October 2008 Archives
Here you go, your SuperSerious SuperSaturday Soothsaying:
Northwestern (6-2) at No. 17 Minnesota (7-1), Noon, ESPN2
“Tyrell Sutton? Sutton? Sutton…..?” Not since Ferris Bueller took a day off will a suburban Chicago student be this missed by his classmates. The magic continues in the Twin Cities, as the GGs could actually reverse last season’s 1-11 record in ’08.
Josh Hartnetts 31, Zach Braffs 17
West Virginia (5-2) at No. 25 Connecticut (6-2), Noon
Color wars! It’s summer camp all over again as Brown (Donald Brown of U Conn, the nation’s leading rusher) battles White (Pat White of the Mountaineers). The ‘neers are 5-0 at home this season and 0-2 on the road.
Insurance 27, Deliverance 25
Wisconsin (4-4) at No. 21 Michigan State (7-2), Noon, ESPN
Character win for Sparty last weekend in Ann Arbor, who keep their hopes for a Rose Bowl berth alive if they can pummel the Badgers this weekend. I’m sure there’s some archaic, arcane trophy these two play for when they meet, but I just lack the energy to care.
S Helmets 29, W Helmets 21
No. 18 Tulsa (8-0) at Arkansas (3-5), 2 p.m.
You remember Gus Malzahn, right? Successful prep coach in Arkansas, heads to Fayetteville with his blue-chip QB, Mitch Mustain, then he and Mustain both pull a Steve Levy (“Get outta town!”) after just one season. Malzahn is now the offensive coordinator of the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense. The Golden Hurricane have a very slim chance for a BCS bowl berth, but an emphatic win against an SEC opponent would certainly aid their cause.
Hogs 33, Lustrous Storms 28
Happy Halloween, especially to the dude on the Metro North train who last night was explaining to his female colleague how he and three friends were going as the U.S. Olympic men's 4x100 swim relay team. "We got those bodysuits, cost $100," he says. "You wouldn't believe how tight they are."
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Are we human, or are we dancer? I am not smart enough to answer that question. I'm not even smart enough to ask that question. It is an inquiry best left to the experts, to either Brandon Flowers or Cloris Leachman.
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Hemogoblins
I find myself falling under the thrall of HBO's True Blood, which is arguably the most intriguing cajuns-meet-vampires show ever seen on television. I usually find producer Alan Ball ("American Beauty", "Six Feet Under") beyond pretentious, and there are aspects of this show that are kin to that. But Anna Paquin (going blonde as Sookie Stackhouse) is fantastic--she's come so far since Almost Famous. She's all growed up.
A few other observations:
1) Merlotte's, the Cajun roadrouse diner that resembles a joint the Budweiser frogs might hang outside of and serves as the main set of the show, must be a moniker homage to famed Cajun joint Mulate's. No?
2) If you were wondering what ever happened to Lane's husband, Zach, from Gilmore Girls, he's now a short order cook at Merlotte's. (yes, of course that's the reason I love this show). You can also find Stephen Root (Newsradio's Jimmy James) as an effete homosexual bloodsucker.
3) The best new term on television is fangbanger, which in the context of True Blood refers to a human who's a vampire wannabe, who prefers slumming with vampires. The term is brilliant, a co-opting of gangbanger (as well as, to a degree _ag hag) and has inspired the following Kazurinskyisms from yours truly:
A human who enjoys slumming with an Oscar-winning director of a gay cowboy film would be an....Angbanger.
A human who enjoys slumming with astronauts would be a....Tangbanger.
A human who enjoys slumming with marsupials would be a...Kangbanger.
And a human who enjoys slumming with magical cars that inspire songs to be written about them would be a....Chitty Chitty Bang Banger. (and why can't Detroit build a car such as this?)
In 6th grade I loved Celine Dion and Matthew McConaughey. Today, half of that duo would still be legit. But regardless, at the tender age of 11, there aren't words available to describe the possibility of meeting the one person you admire most. Yesterday, a sixth grader at George G. White Middle School in NJ had the kind of day no kid forgets.
Chase entered and won the "Bring an NFL Player to Work" contest. The prize? An NFL player in the area arrives in a limo and takes the winner to school where together the two promote the importance of fitness. Chase told me of all the players he could choose, Amani Toomer of the NY Giants was the one he wanted to meet the most. Lucky for him, Amani was the player assigned to hang out with the winner.
While those two were hanging out at Chase's home, enjoying a nice breakfast (fruit) and posing for pictures, the faculty and students at the school were itching for any sign of the limo. I was hanging out in the principal's room. Well, me and John Discepolo of CBS 2 and Otis Livingston of WNBC 4. There aren't really that many spots in a middle school for people who are over five feet to stand and not get noticed or in the way.
A great prank... all of the kids were brought into the auditorium and were waiting for the arrival of Amani and Chase. Otis, being a little funny, walked in waving as if he was the man all the kids were waiting for. The place erupted into cheers; I burst into tears of laughter. It was hilarious.
After the official visit was over, Amani and I sat down to speak. I said, "Of all the times you are referred to as a role model, when you walk into a school like this and see the kind of reaction these kids have over you, does it re-emphasize the impact you have?" He responded by saying of course but then went on to say how it's amazing to him that someone whom he's never met or heard of before could be that happy to meet him. I asked him when he was in sixth grade, who would he have wanted to bring to school with him? He thought for a second, smiled and said: "Jerry Rice."
Every weekend NFL players run onto a field surrounded by tens of thousands of fans wearing their jerseys and screaming their names. I don't think that situation is intimate enough to register on a consistent basis what those players mean to little kids like Chase. It's a cool contest (going on throughout the country) and I think both sides get rewarded. The athletes are reminded (and probably warmed to know) that what they represent to young kids goes beyond big hits and scoring TD's. And the kids.. well who could forget a day like that?
I'll link to the interview once it's up.
More than a few interesting bits of tid to be gleaned from Dave Wannstache's press conference on Monday, as it was finely recounted by Paul "i before e except after Z" Zeise of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Among the items:
--Both Pitt QBs, starter Bill Stull and backup Pat Bostick, are off limits to the media this week. Stull left last weekend's loss to Rutgers with a concussion and sprained neck (he was taken to the hospital) and my bet is that he will not play this week.
--Starting center Robb Houser is also gone, lost for the rest of the season with a broken ankle. So Pitt potentially will march into Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday with an entirely new exchange duo at center and QB. Starting left guard C.J. Davis moves from left guard to center, meaning that there will be some new assignments to be learned this week for Pitt's O-line.
--After winning five straight, including an impressive prime-time Thursday night win at ranked USF in early October, Pitt took quite a step backward in losing at home to Rutgers. While the loss itself was just a mild upset, allowing 54 points was a shock. Wannstache would not specify, but there could be one or two new starters in the defensive secondary come Saturday. When asked if he thought the Irish would see some things on tape that Rutgers did successfully that they themselves would exploit, the Pitt head coach replied, "Yes...Notre Dame might throw it sixty times against us."
--Pitt's last visit to South Bend was Ty Willingham's final home game as the Irish head coach. Before that game, you could say that Willingham's future still hung in the balance. Notre Dame had just scored an impressive road win at No. 9 Tennessee (17-14) thanks to a terrific defensive effort (particularly by linebacker Mike Goolsby) and it was thought that he could still save his job by winning one of the last two against Pitt and at USC. Instead, the Irish lost a 41-38 heartbreaker to Pitt via a field goal with 0:01 remaining.
You thought the tie All-Star game a few years back was bad? That would've been nothing had Carlos Pena not saved the day - and baseball - last night in the top of the 6th inning. Can you imagine if, instead of lining one to left to score BJ Upton, Pena had made the third out and the Phillies still led 2-1? Would they have still stopped the game? Would they have had the guts to risk not being able to come back out after a delay?
Tim McCarver was dead nuts on - Pena's hit saved baseball from an all-time embarrassing episode. How could they ever live down their World Series Champion winning the deciding game in a 5 1/2 inning game? They couldn't. The poor Rays, sent to the clubhouse and never able to return. The Phillies, forced to suddenly get exicted and celebrate a World Series title - the childhood dream of all 25 players and every single manager - after winning a game shorter than a high school contest. The long suffering Philadelphia fans, who could almost taste the first title for the city in 25 years, not even still in the building to join in on the party. And Bud Selig, awkwardly trying to answer questions from the media, giving that same shrug we saw back in Milwaukee in 2002. (PS: I don't believe what Bud is saying - that they would've suspended the game no matter what the score. That's crap.)
So on behalf of baseball fans everywhere, thank you Carlos Pena. You just saved baseball.
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Couple other thoughts from the World Series so far ...
-As my buddy Will said last night on the phone, "I'm suffering from my first case of baseball blue balls."
-My college baseball coach had an amazing way of needling umpires. If we were batting and he disagreed with a call, he would say something like this from the 3rd base coaching box: "Hey Matt, step out of the box. Did he really just call that a strike? WOW. That's okay, he's a good ump, he'll give that one back." I bring this up because he would've had a good time with this World Series umpiring crew, who have been worse than dreadful. Blown calls, fake calls, bad strike zones, rabbit ears ... really, this is the best they could do?
-As a Mets fan, you'd think I'd be rooting for the Rays. And I am. Pull for the underdog. But honestly, a Phillies title won't be the worst thing in the world. The Mets have done their damage - the Phillies winning won't do anything to improve my psyche as a Mets fan. Plus, the Phillies are a pretty likable team. Chase Utley is a great guy. There's not a lot to dislike about Cole Hamels, except maybe his hair and the hat that's 2 sizes too big. Jimmy Rollins is a ballsy guy. Pat The Bat is weird and awesome. Still waiting to see or hear something that makes Ryan Howard seem like a bad dude. And Charlie Manuel seems like he'd be a cool grandpa. So even though that crew has tormented my favorite sports team for two straight years, it's difficult to despise the guys doing the tormenting.
-Actually, there is an easy reason to despise them: Shane Victorino. Sorry, just can't take a guy who still wears a little league helmet seriously.
-So who do the Phillies go with in the 7th inning? They have a good bullpen, but how about this: you know how some managers use a starter coming out of the bullpen on 1 day of rest because it's their normal day to throw? If they get washed out again tonight, would Manuel bring back Hamels and let him keep pitching?
The Titans just got into the end zone for the first time tonight and the dude who saved the drive was Brandon Jones who reached behind himself on a third-and-9 throw that was good for 15 yards down to the Colts 2. Justin McCareins also had a big 23-yard catch earlier in the drive on third-and-10 and the Titans scored on a third-and-goal from the Indy 1. They needed to get the two-point conversion to tie it and - after pounding the left side of their offensive line on three plays inside the 1, they faked the dive there and had Kerry Collins boot to the right where he hit fullback Ahmard Hall for the conversion.
I got a feeling Indy's going to take care of business though. They are ripping off yards on the ground in this second half.
In his tremendous blog, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News details Mike Singletary's Monday press conference after Sunday's postgame meltdown.
Two interesting points. One, when asked about the effectiveness of quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan who got the big cane on Sunday, Singletary said, "If he had done a good job of managing the games, then we wouldn't be talking about what we're talking about now. I just think that JT sometimes, it can happen to a lot of quarterbacks, sometimes you get into a situation where you want to win, you want to make a play, you want to make things happen, and sometimes you do too much."
Singletary also went on to say that he will not have a doghouse where he quarantines players and doesn't talk to them. He'll try to get the guys he thinks are lacking attitudinally and fix them. And he said that Vernon Davis isn't a cancer. But that there are some on the Niners roster.
As we close in on halftime with Tennessee pinned deep in its end and more in clock-killing mode than outright aggression, it appears we'll get to halftime with Indy leading 7-6.
And that means the yanked 43-yarder by Bironas and the 15-yard personal foul on Cortland Finnegan that preceded it are having an impact on the score right now.
Titans kicker Rob Bironas just pulled a field goal attempt from 43 yards wide to the left leaving the score at 7-6 after the Titans took over deep in Indy territory after a pick. A 15-yard personal foul on Titans corner Cortland Finnegan backed the Titans up after the pick and, in theory, cost the Titans points. You'll remember Finnegan and teammate Keith Bulluck had an on-field dustup earlier this season when Finnegan took a personal foul against the Ravens.
Finding Dallas Clark with a 26-yard strike down the middle and then going back to him for a 10-yard touchdown pass, Peyton Manning's got the Colts up 7-3. Albert Haynesworth was breathing down Manning's neck on the TD pass but got there a hair late.
That was just the second touchdown pass the Titans have allowed this season. Meanwhile, Nick Harper and safety Vincent Fuller are having an animated discussion on the Titans sidelines. Now Fuller's being tutored on the sidelines. Apparently, he was somewhere he wasn't supposed to be at some point.
A nice opening drive for Tennessee capped by a 34-yard field goal by Rob Bironas. The Titans used 11 plays, mixing in short Kerry Collins throws and Chris Johnson runs. Tennessee needed a good start to get the heat off its offense and it got it. Now let's see how cutthroat the Titans defense feels tonight.
One note, Dave Ball, who's taking the place of Vanden Bosch, got hurt on the opening kickoff and looked to be in a bad way but he was soon jogging up and down the sidelines and looks ready to get on the field. He looked like he had a stinger in my professional opinion (snort!).
It's frosty here in Nashville (one of the US of A's most underrated cities). The surprise fashion in which Tennessee's gotten to where they are (6-0) is evident outside the stadium where a giant mural of backup quarterback Vince Young is the first face that welcomes fans to LP Field.
Titans fans are bedecked in blue (they've got a Code Blue promotion going on where all the fans are wearing powder blue t-shirts that were handed out before the game).
The big personnel situation leading into this one...Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch (groin) is still out. As for the Colts, no Joseph Addai, no Kelvin Hayden and no Bob Sanders.
I like the Titans in this one. Convincingly. 24-13.
Is in the house. ... now he's going to burp out the anthem.
It wasn't that bad...Better than anticipated. ...But he looks like he's got breath that could peel wallpaper.
Tyrone Willingham is out at Washington. You probably already know that. Washington's 0-7 record, and Willingham's 11-32 record with the Huskies, probably is not about to change your mind as to whether or not you believe Notre Dame was justified in firing him. However, as the aftermath has better than slightly proven, Notre Dame certainly upgraded in terms of coaching acumen.
Yes, the Irish finished 3-9 this season. Notre Dame had the season in 2007 that Michigan is having in 2008. But I don't believe Rich Rodriguez cannot coach as much as I know that all of his talent are underclassmen. And while a team can survive a few true freshmen and sophomores on the two-deep, there is a point beyond which it becomes untenable.
The most illuminating aspect of Saturday night's 33-7 Irish win is just how opposite the directions Notre Dame and U-Dub are traveling. However the Irish finish this season (I'll go with 8-4), I can guarantee you they'll be better in '09 and even better in '10. Whereas UW, had they not fired W, seemed headed further backward.
Yes, the Irish began 8-0 under Willingham and some of the wins were genuinely impressive: None more than the win at Florida State. But a few of those victories were duct-taped together, in particular the home win against Purdue and the road win at Michigan State. And I think the offense scored like one TD in the first two games (both wins, thanks to cornerback Shane Walton and special teams).
1. Can The Cowboys Get Over Themselves?
Was it refreshing for the Cowboys to take out the Bucs Sunday to close out their October From Hell? Certainly. But they don't need to dislocate a shoulder patting themselves on the back. After the 13-9 win over Tampa, owner Jerry Jones gave head coach Wade Phillips the game ball. First, why the owner's handing out game balls is anyone's guess. Second, Dallas needs to hold up on the cartwheels and get their minds right for the trip to New York to play the Giants. Dallas (5-3) is looking up at the 6-2 Redskins and 7-1 Giants as we enter the second half of the season. On the upside for Dallas? If Tampa doesn't win the NFC South (the Bucs trail Carolina by a game currently) they will likely be in Wild Card contention right up to the end and Dallas now has a head-to-head tiebreaker on them.
2. Whose Psyche Got Crunched Worse, Bills or Cardinals?
The Bills were playing their first AFC East game of the season down in Miami. They led 16-7. And then they got outscored 18-0 in the game's final 23 minutes. So now, despite being the darlings of the AFC along with the Titans for the first portion of the season, they are now actually tied with New England for first in the AFC East at 5-2. Three fumbles, a pick and a safety in the fourth quarter from the surprisingly useful Joey Porter helped send Miami reeling. Now what for Buffalo? Well, to be honest, their schedule still isn't that daunting. They have two each with the Patriots and Jets, one more with Miami and then Denver, San Fran, Kansas City and Cleveland. They ought to be fine. As for Arizona, they had a similar deal in Carolina, leading 17-3 in the third before losing 27-23. The Cardinals went through a thorough defensive meltdown as the Panthers scored on a six-play, 80-yard drive, a 1-play, 18-yard drive and a 3-play, 73-yard drive. However, the NFC West is the worst division in the NFL so Arizona still sits pretty with a two-game lead with their 4-3 record.
3. Can Mike Singletary Get Away With This Approach?
Bet your paycheck. In what passes for analysis, The Fraternal Order of Cliche Spewing Ex-Players and the sycophantic desk jockeys sitting next to them will be orgasmic about Mike Singletary sending tight end Vernon Davis to his room without supper. I just saw the guys on Fox trying to one up each other on why Singletary's tirade about Davis' selfishness (he slapped a Seahawk and drew a penalty) means he'll be a great coach. Actually, all it means is he'll be a great disciplinarian. Or an attention-seeking one.
In a fiery press conference, Singletary said he'd rather play with 10 players than have a player like Davis on the field putting himself ahead of the team. He also apologized to the fans as he walked off the field at Candlestick.
There are instances where a little hardassedness is warranted. Dallas, for instance. And maybe it's been what's lacking in San Francisco.
But if the game plans suck, or the decisions suck, or the players suck, or the game management sucks, it doesn't matter how "scared" the players are of the head coach. He's still not a "great coach." Bill Belichick wouldn't call out a player publicly if you threatened him at gunpoint. He gets results and respect. Mike Ditka played the game Singletary appears to be getting ready to play. Overall, he was an average head coach that was a caricature of himself by the time he stepped down.
It is worth noting, however, that this is an area in which former players can do things as head coaches that guys who didn't play in the league couldn't pull off. Because he's Mike Singletary, one of the best middle linebackers ever to play, he will get leeway with this style (for the time being) more than a guy like Belichick or Tony Sparano would if he tried showing up a player publicly. But Singletary's slapping trump cards down early. If the hardass approach doesn't work, he'll have an important ploy removed from his toolbelt. As for the apologizing? Little bit of grandstanding. Was he apologizing for everything - game plan, coaching and level of play - or just for the players' performance? Slippery. Slope.
4. Who Wins First...Lions or Bengals?
Detroit loses to Washington on Sunday. Cincy gets blown out by Houston. Both are 0-7. But even though the Lions seem to be closing in on a victory, they have a tough road coming up. They are at the Bears, Panthers, Colts and Packers and host the Jags, Bucs, Titans, Vikings and Saints. There's a win in there somewhere, right? I'm betting December 7 against the Vikings. As for the Bengals? Today was their best chance for a while. The rest of the way they host the Jags, Eagles, Ravens, Skins and Chiefs. They visit the Steelers, Colts and Browns. They're getting to 0-15 before they beat KC in the finale. Book it.
5. Can Favre Take Much More?
Ol' Brett doesn't seem to be having much fun this season. Nor is he playing very well. He had three picks Sunday in the Jets narrow win over Kansas City. But this performance will be a blip compared to the Valentines that were penned and broadcast for him when he threw six TDs earlier this year.
Meanwhile, the Favre PR machine kept on cranking, trying to make sure Favre's folksy, regular-guy image remains intact against attacks by media types he hasn't yet co-opted.
It's a fascinating dynamic. In order for Favre to remain the needle-mover he's always been for TV - NBC included - it's best if the mythology of Brett stays intact. And if the media isn't giving appropriate voice to that mythology and is reporting on questionable decisions made by Favre, then it appears his camp will take it upon itself to spin. What's the endgame in all this? Is it winning a title? Just playing? Collecting money? Adulation? Fun? Lending an identity to those around him? Dismounting into TV? The longer this season goes, the closer we seem to be to finding out.
The Bills looked good to improve to 6-1 today before they got blitzed by a Dolphins run in the third and fourth. Buffalo was up 16-7 before the Dolphins awoke. Chad Pennington's gone off with 314 yards on 22 of 30 throwing. Ted Ginn's got 175 yards receiving.
This was the Bills first division game so, despite being as good as they've been, they're going to be tied with New England which is sewing up an entertaining win over the Rams right now.
Matt Cassel was just picked for the second time in the second half as Fakhir Brown tangled feet with Wes Welker, got Welker to fall and then came up with the pick. Not Cassel's fault. Nor was the pick he threw on the first Patriots possession of the half when a pass intended for Randy Moss was picked on the ricochet.
The Rams have gotten three points out of the two turnovers. They also failed to get points off recovered onsides kick to start the second half.
New England is going to have its hands full with the Rams today because of their explosive downfield attack. Already, St. Louis has converted a fourth down and then completed a long one to Donnie Avery to get inside the Pats red zone. New England corner Deltha O'Neal got hurt on the throw to Avery so now the Pats are down the depth chart to a gentleman named Mike Richardson. He'll be playing corner.
The Rams settled for a field goal. 3-0, Whams.
Plaxico Burress opted to blow off treatments for his neck injury this week. Fox Sports reports this morning that the Giants have opted to let Burress miss at least the start of their interconference showdown with the Steelers.
The report says that, if the Giants perform well in Pittsburgh, Burress may be cooling his heels the entire game.
Meanwhile, some of Burress' Giants teammates are long since sick of Burress. When Burress was benched for a game against Seattle earlier this month and New York won, one of Burress' teammates said to me in the locker room, "You think anyone gives a (crap) whether he's here or not?"
It's a pretty precipitous drop for Burress from last February when he seemed to be trending toward growing up. Playing in pain on a bad ankle for most of 2007, Burress capped the Giants improbable Super Bowl win with the winning TD catch. But in the offseason, he agitated for a new contract, got it in early September and has since been nothing more than a distraction.
Last week, he upbraided an official and whipped a football into the stands, earning himself $45K in fines. That after the one-game suspension earlier in the season. And now he's grounded. Some leader.
extended the guy on Septmeber 4 so that he's pulling $7 million per year.
An Ohio Stadium-record crowd of 105,711 is witnessing a field-goal kicking contest that is speeding by faster than ABC's programmers can control. We're already in the 4th quarter. By the way, this breaks the old record by three entire people. That's like, what, less than .01%?
To this point, we've had no touchdowns and three field goals. No turnovers. Wait! Pryor just coughed it up. The ball kicked around like a greased pig, and finally Penn State recovered. Now Pat Devlin is in for Darryl Clark. I cannot tell if Clark is hurt or angry. He's off standing by himself at the opposite 40 as penn State drives in for a TD.
Even if Penn State wins, what does this game say about the Big Ten? I appreciate how good both defenses are, but will people want to see such fundamental (i.e., boring) offenses as opposed to anyone from the Big 12's top four? Or the winner of Florida-Georgia? You can make the argument that next Saturday is college football's Final Four with Georgia-Florida and Texas-Texas Tech.
Meanwhile, perhaps Penn State will go undefeated--Pat Devlin just scored to put them up 10-6-- but the Spread HD certainly looks a lot like my old black-and-white Zenith tonight. Is that enough to justify a spot in the final game to be played this year?
Swift first half here in Columbus, clocking in at just over 60 minutes.
The 3-3 score is indicative of two similar teams. Two outstanding defenses. Two quarterbacks with happy--and lethal-feet. Two no-name wideouts (Salzenbacher!, Zug) who have 50ish yard catches. And a time of possession that is near dead-even (Penn State 15:03, Ohio State 14:57).
The only major disparity is in rush defense. Penn State has held the Buckeyes to 16 yards on 15 carries, while Ohio State has allowed 53 yards on 14 carries. Difficult to win if 1) you cannot run and, 2) Mike Leach isn't your head coach.
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Just watched the dotting-of-the-i at halftime. I know that we college football sportswriters get all swoony over this, but it really is equal to the hype. The best part is watching when two lines need to criss-cross, as when the drum major is leading the line through the pre-existing "O". Remember, it's cursive. Let posterity show that sousaphone player Nick Stefanik of North Royalton, Ohio, dotted the "i" tonight. And that the only non-sousaphone players to ever dot the "i" have been Jack Nicklaus, Woody Hayes and Bob Hope. So, no, while LeBron James may be on the sidelines tonight, there are still some honors that are beyond him.
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And, just a few plays into the 3rd quarter, Penn State burns its first time of the half. Never a good idea. It may be 3rd-and-7 at midfield, but JoePa, you're going to want that later. Yes, I'm giving the winning I-A coach of all time coaching pointers. I realize how ridiculous that is.
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Almost forgot to mention the cool thing Ohio State does when it first appears on the field before the game. The entire team holds hands and walks out in a phalanx. They line up on the goal line, between the hashmarks and rock back and forth as AC/DC's "Hell's Bells" plays in the background. And as a courtesy I remind you that AC/DC's latest release, "Black Ice" (not "Black Guys") is available exclusively at Wal-Mart.
No, that chant is not resounding inside the Shoe. Fact is, Penn State has a Jack Black-Kyle Gass. The Nittany Lions are one play shy, as I type this, of having shut out opponents for four consecutive quarters. Ohio State is lining up for a 41-yard field goal with :07 left to tie the score.
And, Aaron Petrie's attempt is good. At the half, it's 3-3.
By the way, Ohio Stadium is one of those places where each team enters/exits from its own end zone tunnel, but the respective tunnels are across the field from where each squad stands on the sideline. Hence, at the half the teams must criss-cross. The things that designers fail to take into account.
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Meanwhile in Seattle, Jimmy Clausen appears to be having a poor game so far (9-21, 133 yards, 1 TD, 1 pick), but the Irish lead 17-0 at the half. The defense played its best half of the season, allowing just 40 yards, but this is a very, very talent-deprived Husky outfit minus Jake Locker.
Wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher! is not listed on Ohio State's 2-deep chart. However, 22 minutes into the game, he is the Buckeyes' leading receiver with three catches. His latest was his most important, as Terrelle Pryor hit him on a 50-yarder on a 3rd-and-7 from the Buckeyes' own 7.
It was a classic Pryor play...am I allowed to say that about a true frosh? Pryor dropped back, into the end zone, then feeling the non-existent heat, stepped up to the left and thought about running. Penn State LB Tyrell Sales was forced to commit on Pryor. That left Sanzenbacher! wide open. You spend all week game-planning for the Brians (Hartline, Robiskie) and the Wells (Beanie, Maurice) and then Sanzenbacher! kills you.
And now Penn State returns the volley with their own Sanzenbacher!, wideout Graham Zug. The sophomore (as is Sanzenbacher!) from Manheim, Pa.,just hauled in a 49-yarder from Clark for their deepest threat of the game. It's the first time either side has advanced into the red zone. Nicely done by the Manheim Steamroller.
At about 6:45 p.m. Dennis Dodd, the friendly writer from CBS Sportsline, made the mistake of approaching our table and sharing with us that Joe Pa was scheduled to stroll into his press box at 7:50 p.m. Well, you know how the national media loves a scene set.
At about 7:47 p.m. I left my blog perch to stroll, ever so nonchalantly, over to the visiting coaches press box. Dodd was already there, trying to stand inconspicuously next to the door. We teased each other briefly, but then we looked down the hall and saw an entire herd approaching: Austin, Stewart Mandel, Kelly Whiteside from USA Today, Ivan Maisel, The Fabulous Teddy Greenstein from the Chicago Tribune (all of us present or former SI employees). Hilarious.
When Joe Pa finally did emerge from the elevator, we all just stood to the side as if we were watching a parade. He stopped to say hello to an Ohio State official ("How's the family?") and then walked over, cane in his left hand, to his press box spot.
Greetings from Ohio Stadium, alias The Horseshoe, so called because that is what it resembles...or at least used to, before they enclosed the south end zone.
Went out to dinner with my great friend Austin Murphy last night on High Street. We didn't make any reservations, so when we walked into a place with available seating, we were psyched. Then it turned out to be a wine bar. Austin was convinced that they thought we were a gay couple. I was upset because two different people told me I was overchicked. Either way, ordering one piece of cheesecake likely did little to disabuse the other wine sippers of that notion. At least Austin has a wedding ring.
It wasn't too chilly this afternoon, so I walked the nearly three miles from my hotel to the Shoe (don't tell my bosses, though, because they'll still be getting a $20 taxi receipt). On the way, being so early, I ducked into The O Patio & Pub, which is the type of saloonery every major college town has nowadays. Multiple levels, patio seating, and notorious theme drinks. The theme drink at the O, from what I observed, is a pitcher emblazoned with the words LIQUID DOPE.
The LD, from what I was able to observe, is a libation that incorporates at least four different liquors (rum, gin, vodka and peach brandy) and a generous helping of orange juice, and I'm sure it tastes just as yummy on the way back up as on the way down. This is a "Drink! Drink! Drink!" concoction. (cue Dean Wormer quote).
Arrived at the north end of the Shoe just as the Buckeyes were making the walk into the stadium (about 6 p.m.). Caught a glimpse of a very upbeat Terrelle Pryor, who was clad in a blue suit. As he walked through the tunnel of humanity, he stopped briefly to hand a small green booklet (a Bible?) to a male Buckeye student.
Grabbed some chow in the press box with Austin and Stewart Mandel of SI and Ivan Maisel and Adam Rittenberg of the ESPN. The chatter was about how people were getting to Lubbock next week in the wake of Texas Tech's and Texas' wins today. If you live in Lubbock, have an available room, and can withstand the visual of a sportswriter showering at your home, you can probably rent out your room for at least $200 per night next weekend.
Are you watching what's happening in the Sunflower State?
Texas Tech and Oklahoma are engaging in an offensive shootout, even though they happen to be playing 85 miles apart from one another. The Sooners have already put up 55 at Kansas State late in the first half. The Red Raiders have 56 points--and safety Darcell McBath just grabbed his third interception of the third quarter alone-- at Kansas.
Here in my hotel room in Columbus, the Tech-KU game is on. And, man, I am impressed with Mike Leach's team. The Guns Up! Gang have had eight possessions (excluding one just before halftime when they ran out the clock) and scored eight touchdowns. Graham Harrell has thrown five touchdown passes and has thrown just eight incomplete passes.
And everyone's favorite halftime contest winner, Matt Williams, already has kicked eight PATs in the first collegiate game of his career.
It's kind of fun to have '89 Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware calling this game, since his Houston Cougars were the original Spread offense (at least that I can recall). Ware just told his partner in the booth, Dave Pasch, that the Red Raiders look a lot like his former Cougar team--well, except for center Brandon Carter, the tatted-up, face-painted, lip-pierced 6-7, 350-pound Wrestlemania wannabe.
Just after noon. Seated at Deli Brothers in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Situated at the corner of High and Long Streets. "High...Long".... "Name two adjectives that describe most of the Toronto Raptors." (Thank you, Carnac).
Had a choppy flight in this morning. There were about three minutes where it felt like the flight Stillwater ("Fever Dog!") took in Almost Famous. And sure, you wouldn't have missed me all that much had we gone down, but you would've missed the host of College Gameday. I'm convinced that is what saved us.
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Do you mind if, on your behalf, I thank Tampa Bay Ray Jason Bartlett for winning the entire nation a free taco? You know, as part of their "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" campaign. Here's the funny part, as CNBC's Darren Rovell reported. Bartlett, the first player to steal a base in the Fall Classic, did so in the bottom of the 5th in Game 1. However, in the top of the 5th inning Ryan Howard of the Phillies walked.
And why might that have been a problem for Taco Bell, and all of us? Because a condition of the deal is that the player who steals the base must say a few nice words about Taco Bell and chalupas and what not. And as you may already know, Howard is a spokesman for Subway.
Meanwhile, I wonder if Vlasic is sponsoring the first player to be caught in a rundown this World Series. "Get Caught in a Pickle, Win a Pickle."
Some more picks for Saturday...
Virginia (4-3) at No. 21 Georgia Tech (6-1) 3:30 p.m., ESPNU
First-year Yellow Jackets head coach Paul Johnson has won ten of his past eleven games. Nobody in the biz can claim a better record in that same span. The non-LeBron Cavaliers have turned around their season this month, going 3-0 in October following a 1-3 start.
Tara 24, Monticello 17
No. 2 Alabama (7-0) at Tennessee (3-4) 7:45 p.m., ESPN
Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen took in last Saturday’s Vol win versus Mississippi State. His sister is a student there. Phil Fulmer probably wishes he’d been the third Clausen brother to play there, as Tennessee has the most anemic scoring offense in the SEC East. Bama will miss nose tackle Terrence “the Mountain” Cody, but not that much.
Lynyrd Skynyrd 30, Arrested Development 14
1. Could Knee Infection Impact Tom Brady's 2009?
Three (three!!!) separate procedures have been done in an effort to eradicate the infection in Tom Brady's left knee since he had his initial ACL reconstruction surgery on Oct. 6. In Thursday's Boston Herald, Karen Guregian reports that Brady's L.A. doctor, Neal ElAttrache, has been in there three times to clean out the infection that cropped up after the initial surgery which used a patella tendon graft to replace the ripped ACL. The concern, Guregian writes, is that the infection may attack the graft, ruin it and then that will need replacing so Brady will be back where he began. Which was unplanned. And, given the virtually nonstop parade of rainbows and unicorns that have accompanied Brady's NFL career so far, it's also very foreign. Figuring there's a nine-month convalesence for an NFL player with a conventional ACL repair, Brady stood a chance of being ready for the start of training camp with the Oct. 6 procedure. But with the infection, the timetable and rehab process gets pushed back so the nine-month window is now coming up on early August. And if it has to be redone, you're into September. Brady, who had a statement on his newly-christened website last week hasn't had anything to add.
2. So, Brett, How Do You Like New York?
Of the 26 questions Brett Favre faced in his Wednesday press conference, 23 were related to his conversation with ex-Lions GM Matt Millen prior to Favre's ex-team, the Packers, playing Detroit in Week 2. That stat courtesy of hardworking Rich Cimini of the NY Daily News. Favre's finding that, in 2008, he can't just smirk and shrug his way through things anymore because -- while the Packers media as a whole has teeth - there are simply more jaws in New York looking to tear into a story. And -- despite Rich Eisen on the NFL Network Tuesday as he tried to guide co-hosts Jamie Dukes and Rod Woodson into agreeing that this story was "much ado about nothing" -- it is something. At the very least, it's noteworthy because of Favre's initial insistence it was "total BS", when in fact, it wasn't. It was true, he did speak with Millen prior to the Packers playing the Lions and he did speak about Packers tendencies and philosophies. Did that alter the competitive balance in the NFL that week? No. But what if Favre relayed hand signals? Or told Millen and the Lions what different check words have meant in the past. And before you say, "So what, the Lions should have changed them," recall what level of indignation you had about the Patriots doing the same thing with videotape. And at least New England had to try and decipher what the signals meant; Favre may have just spit up the goods verbally. Call it the sliding scale of accountability.
3. Anybody Else Rooting For Kellen Winslow To Win His Appeal?
Apparently, the Browns are so concerned about fans opting to wear hazmat suits to autograph signings they thought muzzling their employees about workplace conditions (a nasty predisposition to said employees contracting staph infections) was the way to go. And now that tight end Kellen Winslow has blown the whistle and said that his recent inactivity was due to the SIXTH incidence of staph in Cleveland, the Browns have suspended him for a game. Unpaid. That's $235,000 for that game, by the way -- walking around money to you and me, but for K2 it's probably a lot. Winslow's appealing the suspension and his case has been "expedited." The Browns are also miffed, apparently, that Winslow shared the fact that GM Phil Savage paid Winslow no mind while he was in the hospital with what was reportedly an infection in his groin. Maybe Savage found the condition offending to his sensibilities. What's offensive to me is Cleveland's allegation that Winslow's comments were "unwarranted, inappropriate and unnecessarily damaging to our organization." If a half-dozen guys have gotten staph including LeCharles Bentley one would think that having the situation in the open is wholly warranted.
"Namaste? Well, Namaste here any longer than I have to." -- Marshall, How I Melt Your Mother
Decided to break up the Superserious SuperSaturday Soothsaying into two parts this week. Here comes the first:
FRIDAY
No. 13 Boise State (6-0) at San Jose State (5-2) 9 p.m., ESPN2
What if we created a rule in which teams with the same mascot names had to face one another every year? Kansas State, say hello to Arizona and Northwestern. Houston, you get Washington State and Madonna. UConn, meet Washington. Missouri, LSU, Auburn and Clemson would form their own league. (we are nearing the day when there are more mascots dressed in tiger outfits than actual tigers remaining on the planet). San Jose State and Michigan State would have to meet. Hopefully this would inspire schools to come up with more creative nicknames such as my personal favorite, Bye Week.
Silicon Chips 33, Potato Chips 31
SATURDAY
No. 8 Texas Tech (7-0) at No. 19 Kansas (5-2) Noon, ESPN
Jayhawk quarterback Todd Reesing, who graduated in the top 1% of his high school class in Austin, Texas, lists his favorite activity other than football as “reading The Economist." His head coach, when asked to list his favorite activity, just wrote, “See under ‘Favorite Food’.” Yes, another fat joke. Hey, I’m just trying to help. Pssst, Nutri-System: Have you heard of Mark Mangino?
In Cold Blood 27, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 25
1. Sweatsuits Aside, Are Jerry Jones and Al Davis Really that Different?
At least the Raiders "general partner" is stealth about his meddling and the role he plays in the ruination of his team. Jerry Jones has been right out front as cruise director on the Titanic for the Cowboys. From last week stating that Tony Romo was "very likely to play" (he didn't), to acknowledging that he took the Rams lightly (they did but who cares how seriously the owner takes an opponent?) to proclaiming that Wade Phillips is safe from firing, at a time when the Cowboys should be bunkering down, Jones is still leading the hoopla. He's great for us in the media but, once he runs the Cowboys into the ground and they return to being the pre-Parcells carcass they were, nobody's going to be paying attention.
2. Is Anyone Reading the Writing on the Wall?
The lead item in Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback had an anecdote that foretells the imminent reality of an NFL work stoppage. When agent Ben Dogra got receiver Roy Williams a new deal with the Cowboys after the trade over from Detroit, the Cowboys wanted to cram as much money as they could from the six-year, $54 million deal into 2010. The reason? Unless there's a new CBA drawn up, there will be no salary cap in 2010, hence you can spend to the moon in 2010. King reports that the Cowboys have $138 million committed in salary and bonuses to just 33 players for the 2010 season. This year's cap was $123 million. Dallas obviously feels there's not going to be a cap in 2010. And, ironically, the Cowboys are going to make it harder on everybody. When owners rightly complain that the debt service on their stadiums is too onerous (especially now with the fiscal downturn) to continue to deal with suddenly skyrocketing player salaries (cap's up $40 million in three years from $84 million), all the NFLPA has to do it point at Dallas' drunken spending while they are building a football Taj Majal as evidence that there's plenty of money out there.
3. Brett Favre, You're Not Who We Thought You Were, Are You?
It's become clear that the Brett Favre mythology we've force-fed since about 1995 really doesn't match who he is. Or has become. Maybe he wasn't always as selfish as he is now. Probably he was. From his "swashbuckling, gunslinging" playing style that so often mortgaged the preparation and performances of the other 44 players on too many Sundays, to his annual Hamlet act on whether or not to retire to his slandering of Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy, to his fraudulent support of successor Aaron Rodgers, he's always got Brett at the center of his thoughts. And now, thanks to Fox's Jay Glazer's report that Favre helped Lions coaches prepare for a Week 2 matchup with the Packers (confirmed by Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State-Journal), it's getting harder to reconcile the mythological Favre with the real one.
4. Hey Niners...Singletary Long-Term or Try and Lure Holmgren From Sabbatical?
Do the Niners want to go long-term with their hire of Mike Singletary as interim head coach? Or do they try to persuade Mike Holmgren to forego his stated intention to take a year off after his Seattle tenure ends in January? My guess? Holmgren is exceedingly unlikely because Scot McLoughan is still in the house as GM and Holmgren has absolutely, positively zero intention of ever taking another job in which he isn't the first and last voice on all personnel matters. Figure that Singletary gets a dry run at getting this job long term between now and the end of the season. The whole wrench in the works for that, however, is that offensive coordinator Mike Martz may be tough to appease if he's passed over in favor of Singletary for the long-term.
5. Who's the AFC's Best...Steelers, Titans, Bills or TBD?
We'll find out a lot this week with the Steelers hosting the Giants, the Titans hosting the Colts and the Bills at Miami (a tough out in 2008, you've noticed). In my professional opinion, the team we'll be including in the conversation before long is Jacksonville. Between now and November 16, they play Detroit, Cincinnati and Cleveland. Then they square off with Tennessee. Love that matchup. And by then, Jacksonville should be 6-3
Allow me to begin by saying that Mike Nolan is a boob's boob. Rarely has one man used so many syllables to say so little.
So news that he'd been let go as head coach of the 49ers hit me hard. It means the end of something I really enjoyed. Mike Nolan transcripts. Each day I'd seen them arrive by email and I'd digest his pretzel logic on topics like the importance of wearing a suit, why his offensive coordinator was doing such a good job in 2007 that he needed another "set of eyes" on the field with him and his explanations for the deconstruction of former No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith. Plus a whole lot more.
Examples?
After the shooting death of Redskins safety Sean Taylor last year, Nolan extended his sympathy for the organization then added, "This is, obviously, a really unfortunate thing that happened, but at the same time, each year, hopefully, his death does not go in vain. Each year this happens with a couple of players and hopefully some other guys can learn from it and gain from it. They have to be careful in things they do."
Taylor, of course, was the victim of a home invasion.
Meanwhile, discussing the hiring of Ted Tollner to help last year's offensive coordinator Jim Hostler, Nolan said: “When I say Jim’s doing an outstanding job, I think of him as busting his tail. He’s intelligent and he’s turning over every stone he can, from the time the season began, until now. (Tollner) has an office of his own but he will spend an awful lot of time in Jim’s office. Jim’s office is big enough to handle both of them and they’ll communicate on all levels.
On the plus side, Nolan's firing means I've now achieved the coach firing hat trick. I had Nolan, Lane Kiffin and Scott Linehan as my top three coaches on hypothetical hot seats. All are gone. I had Nolan getting pink-slipped during the Niners bye week in early November. He overachieved for me. Heads up Rod Marinelli, you're number 4. Sorry.
Kidding aside, it will be interesting to see what happens now with Alex Smith. A lot of dough is invested in the injured QB taken first in 2005. He and Nolan had as dysfunctional a relationship as could be found, capped last year by Smith's allegations that Nolan was undermining him to the rest of his team.
Mike Singletary takes over for Nolan and another sideshow out by The Bay will be how he gets along with Mike Martz, the offensive coordinator. It will be, as NBC colleague Peter King just said to me, "A marriage of convenience."
First off, did anyone else catch Entourage last night? The infusion of "Fake Plastic Trees" in the final scene was just the jones, wasn't it? By the way, you get the feeling the gang is getting a little restless in L.A.? Ended last season at Cannes, began this season on a beach in Mexico, then took a trip to Joshua Tree, and now they're off to Geneva (Ari and the wife) and Hawaii.
Which is the ideal segue for what Charlie Weis did during his bye weekend. While it is unlikely that he was on a G-5 jet packed with superdupermodels, he did fly to Hawaii to visit Barack Obama's alma mater, the Punahou School. Weis was there, according to Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune, to see top prep linebacker Manti T'eo . Teo scored four touchdowns (two runs, one reception, one blocked punt returned) as Punahou, Hawaii's top-ranked school, defeated No. 6 'Iolani.
Going back to the well with Tim McMahon at the Dallas Morning News, Wade Phillips won't be fired this week and owner Jerry Jones proclaimed that, "I've had all the fire knocked out of my butt tonight."
Despite having had the blaze in his nether region extinguished, Jones was very downcast on Sunday. Must have had something to do with the game.
It looks like the Cowboys will be losing the Original Roy Williams just days after adding the wide receiving one. The Cowboys safety, according to DMN blogger Tim McMahon, has a broken right forearm that will shelve him for six weeks. McMahon says it could be a season-long deal. A broken right forearm might not be a bad option if you're a Cowboy right now.
The fallout from the Cowboys postgame should be priceless. Wade (Ol' Blood & Gut) Phillips, who could find a way to praise his players' efforts even if they spent the entire game bludgeoning baby seals at midfield instead of tackling, will be at his mealy-mouthed best now that the Cowboys are about to drop to 4-3 with this 34-7 loss to the Rams.
When the option for Phillips should be to say: "We're not very good right now," I'm going with him citing the offense not being accustomed to playing with Brad Johnson under center as the main reason for the disgrace.
There's another team with less talent on their squad than the Cowboys.That team lost its quarterback in the first quarter of the first game. He was replaced by someone who hadn't started since high school. That team is 3-2. The Cowboys - who had their starter until last week - are now 4-3.
But it is worth mentioning, the Cowboys were 13-3 last year.
They shouldn't have been in overtime with the Cardinals. Or have been life and death with the Bengals. Or lost to the Redskins.
A few items as the fans happily depart Happy Valley...
--Michigan had 185 yards of offense in the first quarter. The Wolverines had 106 yards of offense in the final three quarters.
--Wolverine vanquisher Toledo? The Rockets lost 38-7 at Northern Illinois (I don't believe in the transitive property of football superiority, either, but it's still fun to point these things out).
--Hey, Irish fans: San Diego State is losing 70-7 at New Mexico in college football's only Long vs. Long coaching matchup. Though I think that one of those Longs, Chuck, is not long for this coaching world.
--At the end of one in Tulsa, it's UTEP 28, Tulsa 21. First one to 100 wins.
--USC had 496 yards of offense versus Washington State...in the 1st quarter. 69-0, Trojans.
--Oregon State QB Lyle Moevao is 16-18 passing midway through the 3rd quarter at Washington. Jimmy Clausen hasn't been this fired up since, well, ever.
--It's been at least three minutes since someone scored in the UTEP-Tulsa game. What's wrong?
--Chase Daniel may just go from Heisman favorite to second-string in one month. 28-0, Texas, in the second quarter. Which reminds me, here was Desmond Howard's Heisman Top Five this morning: Daniel, Jeremy Maclin, Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin and Colt McCoy. So that's 20% accurate. Sam Bradford belongs in that conversation, too.
--Meanwhile, USC pitched its second consecutive shutout at Wazzu. Take away the first half in Corvallis and the Trojans have allowed 26 points in 5 1/2 games this autumn. That defense has not allowed a touchdown in 11 consecutive quarters, or more than 165 minutes of game time.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Beaver Stadium has transformed into the Quaker State's largest karaoke bar. During a TV timeout the P.A. dude played "Sweet Caroline." There's something about hearing 110,017 people (the announced crowd is the 4th-largest in Penn State history) bellowing "So good! So good! So good!" at the top of their lungs.
Then again, they may have just been providing commentary on the second half that their Nittany Lions played. Michigan totally did not exist in the second half, as Penn State outscored them 32-0. It feels as if the Wolverines were held without a first down, although the stats tell me they had two. The Nittanies 46 points are the most they've ever put up versus Michigan.
And so JoePa exorcises his nine-game losing streak to Michigan as the Nittany Lions move to 8-0. Next up? Ohio State in Columbus, where Penn State has lost seven straight.
You know how people are beginning to liken this season to 1978, when Alabama, Penn State and USC all finished with one loss? Well, it was 1978 the last time the Nittany Lions won at Ohio State. That game was a matchup between the No. 5 Nittany Lions and the No. 6 Buckeyes. Penn State won 19-0.
And Ohio State won at East Lansing today, 45-7. Looks like the Big Ten championship game next Saturday night.
So last night on ESPN, Lou Holtz apparently compared one of the coaches in this game, Rich Rodriguez, to a certain heinous historical figure from the previous century whose last name had six letters (two vowels, four consonants). Can you guess who it was? Was it....
Stalin?
Manson?
Oswald?
Lecter?
Snoopy?
Amanda (from Melrose Place? Oooh, she was so conniving!)?
Gandhi (Wait, he was one of the good guys, right?)?
Happy Valley is growing into Troubled Valley. And, remember, Signs did take place in Pennsylvania.
Bad omens?
1) The drum major fell flat on his keester when attempting his pre-game somersault at midfield.
2) The baton twirler failed to catch her baton on the high toss.
3) And kicker Kevin Kelly, who is 9-10 on field goals this season (the only miss being from beyond fifty yards) just had a 45-yard attempt carom off the right upright.
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And, in between the first and second quarter, the Nittany Lion came out dressed as Michael Jackson in "Thriller" and performed that routine. I remarked to a local scribe that it may have been in poor taste to have, here of all places, a mascot impersonating a zombie clad in black shoes, white socks and pants that ride up a little high above the ankles. He didn't see the humor, either.
You look at the two-deep chart handed out in the press box, and the name Brandon Minor does not appear. Maybe that is a typo, but the Wolverine superback (that's the name the UMs designate the tailback position) already has 84 yards and two touchdowns just three plays into the second quarter.
On his first carry of the game--Michigan's 2nd play from scrimmage-Minor burst right up the middle for 20 yards, knocking over a Penn State safety in a head-on collision. Later on that drive, with UM facing 4th-and-1 from the PSU 28, Minor was nailed behind the line of scrimmage by Lion LB Navarro Bowman, but somehow absorbed the hit and bounced off it, gaining the first.
It's 17-7, UM, and thus far Minor--who was the only holdover from the backfield of a year ago, the backup to Mike Hart--has looked like an All-American.
Wish I could take credit for that, but it's a banner that hangs in front of the Penn State student section (in honor of Evan Royster, the Nittany Lion tailback).
Today's game pits the nation's two leaders in home attendance last season: Michigan averaged 110,264 last year while Penn State averaged 108,917. Winning helps, but the atmosphere here in Happy Valley is outstanding. Before the band takes the field, the P.A. system plays a great little rock and roll medley. It begins with Emerson, Lake &Palmer's "Karn Evil 9--First Impression Part 2", which you know better from the lyrics "Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends..." (I so long for overly pretentious prog-rock albums and song titles). Then it segues into Journey's classic "Don't Stop Believin'" as the entirely white-clad student section waves pom-pons. Very, very cool.
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From the media guide....Which school has the most undefeated regular seasons since 1966, JoePa's first year as head coach? That's right, Penn State. The Nittany Lions have seven. Miami, Nebraska and Ohio State all have six. And of course the Nittany Lions have a shot at number eight this year.
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For at least another hour, Texas Tech has the nation's longest win streak, 9 games. Utah should join them soon. The Nittany Lions are seeking their 9th straight today.
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So I'm checking scores around the country--as are you--and USC's Mark Sanchez has already thrown five touchdown passes in the first half at Wazzu. The spread on this game was 42.5 points. USC leads 41-0 with four minutes until halftime. Just how awful are the Cougs?
Apparently, Todd Palin is here today, shaking hands outside the stadium. And we're still at least a month away from snowmobiling season here in central Pa.
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Joe Paterno is the head coach at Penn State (a sentence, by the way, that has been factually correct my entire life and quite possibly yours as well). Anyway, "pater" is also Latin for father, as you may know. When you coach at the same school for 43 seasons, it isn't uncommon that you may come across a few second-generation players. In fact, the current Nittany Lion roster contains seven players whose dads played for JoePa:
Greetings from the first person to inhabit the press box at Penn State this Saturday morning. State College is a wonderful brigadoon of a college town, but it's also one of those places where you're best off arriving at 3 a.m. on game day if you want to not be caught in a doozy of a traffic snarl. I'd love to see Bear Grylls do an episode on trying to make it to a game, say, here or in Baton Rouge or Knoxville or Auburn with just one tank of gas and no parking pass.
Some quick thoughts/observations:
--Beaver Stadium sticks out across this lovely countryside the same way the Emerald City did in Oz. The difference is that the stadium exterior is not quite as aesthetic. The stadium has seen a series of additions at different times, as have many, but not as seamlessly as, for example, Notre Dame Stadium. From the outside its skeleton is exposed and, by the way, the endzones seem to contain more seats--and rise closer to the heavens-than do the sections behind the sidelines.
If they ever enclose this stadium so that it's as large as the south end zone, I think they'd be able to seat 150,000 here. But the number of hotels in the surrounding area would likely remain the same. And so rubes like me, who stayed 35 miles away in Altoona last night, would probably be forced out even farther like, say, Camden, N.J. Altoona...the only town named after a former wide receiver for the New York Jets.
The eyes of Texas are upon you? No. This Saturday it's the other way around. Here are the picks:
Western Michigan (6-1) at Central Michigan (4-2), Noon, ESPN Gameplan
The Broncos’ (that would be Western) lone loss came at Nebraska, and only by three. The Chippewas lost at Georgia and at Purdue. Quarterbacks Tim Hiller (WMU) and Dan LeFevour are both in the top 20 nationally in total offense. Bonus points to you if you know the towns in which both these campuses are located.
Mount Pleasant 42, Kalamazoo 36
No. 23 Vanderbilt (5-1) at No. 9 Georgia (5-1), 12:30 p.m., ESPN Gameplan
History suggests that the Commodores will find yet another heartbreaking way to deny themselves a bowl berth. Could they really lose seven straight after starting out 5-0?
40-Watt Club 33, Grand Ole Opry 10
No. 11 Ohio State (6-1) at No. 17 Michigan State (6-1), 3:30 p.m., ABC
The Buckeyes have won nine straight on the road in-conference, but the Spartans have won six straight overall. Two schools whose only losses came on the road in the Golden State in early September will vie to remain in the hunt, as both still have Penn State on their schedules. Worth watching just to see Spartan tailback Javon Ringer (158 yards per game) versus Buckeye linebacker James Laurinaitis.
Six-game Losing Streak Vs. Michigan 19, Four-game Win Streak vs Michigan 16
No. 15 Kansas (5-1) at No. 6 Oklahoma (5-1), 3:30 p.m., ABC
The Jayhawks avoided the Sooners last season on the way to a 12-1 season and Orange Bowl triumph. Not this year. Quarterback Todd Reesing is as creative as any snap-taker in the Big 12, and he will need to be. Sooners? Hungover or hungry?
Dust Bowl 37, Dust in the Wind 20
Pittsburgh (4-1) at Navy (4-2), 3:30 p.m., CBS
The Middies, with the nation’s 2nd-best rushing attack, have won three straight. The Panthers, with one of the nation’s most frenetic middle linebackers, Scott McKillop, have won four in a row.
Marinos 31, McCains 23
Five questions I'd like to ask Charlie Weis if he were available to the media this week--but it's a bye week, and he isn't, so I'll just have to ask you:
1) Next year, when quarterback Dayne Crist is no longer a red-shirt, do you foresee playing him a series or two a game just to bring him along (and to keep him happy)?
2) What is the deal with defensive tackle Ian Williams? Last season, 45 tackles in just two starts (though he did appear in all twelve games). This season, 13 tackls in six starts. Williams is 12th on the team in tackles, and he has one fewer than Mike Anello, who only plays special teams.
3) If fullback Asaph Schwapp can go six games without getting a carry, why does he even bother working with the running backs when the team breaks off into its positional drills?
4) Are you going to put in a bubble screen play for Golden Tate or Michael Floyd, or is that just wishful thinking on my part?
5) What household chores does the wife have lined up for you this weekend?
Titans center and NFLPA president Kevin Mawae told me on Wednesday that it put together a list of attributes it would like to see in the executive director that succeeds the late Gene Upshaw.
"It's basically a spec sheet for the candidates," said Mawae. "We'll be looking for input from the other player reps and the rest of the executive committe through the rest of this week and after that it's in the search firm's hand. They'll bring us some viable candidates within the next several weeks or so."
Reilly Partners is the search firm the PA selected to conduct the search. They are based in Chicago and former NHL player Dave Poulin, who was active in the NHLPA, is one of the firm's partners.Reilly Partners was the search firm the NHL hired to find their new executive director in 2007.
Asked about the possibility of Secretaty of State Condoleeza Rice being a target for the position, Mawae said with a laugh, "The sad thing about this is she said she'd rather be commissioner of the league so that puts her on management's side but you never know. The person out there - he or she - as long as they're qualified and able to do the job they got big shoes to fill. That's the most important thing. We're no longer just about football it's a marketing arm, there's an office to run in Washington, D.C., there are so many facets to the job that the next person has to know his or her own strengths and weaknesses."
With players enjoying a bigger slice of the revenue pie and owners no doubt sweating out the current economic downturn, the stakes will be very high for the incoming executive director if he's hired previous to the current CBA entering its final seasons. As it currently stands, 2010 will be an uncapped season if a new CBA is not hatched and the ramifications of that will begin to hit next spring.
"You hear owners say (the CBA) isn't workng for them and others say they have to keep things together," said Mawae. "Obviously it will be a daunting task for anyone who takes over the NFLPA that's why we're trying to go about it in a professional manner to find the right person. It'd be a huge mistake for us to just name a guy because they're the most popular candidate or favorite candidate but not the most qualified candidate. So we're trying to go about it in a very professional way and in a trranspartent manner.".
Tony Romo's apparently been advised by Brett Favre to play through the pain of his broken right pinky finger (Aside: Maybe if Romo backpedaled from the rush every time he throws like Favre has, Romo'd have the same Iron Man streak).
Before he does, Romo might want to ring up his Dallas predecessor Drew Bledsoe and find out how that works out. In 1998, Bledsoe smashed his throwing hand on the helmet of a Dolphins defender and broke his pinky. He played with the pain for a three games (all wins, helping to resuscitate a Patriots season) but the finger worsened and he ultimately had to have pins placed in it. The pins hurt. A lot. And Bledsoe had to be shelved which led to the Patriots being led by Scott Zolak in a playoff game and a quick exit from the postseason.
The difference for the two teams is that the Patriots were on fumes and needed Bledsoe to keep them afloat. The Cowboys, at 4-2, are fine (record-wise). If Romo plays through it and it worsens, as Bledsoe's did, then you have Brad Johnson in the playoffs as opposed to weeks six through 10. Worth considering.
More on that headline in a moment.
First, it is being reported that junior tight end Will Yeatman has been suspended for the remainder of the football season by Notre Dame's Office of Residence Life. This as a result of his arrest in the early hours of September 21st stemming from an alcohol-related offense. Yeatman was arrested for minor consumption of alcohol, and it is being reported that he had a 0.02 blood-alcohol content. Or about one beer.
For this Yeatman will pay with the equivalent of a redshirt year. Yeatman had played hours earlier at Michigan State, catching one pass in Notre Dame's 23-7 loss. He also broke his nose and strained his shoulder that day, and because of that, and since it was still early enough in the season (Game 3), Yeatman is eligible to take a medical redshirt.
It appears, at the moment, that he will remain at Notre Dame and be eligible for lacrosse, where he was a freshman All-American two seasons ago, next spring.
Urkel's head has to be spinning right now. Not only has his (sniff) quarterback got a broken pinkie, not only has he not gotten fewer touches than a leper, not only is his, T.O.'s spotlight being hijacked to the left and to the right, but now the Cowboys have traded for Roy Williams?
Just what the Cowboys need, another gesticulating "gimme the damn ball" wideout to chirp. Poor Brad Johnson. It's going to feel like Kindercare in that huddle.
Does Williams help the Cowboys out in the short term? As Bill Parcells might say, "HELL, no!"
Are they running a football team down there or collecting talent? While on the topic of Parcells, is it more than coincidence that, since he left, the team's become less disciplined, more "sexy", less consistent, more glamouriffic and less feared?
Replacing Sam Hurd with a semi-high maintenance wideout that costs the Cowboys a first-round pick or more? A guy who you could be just renting for 10 games since he's a free agent at the end of the year?
You just can't make these Cowboys up.
If the good folks in Texas thought that all Sunday's injuries were going to mitigate Commissioner Roger Goodell's decision-making on Pacman Jones, they got it wrong.
The Commish suspended Jones Tuesday thanks to the hotel skirmish with a guy whose job it was to keep the Pac out of trouble on October 8.
And while Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Cowboys apologists tried to downplay the matter as a minor occurrence, they showed once again how adept they are at missing the point down there.
Public shoving matches between normal people happen, yes. For most, that would be aberrant and unqiue behavior.
A shoving match involving someone who's been involved with police 13 times since entering the league, been arrested six times and been told to keep his name out of the mouths of the police or face suspension is another matter altogether.
It is, for The Pacman, normal behavior and all those expecting him to behave with this chance were trying to suspend reality.
In a letter to the Cowboys and The Pacman, Goodell called it a "disturbing pattern of behavior and clearly inconsistent with the conditions I set for your continued participation in the NFL."
Good for Goodell who could have done nothing except tsk-tsk about Jones (no relation to the Cowboys owner). At least he treats the NFL as a business in which morals and ethics intrude. Consider that in the past two seasons he's taken both the Cowboys and Patriots - two of the most recognizable, successful and lucrative franchises - over his Commissionerly knee because of a lack of ethics and you see he's been the right guy for the job.
He keeps passing up on the easy thing to do the right thing.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys - who courted the serial drama their season's turned into - would do well to try and figure out where the entertainment stops and the football begins. But it's probably too late for that. What it won't be too late for is the wailing and gnashing of teeth of the Cowboys and the cement-headed segment of their otherwise decent fanbase. Habitual apologists defending a habitual offender. They were made for each other.
In honor of DJ Charlie and his penchant for blaring the tunes of bon vivant Bon Jovi during Thursday practices, we hereby present our "Whoa-oh, We're Halfway There!" midseason awards. Feel free to comment, offer your own, or discuss whether Nancy Grace should start seeking out erstwhile blogstalker G.A.
Most Valuable Player: Jimmy Clausen...has surpassed his career-high in passing yardage each of the last three games. Will likely break Brady Quinn's sophomore season TD passes record (17) in Notre Dame's next game (has 14)
Most Valuable Play: Kyle McCarthy/David Bruton cause San Diego State fumble at the goal line with the Irish trailing 13-7 in the 4th quarter of their season-opener. Would Irish have been able to claw back from a 20-7 deficit that day?
Most Vicious Hit: John Ryan takes out Charlie Weis. Runner-up: The shot Armando Allen took in the 3rd quarter versus San Diego State.
1. Other Than That Mrs. Lincoln, How'd You Like the Play?
The Cowboys are 1-2 in their last three, their lone win coming over the lowly Bengals. Even the most cement-headed Cowboys fan is seeing that Ol' Blood and Gut Phillips is a sideline disaster of epic proportions.
Despite round-the-clock surveillance, Pacman Jones is so fundamentally incapable of avoiding trouble that he attacked the SURVEILLANCE!
Terrell Owens was dressed after Sunday's loss like Steve Urkel. And now injuries to Tony Romo, Mat McBriar and Felix Jones arise.
Romo's broken pinky is the biggie. It's going to keep him down a minimum of four-to-six weeks. Phillips, in his typically miss-the-freakin-point fashion, said it will be a week-to-week situation which now means he's going to be questioned daily about it when it's a month-long injury according to an NFL doctor I spoke with today. And that's on the conservative side.
How will Dallas do with Brad Johnson? Fine. They probably needed something like this to pull their collective head from their collective duodenums. Romo's a great talent but he's a liability too often right now. Dallas (unlike New England) has enough talent everywhere else to withstand the loss of their quarterback. Romo will do well to watch an efficient pro for a few weeks and the Cowboys will play with a purpose. He's going to miss some critical games (after St. Louis this week it's Tampa, at the Giants and at the Redskins) but Dallas should still be a 10-win team at the minimum.
2. Matt Ryan Is a Rookie, Right?
OK, just checking. Because he's not playing like it on a lot of Sundays. Including yesterday when he went 22 of 30 for 301 and stayed cool under pressure in the near-impossible situation he faced at the end of the game the Falcons pulled out against the Bears. "I mean, I'm still just a kid, really. When you're out there playing, you certainly feel as if you're 10, 11, 12 years old. It's kind of the same way. It doesn't change. I was crossing my fingers and doing everything else that you can do until that kick went through," Opie/Richie Cunningham gushed.
This just in: Game time for the Notre Dame-Washington game will be 8 p.m. EDT. To be televised on ESPN2.
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A few leftover notes from Charlie's Sunday presser and other locales:
1) Jimmy Clausen was the last Notre Dame player off the field at Kenan Stadium on Saturday evening. Clausen waited patiently as North Carolina head coach Butch Davis did an on-air interview with Stacey Dales-not-Schuman. Jimmy stood about five feet directly in front of them. Finally, as the interview was winding down, Clausen tapped Davis on the right arm to get his attention and shook his hand. So if you're keeping stats, Clausen has a 50% completion rate on postgame handshakes the past two weeks.
2) Allow me to reiterate this again: Washington is LAST in the nation in pass efficiency defense. Dead last, people. That sound you hear is the saliva dripping from the gobs of Weis, Clausen, Michael Floyd, David Grimes and Golden Tate Warrior.
3) Rothstein asked Charlie what the chances were for true freshmen wideouts John Goodman and Deion Walker to see playing time this season. Weis wouldn't definitely say that he's going to preserve their year of eligibility (though he will, unless there's a rash of injuries), but he did note that they're 7 and 8 on the depth chart. Here's what I can tell you from the little I've been able to observe of them in practice drills in the 20-minute intervals we're given. Their effort is A-plus on drills, especially Goodman's. And their size is potentially Samardzijan.
And so I'll go out on this limb. With the Irish only losing Grimes after this season, but adding Goodman and Walker, and with Robby Parris (of whom I'm a fan...sure hands, runs good routes, good size), next year's Irish receiving corps will be the best in school history. Tell me a more accomplished group, and remember, Tim Brown and Raghib Ismail were never on the roster together. Rocket arrived the following season.
4) How is this for changing it up? Notre Dame came out against Michigan State with seven consecutive running plays. Against North Carolina? The Irish ran 18 plays before handing it off to a back. Eighteen. As you probably know, Notre Dame came out in a five-wide alignment in each of the first two series. On Sunday Weis explained that they didn't go to a one-back (Ourmando) or two-back (with Asaph) set-up until the Tar Heels showed them a dime (six DBs) defense, "something we had never seen from them on film this season." So the Irish went five-wide as long as UNC remained in nickel, but once they put in a sixth DB, focused on a rushing attack.
Which led to this exchange between Rothstein and I just before kickoff on Saturday:
Me: "Rothstein, what are the odds that the Irish run the ball seven straight times to open the game today?"
Rothstein: "Yeah, I'd say zero odds."
Me: "Hey, Rothstein."
Rothstein: "Yeah?"
Me: "Get a haircut.
5) The Irish coaching staff must be geeked about the bye weekend, and not for the obvious reasons. Pitt plays at Navy, and both of those teams are on the Irish schedule in November. That much easier to scout.
6) If you want to see a gore-fest this weekend, that would be USC at Washington State. Don't know if you saw that the Cougs held open tryouts last week for a scout team quarterback among the student body. Well, the student who beat out 28 others for the job, Paul Roberts, is already, due to injury, second on the depth chart. Imagine tailgating with your buddies just two weeks earlier, and now potentially going against a defense that has at least seven future NFL studs (and perhaps five first-rounders) on it. Ouch.
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My good friend Tim Crothers, who teaches a sports journalism class at North Carolina, had asked me to talk to his students today. Alas, I could not remain in the Research Isosceles Triangle area longer. However, I'd dispense this morsel of career advice to them: Only one letter's difference between 'writer' and 'waiter' and, in most cases, the difference in salary is even less.
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And, lastly, Happy Birthday, RaineGrrl!
On a second-and-8, tight end Greg Estandia was the target of a David Garrard pass. With Marquand Manuel trying to catch up to the play in vain, Garrard's pass sailed over Estandia's head and Denver safety Marlon McCree arrived a beat later, hitting Estandia in the head.
The call? Pass interference on Manuel who never touched Estandia (there's no such thing as face-guarding for those complaining Manuel didn't turn around). The gain was 27 yards. The call should have been a personal foul head shot against McCree. Either way, the Jags are about to run this one out for a gritty road win. And Broncos fans will lament the blown call they got screwed on while ignoring the call that should have gone against them but didn't on the same play.
The Broncos just trimmed the Jags lead to a touchdown, 24-17 with a three-play drive highlighted by a ridiculous catch and run by Brandon Marshall and capped by a short TD pass to Daniel Graham.
Now with less than 7 left, the Jags are sticking close to the ground trying to grind down the clock. They face a key third-and-9 and....
and...
and
they didn't get it as Marlon McCree broke up a throw that would have picked up the first on Denver's side of the field.
Dre Bly just got called for a costly and questionable illegal contact penalty during a second-and-21 play that turns what would have been a third-and-17 into a Jags first down. And, not surprisingly, Garrard takes advantage with a 19-yard dart.
Fred Taylor, who went out after taking a hard shot to the helmet in the first quarter and then retreating to the Jags locker room, just was back on the field for an incomplete pass.
Taylor's return was termed questionable.
The Jags lead 17-10 late in the third.
Both teams can go into the locker room and kick coolers about missed opportunities in the first half.
First, you have the Broncos carrying it to the Jags in the early going, ripping off a first-drive touchdown and then following that up with as balanced a run/pass attack as they've shown all year (according to those who, y'know, have watched them all year). But they got nothing out of it, having one drive snuffed at the Jax 7 by a Drayton Florence fumble recovery off his hit on Brandon Marshall and another end on a fourth-down attempt at the Jags 30.
The Jags meanwhile, capitalized on two Broncos turnovers in the first half but then had a tough one of their own after stopping the Broncs on fourth down. David Garrard (16 of 19 for 148) got strip sacked on a play that started at the Denver 20 with :37 seconds left in the half or it would be more lopsided in the Jags favor.
Both teams have lost two fumbles. The Broncos also have that fourth-down snuffage and a pick on their balance sheet.
It's now 10-7 Jags after a lengthy 75-yard drive following the Brandon Marshall fumble. It was a 12-play drive that took 6:29 which (as may have been mentioned by some) is a good way to limit an explosive offense like Denver's ...keep 'em watching.
Jones-Drew had 26 yards on five carries and Greg Jones added another 13 on the drive with one carry.
The Broncos just had a nice drive go up in smoke when Brandon Marshall took a first down pass from Jay Cutler 9 yards down to the Jags 7, tried to work back to find room to get the first and was stripped by Drayton Florence. Florence returned it 18 yards and the Broncos - who have run for 62 yards on 11 carries so far - came away with nothing. It's still 7-3 Broncos and the Jags (working without a concussed Fred Taylor) are now sticking it in the belly of little MJD with regularity.
Wow, the Rams are off the schneid thanks to Josh Brown's 49-yarder at the gun. The Jim Haslett Era is going well so far. Apparently Scott (Slingblade) Linehan may have been the problem.
Meanwhile, the Lions led all day before the Vikings crushed their hopes and dreams with a waning seconds field goal to win 12-10.
Man, great early games. And I'm not even getting into the Miami-Houston battle. Or the Bears getting stunned at the gun by Atlanta.
Great league.
Late in the third quarter the Horrible Rams, Hapless Lions and Moribund Bengals are sniffing around their first wins of the season. The Lions are up 10-9 on the Vikings in Minny despite fill-in QB Dan Orlovsky taking a safety for the ages as he rolled along the back line of the end zone for about 15 yards looking for a receiver.
Dude. Your fly's down.
The Bengals, meanwhile, are down 20-14 to the Jets in New York with Harvard's Ryan Fitzpatrick at the controls in place of Carson Palmer. A Hahhhvahd man would never take a safety like Orlovsky did.
Then there's the Rams up on the Redskins, 13-7 in Washington. That'll be a crimp in the hip-hip-hooray!
I'm betting on all three teams staying perfectly bad (wow, daredevil!) though if any of the three was going to pull it out, go with the Bengals.
Wideout Eddie Royal and running back Selvin Young will both be down for the Broncos today. Other idle players for Denver include: safety Vernon Fox, running back Ryan Torain, tackle Erik Pears, tight end Tony Scheffler, defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban and defensive tackle Josh Shaw.
For the Jags, safety Reggie Nelson, running back Chauncey Washington, corner Brian Witherspoon, linebacker Thomas Williams, center Brad Meester, guard Chris Naeole, wide receiver Mike Walker and DL Rob Meier are inactive.
The day after, and I remain here in Carolina. While Saturday was opaque and overcast, today the skies are the color that made Tar Heel uniforms famous. "Chamber of Commerce day," says my good friend and Chapel Hill resident Tim Crothers.
A few notes on football: First, we all told you so. Anyone who covers the Irish or even college football thought that Notre Dame could win if they could only control the turnover battle versus the Tar Heels. In the first half the Irish did not commit a turnover until an irrelevant kickoff miscue. They went into the locker room with a 17-9 lead and a defense that only allowed a trio of Casey Barth field goals.
In the second half? Four turnovers, two of which led to Carolina touchdowns. And that was the game.
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Here's a curious stat I picked up from poring over the ncaasports.com site. Five of Notre Dame's six remaining opponents are ranked in the top ten in the nation for fewest penalties per game. They are:
1) PIttsburgh......3.2 per game
2) Navy.............3.33 per game
5) Boston College....3.6 per game
6) Syracuse............3.67 per game
10) Washington.........3.8 per game
So the Irish will be facing five consecutive well-behaved (or extremely crafty, or both) opponents in a row. USC, the 6th opponent--and the best--is 114th in this category, committing 9.0 penalties per contest. What does that tell you?
The Irish, by the way, are 39th with 5.5 per game.
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Jimmy Clausen threw for a career-high in passing yards for the third consecutive game. The sophomore QB finished with 383 passing yards, after tossing for 347 against Stanford and 275 against Purdue. Does anyone see his first 400-yard game against U-Dub in two weeks? The Huskies are LAST in the nation in pass efficiency defense.
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Wide receiver Michael Floyd has already tied the school record for TD receptions by a freshman, 4, which was set last season by Duval Kamara. By the way, Duval also had his best game of the season in Chapel Hill and has the most stylish glasses of anyone on the team. Floyd has 27 catches on the season, which is five shy of Kamara's record of 32.
You cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of Oklahoma losing middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds in the first half of yesterday's classic OU-Texas game. Reynolds, who is now out for the year with a knee injury (only Charlie Weis is immune to knee injuries causing one to miss games), is the heart of the Sooner defense. Then again, this was his 7th year of college, no?
Love that tune.
Cameron Sexton scored on the first play of the 4th quarter to put UNC up 29-24. It is, believe it or not, the first time that the Irish have trailed in nine quarters.
Jimmy Clausen now has 304 yards passing, the second 300-yard game of his career (and second straight).
Irish faced 2nd-and-7 at the UNC 27 and came up with nothing. First, an overthrow on their favorite route, the deep corner route to GTW. Then, a dump to Grimes that fell incomplete--he got buried the moment it arrived, and he only would have gotten two yards. On 4th and 7, Grimes caught an under route but only gained 4.
Nice 3-and-out by Irish defense, and so the offense takes it back on their 31 with 10:27 to play. Clausen is 43 yards shy of his career high, if you care.
Wondering, by the way, what the ratio is now of World Population: Blogs. My guess, at least by the names of those who comment, is that we're at about 2:1 (thanks, R.R.). And for those of you too timorous to comment, yes, the Mexichaun is on scholarship.
Entertaining game here in Chapel Hill. When Quan Sturdivant (Quan...as in the Jerry Maguire "quan"?...No, he was born before that) picked off that pass one Irish beat writer let forth a laugh (it was completely involuntary...he didn't even have time to think about it) while a pair of powder-blue clad UNC students (?) nearly body-bumped one another.
Two big defensive brain farts in this quarter. First, with the Irish low on momentum and facing a 4th down on the series immediately following Quan's picksix, Richie Rich roughed punter Eric Maust, keeping the Irish drive alive. On the ensuing plays Duval Kamara had his best moments of the season. First, and how often do you see this, he broke up a sure interception by Bruce Carter, hitting the UNC linebacker so hard that he knocked him out of the game, at least temporarily.
A play or so later, with the Irish facing 3rd-and-10 at the 22, Clausen made his best scramble of his career, dashing right, then left, then throwing against his body to Kamara, who leaped back to make the grab for a 16-yard gain.
The Irish blunder? With UNC facing 3d-and-18 following a Pat Kuntz sack, they somehow allowed Hakeem Nicks (a career-best 9 catches already) to get open for a 19 yard gain. UNC scored a few plays later.
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I was kidding about a Powder Blue out before, but at least 80% of the stadium is clad in the Carolina color. I like what they do with the UNC band, by the way. All of the students sit behind the end zone that reads "TAR HEELS" and the band is placed right in the middle of them. Not at the front, and not on the field. No, right in their midst. Which is great, unless you happen to be seated behind the tuba player.
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Great play by UNC! Clausen steps up in the pocket and No. 97, Aleric Mullins, strips him and recovers the ball. Nice play after Robert Hughes had just made a nice 3rd-and-9 conversion.
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Problem with this Irish team the past few weeks: the defense does not make enough big plays.
Tyler Hansbrough was honored at halftime. Then he headbutted Rameses. Okay, no...but that would have been cool.
Tyler's l'il bro, Ben, transferred from Mississippi State to Notre Dame over the summer. He has yet to be honored at halftime for doing so.
Quickie halftime stats:
Clausen, 16-21, 199 yards, 2 TDs, 0 picks
Armando Allen: 6 carries, 44 yards (7.3)
Four Irish receivers have 3 catches: Tate, Floyd, Rudolph, Allen
Hakeem Nicks, UNC; 7 catches, 116 yards
Irish total yards: 260
Tar Heel total yards: 173
ND on 3rd down: 6-8
Michael Floyd, with his 4th TD catch of the season, ties the school record for most TD receptions by a freshman.
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On to 2nd half, and on Notre Dame's first play from scrimmage Clausen is cleanly picked by Quan Sturdivant, who returns it about 25 yards for a TD.
Clausen's first pick in 132 attempts. Only Brady Quinn had a longer streak in Irish history.
The Irish offense had gone 11 quarters without a turnover. They were due.
But now it's a game. 17-16. And the Heel students are into it.
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North Carolina just roughed the punter. The guilty party, I kid you not, is named Richie Rich.
Jimmy Clausen's first half numbers: 16-21, 199 yards, 2 TDs, zero interceptions.
The Irish go up 17-6 with one minute to play in the half thanks largely to a circus catch by the three-ring master, Golden Tate Warrior. Clausen threw a deep route left, overthrowing Golden, but UNC CB (heretofore UNCB) Kendric Burney decided to play the ball instead of worrying where Tate was. Golden stole the play from him for a 47-yard catch. Three plays later Clausen hit Floyd on an out pattern (did he push off? You tell me) for the score.
Is it just me or do all of Notre Dame's touchdowns occur in the corner of the end zone on pass routes?
By the way, just a suggestion: The Irish may want to have someone right up on Hakeem Nicks (7 catches, 116 yards in the first half) on the line of scrimmage with a second DB waiting to roll into coverage. They're still giving him a 7-yard cushion and he's too dangerous in the yards-after-catch category.
17-9, Irish, after a 3rd Casey Barth field goal.
"My Name Is Jonas" Gray fumbled a pooch kickoff and UNC recovered with 0:05 to play in the half. It's a 52 yard field goal. Heck, I'd try it. Aaaaaaaaaand, just a little short.
17-9, Irish, at the half.
Brandon Tate is out, so Hakeem Nicks has taken it upon himself to abuse the Notre Dame secondary, specifically Terrail Lambert. Dude has a mean stiff arm. Three catches for 61 yards thus far, all on short button hooks, and then yards after the catch due to a juke and a stiff arm. In short, Nicks has the physique and game that David Grimes has always coveted.
Earlier on this drive Cameron Sexton tossed a pass that sailed right through wideout Brooks Foster's hands. That's Brooks Foster, not Foster Brooks.
Just about finished with the first quarter, and this is the Resume Tape quarter for Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Haywood. The Irish may only have scored one TD, but they have eleven first downs and I love the way that he has mixed up the offense.
1st series....No huddle, five-wide, all passes except for Clausen's rushes
2nd series...Ibid
3rd series...One back set, and thus far, five plays, five rushes for 41 yards. Eight yards per carry.
It's an early vibe, but the feel I get is that North Carolina really doesn't believe they're as good as the Irish. Just a feeling. Notre Dame has had as much early success winning the line of scrimmage as I can recall this season. Yes, there was the 15-yard sack, but hey, Bruce Carter is a monster. Special player.
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Brandon Tate will not return. Sprained knee. From Carolina blue to just plain blue on the UNC sideline.
After holding UNC to a 3-and-out to begin the game, the Irish went on their most impressive opening drive of the season: 82 yards, 11 plays, six first downs and a TD. The Irish came out five-wide (Floyd, Kamara, Rudolph, Grimes and Tate) and Jimmy Clausen completed five of nine passes for 63 yards, the final one a 19-yarder to Golden Tate for a TD. Tate caught two passes on the drive, as did Kyle Rudolph. Duval Kamara had the 5th reception.
Just as impressive was the yardage on each catch: 10, 13, 12, 9 and 19.
Trimane Goddard, the UNC safety who leads the nation in picks with 4, had a sure interception on the play prior to Clausen's TD throw. That hurts.
On the ensuing UNC offensive drive, Mo Crum had an even easier pick that he too dropped.
Other items:
--On its second drive, Irish do more of same. Five-wide, no backs (no Armando), Clausen is team's leading rusher with 15 yards. Oops, he just got sacked by BRUCE CARTER for minus-15. Irish rushing attack back to zero.
--Kerry Neal, the Bunn, N.C., native, is starting at OLB/DE for the Irish. I also loved his work on "Outside the Lines" before he got married and became Kelly Naqi. Huh? What?
--On both kickoffs the Irish have squibbed to keep it away from Brandon Tate.
--On first Irish punt, Bruce Carter nearly blocked it. And Mike Anello made the tackle. You have to love it when the name players show up. By the way, Anello shook up Brandon Tate on the play. He's walking to the locker room now. Tate is walking fine, but has his right arm on an assistant's shoulder, as is he's a bit shaken up. So much for our "Dueling Tates" showdown. Update: Report from bench is that Tate has a sprained right knee, or as I like to call it, an upper, upper ankle sprain.
--So, how do you feel about Notre Dame's Arena Football League Offense? Jimmy Clausen has to be happier than a political blogger right now, but aren't the Irish playing with fire here? Eventually you're gonna get one picked. And I miss Ourmando.
The Rockets win in Ann Arbor!
Hey, it's Year 1 of the Rich Rodriguez Era and I don't doubt for a moment that he'll be successful there once a prep QB with wheels arrives.
I am, if not more shorprised (shock + surprise), at least just as shorprised by Minnesota winning at Illinois. The Golden Gophers are bowl-eligible. From 1-11 last year to 6-1 already. Wow. I mean, and this is a school that avoids both Penn State and Ohio State this year ( update: My bad. Minnesota hardly avoids Ohio State; in fact, they've already lost to the Buckeyes. But they do miss the Nittany Kitties). Great Bronko Nagurski' Ghost, could the GG's be Rose Bowl-bound?!?
This just in: Tommy Tuberville just fired Clemson's offensive coordinator. I know!
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Irish have won the toss, and elected to defer. Carolina to receive.
North Carolina's state motto is also the question of the day for the Fighting Irish: If Jimmy Clausen & Co. can be first in flight this afternoon, things could go well for ND. The Irish passing attack is its forte, while UNC's pass defense is its Will Forte. Wait. What? Anyway, it's strength versus strength.
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Question: What are the odds the Irish call seven straight rushing plays to begin this road game? Yeah, I don't think so, either.
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Today, as you may already know, is the 33rd anniversary of the last time the Irish visited Chapel Hill. ND trailed 14-6 late in the fourth quarter before Dan Devine decided to bench Rick Slager in favor of unheralded sophomore Joe Montana. The Irish won 21-14. ND is 16-1 all-time versus UNC, the lone loss being a 12-7 defeat in 1960 here in Chapel Hill.
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Have you noticed how so many college towns sound cooler when they are two-word names? Chapel Hill, College Station, Ann Arbor, Baton Rouge, West Lafayette, Palo Alto, State College, Las Vegas(!) ...and then there's South Bend. I said, "Sounds cooler", not "were cooler."
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Every time I glance up at the TV --no sound-- the lead has changed hands in the OU-Texas game. I'm missing an amazing game, aren't I? By the way, should the E.R. rooms in Ann Arbor start prepping for heavy traffic this evening?
Strolling around the North Carolina campus on game day...it's an indelibly charming school, one of those places you absorb and think to yourself, "I would have enjoyed going to school here."
In fact, I took an informal tour with Rothstein and Graham Watson of the ESPN.com and I do believe Rothstein uttered such a phrase (along with the term "life goal") a couple times. The three of us toured Tar Heel Town in the center of campus ("No, Mike, you cannot ride in the bouncy house"). Also, we ran into a few ol' Dillonites, Pat Walsh and Terry Lally, who are pretty savvy when it comes to making that one ND road game a year.
Anyway, just a terrific atmosphere. It's the equivalent of seeing your favorite band in a 4,000-seat theater as opposed to a 15,000-seat hoops arena. Speaking of which, Chapel Hill reminds me of one of my favorite never-made-it-all-the-way-to-the-top alternative band of the '90s, The Connells. Back in the early part of that decade, two of my closest friends were Tar Heel alums: Tim Crothers, now educating journalism students right here at UNC, and Jeff Bradley, now a senior writer at the ESPN magazine thingy.
Anyway, they both turned me on to this self-proclaimed "jangle-pop band", formed by a couple of UNC students in 1984, have long been the Salieri to R.E.M.'s Mozart. And that's not a rip...Five great tunes to download:
1) Get A Gun
2) Stone Cold Yesterday
3) Scotty's Lament
4) Ten Pins
5) I Suppose
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FYI, and it's a good thing, but the Tar Heel faithful are not doing a "powder-blue out" today.
Also, we may have to subtract some style points from that high charm rating I gave UNC a few moments earlier. I was just gazing across Kenan Stadium and noticed that their ring of honor includes "1995 Carquest Bowl" and "2004 Continental Tire Bowl". The Heels didn't even win the latter game.
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So here we are in the UNC press box watching a former UNC head football coach working. That would be Mack Brown, of course, whose Longhorns currently lead No. 1 OU by just two points. By the way, kudos to Mack for not going for 2 this early in the contest after scoring in the 3rd quarter to make the score 28-26. I'm down with that philosophy. Usually it winds up costing you later, when you try to convert the 2 too soon. That's the conservative side of us, I suppose.
Saturday morning in Chapel Hill...anyone living vicariously through me--and why would you be?--, you'll be disappointed to hear that my Friday night was spent in the hotel room, watching "House" re-reruns and recovering from lunch at Bojangles.
A few notes on North Carolina....
--First, you know that the Tar Heels are a bona fide southern team as soon as you take a look at the top of their roster. No. 2, at wide receiver, Cooter Arnold.
--If you've seen the fast-food SportsCenter highlights of the Tar Heels' season thus far, you've seen the clip of the ridiculously large Tar Heel lineman, No. 9, scooping a pass of his shoe tops and making an incredibly athletic play against U Conn. Not only does he intercerpt the pass, he keeps his feet for a (heavily overused cliche alert) pick-six. That lineman is sophomore 6-5, 305-pound Marvin Austin, who came tantalizingly close to signing with the Irish two years ago.
--Austin wears No. 9. Another Tar Heel who came even closer to signing with Notre Dame two years ago--in fact, verbally committed to them as late as November, is No. 8: part-time starter at running back Greg Little who, at 6-3, 210, is not.
--This is Bruce Carter, the super-stud sophomore LB--Chapel Hill's version of Brian Smith-- who already has blocked four punts this season, and three last week.
I had this epiphany watching an old episode of "Entourage" last night (the one that ends with Drama waking up in the back of his convertible at the rim of the Grand Canyon). In the simplest, most elemental, least Chuck Todd-like analysis you're likely to find, can't you make the argument that John McCain is Johnny Drama and Barack Obama is Vincent Chase? Can't you see McCain raising both arms in the air and proclaiming, "VICTORY!" or barging into the offices of Daily Variety to protest a horrible review? And can't you see Obama always being smooth, whether it's with the ladies or the studio heads? Just don't ask him to appear in Aquaman II.
On to the picks...
No. 1 Oklahoma (5-0) at No. 5 Texas (5-0), Noon, ABC
What ever happened to Human Injury Timeout Colt McCoy? Suddenly the Longhorn quarterback is finishing the games he started and finishing off defensive backs (watch how he gives the extra shove here…totally unnecessary, but totally badass). The Sooners are better, but there’s just something about the Texas quarterback that tells me that this year he’s the real McCoy.
Best Little Whorehouse in Texas 31, Oklahoma! 30
Minnesota (5-1) at Illinois (3-2), Noon
One person--one!—voted for Minnesota in this week’s coaches’ poll. So who were the other 24 schools on head coach Tim Brewster’s ballot, I wonder? Anyhoo, the Golden Gophers, 1-11 a year ago, are going to be bowl-eligible this season. Just not after this week.
Champaign-Urbanas 33, Minneapolis-St. Pauls 17
Sorry to be the turd in the punch bowl, but I'm having a hard time with the amount of glee people are deriving from Adam "Pacman" Jones' latest bout of stupidity.
This particular piece of low-hanging fruit holds little appeal for me.
It's apparent the guy is not very smart. Dangerously not very smart.
Are we getting this yet? The guy is intellectually overmatched by the simple workings and expectations of society yet, by dint of his physical talents, he's "enabled" to come back and perform.
Either way, he's a crappy employee, but the Cowboys thought it might be kinda fun to have him under their big top (every circus needs a freak show) so they hired him. The Cowboys' motives in exploiting Jones were never more clear than during the HBO training camp documentary "Hard Knocks."
Given the pain Jones has caused himself and others and the limb the Cowboys made the rest of the league climb out on for a guy who's a lock to offend again, the honorable thing would have been for the Cowboys to somehow shield Jones' re-entry into the NFL from the cameras.
Would HBO have like it? No. Did it make for great TV to see Jones dumping trash cans filled with water from his balcony on unsuspecting teammates, catching six footballs at once, saying about T.O., "That boy crazy!" and sending correspondence to the league to ask for reinstatement? Yeah.
But the whole operation served to give Jones -- someone not mentally equipped to deal with the severity of his situation and the reality of the expectations set upon him -- the perception that he wasn't a person or an employee of an NFL franchise but a reality TV star.
And what do reality TV stars inevitably do? They melt down. And then they land on the scrap heap with the rest of pop culture's discards to go and do whatever it is they do until they make their next and final headline (before their obit) with an arrest in a Target parking lot.
But that's OK with Jerry Jones, the NFL's P.T. Barnum. Think P.T. cared if The Bearded Lady had esteem issues and a drinking problem that raged? Not if she showed up lookin' freaky.
I asked Jones point blank during training camp if the circus he'd created wasn't too much.
"A tradition of the Cowboys is for all this visibility to be here," he said in August. "When we’ve had our greatest teams, when we've had our most successes, that was said in spades. 'We were too visible, there were too many characters, too much attention.' I know first hand, it doesn't impact the play of the players in a negative way. I would almost go as far as to say that it's a positive thing."
So today, now that Pac is back in the news for public stupidity, we're supposed to cluck-cluck at how stupid he is. Sorry, I'm not with that program. To me, that fact was already clear. Instead, I shake my head at the team that's exploited him.
In a nice one-on-one with The Sporting News, defending Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow from the University of Florida indicated he'll consider going to the NFL after this his junior season.
The pertinent parts...
When asked if he'd be back with the Gators for his senior season in 2009, Tebow said, "I can't say for sure, no."
Elaborating, he added, "If the season ends up going good and I'm blessed to have an opportunity to go play in the NFL pretty early, I think that's something, just trying to be prudent and wise about it, it's something you have to look at."
I spoke to an AFC scouting director (one whose team is not in the market for a QB) about Tebow's prospects at the next level. He indicated that, while Tebow doesn't fit the physical mold of a franchise quarterback, his unique skill set makes him a very intriguing prospect.
And while that may seem a slap at Tebow's ability, it shouldn't be. Those seemingly irreplaceable franchise quarterbacks are a dying breed. There's Brady and Manning, sure, but there are also a host of teams that have shown in the past few seasons that the position can have some flexibility to it.
Last summer I took a few dance lessons. That was about three months and 3,000 points on the Dow ago, when such a thing as discretionary income existed. Anyway, I remember quite clearly signing up for the course:
Dance Instructor: "What dances would you like to learn?"
Me: "End zone dance ... oh, and whatever Mario Lopez does."
Dance Instructor: "How about we start you off with the salsa?"
Me: "You mean it's a food and a dance? Awesome-ness!"
1. Who's Worse Off - Packers or Seahawks?
The climate's probably worse in Green Bay where the faction of Packers fans still peeved about the lockout of Brett Favre are going to seize on their 2-3 start as proof they were right and the "braintrust" was wrong. But Green Bay's loss to the Falcons on Sunday paled in comparison to the 1-3 Seahawks mail-it-in job in the Meadowlands where they lost 44-6. At least the Packers put up some resistance (though a loss to a rookie QB leading one of last year's most dysfunctional teams AT LAMBEAU! is mind-bending). The Seahawks looked lost against the Giants and with a defense seemingly incapable of making a game-altering play (one pick in 16 quarters), it doesn't bode well for Seattle to rebound. Through the beauty of scheduling, we'll get to see who's closer to getting their season resuscitated. Green Bay visits the Great Northwest this Sunday.
2. Who Stays Perfect Longer - Titans or Giants?
The Titans have an unfair edge here since they have this week off while the Giants are at Cleveland next Monday night. But the NFL's two last unbeaten teams (Tennessee is 5-0; New York's 4-0) both get their best tests in the immediate future during Week 8. That's when the Giants are at Pittsburgh and the Titans host the gritty, gutty Colts on Monday night. I'll crawl out on a limb right now and say that both teams make it through that week perfect - the Giants pass rush and aerial attack will be too much for Pittsburgh to weather and the Titans will pound Peyton Manning. But the following week is when the Giants figure to fall, having to host the Cowboys while Tennessee hosts the Pack.
3. Dolphins and Falcons...More Than Nice Little Stories?
With the Dolphins backing up their win over the Patriots with another one over San Diego and the Falcons going into Green Bay to knock off the Pack, the two teams have gone beyond being mere curiosities. How far? Hard to say. But their defenses are what will determine their fortunes because, let's face it, offense comes and goes. And so far the Dolphins are third in the AFC in points allowed (76, trailing Baltimore and Tennessee). and fourth in yards allowed (288 per game). Atlanta, meanwhile, is eighth in the NFC in points allowed (107) and 10th in yards allowed (347.4). Playing in what appears to be a lesser division offensively, the AFC East, I'd bet on Miami to keep it up longer than the Falcons who will face the Eagles, Saints, Broncos, Panthers, Chargers and Saints again between October 26 and December 7.
4. T.O. Rants, Plaxico and Tommie Harris Suspensions, Bulluck-Finnegan Bout...Turmoil Is Good?
Some interesting dynamics at work here. Yes, the Cowboys won Sunday but to be life-and-death with the lowly Bengals a week after losing at home to the Redskins is a sign of this team's lack of focus. And with that performance coming against the backdrop of T.O.'s whining the week before, it's easy to draw a straight line conclusion that Dallas is letting the drama affect its performances. Same as it ever was. There's no "I" in team for the Cowboys, but there is a "M" and an "E" and they show that. As for the Bears and Giants, they stepped forward without frontline players Tommie Harris and Plaxico Burress and showed that sometimes putting the remaining 52 ahead of a self-centered 1 can be galvanizing. It was a team-building exercise. And the Titans, who had an onfield shoving incident between Keith Bulluck and Cortland Finnegan? The root of that problem was that it was two defenders who live on tenacity. Bulluck took issue with Finnegan hurting the team with personal fouls and wound up shoving him. Maybe if someone would stand up to Owens in Dallas, their fortunes and performances team-wide would more closely match their talent.
5. Bigger Frauds...Bad Chargers or Good Redskins?
Which team will maintain its current level of performance longer? I'm going to say San Diego but that's because they've been down this road before. In 2007, they started the season 1-3 and were 5-5 after 10 but finished 11-5 and made it to the AFC Championship. If they were healthy against a Patriots team that was sucking wind, who knows what might have happened in that one. So - despite the nasty schedule SD faces (vs. Patriots and at Bills, Saints and Steelers in the next five weeks) - I like them to right their ship more than I like the 4-1 Redskins to stay at the pace they're on. But I've been wrong on Washington already this season, so take that for what it's worth!
First, Happy Birthday to Lobo. Nobody cooler. Happy B-day, B!
Moving on...and speaking of which, my halcyon days in South Bend have come to a close for now. What a wonderful month that was, and I'm not even close to kidding. I saw something on the CBS Early Show where weather guy-with-charm Dave Price went back to his alma mater, Cornell, for a week. Dave, I so had you beat last month.
Anyway, reality bites but I'm now at O'Hare and wondering, as all of you who fly do, why American Airlines charges for checked baggage instead of overhead baggage. Listen, AA, I understand you can't keep losing billions each year (althought that strategy seems to work for large insurers and investment banks). You need to make up some ground somewhere. What I don't understand--and am hoping someone can explain--is why you charge us for checked baggage? Doesn't that just encourage fliers to carry more stuff on-board? And is there anything that spells "unnecessary delays" more than people trying to go Gaylord Fokker trying to stuff their baggage into an already overstuffed overhead?
Wouldn't it be wiser to charge for overheard, thereby having more people check bags? Or do you want that underneath space to ferry more non-passenger-related cargo? Can someone help me out on that one?
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - At least the disgrace that was handed to the Seahawks didn't come with a side dish of injured starting quarterback.
Matt Hasselbeck, who went down with a knee injury that looked pretty bad at first, said he should be fine.
"I hyperextended my knee," he explained after the game. "As I was hyperextending, I was able to twist with it and so I don't know exactly what's wrong. The doctors didn't seem too concerned. I think were going to do the normal scans. But I'm not too concerned about it."
The bad news for the Seahawks (other than having their collective head handed to them) was that just-back wideout Deion Branch has a heel injury that limited his time. Branch's injury history since joining the Seahawks is making the deal Seattle cut with New England to get him look worse and worse all the time.
The big story here is that - even without Plaxico Burress and taking a supposed step up in weight class - the Giants still appear formidable. They're up 27-6 at the break; Eli Manning is 15 for 18 for 274 yards, they've carried 15 times for 116 yards (78 for Brandon Jacobs) and Plax's replacement, Domenik Hixon, has four catches for 102 yards and a touchdown.
But the throttling makes us wonder if even the Seahawks are to be taken seriously in 2008. They've so far been throttled by Buffalo 34-10, lost to the Niners 33-30 and are in the midst of getting a royal thrashing today. The only team they beat? St. Louis, 37-13. You, me and the Jonas Brothers might be able to beat St. Louis at this point.
And as stuttering as they are on offense, it's the ineptitude of their secondary that's really appalling. J.T. O'Sullivan went 20 for 32 for 321 when they played the Niners, Trent Edwards was 19 for 30 for 215 for the Bills and only the Rams Mark Bulger's been picked off by the Seahawks defense this season.
The Seahawks are giving only token resistance to the Giants who seem to be reveling in the forced sabbatical of Plaxico Burress. Amani Toomer had two big catches including a 29-yarder as Eli Manning is 5-for-5 for 96 yards through two drives.
Olindo Mare just canned a 30-yard field goal (I got sick of saying "drilled") to make it 7-3. Matt Hasselbeck made it through the series. He is on the sidelines chatting with coaches but not getting treatment on his knee. The field goal was aided by a phantom defensive holding call that put the ball on the Giants 16.
Seahawks receiver Deion Branch seems to be favoring his right foot as well. He was unable to haul in a touchdown pass that hit him in the helmet and gave less than 100 percent on the 'Hawks third down play before the field goal.
With Plaxico Burress suspended, Domenik Hixon's running in his spot. And Hixon just caught a 32-yard touchdown pass over Seahawks corner Kelly Jennings to put the Giants up 7-0. The 91-yard drive was four plays. Brandon Jacobs broke a 44-yard run to account for much of it.
Hasselbeck's back on the field and playing though he's got a noticeable hitch in his step thanks to the right knee injury suffered on Seattle's first drive.
Matt Hasselbeck's down off the training table and is walking very slowly and gingerly along the sidelines trying to go over overheads of the Seahawks first series.
It would appear that he's going to be coming back in. For how long is the big question, though. He's walking quicker since I began this blog but with a stiff-legged limp.
On his third attempt of the day and the Seahawks fifth play, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck went down with a right knee injury and stayed down for more than a minute.
He just left the field with support but walking gingerly and has been placed on the training table on the sidelines. I'll keep updates coming.
I'm at the Seahawks-Giants game in the Meadowlands but one of the interesting threads weaving through many of today's matchups is that of injured quarterbacks trying to soldier through the pain.
Ben Roethlisbeger, Carson Palmer, Donovan McNabb and Aaron Rodgers are all nursing pain but will give it a go. Meanwhile, reports from Tennessee are that there will be a package implemented for Vince Young who's returning from his knee injury but will still back up Kerry Collins.
As for this game, Matt Hasselbeck got Deion Branch his first catch of the year on the Seahawks first play from scrimmage, a little in-cut that gained 12.
And now Hasselbeck's down and rolling around after a third-and-5 play.
Toby, or not Toby.
Cardinal listened to me, ran the ball, and scored a TD. Toby Gerhart, No. 7, had the Cardinal's longest gain of the afternoon on a 22-yard run. It's not unusual to see Stanford's best offensive player wearing No. 7, but it is odd to see him running the ball as opposed to passing it. No one wore No. 7 better for the Cardinal than John "I'm gonna marry a former Raiderette someday" Elway.
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Notre Dame is picking an odd time to stage a "Turn Back The Clock" drive. The first play was a Dive Right (as opposed to a Dive Right In) to James Aldridge. Second down was a quick out to Duval Kamara that went for two. And third down was an incomplete pass to David Grimes.
Dumb, Irish. Dumb.
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One alum's assessment of Brandon Walker (0-2 today on FGs):
"He kicks the extra points with authority and they look like they could easily go 50 yards if necessary. The field goal attempts, he babies them. I think he is basically aiming them. When a pitcher does this he loses velocity and accuracy. Same thing with Walker. His problems are all mental. He fits right in with the male student population at Notre Dame."
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Stanford just scored again. 28-21. Irish got a little complacent and Walker did them no favors missing both field goal attempts. Now they need a clock-eating, get-it-to-the-underclassmen drive.
Stanford, 3rd period: zero first downs, 4 yards rushing, no complete passes.
Stanford, 4th period: 7 first downs, a bunch of rushing yards, 6-6 passing. And two TDs so far.
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It's close, but I gotta go down to the field. See y'all.
Jimmy Clausen just surpassed 300 yards passing on a 41-yard go-route down the right sideline to (can I say it now?) Freshman All-America Michael Floyd. Symbolic, that, since I believe these guys will go down as the most prolific passer and receiver in school history when it is all over.
The Irish are far--very far--from perfect, but their passing game covers a lot of pimples.
Here's a bizarre stat I would have never guessed before this game. The Irish came into today last, dead last, in the nation in red zone offense. I don't know how that could be except for the fact that the Irish have so many 20-plus yard scoring plays this season. However, today they've scored touchdowns both times they've advanced past the Stanford 20, so maybe they are no longer last.
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28-7, Irish, after a TD pass to Rudolph.
Kuntz just sacked Pritchard.
Today is a great example of an offense foolishly allowing the score to dictate their play-calling. Stanford had 107 yards rushing on 11 carries in the first quarter. Sure, they fell behind, but why abandon the rushing game? It's your best weapon. In the second and third quarter the Cardinal almost totally abandoned the run. They probably have fewer than 40 yards rushing the past two quarters while allowing three sacks and being intercepted twice.
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Funny moment early in the third quarter. The Irish were flagged for a false start, but the call was against quarterback Jimmy Clausen. He looked at the ref as if to say, "What I do?" And the ref forgot (or didn't care) to turn off his mic when he motioned with his arms and flatly said, "You can't do that."
Funny moment.
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Numbers:
Brandon Walker, now 1-7 on field goal attempts this season.
Notre Dame: 18 TDs this season. 16 of them scored by underclassmen.
Duval Kamara: 0 catches today. I'm not even sure if he has played.
James Clausen has 221 yards passing after one half, which is more yardage than he had in any entire game last year except for the Air Force game (246 yards).
Take away the turnovers and penalties (8 on Stanford, 2 on ND), and it's a pretty even game. Both teams have 13 first downs, the time of possession is within a minute, and the total yardage is ND 238, Stanford 208.
But Harbaugh leads Weis in the popped blood vessels department. Last year after the Irish beat Stanford in the Palo of Alto, Harbaugh refused to speak to the media. There was no great controversy--in fact, it was David Grimes who was robbed of a TD--but Harbaugh just was too upset to speak...leading not a few members of the media to remark, "What a ________."
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Stanford, I don't understand you. First offensive play of the second half, and Gerhart gains 6. Then you attempt consecutive passes. Why? One was knocked down by Kuntz, the other INC. Stanford punts. Dumb.
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In the last 48 hours I've seen four current or former SI writers on TV: Tom Verducci doing dugout baseball reporting for TBS, Josh Elliott hosting SportsCenter on ESPN, and on our own halftime show both Austin Murphy and Peter King. I'll give TV people credit: at least they're putting the good-looking ones on.
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Clausen just suffered his first sack of the day, via a well-timed safety blitz by Bo McNally.
And, on the ensuing punt, Stanford gets a little ref-revenge courtesy an interference penalty on the Irish. Short field for the Cardinal, who will begin their drive on the Irish 30. I thought that if ND could score on the first drive of the second half to go up 28-7, they'd have put this one away. But Tate and Floyd both dropped catchable passes and the Irish look flat. We've got a game.
Jimmy Clausen just led the Irish back on a touchdown drive that featured a couple of key catches by tight end Kyle Rudolph, who's having the best half of his young career. Rudy already has catches of 24 and 19 yards.
Now Clausen, on 3rd-and-10, just threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Michael Floyd on a fly route. Talent sure makes up for a lot, doesn't it?
Clausen now has 209 passing yards, and a pair of TDs, in the first half. Just 66 yards away from his career high.
Meanwhile, Coach Fire, Jim Harbaugh, has a lot to be furious about. Prior to the TD that put the Irish up 21-7, Stanford punted. Mymando Allen called for a fair catch, but he was a little deep. As he took a step or two up to field the punt, he bumped into his own blocker, then mishandled the punt and fumbled. A Cardinal picked it up on a bounce and ran it back for what should have been the game-tying TD.
Granted, the Cardinal was standing pretty close to AA, but the cause of the fumble was Allen's own man. And I don't think the Stanford player was thatclose to AA.
Shoulda been 14-14, and I don't begrudge Coach Comeback his ire. Three plays later it was 21-7 Irish.
Pritchard, by the way, is 4-11 with three first-half interceptions. I understand the Cardinal are behind, but why go to the air? You're averaging nearly 10 yards per carry.
Meanwhile, after the third Pritchard pick, Pat "I'm gonna rip his head off" Kuntz was called for unsportsmanlike conduct. I didn't see if that was directed at Marinelli, but my spies near the Cardinal sideline tell me that Harbaugh ripped into Marinelli when he got to the bench. Wonder if he thanked him for the bulletin-board fodder.
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A funny friend of mine wonders if USC's marching band will pay tribute to a certain former Heisman Trophy winner by playing "That's Life" tonight.
And, really, how bizarre that O.J. is convicted of kidnapping and armed robbery twelve years to the day after he was acquitted in the double murder?
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At the half: Irish 21, Stanford 7
--both teams have punted once
--key play was the bobbled punt
--My good friend and colleague Paula Faris points out that Duval Kamara, who holds the Notre Dame freshman record for receptions (32) has vanished. And he's only a sophomore. And she wonders, as do I, whether given ND's depth at wideout and thinness at tight end, if Charlie will just say, "Mangia!" to Duval and turn him into a tight end.
--Why Stanford has stopped running the ball is a mystery to me. By the way, Toby Gerhart is a bear to bring down. Just a strong, strong kid, which is the reason so many of his carries end with about six guys around him from either side pushing the pile. You just cannot knock him off his feet.
--What to look forward to? Irish receive to open the second half. If they can score, it puts Stanford in throw-mode and they're doomed. If Cardinal can hold, I'd go with the rushing attack and trust in it. Irish cannot stop the run.
After one quarter Stanford has 107 yards rushing. The Cardinal are averaging just under ten yards per carry. Why pass?
Toby Gerhart (48 yards on five carries) and Anthony Kimble (33 yards on 2 carries) are alternating every play and the Cardinal are just blowing the Irish off the ball. Gerhart is just a powerful back whose legs keep pumping, while Kimble is elusive and has the ability to spin for an extra couple yards.
The Irish were able to mask the pain in the first quarter with a pair of timely interceptions by David Bruton and Pat Kuntz, but now the Cardinal are just chewing up turf. The secret is out on the Irish defense: Pound 'em.
Notre Dame, by contrast, had 10 yards rushing in the first quarter. 93 yards passing, but 10 yards rushing (the Cardinal had 15 yards passing).
So far the difference has been, and the reason the Irish still lead, that 1) the Cardinal have committed three penalties to the Irish's zero and 2) those two picks.
Stanford's about to pile in for a score. Gerhart just did from a yard out. Impressive drive that went 95 yards and lasted 7:02. Through one quarter, the Cardinal look like the best team the Irish have faced this season. And far, far better than the Cardinal of last November.
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All five of Notre Dame's games thus far have involved teams from just three states: California, Michigan and Indiana.
Five minutes before kickoff. Sergio Brown, Brian Smith and Ian Williams are in the corner of the endzone leading students in the "Crank Me Up" cheer. I hope Pastor Troy shares royalties with them.
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At about noon there was a pretty cool sight. The stadium was empty except for ushers and bloggers, when Notre Dame team captains David Bruton, Maurice Crum and David Grimes walked to midfield still clad in their goin'-to-the-Basilica suits. When they reached the 50-yard line, all three stopped and appeared to hold something out in their right hands. They stood there for a moment or two, then retreated back to the North end zone tunnel. I'll have to find out what they do there later.
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My prediction for today: Jimmy Clausen gets his first 300-yard passing game. Why?
1) Perfect weather
2) Stanford is 105th against the pass.
3) Golden Tate, Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph.
(Clausen's previous high was last week: 275 yards)
Yet another gorgeous Golden date in South Bend, Indiana. Not a cloud in the sky, and temps in the high sixties. Three of the four home games have been Chamber of Commerce days thus far.
So I put a space between the fourth and fifth letters of the name of today's Notre Dame foe, and came up with some interestering results. I'll be sprinkling these in all day.
Wanted to return to something Charlie said during Thursday afternoon's post-practice gathering with the media. And he makes an excellent point. When asked about Will Yeatman's situation, Weis said, "I feel bad for all the kids who were involved in that....And I find it peculiar that the only guy mentioned in that (press release by the St. Joe Country Prosecutor's Office) was Will."
As did I.
The press release is an update of the litigation status of the "Colfax 37", the party at an off-campus house rented by member of the women's lacrosse team that was busted in the early morning hours of Sept. 21. It notes that arrest letters have been mailed to their homes. Then it continues by stating that "three individuals arrested on September 21 have prior records; these individuals will be dealt with more harshly, on a case-by-case basis."
One of those three individuals was Yeatman, and his case and its potential consequences is laid out in detail. However, the other two individuals are never mentioned.
Purely as a courtesy to the media, this makes sense. Yeatman is the only "name" individual among the trio, and the only other gridder among the entire 37 is Mike Golic, Jr. On the other hand, is it law enforcement's role to be singling out football players for basically being football players? If Yeatman is mentioned, why not the other two?
Don't misread me. Two alcohol-related offenses in one year, even from a college student living on campus, is serious. A law enforcement officer is never going to be patted on the back for the life he saved by keeping a potential drunk driver off the streets. So we'll never really know what "good" has come out of this.
But the point Weis is making is that Will Yeatman is still a college student. And if the local police are going to protect the other two repeat offenders' identity, why are they not protecting Yeatman's? It appears that the motive was to foster some publicity for the police department and its crackdown.
Last week's pep rally was lifeless. You'd have thought the Fighting Irish were preparing to play in the Morose Bowl.
This week's? Would have blown away Vince McMahon.
Terrail Lambert brandished a sledgehammer, Brian Smith and Sergio Brown worked the crowd for NOISE, and defensive end Pat Kuntz went back to W.W.E. 101 by having teammate Robby Parris rip off his suit (yes, it was a tear-away suit) to reveal a muscle-bound Kuntz clad in just knee-length jean shorts and a sleeveless white-T.
"That's more like it."
Superserious SuperSaturday Soothsaying
Odd week. An in-state showdown between two vestigial mavericks takes place in Miami. Meanwhile in Tulsa, a pair of energy-producing offenses square off in an energy-producing state, far from the greed and corruption on Wall Street.
Stanford (3-2) at Notre Dame (3-1), NBC, 2:30 p.m.
The Cardinal, behind California’s all-time leading prep rusher, junior Toby Gerhart, can run the football. However, their pass defense is 105th nationally. Jimmy Clausen has the first 300-yard passing game of his career as the Irish surpass last year’s win total.
College of Cardinals 35, College of Cardinal 20
Florida State (3-1) at Miami (2-2), ABC, 3:30 p.m.
I miss the Orange Bowl. Don’t you?
Dexter 19, Bundy 16
Kentucky (4-0) at No. 2 Alabama (4-0), CBS, 3:30 p.m.
The first litmus test for the Wildcats, who lead the nation in scoring defense (5.5 points per game) and in three of their four wins have surrendered a field goal or less. Smashmouth fans, check out the Tide’s O-line versus the Cats D-line.
Tide 20, Untied 12
We experienced some technical difficulties here at the Double D yesterday -- broken laptop -- but the good people at FedEx/Kinko's are being kind enough to lend me the internet for just $12 per hour. It's a fine set-up, although Bill Curtis just barged in and announced, "I've just found the internet" then left chuckling.
He thinks he's so clever.
Stanford and its trash-talking offensive tackle, Chris Marinelli, visit South Bend this weekend. Here's what the Boston native told The Cardinal Report earlier this week:
"I grew up with a bunch of Irish and Italian Catholic people back home. And all the Irish Catholic people, all they talk about is Notre Dame this, Notre Dame that. And they've never even been there, ya know. So I hate those guys, I hate that school.
"We are going out there to mash them up and that's all there is to it."
So it's "Crank Me Up" vs. "Mash Them Up."
Notre Dame has won the last six times these two have played as well as the last six times they've played in South Bend.
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