The University of Colorado is joining the Pac 10. Nebraska soon might join them. The Big 12 might dissolve. The SEC might sweep in and grab Oklahoma. Texas might flee to the Pac 10 or the SEC, or another conference could arise out of the ashes.
What does this mean for college football? Anyone who tells you that they know is a total liar. This could be fairly small (Colorado leaves the Big 12, Nebraska declines, Utah accepts, and BYU fills in the hole), or it could be so big that college football in 2011 looks nothing like it does now. As of today, we just don't know.
That being said, I wanted to tackle a couple of topics.
Will the Pac 10 become the Pac 16? And what does that mean?
One ESPN report has the Pac 10 becoming the Pac 16, dividing into two 8-team divisions, playing no championship, and asking for two automatic bids into the BCS. Say what?
First off, if this report is true, the arrogance of these people astounds me. Two automatic bids? This is a conference that has only one national power a year (USC)? And that team is likely going on a bowl ban? Please. The MWC has been as good of a conference in many ways (in football) over the past couple of years.
What is means to other sports is total chaos. I was a sports writer when BYU and many of the traditional WAC teams ditched the WAC and formed the MWC. It was great for football, pretty good for basketball, but not great for other sports. Maybe most fans don't care, but for many athletes, their level of competition changes, and their 'rivals' change.
The destruction of the Big 12
I don't really care about this. It's not like this is a historical conference, formed in 1994 out of the Big 8 and the Southwest. What it really means is destruction of some regional rivalries, both traditional and some relatively new.
For example, what if the Pac 10 takes Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Colorado. What about the UT rivalry with A&m? Will UT only go if A&M is included? And what about Nebraska's rivalries with Missouri and Kansas? Not as traditional or as deep, but they mean something.
Are fans going to have to pay more money to watch their teams play?
If you're still reading this (which is not likely), you should know that my friend Christy actually prompted this blog post. She's an OU grad who lives in Lincoln who is wondering if she's going to have to pay through the nose to watch her beloved Sooners play in whichever conference they end up in. The answer is: maybe.
This is all about money. College football is a greed sport. The Pac 10, SEC and others have seen the financial success of the Big Ten Network, and they want that. Even the lowly MWC has its own network.
And these conference channels have more benefits than major financial windfalls. The conferences build the conference and school brands, promoting other sports besides football and basketball, and better promoting the two premier sports. For example, do you want to watch a show about the best Big Ten basketball players of the 80s? In HD? You can, on the Big Ten Network at 8pm on Friday. I will not be tuning in.
As a BYU fan, the whole Mtn Network thing has been a pain, but it's pretty awesome now. I can sit in my house in Wisconsin and watch every BYU football and basketball game. But I do have to pay more. I have to purchase a premium DirectTV package, and then I have to pay more for the Sports Pack, which includes the Mtn Network.
That being said, it's worth it to me (though my wife may disagree). I get to watch the Cougars for heaven's sake! And I don't have to watch them at weird times or nights, but on Saturdays like they should be. But once most conferences switch to the network model, if you don't live in the geography of your team's conference, you may have to pay extra to see your team.
What does this mean for BYU?
The MWC and BYU are at a the mercy of the other conferences. If the Pac 10 only gets Colorado, then they probably come poach Utah or BYU (most likely the evil U 0f U). Then the Big 12 would need another team, likely BYU or TCU. BYU has some negatives against it, the biggest being not playing sports on Sundays. Being one of the big fishes in the MWC, the conference happily accommodates us. Would the Big 12? Do they honestly want a conservative Mormon school in the ranks? And if Utah and TCU leave, where does that leave the Cougars? No where good.
What does this mean for the BCS?
Again, chaos. If several super-conferences are created (the Pac 10 becomes the Pac 16, the Big Ten becomes the Big 14), they may demand multiple bids. This could squeeze out MWC and WAC teams that have wreaked havoc against the big boys recently. It may also create more a rallying cry for a playoff, but I wouldn't count on that.
How could they fix all this?
The NCAA could fix all this be disbanding all the conferences and going to a region system. Now I don't believe the NCAA has the power to do this, and even if they did, it would be extremely complicated. But imagine a world where small, nimble geographic regions were created. This would make non-revenue sports less expensive, as most schools would rarely travel more than several hundred miles for regional play. It would also make most playoffs clean and rational.
Of course this won't happen. Way too much money is at stake for big boy schools and conferences to let rational thought, small sports, and academics cloud their greed. In the next couple of weeks I will blog about what this would look like. Why? Because this is my blog, read by several.
Closing thoughts
The two big NCAA sports, football and basketball, are greedy enterprises, that cover themselves in a shroud of amateurism but rake in profits like professionals, at least at the enterprise level. The swirling rumors of the last few days clearly show that. I don't know how all of this will land, but I do know that the richer will likely get richer no matter were the various schools land.
Showing posts with label ncaa football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ncaa football. Show all posts
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
NFL Draft Recap
I covered the first round in my draft diary, so I won't rehash that here. I will focus first on the Patriots, then the BYU players, and then some general thoughts.
Patriots Draft
First Round (pick 27): Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers
I covered this in my draft diary, but the pick was fine. I would have been gunning for Dez Bryant, but it was clear that the Pats didn't see it the way I did.
Second Round (pick 42): Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona
This is a good pick -- high upside, with risk. He was a very good TE in college, a first round value if healthy. He makes the passing game instantly better.
Second Round (pick 53): Jermaine Cunningham, LB, Florida
This started Bill's apparent love affair with Gators. Surprised we didn't trade up for Tebow. ESPN called this a bit of a reach, but I liked the pick and it filled a need.
Second Round (pick 62): Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida
Absolutely love this pick. The combine is fool's gold, and sometimes great football players fall because of poor showings in non-football situations. This guy is smart and physical. He may never be the best LB in the league, but I would bet on 2-3 Pro Bowls in his career. I can take that.
Third Round (pick 90): Taylor Price, WR, Ohio
Speed guy, which is good, as Brady needs another deep threat.
Fourth Round (pick 114): Aaron Hernandez, TE, Florida
Would rather have had Dennis Pitta out of BYU who went one pick later to Baltimore. Hernandez is a very good athlete, a very good receiver from the TE position. I don't like his attitude, and I don't think he can block in the interior in the NFL.
Fifth Round (pick 150): Zoltan Mesko, P, Michigan
What a pick! This is where you go after talented special teamers, and this guy is good, and huge for a punter (6-4 240). And we now have a guy named Zoltan. Don't mess with the Pats.
Sixth Round (205): Ted Larsen, C, North Carolina State
Decent depth pick.
Seventh Round (208): Thomas Welch, T, Vanderbilt
Another depth pick, good athlete with size.
Seventh Round (247): Brandon Deaderick, DE, Alabama
Developmental pick.
Seventh Round (248): Kade Weston, DT, Georgia
Huge dude (317 lbs) to clog up the middle. Good pick.
Seventh Round (250): Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma State
I like Robinson. He likely can't contribute in 2010 (and hopefully he wouldn't need to), but he could become a serviceable back-up in 2012 and beyond.
BYU Players in the Draft
With only one player taken in the draft, this wasn't a great day for the graduating Cougars, though not unexpected. Here are my thoughts on a couple of players.
Dennis Pitta, TE, selected by Baltimore in the Fourth Round
I think Pitta will have a long career in the NFL. He won't be able to outrun LBs like he did in the MWC, but he's a terrific route runner and can catch in traffic. I also think he could bulk up and become an average blocker.
Andrew George, TE, not selected or signed
At some points during their careers, I thought George might become a better pro prospect than Pitta. He was a better blocker and a decent receiver. But he improved very little in his senior season, and he's unlikely to stick anywhere in the NFL.
Max Hall, QB, signed with Arizona as undrafted free agent
Hall signed into a good situation; there is nothing settled long term about the Cardinals QB situation, and Hall, if he plays well, could become a starter long term. That being said, he's short and his consistency on long throws is questionable. There is a reason he wasn't drafted, but I think his accuracy and competitiveness make him a good bet to succeed in the NFL.
Other Draft Thoughts
Tim Tebow seems to be a great human being, and he was one of the funnest college players to watch in my lifetime, in the same group with Bo Jackson. But I don't see this ending well in Denver. QBs drafted in the first round need to succeed quickly, and I don't think he's ready to do that...Will Tebow's pre-draft struggles make other top prep QB prospects shy away from gimmicky college offenses? The BYU offense was seen as gimmicky at the time, and Steve Young and Jim McMahon did alright...So what if Aaron Hernandez tested positive for pot? I bet most of the draftees have tried pot in their lives. Unless there were other character issues, this is not a reason to drop a player on a draft board...I love how people are praising the Raiders' draft; they didn't have a crappy draft, so suddenly that's great. They're still going to suck in 2010, though Jason Campbell is an upgrade JaMarcus Russell. Of course, so am I.
Patriots Draft
First Round (pick 27): Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers
I covered this in my draft diary, but the pick was fine. I would have been gunning for Dez Bryant, but it was clear that the Pats didn't see it the way I did.
Second Round (pick 42): Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona
This is a good pick -- high upside, with risk. He was a very good TE in college, a first round value if healthy. He makes the passing game instantly better.
Second Round (pick 53): Jermaine Cunningham, LB, Florida
This started Bill's apparent love affair with Gators. Surprised we didn't trade up for Tebow. ESPN called this a bit of a reach, but I liked the pick and it filled a need.
Second Round (pick 62): Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida
Absolutely love this pick. The combine is fool's gold, and sometimes great football players fall because of poor showings in non-football situations. This guy is smart and physical. He may never be the best LB in the league, but I would bet on 2-3 Pro Bowls in his career. I can take that.
Third Round (pick 90): Taylor Price, WR, Ohio
Speed guy, which is good, as Brady needs another deep threat.
Fourth Round (pick 114): Aaron Hernandez, TE, Florida
Would rather have had Dennis Pitta out of BYU who went one pick later to Baltimore. Hernandez is a very good athlete, a very good receiver from the TE position. I don't like his attitude, and I don't think he can block in the interior in the NFL.
Fifth Round (pick 150): Zoltan Mesko, P, Michigan
What a pick! This is where you go after talented special teamers, and this guy is good, and huge for a punter (6-4 240). And we now have a guy named Zoltan. Don't mess with the Pats.
Sixth Round (205): Ted Larsen, C, North Carolina State
Decent depth pick.
Seventh Round (208): Thomas Welch, T, Vanderbilt
Another depth pick, good athlete with size.
Seventh Round (247): Brandon Deaderick, DE, Alabama
Developmental pick.
Seventh Round (248): Kade Weston, DT, Georgia
Huge dude (317 lbs) to clog up the middle. Good pick.
Seventh Round (250): Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma State
I like Robinson. He likely can't contribute in 2010 (and hopefully he wouldn't need to), but he could become a serviceable back-up in 2012 and beyond.
BYU Players in the Draft
With only one player taken in the draft, this wasn't a great day for the graduating Cougars, though not unexpected. Here are my thoughts on a couple of players.
Dennis Pitta, TE, selected by Baltimore in the Fourth Round
I think Pitta will have a long career in the NFL. He won't be able to outrun LBs like he did in the MWC, but he's a terrific route runner and can catch in traffic. I also think he could bulk up and become an average blocker.
Andrew George, TE, not selected or signed
At some points during their careers, I thought George might become a better pro prospect than Pitta. He was a better blocker and a decent receiver. But he improved very little in his senior season, and he's unlikely to stick anywhere in the NFL.
Max Hall, QB, signed with Arizona as undrafted free agent
Hall signed into a good situation; there is nothing settled long term about the Cardinals QB situation, and Hall, if he plays well, could become a starter long term. That being said, he's short and his consistency on long throws is questionable. There is a reason he wasn't drafted, but I think his accuracy and competitiveness make him a good bet to succeed in the NFL.
Other Draft Thoughts
Tim Tebow seems to be a great human being, and he was one of the funnest college players to watch in my lifetime, in the same group with Bo Jackson. But I don't see this ending well in Denver. QBs drafted in the first round need to succeed quickly, and I don't think he's ready to do that...Will Tebow's pre-draft struggles make other top prep QB prospects shy away from gimmicky college offenses? The BYU offense was seen as gimmicky at the time, and Steve Young and Jim McMahon did alright...So what if Aaron Hernandez tested positive for pot? I bet most of the draftees have tried pot in their lives. Unless there were other character issues, this is not a reason to drop a player on a draft board...I love how people are praising the Raiders' draft; they didn't have a crappy draft, so suddenly that's great. They're still going to suck in 2010, though Jason Campbell is an upgrade JaMarcus Russell. Of course, so am I.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Don't aruge: The BCS Sucks
I recently had a Facebook post about the BCS which started quite a bit of debate. I am not a fan of the BCS. In my mind, you either return to the old bowl system (which is about tradition) or you go to a real playoff system. To me there’s no in-between, as this BCS system is really about enriching the ‘elite’ conferences and keeping Congress out of its backyard, not crowning a champion or protecting tradition.
But my friends and family made some interesting arguments, which I will completely smash.
Tradition. Think about the children!
Argument: College football is steeped in tradition. Rose Bowl. Orange Bowl. Fiesta Bowl. These conjure up memories of glory past. And the bowl system enables so many teams to end the season with a win. It’s actually a great way to end the FBS football season.
My take: Crap, crap, more crap. There’s not more tradition. The Rose Bowl still pits the Pac-10 champ versus the Big Ten champ – as long as neither of them is in the BCS championship game. Where else is there tradition? There’s so many bowls now, unless you’re a sportwriter or an avid gambler, it’s unlikely you’d be able to name even half of them. Unless you think we really need to protect the tradition of the Eaglebank Bowl. Thirty-three bowls; more than half of the FBS plays in a bowl. It means nothing anymore.
Playoffs? We don’t need no stinkin’ playoffs
Argument: Lots of sports (like some Euro soccer leagues), golf, tennis, etc. don’t have a playoff champion. They may not even name a champion. Why do we even need a ‘true’ champion in the FBS? The BCS and the bowls are a better way than a playoff.
My take: This one is intriguing, but I don’t buy it. I couldn’t find another NCAA sanctioned sport that doesn’t have a champion (including tennis and golf). Don’t think we can use pro golf and tennis as good comparisons because they’re individual sports, and they have champions of certain events, so it’s not as if they rate people via sportsmanship.
Euro soccer is an interesting example. Let’s take the EPL. The champion is determined by which team earns the most points by season’s end, points earned via wins and draws. If the world’s most popular soccer league, does it, which can’t FBS football?
Well, for lots of reasons. First, there are 20 teams in the EPL, not 120. And the champion of the EPL goes onto the UEFA Champions League, which is a tournament, which also leads to UEFA Super Cup. So, there’s not really a good soccer example.
The regular season will cease to be good you idiot!
Argument: Playoffs dilute the regular season. Look at the NBA or NHL. The regular seasons exist purely to determine playoff seeds, and with half the league making the playoffs, what does the regular season matter? And NCAA Division I basketball is another good example, with 64+ teams making the tournament. The regular season is merely a prelude.
My take: I completely agree that the NBA and NHL regular seasons are not as meaningful as they should be. 82 games to determine playoff seeding? Give the best teams a bye or something. And NCAA basketball lets in too many teams. I would prefer 32, or maybe 40-something with top teams getting a bye.
But if you have a 24-team tournament (see my solution below), only 20% of the FBS would make the playoffs. That seems reasonable to me. And many games at the end of the regular season would be determining playoff participation, which is much more compelling than who goes to the Capital One Bowl.
The solution
But the FBS? There are 120 teams. If you made a 24-team tournament (or something like that), the regular season might have even more meaning than today. Think about this format:
- Each conference in the gets a big, even the Sun Belt. That’s 11 automatic bids.
- Thirteen teams get at-large bids, which could be selected using a system similar to the BCS system or picked by a committee. No conference could have more than three teams in the playoffs. Seeding is then done, 1-24
- The top eight seeds (which can be at-large), get byes.
- The rounds go like this
o Bye round: seeds 9-24, with 9 playing 24 and so forth. Top seed hosts. (First week of December)
o Round of 16: 8 top seeds vs. 8 bye round winners, matches determined by seed (Second week of December)
o Quarterfinals: Remaining 8 teams play, matches determined by seed, at 4 pre-determined sites (Third week of December)
o Semi-finals: Remaining 4, matches determined by seed, at two predetermined sites (New Year’s Day)
o Championship: Jan. 8 at a pre-determined site (unless it falls on a Sunday)
What might it have looked like this year? Here we go.
- Twelve automatic bids: Georgia Tech (ACC); Texas (Big 12); Cincinnati (Big East); Ohio State (Big Ten); East Carolina (Conference USA); Central Michigan (Mid-American); TCU (Mountain West); Oregon (Pac-10); Alabama (SEC); Troy (Sun Belt); Boise State (WAC)
- Thirteen at large bid (picked using BCS rankings): Florida (SEC); Iowa (Big Ten); Virginia Tech (ACC); LSU (SEC); Penn State (Big Ten); BYU (Mountain West); Miami (ACC); West Virginia (Big East); Pittsburgh (Big East); Oregon State (Pac 10); Oklahoma State (Big 12); Arizona (Pac 10); Nebraska (Big 12)
- Seeds (I picked, mainly using the BCS rankings, but adjusted the top. And I was lazy and put the small conference champs at the bottom.):
o 1. Alabama, 2. TCU, 3. Texas, 4. Cincinnati, 5. Boise State, 6. Florida, 7. Oregon, 8. Ohio State, 9. Georgia Tech, 10. Iowa, 11. Virginia Tech, 12. LSU, 13. Penn State, 14. BYU, 15. Miami, 16. West Virginia, 17. Pittsburgh, 18. Oregon State, 19. Oklahoma State, 20. Arizona, 21. Nebraska, 22. East Carolina, 23. Central Michigan, 24. Troy - First round would look something like this: Troy @ Georgia Tech; Central Michigan @ Iowa; East Carolina @ Virginia Tech; Nebraska @ LSU; Arizona @ Penn State; Oklahoma State @ BYU; Oregon State @ Miami. Some really cool games in here.
Just writing about this makes me giddy. How cool would this have been? Instead of playing for the meaningless Las Vegas Bowl title, BYU and Oregon State could have been playing several weeks ago to see who would battle Boise State in the Round of 16. Good golly! Anyone who has a problem with this needs to get their pulse checked. This would make the FBS season freakin’ awesome! And at the end, we would have only one undefeated team (if any) and a champ.
Let’s make happen people!
Monday, September 28, 2009
State of the Cougars: September
I'm sure some BYU fans consider this season a failure already. After the win over Oklahoma, it was natural to see this as a non-BCS team's best chance to be in the BCS-title game. And it could have been BYU's best season since 1996, and its first unbeaten season since 1984.
But the season hasn't changed that much for me. Lost in the euphoria of the OK win was the fact that the Cougars were still unlikely to finish the season undefeated. The FSU game worried me (though I thought we'd win), and Utah and TCU are both very good teams. And there's the inevitable let-down game where a good team struggles against a lesser opponent (see USC losing to Washington).
Offense
I love Max Hall. He may be the most confident/cocky QB we've had since Ty Detmer. He believes he can make any throw at anytime.
But that's also his problem. Sometimes I wish he would throw it away instead of throwing the picks. His numbers this year aren't very good. Yes, his completion percentage is high (67%), but he has 8 picks to go with his 8 TDs. Yes, he's averaging almost 300 yards, his passing efficiency is 150+, but if he doesn't get more accurate (from an INT perspective), we may see him throw away a big game.
The biggest problem in passing game though is lack of consistency at WR. Besides Pitta, who can Hall depend on? The announcers on Saturday said Jacobson was on the same level with Austin Collie. Sorry man, Jacobson is fast, but he's not even close. He's very inconsistent. And after Jacobson the consistency is almost zero.
The running game will be fine. Unga looked awesome against CSU. I know everyone was high on Kariya and Di Luigi after the OK game, but they are back-ups. Unga is needed for the long-term health of the offense.
Defense
The defense played the game of their life against the Sooners. It's been a mixed bag since. They got beat up by the speed of FSU, and CSU had more success than they should have.
As usual, my biggest problem with the defense is speed at LB and below-average play in the defensive backfield. I really like Brian Logan, but man taller receivers pick on him and there's nothing he can do about it. The LBs have played well, especially against the run.
Special Teams
Is it possible for BYU to have a decent kick-off team? Less than 20 yards, really? Bad field position hurts both the offense and defense.
The Mtn and DirectTV
I hate DirectTV. Don't dare tell me you're not carrying Versus because Comcast is greedy. I don't care. Get it done. I switched over to your stupid service just to get BYU football, and then two of the biggest games of the year (FSU and TCU) I can't see at home. Let me make the choice and pay a little extra. On top of that, I won't be able to watch the NHL this year. Curse you DirectTV! Curse you!
Overall, I love having the Mtn and getting to see the all the BYU games while living in Wisconsin. But here are some improvements they could make:
But the season hasn't changed that much for me. Lost in the euphoria of the OK win was the fact that the Cougars were still unlikely to finish the season undefeated. The FSU game worried me (though I thought we'd win), and Utah and TCU are both very good teams. And there's the inevitable let-down game where a good team struggles against a lesser opponent (see USC losing to Washington).
Offense
I love Max Hall. He may be the most confident/cocky QB we've had since Ty Detmer. He believes he can make any throw at anytime.
But that's also his problem. Sometimes I wish he would throw it away instead of throwing the picks. His numbers this year aren't very good. Yes, his completion percentage is high (67%), but he has 8 picks to go with his 8 TDs. Yes, he's averaging almost 300 yards, his passing efficiency is 150+, but if he doesn't get more accurate (from an INT perspective), we may see him throw away a big game.
The biggest problem in passing game though is lack of consistency at WR. Besides Pitta, who can Hall depend on? The announcers on Saturday said Jacobson was on the same level with Austin Collie. Sorry man, Jacobson is fast, but he's not even close. He's very inconsistent. And after Jacobson the consistency is almost zero.
The running game will be fine. Unga looked awesome against CSU. I know everyone was high on Kariya and Di Luigi after the OK game, but they are back-ups. Unga is needed for the long-term health of the offense.
Defense
The defense played the game of their life against the Sooners. It's been a mixed bag since. They got beat up by the speed of FSU, and CSU had more success than they should have.
As usual, my biggest problem with the defense is speed at LB and below-average play in the defensive backfield. I really like Brian Logan, but man taller receivers pick on him and there's nothing he can do about it. The LBs have played well, especially against the run.
Special Teams
Is it possible for BYU to have a decent kick-off team? Less than 20 yards, really? Bad field position hurts both the offense and defense.
The Mtn and DirectTV
I hate DirectTV. Don't dare tell me you're not carrying Versus because Comcast is greedy. I don't care. Get it done. I switched over to your stupid service just to get BYU football, and then two of the biggest games of the year (FSU and TCU) I can't see at home. Let me make the choice and pay a little extra. On top of that, I won't be able to watch the NHL this year. Curse you DirectTV! Curse you!
Overall, I love having the Mtn and getting to see the all the BYU games while living in Wisconsin. But here are some improvements they could make:
- I want all games in HD. I know, I know. I sound like a whining 3 year-old. But I've gotten used to watching football in HD and it's hard to go back.
- Get rid of Todd Christensen. He's awful. We need some good announcers. Come on guys. Go find somebody who doesn't suck and makes observations I couldn't make.
- The half-time studio show is painful. Why do you need three awkward guys? Just go down to one awkward guy until you find a good group.
I realize this will likely get better with time; the Big Ten Network is having similar growing pains.
RISE AND SHOUT!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
BYU: As Good as it Gets
It's hard to describe the feelings I had after BYU's stunning 14-13 victory over No. 3 Oklahoma. It had been a long day, and I didn't start the DVR until just before 10pm here in Wisconsin. But man was I excited. I compare it to a lesser version of when the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series. It's been a long-time coming, and BYU has fared poorly against top competition for a long time.
It also got me thinking about my favorite BYU victories of all time. In chronological order:
1984: BYU beats Michigan and wins the National Championship. This is the first BYU game I clearly remember, and made Robbie Bosko my hero. I kept a poster of him on my wall for two years after that.
1990: BYU beats No. 1 Miami. I was inexplicably at a church dance, and then heard the end of the game on the radio on the drive home. I've never had so much fun on a car ride.
1996 Texas A&M and Cotton Bowl. I would mention these, but I was on my mission and didn't see them.
2001 BYU late comeback victory over Utah. Brandon Doman was one of my favorite players, and I just knew he was going to win this one. Interesting side note: I was in the stands for this one with my wife Kathleen. She threw out her back in the third quarter, and we had to take her to first aid. I watched a good portion of this game on a small TV in a room in the bowels of Cougar Stadium. I finished watching the game in the aisle. My wife may not feel the same, but I have very fond memories of that game.
2006 BYU last-second victory over Utah. Two words: Johnny Harline.
Where does this victory over OU rank? Right up there with these absolutely. The defense was awesome, and Max Hall delivered when he had to.
What does this mean for this season? Everything and nothing. If BYU runs the table, this will be viewed as the catalyst that launched a potential BCS-champion squad. If we drop the next two against Tulane and Florida State (I think we will win both), then this becomes an interesting footnote in a good season. Oh, and don't forget tough games against TCU and Utah, luckily both in Provo.
But regardless of what happens over the next couple of months, I will always remember sitting there on my couch, quietly fist pumping (my wife and daughters were sleeping), dreaming of what this season could become.
It also got me thinking about my favorite BYU victories of all time. In chronological order:
1984: BYU beats Michigan and wins the National Championship. This is the first BYU game I clearly remember, and made Robbie Bosko my hero. I kept a poster of him on my wall for two years after that.
1990: BYU beats No. 1 Miami. I was inexplicably at a church dance, and then heard the end of the game on the radio on the drive home. I've never had so much fun on a car ride.
1996 Texas A&M and Cotton Bowl. I would mention these, but I was on my mission and didn't see them.
2001 BYU late comeback victory over Utah. Brandon Doman was one of my favorite players, and I just knew he was going to win this one. Interesting side note: I was in the stands for this one with my wife Kathleen. She threw out her back in the third quarter, and we had to take her to first aid. I watched a good portion of this game on a small TV in a room in the bowels of Cougar Stadium. I finished watching the game in the aisle. My wife may not feel the same, but I have very fond memories of that game.
2006 BYU last-second victory over Utah. Two words: Johnny Harline.
Where does this victory over OU rank? Right up there with these absolutely. The defense was awesome, and Max Hall delivered when he had to.
What does this mean for this season? Everything and nothing. If BYU runs the table, this will be viewed as the catalyst that launched a potential BCS-champion squad. If we drop the next two against Tulane and Florida State (I think we will win both), then this becomes an interesting footnote in a good season. Oh, and don't forget tough games against TCU and Utah, luckily both in Provo.
But regardless of what happens over the next couple of months, I will always remember sitting there on my couch, quietly fist pumping (my wife and daughters were sleeping), dreaming of what this season could become.
Monday, January 26, 2009
MWC trying to get a piece of the BCS pie
Numerous news sources are reporting that the MWC is trying to get an automatic bid into the BCS bowls.
Now they have a compelling case. You could say that, this year, the MWC was a better conference (especially at the top) than the ACC, theBig East, and even possibly the Big Ten. The automatic bids for the ACC and Big East are historical matters -- it's really based on the strength of Miami and Virginia Tech (formally of the Big East) and the historical strength of Florida State (for the ACC). Neither of those conferences 'deserved' their automatic bids this year.
But when the last BCS contract was signed, it would have been stretch to say the MWC deserved a bid. But now Utah has 'earned' its way in twice, and TCU was one of the best 8 teams in the country in my opinion (and should have been given more national respect).
I think this is the right move by the MWC -- the iron is hot in trying to get into the Big Party. But I don't think anything will change. As MWC commissioner Craig Thompson points out, it's not a good time for change because the contracts are all signed and dotted at this point -- but the pressure for the BCS to open up its vaults to the MWC may never be better.
If I were to redesign the system, I would swap the Big East and MWC for automatic bids, or maybe just eliminate the Big East bid and open up another at-large bid. Either way, change is needed. But wouldn't the Big East fight anything like that? You bet, with a $17 million payout on the line. That's why I wouldn't count on any change for the 3-4 years at least. If the MWC can keep crashing the party, then change may be forced.
Now they have a compelling case. You could say that, this year, the MWC was a better conference (especially at the top) than the ACC, theBig East, and even possibly the Big Ten. The automatic bids for the ACC and Big East are historical matters -- it's really based on the strength of Miami and Virginia Tech (formally of the Big East) and the historical strength of Florida State (for the ACC). Neither of those conferences 'deserved' their automatic bids this year.
But when the last BCS contract was signed, it would have been stretch to say the MWC deserved a bid. But now Utah has 'earned' its way in twice, and TCU was one of the best 8 teams in the country in my opinion (and should have been given more national respect).
I think this is the right move by the MWC -- the iron is hot in trying to get into the Big Party. But I don't think anything will change. As MWC commissioner Craig Thompson points out, it's not a good time for change because the contracts are all signed and dotted at this point -- but the pressure for the BCS to open up its vaults to the MWC may never be better.
If I were to redesign the system, I would swap the Big East and MWC for automatic bids, or maybe just eliminate the Big East bid and open up another at-large bid. Either way, change is needed. But wouldn't the Big East fight anything like that? You bet, with a $17 million payout on the line. That's why I wouldn't count on any change for the 3-4 years at least. If the MWC can keep crashing the party, then change may be forced.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Bob Stoops doesn't need your help
Let me throw some Bob Stoops stats at you: 10 seasons. 109-24 won/loss record, including 68-14 in conference and 24-8 overall the last three seasons, and 27-10 over the 10 seasons against ranked opponents. One national title. 7 BCS bowls (tied for most ever with USC and Ohio State). 7 top 10 finishes.
But of course, here are the counter-numbers: Only third all-time among Oklahoma coaches all-time in winning percentage. 5 straight BCS bowl loses. Yeah, he's got a national title, but that was back in 2000; Florida has won it twice since then.
I've been meaning to write about this for weeks, but just got around to it. After Oklahoma's loss, many commentators, including Mark May on ESPN, called for Stoops to make changes to his program (ludicrous) and to his bowl preparations (maybe).
But look at his his 5 straight BCS loses. To Florida. To an underrated West Virginia team. To a very good Boise State team on a fluke play. Pounded by an awesome USC team with 200 NFL players on the roster. And a tough loss to LSU. Both of those last two were for the BCS title.
What school (besides maybe Florida and USC) wouldn't enthusiastically switch records with Oklahoma? (OK, maybe Oklahoma State or Texas fans would rather do anything besides switch with the Sooners, but you get my point.) If this was BYU or Purdue, we'd be building the guy a statue.
Shouldn't it be hard to win a national championship? If you get to that final game, you're going to be playing another great team. I don't want to attribute it to luck, but Oklahoma's consistency should be lauded, not derided.
So Bob Stoops if you're listening: Mark May has not idea what he's talking about. Keep doing exactly what you're doing.
But of course, here are the counter-numbers: Only third all-time among Oklahoma coaches all-time in winning percentage. 5 straight BCS bowl loses. Yeah, he's got a national title, but that was back in 2000; Florida has won it twice since then.
I've been meaning to write about this for weeks, but just got around to it. After Oklahoma's loss, many commentators, including Mark May on ESPN, called for Stoops to make changes to his program (ludicrous) and to his bowl preparations (maybe).
But look at his his 5 straight BCS loses. To Florida. To an underrated West Virginia team. To a very good Boise State team on a fluke play. Pounded by an awesome USC team with 200 NFL players on the roster. And a tough loss to LSU. Both of those last two were for the BCS title.
What school (besides maybe Florida and USC) wouldn't enthusiastically switch records with Oklahoma? (OK, maybe Oklahoma State or Texas fans would rather do anything besides switch with the Sooners, but you get my point.) If this was BYU or Purdue, we'd be building the guy a statue.
Shouldn't it be hard to win a national championship? If you get to that final game, you're going to be playing another great team. I don't want to attribute it to luck, but Oklahoma's consistency should be lauded, not derided.
So Bob Stoops if you're listening: Mark May has not idea what he's talking about. Keep doing exactly what you're doing.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Reevaluating BYU's season
Before I discuss BYU football, I wanted to point out something I would file under 'Public Official Using Sports to Get Publicity.' (See Congressional hearings on steriods for the best example. "Think about the children!")
The Utah Attorney General needs to get a life. In these lean economic times, do we need to spend tax payer dollars on a lawsuit like this? Granted he hasn't actually done it, but stop dude. I hate the BCS and I wish we had a playoff system, but the system has actually been pretty good to Utah, even if they didn't get a chance to play for the national championship twice. The school with the real beef is Boise State, undefeated and outside of the BCS games looking in.
Getting back to more important matters (namely BYU football), after watching Utah beat Alabama (which made me sick to my stomach) and watching TCU shut down one of the best offenses in the country, I want to temper the criticism I previously leveled against the team.
Why? Because this was, I believe after only looking for a little while, one of the best conference schedules we've ever played (though the non-conference schedule was pretty weak). Two of the top ten teams in the country played in the Mountain West (according to the Sagarin rankings and most observers). Arizona finished in the top 25. Yes, we lost to all three of those teams, but we were probably less talented than two of those teams (with the possible exception of Arizona).
So I would consider this season a success. The Cougars beat every team they should have beat, lost to the most even team we played (Arizona) and lost games to the two superior teams (TCU, Utah). And despite the loss of Collie, I think could be better on both sides of the ball next year. Granted, we'll need to be going against an awesome Oklahoma team and a pretty good Florida State team.
Despite all the jokes about the "Quest of perfection", I think the coaches and players had a good season.
The Utah Attorney General needs to get a life. In these lean economic times, do we need to spend tax payer dollars on a lawsuit like this? Granted he hasn't actually done it, but stop dude. I hate the BCS and I wish we had a playoff system, but the system has actually been pretty good to Utah, even if they didn't get a chance to play for the national championship twice. The school with the real beef is Boise State, undefeated and outside of the BCS games looking in.
Getting back to more important matters (namely BYU football), after watching Utah beat Alabama (which made me sick to my stomach) and watching TCU shut down one of the best offenses in the country, I want to temper the criticism I previously leveled against the team.
Why? Because this was, I believe after only looking for a little while, one of the best conference schedules we've ever played (though the non-conference schedule was pretty weak). Two of the top ten teams in the country played in the Mountain West (according to the Sagarin rankings and most observers). Arizona finished in the top 25. Yes, we lost to all three of those teams, but we were probably less talented than two of those teams (with the possible exception of Arizona).
So I would consider this season a success. The Cougars beat every team they should have beat, lost to the most even team we played (Arizona) and lost games to the two superior teams (TCU, Utah). And despite the loss of Collie, I think could be better on both sides of the ball next year. Granted, we'll need to be going against an awesome Oklahoma team and a pretty good Florida State team.
Despite all the jokes about the "Quest of perfection", I think the coaches and players had a good season.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
What happened to the Cougars in 2008?
I've thought a lot about the BYU football season since the season's depressing end. We played four quality teams this year (TCU, Air Force, Utah and Arizona) and lost to three of them. A good season? Yes. A great season? Hardly.
Jay Drew of the Salt Lake Tribune outlines some reasons here for why the Cougars seem to fade down the stretch, but I have my own three reasons.
1. Max Hall is in love with his arm. It became clear in the second half of the season that Hall was trying to squeeze in throws he had no business throwing. When good defenses tried to shut down Collie and Pitta, he was neutralized. Reed's injury hurt him, but even with Reed healthy in the Las Vegas Bowl, Hall looked mediocre.
2. The running game was not good enough. BYU was 73rd in the country in rushing, and had a mediocre 4.1 yards per carry. Though this is somewhat effected by sacks, at the end of the day, the running game was not good enough to take pressure off Hall in the big games. For example, we had just 45 yards against TCU (when you take out the sacks) on 22 carries.
Part of this was due to the 'slump' of Unga. Sometimes during the second half of the season he would dance around instead of running through people. Dude, you're bigger than most d-linemen. Knock some people over. He's not fast enough to beat people that way. I also wish Vakapuna could have remained a 2nd TB and not had to fill in at FB. I thought he actually run better this season than Unga (granted on a lot fewer carries).
3. The defense isn't very good, especially against the pass. Since 1997, our defensive back play has been poor. Either we have to play back and teams get 15 yard chunks, or we press and get killed deep. This has been a consistent problem under Mendenhall (and his predecesor). Mendenhall is supposed to be defensive coach. With the schedule we played, we should have had a top 30 defense, instead of a top 60 defense. Utah got more yards against us than they averaged against the likes of SDSU, New Mexico and Wyoming.
Do I agree with Jay Drew that the program might have plateaued? No. I think Mendenhall is the real deal, but the coaches were the ones in a slump more than anyone else. Too many mistakes, too little creativity on both sides of the ball. Hopefully the can improve the team to bring the conference championship where it belongs.
Jay Drew of the Salt Lake Tribune outlines some reasons here for why the Cougars seem to fade down the stretch, but I have my own three reasons.
1. Max Hall is in love with his arm. It became clear in the second half of the season that Hall was trying to squeeze in throws he had no business throwing. When good defenses tried to shut down Collie and Pitta, he was neutralized. Reed's injury hurt him, but even with Reed healthy in the Las Vegas Bowl, Hall looked mediocre.
2. The running game was not good enough. BYU was 73rd in the country in rushing, and had a mediocre 4.1 yards per carry. Though this is somewhat effected by sacks, at the end of the day, the running game was not good enough to take pressure off Hall in the big games. For example, we had just 45 yards against TCU (when you take out the sacks) on 22 carries.
Part of this was due to the 'slump' of Unga. Sometimes during the second half of the season he would dance around instead of running through people. Dude, you're bigger than most d-linemen. Knock some people over. He's not fast enough to beat people that way. I also wish Vakapuna could have remained a 2nd TB and not had to fill in at FB. I thought he actually run better this season than Unga (granted on a lot fewer carries).
3. The defense isn't very good, especially against the pass. Since 1997, our defensive back play has been poor. Either we have to play back and teams get 15 yard chunks, or we press and get killed deep. This has been a consistent problem under Mendenhall (and his predecesor). Mendenhall is supposed to be defensive coach. With the schedule we played, we should have had a top 30 defense, instead of a top 60 defense. Utah got more yards against us than they averaged against the likes of SDSU, New Mexico and Wyoming.
Do I agree with Jay Drew that the program might have plateaued? No. I think Mendenhall is the real deal, but the coaches were the ones in a slump more than anyone else. Too many mistakes, too little creativity on both sides of the ball. Hopefully the can improve the team to bring the conference championship where it belongs.
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