on the road in conference for the first time in two years, and also became bowl eligible with a 34-21 win at Colorado. The Wildcats last went to a bowl game when they upset Oklahoma in the Big XII Championship game in 2003. Finally, Kansas beat Iowa State 41-10 to keep the Cyclones winless in Big XII play.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII recap appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate Cleanup. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 1, 2006

Big Ten Spotlight

Two quick thoughts:

1. The Flint Journal reports that John L Smith will be let go from his job in the next 40 minutes. A press conference has been called and sources think that defensive coordinator Chris Smeland will take over as the coach. At least this will stop the coaching abuse, both from fans, and himself that Smith took. Michigan State can still make a bowl appearance with two more victories.
2. George Solomon, the ESPN Ombudsman reports that:

   Some viewers are still upset the football game between top-ranked Ohio State and Indiana this month was on ESPNU rather than ESPN or ESPN2.

   Yes, those fans were upset that they didn't get to see Ohio State actually give up three points. They thought that game was a little more sporting at 44-3, than the national broadcast that was given to the Buckeyes win over Minnesota, 44-0. Come on, people. Don't we have better things to worry about than having missed another blowout by Ohio State? Now, if the Ohio State - Michigan game is slated to be on ESPNU, then you can complain.

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October 29, 2006

Big XII Recap - Week 9

Recently, every season in the Big XII North takes the same turn just about now. The teams leading all season seem to falter. The race tightens up, and until the final week of the season, we have no idea who will be representing the division in the Championship game.

So why should this season be any different?

While Colorado didn’t seem a full test of Oklahoma without Adrian Peterson, the way Missouri had been playing should have told us what Oklahoma still had in them. Apparently, the Sooners’ tank is very full. Paul Thompson and Allen Patrick both had very good games, as they led Oklahoma to a 26-10 win over Missouri. Thompson threw for 127 yards and two touchdowns while Patrick contributed 162 yards on the ground. The Tigers had four turnovers in the game, including three interceptions by quarterback Chase Daniel.

With Missouri losing, Nebraska knew they only needed a win for sole possession of the lead in the North. However, after getting out to a 23-13 lead with less than a minute to go in the first half, they allowed Oklahoma State to come right back. The Cowboys scored 28 unanswered points and took the contest, 41-29. Dantrell Savage had 117 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns in the victory. The losses by both Missouri and Nebraska back them into a big game next week when the two meet in Lincoln. The winner will have the edge in the North and a downhill road to a berth in Kansas City.

South division leader Texas hadn’t lost to a Big XII foe other than Oklahoma since 2002. The team that managed to beat them then was Texas Tech. Through the first quarter on Saturday, it looked as if Texas Tech might just beat the Longhorns again.

Texas turned the ball over twice in the first fifteen minutes with both miscues resulting in scores for the Red Raiders who jumped to a 21-0 lead. Colt McCoy settled down enough to get Texas back within 10, at 31-21 entering halftime, by throwing three touchdown passes.

Texas fumbled the ball away twice more in the second half but kept Texas Tech off of the scoreboard. A McCoy pass to Quan Cosby early in the fourth quarter put the Longhorns ahead for the first time all day, and they held on for the 35-31 victory. McCoy finished with 256 yards passing, 68 more rushing, and four touchdowns on the day with only the single interception against him.

In other action, Texas A&M held off surprising Baylor for a 31-21 win and sole possession of second place in the South Division. The Aggies close their season with a string of games against three ranked teams beginning with Oklahoma next week. Despite giving up a 95 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, Kansas was able to hold on and beat Colorado 20-15. The win was Kansas’s first victory in the conference this season. Iowa State remains the only team in the conference without a Big XII victory as they lost to Kansas State, 31-10. The Wildcats scored 31 straight points after falling behind 10-0 after the first quarter. Iowa State faces Kansas and Colorado over the next two weeks for a chance at their first conference win.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII recap appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate Cleanup. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 24, 2006

Richard Billingsley Has Had Enough

Do you know who Richard Billingsley is? You should.

Why? Because for the past 8-plus years, you have blasted him and a number of men like him.

They are the ones who developed the computer formulas used in the BCS. And Billingsley is, for one, tired of it.

In an open letter to not only the fans of the sport, but also to ABC and FOX, the college football expert reacts to the very harsh criticism which has been laid against him in the past week, corresponding with the release of the first BCS rankings.

Being one of those out there in the world with a computer ranking system for football (There are at least 75 others that you can see here), I have to say I agree with him.

I was shocked at the way that Craig James behaved on television this weekend. While John Saunders and Doug Flutie looked on and laughed, James held his laptop in the air and waved it at the camera as he spoke. He was blatantly antagonistic to those that spend a lot of time not only developing the ratings, but also updating them and keeping them current each week. As you can see from Billingsley's letter, James has never once attempted to learn the reasoning for the discrepancies between his own beliefs and what the numbers show. That ignorance to the work of not just one individual, but many, who have a very direct influence on the sport he covers is just uncalled for and Billingsley rightly attacks him for it.

On a personal note, I take great pride in what I do with regards to the rankings I generate, not only for college football, but also basketball, and a computer based "seeding" of teams for the NCAA tournament. It is the culmination of many hours of effort on my part and it is not without a great deal of thought despite being mainly driven by the numbers coming out of my computer.

I know firsthand the pain of the attacks that Billingsley is expressing. Last year, I was blasted repeatedly by fans of a few schools who were not rated highly in the MRI. I had them "out" of the NCAA tournament while many experts had guaranteed them as locks. These attacks came not only in comments here at MRISports.com, which I am sure many of you saw, but also in very harsh posts on message boards and other sites on the Internet. I am sure there were more that I didn't see, but those I did almost made me stop doing what I do. That's right. No more MRI, no more writing, no more MRISports.com.

Why? Because only one of the those making the comments made an attempt to understand what I had done, and understand how the MRI or the seedings were generated. And his understanding came not from one e-mail, but a long trading of discussion on the topic. In the end, we calmly agreed to disagree, but that peace was not achieved without some amount of learning on his part. The others, however, blindly spoke out without even trying to understand, or reading a disclaimer that I added into the bracket projections each week. More than anything, it made me sad that people were so blindly against another way of looking at things.

Last week, on FanIQ, I participated in a discussion which commented on how strange the computer polls looked in the first week. It was mentioned during that discussion that the computers do tend to look correct at the end of the season, and I applaud that realization.

So, before we totally dismiss the computers totally, I have a challenge for all of us, the Fans. I challenge us to take the higher standard that Billingsley asks us to in his letter. Let's work to understand those computers before we dismiss them as out of sorts or wrong. We all might just learn something.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 22, 2006

Big XII Recap - Week 8

What is the recipe for an instant classic? Start with numbing cold, add two teams in the top 20, and sprinkle in a little wind, rain, and snow. Top it off with a walk-on kicker who had never attempted a field goal in his career, and you have genius. That was just what the 22-20 Texas victory over Nebraska was on Saturday afternoon – Genius.

The two teams who lead their respective divisions in the Big XII conference gave a great preview of what could be the championship game in Kansas City, on December 2nd. A game which featured crushing defense from both sides looked all along like the last team to make a big play would win it.

The drama on the field came to a climax in the 4th quarter. A brilliant call by coach Bill Callahan resulted in a 25-yard touchdown toss by Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky giving Nebraska a slim lead. Texas was stopped on their next drive, handing the Cornhuskers a chance to run out the clock. However, a pass out to Terrence Nunn on third down was dislodged by corner Aaron Ross.

Texas recovered the fumble and took the opportunity to drive into field goal range. Longhorns kicker Greg Johnson had already hit two field goals in the game, but he had also missed two others, and had an extra point blocked. So, instead of Johnson taking the field, it was walk-on Ryan Bailey. Callahan tried to ice the kicker in the cold weather but the freshman from Austin nailed his first ever attempt through the middle of the uprights to seal the victory for Texas.

Missouri continued its impressive season and moved closer to setting up an important game with Nebraska in two weeks. The Tigers beat up on Kansas State, 41-21. Quarterback Chase Daniel threw for 262 yards and four touchdowns in the victory. The win by Missouri was their first victory over Kansas State since 1992.

Should Missouri want to be facing Nebraska with the North Division title on the line, they will have to get past Oklahoma next week. The Sooners, without star Adrian Peterson, had no trouble with disappointing Colorado, winning 24-3. Junior back Allen Patrick filled in for Peterson with 110 yards and a touchdown. Even with those great statistics, the big loss for Oklahoma comes in Peterson’s big play ability. Patrick’s longest run of the day was only twelve yards. Peterson hadn’t had a game this season where his longest run went for less than 29.

In other action, Texas A&M blocked a potential game tying extra point in overtime to survive against Oklahoma State, 34-33. Baylor matched a school record for the largest comeback in history, scoring 19 points in the fourth quarter, to win their first homecoming game in nine years, downing Kansas, 36-35. The Bears remain tied for second in the South division with A&M. Those two teams meet next week in Waco. Texas Tech rebounded from last week’s horrendous loss to Colorado with six touchdown passes by quarterback Graham Harrell. The Red Raiders beat the Iowa State Cyclones, in Ames, 42-26.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII recap appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate Cleanup. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 17, 2006

More Suspensions Handed Down

Before the update, kudos to Bill Curry, a man whose opinion many should listen to and respect. Curry has been in the college football business a long time. He prevails with a cool head at a time when many, myself included, have written very harsh articles on the action in Saturday's game. If you haven't read his thoughts on the brawl, it should be a must read for all interested in college football, and maintaining the integrity of the game.

With that said, a few of my thoughts have come to pass in the wake of the brawl. First, Lamar Thomas was fired by the television station late Monday for his comments during the brawl. As stated before, Thomas's comments during and after the brawl will be removed from the video when the game is re-shown later this week.

In terms of the players, Anthony Reddick, the helmet swinger from Miami, has been suspended indefinitely by the team. The other players still are only suspended one game with other actions to consist of community service and unnamed other discipline.

Florida International has taken the suspensions a step further. They dismissed both Chris Smith and Marshall McDuffie from the team, although both will remain on scholarship this year. Smith was the originally tackler of the Miami holder on the extra point. McDuffie came in after the tackle and kicked the holder in the head. The other 16 players who were suspended for one game had their suspensions extended indefinitely. According to a report from the Miami Herald, they will be on athletic probation for the remainder of the year, and will fulfill some other requirements including the development of a course on why this is not appropriate behavior during an athletic event.

It is disappointing that Miami apparently is not taking this as seriously as Florida International. Suspending only one of the players involved longer than a single game, against Duke even, shows a lack of judgement in this area. When punishments only go this far, it will only be a matter of time before it happens again, maybe even this season. The university community, the fans of the team, and the fans of college football, deserve more appropriate action in these circumstances, much like Florida International has put into place. It is time for Miami's leadership, especially president Donna Shalala, to do the same

Shalala called the punishments handed down "a new standard" in her press conference on Tuesday afternoon. She claims that players involved in fights will be removed from athletic teams. It doesn't seem that her words fit with her actions so far in this case. If she really wants to set a new standard of "zero tolerance", then she needs to start now. Watch the video again, and make sure that all players are punished appropriately, as you say they should be. If you want to let them remain at the university for their education, do so, but make sure you stay true to your word and remove them from the team.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 16, 2006

A Tough Reflection on the Miami - FIU Brawl

I am disgusted. Seriously disgusted. I have spent the last two days reviewing film of the Miami-Florida International brawl. Then I went back and looked at more recent incidents that went this far, most notably the Clemson-South Carolina fight. This is by far the worst incident I have ever seen on a football field. And not only that, the incident taken as a whole totally makes me shudder. I am not even going to link to a video of it, because I don't think anyone needs to view it again, not even as a teaching tool, because it isn't. It is a sad look at what one of the most winning programs in football has become.

I realize what follows here may seem like a knee-jerk reaction to the event, but let me reassure you that this is not. I refrained from commenting soon after it happened because I knew there were be too much emotion in my writing. And honestly, there is still no way to keep it out because of what occurred. So, while, as a writer, I attempt to be impartial, in this case, there is nothing which can be held back because of how out of control this was.

While coaches are getting yelled at for not having more control of the players, I think one thing is certain. The coaches in this case tried to get out on the field and stop the benches from clearing. There was little they could do to stop over-adrenalized football players in full battle gear though. They were run over in many cases, and I think they did what they could to try and stop it from getting worse than it was. However, that is where my praise for the coaches stops.

The coaches do deserve some blame, especially on the Miami side. In the incidents that have occurred prior to this one, was there ever a penalty for the "ringleaders" or any of the major parties involved? No. Those players have been indoctrinated into a football culture where it is OK to act disrespectful on the field, where it is OK to escalate incidents that occur, and where it is OK to generally act ridiculous on national television. And this carried over after the incident. While FIU's sideline seemed to calm down, Miami's coaches allowed the players to hold there helmets in the air, and jump up and down chanting, as if they had won something. They were beating up on a football team which has barely been in Division 1 that long, both on the field and off, and this was something to be proud of? The coaches should have stepped in and stopped that shameful display.

While people are calling for the coaches to be fired, I think the right thing for the coaches to do is take responsibility for letting this get out of hand, and resign. It is time to fall on your sword. Don't continue to get paid by the university because you have embarrassed it more than it was already. Walk away, and let someone who might have a hope of controlling these kids take over now.

Suspensions have already been handed down, though the schools and the leagues have reserved the right to extend the suspensions beyond the one game that they originally levied. It seems that Florida International is taking it a little more seriously. While they did not announce extensions to the suspensions during a press conference by coach Don Strock, it is clear they intend to. With so many players involved, and two weeks before their next game, I hope they do take their time, and get it right. Miami however doesn't seem to show the same purpose in their review of the situation. While one player, Anthony "Helmet Swinging" Reddick will be suspended indefinitely, other players will be further punished by community service. Are you kidding me? Community service? Yes, because that is apt punishment. These kids showed the community what great role models they are, and then they will go off into the community to do what? Teach kids how to read?

I can picture the scene now. Some Miami player is reading to a class of second graders and one of the kids raises his hand. "Mr. Hurricane, I loved the way you smacked up the Panther players." Do you really expect these Hurricane players, who showed no class on the field, to be able to explain to the kids why this was a bad move, and to have it respected by the kids? I don't see it happening. Sorry, there has to be stiffer punishment for these players.

Let's take a few examples. Reddick should be gone, dismissed from the team, scholarship revoked. Running straight onto the field, swinging your helmet is not only wrong, it is stupid. You are out on the field, in the middle of a brawl without a helmet. You think some other player might not get the same idea and smash down on your head? You have lost your privilege of playing football. Understand that. This is a privilege for you, and you have lost it.

Second, Florida International player Marshall McDuffie, you are also gone, scholarship revoked, hopefully kicked out of school. You kicked the holder in the helmet while he was being held down by your teammate. The holder? Are you serious? This is the Miami back-up quarterback that hasn't seen a snap in two years on the team. I hardly believe he was a big cause for the way you were losing the game. You lost your cool, and your privilege.

Third, James Bryant, should be suspended for 5 games. Explain to me how what you did was anything more than showing up a bad team. You scored a touchdown that put your team up 13-0, in the 3rd quarter. This was a team that you should have been beating 13-0 in the first 10 minutes of the game. Instead, Miami was underachieving again, and you choose to taunt the other team? This is no better than Terrell Owens running out to the star in Dallas and getting his butt handed to him by the Cowboys. This was gutless, and was the direct cause of most of this melee. If your coaches had any sense, they would have sat you then and there for this incident, and it should have drawn a flag from the referees.

Fourth, and last in these examples, Brandon Meriweather, who attempted to pull an "Albert Haynesworth" on any player he could find. Do you not watch television in the dorm when you aren't in class or aren't practicing? Did you not see what Haynesworth did, and what happened to him for it? How is what you did any better? Are you going to use the excuse that the players you tried to mercilessly spike had helmets and pads on? There is no excuse for what you did. You were a pre-season pick by many as an All-ACC 1st team safety. As a senior, that is a ticket to the NFL. I hope that NFL teams look long and hard at this tape before thinking about drafting you. And if any team does draft you, including any team I might think to root for, I have to worry about what a judge of character they are. You should be suspended for the rest of the season, and not only for the spiking. You were also the player who incited the helmet thrusting and jumping on the sideline. That much was clear from the video. Apparently having Larry Coker and other coaches in your face didn't put enough sense into you. Let's just say you are lucky no one was injured in your tirade, otherwise, you should be let go from the school with no chance to even get your degree.

If it seems like I have a lot of ire for the players, that is nothing compared to what I think about the announcer in the game, former Miami player, Lamar Thomas. Thomas could be heard during the broadcast, shouting over the brawl, and encouraging the actions of the players on the field. Thomas seemed to think that this was appropriate and even wanted to get involved in the brawl himself:

"I was about to go down the elevator to get in that thing."

I don't care how apologetic that Thomas may have been on Monday with his comments on various radio programs, Thomas deserves to be fired. Station executive Mark Fuhrman (I can't even make that up), is not so quick to make that move. He is going to consult with Miami executives, who make recommendations on talent for the broadcasts, before his final decision. If we look at how the Miami executives have handled the situation so far, I wouldn't expect Thomas to be gone for long. On a positive note, Thomas's comments will be stricken from the footage should the game be replayed on television at any point.

Lastly, there are a couple of more punishments that the schools should take. The first thing that should be done is to double forfeit the game. No one deserves credit for winning this game. This was a loss for both sides because of what happened. The second thing that should be done is that Miami should disqualify themselves from a bowl game if they should get to six wins on the season, even with the forfeit. Florida International, on the other side, should take some similar action, since with seven losses already this season, a bowl is out of the question.

I realize that these actions might seem harsh, but there needs to be an example made in this situation. This should not be allowed to reoccur on the football field, and it starts by showing that this is not tolerated, by anyone from the Miamis of the world, down to the Florida Internationals.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 15, 2006

Big XII Recap - Week 7

It is unfortunate, but this weekend may have seen the end of the college career of one of the top running backs ever to lace them up on Saturday afternoon. Adrian Peterson broke his collar bone falling into the end zone on a 53 yard touchdown run that sealed a victory for Oklahoma over Iowa State, 34-9. It was a bittersweet ending to a day when Peterson’s father got to see his son play in person for the first time in 9 years.

Until the injury, Peterson was adding to his Heisman credentials, gaining 183 yards on the ground, 45 more receiving, and scoring two touchdowns, though all chances at the award are now gone. He may be back in time to play in a bowl game, should Oklahoma qualify, though all experts believe he will be best served by concentrating on the jump to the NFL. If Peterson does not play another snap for the Sooners, he will finish 150 yards short of the all-time rushing record at Oklahoma, held by Billy Sims.

The loss of Peterson though does not bode well for the Sooners. They will be forced to bring on Allen Patrick, a junior who has only 18 carries this season, to take most of the load.

The battle for first place in the Big XII South took place in Austin this weekend, between Texas and Baylor. Yes, that’s right, Baylor. They were entering the game at 2-0 in conference play, and tied with the Longhorns for the South Division lead. And for a while, it looked like the Bears might have sole possession of that lead, when they jumped to a 10-0 lead. Then Colt McCoy took over, throwing for 275 yards and a school record 6 touchdowns, leading the Longhorns to a 63-31 victory.

The North Division also saw a leader emerge on Saturday. Missouri suffered their first loss of the year, to Texas A&M, 25-19. This drops the Tigers to 6-1, and 2-1 in conference play. Nebraska remained perfect in the Big XII, with a 21-3 victory over Kansas State. The Cornhuskers will potentially be giving us a Big XII championship preview this coming week when they take on Texas at home.

In the final game of the day, Colorado finally managed to get on the good side of the standings, grabbing a win against Texas Tech. The Buffaloes held the passing attack of Graham Harrell to 235 yards, while running for 228 yards, including 119 from junior Hugh Charles. Colorado is now 1-2 in conference play, tied for third in the North Division. They get the first shot at the Peterson-less Oklahoma next Saturday, a week after allowing only 31 yards on the ground.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII recap appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate Cleanup. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 14, 2006

MRI Midseason Awards

With the seventh week of the season beginning Thursday night, it is officially the midway point of the season for most teams. On Tuesday, College Football News published their mid-season picks in a few categories, with contributions by several of their writers. Never one to be outdone, the MRI is all set to chime in with our award winners.

They say the greatest form of flattery is imitation, so I will emulate Richard Cirminiello and give you not only my pick for the award, but also my two runner-ups in each category. With that said, let's go to the envelopes and see who will take home the hardware.

Player of the Midseason: It would be hypocritical to choose someone who wasn't leading my Heisman Watch in this category, so I won't. Troy Smith is my pick for the midway Heisman. It isn't that we don't still have a race for the award, but Troy Smith has shown that solid, accurate play is a sure path to winning it. Smith has had two very big games this season (Texas and Iowa), both on the road, and has looked fantastic in both. He has one more major test in Michigan, and that will go a long way to saying whether Smith is coming home with the year end award.
2. Adrian Peterson
3. Garrett Wolfe

Coach of the Midseason: Lloyd Carr. There really isn't any competition here. Carr was almost run out of town after losing and losing and losing last year. Carr didn't have many fans among the administration or the alumni coming into the season. He has overachieved this year, winning every test thrown at the Wolverines so far. If there was a coach on the verge of losing a team, it was Carr, and yet, look where Michigan is in the rankings. Nice work, now just keep it up and do it against Ohio State if you really want to be safe in your job.
2. Houston Nutt for making me look like a genius.
3. Ty Willingham (I told you he had the ability to turn Washington around even if some of my other predictions didn't come true)

Biggest Surprise: I have to go with Missouri. With a sophomore starting quarterback, this team is tearing up everyone they play. I chose Nebraska to win this division, and I am seriously doubting that pick now. It isn't that Nebraska hasn't played well. It is more how good Chase Daniel and the rest of the Tigers look on the field. And while he didn't make my top 3 coaches, good things have to be said about head coach Gary Pinkel.
2. The strength of the Big East from top to bottom. Who knew Temple was the problem?
3. John David Booty maybe isn't so bad. Could actually go with all first time starters here. Very impressive performance so far.

Biggest Disappointment: Any team in the state of Florida not named Gators. The other five teams in the state are 10-18 combined. Not that we expected much from Florida Atlantic, or FIU, but Central Florida was supposed to be back contending for the Conference USA title. And there was National Title talk for Miami and Florida State. Now both the Hurricanes and Seminoles have two losses each and there is a good chance that neither will be playing in the ACC championship game. Very much a let down, especially since I picked Miami in the title game for the second year in a row.
2. The weak ACC
3. Fresno State

Best Story: I would normally save this category for on the field stories, but the best story this season has been the treatment of Clemson's Ray Ray McElrathbey. They originally ruled that McElrathbey could not be helped by the community to take care of his younger brother, and there was a huge outcry. The NCAA changed its ruling and has allowed for funds to be set up to let this young man take care of his family. A singular case of the NCAA finally doing something correctly.
2. Northwestern winning their first game against Miami (Ohio) after the death of coach Randy Walker
3. Garrett Wolfe

National Championship: This won't win me many fans in Los Angeles or Gainesville, but here is what I think. The only two teams to go undefeated this season will come out of the Big Ten and the Big East. As a result, the National Championship will be between the winner of the Ohio State-Michigan game and the winner of the West Virginia-Louisville game. Both those teams should make it through the season without a loss, and should have the rankings and computer scores to make it to the final game of the year. I am going to continue to go with Michigan and choose Louisville as their opponent.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 9, 2006

Raising My Hand

ESPN's Power 16 asks an interesting question about Arkansas:

I believe I did, ESPN. And yes, I took flack for it at the time, and doubted myself. I doubted myself so badly that I didn't pick Arkansas to win the game this weekend. Guess I should have stuck with my first impression.

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October 8, 2006

Big XII Recap - Week 6

To say that the Red River Shootout is an important game is an understatement. Since 1999, when Bob Stoops arrived in Norman, the winner of this game has represented the South division of the Big XII in the conference championship game every year, save one. Based on that history, Texas may want to start booking a trip to Kansas City for December 2nd.

Turnovers would turn out to be key in the game. The Sooners lost the ball 5 times, including one credited to Adrian Peterson, who hadn't lost a fumble since last season. Despite Peterson being the only one to generate any offense on the day for Oklahoma (213 all-purpose yards, 1 touchdown), he couldn't overcome three fumbles and two interceptions.

Freshman Colt McCoy handled the pressure well for Texas, finishing with 108 yards and two touchdowns, including a 33 yard pass to Limas Sweed which gave Texas the lead early in the second half. They never looked back. The dagger came early in the fourth quarter when Aaron Ross picked up an incomplete backward pass from Paul Thompson to Peterson, and returned it for a touchdown. The Longhorns were then up 28-10, which ended as the final score.

Based on how Missouri's defense had played this season, there was no reason to expect a shootout in Lubbock, when they took on Texas Tech this week. No reason, other than the high flying passing offense of the Red Raiders. For a long time though, it looked like Missouri had the answer to that attack. The Tigers were up 24-0 by the middle of the 2nd quarter, partially thanks to two interception returns for touchdowns.

Texas Tech fought back to get within seven points on three touchdown passes by Graham Harrell but Chase Daniel and Tony Temple were too much. Missouri extended the lead back to 38-21 at the beginning of the final quarter and held on from there to get to 6-0.

In other conference action, Nebraska went back to an old-style rushing attack against Iowa State and beat the Cyclones, 28-14. Texas A&M needed 14 points in the fourth quarter to get past Kansas, 21-18. Oklahoma State blew a 10 point lead with three minutes left, on the road against Kansas State. The Wildcats won 31-27. Baylor needed overtime, but overcame the Colorado Buffaloes 34-31, to move to 2-0 in conference play, and drop Colorado to 0-6 overall. The Buffaloes are 0-6 for the first time since 1980, when the team finished 1-10.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII recap appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate Cleanup. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 7, 2006

Don't Get Me Started

Um, I think you know what I think about this...

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Scoreboard Follies

On a day that has plenty of stories, I think that ESPN is trying a little too hard to make one out of Missouri and Texas Tech:

First of all, Missouri is the ranked team here, and Texas Tech is not. So if Missouri wins, is it really an upset? I know that Texas Tech has the favoritism of Vegas on their side, but when the ranked team wins, there is no upset.

Second, is it right to be putting the upset watch up in the 2nd quarter?

I think we have a lot of football left to play ESPN.

That said, Missouri is a great story this year. Anyone not watching Chase Daniel and the Tigers has been missing out.

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October 4, 2006

Move Over TCU, Hello Boise State

John Beck didn't just win a big game for BYU and get a mention as my Heisman-like performance this week. He also ended what looked like a sure thing at the beginning of the season. I am talking about TCU's chances to break into the BCS crowd and become only the second team from a non-automatic qualifier school to do so.

We should know better when it comes to TCU. They have teased us before by rolling through a season with an almost perfect record. Back in 2003, the Horned Frogs began the season 10-0 before losing to Southern Mississippi in a big game. This year, they did their part in stopping the hype a bit earlier.

This leaves the door open for another non-automatic qualifier school, who to this point has been a little bit under the radar. The Boise State Broncos are no strangers to undefeated seasons (see 2004), or talk about BCS games (also see 2004). Having been the top team in the WAC conference over the past four years, the Broncos have repeatedly flirted with BCS glory. However, the loss of their coach, Dan Hawkins, to Colorado at the end of last season had Boise State falling off of a lot of maps around the country.

Maybe we dismissed them a little bit early. Boise State is off to a 5-0 start with only one of the wins coming with less than 35 points on the board for the Broncos. They are currently rated #20 in the AP poll, #21 in the Coaches Poll, and #10 in the MRI. And even before the first BCS rankings have been released, they are already beginning the campaign, starting with the WAC commissioner, Karl Benson.

"Any team that were to finish the season 12-0 certainly is a deserving team and should be ranked in the Top 12," Commissioner Karl Benson said during his weekly conference call, where he was peppered with BCS questions. "I have confidence that the system will reward a 12-0 team."

While the commissioner seems confident, it might not be so easy. The BCS selection rules state that Boise State would need to finish higher than 12th in the final BCS rankings, or higher than 16th and beat one of the conference champions with an automatic berth. While it may seem counter-intuitive, they may have a better shot at doing the latter. The top ACC teams in the polls are currently listed in the teens, which could mean that if the ACC division winner with the lower rating wins the ACC championship game, there is good chance that Boise State might be ahead of them. Of course, that is still over 2 months away.

In a compilation of 14 expert ratings, including the MRI, and many of the components of the BCS ratings, Boise State is currently ranked 16th, meaning that they would have to continue to make an impression to move up, since it looks like they are on the verge of falling below the magic number. And considering that in that same poll, the fans have Boise State securely out of the Top 16, their performance so far hasn't exactly been noticed. In addition, it could mean that we will be in for a lot of complaining at the end of the season should Boise State break into the elite club, even given the expanded BCS field.

Keep this all in mind as Boise State takes on Louisiana Tech this weekend. Clemson clobbered the Bulldogs this past week 51-0, and Nebraska beat them 49-10 to begin the season. Those can be a couple of measuring sticks to hold Boise State's performance against.

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October 3, 2006

Ummm, Why?

Well, it seems that someone at ESPN.com doesn't like Chris Leak. While the Florida Gators are undefeated and Chris Leak is one of the leading candidates for the Heisman Trophy award, even on ESPN's site, they post the following web poll question today:

The big question is why? And who are the people watching and voting in the poll that they honestly think that Tim Tebow should be installed as the signal caller? 14% of the voters in Florida even think this way. I can semi-understand the voters in Louisiana voting for Tebow because LSU plays Florida this weekend. However, the rest of the country thinking this way boggles my mind.

Of course, now watch LSU's defense destroy Leak in the pocket when he has trouble scrambling away.

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October 1, 2006

Big XII Recap - Week 5

Missouri’s season so far has been a surprise, going 4-0 and leading the nation in team defense. They may have given up 373 yards against Colorado, but they kept that 0 in the loss column, beating the Buffaloes, 28-13. Sophomore quarterback Chase Daniel was solid once again, throwing for 251 yards and four touchdown passes. Daniel also threw two interceptions, but his offensive power was enough to lead the Tigers to victory.

While the win may seem like another against a so-so team, Colorado was actually ranked in the top ten in defense entering the game, despite their winless record. Missouri was still able to gain over 350 yards on the Buffs, proving that the early part of their season was no fluke. Missouri begins the season 5-0 for the first time since 1981, a year that finished with the Tigers winning the Tangerine Bowl. Missouri will be hoping that their bowl game this time is going to be a bit more high profile, and five wins to begin the season is a great start to guaranteeing just that.

Missouri will face another tough test next week when they take on Texas Tech. The Red Raiders needed a late touchdown pass to get a win over Texas A&M in their conference opener. Texas Tech was still recovering from a tough loss against TCU last week, and for a good portion of the second half, it looked like there was going to be a repeat performance. However, Graham Harrell found Robert Johnson in the corner with less than a minute to go for Johnson’s third score of the afternoon to clinch the win. The loss by the Aggies leaves Missouri as the only team without a loss in the conference.

Nebraska blew a 24-7 lead in their game against Kansas and needed overtime, but still came away with the victory to move to 1-0 in conference, and 4-1 overall. Baylor had no such issues in their game. The Bears led the entire game against Kansas State, winning 17-3.

In other action, Texas finished their non-conference slate with a 56-3 win over Sam Houston, and Iowa State survived Division 1-AA Northern Iowa, 28-27.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. His Big XII recap appears weekly on Blogcritics.org as part of their NCAA Tailgate Cleanup. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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September 21, 2006

Oklahoma - Oregon Officially Jumps the Shark

The term "Jump the Shark", for those of you not already familiar with it, normally refers to when a television show or idea has reached the end of its useful life. It refers to an episode of "Happy Days" when the Fonz decided to jump a shark on water skis. After that episode, most fans of the show decided that Happy Days was all downhill from there. And so, the phrase was created and has stuck ever since.

Now, jumping the shark is not normally applied to sports, although I think a few fans might argue that college football officially jumped the shark when the three letters B-C-S were introduced. I think the controversy in the game between Oklahoma and Oregon has actually gone far enough to officially have jumped the shark.

Why? Because Bob Knight decided he needed to weigh in with his two cents.

You may be thinking that the story had outlived its usefulness when it first broke. We had fans making their own video compilations of the incident, highlighting the errors in the replay booth and on the field. We have had news media on both sides, and even in neutral territories taking their stands. We even had the president of the University of Oklahoma, David Boren, calling for the game to be wiped clean and the officials to be suspended for the entire season.

However, as college football stories go, nothing can get much worse than when a basketball coach at another university feels it is necessary to laugh in the face of Oklahoma because he claims that their school did the same thing to him. Don't let it be said that Knight doesn't know how to hold a grudge I guess, since he is still steamed over a loss by his team to the Sooners back in 2003. Two clock errors in a January game between Texas Tech and Oklahoma allowed the Sooners to ultimately win the game against the Red Raiders. After that game, Knight called for Oklahoma to forfeit the game as replays of the incident clearly showed the errors.

Now, he seems to think that maybe Oklahoma is getting a taste of their own medicine.

"Maybe now those people at Oklahoma understand what I was talking about," Knight told The Oklahoman.

"Had Oklahoma forfeited that game against us like I suggested, they would have gotten far more positive publicity out of that than if they had gone to the Final Four that year. Now I guess the 'duck' is swimming in the other pond."

It is hard to blame Oklahoma for being upset in this incident. Having watched the game, even at full speed, you can clearly see the issues with the calls both on the field and in the booth. The PAC-10 has taken action against the officials, suspending them for one game. Oklahoma has even threatened to pull out of a game in 2008, with Washington, in Seattle, because of the PAC-10 policy on having its conference officials be used when a non-conference game is held in a PAC-10 stadium. As if they think that these same officials would be assigned the game, and possibly the same incident would happen again. I say, go right ahead. Hurt your strength of schedule by scrambling to find an opponent for two years from now. See how you like your championship hopes then. Idle threats probably aren't going to change an entire conference's mind on their policy.

The story started to get a little iffy for me when the death threats starting rolling in against the replay official. I know fans are upset, but this is only a football game. No one is going to be hurt in the long run because of a blown call. No injuries or permanent harm came to someone on the field because of the call. Even if there had been, there is still no reason to take this out on a man by threatening his life repeatedly. It has gotten so bad that the replay official has had to ask for a leave of absence for the rest of the season.

Even after that, the story hadn't hit its low point.

Today was the official date. Bob Knight has no business still carrying a grudge about what happened to him back in 2003. To weigh in on this story when it occurred in a sport that was totally separate from his own and when the situation was much different than his, I find that just wrong.

Coach Knight, your team has over 30 chances during the season to make an impression on a committee that decides who plays in a tournament with 65 teams. In the 2002-3 season when this occurred, your team finished 18-12 against Division I opponents. And no, you didn't make the tournament (for full disclosure, the MRI did have Texas Tech in, the committee just didn't see it that way). But, honestly, at 19-11, with an extra win over the eventually conference tournament champions, do you think your resume would have been that much better to have gotten you in? And who is to say that you couldn't have done more in the other 11 games that you lost to prove your case to the committee.

College football doesn't run like basketball, Mr. Knight. Teams almost have to go undefeated to get to the championship game in the BCS era. And even if they do, teams can sometimes get left out. There are no playoffs. There is no large tournament including almost 20% of the teams. There is only one game with two participants. I see no problem with Oklahoma being upset in the this matter, or complaining (though maybe asking for the game to be wiped out was going a little far). I do have a problem with you, Mr. Knight, laughing in their face because of it. We have constantly seen complaints about you not being mature as a coach. I think you have just proven it once again.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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September 16, 2006

Music 101

Tom Hammond apparently didn't study Music Appreciation when he was in school at Kentucky. He has spent the entire game since it happened claiming that Michigan's Mario Manningham ran into a tuba player on the sidelines.

Tom...

This is a Clarinet. This is a Tuba.

Manningham ran into a girl carrying the former, not the latter, when he scored his third touchdown of the game against Notre Dame. I know you are upset about the Irish losing, but come on man. Do those instruments look at all alike?

If you want a great video of someone running into a brass instrument player, here you go. By the way Tom, I believe he hits a Trombone here. Maybe you can call it as him hitting someone with a drum.:

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Fumble!!!

You think turnovers aren't important in who wins a game? Here is the turnover ratio for the teams that lost their games on Thursday and Friday night.

• Tennessee Tech: -4. Lost to Middle Tennessee State, 44-0
• Maryland: -4. Lost to West Virginia, 45-24
• Kansas: -5. Lost to Toledo in 2OT, 37-31

Kansas's loss is even worse, since one of their turnovers actually came during the overtimes, and stopped an almost certain score.

Next time your team doesn't hold onto the football, you know what is to blame for your loss.

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SEC Notebook

In the midst of all the great games over the weekend, the SEC is beginning its conference season in full force. With Auburn - LSU and Florida - Tennessee matching up today, the top spot in both conference divisions will be on the line. The losers of each of those games have a tough road to the SEC championship and the BCS bowls.

A couple of thoughts on the SEC before this weekend of seriously intense games kick off:

• It is interesting that Steve Spurrier will not be starting Chris Smelley at quarterback this weekend. Former starter Blake Mitchell was arrested earlier this week and suspended from playing on the team. Charges against Mitchell were dropped on Friday, but Spurrier is still keeping Mitchell on the sidelines. He stated that Mitchell was probably not going to be used much in the game against Wofford, even if the incident hadn't occurred. Mitchell is nursing some injuries and has had trouble moving the offense this season for the Gamecocks. Instead, Syvelle Newton will line up under center. Newton has seen some reps at the quarterback position and has the Gamecocks only passing touchdown this season. However, Smelley didn't look bad against Mississippi State when he came in against that very good defense. So the question remains as to why you wouldn't start the freshman against a team from Division 1-AA. It is not like Wofford should pose too much of a challenge for South Carolina. And if they did, it is never too late in that game to switch to Newton at quarterback if needed. But why not get Smelley some confidence at quarterback in a game which should be a simple win for the South Carolina? Arkansas used the same thought process in starting Mitch Mustain at quarterback last week when they played Utah State, a game they won 20-0. Mustain will be back under center this weekend against Vanderbilt, in a game that matters much more. Apparently Chris Smelley isn't ready for prime time in the eyes of Steve Spurrier. It will be interesting to see how much work he gets today in what should be an easy win.
• Speaking of Mustain, this note from ESPN's Insider rundown of the SEC before the week began:
  

  In particular, first-year offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn wants to run more of his hurry-up, no-huddle attack as Mustain becomes more comfortable.

  
  It might just be me, but didn't Mustain play under Malzahn in high school just last season? I understand that the game changes a bit in college, but Malzahn scheme probably hasn't changed that much. The ESPN article does say that Mustain is not used to lining up under the center as he took most of his snaps in high school from the shotgun, but it seems to be that that is a weak excuse to use for dumbing down an offense that a quarterback should know very well at this point. Look for Dareen McFadden to still get a large number of carries this week against the weak Vanderbilt defense. The Commodores have given up an average of 190 yards a game on the ground in their first two contests.
• Joe Tereshinski is out at quarterback for Georgia after injuring his ankle against South Carolina last weekend. Freshman Matt Stafford will take over as he did last weekend. Stafford could be the starter over the next four years if things go well while Tereshinski is out. That would put him up there with David Greene in Georgia quarterback lore. Greene might want to keep an eye on his SEC records if Stafford is able to turn around a performance that saw him throwing 3 interceptions in a back-up role against the Gamecocks.
• The biggest obstacle to Tennessee wining this week might not be Florida. Instead, it is the injuries that the Vols are trying to overcome. Starting corner Inquoris Johnson is out after undergoing surgery this week for some pretty horrific injuries suffered during Tennessee's game against Air Force last weekend. The word is that Inky may never play football again after the surgery repaired torn blood vessels and nerve damage in his shoulder area. This could open up an already strong passing game for Florida. Starting running back Arian Foster might also be out after spraining his ankle. If Foster is out, the Florida defense will be able to concentrate on stopping Erik Ainge and the pass a bit more. And defensive tackle Justin Harrell postponed his surgery on torn bicep muscles to play in this game. It might be just me, but I think he is going to need those muscles to get around the offensive line of Florida and pressure Chris Leak. All these injuries could make for a long day in Knoxville, and a big day for Chris Leak's Heisman hopes.

To close, a little humor from an email sent to me by Blogcritics Sports Editor, Matt Sussman, even if it has nothing to do with the SEC:

Oh God. Syracuse plays Illinois. Failure never looked so orange.

Enjoy the games.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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September 15, 2006

Why Did This Take So Long?

The whole story about Reggie Bush and his family taking money bothers me. I don't doubt the research of the Yahoo! writers who have broke the story. I am sure they have their sources and they have the documentation trail to back it up.

And let's be honest here. None of the alleged extra funding affected Bush's performance on the field, or the performance of the USC team. They still would have been the dominant team that they were and I would still have given the Heisman trophy to Bush last season.

However, what does bother me is the method in which this story is being released, and how it has been so slow to evolve over the past five months.

The first time we heard about the money was right before the draft. Back then, the story only involved Bush's parents getting a house for "free". This is the same house they mysteriously vacated soon after Bush graduated from USC and was about to be drafted #2 overall by the New Orleans Saints. The story involved a man who claimed that he and Bush's step-father had gotten together with the idea of starting a sports marketing firm around Bush. That deal fell through somewhere down the line, but meanwhile, Bush's step-father, mother, and brother, all lived in the San Diego home owned by the potential business partner.

And while all this was bandied about, no one really wanted to look deeper. USC disassociated themselves with the whole thing. The PAC-10 did say that they started an investigation back in April, but strangely, with the release of the new allegations on Thursday, the PAC-10 said that they did not have the documents that the Yahoo! writers have, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Pacific-10 Conference Commissioner Tom Hansen said that, to his knowledge, the conference did not have information regarding Yahoo's report on Reggie Bush.

How is that possible? If you were investigating someone since April,