Another weekend of college football is in the books, so let’s go through who let themselves down on the gridiron with my Week Fourteen Villains:
Notre Dame: Remember when the Irish were being talked about as possible College Football Playoff participants? I bet those days feel a long time ago for Brian Kelly’s squad, whose late-season implosion – fuelled by a rash of injuries, suspensions and, crucially, poor football fundamentals – reached it’s merciful end at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday.
Unfortunately for legions of Irish fans, it ended with the Trojans putting the cleaners through the Irish, winning 44-14 in a game that was far more lopsided than that. This is a USC team who were themselves pummelled by UCLA last week. QB Everett Golson threw one interception and was fairly inept for most of the first half, resulting in his benching in favour of Malik Zaire.
Worse, Notre Dame’s performance was historically bad. They’ve played more than 1230 games over 127 years since 1887, but Saturday’s game was the first time that a Golden Dome defense has given up six touchdown passes. So USC’s QB Cody Kessler gets that record, tossing them to five difference receivers.
It’s a tough pill for the Irish to swallow. I can only imagine the reaction around South Bend over the next few days. Historically, Notre Dame don’t get torched. The last time they were opened up like this…the BCS National Championship Game in January 2013 against Alabama, so USC are in good company.
Auburn: They had a half-time lead, and they had chances to make it even bigger than it was, but poor red zone execution resulted in three field goals rather than touchdowns and the Alabama comeback came as we expected it would. If there’s one certainty about playing against the Tide it’s that you must play four quarters of mistake-free football. The Tigers didn’t, hence their 55-44 loss in an Iron Bowl that was gripping throughout and featured far more points than I expected.
Michigan: Finished 7-9, lost to Ohio State – again – and Notre Dame – again – and Michigan State – again – and were so bad so often that head coach Brady Hoke is almost certain to lose his job. Nothing good came out of Ann Arbor this season, so perhaps the imminent forced departure of Hoke, who really seemed like the guy who would rebuild Michigan, might be a good thing.
In retrospect, Hoke’s debut year where they beat Ohio State and won the Sugar Bowl probably raised expectations a little too high, but there’s always expectations at Michigan, and season 2014 falls so far below them it isn’t even funny. It’s a shame to see the program imploding as it has.
UCLA: Beat USC last week convincingly, and apparently forgot to turn up to play Stanford this week. In fact, the Bruins were about as motivated on Friday as USC was last weekend, and the result was the same. Stanford won 31-10, thanks to a dominating performance on defense. The Bruins just couldn’t keep up. There goes their chance at playing for a Pac-12 Championship.
Mississippi State: The season has really imploded for the Bulldogs, ending with a 31-17 loss to in-state rivals Ole Miss, which will see them ousted from the College Football Playoff four-team bracket. Such a shame for a perennial middle-of-the-road SEC team who, for a time, had a serious shot at something so much more.
Quarterback Dak Prescott, once a Heisman contender, did what he could (282 yards and a score through the air, and 48 yards rushing with another touchdown) on Saturday but the Bulldog defense couldn’t slow down Bo Wallace, who, to the disappointment of State fans everywhere, was appearing in his guise as ‘Good Bo’ this week, when they really needed ‘Bad Bo’ to turn up.
Florida: In Will Muschamp’s final game, the Gators couldn’t capitalise on four Florida State turnovers – including three first-quarter interceptions from Jameis Winston – to send their sacked coach out with a memorable win. As has been the case so often in the Muschamp era, it was a case of ‘so close yet so far’.
Marshall: The Thundering Herd got themselves into the mother of all shootouts against Western Kentucky on Friday and it was indeed a Black Friday for the previously-undefeated Conference USA team who succumbed 67-66.
Maryland: The Terrapins were up 35-10 on Rutgers late in the third. This is a Rutgers team who’s offensive showings this season have left a lot to be desired. Yet, somehow, the Terps managed to give up that 25-point lead, losing 41-38. A stunning collapse that sours Maryland’s otherwise-pretty-successful debut Big Ten campaign. Doubtless, they’ll remember this one for a long time to come, and not in a fond manner, either.
Oregon State: The Beavers were steamrolled by Marcus Mariota and co, and really didn’t start to show any sort of offensive output until they were in a 30-0 hole. To be fair, though, the way Mariota was up and about, Alabama would’ve had trouble slowing him down.
Kentucky: Opened the season 5-1 and proceeded to lose their next six straight, including a 44-40 heartbreaker to in-state rival Louisville, following a pre-game melee in which coaches were involved. It’s the fourth straight year that the Wildcats will miss out on playing a Bowl.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Opinion: College Football's Week Fourteen Heroes
Another weekend of college football is in the books, so let’s go through who was great on the gridiron with my Week Fourteen Heroes:
Alabama: They were down, but the Crimson Tide were not out. In retrospect, all of us who were worried that the top-ranked team in America was going to fall should have remembered their impressive championship pedigree and, more than that, the guy who coaches them.
Yes, Alabama struggled early, but once QB Blake Sims got over his bad throws (resulting in three interceptions that led to 17 Auburn points) the Tide machine clicked into gear and Auburn’s defense was powerless to do anything about it.
Aside from Sims’ final interception on their first possession of the second half, it was as perfect a thirty minutes of football as I’ve seen. From there, the Tide had five possessions and scored five touchdowns to win 55-44 and book a trip to Georgia to face Missouri for the SEC Championship title next Saturday.
USC: It’s been an up and down season for the Trojans – trust me, I know – but it ended on a giant high on Saturday with a record-breaking 49-14 victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. It’s a win that’ll ease some of the pain of last week’s insipid effort against USC’s other big rival, UCLA.
Quarterback Cody Kessler, whose impressively consistent season has been barely noticed by anyone outside of Southern California, will go down in the pages of Notre Dame football history as he’s the first man to throw six touchdown passes – five in one half – against the Irish in more than 125 years of football in South Bend.
Rutgers: How did the Scarlet Knights ever manage to appear in this column? I mean, it was pretty bad when they trailed Maryland 35-10 late in the third quarter. The Terps seemed headed to an easy victory…but someone forgot to tell the Rutgers team that. Somehow, they stormed back from the abyss and won 41-38, thanks to some timely offense and a huge defensive stop. Stunning comeback from 25 down, which is the biggest such swing in school history.
Nick Marshall: Sure, Auburn didn’t win the Iron Bowl, but Marshall did his best to single-handedly drag the Tigers across the line. He was 27-43 for 456 yards and three touchdowns passing, and added an additional 49 yards on the ground. Some of his deep ball throws had to be seen to be believed.
Boise State: The Broncos bested Utah State 50-19 on the back of 227 rushing yards and five touchdowns from star running back Jay Ajayi. The win ensures the Broncos will host next weekend’s Mountain West Conference championship game and, should they win that, be in the box seat as the highest-ranked non-power conference team, which will likely ensure they play in a major Bowl game on New Year’s Day/Eve.
Sparked by a red-hot offense, the Broncos have been a very underrated team all year, and are only now starting to garner a little national recognition. Their record stands at 10-2, with only an opening-season loss to Ole Miss – which looks pretty good at the moment – and a turnover-fuelled loss to Air Force. Since that loss, Boise’s been just about unstoppable. QB Grant Hedrick is just about the most accurate quarterback in America, with a completion percentage hovering around 70%.
Clemson: It’s been a long time since 2008, which was the last team the Tigers beat in-state rival South Carolina, but the wait is over for Clemson fans, who watched their team, led by QB Deshaun Watson, who was later revealed to have played with a torn ACL, romp to a pretty resounding 35-17 win over the Gamecocks.
Devin Gardner: For all the talk about an intense hatred between Michigan and Ohio State, there was little evidence when Buckeye QB JT Barrett was down on the ground with what was later diagnosed as a broken ankle that will require season-ending surgery.
Gardner was knelt beside the Ohio State signal-caller for a good few minutes as the OSU medical staff did what they could. It was a wonderful show of sportsmanship and Gardner, whose year as Michigan’s quarterback has been decidedly rocky, rose above the traditional hatred that exists between the two teams to show that he’s, above all else, a good person. Wonderful to see.
Amari Cooper: The Alabama receiver, playing his last game inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, put on a performance that won’t soon be forgotten by anyone who bore witness. He snagged 224 yards and three touchdowns (including one of 75 yards) to tie his own school record mark. Even though Auburn defenders knew Blake Sims was going to hit Cooper, they just couldn’t stop him. In a gripping Iron Bowl that was littered with big plays, Cooper’s were some of the biggest.
Western Kentucky: Head coach Jeff Brohm is the very definition of a riverboat gambler, dialling up a two-point conversion in overtime to beat previously-undefeated Marshall 67-66. Earlier, WKU’s Brandon Doughty threw a Conference USA-record eight touchdowns in a game that featured very little in the way of defense.
Marcus Mariota: If the Oregon quarterback isn’t the outright Heisman favourite, it’s only because Amari Cooper went nuts on a hapless Auburn secondary – see above – for Alabama. Even so, Mariota’s effort against Oregon State in the Civil War, a 47-19 Duck triumph, was nothing short of jaw-dropping. He was 19-25 for 367 yards and four touchdowns passing, and added 39 yards and two more scores on the ground. Then there was an inadvertent Heisman pose. Yep, Mariota did it all, and with swagger for days.
Alabama: They were down, but the Crimson Tide were not out. In retrospect, all of us who were worried that the top-ranked team in America was going to fall should have remembered their impressive championship pedigree and, more than that, the guy who coaches them.
Yes, Alabama struggled early, but once QB Blake Sims got over his bad throws (resulting in three interceptions that led to 17 Auburn points) the Tide machine clicked into gear and Auburn’s defense was powerless to do anything about it.
Aside from Sims’ final interception on their first possession of the second half, it was as perfect a thirty minutes of football as I’ve seen. From there, the Tide had five possessions and scored five touchdowns to win 55-44 and book a trip to Georgia to face Missouri for the SEC Championship title next Saturday.
USC: It’s been an up and down season for the Trojans – trust me, I know – but it ended on a giant high on Saturday with a record-breaking 49-14 victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. It’s a win that’ll ease some of the pain of last week’s insipid effort against USC’s other big rival, UCLA.
Quarterback Cody Kessler, whose impressively consistent season has been barely noticed by anyone outside of Southern California, will go down in the pages of Notre Dame football history as he’s the first man to throw six touchdown passes – five in one half – against the Irish in more than 125 years of football in South Bend.
Rutgers: How did the Scarlet Knights ever manage to appear in this column? I mean, it was pretty bad when they trailed Maryland 35-10 late in the third quarter. The Terps seemed headed to an easy victory…but someone forgot to tell the Rutgers team that. Somehow, they stormed back from the abyss and won 41-38, thanks to some timely offense and a huge defensive stop. Stunning comeback from 25 down, which is the biggest such swing in school history.
Nick Marshall: Sure, Auburn didn’t win the Iron Bowl, but Marshall did his best to single-handedly drag the Tigers across the line. He was 27-43 for 456 yards and three touchdowns passing, and added an additional 49 yards on the ground. Some of his deep ball throws had to be seen to be believed.
Boise State: The Broncos bested Utah State 50-19 on the back of 227 rushing yards and five touchdowns from star running back Jay Ajayi. The win ensures the Broncos will host next weekend’s Mountain West Conference championship game and, should they win that, be in the box seat as the highest-ranked non-power conference team, which will likely ensure they play in a major Bowl game on New Year’s Day/Eve.
Sparked by a red-hot offense, the Broncos have been a very underrated team all year, and are only now starting to garner a little national recognition. Their record stands at 10-2, with only an opening-season loss to Ole Miss – which looks pretty good at the moment – and a turnover-fuelled loss to Air Force. Since that loss, Boise’s been just about unstoppable. QB Grant Hedrick is just about the most accurate quarterback in America, with a completion percentage hovering around 70%.
Clemson: It’s been a long time since 2008, which was the last team the Tigers beat in-state rival South Carolina, but the wait is over for Clemson fans, who watched their team, led by QB Deshaun Watson, who was later revealed to have played with a torn ACL, romp to a pretty resounding 35-17 win over the Gamecocks.
Devin Gardner: For all the talk about an intense hatred between Michigan and Ohio State, there was little evidence when Buckeye QB JT Barrett was down on the ground with what was later diagnosed as a broken ankle that will require season-ending surgery.
Gardner was knelt beside the Ohio State signal-caller for a good few minutes as the OSU medical staff did what they could. It was a wonderful show of sportsmanship and Gardner, whose year as Michigan’s quarterback has been decidedly rocky, rose above the traditional hatred that exists between the two teams to show that he’s, above all else, a good person. Wonderful to see.
Amari Cooper: The Alabama receiver, playing his last game inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, put on a performance that won’t soon be forgotten by anyone who bore witness. He snagged 224 yards and three touchdowns (including one of 75 yards) to tie his own school record mark. Even though Auburn defenders knew Blake Sims was going to hit Cooper, they just couldn’t stop him. In a gripping Iron Bowl that was littered with big plays, Cooper’s were some of the biggest.
Western Kentucky: Head coach Jeff Brohm is the very definition of a riverboat gambler, dialling up a two-point conversion in overtime to beat previously-undefeated Marshall 67-66. Earlier, WKU’s Brandon Doughty threw a Conference USA-record eight touchdowns in a game that featured very little in the way of defense.
Marcus Mariota: If the Oregon quarterback isn’t the outright Heisman favourite, it’s only because Amari Cooper went nuts on a hapless Auburn secondary – see above – for Alabama. Even so, Mariota’s effort against Oregon State in the Civil War, a 47-19 Duck triumph, was nothing short of jaw-dropping. He was 19-25 for 367 yards and four touchdowns passing, and added 39 yards and two more scores on the ground. Then there was an inadvertent Heisman pose. Yep, Mariota did it all, and with swagger for days.
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Preview: 2014 Iron Bowl – No. 15 Auburn vs. No. 1 Alabama
What: 2014 Iron Bowl
Who: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Auburn Tigers
Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium; Tuscaloosa, Alabama
TV: 11.45am Sunday (AEDT) on ESPN2
Regardless of SEC or National Championship implications, the annual and incredibly divisive Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn – played on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, at Alabama’s home in Tuscaloosa on even-numbered years and in Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn on odd-numbered years for the last seventy-eight years – is a can’t-miss college football game that delivers massive television ratings and incredible hype and build-up no matter the surrounding college football landscape.
There’s only one thing that makes the Iron Bowl better, and that’s when the outcome of the game weighs heavily on the national title race. For the sixth straight year, the classic Auburn-Alabama game will play a key role in determining the eventual national champion, and it’s important to note that the winner of the Iron Bowl has won four of the last five BCS National Championship titles.
Alabama, coming into the game atop the College Football Playoff rankings, will doubtless have revenge on their mind, for who can forget the fabled, miraculous, incredible ‘kick-six’ finish when a short Alabama field goal attempt was returned the other way by Chris Davis.
To the absolute disbelief of football fans everywhere, Davis went 109 yards out of his own end zone to break Crimson Tide hearts across the world, and to propel Auburn to the SEC Championship Game and an eventual berth in the final BCS National Championship Game, with a 34-28 win.
A win for Alabama tomorrow would both banish the ghosts that surely must linger from last year’s extraordinary defeat, and push the Tide into the SEC Championship Game. A win there in Atlanta next week would almost certainly see Nick Saban’s men remain atop the national rankings, advance to a College Football Playoff semi-final, drawing the (relatively easier) fourth-ranked team.
To win, Alabama needs to stop Cameron Artis-Payne, the Tigers running back. He’s been the focal point of the Auburn offense in the last few weeks, since QB Nick Marshall, once a Heisman frontrunner, has struggled. Last week, Marshall was held to 171 passing yards and -8 rushing yards against an over-matched Sanford team.
If Alabama’s defense key off against Artis-Payne – as you would assume they will – Marshall will need to significantly improve and climb out of the slump that’s plagued him in losses to Texas A&M and Georgia in recent weeks. He’ll also need to hold onto the football, which won’t be easy.
You might remember that it was a series of costly fumbles that ensured Auburn would lose to A&M. Against a good Alabama defense, Marshall needs to make smart decisions and look after the football. He also needs to discover his running game, as he’s most dangerous as a duel-threat quarterback. That’s how Auburn won so many games this year and last. It’ll be hard, but the Nick Marshall of 2013 and early 2014 is certainly capable of making those big plays. He torched a pretty good ‘Bama defense last year, after all.
For Alabama’s quarterback Blake Sims, life will be significantly easier with news during the week that the sack leader on the Auburn defense Davonte Lambert will not line up. That should give Sims, who has a plethora of great weapons around him, including star receiver Amari Cooper, whose season output has been amongst the very best in school history. The only uncertainty surrounding Sims is that he’s making his first Iron Bowl start. That it is on home turf, with predominantly Tide fans inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, should make his life a little easier.
There’ll be a battle in the trenches as there is every year, and without Lambert on the field, Alabama’s offensive line is going to have an easier job than the might otherwise have had. It’s an advantage not to be sneezed at, and Auburn is going to need someone – anyone – to step up and create some pressure on Sims, or the Tigers defense is going to be in for a long day. Sims can’t be given time in the pocket or he’ll shred them!
For so long, the Iron Bowl has been the game of the quarterback – Cam Newton, AJ McCarron, Nick Marshall recently – and whoever can make big plays and smart decisions with the football is going to carry his team to what’s always a very important win. After all, state-wide bragging rights are on the line.
Prediction: This should be a close game for at least three quarters, but I’m tipping the Tide will pull away in the final stanza and record a comfortable win of somewhere around 2 touchdowns and move on to face Georgia or Missouri in the SEC Championship Game, thanks, largely, I think, to their battle-tested defense.
That said, the Auburn Bowl is known for producing mayhem, craziness and epic finishes, so, more so than in most games, anything – anything at all, as we saw last year! – is possible.
Join The Roar for live coverage of college football’s most historic and heated rivalries on Sunday morning beginning at 11.45am AEDT.
Who: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Auburn Tigers
Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium; Tuscaloosa, Alabama
TV: 11.45am Sunday (AEDT) on ESPN2
Regardless of SEC or National Championship implications, the annual and incredibly divisive Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn – played on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, at Alabama’s home in Tuscaloosa on even-numbered years and in Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn on odd-numbered years for the last seventy-eight years – is a can’t-miss college football game that delivers massive television ratings and incredible hype and build-up no matter the surrounding college football landscape.
There’s only one thing that makes the Iron Bowl better, and that’s when the outcome of the game weighs heavily on the national title race. For the sixth straight year, the classic Auburn-Alabama game will play a key role in determining the eventual national champion, and it’s important to note that the winner of the Iron Bowl has won four of the last five BCS National Championship titles.
Alabama, coming into the game atop the College Football Playoff rankings, will doubtless have revenge on their mind, for who can forget the fabled, miraculous, incredible ‘kick-six’ finish when a short Alabama field goal attempt was returned the other way by Chris Davis.
To the absolute disbelief of football fans everywhere, Davis went 109 yards out of his own end zone to break Crimson Tide hearts across the world, and to propel Auburn to the SEC Championship Game and an eventual berth in the final BCS National Championship Game, with a 34-28 win.
A win for Alabama tomorrow would both banish the ghosts that surely must linger from last year’s extraordinary defeat, and push the Tide into the SEC Championship Game. A win there in Atlanta next week would almost certainly see Nick Saban’s men remain atop the national rankings, advance to a College Football Playoff semi-final, drawing the (relatively easier) fourth-ranked team.
To win, Alabama needs to stop Cameron Artis-Payne, the Tigers running back. He’s been the focal point of the Auburn offense in the last few weeks, since QB Nick Marshall, once a Heisman frontrunner, has struggled. Last week, Marshall was held to 171 passing yards and -8 rushing yards against an over-matched Sanford team.
If Alabama’s defense key off against Artis-Payne – as you would assume they will – Marshall will need to significantly improve and climb out of the slump that’s plagued him in losses to Texas A&M and Georgia in recent weeks. He’ll also need to hold onto the football, which won’t be easy.
You might remember that it was a series of costly fumbles that ensured Auburn would lose to A&M. Against a good Alabama defense, Marshall needs to make smart decisions and look after the football. He also needs to discover his running game, as he’s most dangerous as a duel-threat quarterback. That’s how Auburn won so many games this year and last. It’ll be hard, but the Nick Marshall of 2013 and early 2014 is certainly capable of making those big plays. He torched a pretty good ‘Bama defense last year, after all.
For Alabama’s quarterback Blake Sims, life will be significantly easier with news during the week that the sack leader on the Auburn defense Davonte Lambert will not line up. That should give Sims, who has a plethora of great weapons around him, including star receiver Amari Cooper, whose season output has been amongst the very best in school history. The only uncertainty surrounding Sims is that he’s making his first Iron Bowl start. That it is on home turf, with predominantly Tide fans inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, should make his life a little easier.
There’ll be a battle in the trenches as there is every year, and without Lambert on the field, Alabama’s offensive line is going to have an easier job than the might otherwise have had. It’s an advantage not to be sneezed at, and Auburn is going to need someone – anyone – to step up and create some pressure on Sims, or the Tigers defense is going to be in for a long day. Sims can’t be given time in the pocket or he’ll shred them!
For so long, the Iron Bowl has been the game of the quarterback – Cam Newton, AJ McCarron, Nick Marshall recently – and whoever can make big plays and smart decisions with the football is going to carry his team to what’s always a very important win. After all, state-wide bragging rights are on the line.
Prediction: This should be a close game for at least three quarters, but I’m tipping the Tide will pull away in the final stanza and record a comfortable win of somewhere around 2 touchdowns and move on to face Georgia or Missouri in the SEC Championship Game, thanks, largely, I think, to their battle-tested defense.
That said, the Auburn Bowl is known for producing mayhem, craziness and epic finishes, so, more so than in most games, anything – anything at all, as we saw last year! – is possible.
Join The Roar for live coverage of college football’s most historic and heated rivalries on Sunday morning beginning at 11.45am AEDT.
Thursday, November 27, 2014
College Football 2014: Week Fourteen (Thanksgiving) Australian Foxtel / ESPN TV Guide
Trust me: I was at Michigan vs. Ohio State in the Big House last year, and as bad as Michigan had been all year, they put on one heck of a show and very nearly caused a colossal upset of the Buckeyes. That's why you tune into these rivalry games - even if they look like being blow outs, they frequently aren't, and there's often great controversy. It's a great time to be a college football fan.
ESPN have come to the party after an indifferent year, providing a slate of the weekend's best games, including the Iron Bowl on Sunday, to be called by the legendary Brent Musburger! GameDay originates from Tuscaloosa for this unpredictable, classic showdown.
Let's see what else the Worldwide Leader has in store for us this week!
All times AEDT
Friday 28 November
Louisiana State vs. Texas A&M (11.30am; ESPN/ESPN-HD)
Saturday 29 November
Nebraska vs. Iowa (4.00am; ESPN/ESPN-HD)
Central Florida vs. South Florida (4.00am; ESPN2/ESPN2-HD)
Stanford vs. No. 8 UCLA (7.30am; ESPN/ESPN-HD)
Sunday 30 November
College GameDay - Tuscaloosa, Alabama (1.00am; ESPN/ESPN-HD)
Michigan vs. No. 6 Ohio State (4.00am; ESPN/ESPN-HD)
South Carolina vs. No. 21 Clemson (4.00am; ESPN2/ESPN2-HD)
No. 7 Baylor vs. Texas Tech (7.30am; ESPN/ESPN-HD)
Florida vs. No. 3 Florida State (7.30am; ESPN2/ESPN2-HD)
No. 15 Auburn vs. No. 1 Alabama (11.45am; ESPN2/ESPN2-HD)
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Opinion: Viktor Tikhonov’s Extraordinary Coaching Legacy Overshadowed by ‘Miracle on Ice’ Mistake
By just about every measurable, Viktor Tikhonov will be remembered and lauded as perhaps the greatest hockey coach we’ve ever seen, but the great USSR bench boss’s legacy will always be tied to the semi-final between his men and the underdog Americans in Lake Placid, otherwise known as the Miracle on Ice game.
Plenty has been written – including by your humble blogger – and plenty more will be written about the victors. The Team USA story is a brilliant one, the stuff Hollywood blockbusters are made of, but the passing of Tikhonov this week has, at least for me, moved the glare of the Miracle spotlight off of the Mike Eruzione’s, Jim Craig’s and Mark Johnson’s of the world, and over to the opposite bench.
What’s undisputed is that Tikhonov was a great coach, a master tactician and, by all accounts, a serious disciplinarian who liked to have input in all facets of his player’s lives, too. But, as the old saying goes, even champions have their off days, and Tikhonov’s came that wintry February day inside the Lake Placid Field House, when his nearly-professional USSR squad faced a group of Americans, mostly from heated rival universities Boston and Minnesota, under the quirky, controversial and unconventional Herb Brooks.
Back in 1980, the Olympics remained an amateur gathering, and though the USSR squad were nominally government employees, which was code for them really not doing anything other than spending their days at a rink, working on their game, in the vein of NHL professionals these days. Tikhonov’s team boasted the world’s best defencemen, the best forwards and the world’s most dominant goalie, a brick wall human named Vladislav Tretiak.
And it was the handling of the USSR goaltending situation that day in Lake Placid that will forever be a part of Tikhonov’s legacy. Somehow, the cool and level-headed coach lost his mind at the end of the first period, a 2-2 tie, and benched Tretiak after giving up a late goal off a costly rebound to Mark Johnson.
Late, as in with 0:01 seconds to play. Sure, it was a bad goal to give up, the rebound off of Tretiak’s pads was a juicy one, and Johnson was in the right place at the right time, but the entire sequence went against the run of play. Had it not been for a shot-in-hope from inside the American blue line, the entire Miracle on Ice might never have happened. Surely, the competitor in Tretiak, angered by giving up such an easy goal, would have come out breathing fire in the second.
One thing is certain: Tikhonov would have been appalled by the ease with which Johnson scored. But one bad goal isn’t generally reason enough to pull your goalie. Especially not when he’s the best in the world. Not without giving him a chance at redemption.
Alas, we will never know what Tretiak might have done, just as we will never know exactly what happened in the locker room during the first intermission – to a man, the beaten USSR squad have spoken little about that day – but, in yanking Tretiak in favour of Vladimir Myshkin, Tikhonov made exactly the sort of kneejerk reaction that he was famous for forcing from the coach opposite him.
It was an unthinkable move then, and still is, more than thirty years after the game. Herb Brooks, seeing Myshkin skate to the crease to begin the second period, must surely have wondered whether his mind was playing tricks. The Americans, of course, capitalised, ramming home two more goals – Johnson scored his second, a power play tally, and then there was Mike Eruzione’s immortal winner, and his immortal celebration thereafter – on Myshkin and the Russians were ousted in sensational fashion, despite dominating everywhere but on the scoreboard. Amidst the backdrop of the Cold War, it was a monumental victory, one that transcended hockey, and one that will not soon be forgotten.
Tikhonov’s squad went on to comfortably win a silver medal in 1980, and Russia would do so again under the legendary coach in 1992. His coaching record is far from shabby – Olympic Gold in 1984, 1988 and 1992, Olympic silver in 1980, as well as World Championship Gold in 1978, 1979, consecutive years between 1918 and 1983, as well as in 1986m 1989 and 1990, plus the Canada Cup in 1981 and the 1979 Challenge Cup – and more than enough to land him in the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame. He was awarded many state-based honours including the Order of Merit to the Fatherland for outstanding contribution to the development of national hockey.
Don’t get me wrong, Tikhonov deserves every plaudit received since his death in Moscow this week, coming after a long illness, but, to me, there will always be a question mark over his handling of that situation. He was still a brilliant coach, and should be remembered as such. But, like I said, even champions have a bad day. His was historically bad, though.
You can only wonder at what was going through Tikhonov’s mind that day in Lake Placid. It’s one of hockey’s great mysteries, and one likely never to be solved.
Was he scared? How could he be scared by a group of Americans who barely tolerated each other off the ice when the USSR had roundly dominated their opponents to that point, and although they were tied with the underdog Americans, the home team’s last goal had been something of a fluke, and, besides, the USSR skaters were piling on the shots. They had the advantage in every statistical area, and seemed poised to ram home that advantage, hence the uneasiness of the pro-American crowd.
Alas, Tretiak rode the pine and Myshkin, coming in cold as the back-up, was the goalie of note in one of the greatest sporting boil-overs the world has ever seen. And I wouldn’t mind betting that Tikhonov’s decision that day proceeded to haunt him for the rest of his life.
Vale, Viktor Tikhonov. One of the greats.
Plenty has been written – including by your humble blogger – and plenty more will be written about the victors. The Team USA story is a brilliant one, the stuff Hollywood blockbusters are made of, but the passing of Tikhonov this week has, at least for me, moved the glare of the Miracle spotlight off of the Mike Eruzione’s, Jim Craig’s and Mark Johnson’s of the world, and over to the opposite bench.
What’s undisputed is that Tikhonov was a great coach, a master tactician and, by all accounts, a serious disciplinarian who liked to have input in all facets of his player’s lives, too. But, as the old saying goes, even champions have their off days, and Tikhonov’s came that wintry February day inside the Lake Placid Field House, when his nearly-professional USSR squad faced a group of Americans, mostly from heated rival universities Boston and Minnesota, under the quirky, controversial and unconventional Herb Brooks.
Back in 1980, the Olympics remained an amateur gathering, and though the USSR squad were nominally government employees, which was code for them really not doing anything other than spending their days at a rink, working on their game, in the vein of NHL professionals these days. Tikhonov’s team boasted the world’s best defencemen, the best forwards and the world’s most dominant goalie, a brick wall human named Vladislav Tretiak.
And it was the handling of the USSR goaltending situation that day in Lake Placid that will forever be a part of Tikhonov’s legacy. Somehow, the cool and level-headed coach lost his mind at the end of the first period, a 2-2 tie, and benched Tretiak after giving up a late goal off a costly rebound to Mark Johnson.
Late, as in with 0:01 seconds to play. Sure, it was a bad goal to give up, the rebound off of Tretiak’s pads was a juicy one, and Johnson was in the right place at the right time, but the entire sequence went against the run of play. Had it not been for a shot-in-hope from inside the American blue line, the entire Miracle on Ice might never have happened. Surely, the competitor in Tretiak, angered by giving up such an easy goal, would have come out breathing fire in the second.
One thing is certain: Tikhonov would have been appalled by the ease with which Johnson scored. But one bad goal isn’t generally reason enough to pull your goalie. Especially not when he’s the best in the world. Not without giving him a chance at redemption.
Alas, we will never know what Tretiak might have done, just as we will never know exactly what happened in the locker room during the first intermission – to a man, the beaten USSR squad have spoken little about that day – but, in yanking Tretiak in favour of Vladimir Myshkin, Tikhonov made exactly the sort of kneejerk reaction that he was famous for forcing from the coach opposite him.
It was an unthinkable move then, and still is, more than thirty years after the game. Herb Brooks, seeing Myshkin skate to the crease to begin the second period, must surely have wondered whether his mind was playing tricks. The Americans, of course, capitalised, ramming home two more goals – Johnson scored his second, a power play tally, and then there was Mike Eruzione’s immortal winner, and his immortal celebration thereafter – on Myshkin and the Russians were ousted in sensational fashion, despite dominating everywhere but on the scoreboard. Amidst the backdrop of the Cold War, it was a monumental victory, one that transcended hockey, and one that will not soon be forgotten.
Tikhonov’s squad went on to comfortably win a silver medal in 1980, and Russia would do so again under the legendary coach in 1992. His coaching record is far from shabby – Olympic Gold in 1984, 1988 and 1992, Olympic silver in 1980, as well as World Championship Gold in 1978, 1979, consecutive years between 1918 and 1983, as well as in 1986m 1989 and 1990, plus the Canada Cup in 1981 and the 1979 Challenge Cup – and more than enough to land him in the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame. He was awarded many state-based honours including the Order of Merit to the Fatherland for outstanding contribution to the development of national hockey.
Don’t get me wrong, Tikhonov deserves every plaudit received since his death in Moscow this week, coming after a long illness, but, to me, there will always be a question mark over his handling of that situation. He was still a brilliant coach, and should be remembered as such. But, like I said, even champions have a bad day. His was historically bad, though.
You can only wonder at what was going through Tikhonov’s mind that day in Lake Placid. It’s one of hockey’s great mysteries, and one likely never to be solved.
Was he scared? How could he be scared by a group of Americans who barely tolerated each other off the ice when the USSR had roundly dominated their opponents to that point, and although they were tied with the underdog Americans, the home team’s last goal had been something of a fluke, and, besides, the USSR skaters were piling on the shots. They had the advantage in every statistical area, and seemed poised to ram home that advantage, hence the uneasiness of the pro-American crowd.
Alas, Tretiak rode the pine and Myshkin, coming in cold as the back-up, was the goalie of note in one of the greatest sporting boil-overs the world has ever seen. And I wouldn’t mind betting that Tikhonov’s decision that day proceeded to haunt him for the rest of his life.
Vale, Viktor Tikhonov. One of the greats.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Brent Musburger Returns To ESPN For the 2014 Iron Bowl
Compared to some, I’m a recent convert to the sport, but one of the first things I realised was gospel truth in football is that when you hear the unmistakable voice of Brent Musburger opening a broadcast with, “You are looking live,” you know that the following game is going to be a big one. Possibly, the biggest of the weekend. Certainly, the biggest on the ABC/ESPN family of networks. You knew you should sit down and watch, because the potential for fireworks was high.
All of that changed at the end of last year, when word snuck out during the National Championship Game that Brent Musburger was going to be forced out of the ESPN booth, where he was one half of the network’s top broadcasting duo (along with the equally excellent Kirk Herbstreit) in favour of someone else. The rumour had it that one of three men were vying for the job: NFL broadcaster Mike Tirico, ESPN studio host Rece Davis and College GameDay anchor Chris Fowler.
It turned out to be Fowler, the excellent host of College GameDay for so many years, and it appeared to come about because ESPN were worried about losing a key cog in their college football wheel to, say, the SEC package on CBS – Verne Lundqvist, another legend, isn’t getting any younger over there. What better way to shore up Fowler’s continued presence on the Worldwide Leader than to offer him the pick of the ABC/ESPN games each week, as well as a semi-final and the new College Football National Championship Game, arising out of the also-new playoff system.
With ESPN needing to dangle that carrot to Fowler, a younger man than Musburger, with a good decade or two ahead of him with the company, poor old Brent was the odd man out. He needed to make way, and although ESPN dressed it up to make it seem so very awesome that he’d be broadcasting the SEC Network’s Game of the Week – realistically, the fourth or fifth best SEC game of the week – it was unmistakably a demotion. And a sad way for Musburger to depart top-flight college football.
Sure, if Brent had been missing his reads and bumbling through commentary then move him on, put him out to pasture even, but I never saw that with Brent – not even well into his seventies. He was on top of his game last year. Sure, his grasp of pop culture left a little to be desired, and his fawning over AJ McCarron’s girlfriend was a little creepy, and the gambling references were unpopular with some.
Even so, the fact is that ESPN tossed a guy still bringing his a-game straight out the door. It might’ve shored up the company’s talent going forward, but it was a crappy way to do things. For one, Brent is a legend. For another thing, he still had - and has – the ability to make a big play bigger and more exciting than any other broadcaster going around. (Apologies to you, Gus Johnson). The end result? A broadcasting legend toiling away over on a network that most of us can’t see or don’t want to see.
Thus far, the heir apparent Chris Fowler hasn’t really impressed me on Saturday Night Football. Great guy, loyal ESPN soldier and a top notch host of College GameDay, but just a serviceable play-by-play guy, and not even in the same ballpark – or, as it more appropriate in this case, the football stadium – as Musburger when it comes to translating the excitement of a sold out stadium/feverish atmosphere into your lounge room.
Almost one season in, and I've noticed that Fowler just doesn’t have the ability to rise for the big plays. He's tried hard and there are many worse commentators on ESPN, but he’s not the guy I’d choose to call the biggest game each week. You could almost feel it with Brent behind the mic – and you could always rely on a sneaky gambling reference or three, especially if the game was well and truly over. And, aside from that, I mean, Chris Fowler hasn’t provided the internet with any Brent/Eminem-type gems, has he? And will he ever? Probably not.
It’s been tough listening to Brent languish on the SEC Network. To his credit, he’s called every game like it’s the Rose Bowl, which must be tough, especially when he and Jesse Palmer are given match-ups like last weekend’s Alabama-Western Carolina game. Or, as it’s been more aptly called, a glorified Tide scrimmage.
Well, college football fans, rejoice! Why? Because Big Game Brent is coming back to the ESPN mothership. On Saturday night (or Sunday morning here in Australia) we’ll all be looking live at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama for the Iron Bowl!
Perhaps it’s reward for so many unappetising match-ups this season, but whatever the reason, we should be very glad of this. The Iron Bowl should be an epic clash – when is Alabama vs. Auburn not? – and we’re going to feel that epic atmosphere come in through the speakers of our television, because the preeminent voice of college football will be behind the microphone. To be honest, the game deserves this.
Smart move, ESPN. Hopefully this is a sign that you’re not ready to completely consign Brent to the pastures of the SEC Network. Do us all a favour, and slot him into a broadcast crew that actually gets games on ESPN or ESPN2 next year, okay? Please! Hell, I’ll settle for ESPNU if that’s all you got. Brent Musburger is too good for the SEC Network.
Cannot wait for this Iron Bowl. Cannot wait to see Big Game Brent doing his thing again. I only wish he’d been on the game for the feted ‘Kick-6’ ending to last year’s game. Chances are, he might’ve exploded! Let’s hope for something similar in 2014!
Checkered Flag Beckons For Mr. Le Mans, Tom Kristensen
Truly great race car drivers aren’t unearthed every day of the week.
Indeed, the most talented and gifted seem to pop up only once or twice in a generation, and deserve every single plaudit that comes there way for their skill and tenacity. We’ve seen some great names grace racetracks the world over in the last twenty years: the likes of Michael Schumacher, Jimmie Johnson and Sebastien Vettel, to name just three of the most dominant in recent years.
Yet, there is another man whose accomplishments rank right up there with those three, and, sadly, most Australians don’t know the name Tom Kristensen, let alone his impressive and incredible racing resume amassed over 15 years at the top of sports car racing.
Kristensen – also known as TK, the Great Dane, or Mr. Le Mans – is to the world of high-level endurance sports car racing what Michael Schumacher or Sebastien Vettel is to Formula One. And his glittering career comes to an end this weekend, at the Sao Paolo, Brazil round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Throughout nearly two decades at the top of international sports car racing, TK’s record stands for itself, and it’s an impressive body of work: nine wins from eighteen attempts at Le Mans (including six straight outright with Audi from 2000-2005), six overall wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring, a win at Petit Le Mans, 2001 American Le Mans Series champion and, most recently, the 2013 FIA World Endurance Champion.
And that’s only his major race victories. He’s won countless other ALMS, ELMS and WEC events at tracks as Road America, Spa, Austin and Shanghai. You can make a solid case that Kristensen is the best driver never to grace a Formula One paddock.
To have a 50% success rate at Le Mans, a gruelling race where there are, quite literally, a thousand and one things that can go wrong during the endurance test – mechanical gremlins, your own accident, weather, getting caught up in someone else’s accident – is staggering. Absolutely staggering. There was a time in the early part of the 2000s when you might as well have just gone ahead and inscribed TK’s name on the winner’s trophy at Le Mans, such was his dominance. You must wonder at the sort of despondency the rest of the grid felt knowing that, for the most part, they were racing for second.
Audi’s success at Le Mans and elsewhere in endurance sports car racing – the American Le Mans Series, World Endurance Championship and even the European Le Mans Series – can be tied to Kristensen. Aside from only his long-time Scottish co-driver, Alan McNish, sports car racing has rarely seen a more pugnacious driver. The combination of Kristensen, McNish and the wizened Italian Dindo Capello was a formidable one, to say the very least.
Sure, Audi had the budget, technology and the thirst for success, but none of that matters if you don’t also have a driver capable of putting your car at the pointy end of the field. TK did that, time and time again. In recent years, he has played a significant Kristensen elevated Audi’s crop of younger drivers, and with Capello and McNish retiring in recent years, has become the elder statesman to the up-and-coming fleet of superstar drivers that Audi are slowly bringing into a program once dominated by the old trio, the Audi rat pack of TK, McNish and Capello, fast friends and faster drivers.
Guys like Marcel Fassler, Mike Rockenfeller, Andre Lotterer and Benoit Treluyer have benefited immensely from having come up with Kristensen as their racing mentor. So, TK’s legacy will last at Audi for many years into the future.
It’s hard to pinpoint Kristensen’s best win. Is it 2004 in the Audi R8, his sixth win, equalling the great Jacky Ickx’s record? Or a year later, when he broke Ickx’s record – one that most pundits doubted would ever be equalled, let alone bettered?
Both were superb history-making drives, but I can’t go past the 2013 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was a tough race, with Kristensen’s fellow Danish driver Alan Simonsen tragically died after crashing his Aston Martin heavily into the barriers at Tetre Rouge early in the event. At the behest of Simonsen’s family, the race continued, and after twenty-four gruelling hours, Kristensen (with McNish and Frenchman Loic Duval) came out on top after a knock-down-drag-out battle with Toyota and with his own emotions after Simonsen’s death.
We’ve rarely seen such emotional scenes at the Circuit de la Sarthe as we saw that day. Kristensen dedicated the race to his father, who had died of cancer a few weeks earlier, and Simonsen a few hours earlier – the two had been friends, and Simonsen was well liked by all – and I daresay that the entire motorsports world had tears in their eyes as we watched the Great Dane celebrate on the podium. The legend of TK grew even more that day. Aside from everything else, it was his ninth – and, we now know, final – win at Le Mans. To be able to drive through the grief he was surely feeling makes it, to my mind, is most legendary triumph.
Most importantly: by all accounts, Kristensen is as good a man as he was a racer, which is, by all accounts, more than can be said for someone like Vettel, and proof of that is in the warm tributes that have been flowing from all corners of the globe since TK announced his retirement, and will continue to stream in well after he turns his final laps of competition in the World Endurance Championship finale next weekend in Brazil.
Legend is an over-used word in sport, a tag attached too easily for my liking, but Tom Kristensen, Mr. Le Mans, is a legend in every sense of the word, a man whose accomplishments will live on for decades and decades after his retirement and, indeed, after he is dead and buried. Will we ever see one man dominate the 24 Hours of Le Mans as TK has dominated? I doubt it.
Thanks for so many memories, TK. As race fans, we’re better for having watched you over the years. Sports car racing won’t be the same without you on the grid.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Opinion: College Football's Week Thirteen Heroes
Another weekend of college football is in the books, so let’s go through who was great on the gridiron with my Week Thirteen Heroes:
Samaje Perine: It took fifteen years for LaDainian Tomlinson’s single-game rushing record to be smashed, and then a mere seven days for it to be broken again. Last week, Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon was the toast of the college football world and now he’s little more than a footnote, as the impressive freshman Perine, the focal point of Oklahoma’s ground game this year, ran for 427 yards – 19 more than Gordon did last week – and five touchdowns, and that was without finishing out the game. The record-breaking 42-yard run came early in the fourth, and that was it.
Honestly, though, the way Perine was running, he could easily have topped 500 yards. I wrote seven days ago that Gordon’s record-setting day of steamrolling Nebraska was an incredible effort and Perine’s was no different – from a freshman, no less. The only difference was that Gordon’s came against what was considered a pretty good ‘Huskers defense and Perine’s came against…Kansas. Still, numbers are numbers.
Should we expect the record to fall again next week? I jest, but, on a more serious note, the last few weeks have shown us anything, it’s that the Madden-type mark of 500 rushing yards in a single game isn’t as fanciful as we might have thought. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it broken in the next season or two.
Grant Hedrick: The Boise State quarterback has thrown for more than 3000 yards this season, and becomes only the fifth Bronco to reach that mark. Contemporaries Kellen Moore and Taylor Tharp are amongst the others who’ve reached that milestone. He finished with 246 passing yards and three touchdowns in the 63-14 win over Wyoming.
Minnesota: Native of the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Matt Birk said on College GameDay that this is probably the best Minnesota football team he’s seen in his lifetime, and you’d be hard pressed to argue that. A week after losing narrowly to a very good Ohio State team, the Gophers went into Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium – not an easy place to get a win – and toppled the Cornhuskers 28-24.
Like Wisconsin's last week, Minnesota’s victory against Nebraska came by way of a brutal running game. Sparked by QB Mitch Leidner (111 yards rushing and two touchdowns) and David Cobb (80 yards on the ground, and one score), the Gophers, more recognised as a hockey powerhouse than a football one, railed from a 14-point halftime deficit, and a 10-point one in the third, for a big victory. Their hopes of a Big Ten Championship berth are still alive as they head into a huge rivalry against Wisconsin next week.
Marcus Mariota: The Oregon quarterback should be your Heisman favourite, despite the recent efforts of Melvin Gordon. Simply put, the Ducks are only as good as Mariota, so it’s pretty lucky for them that he’s on fire this season. On Saturday, in their 44-10 victory over Colorado, Mariota broke the Pac-12 single season scoring record, accounting for now forty two touchdowns on the year
Both Mack Brown and Danny Kanell on ESPN suggested that Oregon is the best football team in America at the moment, and it’s hard to argue. The defense, once-maligned, has really stepped up since that Michigan State win – despite the unexpected loss to Arizona, and, let’s face it, most of the Top 25 have had an unexpected loss or two this season – and, of course, Mariota is a gun. He threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns against Colorado, and added 73 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Clearly, he’s the nation’s best example of a dual-threat quarterback.
Illinois: Beat Penn State 16-14, for their first victory against the Nittany Lions since 2010, and somehow they’re Bowl eligible now. A much-needed win for under-fire head coach Tim Beckman. Sadly, the student section was basically empty on Senior Day.
UCLA: This hurts to write, but the Bruins own Los Angeles college football at the moment, convincingly beating (my) USC Trojans 38-20 in the Rose Bowl on Saturday night. It’s the third straight victory in the cross-town series for Jim Mora’s squad after years of being used as a punching bag by high-powered Trojan teams. Suffice to say, those days are over. The balance of power has shifted, and Mora, something of a controversial hire when it was announced, has been a masterstroke. Proof is in the pudding and he’s 3-0 against his biggest rivals.
Arkansas: When it rains, it pours, and it really did rain in Fayetteville, as the Razorbacks, who last week snapped a 17-game SEC losing streak against Louisiana State, backed up that victory with a far more emphatic 30-0 blanking of a listless, reeling Ole Miss Rebels. The victory was made possible because the Hogs defense forced six turnovers, including a 100-yard pick-six touchdown off a throw into the end zone from Rebels QB Bo Wallace, who was in his dreaded ‘Bad Bo’ guise this week.
Saturday’s win also marked the first time Arkansas has registered back-to-back shutouts since joining the SEC in 1992, and the win lifts them to Bowl eligibility for the first time in three seasons, which seemed an improbable mark a month ago. The Razorbacks are one of those teams you just don’t want to play at the moment.
Melvin Gordon: Although his NCAA-record heroics of last week were overshadowed by Samaje Perine this week, the Wisconsin back was still on fire as the Badgers outlasted a plucky Iowa team on the road in Iowa City, winning 26-24. Gordon ran for an even two hundred yards and two scores. Incredibly, he now has more than 2000 rushing yards on the season.
Harvard: The Big Game against Yale. Winner takes the Ivy League title. Huge stage, and despite letting Yale battle back from 24-7 down to tie the game, the Crimson stood up when they needed to, their game-winning drive ending with a 35-yard pass from QB Connor Hempel to Andrew Fischer inside the final minute. Harvard’s defense forced a late turnover to ice the game, recording a 31-24 victory.
Samaje Perine: It took fifteen years for LaDainian Tomlinson’s single-game rushing record to be smashed, and then a mere seven days for it to be broken again. Last week, Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon was the toast of the college football world and now he’s little more than a footnote, as the impressive freshman Perine, the focal point of Oklahoma’s ground game this year, ran for 427 yards – 19 more than Gordon did last week – and five touchdowns, and that was without finishing out the game. The record-breaking 42-yard run came early in the fourth, and that was it.
Honestly, though, the way Perine was running, he could easily have topped 500 yards. I wrote seven days ago that Gordon’s record-setting day of steamrolling Nebraska was an incredible effort and Perine’s was no different – from a freshman, no less. The only difference was that Gordon’s came against what was considered a pretty good ‘Huskers defense and Perine’s came against…Kansas. Still, numbers are numbers.
Should we expect the record to fall again next week? I jest, but, on a more serious note, the last few weeks have shown us anything, it’s that the Madden-type mark of 500 rushing yards in a single game isn’t as fanciful as we might have thought. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it broken in the next season or two.
Grant Hedrick: The Boise State quarterback has thrown for more than 3000 yards this season, and becomes only the fifth Bronco to reach that mark. Contemporaries Kellen Moore and Taylor Tharp are amongst the others who’ve reached that milestone. He finished with 246 passing yards and three touchdowns in the 63-14 win over Wyoming.
Minnesota: Native of the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Matt Birk said on College GameDay that this is probably the best Minnesota football team he’s seen in his lifetime, and you’d be hard pressed to argue that. A week after losing narrowly to a very good Ohio State team, the Gophers went into Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium – not an easy place to get a win – and toppled the Cornhuskers 28-24.
Like Wisconsin's last week, Minnesota’s victory against Nebraska came by way of a brutal running game. Sparked by QB Mitch Leidner (111 yards rushing and two touchdowns) and David Cobb (80 yards on the ground, and one score), the Gophers, more recognised as a hockey powerhouse than a football one, railed from a 14-point halftime deficit, and a 10-point one in the third, for a big victory. Their hopes of a Big Ten Championship berth are still alive as they head into a huge rivalry against Wisconsin next week.
Marcus Mariota: The Oregon quarterback should be your Heisman favourite, despite the recent efforts of Melvin Gordon. Simply put, the Ducks are only as good as Mariota, so it’s pretty lucky for them that he’s on fire this season. On Saturday, in their 44-10 victory over Colorado, Mariota broke the Pac-12 single season scoring record, accounting for now forty two touchdowns on the year
Both Mack Brown and Danny Kanell on ESPN suggested that Oregon is the best football team in America at the moment, and it’s hard to argue. The defense, once-maligned, has really stepped up since that Michigan State win – despite the unexpected loss to Arizona, and, let’s face it, most of the Top 25 have had an unexpected loss or two this season – and, of course, Mariota is a gun. He threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns against Colorado, and added 73 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Clearly, he’s the nation’s best example of a dual-threat quarterback.
Illinois: Beat Penn State 16-14, for their first victory against the Nittany Lions since 2010, and somehow they’re Bowl eligible now. A much-needed win for under-fire head coach Tim Beckman. Sadly, the student section was basically empty on Senior Day.
UCLA: This hurts to write, but the Bruins own Los Angeles college football at the moment, convincingly beating (my) USC Trojans 38-20 in the Rose Bowl on Saturday night. It’s the third straight victory in the cross-town series for Jim Mora’s squad after years of being used as a punching bag by high-powered Trojan teams. Suffice to say, those days are over. The balance of power has shifted, and Mora, something of a controversial hire when it was announced, has been a masterstroke. Proof is in the pudding and he’s 3-0 against his biggest rivals.
Arkansas: When it rains, it pours, and it really did rain in Fayetteville, as the Razorbacks, who last week snapped a 17-game SEC losing streak against Louisiana State, backed up that victory with a far more emphatic 30-0 blanking of a listless, reeling Ole Miss Rebels. The victory was made possible because the Hogs defense forced six turnovers, including a 100-yard pick-six touchdown off a throw into the end zone from Rebels QB Bo Wallace, who was in his dreaded ‘Bad Bo’ guise this week.
Saturday’s win also marked the first time Arkansas has registered back-to-back shutouts since joining the SEC in 1992, and the win lifts them to Bowl eligibility for the first time in three seasons, which seemed an improbable mark a month ago. The Razorbacks are one of those teams you just don’t want to play at the moment.
Melvin Gordon: Although his NCAA-record heroics of last week were overshadowed by Samaje Perine this week, the Wisconsin back was still on fire as the Badgers outlasted a plucky Iowa team on the road in Iowa City, winning 26-24. Gordon ran for an even two hundred yards and two scores. Incredibly, he now has more than 2000 rushing yards on the season.
Harvard: The Big Game against Yale. Winner takes the Ivy League title. Huge stage, and despite letting Yale battle back from 24-7 down to tie the game, the Crimson stood up when they needed to, their game-winning drive ending with a 35-yard pass from QB Connor Hempel to Andrew Fischer inside the final minute. Harvard’s defense forced a late turnover to ice the game, recording a 31-24 victory.
Opinion: College Football's Week 13 Villains
Another weekend of college football is in the books, so let’s go through who let themselves down on the gridiron with my Week Thirteen Villains:
USC: So, the balance of football power in Los Angeles has definitely shifted. I struggled through the Trojans 38-20 loss to UCLA – one that was far more comprehensive than the scoreboard suggested – and, aside from being blasted by Bruins QB Brett Hundley, who’s been nothing but straight-up awesome in three starts against the Trojans, what stood out for me was the ineffectiveness of the USC offensive line.
Trojan QB Cody Kessler was sacked 6 times and hurried at least a dozen more times. Bruin defenders set up shop in the USC backfield and Kessler was always on the move, skating this way and that, rarely able to set his feet to get a good throw out to his legion of talented wide receivers, like star Nelson Agholor, who had easily the quietest game of his season when he needed to be really, really good.
There were a few questionable defensive calls from Justin Wilcox to boot, and, of course, there’s a lack of depth defensively thanks to scholarship restrictions that, thankfully, end this year, and the inept offensive performance meant, more often than not, that the Bruins had a short field to work with.
As much as it pains me to say, because I’ve loved watching USC defensively over the last 15-20 years, the opening pick-six was about the only highlight of the night for the Trojan D. It was as though that bad throw woke Hundley up, and the Men of Troy had no answers afterward, giving up third-and-longs with startling regularity. Wilcox is not going to be too popular amongst Trojan fans this week.
Like I said, I struggled through the game, with my frustration level growing with every botched play. How bad was it? When normally mild-mannered defensive lineman Leonard Williams gets chippy with Hundley, you know things are spiralling out of control. Now, the Trojans need to look ahead to Notre Dame, who, honestly, are eminently beatable at the moment. The problem is, so is USC.
Michigan: The Wolverines season of discontent sunk to a new low, succumbing to Maryland 23-16 in what was one of the most inept displays of Wolverine football that I’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Brady Hoke fired during the week. He deserves nothing less, being the figurehead of a team that’s absolutely stinking the place up every week. They out-gained Maryland, but couldn’t convert when they needed to.
Oh hey, remember when Michigan beat Ohio State and won the Sugar Bowl in Hoke’s first season in Ann Arbor? That was January 2012, my friends. Seems a lot longer ago than that, right? Especially for Hoke. Michigan’s lost at least six games for the fifth time in seven years, and, obviously, there’s little to no pride in that Wolverines jersey at the moment.
Notre Dame: When USC loses, all I can hope for is that UCLA and Notre Dame also lose. The fact that the Trojans and the Bruins played each other this week means that all I had to rely on for a little gridiron happiness was a possible Fighting Irish loss, and Brian Kelly’s men happily provided it.
The Irish started an impressive 6-0 and have absolutely imploded since then, losing three on the trot – Arizona State, Northwestern and now Louisville – and four of it’s past five, but it hasn’t so much been the losses, but how they’ve actually lost. Take Saturday’s effort against the Cardinals for example: they failed to convert on seven of eleven third downs, were gashed for 229 yards rushing and Kyle Brindza missed yet another big game-on-the-line field goal.
Absolutely nothing is going right for the Irish, and this Trojan fan loves it! Speaking of USC, Notre Dame travels to . They travel to USC next week for what, with the way both teams performed this week, might actually be a really entertaining game. If Notre Dame lose, they fall to 7-5, which equals Brian Kelly’s worst season in South Bend. Let’s hope it happens!
Virginia Tech: Lost 6-3 in 2OT after their game against Wake Forest went into overtime tied at nothing. That’s right – donuts on both sides of the scoreboard after 60 minutes of regulation. The Hokies were out-scored by a Wake Forest team that ranks 127th in the FBS in points scored. Surely Frank Beamer is out at the end of the season? VT needs a win against in-state rival Virginia just to make a Bowl game. Based on their performance today, you wouldn’t exactly back them in.
Ole Miss: Six turnovers against a rampant Arkansas Razorback defense – yeah, I surprised myself typing that phrase, too – has all but doomed the Rebels chances of being a part of the inaugural College Football Playoff bracket. The way they played on Saturday afternoon, they don’t deserve to be there. Bo Wallace was just 16-31 for 235 yards, no scores, and two interceptions, including a rub-salt-into-the-wound 100-yard return by the Hogs.
Utah: Not a good day for the Utes in Salt Lake City. Arizona RB Nick Wilson made them look pretty silly, running for 208 of the 520 total yards the Wildcat offense, coming from the warmth of the desert to the frigid conditions of Salt Lake City, rolled up on an out-of-sorts Utah defense. Worse, they coughed up four turnovers (including three interceptions) on offense, and managed just a solitary field goal in the second half. The final score line of 42-10 probably flattered the Utes a little.
Vanderbilt: Another week, another embarrassing loss for a Vanderbilt program that’s stuttered and died since former coach James Franklin departed for Penn State. They turned the football over three times en route to being trounced 51-0 by a Mississippi State team hell-bent on revenge after losing to Alabama. The Commodores drop to 0-7 in SEC play this season, and a scratchy 3-8 overall record.
USC: So, the balance of football power in Los Angeles has definitely shifted. I struggled through the Trojans 38-20 loss to UCLA – one that was far more comprehensive than the scoreboard suggested – and, aside from being blasted by Bruins QB Brett Hundley, who’s been nothing but straight-up awesome in three starts against the Trojans, what stood out for me was the ineffectiveness of the USC offensive line.
Trojan QB Cody Kessler was sacked 6 times and hurried at least a dozen more times. Bruin defenders set up shop in the USC backfield and Kessler was always on the move, skating this way and that, rarely able to set his feet to get a good throw out to his legion of talented wide receivers, like star Nelson Agholor, who had easily the quietest game of his season when he needed to be really, really good.
There were a few questionable defensive calls from Justin Wilcox to boot, and, of course, there’s a lack of depth defensively thanks to scholarship restrictions that, thankfully, end this year, and the inept offensive performance meant, more often than not, that the Bruins had a short field to work with.
As much as it pains me to say, because I’ve loved watching USC defensively over the last 15-20 years, the opening pick-six was about the only highlight of the night for the Trojan D. It was as though that bad throw woke Hundley up, and the Men of Troy had no answers afterward, giving up third-and-longs with startling regularity. Wilcox is not going to be too popular amongst Trojan fans this week.
Like I said, I struggled through the game, with my frustration level growing with every botched play. How bad was it? When normally mild-mannered defensive lineman Leonard Williams gets chippy with Hundley, you know things are spiralling out of control. Now, the Trojans need to look ahead to Notre Dame, who, honestly, are eminently beatable at the moment. The problem is, so is USC.
Michigan: The Wolverines season of discontent sunk to a new low, succumbing to Maryland 23-16 in what was one of the most inept displays of Wolverine football that I’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Brady Hoke fired during the week. He deserves nothing less, being the figurehead of a team that’s absolutely stinking the place up every week. They out-gained Maryland, but couldn’t convert when they needed to.
Oh hey, remember when Michigan beat Ohio State and won the Sugar Bowl in Hoke’s first season in Ann Arbor? That was January 2012, my friends. Seems a lot longer ago than that, right? Especially for Hoke. Michigan’s lost at least six games for the fifth time in seven years, and, obviously, there’s little to no pride in that Wolverines jersey at the moment.
Notre Dame: When USC loses, all I can hope for is that UCLA and Notre Dame also lose. The fact that the Trojans and the Bruins played each other this week means that all I had to rely on for a little gridiron happiness was a possible Fighting Irish loss, and Brian Kelly’s men happily provided it.
The Irish started an impressive 6-0 and have absolutely imploded since then, losing three on the trot – Arizona State, Northwestern and now Louisville – and four of it’s past five, but it hasn’t so much been the losses, but how they’ve actually lost. Take Saturday’s effort against the Cardinals for example: they failed to convert on seven of eleven third downs, were gashed for 229 yards rushing and Kyle Brindza missed yet another big game-on-the-line field goal.
Absolutely nothing is going right for the Irish, and this Trojan fan loves it! Speaking of USC, Notre Dame travels to . They travel to USC next week for what, with the way both teams performed this week, might actually be a really entertaining game. If Notre Dame lose, they fall to 7-5, which equals Brian Kelly’s worst season in South Bend. Let’s hope it happens!
Virginia Tech: Lost 6-3 in 2OT after their game against Wake Forest went into overtime tied at nothing. That’s right – donuts on both sides of the scoreboard after 60 minutes of regulation. The Hokies were out-scored by a Wake Forest team that ranks 127th in the FBS in points scored. Surely Frank Beamer is out at the end of the season? VT needs a win against in-state rival Virginia just to make a Bowl game. Based on their performance today, you wouldn’t exactly back them in.
Ole Miss: Six turnovers against a rampant Arkansas Razorback defense – yeah, I surprised myself typing that phrase, too – has all but doomed the Rebels chances of being a part of the inaugural College Football Playoff bracket. The way they played on Saturday afternoon, they don’t deserve to be there. Bo Wallace was just 16-31 for 235 yards, no scores, and two interceptions, including a rub-salt-into-the-wound 100-yard return by the Hogs.
Utah: Not a good day for the Utes in Salt Lake City. Arizona RB Nick Wilson made them look pretty silly, running for 208 of the 520 total yards the Wildcat offense, coming from the warmth of the desert to the frigid conditions of Salt Lake City, rolled up on an out-of-sorts Utah defense. Worse, they coughed up four turnovers (including three interceptions) on offense, and managed just a solitary field goal in the second half. The final score line of 42-10 probably flattered the Utes a little.
Vanderbilt: Another week, another embarrassing loss for a Vanderbilt program that’s stuttered and died since former coach James Franklin departed for Penn State. They turned the football over three times en route to being trounced 51-0 by a Mississippi State team hell-bent on revenge after losing to Alabama. The Commodores drop to 0-7 in SEC play this season, and a scratchy 3-8 overall record.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Dominik Hasek Enters The Hockey Hall Of Fame
And not before time, either.
Chris Osgood, himself a Stanley Cup-winning net-minder, once said of his Detroit Red Wings teammate Dominik Hase“He has the instincts of a Wayne Gretzky as a goalie.”
High praise indeed, and now Hasek, the man known to so many hockey fans simply as The Dominator, has attained the highest individual honour that a player can strive for in hockey: a place in the Hall of Fame.
On Monday night in Toronto, the man whom Osgood compared to Gretzky, a Czech Republic-born brick wall in net for so many years, was inducted into a Hall so stacked with talent that any self-respecting hockey fan gets chills walking amongst the displays, placing himself in such exalted company as Hull, Orr, Mikita, Hull junior and the Great One himself. It’s a richly-deserved plaudit for one of the game’s great characters.
The Dominator is one of those guys hockey fans of a certain age are always going to remember, be it for his stonewall-like efforts for his country in the semi-final game of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, a surprising 2-1 victory for a Czech Republic team given little chance against the juggernaut of Canada. Remember it? Hasek stood tall in goal against wave after wave of attack from the Maple Leaf squad, and memorably robbed Brendan Shanahan – a shoot-out wizard if ever there’s been one – to ensure the Czechs qualified for the Gold medal game.
That day, Hasek played out of his skin, out of his mind, and very much in the mould of the great American goalie, Jim Craig, who similarly battled against the odds to beat the mighty USSR during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.
You can make a solid argument that Hasek is the greatest goaltender of all time. Of course, you could also make a solid argument that Martin Brodeur or Patrick Roy deserve to be known as the greatest of all time. Statistics like the fact that both Brodeur and Roy have won more career games and Stanley Cup championships. Additionally, Brodeur is the all-time NHL leader in shutouts, and Roy has won the Conn Smythe Trophy awarded to the Most Valuable Player in the Stanley Cup playoffs an incredible three times.
Even so, Hasek can point to his career-best season save percentage of .930 or above five times, as far better than the best either Brodeur or Roy could muster: .925 for Roy and .972 for Brodeur, who has today come out and said he wants to play again – an unlikely occurrence, for mine – to further those record marks, though obviously not with the team he will forever be identified with, the New Jersey Devils.
Stats say one thing, but it’s gut effort and all-out competitiveness that became Hasek’s real calling card. And what he will likely be remembered for as long as the great game of hockey is played. There’s been no one like the Dominator for single-mindedness and sheer will whenever he’s on the ice. Ask anyone who ever got to an arena early to see Hasek during emerge from the locker room for the first time.
Here was a guy who treated those exercises as seriously as he treated standing between the pipes in a game. By definition, goalies are the most competitive guys on any team – I mean, why else would you want to throw on a heap of gear, and stand between two iron pipes whilst guys on the other team are alternately trying to slash at you with their sticks and pump frozen rubber discs at you again and again at over a hundred miles an hour? Hasek, though, will be remembered
Recall a great goalie moment from the last few decades and you’re almost certainly going to think of one where Hasek was involved. That’s what happens when a guy wins the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the League’s best goaltender six times. That’s a pretty incredible number, especially when you consider the other goalies he was going up against – Brodeur and Roy included. He also led the NHL in save percentage for six straight seasons, beginning on 1993-94 and extending right through to the 1998-99 season.
By any estimation, that’s an incredible stretch, and especially when you consider some of the other goalies plying their trade at that time: Brodeur and Roy, of course, but also Mike Richter, future Hall of Famer Ed Belfour and the Bulin Wall, Nikolai Khabibulin to name just a few others.
After heartbreak in 1999 with the Buffalo Sabres (who will be the team most easily identified with The Dominator’s career) losing the Stanley Cup Final in 1999, the competitor in Hasek wanted out, believing that the team had eroded to the point where he would be unlikely to taste ultimate NHL success with them.
The Dominator was granted his wish: a transfer to a contender, Detroit. Three years later, in 2002, found Stanley Cup glory with the Red Wings, alongside Brendan Shanahan, the man he’d stoned in Nagano four years earlier, and a team featuring up-and-coming superstars like Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk.
Hasek retired for the first time after hoisting Lord Stanley that year, but the lure of the game brought him back, and his second go-around featured stints playing for the Wings, for Ottawa and for his country in the 2006 Winter Olympic Games and then mentored and Chris Osgood to collect a second Stanley Cup championship in 2008, after being ousted in favour of Osgood in the first round of the playoffs. That’s the class of the man right there: dumped for a guy who he then went on to support. The Dominator: a good player and a greater man.
“Sometimes it was difficult to listen to people, like, my style is not good enough,” Hasek said recently. “But I’m glad I could prove that my style is good enough.”
You proved it in spades, Dominator. Welcome to the Hall of Fame. All hail Dominik Hasek, one of the greatest goalies to ever line up between the pipes and a man whose legendary competitive spirit will hopefully never be forgotten.
College Football 2014: Week Thirteen Australian Foxtel / ESPN TV Guide
For me, the weekend is great if USC beat UCLA and a total write-off if the Bruins get us again. Enjoy!
All Times AEDT
Friday 21 November
College Football Countdown (11.00am; ESPN2/ESPN2-HD)
North Carolina vs. Duke (11.30am; ESPN2/ESPN2-HD)
Saturday 22 November
San Jose State vs. Utah State (1.30pm; ESPN2/ESPN2-HD)
Sunday 23 November
College GameDay (1.00am; ESPN/ESPN-HD)
No. 25 Minnesota vs. No. 23 Nebraska (4.00am; ESPN/ESPN-HD)
Penn State vs. Illinois (4.00am; ESPN2/ESPN2-HD)
Boston College vs. No. 3 Florida State (7.30am; ESPN/ESPN-HD)
No. 24 Louisville vs. Notre Dame (7.30am; ESPN2/ESPN2-HD)
No. 19 USC vs. No. 9 UCLA (12.00pm; ESPN2/ESPN2-HD)
Sunday, November 16, 2014
College Football's Week 12 Villains
Another weekend of college football is in the books, so let’s go through who let themselves down on the gridiron with my Week Twelve Villains:
ESPN Australia/New Zealand: One game of football on a Sunday in November, and football pre-empted by replayed soccer? Unforgiveable. Coverage is going downhill when it should be on the uptick as we enter the final, crucial weeks of the season. College football fans are being sadly short-changed by a network that generally serves them well. Not so much recently, though.
Notre Dame: Boy, as a USC fan, I love seeing the Irish lose. More than that, I like seeing their promising season come to a crushing apocalyptic end! A week after being blown out by Arizona State mostly because they failed to execute the football fundamentals – you know, not throwing insanely stupid interceptions, not protecting the ball when under pressure in the pocket, and not collecting a snap to make a hold for a field goal try – they were doomed by turnovers at the worst possible time.
How’s this for a rundown from hell? Normally sure-handed RB Cam McDaniel fumbled late as Notre Dame were trying to run out the game, a mistake that led to a game-tying field goal for the Wildcats. Earlier, the Irish went for two in the fourth, when Brian Kelly later admitted their chart said kick the PAT. They also had a missed PAT returned for two points by Northwestern. The old, fierier Kelly would’ve lost his mind. The newer, calmer one just about did, too.
Washington: Led 17-7 against Arizona, turned the football over with 1:26 to play, up 26-24, and then watched head coach Chris Petersen call a time out as Arizona kicker Casey Skowron…missed. It didn’t count, due to the stoppage, and Skowron didn’t miss a second time. Washington fall to a disappointing 2-5 in the Pac-12 this year.
Minnesota: Couldn’t take advantage of three Ohio State turnovers and couldn’t stop QB J.T. Barrett on a snowy Saturday afternoon in the Twin Cities. Had they been able do to a little of both, they might’ve beaten the Buckeyes. Instead, they went down by a touchdown, 31-24.
Mississippi State: Not only did the Bulldogs lose 25-20 to Alabama in Tuscaloosa, some of their best wins of the season – LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn – were beaten today, devaluing those earlier victories. After subpar wins against Kentucky and Arkansas before this week, I wonder if Hail State will slip from the number one spot when the next College Football Playoff rankings are released.
Texas Christian: Yes, the Horned Frogs won 34-30, but they trailed woeful Kansas 13-10 at the half, and then were forced to rally from down ten points in the third quarter to escape Lawrence with a very sketchy win. Let’s see what that does to their perception in the new College Football Playoff rankings. Honestly, as the fourth-ranked team in America, and as bad as Kansas have been since Todd Reesing graduated, they should have won by sixty or more.
Florida: Up 17-10 against South Carolina and looking like a different team to the one that’s appeared in these columns in recent weeks, the Gators proceeded to then take their place here for another week, succumbing 23-20 to South Carolina in overtime. How? Well, the Gamecocks blocked a Florida punt with 39 seconds to play, and ended up in the end zone and headed to overtime 17-17. Whilst Florida kicked a field goal, they gave up a touchdown run to South Carolina QB Dylan Thompson, and almost certainly lost Will Muschamp his job.
Nebraska’s Defense: The Cornhuskers are going to see Melvin Gordon trampling them in their dreams – actually, their nightmares – for about a month. In fairness, the way the Wisconsin back was toting the rock, Alabama’s recent championship defensive units might’ve struggled to get him down, but still, the numbers are bad: 581 yards rushing against. The Cornhusker D is going to be the answer to a football trivia question one day soon. They were gashed and mauled and ripped in every imaginable way.
Duke: Three turnovers were converted into the 17 points that Virginia Tech needed to beat the Blue Devils 16-17, and now Duke must win their final two games in a wild and unpredictable ACC Coastal Division. They have North Carolina and Wake Forest to come, both winnable games, but, then, so was the Hokies game. As an aside, VT are great at season-wrecking wins. Remember, they dealt Ohio State it’s only loss back in September.
ESPN Australia/New Zealand: One game of football on a Sunday in November, and football pre-empted by replayed soccer? Unforgiveable. Coverage is going downhill when it should be on the uptick as we enter the final, crucial weeks of the season. College football fans are being sadly short-changed by a network that generally serves them well. Not so much recently, though.
Notre Dame: Boy, as a USC fan, I love seeing the Irish lose. More than that, I like seeing their promising season come to a crushing apocalyptic end! A week after being blown out by Arizona State mostly because they failed to execute the football fundamentals – you know, not throwing insanely stupid interceptions, not protecting the ball when under pressure in the pocket, and not collecting a snap to make a hold for a field goal try – they were doomed by turnovers at the worst possible time.
How’s this for a rundown from hell? Normally sure-handed RB Cam McDaniel fumbled late as Notre Dame were trying to run out the game, a mistake that led to a game-tying field goal for the Wildcats. Earlier, the Irish went for two in the fourth, when Brian Kelly later admitted their chart said kick the PAT. They also had a missed PAT returned for two points by Northwestern. The old, fierier Kelly would’ve lost his mind. The newer, calmer one just about did, too.
Washington: Led 17-7 against Arizona, turned the football over with 1:26 to play, up 26-24, and then watched head coach Chris Petersen call a time out as Arizona kicker Casey Skowron…missed. It didn’t count, due to the stoppage, and Skowron didn’t miss a second time. Washington fall to a disappointing 2-5 in the Pac-12 this year.
Minnesota: Couldn’t take advantage of three Ohio State turnovers and couldn’t stop QB J.T. Barrett on a snowy Saturday afternoon in the Twin Cities. Had they been able do to a little of both, they might’ve beaten the Buckeyes. Instead, they went down by a touchdown, 31-24.
Mississippi State: Not only did the Bulldogs lose 25-20 to Alabama in Tuscaloosa, some of their best wins of the season – LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn – were beaten today, devaluing those earlier victories. After subpar wins against Kentucky and Arkansas before this week, I wonder if Hail State will slip from the number one spot when the next College Football Playoff rankings are released.
Texas Christian: Yes, the Horned Frogs won 34-30, but they trailed woeful Kansas 13-10 at the half, and then were forced to rally from down ten points in the third quarter to escape Lawrence with a very sketchy win. Let’s see what that does to their perception in the new College Football Playoff rankings. Honestly, as the fourth-ranked team in America, and as bad as Kansas have been since Todd Reesing graduated, they should have won by sixty or more.
Florida: Up 17-10 against South Carolina and looking like a different team to the one that’s appeared in these columns in recent weeks, the Gators proceeded to then take their place here for another week, succumbing 23-20 to South Carolina in overtime. How? Well, the Gamecocks blocked a Florida punt with 39 seconds to play, and ended up in the end zone and headed to overtime 17-17. Whilst Florida kicked a field goal, they gave up a touchdown run to South Carolina QB Dylan Thompson, and almost certainly lost Will Muschamp his job.
Nebraska’s Defense: The Cornhuskers are going to see Melvin Gordon trampling them in their dreams – actually, their nightmares – for about a month. In fairness, the way the Wisconsin back was toting the rock, Alabama’s recent championship defensive units might’ve struggled to get him down, but still, the numbers are bad: 581 yards rushing against. The Cornhusker D is going to be the answer to a football trivia question one day soon. They were gashed and mauled and ripped in every imaginable way.
Duke: Three turnovers were converted into the 17 points that Virginia Tech needed to beat the Blue Devils 16-17, and now Duke must win their final two games in a wild and unpredictable ACC Coastal Division. They have North Carolina and Wake Forest to come, both winnable games, but, then, so was the Hokies game. As an aside, VT are great at season-wrecking wins. Remember, they dealt Ohio State it’s only loss back in September.
Opinion: College Football's Week 12 Heroes
Another weekend of college football is in the books, so let’s go through who was great on the gridiron with my Week Twelve Heroes:
Melvin Gordon: The record-setting Wisconsin running back is the hero of all heroes this week. We’ve seen him do some amazing things on the field this season, but he saved his best for what was a crucial Big Ten contest against Nebraska, and basically put the Badgers on his shoulders to carry – or, is that run? – them to the victory.
In a performance that had people’s jaws dropping right across the country, and had the Nebraska defense at sixes and sevens every time he touched the football, Gordon broke an NCAA single-game rushing record, notching 408 yards and four touchdowns.
If those numbers aren’t impressive enough, consider that Gordon’s history-making yardage haul came on a mere 25 attempts, for an impressive average of 16.3 yards per carry. The Badgers were down 10-0 early, and Gordon brought them roaring back. Incredible effort.
Nelson Agholor: The USC wide receiver had a night out on Thursday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, hauling in 16 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns as USC beat Cal 38-30. UCLA defenders might want to dial down on Agholor next week. He’s been dynamite offensively and on special teams this year.
Arkansas: Despite coming heartbreakingly close on a number of recent occasions, it’s been a long time since the Razorbacks last won an SEC contest – seventeen tortuous games, in fact, and fourteen of those under current head coach Brett Bielema – but everything came together for the Hogs on Saturday night as they blanked an uninspired Louisiana State team 17-0. This was also the first time Arkansas’s defense has pitched a shutout since September 2006.
Texas: Bowl eligible after a torrid start to the season. The Longhorns, who’ve shown signs of steady improvement under first-year head coach Charlie Strong, beat Oklahoma State 28-7 in Stillwater. QB Tyrone Swoopes continues to improve, and the Texas defense was superb, holding OSU to zero third down conversions until their sole touchdown drive, early in the fourth.
When the Longhorns lost to Kansas State on October 25, their third straight loss, they were 3-5, the natives, used to football excellence, were getting restless, and there was a general season that the trajectory of the season could’ve gone either way. To their credit, they’ve ticked upward, and will get to a post-season Bowl this year. Considering the way things started, it’s no small achievement.
Northwestern: By any reckoning, this has been a disappointing season for Pat Fitzgerald’s Wildcats, but they’ll take great delight in doing what they did today, beating Notre Dame in South Bend after trailing the Fighting Irish 40-29 with 11:00 to play in the fourth quarter.
At that point, it looked like Fitzgerald’s men would not be able to recreate the memorable 1995 victory for the Northwestern over the Irish in 1995, the last time the Wildcats journeyed tp Notre Dame Stadium.
Then, a shocking comeback: a Trevor Siemian touchdown, a two-point conversion, and, a 45-yard game-tying field goal for Jack Mitchell that came as a result of a calamitous fumble from Notre Dame RB Cam McDaniel, and the game went to overtime. Cue Mitchell, who knocked a ball through from 41 yards out for a memorable 43-40 Wildcat win that, arguably, was more surprising than the famously lauded 1995 victory. This USC fan enjoyed every second.
Leon Allen: Here's a guy who probably figured he would be the best performing back on Saturday, only to see Melvin Gordon pop loose. Still, the Western Kentucky star had a banner day, rushing for 345 yards and two touchdowns as WKU beat Army 52-24. Still, a very impressive effort.
Georgia’s Running Game: Overshadowed by an injury to star RB Todd Gurley in his first game back after an NCAA suspension, the Bulldogs ran over, through and around Auburn in their 34-7 victory over the listing Tigers. Gurley had a season-high 29 carries for 138 yards and one touchdown, and the back end of the 1-2 ground game punch, Nick Chubb, added 144 yards and two scores. Georgia fans will be hoping – or is that praying? – that Gurley’s injury isn’t serious.
J.T. Barrett: He was the unknown backup quarterback thrust into the starting position when Braxton Miller went down with a pre-season injury, and now the Ohio State signal caller is in the records books, erasing Miller’s name. Up north in wintry Minnesota, he ran for three touchdowns and a school-record 189 yards, amongst which was his 38th touchdown of the season, now two better than the benchmark Miller set last year. Miller’s place as the incumbent starter when healthy is looking less and less secure by the moment. OSU won 34-21, despite three turnovers and snow.
Boise State: Like last week, it wasn’t pretty, but it was a win. The Broncos 38-29 win came following a three-touchdown fourth quarter that brought them back from a 20-point deficit on the blue turf in Boise, and it was thanks to RB Jay Ajayi. The star back had 134 yards on 31 carries and three touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter to put the Broncos ahead for good. Quietly, the Broncos are 8-2 with losses to only Air Force and Ole Miss, and maybe the best team in the Mountain West Conference.
Keenan Reynolds: The Navy quarterback accounted for seven touchdowns – one passing and six rushing – as the Midshipmen ripped Georgia Southern 52-19. He had 277 rushing and 77 passing yards. No other Navy player had more than 37 yards. Total domination.
Melvin Gordon: The record-setting Wisconsin running back is the hero of all heroes this week. We’ve seen him do some amazing things on the field this season, but he saved his best for what was a crucial Big Ten contest against Nebraska, and basically put the Badgers on his shoulders to carry – or, is that run? – them to the victory.
In a performance that had people’s jaws dropping right across the country, and had the Nebraska defense at sixes and sevens every time he touched the football, Gordon broke an NCAA single-game rushing record, notching 408 yards and four touchdowns.
If those numbers aren’t impressive enough, consider that Gordon’s history-making yardage haul came on a mere 25 attempts, for an impressive average of 16.3 yards per carry. The Badgers were down 10-0 early, and Gordon brought them roaring back. Incredible effort.
Nelson Agholor: The USC wide receiver had a night out on Thursday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, hauling in 16 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns as USC beat Cal 38-30. UCLA defenders might want to dial down on Agholor next week. He’s been dynamite offensively and on special teams this year.
Arkansas: Despite coming heartbreakingly close on a number of recent occasions, it’s been a long time since the Razorbacks last won an SEC contest – seventeen tortuous games, in fact, and fourteen of those under current head coach Brett Bielema – but everything came together for the Hogs on Saturday night as they blanked an uninspired Louisiana State team 17-0. This was also the first time Arkansas’s defense has pitched a shutout since September 2006.
Texas: Bowl eligible after a torrid start to the season. The Longhorns, who’ve shown signs of steady improvement under first-year head coach Charlie Strong, beat Oklahoma State 28-7 in Stillwater. QB Tyrone Swoopes continues to improve, and the Texas defense was superb, holding OSU to zero third down conversions until their sole touchdown drive, early in the fourth.
When the Longhorns lost to Kansas State on October 25, their third straight loss, they were 3-5, the natives, used to football excellence, were getting restless, and there was a general season that the trajectory of the season could’ve gone either way. To their credit, they’ve ticked upward, and will get to a post-season Bowl this year. Considering the way things started, it’s no small achievement.
Northwestern: By any reckoning, this has been a disappointing season for Pat Fitzgerald’s Wildcats, but they’ll take great delight in doing what they did today, beating Notre Dame in South Bend after trailing the Fighting Irish 40-29 with 11:00 to play in the fourth quarter.
At that point, it looked like Fitzgerald’s men would not be able to recreate the memorable 1995 victory for the Northwestern over the Irish in 1995, the last time the Wildcats journeyed tp Notre Dame Stadium.
Then, a shocking comeback: a Trevor Siemian touchdown, a two-point conversion, and, a 45-yard game-tying field goal for Jack Mitchell that came as a result of a calamitous fumble from Notre Dame RB Cam McDaniel, and the game went to overtime. Cue Mitchell, who knocked a ball through from 41 yards out for a memorable 43-40 Wildcat win that, arguably, was more surprising than the famously lauded 1995 victory. This USC fan enjoyed every second.
Leon Allen: Here's a guy who probably figured he would be the best performing back on Saturday, only to see Melvin Gordon pop loose. Still, the Western Kentucky star had a banner day, rushing for 345 yards and two touchdowns as WKU beat Army 52-24. Still, a very impressive effort.
Georgia’s Running Game: Overshadowed by an injury to star RB Todd Gurley in his first game back after an NCAA suspension, the Bulldogs ran over, through and around Auburn in their 34-7 victory over the listing Tigers. Gurley had a season-high 29 carries for 138 yards and one touchdown, and the back end of the 1-2 ground game punch, Nick Chubb, added 144 yards and two scores. Georgia fans will be hoping – or is that praying? – that Gurley’s injury isn’t serious.
J.T. Barrett: He was the unknown backup quarterback thrust into the starting position when Braxton Miller went down with a pre-season injury, and now the Ohio State signal caller is in the records books, erasing Miller’s name. Up north in wintry Minnesota, he ran for three touchdowns and a school-record 189 yards, amongst which was his 38th touchdown of the season, now two better than the benchmark Miller set last year. Miller’s place as the incumbent starter when healthy is looking less and less secure by the moment. OSU won 34-21, despite three turnovers and snow.
Boise State: Like last week, it wasn’t pretty, but it was a win. The Broncos 38-29 win came following a three-touchdown fourth quarter that brought them back from a 20-point deficit on the blue turf in Boise, and it was thanks to RB Jay Ajayi. The star back had 134 yards on 31 carries and three touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter to put the Broncos ahead for good. Quietly, the Broncos are 8-2 with losses to only Air Force and Ole Miss, and maybe the best team in the Mountain West Conference.
Keenan Reynolds: The Navy quarterback accounted for seven touchdowns – one passing and six rushing – as the Midshipmen ripped Georgia Southern 52-19. He had 277 rushing and 77 passing yards. No other Navy player had more than 37 yards. Total domination.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
College Football 2014: Week Twelve Australian Foxtel / ESPN TV Guide
The season is three months' old, and it's been a spectacular one full of great games and surprises - Mississippi State, anyone? - but as we wind down towards Championship Weekend and the beginning of Bowl season, ESPN are seriously dropping the ball, showing only one game this Sunday (an 11.15am contest), and it isn't even the Auburn vs. Georgia game. One step forward, two steps backward this season with TV, it seems. At least I get to see USC this week! It's one of just two games scheduled.
All times AEDT
Friday 14 November
College Football Countdown (12.00pm; ESPN2/ESPN2-HD)
California vs. USC (1.00pm; ESPN2/ESPN2-HD)
Sunday 16 November
No. 3 Florida State vs. Miami (12.00pm; ESPN2/ESPN2-HD)
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Opinion: College Football's Week 11 Villains
Another weekend of college football is in the books, so let’s go through who let themselves down on the gridiron with my Week Eleven Villains:
Everett Golson: It was almost as though Tommy Rees was back behind the controls of the Notre Dame offense. You remember him, right? A maddeningly inconsistent guy who could flash brilliance followed, the very next play, by craziness. Well, Golson took a leaf out of Rees’s book on Saturday in Tempe, throwing four interceptions, coughing up a fumble and being sacked – read: driven into the grass at Sun Devil Stadium – as the Irish came up short against Arizona State. It was probably the worst performance we’ve seen from Golson in an otherwise strong Notre Dame career, and he’ll likely have nightmares about that ASU blitz for months to come.
Michigan State’s Defense: The vaunted Spartans were torched at every opportunity by a rampant Ohio State offense, led by surprising star J.T. Barrett. The Buckeyes had absolutely no trouble moving the football against a unit that’s been famously staunch for the last few seasons.
The way the Buckeyes manhandled MSU, which not many teams – outside of Oregon’s lightning fast group – have been able to do for a long time makes the OSU 39-37 win one of the more shocking of the weekend. Especially when you consider they did it by amassing 568 total yards. Didn’t see that coming!
Kaelin Clay: The Utah receiver took the football on a slant route, ran away from the Oregon defense and seemed certain to give the Utes a 14-0 lead. Except that he dropped the football just before he crossed the line. Oregon’s Erick Dargan Ducks swooped in, and took the fumble recovery 100 yards the other way for their own six-pointer to tie the game. Nothing went right for Utah after that, and they ended up losing 51-27.
Iowa: The Hawkeyes were demolished by 51-14 Minnesota in the Twin Cities – a Minnesota team that lost to Illinois last week. Iowa were insipid and uninspired, giving up 429 yards of total offense including 291 on the ground, and turned the football over three times. QB Jake Rudock was sacked four times and lost a fumble along the way, too.
North Dakota State: The all-conquering Bison came down to earth with a thud this week, losing to Northern Iowa in Cedar Rapids 23-3, ending an FCS record win streak of 33, which dates way back to December of 2011, when the Bison succumbed in overtime to Eastern Washington in the FCS quarter final round.
Nick Marshall: The Auburn quarterback, the star guy on a team who had used a serious of incredible fourth-quarter occurrences to win games over the last two seasons, was on the other end of SEC weirdness this week. On two separate occasions in the waning moments of the Tigers’ game with Texas A&M, and it’s very likely that those two horrendous mistakes will cost Auburn a chance at featuring in the inaugural College Football Playoff.
West Virginia: The Mountaineers couldn’t stop Texas RB Charles Gray, who had an even ten carries for a nearly-even 101 yards to go along with four timely scores, as the Longhorns recorded the biggest win of their season, shocking a ranked West Virginia squad 33-16. The kicker for WVU is that they outgained Texas 448-351 but couldn’t make key defensive stops or offensive conversions when it was really necessary.
Defense in the Boise State vs. New Mexico Game: Defense? What defense. There wasn’t much to talk about in a game where both offenses generated more than 600 total yards of offense to go with 109 total points. Boise State ended up winning 60-49, but not before coming back from two separate 14-point deficits. A wild game for those who love plenty of attacking football, but not one for the purists amongst us.
Everett Golson: It was almost as though Tommy Rees was back behind the controls of the Notre Dame offense. You remember him, right? A maddeningly inconsistent guy who could flash brilliance followed, the very next play, by craziness. Well, Golson took a leaf out of Rees’s book on Saturday in Tempe, throwing four interceptions, coughing up a fumble and being sacked – read: driven into the grass at Sun Devil Stadium – as the Irish came up short against Arizona State. It was probably the worst performance we’ve seen from Golson in an otherwise strong Notre Dame career, and he’ll likely have nightmares about that ASU blitz for months to come.
Michigan State’s Defense: The vaunted Spartans were torched at every opportunity by a rampant Ohio State offense, led by surprising star J.T. Barrett. The Buckeyes had absolutely no trouble moving the football against a unit that’s been famously staunch for the last few seasons.
The way the Buckeyes manhandled MSU, which not many teams – outside of Oregon’s lightning fast group – have been able to do for a long time makes the OSU 39-37 win one of the more shocking of the weekend. Especially when you consider they did it by amassing 568 total yards. Didn’t see that coming!
Kaelin Clay: The Utah receiver took the football on a slant route, ran away from the Oregon defense and seemed certain to give the Utes a 14-0 lead. Except that he dropped the football just before he crossed the line. Oregon’s Erick Dargan Ducks swooped in, and took the fumble recovery 100 yards the other way for their own six-pointer to tie the game. Nothing went right for Utah after that, and they ended up losing 51-27.
Iowa: The Hawkeyes were demolished by 51-14 Minnesota in the Twin Cities – a Minnesota team that lost to Illinois last week. Iowa were insipid and uninspired, giving up 429 yards of total offense including 291 on the ground, and turned the football over three times. QB Jake Rudock was sacked four times and lost a fumble along the way, too.
North Dakota State: The all-conquering Bison came down to earth with a thud this week, losing to Northern Iowa in Cedar Rapids 23-3, ending an FCS record win streak of 33, which dates way back to December of 2011, when the Bison succumbed in overtime to Eastern Washington in the FCS quarter final round.
Nick Marshall: The Auburn quarterback, the star guy on a team who had used a serious of incredible fourth-quarter occurrences to win games over the last two seasons, was on the other end of SEC weirdness this week. On two separate occasions in the waning moments of the Tigers’ game with Texas A&M, and it’s very likely that those two horrendous mistakes will cost Auburn a chance at featuring in the inaugural College Football Playoff.
West Virginia: The Mountaineers couldn’t stop Texas RB Charles Gray, who had an even ten carries for a nearly-even 101 yards to go along with four timely scores, as the Longhorns recorded the biggest win of their season, shocking a ranked West Virginia squad 33-16. The kicker for WVU is that they outgained Texas 448-351 but couldn’t make key defensive stops or offensive conversions when it was really necessary.
Defense in the Boise State vs. New Mexico Game: Defense? What defense. There wasn’t much to talk about in a game where both offenses generated more than 600 total yards of offense to go with 109 total points. Boise State ended up winning 60-49, but not before coming back from two separate 14-point deficits. A wild game for those who love plenty of attacking football, but not one for the purists amongst us.
Opinion: College Football's Week Eleven Heroes
Another weekend of college football is in the books, so let’s go through who was great on the gridiron with my Week Eleven Heroes:
Arizona State: The Sun Devils scored one of the biggest wins in the history of their program in knocking off Notre Dame in Tempe on Saturday afternoon. Though, Arizona State didn’t do it easily – conventionally. After the Irish kicked a field goal to open the scoring, the Sun Devils scored 34 unanswered for a 34-3 lead at the half that came largely thanks to a defense that intercepted Irish QB Everett Golson four times, recovered one of his two fumbles and recorded a whopping 7 sacks.
Inexplicably, the Sun Devils forgot to come out and play in the third quarter (and much of the fourth) allowing Notre Dame to find their mojo offensively and defensively to roar back into the game, coming within 3 points at 34-31, and it might’ve been a tie game had the Irish not horribly mangled a short-range field goal attempt.
As quickly as they’d lost their momentum, Arizona State wrestled it back, scoring the last 21 points, but not before putting a giant scare through their raucous home crowd, and eventually recorded a 55-31 victory that fairly accurately illustrated the gulf between the two teams. If ASU’s defense can play like they did in the first half every week, watch out. They blitzed and blitzed and blitzed, and Golson was at sixes and sevens when he wasn’t being sacked. Big win.
J.T. Barrett: Speaking of big wins…the Buckeyes went into East Lansing and beat Michigan State 49-37, making a mockery of those of us – myself included – who figured Sparty would have an easy win. Maybe they would’ve, had J.T. Barrett not turned up.
The Buckeye quarterback, thrust into the spotlight when star Braxton Miller was injured pre-season, is now fully in control of the OSU offense, and he showed it on Saturday night, torching one of the best defenses through the air (16-26 for 299 yards and three touchdowns) and on the ground (14 rushes for 87 yards and two scores) as Urban Meyer’s men went a long way to proving that they’re the best team in the Big Ten.
Brandon Boykin: Two weeks ago the Texas Christian quarterback was responsible for 7 touchdowns as TCU piled 82 points on a hapless Texas Tech. This week, Boykin ran for three and threw for a fourth as the Horned Frogs turned what was expected to be a close Big XII battle against the always-competitive Kansas State into a 41-20 rout. Surely, Boykin must be right in the thick of the Heisman conversation?
Northern Iowa: The Panthers recorded a 23-3 victory over the North Dakota State Bison in Cedar Rapids, snapping the Bison’s 33-game FCS record winning streak in front of nearly 15,000 fans inside the UNI Dome. That streak dated back to December of 2011, when the Bison lost to Eastern Washington in overtime, 38-31, in the FCS quarter finals. Northern Iowa’s win came thanks to RB David Johnson, who tore up the Bison defense on the ground, amassing 133 yards on a day that no one associated with the program will soon forget.
Amari Cooper: The Alabama receiver broke his school’s record for career receiving yards on Saturday night during the Tide’s overtime 20-13 victory against Louisiana State in Baton Rouge. The mark became Cooper’s on the back of a 23-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter, giving him 2,940 total yards. An impressive mark for a guy who’ll be remembered as one of the greatest ever to walk through the doors in Tuscaloosa.
Baylor: Not many pundits – including your humble blogger – gave the Bears much chance of going into Norman, Oklahoma and beating the Sooners, so imagine our collective surprise when Art Briles’ team steamrolled OU 48-14, after being down 14-3 in the first quarter. QB Bryce Petty was 32-42 for 387 yards and a score as Baylor beat Oklahoma on the road for the first time in twelve attempts.
Most of that yardage went to Corey Coleman, who set personal bests for receiving yards (224) and receptions (15) as Baylor ensured that Oklahoma would lose two home Big XII conference games for the first time in the sixteen years Bob Stoops has been coaching in Norman.
Marcus Mariota: If the Oregon quarterback wasn’t the outright Heisman Trophy favourite before tonight’s game against Utah, he should be now. Basically, Mariota picked the Ducks up and carried them across the line for a 51-27 win in Salt Lake City. He was 17-29 for 234 yards and 4 touchdowns in the passing game, and added another 114 yards and a score on the ground. Not a bad night out, and Oregon keep on rolling. They figure to climb higher in the College Football Playoff’s final four standings this week.
Arizona State: The Sun Devils scored one of the biggest wins in the history of their program in knocking off Notre Dame in Tempe on Saturday afternoon. Though, Arizona State didn’t do it easily – conventionally. After the Irish kicked a field goal to open the scoring, the Sun Devils scored 34 unanswered for a 34-3 lead at the half that came largely thanks to a defense that intercepted Irish QB Everett Golson four times, recovered one of his two fumbles and recorded a whopping 7 sacks.
Inexplicably, the Sun Devils forgot to come out and play in the third quarter (and much of the fourth) allowing Notre Dame to find their mojo offensively and defensively to roar back into the game, coming within 3 points at 34-31, and it might’ve been a tie game had the Irish not horribly mangled a short-range field goal attempt.
As quickly as they’d lost their momentum, Arizona State wrestled it back, scoring the last 21 points, but not before putting a giant scare through their raucous home crowd, and eventually recorded a 55-31 victory that fairly accurately illustrated the gulf between the two teams. If ASU’s defense can play like they did in the first half every week, watch out. They blitzed and blitzed and blitzed, and Golson was at sixes and sevens when he wasn’t being sacked. Big win.
J.T. Barrett: Speaking of big wins…the Buckeyes went into East Lansing and beat Michigan State 49-37, making a mockery of those of us – myself included – who figured Sparty would have an easy win. Maybe they would’ve, had J.T. Barrett not turned up.
The Buckeye quarterback, thrust into the spotlight when star Braxton Miller was injured pre-season, is now fully in control of the OSU offense, and he showed it on Saturday night, torching one of the best defenses through the air (16-26 for 299 yards and three touchdowns) and on the ground (14 rushes for 87 yards and two scores) as Urban Meyer’s men went a long way to proving that they’re the best team in the Big Ten.
Brandon Boykin: Two weeks ago the Texas Christian quarterback was responsible for 7 touchdowns as TCU piled 82 points on a hapless Texas Tech. This week, Boykin ran for three and threw for a fourth as the Horned Frogs turned what was expected to be a close Big XII battle against the always-competitive Kansas State into a 41-20 rout. Surely, Boykin must be right in the thick of the Heisman conversation?
Northern Iowa: The Panthers recorded a 23-3 victory over the North Dakota State Bison in Cedar Rapids, snapping the Bison’s 33-game FCS record winning streak in front of nearly 15,000 fans inside the UNI Dome. That streak dated back to December of 2011, when the Bison lost to Eastern Washington in overtime, 38-31, in the FCS quarter finals. Northern Iowa’s win came thanks to RB David Johnson, who tore up the Bison defense on the ground, amassing 133 yards on a day that no one associated with the program will soon forget.
Amari Cooper: The Alabama receiver broke his school’s record for career receiving yards on Saturday night during the Tide’s overtime 20-13 victory against Louisiana State in Baton Rouge. The mark became Cooper’s on the back of a 23-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter, giving him 2,940 total yards. An impressive mark for a guy who’ll be remembered as one of the greatest ever to walk through the doors in Tuscaloosa.
Baylor: Not many pundits – including your humble blogger – gave the Bears much chance of going into Norman, Oklahoma and beating the Sooners, so imagine our collective surprise when Art Briles’ team steamrolled OU 48-14, after being down 14-3 in the first quarter. QB Bryce Petty was 32-42 for 387 yards and a score as Baylor beat Oklahoma on the road for the first time in twelve attempts.
Most of that yardage went to Corey Coleman, who set personal bests for receiving yards (224) and receptions (15) as Baylor ensured that Oklahoma would lose two home Big XII conference games for the first time in the sixteen years Bob Stoops has been coaching in Norman.
Marcus Mariota: If the Oregon quarterback wasn’t the outright Heisman Trophy favourite before tonight’s game against Utah, he should be now. Basically, Mariota picked the Ducks up and carried them across the line for a 51-27 win in Salt Lake City. He was 17-29 for 234 yards and 4 touchdowns in the passing game, and added another 114 yards and a score on the ground. Not a bad night out, and Oregon keep on rolling. They figure to climb higher in the College Football Playoff’s final four standings this week.
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Album Review: "Anything Goes" - Florida Georgia Line
Artist: Florida Georgia Line
Release Date: October 2014
Label: Big Loud Mountain / Republic Nashville
Producer: Joey Moi
Kitch's Rating: 9.5/10
Talk about making an instant impact. Florida Georgia Line did that two years ago with the release of their debut album Here's To The Good Times and the subsequent Here's To The Good Times...This Is How We Roll re-release with five new songs (including a monster #1 hit duet with Georgian superstar Luke Bryan, 'This Is How We Roll').
It was country music like it had rarely been heard before, infused with rock and rap elements, furthering the so-called 'bro country' sub-genre of country music - beer, dirt roads, swimming holes, tanned girls, lift kids and more - and, though derided by some, the album chock-full of feelgood party tunes clicked with millions of people the world over.
The duo of Brian Kelley (from Ormond Beach, Florida) and Tyler Hubbard (from Monroe, Georgia) exploded out of the blocks, scoring hit after single hit. First it was the ridiculously successful "Cruise" which remains the highest-selling country download ever, then "Get Your Shine On", "Round Here", "Stay" and the previously-mentioned collaboration with Luke Bryan.
Naturally, topping such first-up success was always going to be difficult, especially with the dreaded sophomore slump hanging over them, but Anything Goes isn't going to do anything other than send Florida Georgia Line's star shooting higher and further into the stratosphere of country music. If they weren't already legitimate superstars of the genre, they will be on the heels of their second album.
Anything Goes is, like it's predecessor, a party album. It's made for being pumped long and loud on summer nights, when you're working your way through a case of beer - or perhaps something stronger - and enjoying being alive.
Then there's "Dirt", the lead single that probably changed a lot of people's opinions of the party-hearty duo. Bursting onto the charts in a similar vein to "Cruise" - though not quite as historically, of course - the song felt more like something Garth Brooks or Tim McGraw might've recorded, for there's hardly a mention of beer, hot country girls or tailgate parties contained within. Instead, it's an epic and introspective tale of a man, his wife and the unavoidable circle of life. Brilliant stuff. No wonder it was one of the most-requested songs on country radio this year.
"Dirt" is certainly the exception to the rule on this album. Everything else is about having a good time, which is exactly what those of us who love this duo - and that's a lot of us, despite the critics, because the album debuted #1 on the Billboard charts upon release in America - expect. The title track "Anything Goes" is all about wild Friday nights, and the catchy "Sun Daze" is something of an ode to sitting back wearing your favourite shades and getting high.
There's no song on the album that really reaches out and grabs you like "Cruise" did, but that was a once-in-a-lifetime song, and lightning rarely strikes twice. That said, there are a lot of good tracks, from the best of the alleged bro country genre writers. In fact, there wasn't one song I didn't enjoy.
Yeah, every track barring "Dirt" is thematically the same, but presented with enough variety that you don't feel like you're hearing the same song again and again, even though you actually kinda are. Everything you didn't hear BK and Tyler sing about in "Dirt" - that is, tailgating, drinking, girls, cutoffs and sunsets - you can hear in just about every other song.
Anything Goes is a good listen. Florida Georgia Line are going to be around for a while!
Time Capsule: October 2014
Reading:
Well, Tom Clancy may be dead, but the characters and situations that he created certainly aren't, and for most of October I found it hard to take my eyes away from the pages of Support and Defend, by Mark Greaney, which furthers the Clancy universe mostly through the eyes of former FBI agent turned operative for the top-secret The Campus agency, Dominic Caruso, who is on the hunt for an American political staffer who steals and leaks confidential information. The Iranians, a WikiLeaks-type group and even the Russians get involved and in the way of Caruso's hunt for vengeance.
Whilst it doesn't have all of the intricate technical detail that marked so many of Clancy's novels, Support and Defend definitely has the same spy craft, action and political intrigue that I've always expected. Greaney is a worthy author to carry on the Jack Ryan universe, and long may that continue.
Watching:
Again, Chicago PD. The second season is underway, and I haven't enjoyed a show this much since the old days when 24 was at it's peak. The wonderfully morally uncertain and violent Sergeant Hank Voight is back with the rest of the District 21 Intelligence squad and they familiar detectives are joined by former patrol officer Kevin Atwater. There's early turmoil for Halstead and Lindsay, and the Burgess has to adjust to a new partner who apparently hates working with women.
There are plenty of crossovers between PD and it's sister show Chicago Fire - one in almost every episode so far this year - and what feels like it's going to be an epic three-way crossover event with the two Chicago shows and also the New York-based Law and Order: SVU.
Listening To:
Florida Georgia Line was pretty much the first country album I listened to in full, thanks to the irresistible hook of their world-conquering single "Cruise" and ever since I've become a giant fan of the crazy but awesome fusion of country, rap and rock. Their second album Anything Goes is more of the same.
My favourite song is a departure from the good times-type music that's launched Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley into the stratosphere. Instead, "Dirt" is an epic tale about a man, his wife and the unavoidable circle of life. By far the most introspective song from Florida Georgia Line and more along the lines of something that Garth Brooks or Tim McGraw might've recorded, rather than these two. But it's great. Just like the entire album.
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