Rivalry Week Reflections

By Zachary | Published: November 29, 2009

ESPN/ABC always seem to have a tag line ready for each commercial break or game promo.  ”Every underdog is dangerous” is one they’ve used in the past but has never been more appropriate than this past Thanksgiving weekend. Texas and Alabama were pushed to the limit by their in-state rivals.  Georgia Tech and Oklahoma State fell apart against their respective rivals.  The ACC was especially upset friendly with Clemson and UNC both falling.  Rivals will do that though.  Rivalry week provides the highest of highs for college football fans.  It also provides the lowest of lows.

I will have a pit in my stomach for the next year thanks to that “university” in Athens, Ga.  But if it didn’t hurt this much to lose, then it wouldn’t feel so great to win.  If your team beat its hated rival, enjoy it.  You have bragging rights for the next year.  If your team lost, it is time to sulk, hide out, and talk about the prospect of next year’s team.  It is the cycle of college football that makes it what it is.  There is always another year.  No matter what happens up to it or after it, there is no denying that Thanksgiving weekend is the best time to be a college football fan.

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What kind of coach do you want?

By Zachary | Published: November 20, 2009

With rivalry games kicking off and hate week approaching (To Hell with georgia!), I was thinking about the controversy following the Stanford-So Cal game.  With the game well in hand to the tune of 48-21, Coach Harbaugh went for two.  He failed but still ended up scoring again to humiliate Pete Carroll and the Trojans to the tune of 55-21.  After the game Carroll and Harbaugh had a heated debated at midfield consisting of each of them asking the other, “What’s your deal?”

Running up the score is a dick move.  There’s no denying that.  Is that such a bad thing though?  Fans don’t want polite 27-13 victories.  Fans want 55-7 massacres, especially when it comes to rivals.  The only outrage you ever hear about running up the score is from the losing fans and the sports media.  Fans want coaches like Steve Spurrier and Woody Hayes.  Hayes, the legendary Ohio State coach, up 48-14 in the 1968 Michigan game, went for two.  When asked why, Hayes famously said, “Because I couldn’t go for three!”  There’s a reason Buckeye fans love Woody Hayes so much.

Being a dick is an important quality when it comes to coaching college football.  Sure there are the occasional nice guys that enjoy success, but in the end dicks take home the crown.  Urban Meyer and Nick Saban coach the two top teams in the country.  Guess what?  They’re both dicks.

It sounds silly, but Team America says it best:

We’re dicks! We’re reckless, arrogant, stupid dicks. And the Film Actors Guild are pussies. And Kim Jong Il is an asshole. Pussies don’t like dicks, because pussies get fucked by dicks. But dicks also fuck assholes: assholes that just want to shit on everything. Pussies may think they can deal with assholes their way. But the only thing that can fuck an asshole is a dick, with some balls. The problem with dicks is: they fuck too much or fuck when it isn’t appropriate – and it takes a pussy to show them that. But sometimes, pussies can be so full of shit that they become assholes themselves… because pussies are an inch and half away from ass holes. I don’t know much about this crazy, crazy world, but I do know this: If you don’t let us fuck this asshole, we’re going to have our dicks and pussies all covered in shit!

Please note, there is a fine line between being a dick and being an asshole.  Mark Mangino is an asshole. Some are on the fence: Lane Kiffin, Rich Rodriguez, Houston Nutt.  Fans don’t want an asshole coach.  What’s the difference?  A dick wins games.  An asshole might win some but will lose and things will get ugly.

In the case of Ohio State, Jim Tressel is not a dick.  He’s definitely not an asshole either.  He’s one of those rare nice guys that has enjoyed success.  This Saturday he faces a Michigan team that is in a downward spiral and fits every definition of the word desperate.  Ohio State will almost certainly win, but will Tressel go for the kill shot and then keep pulling the trigger until there is nothing left but a pile of maize and blue helmets?  You know exactly what Rodriquez would do if the roles were reversed.  I say drop the hammer and enjoy the spoils of victory.

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One Saturday to clinch them all

By Zachary | Published: November 12, 2009

Life is good for the BMB pair.  With a win over Iowa on Saturday, Dan’s Buckeyes all but clinch a Big10 title, their first trip to the Rose Bowl in far too many years.  In Durham, my Yellow Jackets just need to polish off Duke to clinch their second ACC Coastal Division title and earn a trip to Tampa to take on the Atlantic Division champ (most likely Clemson or BC).

This has been a roller coaster year so far for both teams.  Things were looking glum for Tech after the embarrassing loss to Miami and Ohio State failed to accept the big game challenge against So Cal and later stumbled against lowly Purdue.  Both ships have been able to right themselves.  Tech got the big win over VPI and has survived the pressure of being the ACC’s top team.  OSU was able to finally get a big game victory with a win in Happy Valley.  With any luck both will playing in BCS bowls come January.

This Saturday is big for both teams, but as long as they play like they should, the bowl season is looking mighty nice.

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What a Saturday!

By Zachary | Published: October 18, 2009

Georgia Tech lays the hurt on the hated hokies.  I love the preseason comments by VT safety Chancellor, “I know every play who is going to get the ball.”  ESPN calls him out.

http://www.ajc.com/sports/georgia-tech/opponents-scheming-to-stop-101148.html

Virginia Tech safety Kam Chancellor said that during a film session he think he has figured out what Tech is going to do, just from the blocking schemes.

“I can tell run, pass, who’s getting the ball,” Chancellor said.

“If they keep it like that, then we’re all good.”

UVA, Vandy, Wake, Duke, and Georgia are all that is left in the way.

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A midseason look at the Big 10 and ACC

By Zachary | Published: October 14, 2009

Ouch.  EDSBS, one of my favorite ways to get my college football fix, has take a merciless look at both the Big 10 and ACC as they stand midseason.

The Big 10

The ACC

At least GT made it into the gated community portion of the ACC.

Posted in ACC, Big 10, Rankings | Tagged , , | Comments closed

Early not-so dark, dark horse Heisman Candidates

By Zachary | Published: October 11, 2009

Coming into the year, everyone (including me) was ready to annoint either Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, or Sam Bradford as the eventual Heisman winner.  A few weeks into the season and Tebow and McCoy are still the front runners, but I’m not so certain about things now.  I have two guys that I’m sure you heard of, but probably haven’t thought of in this light.  After Saturday’s games, perhaps you should be thinking about them as it pertains to the Heisman race.

Jordan Shipley of Texas and Josh Nesbitt of Georgia Tech Read More »

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Weekly Wrap-Up

By Dan | Published: October 11, 2009

Florida finally proved that it did deserve its number one ranking. They had not done anything this season not to have it but now there is no question. Alabama switched places with Texas (finally, as mentioned in several other posts) to take the #2 spot. Our previous #4 dropped all the way to 10th which is complete bullshit. LSU held Florida to 13 points; no team has done that since Meyer took the reigns at Florida and went up against a ridiculously stout defense.

There four 1-loss teams ahead of them: Virginia Tech, USC, Ohio State, and Miami. Tech lost to Bama in the season opener but has played mostly solid since and rightly deserves their #4ish spot. USC lost to Washington, enough said. Ohio State lost to USC, which lost to Washington, enough said. Miami lost to Virginia Tech. Now, if you can follow that pecking order that means there is no way in hell that LSU is to be ranked below Miami, Ohio State, and USC. Chances are pretty good that LSU would pound BSU and Cincinnati as well. LSU also happens to have beaten that Washington team I keep referencing. Like I said in my inaugural post, wins and losses are not treated equally. Read More »

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Iso-butyl-propanoic-phenolic acid

By Dan | Published: October 11, 2009

Zach and I put this blog together as a chance for football to be discussed in a physically relevant and intelligent manner. In the spirit of intelligent commentary with a dash of chemistry and as a follow up to my thoughts in “A Tale of Two Heads” I offer the following from Wikipedia:

“Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs work by inhibiting the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX), which converts arachidonic acid to prostaglandin H2 (PGH2). PGH2, in turn, is converted by other enzymes to several other prostaglandins (which are mediators of pain, inflammation, and fever) and to thromboxane A2 (which stimulates platelet aggregation, leading to the formation of blood clots).”

That is how the drug iso-butyl-propanoic-phenolic acid, otherwise known as Ibuprofen, works. I needed that introduction because I want to say that Florida and LSU are nasty, simply nasty. That game exhibited some of the hardest hitting I have ever seen. Those players are going to be sucking down horse pills of Ibuprofen for several days to come.  Florida is the unquestionable #1 and LSU deserves to hold its #4 spot. Damn they are good.

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Now That’s Defense

By Dan | Published: October 11, 2009

From 10C at the ‘Shoe, I shall argue that our best offense is keeping our defense and special teams on the field. 2-INT Pick-6 and a kick-off return for a touchdown by Ray Small put 21 of our 31 points on the board. With the exception of a 2 minute drive to end the 1st half, the leader of our offense appeared confused, hesitant and mistake prone. If Pryor is not capable of being a decision maker, a requirement in Tressel ball, then someone who can make decisions needs to take his place. Pryor’s freakish athleticism could still be utilized to scare the shit out of opposing defenses on nearly every play.

Our glorious media will be pointing out over the next week that Ohio State was out gained 368 to a measly 184, that Ohio State only gained 8 first downs to the Badgers 22, and that Wisconsin had the ball for basically 3 entire quarters of the game (42 minutes 3 seconds). Those numbers will be told to the tune of Wisconsin’s failure to win the game and that Ohio State eked out the W with “Horseshoe Magic”. Our defense dominated that game in stifling fashion. Wisconsin’s offense output was so much greater because they spent 75% of the time WITH THE BALL. Three touchdowns through special teams and defense means that our offense hardly ever stepped on the field  and they never had to.

You can argue that our offense was ineffective and the numbers are certainly on your side. But the Badger’s offense was equally ineffective. John Clay, monster of a running back who we will soon be watching on Sundays, averaged less than 3 yards per carry. I already spoke of two INT’s from Wisconsin QB Tolzein but he was also sacked 6 times with pressure coming nearly all day. Wisconsin had the ball for nearly 50% more than a team normally does through the course of a football game yet they only produced 13 points. The Badger scoring average coming into this game was 35 points which means that having the ball 50% longer netted one third of their scoring average. Let me know if any of our glorious media report those numbers.

As a final thought, our offense, actually just Pryor, needs some fecal cohesion. Our defense may not always be able to provide the dominance they exhibited yesterday. Simply start with decision making and sustaining drives to chew up the clock and let our defense rest. Your think our defense will be able to stay on the field that long against a spread offense like Michigan and not get completely gassed? I don’t. We had a solid win today and hats off to our defense; let’s keep it rolling into next week with Purdue.

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A Tale of Two Heads

By Dan | Published: October 10, 2009

So we obviously have what should be an incredible Gators/Tigers game on our hands later today, SEC West #2 vs. SEC East & Nation’s Numero Uno. But unlike most showdowns of this magnitude, I doubt there are national title implications in this game. A win by either team certainly makes them a contender but either team can walk away unscathed in the rankings. A loss by Florida and a win in the SEC championship and Florida is fine. A loss by LSU, a victory over Bama and a win in the SEC championship game and LSU is fine. Don’t get the wrong impression; I think this is going to be a hell of a game. I will be running straight from the ‘shoe to a bar to watch this game.

Read More »

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