The following is part of a mini-series of posts designed to show off the scope of my expanded C4G blog, Student Section. While the site is being designed and built, content on here will cover a wide variety of topics and opinions.
Perk up JMU fans, because we're talking Dukes basketball today. I've compiled a bit of a roundtable to discuss the hotbutton issues of anything and everything in the confines of the Convocation Center. I hesitate to call what I've cobbled together here a consortium, just because of how much ESPN's Andrew Smith liked it when I ascribed the name to him and his merry band of rabble-rousers a few months ago, but regardless, we've got a talented group of observers and opinion-givers lined up today. If I may:
Stephen Proffitt is a Men's basketball beat writer for The Breeze. Along with the Daily News Record's Mark Selig, he is probably one of the most knowledgable people on the planet when it comes to JMU basketball and covers home games regularly. Check out his published work in the Breeze after home games, and find him on Twitter @JStheProffitt.
Meaghan MacDonald (@MegtotheMac) is a former sports editor at the Breeze and just seems to know a bunch of people. Like, she's got Tom Izzo's phone number. What's up with that? She has worked previously with WXJM and the consummate professional, Curt Dudley. I am told she is not a feminist, though I have no confirmation this is true.
Carleigh Davis is also a former sports editor at the Breeze. She is a noted fan of the JMU program and just a general officianado of Twitter (@_carleigh). I call her Queen Carleigh when she's not around, because it just seems to fit.
And then there's me, Chase Kiddy. I don't know how to put this... I'm kind of a big deal. People know me.
Today, the four of us discuss the state of the JMU men's basketball program and where we think the program is heading this year and beyond.
1. JMU sits at 4-6 going into two winnable games in Las Vegas. If you had to grade the team on their season so far, what would it be and why?
Stephen: C+. The plus is for my optimism that the team will continue to improve. JMU is off to another rough start this year at 4-6 through the first month of play. During their Thanksgiving tournament in Pittsburgh, the only thing the Dukes were thankful for was a bus ride destined for Harrisonburg, going 1-3 over the holiday break. I would give them a grade of C+ because I think they may be onto something now. Play has improved over the past few weeks and if there was a year to make moves to the front of the CAA, look no farther than this year. The CAA flat out sucks. Only two teams have winning records (George Mason/William & Mary). With a senior laden team that consists of six seniors (five 5th year’s), the time to go is now. A defensive oriented Dukes squad is learning to “make the extra pass” and the ball movement is on the upswing. A key win over a Winthrop team who gave Ohio State a run for their money this week, and a very strong outing against Richmond may be the kick start the team needed going into the new year. The glue is beginning to set in with this team and a strong conference record come the end of this season would not surprise me, but then comes the tournament in Richmond, where the Dukes never seem to fair well.
Meaghan: C+. Yes the Dukes have a losing record (what else is new), but they are coming off a pretty successful five-game homestand and also showed an improved offense. The boys are putting up points: at least 72 per game, and their last three wins came by a combined 47 points. Both losses were tough battles and only fell by one point (54-53 loss to George Washington and an 83-82 OT loss to Richmond). They really held their own against Richmond which to me was surprising. The Spiders are 9-3 and more of a basketball school then JMU has been in quite some time. But the Dukes are looking strong and getting plenty of effort from their starters which makes me somewhat hopeful for how we will play in Las Veas and for the rest of the season.
Carleigh: Well, I'm going to be real blunt and give the Dukes a well-earned D. For depressing, disappointing and defeated. Let's be really honest with ourselves when we look at this team. It has a sprinkle of specialized talent that doesn't blend well with the other spices. I also am not quite sure any game is a "winnable" game for the Dukes because they can't seem to be consistent as a team. Pull the players aside one-by-one and you'll see stats that will make you think otherwise.
Chase: I'll give them a B. Maybe I'm being a little too easy on the team here-- okay, maybe I'm being WAY too easy-- but I have been saying since the beginning of the season that this team will figure stuff out. Well, it took a suspension, a historically long homestand, and some seriously overachieving freshmen, but this team is starting to look like they've certainly figured some stuff out. Call me an apologist if you want, but for a team whose depth is probably too reliant on true freshmen, has a coach backed up against a wall, and is historically not that successful yet full of some sizable egos, improving to "probably conference title competitor" in 10 games or less deserves moderate, if guarded, praise.
2. What are your thoughts on the AJ Davis/Matt Brady situation? Is it definitively over?
SP: Do you think Michael Jordan ever pissed Phil Jackson off? I would take a wild guess and say their relationship was not always fine and dandy, but Jackson knew one thing: Jordan scored points and made plays. A.J. Davis should be the Michael Jordan to Matt Brady. His minutes have almost been cut in half so far this season and they don’t seem to be going up anytime soon….all you ask because of effort and attitude? During the most recent episode of the “Guiding Light,” Brady decided to indefinitely suspend Davis for all of 44 hours, I’m assuming to prove a point? Davis made it sound like he learned from his actions and he was ready to be a team player. Some would say the saga is continuing as Davis’ minutes are still down, but I fully believe that Brady is playing the guys he thinks will win him games. “Our freshman are pushing our seniors” he said in a press conference recently. Although I agree for the most part, Davis is the most talented player on the team, hands down. He’s the “highlight reel” guy. He puts people in the seats even though that’s a touchy subject too… He averaged 15.9 ppg and 32.4 mpg last year and as Mark Wahlberg said in The Other Guys, “I’m a peacock! You gotta let me fly!” Brady needs to play him and see what he can do for the team. Watching him over the years, I have noticed his lackadaisical attitude on some plays and his “careless” effort on defense, but sometimes you need to sacrifice that for points on the board. It’s still a ongoing process and I expect it to go on all season, but bottom line if Brady wants to win games, Davis will need to spend those games on the floor, not the bench.
MM: Honestly, I don't think this situation is looking any better moving forward. An attitude problem and lack of motivation is harder to fix than a problem with a shot. It's mental and as a senior, I don't think Davis will really fix his issues. Brady has been doing the right thing by cutting his playing time and suspending him from the team. However, I think that the 48 hour suspension was only a slap on the wrist and won't teach Davis much. He is a senior that needs to lead his team and end his JMU career on a high note. But he is also a senior that is too proud and I feel will continuously bump heads with Brady. What will be best for the team is if Brady kept him on a short leash and not let Davis's attitude run free on and of the court.
CD: HAHA. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. I've only been ranting on Twitter about this since the season started. The conflict between Brady & Davis reminds me so often of the Hokies' Seth Greenberg and Eric Green. Two grown-ass men who can't handle themselves in a professional manner who decide a Mexican standoff is the way to go. I am repeatedly rolling my eyes behind my computer screen. This situation infuriates me. How the hell are you going to have a player sit there and show you he wants to play if you're the idiot making the calls? I don't get it. You're also the idiot who isn't using one of your only seniors to help you to a winning season, and possibly (not likely) trying to keep your job. I am just baffled. Davis' numbers last year made a statement. In my eyes, Davis deserves to play. And I highly doubt that with Brady's panties so tight this season that this will be the last battle we face.
CK: I think this chapter of the saga might be over, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are flare-ups in the future. Overall, I think Coach Brady probably recognizes the importance of getting arguably his best playmaker out on the floor, and that may supercede some of the smaller squabbles that crop up going forward. If Davis was younger (ie, not a senior), had spent more time at JMU (ie, wasn't a transfer), or if Brady wasn't seriously up against it this season (ie, in the final year of his contract), I think this situation would be different. But those three factors affect both the relationship between Davis and Brady as well as the tolerance levels Brady has to adopt for antics on the team this year.
3. What does Coach Brady need to achieve this year to keep his job?
SP: 20+ wins, and a visit to the CAA Championship game. An NCAA tournament birth is in my opinion his only guarantee. It’s as simple as that. In a seven-team tourney, one win will get you into the semis this year in Richmond. Certainly the CAA is no more than a one-bid league this year unless something amazing happens during conference play. Although he has done a lot for the program (such as put it back on the map), the university has shown that they’re not afraid of shaking things up when results are down. Just walk to the other side of Duke Dog Alley to Bridgeforth. Personally I do not think he will be back next season and I think he knows that as well. With only one redshirt used on (Dimitrije Cabarkapa) he knows that he might as well use everyone at his disposal. It will cost the university big money to go out and get a new coach though. With Brady making <$300,000, he’s considered a bargain at the Division 1 level. He’s brought two 21 win seasons to a program that earned a combined 25 wins between 2003-2007, but in a cut throat business what you “have” done doesn’t weigh as much as it maybe should.
MM: Brady needs a spot in the CAA championship to keep his job. Honestly, I like Brady as a person and in most aspects as a coach. He cares about his players, tries and isn't given enough credit, but whatever he is doing isn't meshing. JMU fans are at their wits end and the team hasn't produced enough in the past four seasons to make themselves a force to be reckoned with in the CAA. His recruiting this season seems to be working well, since his freshman are seeing a good amount of playing time and are producing. But recruiting and player-coach relationships are only one aspect in college basketball. Producing wins and creating buzz for the team are huge pieces and very important in Division I and more important in this situation. I'd like to see Brady around for another season, especially if this one goes well, but he needs to pull off something grand to keep his job safe.
CD: Simply put, Brady will not return. They won't re-up his contract, he won't be with the team and we will maybe have a better coach step in. After Brady's rather pathetic cry for his job during last year's post-CAA tourney press conference, I think Jeff Bourne ultimately felt bad and didn't try and buy him out. But with a healthy team and starting three freshmen, I don't think anybody's impressed. Including myself.
CK: I'm not so sure a completed checklist is going to be what gets Brady that coveted contract extension. I think it'll just be a general feeling of yes, we believe in him or no, we want someone new. I think a CAA championship is probably a surefire way of maximizing his odds to stay with the team; I think a top 2 finish in CAA play and a spot in the championship game regardless of outcome probably saves him as well. Outside of that, I just don't know. I'm not Jeff Bourne and can't fathom what he's thinking. Regardless of the X's and O's, people just aren't that excited about JMU basketball, and that's the kind of thing that could prove damning regardless of the record next to your team name.
4. Who is the most important player for JMU going forward?
SP: Devon Moore in my opinion. I first wrote A.J. Davis, but then found the delete key after pondering some more. He’s the captain of this team. He’s the Humpty Hitchens of this year. In order for this team to succeed, they need Moore to produce on the stat sheet, but more importantly, succeed as a leader. Brady is using freshman like it’s his job. He says some freshmen are more mature than others, but nonetheless they all need need the nurturing and guidance of a fifth year guy who has played in countless games over his career. If Moore can stay healthy and step up as a veteran leader, this team can go places.
MM: Hands down, Andrey Semenov is the most important player for the Dukes. Semenov suffered a groin injury in the first few minutes of the first game of he season against UCLA. His return to the court December 1 against Winthrop University made an immediate impact as he knocked in 17 points in 19 minutes. Since his return, the Dukes are 3-1 and Semenov is the second-leading scorer on the team (11.6 per game and 52.4 percent from behind the arc). With that much impact in such little time, Semenov is a vital piece to JMU's game that will help them move forward in a positive way. There's not much more else to say; the stats speak for themselves in this case.
CD: I'd have to go with Andre Nation here. I mean, WOW! What a player. He's so explosive and fun to watch. Sure, he's still learning how to play the game on a college level, but that kid knows basketball. He is always paying attention, giving his all and has FUN. Now there's a word JMU's basketball program needs to learn. If the players had more fun and were able to enjoy the game they love, then maybe we would see a different basketball team. The attitude surrounding you definitely can influence play...so where's the root of the attitude stemming from? Hint: Not A.J. Davis.
CK: I wafted back and forth between Semenov and Nation, then went totally the other way and decided it was Devon Moore. Rayshawn Goins is the quiet grinder going for 16 and 8 every game. Nation usually hits double digit scoring and gets the Dukes extra possessions with that nifty little pickpocket skill he's developed. Davis gets the crowd going, Semenov stretches the other team's defense and ignites our own offense. But Moore truly does everything. He distributes, he steals, he rebounds, and lately, he's scored in bunches. Most people didn't catch it because the semester had let out, but Moore tied a career-high 22 points last Sunday in a win over UNCG. In fact, he was approaching triple double territory, finishing with a neat 22/9/7 stat line. It seems clear to me that this team will only go as far as Moore can go. There are a lot of role players and guys good at specific stuff on this team-- Moore ties it all together.
5. Can this team win the CAA? Who's their biggest opposition?
SP: Yes. Paul Hewitt and George Mason. JMU ranks 309th out of 347 Division 1 teams in terms of rebounds/game at 31.3. In order to win games they need to hit the glass and continue to improve on ball movement. This is one of the worst batches of CAA teams I’ve seen since following the league back when I was 13. With six seniors, JMU could and should take this conference or at least come close. Brady is 1-7 against the Patriots in his four seasons. Mason regards the bi annual meeting as one of their big rivalries. They meet twice again this season; a home and home format like usual. They come in the year of conference play. My favorite to win the league is Mason so JMU needs to split or even better sweep the two games.
MM: The day JMU wins a conference championship, I will be well past graduation. Yes the team looks good now and is 3-2 in their last homestand. Yes their upperclassmen are taking on the leadership roles and most are putting up decent numbers. Yes, the new recruiting class is seing some playing time and really living up to the hype Brady had in the beginning of he season. However, this is a team that also has an upper class that has a reputation for lack of focus and attitude problems while the team overall doesn't seem to seal the deal in the last days of the regular season and the CAA tournament.
Now my eyes are on George Mason for finishing on top of the conference. Right now, they're second in the conference (6-4) right behind William & Mary (7-3). Last season the Patriots finished 24-9 and have a few key players return to the court: point guard Bryon Allen, Vertrail Vaughns and redshirt junior guard Sherrod Wright, the reigning CAA Co-Player of the Week. That week, wright has averaged 21.5 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Wright is a good shooter and knows how to work himself up to the basket and finish with consistency. If these returners can all help reduce the amount of turnovers the Patriots have faced in the past, George Mason should finish strong and most likely on top.
CD: I don't think so. Even without VCU and technically ODU, I just can't see it happening. The Dukes too often self destruct, as seen in last year's CAA tournament game against UNC-Wilmington. It just isn't probable or predictable to comfortably sit here and say they could win it. You have to want a championship to win it. I don't see either want or need in this team, yet. I'm looking forward to being proven wrong... if it happens.
CK: I think so, but can and will are two entirely different enterprises. I'm not willing to take anyone seriously outside the state of Virginia, so it looks like the battle for Old Dominion might decide the CAA-- ironic, because Old Dominion seems pretty clearly to be the worst team in the whole state.
I've said it about a million times on Twitter. This team is trending in the right direction, and they look like they can hit their stride (potentially all six wins of it) right as CAA play begins in January. JMU doesn't draw George Mason until the heard of Colonial play, and if it manages a split with the Patriots, I think they have a real shot at landing the #1 tournament seed.
As for tournament play, it's hard to correct an atmosphere of underperformance. Ask the Atlanta Falcolns how they fare in the playoffs every year. Regardless, it only takes 2 or 3 wins in March to win a CAA title trophy, and if JMU was ever a threat, then this is their year. For Matt Brady, it probably couldn't have come sooner.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
10 Things: New Directions
1. No, this post is not related to the Glee show choir ensemble, because I'm sure that's the first place your mind went. This is about an entirely different matter, and it stands to impact your readership of this blog in a very dramatic and immediate way.
In a few short months, this blog will turn 2 years old. It's been a long two years, filled with long nights and arduous spell checks. But thanks to my abnormally loyal viewers, this space has flourished. So too has my resume and my repertoire of interests and writing talents. And as I have adapted and changed, this page has not.
Over the past few months, you may have noticed a few subtle (and a couple not-so-subtle) references to an upcoming makeover of this page. That is a lie. This page will not change.
What does stand to change is the forum in which I communicate my thoughts and words to all of you readers. I have far too wide a range of opinions to be running a simple blogspot such as this, and my readers have grown far too large to be subjected to this one black page.
Some of you may have been told by me personally this was coming; many of you probably had no idea. Regardless, this is the official announcement that the C4G blog will soon be closed down.
Don't think of it as a death, but rather, a move. You got a new promotion at work, and you're moving out of the trailer park and into the swanky downtown loft.
I will be bringing in a team of writers, many of whom have already been assembled, that will cover content with me. These are writers who have been hand-selected by me for specific and purposeful reasons. These are not journalists. Rather, they are opinion-givers and commentators, such as myself. While I don't claim that they will have the exact same writing style, or even the same opinions, as I do, they are competent, willing, and more than capable of putting their thoughts into word for the pure sake of entertainment, just as this site has functioned for many of you.
Obviously, this space is too small for such an undertaking, so I have brought two independent web design consultants on to my team. With my guidance and input, they will be building a larger, more tailor-made space off a WordPress template that will functioned as a more organized blog for myself as well as the fellow contributors.
If you're getting excited about the possibilities here, then good. Great. Join the club. I'd be lying if I said I had eyes for only sports writing, and I don't pretend all of you have no other interests either. This new blog will reflect those dynamics in my personality as well as yours. Additionally, other writers stand to keep content fresh and focused when my many responsibilities -- Sports Section Editor at The Breeze, contributing to the new CAAhoops.com (please check it out if your a Colonial basketball fan, we work very hard on it), hosting the WXJM Sports Manifesto radio show with Tony Schaffner, an additional writing project that must remain nameless, a job at Massanutten, and oh yeah, school work, which I should probably mention here lest my mother read this-- stand to interfere with blog writing.
For many months, this blog has served its purpose. While I will continue to update it when I can in this transition period, the new page should be ready in a few weeks. I will meet with one of my web design people next week and hammer out the finalish version of the layout, and it will be set up from there.
This blog entry, in the form of one of my most popular recurring entries, should provide you with some idea of the dimensions that will be present on the new blog. Without further ado:
2. Sports: You didn't seriously think I was going to start with anything else, right? I mean for the love of all things Pat White, you didn't think I was gonna leave out what got me here in the first place, right?
While we're on the subject, how bout them Lakers? D'antoni over Phil? Seriously? OH MY, IT'S SO CONTROVERSIAL!
No, they should hand their team over to a guy whos 80% arthritis and 20% outdated triangle offense. I'm no GM, but any time a coach has to request 42 absences in advance of his hiring, I may consider another candidate.
Mull on this: the Lakers backcourt? Combined, it's 70 years old. The Thunder's backcourt? It's about 45 years old.
I don't see a whole lot of efficient defense being played regardless, so you might as well go with the offensive guy who's gonna maximize what you can do when you actually do have the ball. After all, they're probably going to give up 90 or 100 per game regardless of who's holding the clipboard. Just saying.
3. TV & Movies: What's up with all the Amazing Spiderman hate? I don't get it. When it came out, didn't a bunch of people say it sucked? Feel free to chime in here any time now, 17-year old who couldn't think of anything better to do on a Saturday night than masturbate to Emma Stone in a lab coat.
I've loved Andrew Garfield since 2 minutes after I finished The Social Network. I've liked Emma Stone since Superbad (though I thought she looked too hot in Zombieland, even if it eventually fleshed itself out in her character development). Martin Sheen as Ben Parker? Stroke of MF'ing genius. Casting gets an A plus to infinity, right down to Sally Field.
What I thought it did an excellent job with was picking and choosing what origin strings to pull. Toby McGuire's Spiderman has to explain every facet of the character's birth in two hours, whereas in the Amazing, silver-agey boot, Peter already has a hobby in photography. The Osbourne legacy? It's already in place.
More importantly for me, McGuire's Peter Parker was shy and passive. When he suddenly got all wry and witty as Spiderman, it was unnatural. Garfield's is basically the same character in and out of the suit.
Sure, there are a few moments of 'wow, that would never happen,' like every 15 minutes when Parker breaks a subway station car or a football goalpost. In real life, people would obviously demand an explanation for the bizarre, superhuman shit that's going on. Duh. Suspend your disbelief. It's a movie about a boy who's half man, half spider. I think you can handle a couple insignificant plot holes in the grander scheme of things.
Overall, solid rentable movie. If I was going on a date with Emma Stone, I'd totally watch it.
4. Video Games: Yeah, act like you didn't see this coming. Sheesh. Have you been living under a bridge my whole life? No small wonder this didn't end up at the top of the list.
Can we talk about how epic the GTA5 trailers look? A friend pointed it out in the Breeze office a couple days ago, and boy... nice work Rockstar. You continue to impress me.
What's brilliant about the launch of Grand Theft Auto is that they stepped away from it for a while. Even though I own GTA4 and played the hell out of San Andreas when I worked at the HOV boy scout camp when I was younger, I was never a huge fan of the series. I thought the plots were too overlooked and the storytelling was generally mediocre. I thought Rockstar was getting off by creating a cheap conflict and surviving off bad publicity among middle-aged moms.
Mom: Don't buy that game where you shoot police and steal cars! I saw it on the news! It sounds bad! You'll turn into a bank robber if you play it!
14-year old boy: Wait, seriously? I get to kill cops and steal cars?
So Rockstar stepped away, actually developed a few plots, and spit out one of the greatest games ever made (Red Dead Redemption) and one of the most diablically sinister endings ever made (LA Noire, whose ending still makes me cringe.) Now they return to the scene of their greatest franchise with grandure in mind, and methinks they're going to get it.
5. Music: Can we talk about how horrificly terrible music has become? There's a time and a place for bass lines, and 10AM on a Wednesday morning where no alcohol has been consumed is not one of them. And as I read what I just wrote, I realize it looks like I am differentiating between Wednesday mornings where I am drunk and Wednesday mornings when I'm not. Which is not the case. I'm gonna stop rambling now.
What the hell is happening to music? Rock seems like it's dying, good artists sell out to hear their shitty singles on the radio, and we live in a world where K3sha is a role model. Can I quit life?
Oh, and Taylor Swift? When you were nationally trash talking that one random dude in a pick up truck, it was kind of cute. Now that you've got a different singer/songwriter boyfriend each week... it's just gotten kind of sad. As far as I'm concerned, you're just another album to burn.
(that's called a triple entendre. top that, rap artists.)
6. Humor: I am, on rare occassion, funny.
Some humorous things I've noticed and jotted down over the past few weeks that could serve as potential material: why do girls think that knowing all the words to Baby got Back automatically grants them a nice ass? Why do black guys let you throw down gang signs with them on the bus without instantly kicking your ass? Why is the number of people that God chooses to save from disease or death directly proportional with the quality of health care in a given country? And other things that are wayyyyyy too inappropriate to put on a blog read by my parents.
(advanced notice: in the future, if you are an older adult and related to me, you may wish to avoid the humor section in the future. believe me, that earlier masturabtion joke is nothing. you have been warned.)
7. Politics- I've always said that I never wanted to get into politics on this side, and I've stuck by that assertion. However, as the site expands, I feel I have a responsibility to the public discourse to lay out political current events in a way that is fair, honest, multi-layered, and straight forward. I'm admittedly still working on the formatting of this, but I plan to have multiple opinions from different political factions on each single post, making it a buffet of opinions, rather than just a simple cafeteria with chocolate vs vanilla ice cream machine.
8-10. SUPER DUPER SECRET- no, this doesn't mean I ran out of content at 7. Some other things are still in the works, some other writers are still in the process of joining my staff, and I'm not ready to reveal just everything quite yet. Rest assured, some of the most entertaining content has yet to be revealed, so you'll just have to wait for the final set of surprises.
If this idea seems a bit like Grantland, then good. Bill Simmons is a personal role model of mine, and while I did not base this idea off Simmon's site-- it's actually been in the works longer than Grantland has existed-- there are some undeniable similarities. If you enjoy the work of Simmons and his writers, it's most likely safe to say you will enjoy the work that my team and I will be bringing forward.
I can't wait to share the final product with all of you. Thanks for being such loyal readers, and I hope you find yourself as satisfied with the content to come as I am dreaming it up. My guess is that you won't be disappointed.
In a few short months, this blog will turn 2 years old. It's been a long two years, filled with long nights and arduous spell checks. But thanks to my abnormally loyal viewers, this space has flourished. So too has my resume and my repertoire of interests and writing talents. And as I have adapted and changed, this page has not.
Over the past few months, you may have noticed a few subtle (and a couple not-so-subtle) references to an upcoming makeover of this page. That is a lie. This page will not change.
What does stand to change is the forum in which I communicate my thoughts and words to all of you readers. I have far too wide a range of opinions to be running a simple blogspot such as this, and my readers have grown far too large to be subjected to this one black page.
Some of you may have been told by me personally this was coming; many of you probably had no idea. Regardless, this is the official announcement that the C4G blog will soon be closed down.
Don't think of it as a death, but rather, a move. You got a new promotion at work, and you're moving out of the trailer park and into the swanky downtown loft.
I will be bringing in a team of writers, many of whom have already been assembled, that will cover content with me. These are writers who have been hand-selected by me for specific and purposeful reasons. These are not journalists. Rather, they are opinion-givers and commentators, such as myself. While I don't claim that they will have the exact same writing style, or even the same opinions, as I do, they are competent, willing, and more than capable of putting their thoughts into word for the pure sake of entertainment, just as this site has functioned for many of you.
Obviously, this space is too small for such an undertaking, so I have brought two independent web design consultants on to my team. With my guidance and input, they will be building a larger, more tailor-made space off a WordPress template that will functioned as a more organized blog for myself as well as the fellow contributors.
If you're getting excited about the possibilities here, then good. Great. Join the club. I'd be lying if I said I had eyes for only sports writing, and I don't pretend all of you have no other interests either. This new blog will reflect those dynamics in my personality as well as yours. Additionally, other writers stand to keep content fresh and focused when my many responsibilities -- Sports Section Editor at The Breeze, contributing to the new CAAhoops.com (please check it out if your a Colonial basketball fan, we work very hard on it), hosting the WXJM Sports Manifesto radio show with Tony Schaffner, an additional writing project that must remain nameless, a job at Massanutten, and oh yeah, school work, which I should probably mention here lest my mother read this-- stand to interfere with blog writing.
For many months, this blog has served its purpose. While I will continue to update it when I can in this transition period, the new page should be ready in a few weeks. I will meet with one of my web design people next week and hammer out the finalish version of the layout, and it will be set up from there.
This blog entry, in the form of one of my most popular recurring entries, should provide you with some idea of the dimensions that will be present on the new blog. Without further ado:
2. Sports: You didn't seriously think I was going to start with anything else, right? I mean for the love of all things Pat White, you didn't think I was gonna leave out what got me here in the first place, right?
While we're on the subject, how bout them Lakers? D'antoni over Phil? Seriously? OH MY, IT'S SO CONTROVERSIAL!
No, they should hand their team over to a guy whos 80% arthritis and 20% outdated triangle offense. I'm no GM, but any time a coach has to request 42 absences in advance of his hiring, I may consider another candidate.
Mull on this: the Lakers backcourt? Combined, it's 70 years old. The Thunder's backcourt? It's about 45 years old.
I don't see a whole lot of efficient defense being played regardless, so you might as well go with the offensive guy who's gonna maximize what you can do when you actually do have the ball. After all, they're probably going to give up 90 or 100 per game regardless of who's holding the clipboard. Just saying.
3. TV & Movies: What's up with all the Amazing Spiderman hate? I don't get it. When it came out, didn't a bunch of people say it sucked? Feel free to chime in here any time now, 17-year old who couldn't think of anything better to do on a Saturday night than masturbate to Emma Stone in a lab coat.
I've loved Andrew Garfield since 2 minutes after I finished The Social Network. I've liked Emma Stone since Superbad (though I thought she looked too hot in Zombieland, even if it eventually fleshed itself out in her character development). Martin Sheen as Ben Parker? Stroke of MF'ing genius. Casting gets an A plus to infinity, right down to Sally Field.
What I thought it did an excellent job with was picking and choosing what origin strings to pull. Toby McGuire's Spiderman has to explain every facet of the character's birth in two hours, whereas in the Amazing, silver-agey boot, Peter already has a hobby in photography. The Osbourne legacy? It's already in place.
More importantly for me, McGuire's Peter Parker was shy and passive. When he suddenly got all wry and witty as Spiderman, it was unnatural. Garfield's is basically the same character in and out of the suit.
Sure, there are a few moments of 'wow, that would never happen,' like every 15 minutes when Parker breaks a subway station car or a football goalpost. In real life, people would obviously demand an explanation for the bizarre, superhuman shit that's going on. Duh. Suspend your disbelief. It's a movie about a boy who's half man, half spider. I think you can handle a couple insignificant plot holes in the grander scheme of things.
Overall, solid rentable movie. If I was going on a date with Emma Stone, I'd totally watch it.
4. Video Games: Yeah, act like you didn't see this coming. Sheesh. Have you been living under a bridge my whole life? No small wonder this didn't end up at the top of the list.
Can we talk about how epic the GTA5 trailers look? A friend pointed it out in the Breeze office a couple days ago, and boy... nice work Rockstar. You continue to impress me.
What's brilliant about the launch of Grand Theft Auto is that they stepped away from it for a while. Even though I own GTA4 and played the hell out of San Andreas when I worked at the HOV boy scout camp when I was younger, I was never a huge fan of the series. I thought the plots were too overlooked and the storytelling was generally mediocre. I thought Rockstar was getting off by creating a cheap conflict and surviving off bad publicity among middle-aged moms.
Mom: Don't buy that game where you shoot police and steal cars! I saw it on the news! It sounds bad! You'll turn into a bank robber if you play it!
14-year old boy: Wait, seriously? I get to kill cops and steal cars?
So Rockstar stepped away, actually developed a few plots, and spit out one of the greatest games ever made (Red Dead Redemption) and one of the most diablically sinister endings ever made (LA Noire, whose ending still makes me cringe.) Now they return to the scene of their greatest franchise with grandure in mind, and methinks they're going to get it.
5. Music: Can we talk about how horrificly terrible music has become? There's a time and a place for bass lines, and 10AM on a Wednesday morning where no alcohol has been consumed is not one of them. And as I read what I just wrote, I realize it looks like I am differentiating between Wednesday mornings where I am drunk and Wednesday mornings when I'm not. Which is not the case. I'm gonna stop rambling now.
What the hell is happening to music? Rock seems like it's dying, good artists sell out to hear their shitty singles on the radio, and we live in a world where K3sha is a role model. Can I quit life?
Oh, and Taylor Swift? When you were nationally trash talking that one random dude in a pick up truck, it was kind of cute. Now that you've got a different singer/songwriter boyfriend each week... it's just gotten kind of sad. As far as I'm concerned, you're just another album to burn.
(that's called a triple entendre. top that, rap artists.)
6. Humor: I am, on rare occassion, funny.
Some humorous things I've noticed and jotted down over the past few weeks that could serve as potential material: why do girls think that knowing all the words to Baby got Back automatically grants them a nice ass? Why do black guys let you throw down gang signs with them on the bus without instantly kicking your ass? Why is the number of people that God chooses to save from disease or death directly proportional with the quality of health care in a given country? And other things that are wayyyyyy too inappropriate to put on a blog read by my parents.
(advanced notice: in the future, if you are an older adult and related to me, you may wish to avoid the humor section in the future. believe me, that earlier masturabtion joke is nothing. you have been warned.)
7. Politics- I've always said that I never wanted to get into politics on this side, and I've stuck by that assertion. However, as the site expands, I feel I have a responsibility to the public discourse to lay out political current events in a way that is fair, honest, multi-layered, and straight forward. I'm admittedly still working on the formatting of this, but I plan to have multiple opinions from different political factions on each single post, making it a buffet of opinions, rather than just a simple cafeteria with chocolate vs vanilla ice cream machine.
8-10. SUPER DUPER SECRET- no, this doesn't mean I ran out of content at 7. Some other things are still in the works, some other writers are still in the process of joining my staff, and I'm not ready to reveal just everything quite yet. Rest assured, some of the most entertaining content has yet to be revealed, so you'll just have to wait for the final set of surprises.
If this idea seems a bit like Grantland, then good. Bill Simmons is a personal role model of mine, and while I did not base this idea off Simmon's site-- it's actually been in the works longer than Grantland has existed-- there are some undeniable similarities. If you enjoy the work of Simmons and his writers, it's most likely safe to say you will enjoy the work that my team and I will be bringing forward.
I can't wait to share the final product with all of you. Thanks for being such loyal readers, and I hope you find yourself as satisfied with the content to come as I am dreaming it up. My guess is that you won't be disappointed.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Bird(song) is the Word
I know I may not cover a whole lot of strictly JMU-related topics, but I thought this one might merit my stepping in with an opinion.
So by now, word has probably reached everyone that Michael Birdsong, true freshman from Matoaca, has supplanted Justin Thorpe, fifth-year JMU quarterback from Varina. Is it geographic poetry that Enon is right in between the two, and I have to cover this whole mess? I'm gonna go with yes.
People have been blowing up my phone all week in an effort to understand what in the hell is going on in Bridgeforth, so I've put together this timeline of events to help everyone understand just what in tarnation is going on under center and, more importantly, in Mickey Matthews' head. (and just as importantly, so people will stop texting me at 3 in the morning to find out if how many touchdowns Birdsong threw last weekend.)
SATURDAY- After several games of somewhat questionable decisions marring his play time, Justin Thorpe is pulled in the second half in Richmond after failing to pitch the ball on fourth and 1. The Dukes turned the ball over on downs.
Thorpe finished 8/13 with 142 yards, 1 td, and 2 picks. He had 36 yards rushing on 15 carries.
Birdsong only played for 7:13 (Thorpe played for over 20 minutes) but completed 11 passes for 159 yards, 1 td, and no interceptions. He also had 73 yards rushing and a touchdown on 7 carries.
Mickey Matthews attributed the change in the post-game press conference to the team needing a change to spark the offense. It was intimated that the change would not be long term.
MONDAY- Coach Matthews announced at his weekly 12:00 O'Neills press conference that Birdsong would start vs CAA punching bag Georgia State. He also revealed that Thorpe has been dealing with an ongoing finger injury.
TUESDAY- At the week's first practice, Matthews informed me and a few others that Thorpe and the coaching staff had come to an agreement that he take the day off. Birdsong took first-team reps; Lafonte Thourogood (who has been suffering from an ongoing hamstring injury) took second-team reps. Matthews also said that football is unpredictable, but it is his intention that Birdsong would start the rest of the season.
WEDNESDAY- Justin Thorpe returns to practice and takes second-team reps, noting to my co-editor Wayne that he was just as shocked as anyone that he was pulled, but reaffirming his committment to the team to help in any way he can. He alluded to Matthews possibly using him out wide at receiver, as he occassionally did earlier in his career when Drew Dudzik played quarterback.
Now, my thoughts. I was very skeptical of this plan at first. I thought Thorpe had proved for the millionth time in the Towson game that, despite not necessarily progressing much as a quarterback over the years or looking 100% all the time, he's the go-to guy that will win games when it matters. I thought taking first team reps away from Thorpe would be detrimental to the offense, assuming he was to end up back under center at some point this season.
Now that I've spoken with coach, it seems clear to me that Birdsong is the guy moving forward, like it or not. And you know what? I think I like it. Birdsong is a lot more like Jace Edwards than most people care to admit, which brings a significant level of balance to the offense. No longer is JMU likely to become stagnant at times under the weight of a botched JT keeper. Instead, it's a carefully balanced attack with Dae'Quan Scott and co. leading the rushing attack, Birdsong occassionally chipping in some attempts, (though not nearly to the tune of 20-30 carries per game, as Thorpe has been of late), and guys like Arlandis Harvey (and perhaps even Thorpe himself!?) anchoring the pass game. It could look a lot like last year, except with a better offensive line and slightly better pass coverage.
Take away? Cut out the penalties the defense was committing last week, and I think JMU might be a better team when it's all said and done. It might be tough to hear if your last name rhymes with Yorpe, but I think we're about to see shades of 2004. You heard it hear first.
So by now, word has probably reached everyone that Michael Birdsong, true freshman from Matoaca, has supplanted Justin Thorpe, fifth-year JMU quarterback from Varina. Is it geographic poetry that Enon is right in between the two, and I have to cover this whole mess? I'm gonna go with yes.
People have been blowing up my phone all week in an effort to understand what in the hell is going on in Bridgeforth, so I've put together this timeline of events to help everyone understand just what in tarnation is going on under center and, more importantly, in Mickey Matthews' head. (and just as importantly, so people will stop texting me at 3 in the morning to find out if how many touchdowns Birdsong threw last weekend.)
SATURDAY- After several games of somewhat questionable decisions marring his play time, Justin Thorpe is pulled in the second half in Richmond after failing to pitch the ball on fourth and 1. The Dukes turned the ball over on downs.
Thorpe finished 8/13 with 142 yards, 1 td, and 2 picks. He had 36 yards rushing on 15 carries.
Birdsong only played for 7:13 (Thorpe played for over 20 minutes) but completed 11 passes for 159 yards, 1 td, and no interceptions. He also had 73 yards rushing and a touchdown on 7 carries.
Mickey Matthews attributed the change in the post-game press conference to the team needing a change to spark the offense. It was intimated that the change would not be long term.
MONDAY- Coach Matthews announced at his weekly 12:00 O'Neills press conference that Birdsong would start vs CAA punching bag Georgia State. He also revealed that Thorpe has been dealing with an ongoing finger injury.
TUESDAY- At the week's first practice, Matthews informed me and a few others that Thorpe and the coaching staff had come to an agreement that he take the day off. Birdsong took first-team reps; Lafonte Thourogood (who has been suffering from an ongoing hamstring injury) took second-team reps. Matthews also said that football is unpredictable, but it is his intention that Birdsong would start the rest of the season.
WEDNESDAY- Justin Thorpe returns to practice and takes second-team reps, noting to my co-editor Wayne that he was just as shocked as anyone that he was pulled, but reaffirming his committment to the team to help in any way he can. He alluded to Matthews possibly using him out wide at receiver, as he occassionally did earlier in his career when Drew Dudzik played quarterback.
Now, my thoughts. I was very skeptical of this plan at first. I thought Thorpe had proved for the millionth time in the Towson game that, despite not necessarily progressing much as a quarterback over the years or looking 100% all the time, he's the go-to guy that will win games when it matters. I thought taking first team reps away from Thorpe would be detrimental to the offense, assuming he was to end up back under center at some point this season.
Now that I've spoken with coach, it seems clear to me that Birdsong is the guy moving forward, like it or not. And you know what? I think I like it. Birdsong is a lot more like Jace Edwards than most people care to admit, which brings a significant level of balance to the offense. No longer is JMU likely to become stagnant at times under the weight of a botched JT keeper. Instead, it's a carefully balanced attack with Dae'Quan Scott and co. leading the rushing attack, Birdsong occassionally chipping in some attempts, (though not nearly to the tune of 20-30 carries per game, as Thorpe has been of late), and guys like Arlandis Harvey (and perhaps even Thorpe himself!?) anchoring the pass game. It could look a lot like last year, except with a better offensive line and slightly better pass coverage.
Take away? Cut out the penalties the defense was committing last week, and I think JMU might be a better team when it's all said and done. It might be tough to hear if your last name rhymes with Yorpe, but I think we're about to see shades of 2004. You heard it hear first.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Pregaming for Yet Another SEC game
I call it SEC-austion. Every year the college football season starts in earnest, only to have ESPN blow up coverage for every single SEC team that could sweep the Sun Belt. If you need an example, cast your mind back to Week 1-- Vanderbilt was receiving all kinds of upset potential and hype-- or just a few weeks later, when Texas-Ole Miss was supposedly a marquee game. (Texas won 66-31).
Such is the case this seventh week of the college football season, as South Carolina prepares to take on LSU.
Let's cut the bullshit. LSU is not an elite team. LSU is ranked where they are because their coach eats grass and they spit out first round draft picks like China spits out lead-poisoning law suits. And LSU has no business winning, even in Death Valley, against a team like South Carolina.
The reason I respect guys like Dari Nowkhah (other than the fact that he gives handies in the bathroom to WVU on a daily basis on national TV) is that they understand polls should be fluid. When LSU beat Auburn 12-10 and then struggled to put away reigning Colonial champion Towson, Nowkhah had NO problem dropping LSU in the polls. And why shouldn't he? It's Towson. They're a great team, but have no business hanging around in Baton Rouge. If in fact LSU is a truly elite team, that is.
It's annoying that teams get coverage like this when there are so many other better games. No, I'm not talking about WVU-Texas Tech, because I think that might be a blowout. But the Red River Rivalry as an elimination game, rather than a de facto Big 12 Championship game? What about the Farmageddon upset special, K-State at Iowa State? Louisville at Pittsburgh?! Or my personal favorite, Texas A&M at Louisiana Tech?
Here's all you need to know about LSU, and why I expect South Carolina to win by 7-10 in the hardest night environment in college football. When I was at the JMU-Towson press conference last week, Towson head coach Rob Ambrose (who reminds me a lot of Dabo Swinney) remarked the following:
"I don't wanna slight the previous team we just played, but given the choice between the two [JMU and LSU], I don't wanna play the Dukes again."
Games to Watch
Texas vs Oklahoma
The Red River Rivalry is the premiere game of the Big 12. So why is nobody talking about it? Well, it's because they're all too busy assaulting stubhub, trying to figure out if there's an airport anywhere near Manhattan, Kansas and if Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings is a work of fiction or a non-fictional documentary.
As reported on this blog a LONG time ago, Oklahoma is... what was the term? Crazy overrated. That being said, there is something to be said for A) rivalry games and B) playing with a chip on your shoulder. That Oklahoma lost so early in the season might actually be good for Sooner fans- it gives you motivation to play harder for the rest of the season because of the doubters, rather than turning you into a late-season also-ran.
All that being said, I still think Oklahoma's offensive line resembles swiss cheese, and just as they did last week in a loss, the Texas Manchild Defensive Line (capitalized out of respect) is going to tear that mess UP. Landry Jones' mom needs to get the Tide to go ready.
West Virginia at Texas Tech
A couple weeks ago, this game scared the hell out of me. A second straight ticket to Texas, nudged in between top 15 showdowns with Texas and Kansas State. Then the Sooners blew Tech out of the water, and I'm not terribly concerned anymore.
Alas, I won't actually get to watch it because I'll be in the Bridgeforth press box. Sad day. Maybe somebody will hook me up with an ABC look in from time to time... one can dream.
Dirty little WVU secret of the week:
Baylor averages 4.54ypc and 185 rushing ypg. Against the Mountaineers? 2.64 and 119.
Texas averaged 4.92 ypc and 209.4 rushing ypg. Against the Mountaineers? 3.46 and 132.
Texas Tech? Off to a great start, averaging 6.05ypc and 230 ypg in non-con play. But against conference opponents? Those numbers have dipped to 2.45ypc and 76ypg.
Bad news, Red Raiders. I think it's about to get worse. One-dimensional game? Probably. Blowout? By my count, likely.
Louisville at Pittsburgh
I have no idea what to expect from this game. Pittsburgh, with its dynamic running game, was my pick to win the Big East. Alas, their explosiveness seems to only show up against castrated turkeys and other terrible teams. But I still maintain it's a dangerous team capable of upsetting any team in the conference.
Louisville, though? I've been high on them since Teddy Bridgewater stepped onto campus last year. The kid is a nice dual threat quarterback, not terribly flashy, and suffering from the everything-is-smaller-in-the-big-east effect, but still a quality quarterback.
Tab this one as the best game nobody is going to watch this weekend.
North Carolina at Miami
Through some cruel twist of fate, this game actually has huge implications in the ACC Coastal Division. I guess this is what happens when Virginia Tech falls off the wagon.
Miami has looked straight up TERRIBLE playing out of conference this year, highlighting the huge gap between the ACC and other top conferences like the Big 12. I like a shootout, and though North Carolina has a nice, emerging run game, I like the Canes to win at home after a strong fourth quarter.
Stanford at Notre Dame
The thing I hate about this game is that it's another overrated team that Notre Dame is likely to beat. Stanford, in my mind, is really the best-of-the-rest team of the Pac-12, head and shoulders above 8 or 9 teams out west but still markedly less talented than teams like Oregon and USC. Now, Stanford beats SoCal because it's a great matchup, but I still think USC is a better team, and the Cardinals had no business shooting into the top 10 rankings after beating the Trojans. (Conversely, I think Oregon is a better team than USC, but because USC overrecruits safeties to turn them into speedy linebackers, the Trojans are likely to have a favorably matchup against the Ducks, too.)
Back to Notre Dame, they're likely to beat Stanford in a trench warfare type of game at home, and continue to get hype like they haven't had since the 80's. When they play a team that will attack the secondary, though-- Oklahoma, USC-- the Irish WILL lose. It's going to happen.
Pick Against the Breeze
After a 4-2 outing last week, I'm one win ahead of opinion editor Nick Phillips.
JMU vs William & Mary
Rutgers vs Syracuse
Texas A&M vs Louisiana Tech
Giants vs 49ers
Lions vs Eagles
Patriots vs Seahawks
Last Week's Record: 4-2
Season Record: 21-9
Top 25 Forecast
1 Alabama at Missouri
3 South Carolina at 9 LSU
4 Florida at Vanderbilt
5 West Virginia at Texas Tech
6 Kansas State at Iowa State
17 Stanford at 7 Notre Dame
8 Ohio State at Indiana
10 Oregon State at BYU
11 USC at Washington
Boston College at 12 Florida State
15 Texas vs 13 Oklahoma
18 Louisville at Pittsburgh
Tennessee at 19 Mississippi State
Syracuse at 20 Rutgers
Fordham at 21 Cincinatti
22 Texas A&M at 23 Louisiana Tech
Fresno State at 24 Boise State
Illinois at 25 Michigan
Get your expensive cheese ready, Dukes fans. William & Mary is taking a study break and trekking down 64 for some pigskin. I like JMU by a couple touchdowns.
Let's just hope I can get some more of that Mac & Cheese up in the press box. The athletic department really outkicked their coverage last week.
See you all Monday.
Such is the case this seventh week of the college football season, as South Carolina prepares to take on LSU.
Let's cut the bullshit. LSU is not an elite team. LSU is ranked where they are because their coach eats grass and they spit out first round draft picks like China spits out lead-poisoning law suits. And LSU has no business winning, even in Death Valley, against a team like South Carolina.
The reason I respect guys like Dari Nowkhah (other than the fact that he gives handies in the bathroom to WVU on a daily basis on national TV) is that they understand polls should be fluid. When LSU beat Auburn 12-10 and then struggled to put away reigning Colonial champion Towson, Nowkhah had NO problem dropping LSU in the polls. And why shouldn't he? It's Towson. They're a great team, but have no business hanging around in Baton Rouge. If in fact LSU is a truly elite team, that is.
It's annoying that teams get coverage like this when there are so many other better games. No, I'm not talking about WVU-Texas Tech, because I think that might be a blowout. But the Red River Rivalry as an elimination game, rather than a de facto Big 12 Championship game? What about the Farmageddon upset special, K-State at Iowa State? Louisville at Pittsburgh?! Or my personal favorite, Texas A&M at Louisiana Tech?
Here's all you need to know about LSU, and why I expect South Carolina to win by 7-10 in the hardest night environment in college football. When I was at the JMU-Towson press conference last week, Towson head coach Rob Ambrose (who reminds me a lot of Dabo Swinney) remarked the following:
"I don't wanna slight the previous team we just played, but given the choice between the two [JMU and LSU], I don't wanna play the Dukes again."
Games to Watch
Texas vs Oklahoma
The Red River Rivalry is the premiere game of the Big 12. So why is nobody talking about it? Well, it's because they're all too busy assaulting stubhub, trying to figure out if there's an airport anywhere near Manhattan, Kansas and if Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings is a work of fiction or a non-fictional documentary.
As reported on this blog a LONG time ago, Oklahoma is... what was the term? Crazy overrated. That being said, there is something to be said for A) rivalry games and B) playing with a chip on your shoulder. That Oklahoma lost so early in the season might actually be good for Sooner fans- it gives you motivation to play harder for the rest of the season because of the doubters, rather than turning you into a late-season also-ran.
All that being said, I still think Oklahoma's offensive line resembles swiss cheese, and just as they did last week in a loss, the Texas Manchild Defensive Line (capitalized out of respect) is going to tear that mess UP. Landry Jones' mom needs to get the Tide to go ready.
West Virginia at Texas Tech
A couple weeks ago, this game scared the hell out of me. A second straight ticket to Texas, nudged in between top 15 showdowns with Texas and Kansas State. Then the Sooners blew Tech out of the water, and I'm not terribly concerned anymore.
Alas, I won't actually get to watch it because I'll be in the Bridgeforth press box. Sad day. Maybe somebody will hook me up with an ABC look in from time to time... one can dream.
Dirty little WVU secret of the week:
Baylor averages 4.54ypc and 185 rushing ypg. Against the Mountaineers? 2.64 and 119.
Texas averaged 4.92 ypc and 209.4 rushing ypg. Against the Mountaineers? 3.46 and 132.
Texas Tech? Off to a great start, averaging 6.05ypc and 230 ypg in non-con play. But against conference opponents? Those numbers have dipped to 2.45ypc and 76ypg.
Bad news, Red Raiders. I think it's about to get worse. One-dimensional game? Probably. Blowout? By my count, likely.
Louisville at Pittsburgh
I have no idea what to expect from this game. Pittsburgh, with its dynamic running game, was my pick to win the Big East. Alas, their explosiveness seems to only show up against castrated turkeys and other terrible teams. But I still maintain it's a dangerous team capable of upsetting any team in the conference.
Louisville, though? I've been high on them since Teddy Bridgewater stepped onto campus last year. The kid is a nice dual threat quarterback, not terribly flashy, and suffering from the everything-is-smaller-in-the-big-east effect, but still a quality quarterback.
Tab this one as the best game nobody is going to watch this weekend.
North Carolina at Miami
Through some cruel twist of fate, this game actually has huge implications in the ACC Coastal Division. I guess this is what happens when Virginia Tech falls off the wagon.
Miami has looked straight up TERRIBLE playing out of conference this year, highlighting the huge gap between the ACC and other top conferences like the Big 12. I like a shootout, and though North Carolina has a nice, emerging run game, I like the Canes to win at home after a strong fourth quarter.
Stanford at Notre Dame
The thing I hate about this game is that it's another overrated team that Notre Dame is likely to beat. Stanford, in my mind, is really the best-of-the-rest team of the Pac-12, head and shoulders above 8 or 9 teams out west but still markedly less talented than teams like Oregon and USC. Now, Stanford beats SoCal because it's a great matchup, but I still think USC is a better team, and the Cardinals had no business shooting into the top 10 rankings after beating the Trojans. (Conversely, I think Oregon is a better team than USC, but because USC overrecruits safeties to turn them into speedy linebackers, the Trojans are likely to have a favorably matchup against the Ducks, too.)
Back to Notre Dame, they're likely to beat Stanford in a trench warfare type of game at home, and continue to get hype like they haven't had since the 80's. When they play a team that will attack the secondary, though-- Oklahoma, USC-- the Irish WILL lose. It's going to happen.
Pick Against the Breeze
After a 4-2 outing last week, I'm one win ahead of opinion editor Nick Phillips.
JMU vs William & Mary
Rutgers vs Syracuse
Texas A&M vs Louisiana Tech
Giants vs 49ers
Lions vs Eagles
Patriots vs Seahawks
Last Week's Record: 4-2
Season Record: 21-9
Top 25 Forecast
1 Alabama at Missouri
3 South Carolina at 9 LSU
4 Florida at Vanderbilt
5 West Virginia at Texas Tech
6 Kansas State at Iowa State
17 Stanford at 7 Notre Dame
8 Ohio State at Indiana
10 Oregon State at BYU
11 USC at Washington
Boston College at 12 Florida State
15 Texas vs 13 Oklahoma
18 Louisville at Pittsburgh
Tennessee at 19 Mississippi State
Syracuse at 20 Rutgers
Fordham at 21 Cincinatti
22 Texas A&M at 23 Louisiana Tech
Fresno State at 24 Boise State
Illinois at 25 Michigan
Get your expensive cheese ready, Dukes fans. William & Mary is taking a study break and trekking down 64 for some pigskin. I like JMU by a couple touchdowns.
Let's just hope I can get some more of that Mac & Cheese up in the press box. The athletic department really outkicked their coverage last week.
See you all Monday.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Pregaming for Big 12
In a bit of a time crunch folks, so we're gonna keep this short. Not a lot of news to cover anyway.
But before we get into football, a Programming note!
Effective immediately, I have accepted the position of Sports Editor at the Breeze. I will be running point for sports for the remainder of my time at JMU, along with a great young guy named Wayne Epps. You can see our work every Monday and Thursdays. Fans of the column, dont worry-- I will continue to write the Fanatic and Proud commentary column every Thursday. You can find it in print, on the Breeze app for Iphone and Android, or over at www.breezejmu.org. All three are wonderful ways to regularly read the ramblings of yours truly.
Onto football.
Baylor at West Virginia
This will be the only game I preview this week, as I'm very short on time. Frankly, theres not a lot of good football on this weekend anyway. (Case in point: College Game Day is in the Big 10. That's the Lee Corso equivalent of announcing to the world that you have better ways to spend your time.)
Throw out the bias and listen to this nonsense. I subscribe to Bleacher Reports West Virginia feed, and get emails every couple of days with a nice compilation of WV football news. It encompasses The Charleston Daily Mail, the Charleston Gazette, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, ESPN, and BR's own stuff. One of the things they do during football season is simulate some of the weekend's biggest games on the latest NCAA football video game to get an idea of which teams might be on upset alert. This week's sim? Well, it predicted a Baylor Bears win in Morgantown by a score of 34-14. Credit to BR and their great staff of writers, specifically Adam Kramer, for the following:
"The stout West Virginia offense is held to only 210 yards against the Baylor defense (you’ve been drinking, haven’t you, NCAA?), and Baylor cruises in Morgantown...
The couch inferno following this game can be seen from Indiana. This is rather surprising because normally these Saturday flames are barely visible from Kentucky."
Even Bleacher Report seems to know how preposterous it is to suggest that Baylor's hand-me-down defense is going to limit West Virginia to 14 points. Your honor, the defense rests.
If you like defense, wait for Alabama to play LSU on November 3. If you like offense, show up here.
Other games you might wanna peek at while you're locked in your room: Tennessee at Georgia, Texas at Oklahoma, FSU at USF, Oregon State at Arizona, Cincinatti vs Virginia Tech.
Pick Against the Breeze
My picks will imminently be appearing in the paper alongside the other editors, but in the meantime, I will continue to put my Breeze-best 12-6 Pick 'Em record to the test on here.
Baylor at West Virginia
Texas at Oklahoma State
Ohio State at Michigan State
Saints at Packers
Giants at Eagles
Bears at Cowboys
Last Week's Record: 5-1
Season Record: 12-6
Top 25 Forecast
Ole Miss at 1 Alabama
2 Oregon at Washington State
Towson at 3 LSU
4 Florida State at South Florida
Tennessee at 5 Georgia
6 South Carolina at Kentucky
25 Baylor at 9 West Virginia
12 Texas at Oklahoma State
14 Ohio State at 20 Michigan State
15 TCU at Southern Methodist
17 Clemson at Boston College
18 Oregon State at Arizona
19 Louisville at Southern Mississippi
Wisconsin at 22 Nebraska
24 Boise State at New Mexico
But before we get into football, a Programming note!
Effective immediately, I have accepted the position of Sports Editor at the Breeze. I will be running point for sports for the remainder of my time at JMU, along with a great young guy named Wayne Epps. You can see our work every Monday and Thursdays. Fans of the column, dont worry-- I will continue to write the Fanatic and Proud commentary column every Thursday. You can find it in print, on the Breeze app for Iphone and Android, or over at www.breezejmu.org. All three are wonderful ways to regularly read the ramblings of yours truly.
Onto football.
Baylor at West Virginia
This will be the only game I preview this week, as I'm very short on time. Frankly, theres not a lot of good football on this weekend anyway. (Case in point: College Game Day is in the Big 10. That's the Lee Corso equivalent of announcing to the world that you have better ways to spend your time.)
Throw out the bias and listen to this nonsense. I subscribe to Bleacher Reports West Virginia feed, and get emails every couple of days with a nice compilation of WV football news. It encompasses The Charleston Daily Mail, the Charleston Gazette, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, ESPN, and BR's own stuff. One of the things they do during football season is simulate some of the weekend's biggest games on the latest NCAA football video game to get an idea of which teams might be on upset alert. This week's sim? Well, it predicted a Baylor Bears win in Morgantown by a score of 34-14. Credit to BR and their great staff of writers, specifically Adam Kramer, for the following:
"The stout West Virginia offense is held to only 210 yards against the Baylor defense (you’ve been drinking, haven’t you, NCAA?), and Baylor cruises in Morgantown...
The couch inferno following this game can be seen from Indiana. This is rather surprising because normally these Saturday flames are barely visible from Kentucky."
Even Bleacher Report seems to know how preposterous it is to suggest that Baylor's hand-me-down defense is going to limit West Virginia to 14 points. Your honor, the defense rests.
If you like defense, wait for Alabama to play LSU on November 3. If you like offense, show up here.
Other games you might wanna peek at while you're locked in your room: Tennessee at Georgia, Texas at Oklahoma, FSU at USF, Oregon State at Arizona, Cincinatti vs Virginia Tech.
Pick Against the Breeze
My picks will imminently be appearing in the paper alongside the other editors, but in the meantime, I will continue to put my Breeze-best 12-6 Pick 'Em record to the test on here.
Baylor at West Virginia
Texas at Oklahoma State
Ohio State at Michigan State
Saints at Packers
Giants at Eagles
Bears at Cowboys
Last Week's Record: 5-1
Season Record: 12-6
Top 25 Forecast
Ole Miss at 1 Alabama
2 Oregon at Washington State
Towson at 3 LSU
4 Florida State at South Florida
Tennessee at 5 Georgia
6 South Carolina at Kentucky
25 Baylor at 9 West Virginia
12 Texas at Oklahoma State
14 Ohio State at 20 Michigan State
15 TCU at Southern Methodist
17 Clemson at Boston College
18 Oregon State at Arizona
19 Louisville at Southern Mississippi
Wisconsin at 22 Nebraska
24 Boise State at New Mexico
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Hungover Like it's 1997
It's Sunday once again, and that means I should be overwhelmed by the intense amount of college football that has been coursing through my veins over the last 24 hours. But for all the trials and tribulations of the gridiron, it is a baseball that leaves me as dumbfounded as I've ever been in my professional sports writing career.
The Baltimore Orioles have won their 16th consecutive extra innings game, as of yesterday's 12-inning 9-6 win up in Fenway. Yes, my Orioles. The ones that haven't been relevant when the leaves start changing in 15 years. But hey, who am I to stand in the way of greatness? Go get em O's.
I can't explain how a team with a terrible run differential is going to finish the regular season with 90 wins. Is this coincidence? Maybe. Either way, where's Michael Lewis when you need him? This has best-seller written all over it.
The Yankees and Orioles are in a deadlocked race to the finish. Neither team loses ever, which makes the fast-paced, crazy nature of this pennant race even wilder. Since beginning a series with Toronto on August 24, the Orioles have lost seven games. I don't know this for sure, but that's gotta be a league-low mark. The Yankees are nearly equaling that mark, having lost seven games since the beginning of September. The Pinstripes are currently on a 7-game win streak; Baltimore has a six-game streak of their own. Oh, and the Orioles win streak? It's covered a span of 68 innings (14 additional innings). I'm beginning to think they're letting games get tied late on purpose, just so they can show off. Or hey, maybe it's just coincidence.
And by the time you start reading this, Baltimore will begin the final game of a series in Boston (first pitch, 1:35PM). The Red Sox are last place in the AL East-- behind even Toronto-- and have assured themselves their first losing season since 1997.
The Orioles last winning season and playoff appearance? 1997.
And that's not coincidence.
#6 JMU 32, Rhode Island 7
I'm not paying $10 to watch a shitty video package that I could do three weeks into my HTML coding class. Sorry Rhode Island, your shh-don't-tell-anyone NEC football budget does not sway my wallet one bit. So I didn't get to see any of this game.
Here's what I do know. There must have been something in the Virginia water supply, because Thorpe threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns. Nice play calling by Mickey, who decided to go to the passing game to take the focus away from a beat up run-game. Thorpe finished with two touchdowns and two picks, and since he's not a Heisman contender, I could care less about his interceptions here (though his decision-making often bothers me a great deal).
One of the best aspects of this game from an offensive position were the no-namers getting into the end zone for JMU. With Scott injured and Coble/Brown out for the year for their own respective reasons, it's good to see further depth at the skill position that will continue to keep the end zones busy.
Enjoy the week off Dukes, because the champs come a-callin in 13 days.
Maryland 21, #8 West Virginia 31
God forbid West Virginia play a game where they don't score 60-some points. The way announcers and commentators were talking about this game, you'd think the Mountaineers lost by 30.
Edsall and his staff knows our playbook pretty well, and dialed up a fair amount of pressure and nice play-calling to keep our offense in check. Bad news for Terps fans: "keeping our offense in check" still means Geno throws for 300+ yards and three touchdowns, and still no picks. Oh, and Tavon Austin had over 175 yards receiving and all three touchdowns. Darn, too bad we didn't play well. With 30 mile an hour gusts out on the mountain.
Oh wait.
#15 K-State 24, #6 Oklahoma 19
Okay, just let me get this out of my system really quick.
I TOLD YOU, I TOLD YOU, I TOLD YOU.
Oklahoma is always overrated. It's like a law of physics. When Sir Isaac Newton felt the wrath of the Apple Tree, dropping tender fruit upon his head, he was quoted as immediately saying "Oh! Gravity! And boy is that Oklahoma team overrated."
Even still, this is definitely a noteworthy upset. Kansas State hasn't won in Norman since... wait, what? 1997. Well this is awkward. Look, nice job Bill Snyder, but let's keep the focus on the Orioles, okay?
The Sooners are on the outside looking in as far as the Big 12 Title Race is concerned, and that's exactly how I envisioned it in the preseason. Don't expect them not to contend, but don't label them frontrunners either.
If you need a reminder of my remaining Big 12 predictions-- a race I'm obviously very invested in and attuned too-- recall that I have picked Texas and West Virginia to beat Kansas State, TCU to beat Texas and Oklahoma, and I half-way expect (though refuse to officially predict) West Virginia to drop a game to a team they probably shouldn't lose too (ie, Texas Tech/Iowa State). Texas in Austin is the biggest challenge of the year, though. Don't get confused.
#18 Michigan 6, #11 Notre Dame 13
The Notre Dame defense is going to get a ton of credit here, and frankly, it's undeserved. But why, Chase? They held explosive Michigan to just six points!
Easy, baby birds. I'll feed you.
I got to see a lot of the tape from this game, and Denard Robinson did not look like Denard Robinson. For some unimaginable reason, Brady Hoke & Co's game plan to score points was to turn D-Rob into a pocket passer. I know, because it worked so well against Alabama, right? Let's do it again!
As it turns out, doing the same thing and expecting different results actually is the definition of insanity. Meeeechigan's quarterback was so great that he actually oversaw an offense that committed SIX turnovers. Five were his! And we're not talking great plays on the ball by Notre Dame backs, either, we're talking throws straight to linebackers dropped into coverage. Six turnovers, and all BK and the boys can manage is 13 points?
These teams are exactly what I thought they were: above average, not great, and unable to compete with the really elite teams. When Notre Dame plays somebody that's legit- USC, maybe Oklahoma or Miami- they're going to get a rude awakening.
#10 Clemson 37, #4 Florida State 49
You win Seminoles. You finally have earned my respect. I refused to pick FSU until they stopped choking away their perennial hype every September. Fine, you made a statement. I have to acknowledge that.
But let's not slide FSU into the national championship game just yet. Road games at NC State, suddenly upset-prone Miami, always dangerous Virginia Tech (at home), and defense-minded Maryland. Oh, and the showdown with Florida, as well. Clemson might have exposed the Sems a little bit, even in the loss. They are definitely beatable, even by a lot of the mediocre talent in the ACC.
CAA Action
New Hampshire 61, Old Dominion 64
The fact that ODU scored over 60 points and still needed a game-winning field goal to win makes me think JMU is going to kick their ass.
The fact that ODU quarterback Taylor Heinicke accumulated a D-1 record 730 passing yards makes me think they're gonna kick ours.
Albany 30, Maine 20
Albany is an NEC school, so this loss doesn't count against Maine in conference. Still, they lost to an NEC school. That might be even worse.
Delaware 51, William and Mary 21
The Blue Hens look like they might be the best challenger to JMU for the CAA crown.
Other Notable Scores
Florida Atlantic 7, #1 Alabama 40
I love that we criticize Oregon, West Virginia, and Florida State for not playing anyone til week 4 yet Alabama already has the National title sewn up beating up on Western Kentucky, Florida Atlantic, and two schools that weren't even close to 100%. Call me when they've beaten someone. And no, Ole Miss does not count as "someone" either.
#2 LSU 12, Auburn 10
Sometimes, I'd rather be good than deep.
#22 Arizona 0, #3 Oregon 49
I'm becoming more and more convinced that Oregon is a National Championship frontrunner. If they can get past USC.
Oregon State 27, #19 UCLA 20
Jonathan Franklin is good. UCLA is not.
The Civil War is becoming increasingly interesting each week, and not in a Robert E. Lee kind of way, either.
Bowling Green 0, Virginia Tech 37
Nothing to see here folks, move along. Bowling Green's Rush Defense ranks somewhere around 135 with me. Yeah-- I could probably name a dozen FCS schools who'd defend the run better (JMU is definitely one of them). This is what I expected Tech to do, so they deserve some praise for coming out and executing, and not letting Pitt beat them twice. But don't get mistaken and think this is more than it is.
Miami 32, Georgia Tech 26
The ACC is starting to look more and more like the Big East... and I mean that as a compliment. Anything could happen.
Florida State, you're on watch.
South Florida 27, Ball State 31
...But the Sems aren't on watch just yet, because South Florida, once again, seems to not possess the fortitude to be a major threat to anyone of consequence.
Rutgers 35, Arkansas 26
I'm not making a big deal out of this because I think Rutgers is a better team than Arkansas. ESPN's not-so-SECret love affair can continue, but Arkansas just isn't that great of a team.
That's it for the hangover this week. I'm off radio next weekend as Tony will be out of town and JMU is on bye, so keep it on the blog for all things college football. Other than that, see you next weekend, where the orange-and-black clan will probably be dangerously close to partying like it's 1997.
Cameron Starke, shoutout! Hope Tosh was good.
The Baltimore Orioles have won their 16th consecutive extra innings game, as of yesterday's 12-inning 9-6 win up in Fenway. Yes, my Orioles. The ones that haven't been relevant when the leaves start changing in 15 years. But hey, who am I to stand in the way of greatness? Go get em O's.
I can't explain how a team with a terrible run differential is going to finish the regular season with 90 wins. Is this coincidence? Maybe. Either way, where's Michael Lewis when you need him? This has best-seller written all over it.
The Yankees and Orioles are in a deadlocked race to the finish. Neither team loses ever, which makes the fast-paced, crazy nature of this pennant race even wilder. Since beginning a series with Toronto on August 24, the Orioles have lost seven games. I don't know this for sure, but that's gotta be a league-low mark. The Yankees are nearly equaling that mark, having lost seven games since the beginning of September. The Pinstripes are currently on a 7-game win streak; Baltimore has a six-game streak of their own. Oh, and the Orioles win streak? It's covered a span of 68 innings (14 additional innings). I'm beginning to think they're letting games get tied late on purpose, just so they can show off. Or hey, maybe it's just coincidence.
And by the time you start reading this, Baltimore will begin the final game of a series in Boston (first pitch, 1:35PM). The Red Sox are last place in the AL East-- behind even Toronto-- and have assured themselves their first losing season since 1997.
The Orioles last winning season and playoff appearance? 1997.
And that's not coincidence.
#6 JMU 32, Rhode Island 7
I'm not paying $10 to watch a shitty video package that I could do three weeks into my HTML coding class. Sorry Rhode Island, your shh-don't-tell-anyone NEC football budget does not sway my wallet one bit. So I didn't get to see any of this game.
Here's what I do know. There must have been something in the Virginia water supply, because Thorpe threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns. Nice play calling by Mickey, who decided to go to the passing game to take the focus away from a beat up run-game. Thorpe finished with two touchdowns and two picks, and since he's not a Heisman contender, I could care less about his interceptions here (though his decision-making often bothers me a great deal).
One of the best aspects of this game from an offensive position were the no-namers getting into the end zone for JMU. With Scott injured and Coble/Brown out for the year for their own respective reasons, it's good to see further depth at the skill position that will continue to keep the end zones busy.
Enjoy the week off Dukes, because the champs come a-callin in 13 days.
Maryland 21, #8 West Virginia 31
God forbid West Virginia play a game where they don't score 60-some points. The way announcers and commentators were talking about this game, you'd think the Mountaineers lost by 30.
Edsall and his staff knows our playbook pretty well, and dialed up a fair amount of pressure and nice play-calling to keep our offense in check. Bad news for Terps fans: "keeping our offense in check" still means Geno throws for 300+ yards and three touchdowns, and still no picks. Oh, and Tavon Austin had over 175 yards receiving and all three touchdowns. Darn, too bad we didn't play well. With 30 mile an hour gusts out on the mountain.
Oh wait.
#15 K-State 24, #6 Oklahoma 19
Okay, just let me get this out of my system really quick.
I TOLD YOU, I TOLD YOU, I TOLD YOU.
Oklahoma is always overrated. It's like a law of physics. When Sir Isaac Newton felt the wrath of the Apple Tree, dropping tender fruit upon his head, he was quoted as immediately saying "Oh! Gravity! And boy is that Oklahoma team overrated."
Even still, this is definitely a noteworthy upset. Kansas State hasn't won in Norman since... wait, what? 1997. Well this is awkward. Look, nice job Bill Snyder, but let's keep the focus on the Orioles, okay?
The Sooners are on the outside looking in as far as the Big 12 Title Race is concerned, and that's exactly how I envisioned it in the preseason. Don't expect them not to contend, but don't label them frontrunners either.
If you need a reminder of my remaining Big 12 predictions-- a race I'm obviously very invested in and attuned too-- recall that I have picked Texas and West Virginia to beat Kansas State, TCU to beat Texas and Oklahoma, and I half-way expect (though refuse to officially predict) West Virginia to drop a game to a team they probably shouldn't lose too (ie, Texas Tech/Iowa State). Texas in Austin is the biggest challenge of the year, though. Don't get confused.
#18 Michigan 6, #11 Notre Dame 13
The Notre Dame defense is going to get a ton of credit here, and frankly, it's undeserved. But why, Chase? They held explosive Michigan to just six points!
Easy, baby birds. I'll feed you.
I got to see a lot of the tape from this game, and Denard Robinson did not look like Denard Robinson. For some unimaginable reason, Brady Hoke & Co's game plan to score points was to turn D-Rob into a pocket passer. I know, because it worked so well against Alabama, right? Let's do it again!
As it turns out, doing the same thing and expecting different results actually is the definition of insanity. Meeeechigan's quarterback was so great that he actually oversaw an offense that committed SIX turnovers. Five were his! And we're not talking great plays on the ball by Notre Dame backs, either, we're talking throws straight to linebackers dropped into coverage. Six turnovers, and all BK and the boys can manage is 13 points?
These teams are exactly what I thought they were: above average, not great, and unable to compete with the really elite teams. When Notre Dame plays somebody that's legit- USC, maybe Oklahoma or Miami- they're going to get a rude awakening.
#10 Clemson 37, #4 Florida State 49
You win Seminoles. You finally have earned my respect. I refused to pick FSU until they stopped choking away their perennial hype every September. Fine, you made a statement. I have to acknowledge that.
But let's not slide FSU into the national championship game just yet. Road games at NC State, suddenly upset-prone Miami, always dangerous Virginia Tech (at home), and defense-minded Maryland. Oh, and the showdown with Florida, as well. Clemson might have exposed the Sems a little bit, even in the loss. They are definitely beatable, even by a lot of the mediocre talent in the ACC.
CAA Action
New Hampshire 61, Old Dominion 64
The fact that ODU scored over 60 points and still needed a game-winning field goal to win makes me think JMU is going to kick their ass.
The fact that ODU quarterback Taylor Heinicke accumulated a D-1 record 730 passing yards makes me think they're gonna kick ours.
Albany 30, Maine 20
Albany is an NEC school, so this loss doesn't count against Maine in conference. Still, they lost to an NEC school. That might be even worse.
Delaware 51, William and Mary 21
The Blue Hens look like they might be the best challenger to JMU for the CAA crown.
Other Notable Scores
Florida Atlantic 7, #1 Alabama 40
I love that we criticize Oregon, West Virginia, and Florida State for not playing anyone til week 4 yet Alabama already has the National title sewn up beating up on Western Kentucky, Florida Atlantic, and two schools that weren't even close to 100%. Call me when they've beaten someone. And no, Ole Miss does not count as "someone" either.
#2 LSU 12, Auburn 10
Sometimes, I'd rather be good than deep.
#22 Arizona 0, #3 Oregon 49
I'm becoming more and more convinced that Oregon is a National Championship frontrunner. If they can get past USC.
Oregon State 27, #19 UCLA 20
Jonathan Franklin is good. UCLA is not.
The Civil War is becoming increasingly interesting each week, and not in a Robert E. Lee kind of way, either.
Bowling Green 0, Virginia Tech 37
Nothing to see here folks, move along. Bowling Green's Rush Defense ranks somewhere around 135 with me. Yeah-- I could probably name a dozen FCS schools who'd defend the run better (JMU is definitely one of them). This is what I expected Tech to do, so they deserve some praise for coming out and executing, and not letting Pitt beat them twice. But don't get mistaken and think this is more than it is.
Miami 32, Georgia Tech 26
The ACC is starting to look more and more like the Big East... and I mean that as a compliment. Anything could happen.
Florida State, you're on watch.
South Florida 27, Ball State 31
...But the Sems aren't on watch just yet, because South Florida, once again, seems to not possess the fortitude to be a major threat to anyone of consequence.
Rutgers 35, Arkansas 26
I'm not making a big deal out of this because I think Rutgers is a better team than Arkansas. ESPN's not-so-SECret love affair can continue, but Arkansas just isn't that great of a team.
That's it for the hangover this week. I'm off radio next weekend as Tony will be out of town and JMU is on bye, so keep it on the blog for all things college football. Other than that, see you next weekend, where the orange-and-black clan will probably be dangerously close to partying like it's 1997.
Cameron Starke, shoutout! Hope Tosh was good.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Pregame: The Musical
It's mid-evening last Tuesday as I'm watching netflix with twitter up on my computer. I'm occassionally taking time to sift through the updates, but in reality, it's Tuesday. Football is four days away. Not much popping up in my all-sports twitter feed.
Suddenly, something stands out. Dae'Quan Scott, starting JMU runningback that tears linebackers and DB's to shreds, tweets lyrics from this John Mayer song.
My response: dude, seriously?
This is a staple of the classic "girl's multi-purpose attention-seeking facebook status song lyrics" list, so obviously I'm a bit curious here. Scott replied almost immediately to me, noting that he "listens to it all."
Hey, good for him. If I had biddies lining up from here to Bridgeforth to get in my inner circle because of who I was, I probably wouldn't mind proclaiming an inner love for John Mayer either. Unfortunately this is not the world we live in. So while Scott does his job and continues to rake in phone numbers, I will do my job and take tongue-in-cheek shots at him and his ipodfrom the safe confines of my bedroom where he and his friends can't hurt me.
Hopefully, he has a sense of humor and can take it. I'm thinking he can; have you seen the way he runs between the tackles?
Games to Watch- Brought to you by Dae'Quan Scott's Ipod
Kansas State at Oklahoma
What can I say? I guess I'm a sucker for dual threat quarterbacks that don't wear the color maroon and publicly brandish firearms. Collin Klein is a beast, and he's got the sweetest nickname in college football- Optimus Klein. He and the fighting Snydercats will be Stormin Norman to try to take out OKLAHOMA, THE GREATEST TEAM IN ALL THE LAND, WHO CARES THAT THEY LOST A BUNCH OF PLAYERS TO INJURY TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE SEASON THEYRE AMAZING AND NOT OVERRATED AT ALL.
Actually, that pretty much sums up how I feel about both teams. Caps Lock aside, it's gonna be a great game to watch. Collin Klein puts this team on his back so much, he makes Greg Jennings look like a pop warner kid. Oklahoma, for all its problems, still can't be overlooked, particularly when they've only lost three home games this millenium.
Maybe I'm letting my love for Klein get in the way of my sensible analyst here, but I really hope K-State wins this one.
DQS Soundtrack Song: Falling for You by Colbie Caillat
Clemson at Florida State
I'm gonna give you a scenario, you tell me what year this is from:
Florida State is a wildly hyped up team with national championship aspirations and talent all over the field. An early season showdown in September could go a long way to determining their legitimacy and shot at the crystal football.
What season is it from? 2012? 2011? 2010? Other years that you know happened but can't quite remember, because you don't pay attention to irrelevant programs like Florida State?
DQS Soundtrack Song: Baby One More Time by Britney Spears
Michigan at Notre Dame
Week 4 is prime overreaction territory. We think we have teams pegged now that we've watched them blow out three consecutive MAAC teams. The Wolverines get dominated by the defending national champions? THEY'RE TERRIBLE, JUST LIKE THE BIG 10! (okay, actually, the Big 10 is pretty terrible) Notre Dame beats the hell out of Navy and Michigan State? THROWBACK TO '88?!?! NOTRE DAME WILL PLAY FOR THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!
(+10 Bonus points if you can name the team Notre Dame played for the 1988 National Championship)
In reality, these programs probably haven't moved much from their recent spots: former powerhouses that will field above average teams, but won't be contending for a championship this year or next year.
DQS Soundtrack Song: Better Days by the Goo Goo Dolls
Arizona at Oregon
Sorry, I'm already out of breath.
DQS Soundtrack Song: Fireworks by Katy Perry
Rutgers at Arkansas
So, let me get this straight. Your old head coach crashed his motorcycle into a ditch and quit, your new coach is 27 million dollars in debt, you lost to a school I've never heard of at home and then got beat 52-0 the next week by your in conference rival, and your quarterback is publicly criticizing your team? And now you have to gear up for an undefeated Big East team that would further lower and debase you should you lose at home again? Which is entirely possible, because they're actually pretty good?
DQS Soundtrack Song: Fix You by Coldplay
Missouri at South Carolina
There might be four quarterbacks that play in this game. The HBC better keep some band-aids ready. Connor Shaw is beat to Hell, but don't forget-- this is the south, you gotta be ready to give them out for hospitality's sake, too.
DQS Soundtrack Song: Broken by Seether/Amy Lee
Pick Against the Breeze
JMU vs Rhode Island
Oklahoma vs Kansas State
Clemson vs Florida State
Patriots vs Ravens
Dolphins vs Jets
Eagles vs Cardinals
Last Week's Record: 4-2
Season Record: 7-5
Top 25 Forecast
Florida Atlantic at 1 Alabama
2 LSU at Auburn
22 Arizona at 3 Oregon
10 Clemson at 4 Florida State
Vanderbilt at 5 Georgia
15 Kansas State at 6 Oklahoma
Missouri at 7 South Carolina
Maryland at 8 West Virginia
18 Michigan at 11 Notre Dame
California at 13 USC
Kentucky at 14 Florida
UAB at 16 Ohio State
Virginia at 17 TCU
Oregon St at 19 UCLA
20 Louisville at FIU
E. Michigan at 21 Michigan St
South Alabama at 23 Mississippi St
Idaho St at 25 Nebraska
(Editor's Note: the C4G blog has no inside knowledge of the music on Dae'Quan Scott's actual ipod, though we respect whatever genre of music gets him pumped for game days. This blog does, however, have inside knowledge of the best FCS runninbacks in the country, and Scott is undoubtedly one of them. This concludes the ego-stroking portion of this blog.)
Suddenly, something stands out. Dae'Quan Scott, starting JMU runningback that tears linebackers and DB's to shreds, tweets lyrics from this John Mayer song.
My response: dude, seriously?
This is a staple of the classic "girl's multi-purpose attention-seeking facebook status song lyrics" list, so obviously I'm a bit curious here. Scott replied almost immediately to me, noting that he "listens to it all."
Hey, good for him. If I had biddies lining up from here to Bridgeforth to get in my inner circle because of who I was, I probably wouldn't mind proclaiming an inner love for John Mayer either. Unfortunately this is not the world we live in. So while Scott does his job and continues to rake in phone numbers, I will do my job and take tongue-in-cheek shots at him and his ipod
Hopefully, he has a sense of humor and can take it. I'm thinking he can; have you seen the way he runs between the tackles?
Games to Watch- Brought to you by Dae'Quan Scott's Ipod
Kansas State at Oklahoma
What can I say? I guess I'm a sucker for dual threat quarterbacks that don't wear the color maroon and publicly brandish firearms. Collin Klein is a beast, and he's got the sweetest nickname in college football- Optimus Klein. He and the fighting Snydercats will be Stormin Norman to try to take out OKLAHOMA, THE GREATEST TEAM IN ALL THE LAND, WHO CARES THAT THEY LOST A BUNCH OF PLAYERS TO INJURY TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE SEASON THEYRE AMAZING AND NOT OVERRATED AT ALL.
Actually, that pretty much sums up how I feel about both teams. Caps Lock aside, it's gonna be a great game to watch. Collin Klein puts this team on his back so much, he makes Greg Jennings look like a pop warner kid. Oklahoma, for all its problems, still can't be overlooked, particularly when they've only lost three home games this millenium.
Maybe I'm letting my love for Klein get in the way of my sensible analyst here, but I really hope K-State wins this one.
DQS Soundtrack Song: Falling for You by Colbie Caillat
Clemson at Florida State
I'm gonna give you a scenario, you tell me what year this is from:
Florida State is a wildly hyped up team with national championship aspirations and talent all over the field. An early season showdown in September could go a long way to determining their legitimacy and shot at the crystal football.
What season is it from? 2012? 2011? 2010? Other years that you know happened but can't quite remember, because you don't pay attention to irrelevant programs like Florida State?
DQS Soundtrack Song: Baby One More Time by Britney Spears
Michigan at Notre Dame
Week 4 is prime overreaction territory. We think we have teams pegged now that we've watched them blow out three consecutive MAAC teams. The Wolverines get dominated by the defending national champions? THEY'RE TERRIBLE, JUST LIKE THE BIG 10! (okay, actually, the Big 10 is pretty terrible) Notre Dame beats the hell out of Navy and Michigan State? THROWBACK TO '88?!?! NOTRE DAME WILL PLAY FOR THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!
(+10 Bonus points if you can name the team Notre Dame played for the 1988 National Championship)
In reality, these programs probably haven't moved much from their recent spots: former powerhouses that will field above average teams, but won't be contending for a championship this year or next year.
DQS Soundtrack Song: Better Days by the Goo Goo Dolls
Arizona at Oregon
Sorry, I'm already out of breath.
DQS Soundtrack Song: Fireworks by Katy Perry
Rutgers at Arkansas
So, let me get this straight. Your old head coach crashed his motorcycle into a ditch and quit, your new coach is 27 million dollars in debt, you lost to a school I've never heard of at home and then got beat 52-0 the next week by your in conference rival, and your quarterback is publicly criticizing your team? And now you have to gear up for an undefeated Big East team that would further lower and debase you should you lose at home again? Which is entirely possible, because they're actually pretty good?
DQS Soundtrack Song: Fix You by Coldplay
Missouri at South Carolina
There might be four quarterbacks that play in this game. The HBC better keep some band-aids ready. Connor Shaw is beat to Hell, but don't forget-- this is the south, you gotta be ready to give them out for hospitality's sake, too.
DQS Soundtrack Song: Broken by Seether/Amy Lee
Pick Against the Breeze
JMU vs Rhode Island
Oklahoma vs Kansas State
Clemson vs Florida State
Patriots vs Ravens
Dolphins vs Jets
Eagles vs Cardinals
Last Week's Record: 4-2
Season Record: 7-5
Top 25 Forecast
Florida Atlantic at 1 Alabama
2 LSU at Auburn
22 Arizona at 3 Oregon
10 Clemson at 4 Florida State
Vanderbilt at 5 Georgia
15 Kansas State at 6 Oklahoma
Missouri at 7 South Carolina
Maryland at 8 West Virginia
18 Michigan at 11 Notre Dame
California at 13 USC
Kentucky at 14 Florida
UAB at 16 Ohio State
Virginia at 17 TCU
Oregon St at 19 UCLA
20 Louisville at FIU
E. Michigan at 21 Michigan St
South Alabama at 23 Mississippi St
Idaho St at 25 Nebraska
(Editor's Note: the C4G blog has no inside knowledge of the music on Dae'Quan Scott's actual ipod, though we respect whatever genre of music gets him pumped for game days. This blog does, however, have inside knowledge of the best FCS runninbacks in the country, and Scott is undoubtedly one of them. This concludes the ego-stroking portion of this blog.)
Monday, September 17, 2012
Hangover: Geno for Heisman
"You'll be at the JMU-WVU game today, right Chase?"
"Tony, I'm leaving the station and going to FedEx."
I looked at the clock. It was 11:51 AM. Nine minutes remained in the show.
Conversation winds down. We pick winners off air (59-24 was my call.) It's 12PM. The show ends. Start wearing purple.
Stop by apartment. I need sunglasses. Bright day.
Stop by Sheetz. I need food. Appetizer Sampler is greater than kissing babies (that reference is only for the poli-sci majors that read this blog).
Run up 81. Run down 66. Get stuck in traffic. Look up metro directions in traffic at standstill. Next train leaves for game at 3:20. It's 3:15.
Park awkwardly in Vienna Metro Parking lot. Which is next to interstate. Also heavily under construction. Am I even at the metro? I don't see any buildings or tunnels.
Stalk people to find metro. Walk into metro. I don't speak Metro-language. Take 10 minutes, learn metro-language.
It's 3:52. The 3:40 train hasn't left yet.
Get off at Armory. See sign that says "Stadium this way!" Leave metro. Wrong stadium. Pay $5 more dollars to get back into metro that I just left.
Get off in suburban Maryland. Walk to FedEx. Walk into FedEx.
WVU 7, JMU 0.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to get there before West Virginia scored a touchdown.
It was a feeling the JMU football players could relate to.
After all the talk of repeating 21-16, of taking down the big boys, the inevitable finally happened. JMU's defense played amazing, frankly, as good as you ever could have hoped for against a team with a Heisman frontrunner and an outside shot at an FBS national championship. Still,
I hope JMU fans and students don't feel too disappointed. West Virginia's offense is scary good, and they showed it by scoring 21 points before anyone wearing purple could blink. JMU's pass rush got through a pretty good offensive line somewhat consistently, and that's certainly going to be a strength going forward.
Of course, the Dukes' offense looked stagnant for a vast majority of the game, but WVU's run defense has looked dominant thus far in the season, so no cause for concern there. Against lesser 1-AA defenses, the offense will continue to put up monster numbers.
But the biggest takeaway from this game had less to do with James Madison, and more to do with Geno Smith. West Virginia's quarterback is following the RG3 Heisman mould to the letter. Entering week 4 of the college football season, Geno Smith has 10 total touchdowns and 9 incompletions. With Barkley playing a very mediocre game in a loss to Stanford (more on this later), most of the talking heads agree.
Three weeks in, Geno Smith is the Heisman frontrunner.
#20 Notre Dame 20, #10 Michigan State 3
I don't know what's invigorating this Notre Dame team-- it's clearly not the move to an atrocious ACC, which doesn't even apply to the Irish to begin with as far as football is concerened-- but Notre Dame has looked pretty damn good on its warpath to a 3-0 start. My eyes told me Michigan State was pretty good (or at least the hop-scotch god that Is Le'Veon Bell is), and Notre Dame handled them pretty soundly.
You could make the argument that MSU was never that great to begin with. I thought Boise State was a pretty average team, and the Greek Society against Pedophilia only beat them by four points. So is Sparty good, or should we not be that impressed by this win? It might be a statement win for Notre Dame. It might just be cause for overhype before inevitable blowouts at the hands of Oklahoma and USC. I really don't know for sure.
#13 Virginia Tech 17, Pittsburgh 35
Last week, a good friend coyly asked me how I felt about the Chokies being ranked the 13th best team in college football.
My response? "Well, I guess somebody has to be there in the poll." And that is basically how Tech got to the 13th best ranking- not be winning, not by impressing, but my merely failing to lose.
Enter week 3. I recall saying in the spring that Tech should be weary of this game because Ray Graham is a monster and the Hokies will be offensively challenged. Well, Ray Graham was limited in those first two games- hence why Pittsburgh roughly resembled the big pile of garbage outside my apartment and down the street to this point in the season- but he looks fully recovered from the ACL tear he suffered last October, and boy did he make that super-amazing Beamer-coached defense look pretty terrible.
Both more and less surprisingly was the dominance of the Pitt defense. I know Tech's offense is about as defunct as AIG's bottom line, but seriously? This is a defense that just got torn to shreds by a converted wide receiver named after a side effect of smoking too much weed. How could you possibly be dominated by that?
Tech fans need to accept that even in a conference as week as the ACC, they are bound to have down years. Eerily similar to West Virginia fans, Tech homers have been ruined by the consistency of their program, and they've developed an obnoxiously, outrageously unrealistic expectation to win every game, every year.
The only difference is that West Virginia fans have been punched in the gut for so long in random games that we've learned to temper out expectations a bit.
If your closet is full of maroon, it might just be time to accept this is not your year. You might still win the coastal division, but don't fool yourself. This is a rebuilding year.
On the bright side, ESPN can stop shoving Logan Thomas-Matt Barkley comparisons down my throat.
#14 Texas 66, Mississippi 31
Texas is suddenly the best team in the Big 12 after dropping 60+ points on Ole Miss. Their offense hasn't looked this good in years! Great Scott!
Let's pump the breaks a little bit, guy that clearly never read Friday Night Lights despite the fact that he lives in Texas. Just because you're playing an SEC team doesn't mean you just dropped two thirds of a Satanic number on the NFL's newest expansion team. I don't care what conference they're in, Ole Miss is a bad team. Dropping a season high offensive performance on them has way more to do with their defense, and way less to do with your offense.
You won't see me on here next week proclaiming West Virginia to have the best offense in the land when they drop 400 yards and 65 points on Maryland next week.
Okay, actually you will. Bad example. Let's move on.
CAA Action
This will be a new feature of the Hangover every week, as I will recap Colonial conference play.
Villanova 31, Rhode Island 10
Villanova dominated this game. Bad news for the Rams: Nova isn't that good. JMU is, and they're coming to town this weekend. Buckle up buttercup, because 0-2 is on the way.
Towson 20, William and Mary 17
I obviously did not get to watch this game, but this is a pretty nice win for Towson to open up conference play. William and Mary is probably a .500 or above team in conference, so to win in Williamsburg is a big get for the defending champs. A loss here might have seriously jeopardized their hopes to win a second straight title, judging by how strong ODU and JMU have both looked early on.
That's it for the Hangover this week. Get some sleep and grab some Dasani. You'll need your rest for another West Virginia track meet this upcoming weekend when the Mountaineers beat down the Terps by 50, and I am forced to talk incessantly about it. Again.
"Tony, I'm leaving the station and going to FedEx."
I looked at the clock. It was 11:51 AM. Nine minutes remained in the show.
Conversation winds down. We pick winners off air (59-24 was my call.) It's 12PM. The show ends. Start wearing purple.
Stop by apartment. I need sunglasses. Bright day.
Stop by Sheetz. I need food. Appetizer Sampler is greater than kissing babies (that reference is only for the poli-sci majors that read this blog).
Run up 81. Run down 66. Get stuck in traffic. Look up metro directions in traffic at standstill. Next train leaves for game at 3:20. It's 3:15.
Park awkwardly in Vienna Metro Parking lot. Which is next to interstate. Also heavily under construction. Am I even at the metro? I don't see any buildings or tunnels.
Stalk people to find metro. Walk into metro. I don't speak Metro-language. Take 10 minutes, learn metro-language.
It's 3:52. The 3:40 train hasn't left yet.
Get off at Armory. See sign that says "Stadium this way!" Leave metro. Wrong stadium. Pay $5 more dollars to get back into metro that I just left.
Get off in suburban Maryland. Walk to FedEx. Walk into FedEx.
WVU 7, JMU 0.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to get there before West Virginia scored a touchdown.
It was a feeling the JMU football players could relate to.
After all the talk of repeating 21-16, of taking down the big boys, the inevitable finally happened. JMU's defense played amazing, frankly, as good as you ever could have hoped for against a team with a Heisman frontrunner and an outside shot at an FBS national championship. Still,
I hope JMU fans and students don't feel too disappointed. West Virginia's offense is scary good, and they showed it by scoring 21 points before anyone wearing purple could blink. JMU's pass rush got through a pretty good offensive line somewhat consistently, and that's certainly going to be a strength going forward.
Of course, the Dukes' offense looked stagnant for a vast majority of the game, but WVU's run defense has looked dominant thus far in the season, so no cause for concern there. Against lesser 1-AA defenses, the offense will continue to put up monster numbers.
But the biggest takeaway from this game had less to do with James Madison, and more to do with Geno Smith. West Virginia's quarterback is following the RG3 Heisman mould to the letter. Entering week 4 of the college football season, Geno Smith has 10 total touchdowns and 9 incompletions. With Barkley playing a very mediocre game in a loss to Stanford (more on this later), most of the talking heads agree.
Three weeks in, Geno Smith is the Heisman frontrunner.
#20 Notre Dame 20, #10 Michigan State 3
I don't know what's invigorating this Notre Dame team-- it's clearly not the move to an atrocious ACC, which doesn't even apply to the Irish to begin with as far as football is concerened-- but Notre Dame has looked pretty damn good on its warpath to a 3-0 start. My eyes told me Michigan State was pretty good (or at least the hop-scotch god that Is Le'Veon Bell is), and Notre Dame handled them pretty soundly.
You could make the argument that MSU was never that great to begin with. I thought Boise State was a pretty average team, and the Greek Society against Pedophilia only beat them by four points. So is Sparty good, or should we not be that impressed by this win? It might be a statement win for Notre Dame. It might just be cause for overhype before inevitable blowouts at the hands of Oklahoma and USC. I really don't know for sure.
#13 Virginia Tech 17, Pittsburgh 35
Last week, a good friend coyly asked me how I felt about the Chokies being ranked the 13th best team in college football.
My response? "Well, I guess somebody has to be there in the poll." And that is basically how Tech got to the 13th best ranking- not be winning, not by impressing, but my merely failing to lose.
Enter week 3. I recall saying in the spring that Tech should be weary of this game because Ray Graham is a monster and the Hokies will be offensively challenged. Well, Ray Graham was limited in those first two games- hence why Pittsburgh roughly resembled the big pile of garbage outside my apartment and down the street to this point in the season- but he looks fully recovered from the ACL tear he suffered last October, and boy did he make that super-amazing Beamer-coached defense look pretty terrible.
Both more and less surprisingly was the dominance of the Pitt defense. I know Tech's offense is about as defunct as AIG's bottom line, but seriously? This is a defense that just got torn to shreds by a converted wide receiver named after a side effect of smoking too much weed. How could you possibly be dominated by that?
Tech fans need to accept that even in a conference as week as the ACC, they are bound to have down years. Eerily similar to West Virginia fans, Tech homers have been ruined by the consistency of their program, and they've developed an obnoxiously, outrageously unrealistic expectation to win every game, every year.
The only difference is that West Virginia fans have been punched in the gut for so long in random games that we've learned to temper out expectations a bit.
If your closet is full of maroon, it might just be time to accept this is not your year. You might still win the coastal division, but don't fool yourself. This is a rebuilding year.
On the bright side, ESPN can stop shoving Logan Thomas-Matt Barkley comparisons down my throat.
#14 Texas 66, Mississippi 31
Texas is suddenly the best team in the Big 12 after dropping 60+ points on Ole Miss. Their offense hasn't looked this good in years! Great Scott!
Let's pump the breaks a little bit, guy that clearly never read Friday Night Lights despite the fact that he lives in Texas. Just because you're playing an SEC team doesn't mean you just dropped two thirds of a Satanic number on the NFL's newest expansion team. I don't care what conference they're in, Ole Miss is a bad team. Dropping a season high offensive performance on them has way more to do with their defense, and way less to do with your offense.
You won't see me on here next week proclaiming West Virginia to have the best offense in the land when they drop 400 yards and 65 points on Maryland next week.
Okay, actually you will. Bad example. Let's move on.
CAA Action
This will be a new feature of the Hangover every week, as I will recap Colonial conference play.
Villanova 31, Rhode Island 10
Villanova dominated this game. Bad news for the Rams: Nova isn't that good. JMU is, and they're coming to town this weekend. Buckle up buttercup, because 0-2 is on the way.
Towson 20, William and Mary 17
I obviously did not get to watch this game, but this is a pretty nice win for Towson to open up conference play. William and Mary is probably a .500 or above team in conference, so to win in Williamsburg is a big get for the defending champs. A loss here might have seriously jeopardized their hopes to win a second straight title, judging by how strong ODU and JMU have both looked early on.
That's it for the Hangover this week. Get some sleep and grab some Dasani. You'll need your rest for another West Virginia track meet this upcoming weekend when the Mountaineers beat down the Terps by 50, and I am forced to talk incessantly about it. Again.
Friday, September 14, 2012
The FedEx Pregame
To paraphrase Lewis Carroll,
"The time has come," the walrus said, "To talk of many things. Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, and JMU fighting West Virginia on a neutral field of play."
Hey, close enough.
With respect to the snooze-fest that was LSU vs Alabama last November, this is my Game of the Century. I won't be writing a preview for the walking slaughterhouse that is destined to be WVU-JMU-- instead, tune into the JMU Tailgate Pregame Show on 88.7, or the Itunes satellite feed via Internet-- but I will talk about some other games that might actually be close.
Also, shoutout! JMU Sports Blog has done a hilarious preview for the game this weekend, and I encourage you to check it out.
Games To Watch
Alabama at Arkansas
The hate has gone way too far. Arkansas is a flawed but good team with very capable offensive weapons. This team is way better than Michigan, but Tyler Wilson will not play, which means this game is more or less already decided. Look for the hogs to test, if not outright threaten, an Alabama team that certainly deserves the #1 ranking, but is still a tad overhyped.
Also, hey Nick Saban? Stop trying to tell journalists how to do their jobs. kthxbye
USC at Stanford
Everyone wants to make a big deal out of Stanford's record against USC in the past few years, but NEWS FLASH: Stanford has beaten Southern Cal the last three years because they've been a better team. I know, I know, bizarre concept.
This year is clearly a different story. Stanford has lost offensive weapons like Luck and Fleener, and in a tight end centric offense, those are parts 1 and 2 that you don't want to lose. Barkley will be challenged by a Cardinal defense that's still pretty good, but he's ultimately going to win.
But if he doesn't? Oh man. Talk about opening the door for a Big 12 team in the national championship game.
Notre Dame at Michigan State
Notre Dame has looked pretty good early on, but Michigan State will outclass the Irish by shit-talking Tommy Rees on twitter and getting in his head. That stout defense will sack and retweet their way to a win up in East Lansing. Look for Le'Veon Bell to keep running is way toward a late-season trip to the Big Apple.
Wake Forest at Florida State
I remember being at a JMU football game last season and seeing Wake's 2011 win over the Seminoles flash up on the screen. I remember my reaction quite vividly. It was something like "hahaha. haha. haha."
The Double-D's are a sound, if not spectacular team. Straight up, Florida State has more talent in the front 7, and I can't see Wake winning in Tallahassee. Though I would admittedly LOVE it if they did.
Texas at Mississippi
This game will be terrible.
Texas will win.
It's on ESPN.
Don't watch it.
Virginia Tech at Pittsburgh
It makes sense that, on a weekend where both the teams I love play each other, both the teams I hate are also playing each other. Can they both lose?
In all seriousness, this game will likely be ugly and another terribly boring game to watch as a bad offense travels to face an even worse defense.
Pick Against the Breeze
Alright, rough first week. But in my defense, what non-Cowboys fan picked the Stars? Don't bring up Carleigh, she's just weird.
JMU vs WVU
Notre Dame vs Michigan State
Southern Cal vs Stanford
Bears vs Packers
Lions vs 49'ers
Vikings vs Colts
Last Week's Record: 3-3
Top 25 Forecast
1 Alabama at Arkansas
2 USC at 21 Stanford
Idaho at 3 LSU
Tennessee Tech at 4 Oregon
Wake Forest at 5 Florida State
Florida Atlantic at 7 Georgia
UAB at 8 South Carolina
James Madison vs 9 West Virginia
20 Notre Dame at 10 Michigan State
Furman at 11 Clemson
Cal at 12 Ohio State
13 Virginia Tech at Pittsburgh
14 Texas at Ole Miss
North Texas at 15 Kansas State
16 TCU at Kansas
Massachusetts at 17 Michigan
18 Florida at 23 Tennessee
North Carolina at 19 Louisville
Houston at 22 UCLA
South Carolina St at 24 Arizona
25 BYU at Utah
See you all at the tailgate in Maryland! Kia out.
"The time has come," the walrus said, "To talk of many things. Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, and JMU fighting West Virginia on a neutral field of play."
Hey, close enough.
With respect to the snooze-fest that was LSU vs Alabama last November, this is my Game of the Century. I won't be writing a preview for the walking slaughterhouse that is destined to be WVU-JMU-- instead, tune into the JMU Tailgate Pregame Show on 88.7, or the Itunes satellite feed via Internet-- but I will talk about some other games that might actually be close.
Also, shoutout! JMU Sports Blog has done a hilarious preview for the game this weekend, and I encourage you to check it out.
Games To Watch
Alabama at Arkansas
The hate has gone way too far. Arkansas is a flawed but good team with very capable offensive weapons. This team is way better than Michigan, but Tyler Wilson will not play, which means this game is more or less already decided. Look for the hogs to test, if not outright threaten, an Alabama team that certainly deserves the #1 ranking, but is still a tad overhyped.
Also, hey Nick Saban? Stop trying to tell journalists how to do their jobs. kthxbye
USC at Stanford
Everyone wants to make a big deal out of Stanford's record against USC in the past few years, but NEWS FLASH: Stanford has beaten Southern Cal the last three years because they've been a better team. I know, I know, bizarre concept.
This year is clearly a different story. Stanford has lost offensive weapons like Luck and Fleener, and in a tight end centric offense, those are parts 1 and 2 that you don't want to lose. Barkley will be challenged by a Cardinal defense that's still pretty good, but he's ultimately going to win.
But if he doesn't? Oh man. Talk about opening the door for a Big 12 team in the national championship game.
Notre Dame at Michigan State
Notre Dame has looked pretty good early on, but Michigan State will outclass the Irish by shit-talking Tommy Rees on twitter and getting in his head. That stout defense will sack and retweet their way to a win up in East Lansing. Look for Le'Veon Bell to keep running is way toward a late-season trip to the Big Apple.
Wake Forest at Florida State
I remember being at a JMU football game last season and seeing Wake's 2011 win over the Seminoles flash up on the screen. I remember my reaction quite vividly. It was something like "hahaha. haha. haha."
The Double-D's are a sound, if not spectacular team. Straight up, Florida State has more talent in the front 7, and I can't see Wake winning in Tallahassee. Though I would admittedly LOVE it if they did.
Texas at Mississippi
This game will be terrible.
Texas will win.
It's on ESPN.
Don't watch it.
Virginia Tech at Pittsburgh
It makes sense that, on a weekend where both the teams I love play each other, both the teams I hate are also playing each other. Can they both lose?
In all seriousness, this game will likely be ugly and another terribly boring game to watch as a bad offense travels to face an even worse defense.
Pick Against the Breeze
Alright, rough first week. But in my defense, what non-Cowboys fan picked the Stars? Don't bring up Carleigh, she's just weird.
JMU vs WVU
Notre Dame vs Michigan State
Southern Cal vs Stanford
Bears vs Packers
Lions vs 49'ers
Vikings vs Colts
Last Week's Record: 3-3
Top 25 Forecast
1 Alabama at Arkansas
2 USC at 21 Stanford
Idaho at 3 LSU
Tennessee Tech at 4 Oregon
Wake Forest at 5 Florida State
Florida Atlantic at 7 Georgia
UAB at 8 South Carolina
James Madison vs 9 West Virginia
20 Notre Dame at 10 Michigan State
Furman at 11 Clemson
Cal at 12 Ohio State
13 Virginia Tech at Pittsburgh
14 Texas at Ole Miss
North Texas at 15 Kansas State
16 TCU at Kansas
Massachusetts at 17 Michigan
18 Florida at 23 Tennessee
North Carolina at 19 Louisville
Houston at 22 UCLA
South Carolina St at 24 Arizona
25 BYU at Utah
See you all at the tailgate in Maryland! Kia out.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
10 Things: Fearless Football Predictions for 2012
10 Things is back for the fall as it is every football season, and we're talking football predictions. I usually do this before the season even begins, but because of time constraints, I'm doing this based off some early peeks at the college/nfl seasons.
Honestly, most of these haven't really been affected over the last two weeks anyway.
Check out how I did last year if you want. For a refresher, I successfully predicted the Colts' demise, UVA's resurgence, and the overrated nature of that "massive" Oklahoma-Florida State game, among other things. Otherwise, on to the forecasting:
1. USC will not run the table, and Matt Barkley will not win the Heisman. The Pac-12 has had some surprising outings so far, but Southern Cal is still clearly better than everyone. Better, however, doesn't always win football games. Oregon has the speed and style of play that will disrupt the shaky depth that Southern Cal seems to have. I don't know if it'll be regular season or Pac-12 Championship game, but the Ducks are gonna get the Trojans one of those days this season. The loss makes voters question Barkley as the best quarterback in the country. Someone nicknames the Oregon Ducks "the Heisman-killers."
2. The Redskins will finish last in the NFC East. Crazy impressive start for RG3. Washington finally has some great weapons. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, okay Skins fans? Washington has always played the Saints very strong for whatever reason, and the NFC East is freaking loaaaaaaadddddddddeeeeeedddddddd. Sound it out. That spells loaded. As in you might have six bullets in your revolver, but the other three teams have mounted machine guns up in forts, like at the beginning of Saving Private Ryan. Except this time, the Redskins aren't Tom Hanks; they're that guy that gets shot in the head after he takes his helmet off.
In all seriousness, the Skins will be a much improved team this year and a very tough out. But I'm not sure the schedule reflects that just yet.
3. Oklahoma is overrated... again. If any team not named the Oklahoma Sooners suffered the preseason losses that Oklahoma did, and then played like this team has for the first two weeks of the season, they would not still be ranked as the top team in the Big 12.
4. Matt Ryan will usher in the Greatest Show on Turf, part 2. This isn't an overreaction to a blowout win in Kansas City. I saw this coming about a month ago, maybe even farther back, when I started paying real close attention to Roddy White's twitter account. Granted, White has a very established reputation as a massive big mouth who exaggerates everything. Maybe it's living in Atlanta. (Interpret that however you like.) I don't know. But I bought into the things that were being said, and as more and more people started to indicate that the Falcons wanted to air it out more and more this season, I became a believer. Roddy White and Julio Jones might be two of the top 10 receivers in the entire NFL, so if Matt Ryan can take that step from above average to elite, this will be a very tough team to beat.
5. The East will end the West's recent dominance in the SEC Championship game. A little more on this later. In short: the West is stacked, the East is not, and one team has an incredibly easy path to the championship.
6. The overhyped Seattle Seahawks will get ugly, fast. I don't understand what the big deal is about Seattle this year. Their defense is above average, and that's only when they're at Qwest. Marshawn Lynch is a nice runningback, but who's his backup? Who is one decent receiver? Who is their freaking quarterback? Russell Wilson reminds me a LOT of Pat White, and much to my dismay, we all know how that ended.
7. The Rams and Bills will finish near .500. Jeff Fisher is an awesome coach, that much I know from a casual Tennessee fan's standpoint. The Bills will rebound from a blowout loss to the inept Jets. Both teams have the talent and the leadership to get near .500. I think the Rams finish 7-9 and the Bills finish 8-8.
8. Five rookie quarterbacks start the year; no more than three will finish. Clearly I'm not high on Russell Wilson, and B-Dubs looked absolutely terrible in his first start in Cleveland. I'd say just wait for him to mature, but... oh wait, he's a rookie about to turn 30. Tannehill has the physical presence to be a great quarterback, but needs some serious work on all the little things before he's an NFL-ready quarterback.
RG3 and Andrew Luck? They're the real deal, and will amass 10 wins between the two of them.
9. The Baltimore Ravens will win the Super Bowl, and Ray Lewis will retire after the season. I mean honestly, is this even that bold? I really like the Harbaugh bowl for the Super Bowl this year. Joe Flacco looked very, very on top of his stuff on Sunday. This team was one dropped pass away from playing for the Lombardy trophy last season; they're better than the patriots. It's time to show it.
10. The NCAA National Championship will be a rematch of the 2006 Sugar Bowl:
West Virginia vs Georgia.
After watching Geno Smith vs Marshall, I am convinced he's found it. He's found what Cam Newton, Nick Saban, and Tim Tebow all have had in their respective college games. He won't just search for ways to win; he will win.
This is a prediction that two weeks ago, I would not have made. Frankly, I thought the Big 12 was way too deep for a team to run the table and go undefeated. Oklahoma's flop didn't matter, as I thought we were a better team than them anyway, but games at Texas and Iowa State scared me. Now, I'm convinced we will take care of business on the road. As an additional 10B prediction, let me go on the record saying that the winner of Kansas State at West Virginia will win the Big 12. I do not believe Oklahoma has the talent. As another addition, Texas will beat Kansas State.
Meanwhile, all Georgia has to do to win the East, it seems, is win at South Carolina. In the championship game, I think Georgia has a good, not great defense with a couple elite playmakers that can turn the tide (all you actually need in college football). On offense, Georgia is vastly superior to all teams from the West that haven't lost to Louisiana-Monroe, and that balance helps them win the SEC championship. Regardless of whether there are better teams out there, the SEC's media darling status slides UG into the national championship game. And we've got a rematch of a classic game.
Oh yeah, and Geno Smith will win the Heisman. Because if I'm predicting WVU to play for the crystal trophy, might as well go all here right?
Actually, that's pretty realistic. Geno seems poised to follow very closely to the model Cam Newton and particularly RG3 have the past two years. So this one, I'm surprisingly sure of, or at least as sure as you can be about a Heisman after Week 2-- which as it turns out is pretty sure. I have predicted the last three Heisman winners before the end of September. In Griffin's case, I said after that Week 1 TCU game that he'd win.
So there it is. I'm sure a few of you want to bash the homer picks so... you know, go ahead with that. Just... can we stop with the Xbox Live text messages? Because that's weird.
Honestly, most of these haven't really been affected over the last two weeks anyway.
Check out how I did last year if you want. For a refresher, I successfully predicted the Colts' demise, UVA's resurgence, and the overrated nature of that "massive" Oklahoma-Florida State game, among other things. Otherwise, on to the forecasting:
1. USC will not run the table, and Matt Barkley will not win the Heisman. The Pac-12 has had some surprising outings so far, but Southern Cal is still clearly better than everyone. Better, however, doesn't always win football games. Oregon has the speed and style of play that will disrupt the shaky depth that Southern Cal seems to have. I don't know if it'll be regular season or Pac-12 Championship game, but the Ducks are gonna get the Trojans one of those days this season. The loss makes voters question Barkley as the best quarterback in the country. Someone nicknames the Oregon Ducks "the Heisman-killers."
2. The Redskins will finish last in the NFC East. Crazy impressive start for RG3. Washington finally has some great weapons. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, okay Skins fans? Washington has always played the Saints very strong for whatever reason, and the NFC East is freaking loaaaaaaadddddddddeeeeeedddddddd. Sound it out. That spells loaded. As in you might have six bullets in your revolver, but the other three teams have mounted machine guns up in forts, like at the beginning of Saving Private Ryan. Except this time, the Redskins aren't Tom Hanks; they're that guy that gets shot in the head after he takes his helmet off.
In all seriousness, the Skins will be a much improved team this year and a very tough out. But I'm not sure the schedule reflects that just yet.
3. Oklahoma is overrated... again. If any team not named the Oklahoma Sooners suffered the preseason losses that Oklahoma did, and then played like this team has for the first two weeks of the season, they would not still be ranked as the top team in the Big 12.
4. Matt Ryan will usher in the Greatest Show on Turf, part 2. This isn't an overreaction to a blowout win in Kansas City. I saw this coming about a month ago, maybe even farther back, when I started paying real close attention to Roddy White's twitter account. Granted, White has a very established reputation as a massive big mouth who exaggerates everything. Maybe it's living in Atlanta. (Interpret that however you like.) I don't know. But I bought into the things that were being said, and as more and more people started to indicate that the Falcons wanted to air it out more and more this season, I became a believer. Roddy White and Julio Jones might be two of the top 10 receivers in the entire NFL, so if Matt Ryan can take that step from above average to elite, this will be a very tough team to beat.
5. The East will end the West's recent dominance in the SEC Championship game. A little more on this later. In short: the West is stacked, the East is not, and one team has an incredibly easy path to the championship.
6. The overhyped Seattle Seahawks will get ugly, fast. I don't understand what the big deal is about Seattle this year. Their defense is above average, and that's only when they're at Qwest. Marshawn Lynch is a nice runningback, but who's his backup? Who is one decent receiver? Who is their freaking quarterback? Russell Wilson reminds me a LOT of Pat White, and much to my dismay, we all know how that ended.
7. The Rams and Bills will finish near .500. Jeff Fisher is an awesome coach, that much I know from a casual Tennessee fan's standpoint. The Bills will rebound from a blowout loss to the inept Jets. Both teams have the talent and the leadership to get near .500. I think the Rams finish 7-9 and the Bills finish 8-8.
8. Five rookie quarterbacks start the year; no more than three will finish. Clearly I'm not high on Russell Wilson, and B-Dubs looked absolutely terrible in his first start in Cleveland. I'd say just wait for him to mature, but... oh wait, he's a rookie about to turn 30. Tannehill has the physical presence to be a great quarterback, but needs some serious work on all the little things before he's an NFL-ready quarterback.
RG3 and Andrew Luck? They're the real deal, and will amass 10 wins between the two of them.
9. The Baltimore Ravens will win the Super Bowl, and Ray Lewis will retire after the season. I mean honestly, is this even that bold? I really like the Harbaugh bowl for the Super Bowl this year. Joe Flacco looked very, very on top of his stuff on Sunday. This team was one dropped pass away from playing for the Lombardy trophy last season; they're better than the patriots. It's time to show it.
10. The NCAA National Championship will be a rematch of the 2006 Sugar Bowl:
West Virginia vs Georgia.
After watching Geno Smith vs Marshall, I am convinced he's found it. He's found what Cam Newton, Nick Saban, and Tim Tebow all have had in their respective college games. He won't just search for ways to win; he will win.
This is a prediction that two weeks ago, I would not have made. Frankly, I thought the Big 12 was way too deep for a team to run the table and go undefeated. Oklahoma's flop didn't matter, as I thought we were a better team than them anyway, but games at Texas and Iowa State scared me. Now, I'm convinced we will take care of business on the road. As an additional 10B prediction, let me go on the record saying that the winner of Kansas State at West Virginia will win the Big 12. I do not believe Oklahoma has the talent. As another addition, Texas will beat Kansas State.
Meanwhile, all Georgia has to do to win the East, it seems, is win at South Carolina. In the championship game, I think Georgia has a good, not great defense with a couple elite playmakers that can turn the tide (all you actually need in college football). On offense, Georgia is vastly superior to all teams from the West that haven't lost to Louisiana-Monroe, and that balance helps them win the SEC championship. Regardless of whether there are better teams out there, the SEC's media darling status slides UG into the national championship game. And we've got a rematch of a classic game.
Oh yeah, and Geno Smith will win the Heisman. Because if I'm predicting WVU to play for the crystal trophy, might as well go all here right?
Actually, that's pretty realistic. Geno seems poised to follow very closely to the model Cam Newton and particularly RG3 have the past two years. So this one, I'm surprisingly sure of, or at least as sure as you can be about a Heisman after Week 2-- which as it turns out is pretty sure. I have predicted the last three Heisman winners before the end of September. In Griffin's case, I said after that Week 1 TCU game that he'd win.
So there it is. I'm sure a few of you want to bash the homer picks so... you know, go ahead with that. Just... can we stop with the Xbox Live text messages? Because that's weird.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Hangover: The Big 10 Needs some Water
There was a period of time not so long ago that, despite a few SEC National Championships, the Big 10 prided themselves on being arguably the strongest conference in football.
It's safe to say that time has come and gone.
Alcorn State 3, JMU 42
If you listened to me on the radio on Saturday morning, I predicted that, despite a sloppy start, JMU would win by a score of 48-10. After watching the game on Saturday, I'd have to say I was pretty much dead on here. JMU completely outclassed Alcorn State, as well they should have. The Dukes are not in the Braves' league. They're not even in the same galaxy, as was evidenced by ASU coach Jay Hopson naming JMU the best 1AA program they'ved played in 20+ years, as well as specifically naming the 2012 iteration of the Dukes the best team in college football.
JMU throttling Alcorn State isn't news. I barely even need to write about it here, other than to acknowledge that the players took the field Saturday night and that I tailgated through what was nearly a flash flood in the hours leading up to the game. No, the news here is the injury to tailback Dae'Quan Scott. The roommates and I were a little concerned for his health, so I hit up some sources to get the deets here.
Good news folks. Scott estimates he'll be back on the field in about two days. That's noteworthy, because JMU will need all the help they can get at FedEx this weekend.
I could go into JMU-WVU this weekend, but I will save that for later in the week. Tony and I will definitely talk about the game extensively on radio, and I've got a column coming out Thursday that will talk about the game extensively, so just follow me throughout the week to catch some snippets regarding the September 15 showdown that has unofficially been dubbed the Chase Kiddy bowl.
Louisiana-Monroe 34, #8 Arkansas 31
Tyler Wilson is a good quarterback. Arkansas has a good offense. But just like Michigan, and as we will find out soon, just like Oklahoma, Arkansas was massively overhyped this past offseason. Personally, I think any competent offense in the SEC is capable of becoming a media darling just because it's such a contrarian way to play in that conference these days.
I don't wanna take anything away from ULM because it's a solid if not spectacular team, but the truth of the matter is that this is a team JMU would beat 4 or 5 times out of 10 at minimum. Maybe JMU is a bad benchmark to use because they're so incredibly good this year, but tegardless, a top team Arkansas is not.
All that being said, the Hogs dropping out of the top 25 is a massive overreaction. Tyler Wilson got knocked out of the game for crying out loud. This team will rebound.
#18 Oklahoma State 38, #22 Arizona 59
There are three things that everyone learned from this game, and I already knew all three.
1. It is very hard to replace two first round draft picks and still be an elite, BCS-level team.
2. Wes Lunt is a capable quarterback, especially for a true freshman, but Oklahoma State is not a true Big 12 title threat.
3. Rich Rodriguez is very good at designing offense, and if you want to beat him, you better be prepared to outscore him. You'd think Gundy would be prepared for something like that, but clearly Arizona was more prepared than he expected.
So what's up with the Big 10? Here's a slate of games that made me scratch my head.
#13 Wisconsin 7, Oregon State 10.
The two-time reigning Big 10 Champs almost just got shut out by Oregon State. OREGON STATE, PEOPLE. This is a team that lost to an FCS school last year. A bad one.
Maybe it's time to accept that Danny O'Brien just actually isn't that good, and stealing ACC quarterbacks might not be a reliable offensive scheme.
Montee Ball, kiss that Heisman good-bye.
#16 Nebraska 30, UCLA 36
Nebraska was my preseason pick to win the conference-- probably because Taylor Martinez reminds me of Pat White-- so I am a little surprised by this.
Then again, if you caught my tongue-in-cheek, Big-10-usually-sucks-on-the-west-coast-and-should-probably-stay-in-the-midwest-if-they-want-to-continue-winning reference in the pregame, you know I'm not really that surprised.
Penn State 16, UVA 17
UVA is a good team. 8-win team. No shame in losing to the Cavs in the Ville.
Wait, Penn State's kicker was 1/5 on field goals? He missed an extra point after a touchdown?
Okay... maybe a little shame then.
Seriously here, when guys started defecting, everyone talked about Silas Redd and how it was such a huge loss to Penn State's depth at runningback. I was more concerned with the loss of their starting kicker over a backup skill position guy. Looks like I was right again. Thanks twitter! You contine to make me look smart and dumb, all at the same time.
Iowa State 9, Iowa 6
Just... wow. #takeanap
Much like Wisconsin, the Hawkeyes are as bad as they seemed in week 1.
Not many other good scores from the weekend. Lots of crappy games to be honest. We'll do some predictions later this week, check back then.
It's safe to say that time has come and gone.
Alcorn State 3, JMU 42
If you listened to me on the radio on Saturday morning, I predicted that, despite a sloppy start, JMU would win by a score of 48-10. After watching the game on Saturday, I'd have to say I was pretty much dead on here. JMU completely outclassed Alcorn State, as well they should have. The Dukes are not in the Braves' league. They're not even in the same galaxy, as was evidenced by ASU coach Jay Hopson naming JMU the best 1AA program they'ved played in 20+ years, as well as specifically naming the 2012 iteration of the Dukes the best team in college football.
JMU throttling Alcorn State isn't news. I barely even need to write about it here, other than to acknowledge that the players took the field Saturday night and that I tailgated through what was nearly a flash flood in the hours leading up to the game. No, the news here is the injury to tailback Dae'Quan Scott. The roommates and I were a little concerned for his health, so I hit up some sources to get the deets here.
Good news folks. Scott estimates he'll be back on the field in about two days. That's noteworthy, because JMU will need all the help they can get at FedEx this weekend.
I could go into JMU-WVU this weekend, but I will save that for later in the week. Tony and I will definitely talk about the game extensively on radio, and I've got a column coming out Thursday that will talk about the game extensively, so just follow me throughout the week to catch some snippets regarding the September 15 showdown that has unofficially been dubbed the Chase Kiddy bowl.
Louisiana-Monroe 34, #8 Arkansas 31
Tyler Wilson is a good quarterback. Arkansas has a good offense. But just like Michigan, and as we will find out soon, just like Oklahoma, Arkansas was massively overhyped this past offseason. Personally, I think any competent offense in the SEC is capable of becoming a media darling just because it's such a contrarian way to play in that conference these days.
I don't wanna take anything away from ULM because it's a solid if not spectacular team, but the truth of the matter is that this is a team JMU would beat 4 or 5 times out of 10 at minimum. Maybe JMU is a bad benchmark to use because they're so incredibly good this year, but tegardless, a top team Arkansas is not.
All that being said, the Hogs dropping out of the top 25 is a massive overreaction. Tyler Wilson got knocked out of the game for crying out loud. This team will rebound.
#18 Oklahoma State 38, #22 Arizona 59
There are three things that everyone learned from this game, and I already knew all three.
1. It is very hard to replace two first round draft picks and still be an elite, BCS-level team.
2. Wes Lunt is a capable quarterback, especially for a true freshman, but Oklahoma State is not a true Big 12 title threat.
3. Rich Rodriguez is very good at designing offense, and if you want to beat him, you better be prepared to outscore him. You'd think Gundy would be prepared for something like that, but clearly Arizona was more prepared than he expected.
So what's up with the Big 10? Here's a slate of games that made me scratch my head.
#13 Wisconsin 7, Oregon State 10.
The two-time reigning Big 10 Champs almost just got shut out by Oregon State. OREGON STATE, PEOPLE. This is a team that lost to an FCS school last year. A bad one.
Maybe it's time to accept that Danny O'Brien just actually isn't that good, and stealing ACC quarterbacks might not be a reliable offensive scheme.
Montee Ball, kiss that Heisman good-bye.
#16 Nebraska 30, UCLA 36
Nebraska was my preseason pick to win the conference-- probably because Taylor Martinez reminds me of Pat White-- so I am a little surprised by this.
Then again, if you caught my tongue-in-cheek, Big-10-usually-sucks-on-the-west-coast-and-should-probably-stay-in-the-midwest-if-they-want-to-continue-winning reference in the pregame, you know I'm not really that surprised.
Penn State 16, UVA 17
UVA is a good team. 8-win team. No shame in losing to the Cavs in the Ville.
Wait, Penn State's kicker was 1/5 on field goals? He missed an extra point after a touchdown?
Okay... maybe a little shame then.
Seriously here, when guys started defecting, everyone talked about Silas Redd and how it was such a huge loss to Penn State's depth at runningback. I was more concerned with the loss of their starting kicker over a backup skill position guy. Looks like I was right again. Thanks twitter! You contine to make me look smart and dumb, all at the same time.
Iowa State 9, Iowa 6
Just... wow. #takeanap
Much like Wisconsin, the Hawkeyes are as bad as they seemed in week 1.
Not many other good scores from the weekend. Lots of crappy games to be honest. We'll do some predictions later this week, check back then.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Pregaming for Radio!
Woo-Hoo! Gonna be on the radio tomorrow!
I will be joining my colleague Tony Schaffner on the JMU pregame radio & tailgate show to talk sports for an hour or so tomorrow, probably 11-12. (Frequent twitter checks might be necessary.)
Tune in to WXJM student radio at 88.7 if you're in Harrisonburg, or you can go here to bring me up on internet satellite. Listening to my voice will be pretty weird if you're a regular reader, but let's change it up here? Change of pace is good, so I'm told.
We'll be talking DMV baseball (let's go Orioles!), probably a little NFL, and obviously how badly JMU is gonna whoop on Alcorn State. The whole show I'll be pretending I'm a part of Radio Free Roscoe, so it'll be a good time. And if you followed that reference, shoot me a text so I know who to buy the ring for.
On to the pregame!
Games To Watch
Central Florida at Ohio State
Ohio State looked pretty lethal in game 1 against in-state competitor Miami of Ohio. But what about a team with an actual defense to its credit? I don't think UCF will win or anything, I'm just interested in seeing how Central Florida limits Urban's spread, as well as how Braxton Miller progresses as a quarterback.
Austin Peay at Virginia Tech
All I'm saying is that the last time Virginia Tech played a Monday night game and then an FCS school on Saturday... we all know what happened.
In all seriousness, Austin Peay is not JMU and Tech will not lose this game. But Tech's loss to JMU was as much a product of poor play as it was a short week. You have to wonder what the Virginia Tech Athletic Department is thinking, repeating the same mistakes of old so soon.
Florida at Texas A&M
What Aggies team are we gonna get here? I honestly have no idea. But as A&M opens SEC play, you've gotta wonder if they went to the SEC to compete for championships, or hang out at the side of the party by the food table and just eat carrots and ranch dressing.
Nebraska at UCLA
Is Nebraska for real? I'd like to know, as they're my pick to win the Big 10. Midwest teams don't do particularly well out on the west coast... but I mean, it's just UCLA, right?
Georgia at Missouri
Similar to above, but with a twist. Georgia supposedly must sit four starters. Out in Missouri, will the Tigers have enough to upset the Dawgs?
Sorry, for SEC clarification: the Missouri Tigers have enough to upset the Georgia bulldogs. Honestly SEC people, can you pick some more original mascots instead of using the same five animals? My guy carries a gun. Just saying.
Oklahoma State at Arizona
Interested to see how Wes Lunt does here in a game where he likely won't put up 80-some points. Plus I hear Arizona fields a defense, too! What a novelty. Shoutout to RichRod, hope you lose by a lot.
Pick against the Breeze
So this is a new segment that I'm totally doing without my editors permission. They'll get over it, likely because they're too busy to be reading this blog.
Every Thursday, the Breeze highlights six sports matchups and allows their editors to go at it. I have loved playing against them ever since I was a freshman, without their knowledge of course.
(Hint: I always beat them, except for David Barton. I believe I tied him over the course of Fall 2011.)
JMU vs Alcorn
UVA vs Penn St
Cowboys vs Giants
Redskins vs Saints
Panthers vs Bucs
Ravens vs Bengals
Obviously you're on your honor with the Giants-Cowboys pick, but feel free to leave your picks in the comment sections, or keep track at home.
Top 25 Forecast
Here's my picks for the weekend:
W. Kentuck at 1 Alabama
2 USC at Syracuse
Washington at 3 LSU
Fresno St at 4 Oregon
Florida A&M at 5 Oklahoma
Savannah State at 6 FSU
7 Georgia at Missouri
Louisiana-Monroe at 8 Arkansas
East Carolina at 9 South Carolina
11 Michigan St at Central Michigan
Ball State at 12 Clemson
13 Wisconsin at Oregon St
UCF at 14 Ohio St
Austin Peay at 15 Virginia Tech
16 Nebraska at UCLA
New Mexico at 17 Texas
18 Oklahoma St at Arizona
Air Force at 19 Michigan
Grambling St at 20 TCU
Miami (Fl) at 21 Kansas St
Purdue at 22 Notre Dame
Missouri St at 23 Louisville
24 Florida at Texas A&M
Duke at 25 Stanford
Have a great weekend, tune in to some radio, and I'll see you all back here Sunday.
I will be joining my colleague Tony Schaffner on the JMU pregame radio & tailgate show to talk sports for an hour or so tomorrow, probably 11-12. (Frequent twitter checks might be necessary.)
Tune in to WXJM student radio at 88.7 if you're in Harrisonburg, or you can go here to bring me up on internet satellite. Listening to my voice will be pretty weird if you're a regular reader, but let's change it up here? Change of pace is good, so I'm told.
We'll be talking DMV baseball (let's go Orioles!), probably a little NFL, and obviously how badly JMU is gonna whoop on Alcorn State. The whole show I'll be pretending I'm a part of Radio Free Roscoe, so it'll be a good time. And if you followed that reference, shoot me a text so I know who to buy the ring for.
On to the pregame!
Games To Watch
Central Florida at Ohio State
Ohio State looked pretty lethal in game 1 against in-state competitor Miami of Ohio. But what about a team with an actual defense to its credit? I don't think UCF will win or anything, I'm just interested in seeing how Central Florida limits Urban's spread, as well as how Braxton Miller progresses as a quarterback.
Austin Peay at Virginia Tech
All I'm saying is that the last time Virginia Tech played a Monday night game and then an FCS school on Saturday... we all know what happened.
In all seriousness, Austin Peay is not JMU and Tech will not lose this game. But Tech's loss to JMU was as much a product of poor play as it was a short week. You have to wonder what the Virginia Tech Athletic Department is thinking, repeating the same mistakes of old so soon.
Florida at Texas A&M
What Aggies team are we gonna get here? I honestly have no idea. But as A&M opens SEC play, you've gotta wonder if they went to the SEC to compete for championships, or hang out at the side of the party by the food table and just eat carrots and ranch dressing.
Nebraska at UCLA
Is Nebraska for real? I'd like to know, as they're my pick to win the Big 10. Midwest teams don't do particularly well out on the west coast... but I mean, it's just UCLA, right?
Georgia at Missouri
Similar to above, but with a twist. Georgia supposedly must sit four starters. Out in Missouri, will the Tigers have enough to upset the Dawgs?
Sorry, for SEC clarification: the Missouri Tigers have enough to upset the Georgia bulldogs. Honestly SEC people, can you pick some more original mascots instead of using the same five animals? My guy carries a gun. Just saying.
Oklahoma State at Arizona
Interested to see how Wes Lunt does here in a game where he likely won't put up 80-some points. Plus I hear Arizona fields a defense, too! What a novelty. Shoutout to RichRod, hope you lose by a lot.
Pick against the Breeze
So this is a new segment that I'm totally doing without my editors permission. They'll get over it, likely because they're too busy to be reading this blog.
Every Thursday, the Breeze highlights six sports matchups and allows their editors to go at it. I have loved playing against them ever since I was a freshman, without their knowledge of course.
(Hint: I always beat them, except for David Barton. I believe I tied him over the course of Fall 2011.)
JMU vs Alcorn
UVA vs Penn St
Cowboys vs Giants
Redskins vs Saints
Panthers vs Bucs
Ravens vs Bengals
Obviously you're on your honor with the Giants-Cowboys pick, but feel free to leave your picks in the comment sections, or keep track at home.
Top 25 Forecast
Here's my picks for the weekend:
W. Kentuck at 1 Alabama
2 USC at Syracuse
Washington at 3 LSU
Fresno St at 4 Oregon
Florida A&M at 5 Oklahoma
Savannah State at 6 FSU
7 Georgia at Missouri
Louisiana-Monroe at 8 Arkansas
East Carolina at 9 South Carolina
11 Michigan St at Central Michigan
Ball State at 12 Clemson
13 Wisconsin at Oregon St
UCF at 14 Ohio St
Austin Peay at 15 Virginia Tech
16 Nebraska at UCLA
New Mexico at 17 Texas
18 Oklahoma St at Arizona
Air Force at 19 Michigan
Grambling St at 20 TCU
Miami (Fl) at 21 Kansas St
Purdue at 22 Notre Dame
Missouri St at 23 Louisville
24 Florida at Texas A&M
Duke at 25 Stanford
Have a great weekend, tune in to some radio, and I'll see you all back here Sunday.
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