Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Editor's Note: Another Hawaiian Warrior football fan emailed me about my article questioning why Hawaii would be ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25 Poll and No. 17 in the Top 25 Coaches Poll given the weak competition the Warriors have played so far this season. This email is from Erik in Hawaii which is followed by my reply.
"First off I would like to say that I was born and raised in Hawaii, but I did attend the University Of Washington for a year, so I am not as biased as a normal Hawaii fan might be, or a normal Washington fan either for that matter.
"I respect both programs. I watched all the Hawaii games this year and all the Washington games except for the most recent one against UCLA. I have so much to say and I'll probably leave things out but anyways...
" - I wish Hawaii had the same schedule as UW and I bet you the Hawaii players and coaches do to...but the fact of the matter is it isn't the same.
" - Rankings don't say everything, statistics don't say everything, final scores don't show everything, margin of victory doesn't say everything, STATS ARE NOT RELIABLE MEASURES especially those from Wikipedia because that is a site that anyone can access and change.
"It is created and maintained by anyone who wants to; I could make up some person and write an article about that person and put it on Wikipedia. Bad source.
" - EXAMPLE: UNLV (13) vs. #5 Wisconsin (20), UNLV (14) vs. #24 UH (49)
" - EXAMPLE: the Appalachian State game!
" - EXAMPLE: any other upset...close game...etc.
" - So if UW were to lose to USC today by more than say Idaho (Hawaii's opponent today) lost to USC (Idaho lost 38-10) that would mean UW isn't as good as Idaho? Or say if UH beats Idaho by more than USC did that would mean UH is better than USC??? - How about your argument about what if UH had UW's schedule this year: you said UH would not be 4-0. So you're saying that UH couldn't even manage 2-2? I mean the fact is that a W is a W and a L is a L.
"Yes I watched the Ohio State vs. Washington game and I was excited at the half and impressed by UW but they lost. So if UH played Ohio State and lost by one more touchdown than UW did, or one less touchdown it wouldn't matter it's still a loss. Those are just numbers.
"Yes you can say this and that and you could probably make predictions based on statistics but they aren't always correct. You can't just base things on statistics. You can say UW is the best non-ranked team and deserves to be ranked...but the things the people who make the polls look at is wins and losses. Close does not cut it.
" - Of course the ranking system is going to be flawed, the BCS too, or any ranking system in any sport...the only way to solve that problem is if everyone played everyone...
" - Everyone has their own opinion…that is fine. Just don't act like you know when you don't. Don't hate on Hawaii. Don't say UH doesn't deserve what we have.
"It sounds as if you think UW is better than Hawaii...that is how your article is written even though you may not say it outright.
"If that is the case THE ONLY WAY TO TELL IS AT THE END OF THE YEAR WHEN IT'S JUST UH AND UW ON THE FIELD, NO ONE TALKING, WRITING, MAKING PREDICTIONS...THAT'S WHEN WE CAN TALK. - GO WARRIORS! and GO HUSKIES!
"p.s. at least you didn't discredit Colt Brennan..."
Hi Erik,
Let me commend you for your passionate defense of your Hawaiian Warriors. I am always thrilled when I see how passionate fans are in college football.
College football continues to be much more exciting and unpredictable than pro football. College athletes remain relatively unspoiled and unsullied compared to pro athletes.
You make some excellent points, Erik.
You are correct that it is possible to make statistics mean whatever you want them to mean. Nonetheless, the BCS rating formula is based on statistics, not opinion. The Sagarin College Football ratings are based on statistics, not opinion. The idea behind both systems is to take as much of the opinion as possible out of deciding which teams are worthy and which teams are not.
The easy answer to all discussion about which team is best is to settle it on the field in a playoff system. College basketball has no such argument because of March Madness, the Sweet 16, Elite 8 and Final 4.
You are right about Wikipedia, Erik. I went to Wikipedia because I could not find the information I sought on the official Hawaii Warrior website. Perhaps you could lead an effort to put more pertinent information on the website so writers have a better resource to use.
When you suggest that wins and losses take complete precedence over the quality of the opponent a team is playing, you overstate the point. The logical extension of what you are suggesting is that a Division I-AA team could go undefeated during the year and be better than the winner of the BCS national championship game.
I just finished watching Washington lose to No. 1-ranked USC (Southern California), 27-24. USC is now 5-0 and Washington now has a losing record at 2-3. USC was favored by 21 points and won by 3. The game was in doubt until the last minute.
Hawaii, on the other hand, easily put away Idaho, 48-20, leading 41-10 at the half. Hawaii stretches its record to 5-0 and Idaho is 1-4. Idaho is not good, and it is going nowhere about a thousand miles an hour.
It might be important for me to point out to you that I do not hate Hawaii or its Warriors. I was not dumping on Colt Brennan (as you noticed) or any other Warrior or your coach.
My beef is with the sportswriters who want me to accept the fact that Hawaii is one of the Top 25 teams in the nation. If the sportswriters vote Hawaii one of the best, enjoy your success, but I am not buying into it based on the Warriors weak schedule.
You had better enjoy any success because Hawaii could go 12-0 and still not be anywhere near playing in a BCS bowl game, and certainly not the BCS national championship game.
Do I think Washington can beat Hawaii? Yes I do. We will find out December 1 when the Huskies visit the Warriors.
Should the Huskies beat the Warriors it would still not be that big of a deal. The Huskies will do well to finish with a winning record and a bowl bid this season.
Heck, if Washington played Hawaii's schedule this year, it is entirely possible that both the Warriors and Huskies could go into their final game with 11-0 records. It is not that Washington is that good, it is that the Western Athletic Conference is that weak.
Note: The article in question is "The Case for the Washington Huskies to Be Ranked in a Top 25 Football Poll" and appears below and in my Sports Archive.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Another Reader Responds: Hawaii Warrior Fan Takes Exception to Using Statistics to Draw Conclusions About Rankings
Friday, September 28, 2007
A Reader Responds: She Takes Umbrage at My Dogging the Hawaii Warriors' Football Schedule
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Editor's Note: A Hawaiian Warrior football fan and alumnus emailed me about my article questioning why Hawaii would be ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25 Poll and No. 17 in the Top 25 Coaches Poll given the weak competition the Warriors have played so far this season. I mention only her first name in my reply.
"Aloha Mr. Bagley,
"I have read your article regarding Hawaii Football. Obviously, we will see how Hawaii stands up to the Huskies when they play at Aloha Stadium, on December 1.
"With all due respect, I can't imagine that you have watched The University of Hawaii play, making the comments that you have. I admittedly am a huge fan of Warrior and Rainbow Wahine sports, since I am an alumnus.
"You dog our schedule, I wonder if you are aware that we were forced to play the IAA schools because some of the Big 10 schools, Michigan State, paid to get out of their contract to play at Aloha Stadium, and another BCS school refused to play Hawaii, both at our house, and theirs, Michigan is the example of the latter.
"I will trust that since you are a journalist, you do your research prior to writing your pieces. Best of luck in your endeavors and I hope that you get an opportunity to visit our State.
"Sincerely, Rita"
Dear Rita,
Aloha back to you. Thank you for reading my article.
I commend you for going to bat for your Hawaiian Warriors. Hawaii has certainly won a lot of games and enjoyed some success with its football program in recent years. Hawaii is hands down an exciting team to watch because you will not be bored to death by a defensive struggle.
While I have never seen the Warriors play except on television, you have much to be proud of as Hawaii led the nation last year in scoring offense, averaging 46 points a game to Boise State's No. 2 ranking with 39 points per game.
Hawaii last year was in the middle of the pack on scoring defense at No. 69 among 119 Division 1-A teams, giving up an average of 24 points a game.
I went to the official Hawaii football site to get more info on Hawaii and found no archive. I could not even find last year's record. I went to wikipedia.org and discovered that Hawaii has no national championships in its history and has two co-championships in 1992 and 1999 in the Western Athletic Conference.
Wikipedia also notes that Hawaii played in the Hawaii Bowl last year and defeated Arizona State 41-24. Wikipedia says Hawaii won 11 games last season, tying a school record for victories in a season.
It looks to me like Hawaii could win its first 10 games with its schedule. I noted that Hawaii's first 4 victories came against teams currently rated by Sagarin at 75 (UNLV), 107 (Louisiana Tech), 202 (AA Charleston Southern) and 205 (AA Northern Colorado), an average rating of 147.
The Warriors next 6 opponents are rated 132 (Idaho), 150 (Utah State), 126 (San Jose State), 117 (New Mexico State), 87 (Fresno State) and 103 (Nevada). The average rating of its first 10 opponents is 130.
Given that there are exactly 119 teams in Division 1-A football and Hawaii is a Division I-A school, it would appear that the Warriors competition is weak at best in the first 10 games. This probably means that the WAC conference is not exactly a national powerhouse on the order of the SEC or even the Pac 10.
If Hawaii runs the table in its first 6 games, I still do not think the Warriors should be in the AP Top 25 Poll.
In its final two games, Hawaii faces better competition in Boise State, currently rated No. 28, and Washington, rated No. 36. Let us see how Hawaii does against these two teams.
If Hawaii played Washington's first 4 opponents, the Warriors would only be 4-0 in their dreams. That mighty offense is not going to move as well against Boise State, UCLA and particularly Ohio State. I will give you Syracuse.
There is in my archive a great article on Boise State's upset of Oklahoma in last year's Fiesta Bowl when the Cowboys won 43-42 in overtime. The win was impressive. Boise State was the undefeated WAC champion and 12-0 going into the Fiesta Bowl.
Boise State complained about not being selected to play in a BCS bowl game. I have news for Boise State. Neither Boise State nor Oklahoma deserved to be in a BCS bowl, that is why they were facing each other in the step-down Fiesta Bowl. The score of the game validates this judgment.
You and I do not agree on how good this year's Hawaii team is. We can agree to disagree. I will keep my eye on Hawaii during the season, and if my opinion of the Warriors rises, I will not be shy in saying so.
I have never been to Hawaii, Rita. I understand it is a terrific place to vacation and live. Perhaps I will visit your island in the future during the fall. When I do, I will make it a point to see the Warriors on their home field.
Note: The article in question is "The Case for the Washington Huskies to Be Ranked in a Top 25 Football Poll" and appears below and in my Sports Archive.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Editor's Note: A Hawaiian Warrior football fan and alumnus emailed me about my article questioning why Hawaii would be ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25 Poll and No. 17 in the Top 25 Coaches Poll given the weak competition the Warriors have played so far this season. I mention only her first name in my reply.
"Aloha Mr. Bagley,
"I have read your article regarding Hawaii Football. Obviously, we will see how Hawaii stands up to the Huskies when they play at Aloha Stadium, on December 1.
"With all due respect, I can't imagine that you have watched The University of Hawaii play, making the comments that you have. I admittedly am a huge fan of Warrior and Rainbow Wahine sports, since I am an alumnus.
"You dog our schedule, I wonder if you are aware that we were forced to play the IAA schools because some of the Big 10 schools, Michigan State, paid to get out of their contract to play at Aloha Stadium, and another BCS school refused to play Hawaii, both at our house, and theirs, Michigan is the example of the latter.
"I will trust that since you are a journalist, you do your research prior to writing your pieces. Best of luck in your endeavors and I hope that you get an opportunity to visit our State.
"Sincerely, Rita"
Dear Rita,
Aloha back to you. Thank you for reading my article.
I commend you for going to bat for your Hawaiian Warriors. Hawaii has certainly won a lot of games and enjoyed some success with its football program in recent years. Hawaii is hands down an exciting team to watch because you will not be bored to death by a defensive struggle.
While I have never seen the Warriors play except on television, you have much to be proud of as Hawaii led the nation last year in scoring offense, averaging 46 points a game to Boise State's No. 2 ranking with 39 points per game.
Hawaii last year was in the middle of the pack on scoring defense at No. 69 among 119 Division 1-A teams, giving up an average of 24 points a game.
I went to the official Hawaii football site to get more info on Hawaii and found no archive. I could not even find last year's record. I went to wikipedia.org and discovered that Hawaii has no national championships in its history and has two co-championships in 1992 and 1999 in the Western Athletic Conference.
Wikipedia also notes that Hawaii played in the Hawaii Bowl last year and defeated Arizona State 41-24. Wikipedia says Hawaii won 11 games last season, tying a school record for victories in a season.
It looks to me like Hawaii could win its first 10 games with its schedule. I noted that Hawaii's first 4 victories came against teams currently rated by Sagarin at 75 (UNLV), 107 (Louisiana Tech), 202 (AA Charleston Southern) and 205 (AA Northern Colorado), an average rating of 147.
The Warriors next 6 opponents are rated 132 (Idaho), 150 (Utah State), 126 (San Jose State), 117 (New Mexico State), 87 (Fresno State) and 103 (Nevada). The average rating of its first 10 opponents is 130.
Given that there are exactly 119 teams in Division 1-A football and Hawaii is a Division I-A school, it would appear that the Warriors competition is weak at best in the first 10 games. This probably means that the WAC conference is not exactly a national powerhouse on the order of the SEC or even the Pac 10.
If Hawaii runs the table in its first 6 games, I still do not think the Warriors should be in the AP Top 25 Poll.
In its final two games, Hawaii faces better competition in Boise State, currently rated No. 28, and Washington, rated No. 36. Let us see how Hawaii does against these two teams.
If Hawaii played Washington's first 4 opponents, the Warriors would only be 4-0 in their dreams. That mighty offense is not going to move as well against Boise State, UCLA and particularly Ohio State. I will give you Syracuse.
There is in my archive a great article on Boise State's upset of Oklahoma in last year's Fiesta Bowl when the Cowboys won 43-42 in overtime. The win was impressive. Boise State was the undefeated WAC champion and 12-0 going into the Fiesta Bowl.
Boise State complained about not being selected to play in a BCS bowl game. I have news for Boise State. Neither Boise State nor Oklahoma deserved to be in a BCS bowl, that is why they were facing each other in the step-down Fiesta Bowl. The score of the game validates this judgment.
You and I do not agree on how good this year's Hawaii team is. We can agree to disagree. I will keep my eye on Hawaii during the season, and if my opinion of the Warriors rises, I will not be shy in saying so.
I have never been to Hawaii, Rita. I understand it is a terrific place to vacation and live. Perhaps I will visit your island in the future during the fall. When I do, I will make it a point to see the Warriors on their home field.
Note: The article in question is "The Case for the Washington Huskies to Be Ranked in a Top 25 Football Poll" and appears below and in my Sports Archive.
College Football: The Case for the Washington Huskies to Be Ranked in a Top 25 Football Poll
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Finally, some element of common sense is beginning to show among the American sportswriters who vote every week in the AP Top 25 Poll.
Last week I urged America's finest pundits and worst pigheads to give the old heave-ho to No. 18 Louisville, No. 19 Hawaii, No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 24 Nebraska.
The pundits concurred by ousting Louisville and Texas A&M, but the pigheads mustered enough votes to keep No. 19 Hawaii were it was and drop Nebraska from No. 24 to No. 25.
I figure the press corps in Hawaii was offering any sportswriter in American a free off-season vacation to keep Hawaii in the Top 25 another week. The Warriors are 4-0 after whipping up on AA Northern Colorado 63-6, barely getting by Louisiana Tech 45-44 in overtime, beating UNLV 49-14 and thumping AA Charleston Southern 66-10.
So how pathetic is Hawaii as the No. 19 ranked team in the nation? This pathetic according to this week's Sagarin ratings: Among 119 Division 1-A teams, Hawaii's victories have come against teams rated 75 (UNLV), 107 (Louisiana Tech), 202 (AA Charleston Southern) and 205 (AA Northern Colorado).
When you average the 4 ratings of the teams the Warriors have beaten, you come up 147, and they are ranked as the 19th best team in the country. Go figure.
Clearly, some pigheaded sportswriters are living in a fantasy world or smoking something other than cigarettes.
I have no problem with Hawaii opening its season at 4-0. I have a huge problem with them being ranked in any poll worth its salt.
There must also be some pigheaded coaches voting in the Top 25 Coaches Poll as they have ranked Hawaii No. 17 this week. Maybe they just want to rank Hawaii very high so when they play them they will look a lot better than they are.
Replacing Louisville and Texas A&M in the AP Poll this week are newcomers Arizona State (No. 23) and Cincinnati (No. 24). Both are 4-0 on the season.
The teams that Arizona State has beaten have an average rating of 75 according to Sagarin, 72 points BETTER than Hawaii. The teams that Cincinnati has beaten have an average rating of 120, 27 points better than Hawaii.
Overlooked in the AP Poll were the 4-0 Michigan State Spartans and the 4-0 Purdue Boilermakers, who were ranked No. 23 and No. 25, respectively, in the Coaches Poll.
The teams that Michigan State has beaten have an average rating of 92, 55 points BETTER than Hawaii. The teams that Purdue has beaten have an average rating of 117, 30 points better than Hawaii.
This Saturday (9-29-07) will tell a lot as unbeaten 4-0 Purdue hosts 0-4 Notre Dame, and 9th ranked, unbeaten 4-0 Wisconsin hosts 4-0 Michigan State (not ranked in the AP Poll and ranked No. 23 in the Coaches Poll).
The teams that Wisconsin, which I still think is overrated, has beaten have an average rating of 72 points.
Here is the real eye opener of the week: Washington is 2-2 but the teams that Washington has played have an average rating of 40, that's right, 40.
This is why the Huskies are rated No. 1 among all 242 Division I schools when comparing who has played the toughest schedule so far this season.
Do you realize that Washington's 40 rating is 127 points BETTER than Hawaii, 100 points better than Cincinnati, 93 points better than Purdue, 72 points better than Michigan State, 55 points better than Arizona State, and 52 points better than Wisconsin.
Hawaii, Cincinnati, Purdue, Michigan State, Arizona State and Wisconsin are all ranked in either the AP Top 25 Poll or the Top 25 Coaches Poll. Washington is ranked in neither poll.
Two weeks ago I predicted that Alabama, Michigan State, South Florida, Arizona State and Washington would all be ranked in the Top 25 by the end of the season. Only Washington has failed to move into the Top 25 in just the last two weeks.
Note: See more articles on Washington Husky football in my Sports Archive.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Finally, some element of common sense is beginning to show among the American sportswriters who vote every week in the AP Top 25 Poll.
Last week I urged America's finest pundits and worst pigheads to give the old heave-ho to No. 18 Louisville, No. 19 Hawaii, No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 24 Nebraska.
The pundits concurred by ousting Louisville and Texas A&M, but the pigheads mustered enough votes to keep No. 19 Hawaii were it was and drop Nebraska from No. 24 to No. 25.
I figure the press corps in Hawaii was offering any sportswriter in American a free off-season vacation to keep Hawaii in the Top 25 another week. The Warriors are 4-0 after whipping up on AA Northern Colorado 63-6, barely getting by Louisiana Tech 45-44 in overtime, beating UNLV 49-14 and thumping AA Charleston Southern 66-10.
So how pathetic is Hawaii as the No. 19 ranked team in the nation? This pathetic according to this week's Sagarin ratings: Among 119 Division 1-A teams, Hawaii's victories have come against teams rated 75 (UNLV), 107 (Louisiana Tech), 202 (AA Charleston Southern) and 205 (AA Northern Colorado).
When you average the 4 ratings of the teams the Warriors have beaten, you come up 147, and they are ranked as the 19th best team in the country. Go figure.
Clearly, some pigheaded sportswriters are living in a fantasy world or smoking something other than cigarettes.
I have no problem with Hawaii opening its season at 4-0. I have a huge problem with them being ranked in any poll worth its salt.
There must also be some pigheaded coaches voting in the Top 25 Coaches Poll as they have ranked Hawaii No. 17 this week. Maybe they just want to rank Hawaii very high so when they play them they will look a lot better than they are.
Replacing Louisville and Texas A&M in the AP Poll this week are newcomers Arizona State (No. 23) and Cincinnati (No. 24). Both are 4-0 on the season.
The teams that Arizona State has beaten have an average rating of 75 according to Sagarin, 72 points BETTER than Hawaii. The teams that Cincinnati has beaten have an average rating of 120, 27 points better than Hawaii.
Overlooked in the AP Poll were the 4-0 Michigan State Spartans and the 4-0 Purdue Boilermakers, who were ranked No. 23 and No. 25, respectively, in the Coaches Poll.
The teams that Michigan State has beaten have an average rating of 92, 55 points BETTER than Hawaii. The teams that Purdue has beaten have an average rating of 117, 30 points better than Hawaii.
This Saturday (9-29-07) will tell a lot as unbeaten 4-0 Purdue hosts 0-4 Notre Dame, and 9th ranked, unbeaten 4-0 Wisconsin hosts 4-0 Michigan State (not ranked in the AP Poll and ranked No. 23 in the Coaches Poll).
The teams that Wisconsin, which I still think is overrated, has beaten have an average rating of 72 points.
Here is the real eye opener of the week: Washington is 2-2 but the teams that Washington has played have an average rating of 40, that's right, 40.
This is why the Huskies are rated No. 1 among all 242 Division I schools when comparing who has played the toughest schedule so far this season.
Do you realize that Washington's 40 rating is 127 points BETTER than Hawaii, 100 points better than Cincinnati, 93 points better than Purdue, 72 points better than Michigan State, 55 points better than Arizona State, and 52 points better than Wisconsin.
Hawaii, Cincinnati, Purdue, Michigan State, Arizona State and Wisconsin are all ranked in either the AP Top 25 Poll or the Top 25 Coaches Poll. Washington is ranked in neither poll.
Two weeks ago I predicted that Alabama, Michigan State, South Florida, Arizona State and Washington would all be ranked in the Top 25 by the end of the season. Only Washington has failed to move into the Top 25 in just the last two weeks.
Note: See more articles on Washington Husky football in my Sports Archive.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
College Football: How Washington's Huskies Can Go 7-6 this Season and Earn a Bowl Bid
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Becoming better than you are is a process, not just a decision. That is why the University of Washington's Husky football team can go 7-6 this season and earn a bowl bid.
I understand that the Huskies are now 2-2 on the year. With 5 more wins in the remaining 9 games, Washington would finish the year at 7-6.
Where will those 5 victories come from? Perhaps Arizona and Washington State at home and Stanford, Oregon State and Hawaii on the road.
That means they could afford to lose to No. 1 Southern California at home, No. 6 California at home, No. 11 Oregon at home and No. 23 Arizona State away.
Should all 4 of these teams continue to win they will be favored to win against the Huskies. If not, then why are the Huskies not rated in the AP Top 25 Poll?
All great accomplishments start with desire but it takes more than desire to win. Getting to the top is not so much about having the will to win—everyone wants to win—but having the will to prepare to win.
Preparation is everything that will is not. Having the will to win is a want, but preparing to win is a need. What is opportunity without preparedness? Nothing but an opportunity wasted.
It is only when preparedness meets opportunity head on that an explosion happens and something exciting takes place. Having said that, even all of the preparedness in the world will not produce victory without belief.
At any given place on any given day at any given time, something magical can happen. It is called "belief". Do you really think that the AA Appalachian State players could have beaten the mighty Michigan football program and its team 34-32 in the Big House in Ann Arbor without actually believing they could?
I understand the 3rd quarter collapse of the Washington players on the road against the UCLA Bruins as the Huskies eventually lost 44-31. Washington going into the game had lost its last 5 road games at UCLA after winning 38-14 in 1995, 12 years ago.
The Huskies have also apparently lost 28 consecutive games when scoring 20 points or fewer. They scored 31 points at UCLA and still lost. They were on the road and UCLA was favored to win at home.
With the score tied at halftime 10-10, freshmanitis struck again as the Huskies were held scoreless in the 3rd quarter as UCLA added a couple of touchdowns on an 8-yard run and a 60-yard interception return to give the Bruins a 24-10 lead they would not relinquish.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker threw the errant pass. When the sideline camera panned on Locker, he looked like a torque converter about to explode; he was upset at himself to say the least. In the 4th quarter Locker and Huskies outscored the Bruins 21-17.
Locker completed 14 of 36 passes for 216 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also ran for 92 yards on 15 carries (6.1 yards a crack).
Senior wide receiver Anthony Russo got his game going with 5 catches for 106 yards with 20-yard and 63-yard receptions for touchdowns.
Freshman Matt Mosley started at cornerback for freshman Vonzell McDowell Jr. who had been burned on some long, scoring passes. Mosley gave up a TD reception to UCLA's Dominique Johnson on an alley-oop pass. Mosley is 5-foot-11 and Johnson is 6-foot-3. McDowell is 5-foot-9.
The porous Husky defense gave up some big plays. Johnson's scoring catch was preceded by a 57-yard reverse pass play that fooled the Washington secondary. Bruin tailback Chris Markey chalked up a 72-yard scoring run enroute to 192 yards rushing that included another 66-yard scamper.
After Washington cut the lead to 31-24 on Russo's 63-yard TD catch from Locker, UCLA's Matthew Slater returned the following kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown which all but took the immediate momentum right back out of the Huskies.
Nonetheless, the Huskies never quit as Locker found senior wide receiver Corey Williams for an 11-yard touchdown.
Here is poem for Washington fans to remember as the young Huskies mature:
Freshmanitis will rear its ugly head,
It may be a few more weeks before its dead.
Saturday Washington plays host to the No. 1 USC Trojans. USC is favored by 21 points. Can the Huskies win? Certainly, if they score early, get a lucky turnover or two and manage to be consistent if not great for 60 minutes. Remember, the Huskies are at home.
Here are 10 important facts to remember going into Saturday's game:
1) According to this week's Sagarin College Football Ratings, USC is No. 1 and Washington is No. 36, but did you know that the Huskies rank No. 1 with the toughest schedule among the 242 Division 1 schools in the nation? That means that thus far, the Huskies have had the toughest schedule of any team in the country.
2) Washington led at the half 14-6 on the road at Syracuse before winning 42-12.
3) Washington led at the half 24-10 at home against then No. 22 Boise State before winning 24-10 (neither team scored in the second half, in other words, the Huskies held Boise State in check).
4) Washington led at the half 7-3 at home against then No. 10 Ohio State before losing 33-14.
5) Washington was tied at the half 10-10 on the road at UCLA before losing 44-31.
6) Can Washington's offense get started quickly? Yes.
7) USC went 10-2 last year. The Trojans at home only beat the Huskies by 6 last year, 26-20, and USC lost twice on the road, 33-31 at Oregon State and 13-9 at UCLA. Yes, USC is big, bad and No. 1; they also lose every now and then.
8) The Huskies are at home and may well host USC in front of 75,000+ screaming fans. Washington will be a better team this week than last week. Locker showed last week the first real signs of getting somewhat in control of his awesome, cannon arm.
9) Stranger things have happened than USC losing. Like Michigan losing to AA Appalachian State.
10) Washington does not need to win Saturday; the Huskies just need to get better. Beating Arizona, Stanford, Oregon State, Hawaii and Washington State will be easier. Despite its enthusiasm, Washington State does not have the talent of USC, maybe LSU does.
USC may have more talent than Washington, but the Huskies are for real. USC will find that out Saturday when they come calling.
Note: See more articles on Washington Husky football in my Sports Archive.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Becoming better than you are is a process, not just a decision. That is why the University of Washington's Husky football team can go 7-6 this season and earn a bowl bid.
I understand that the Huskies are now 2-2 on the year. With 5 more wins in the remaining 9 games, Washington would finish the year at 7-6.
Where will those 5 victories come from? Perhaps Arizona and Washington State at home and Stanford, Oregon State and Hawaii on the road.
That means they could afford to lose to No. 1 Southern California at home, No. 6 California at home, No. 11 Oregon at home and No. 23 Arizona State away.
Should all 4 of these teams continue to win they will be favored to win against the Huskies. If not, then why are the Huskies not rated in the AP Top 25 Poll?
All great accomplishments start with desire but it takes more than desire to win. Getting to the top is not so much about having the will to win—everyone wants to win—but having the will to prepare to win.
Preparation is everything that will is not. Having the will to win is a want, but preparing to win is a need. What is opportunity without preparedness? Nothing but an opportunity wasted.
It is only when preparedness meets opportunity head on that an explosion happens and something exciting takes place. Having said that, even all of the preparedness in the world will not produce victory without belief.
At any given place on any given day at any given time, something magical can happen. It is called "belief". Do you really think that the AA Appalachian State players could have beaten the mighty Michigan football program and its team 34-32 in the Big House in Ann Arbor without actually believing they could?
I understand the 3rd quarter collapse of the Washington players on the road against the UCLA Bruins as the Huskies eventually lost 44-31. Washington going into the game had lost its last 5 road games at UCLA after winning 38-14 in 1995, 12 years ago.
The Huskies have also apparently lost 28 consecutive games when scoring 20 points or fewer. They scored 31 points at UCLA and still lost. They were on the road and UCLA was favored to win at home.
With the score tied at halftime 10-10, freshmanitis struck again as the Huskies were held scoreless in the 3rd quarter as UCLA added a couple of touchdowns on an 8-yard run and a 60-yard interception return to give the Bruins a 24-10 lead they would not relinquish.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker threw the errant pass. When the sideline camera panned on Locker, he looked like a torque converter about to explode; he was upset at himself to say the least. In the 4th quarter Locker and Huskies outscored the Bruins 21-17.
Locker completed 14 of 36 passes for 216 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also ran for 92 yards on 15 carries (6.1 yards a crack).
Senior wide receiver Anthony Russo got his game going with 5 catches for 106 yards with 20-yard and 63-yard receptions for touchdowns.
Freshman Matt Mosley started at cornerback for freshman Vonzell McDowell Jr. who had been burned on some long, scoring passes. Mosley gave up a TD reception to UCLA's Dominique Johnson on an alley-oop pass. Mosley is 5-foot-11 and Johnson is 6-foot-3. McDowell is 5-foot-9.
The porous Husky defense gave up some big plays. Johnson's scoring catch was preceded by a 57-yard reverse pass play that fooled the Washington secondary. Bruin tailback Chris Markey chalked up a 72-yard scoring run enroute to 192 yards rushing that included another 66-yard scamper.
After Washington cut the lead to 31-24 on Russo's 63-yard TD catch from Locker, UCLA's Matthew Slater returned the following kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown which all but took the immediate momentum right back out of the Huskies.
Nonetheless, the Huskies never quit as Locker found senior wide receiver Corey Williams for an 11-yard touchdown.
Here is poem for Washington fans to remember as the young Huskies mature:
Freshmanitis will rear its ugly head,
It may be a few more weeks before its dead.
Saturday Washington plays host to the No. 1 USC Trojans. USC is favored by 21 points. Can the Huskies win? Certainly, if they score early, get a lucky turnover or two and manage to be consistent if not great for 60 minutes. Remember, the Huskies are at home.
Here are 10 important facts to remember going into Saturday's game:
1) According to this week's Sagarin College Football Ratings, USC is No. 1 and Washington is No. 36, but did you know that the Huskies rank No. 1 with the toughest schedule among the 242 Division 1 schools in the nation? That means that thus far, the Huskies have had the toughest schedule of any team in the country.
2) Washington led at the half 14-6 on the road at Syracuse before winning 42-12.
3) Washington led at the half 24-10 at home against then No. 22 Boise State before winning 24-10 (neither team scored in the second half, in other words, the Huskies held Boise State in check).
4) Washington led at the half 7-3 at home against then No. 10 Ohio State before losing 33-14.
5) Washington was tied at the half 10-10 on the road at UCLA before losing 44-31.
6) Can Washington's offense get started quickly? Yes.
7) USC went 10-2 last year. The Trojans at home only beat the Huskies by 6 last year, 26-20, and USC lost twice on the road, 33-31 at Oregon State and 13-9 at UCLA. Yes, USC is big, bad and No. 1; they also lose every now and then.
8) The Huskies are at home and may well host USC in front of 75,000+ screaming fans. Washington will be a better team this week than last week. Locker showed last week the first real signs of getting somewhat in control of his awesome, cannon arm.
9) Stranger things have happened than USC losing. Like Michigan losing to AA Appalachian State.
10) Washington does not need to win Saturday; the Huskies just need to get better. Beating Arizona, Stanford, Oregon State, Hawaii and Washington State will be easier. Despite its enthusiasm, Washington State does not have the talent of USC, maybe LSU does.
USC may have more talent than Washington, but the Huskies are for real. USC will find that out Saturday when they come calling.
Note: See more articles on Washington Husky football in my Sports Archive.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
College Football 2007 - Week 4: 20 Games, 1,560 Points = 78 Points Per Game, Good Grief, Whatever Happened to Defense?
Ed Bagley's Blog:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
An examination of this week's college football scores revealed that no less than 20 games had combined scores of 70 or more. Twenty games resulted in 1,560 points scored, an average of 78 per game. Good grief, whatever happened to defense?
Sixteen of these 20 games were not noteworthy despite the score:
Oklahoma State at home outlasted Texas Tech 49-45, you choose whether these are two great offensive or two really lousy defensive teams (94 total points).
Navy at home beat Duke 46-43 (89).
No. 13 Oregon (in the AP Top 25) traveled to Stanford and won 55-31 (86), we expected as much. The Ducks are now 4-0.
No. 4 Oklahoma traveled to Tulsa and won 62-21 (83).
Bowling Green at home beat Temple 48-35 (83).
Troy traveled to LA-Lafayette and won 48-31 (79).
Northern Illinois traveled to Idaho and won 42-35 (77).
Purdue traveled to Minnesota and won 45-31 (76). The Boilermakers are now 4-0.
Arizona State at home beat Oregon State 44-32 (76). The Sun Devils are now 4-0.
UCF (the University of Central Florida) at home beat Memphis 56-20 (76).
Auburn at home beat New Mexico State 55-20 (75).
Tennessee at home beat Arkansas State 48-27 (75).
UCLA at home beat Washington 44-31 (75).
No. 6 California at home beat Arizona 45-27 (72). The Bears are now 4-0.
No. 7 Texas at home beat Rice 58-14 (72). The Longhorns are now 4-0.
Toledo at home beat Iowa State 36-35.
Four of these 20 games were noteworthy beyond the 70-plus combined score:
No. 21 Kentucky traveled to Arkansas and won 42-29 (71). The Wildcats are now 4-0. I still think Kentucky is not as good as its record. They are going to have to beat better competition to convince me.
Syracuse (an 0-3 team) traveled to No. 18 Louisville and upset the Cardinals 38-35 (73). Syracuse led 31-14 after the 3rd quarter. I have been saying for three weeks that Louisville has no defense worth talking about. The Washington Huskies traveled to Syracuse in their opener and beat The Orangemen 42-12.
No. 19 Hawaii at home beat AA Charleston Southern 66-10 (76). The Warriors are now 4-0 after another cupcake opponent.
No. 24 Nebraska at home beat Ball State, yes, THAT Midwestern powerhouse, 41-40 (81).
The bottom line: Would the sportswriters who vote in the AP Top 25 Poll get over it and move Louisville, Hawaii and Nebraska right out the poll. All three teams deserve to be booted out.
The 4th week saw two other upsets: Miami (FL) at home easily handled No. 20 Texas A&M, and Michigan at home held off No. 10 Penn State 14-9. Michigan was favored in the game, but I think Penn State should have been a visiting favorite if the Nittany Lions are truly the No. 10 team in the country.
Along with Louisville, Hawaii and Nebraska, Texas A&M should be voted out of the Top 25 to make room for better teams.
No. 1 USC easily slammed Washington State 47-14, No. 2 LSU beat No. 12 South Carolina 28-16, No. 22 Georgia traveled to No. 16 Alabama and won with a perfect touchdown pass and catch on the last play 26-23, No. 3 Florida slid by a weak Mississippi team 30-24, and No. 9 Wisconsin managed to beat a weak Iowa team 17-13 with a last quarter touchdown.
No. 5 West Virginia, No. 8 Ohio State, No. 14 Boston College, No. 15 Clemson, No. 17 Virginia Tech, No. 23 South Florida and No. 25 Missouri all won.
The bottom line: USC, LSU, Florida, West Virginia, Ohio State, Boston College, Missouri, Clemson, South Florida and Wisconsin all remain unbeaten.
I still think Wisconsin is not the 9th best team in college football. Reality finally hit Indiana as it lost its first game to Illinois.
Among the unranked and still unbeaten, Kansas at home beat Florida International 55-3, Michigan State traveled to Notre Dame and won 31-14, Connecticut traveled to Pittsburgh and won 34-14, and Cincinnati at home beat Marshall 40-14.
Among new coaches, Mark Dantonio of Michigan State is 4-0, Dennis Erickson at Arizona State is 4-0 and Nick Saban at Alabama lost his first game with the Crimson Tide and is now 3-1.
Note: Read my other 2007 College Football Roundups in my Sports Archive.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
An examination of this week's college football scores revealed that no less than 20 games had combined scores of 70 or more. Twenty games resulted in 1,560 points scored, an average of 78 per game. Good grief, whatever happened to defense?
Sixteen of these 20 games were not noteworthy despite the score:
Oklahoma State at home outlasted Texas Tech 49-45, you choose whether these are two great offensive or two really lousy defensive teams (94 total points).
Navy at home beat Duke 46-43 (89).
No. 13 Oregon (in the AP Top 25) traveled to Stanford and won 55-31 (86), we expected as much. The Ducks are now 4-0.
No. 4 Oklahoma traveled to Tulsa and won 62-21 (83).
Bowling Green at home beat Temple 48-35 (83).
Troy traveled to LA-Lafayette and won 48-31 (79).
Northern Illinois traveled to Idaho and won 42-35 (77).
Purdue traveled to Minnesota and won 45-31 (76). The Boilermakers are now 4-0.
Arizona State at home beat Oregon State 44-32 (76). The Sun Devils are now 4-0.
UCF (the University of Central Florida) at home beat Memphis 56-20 (76).
Auburn at home beat New Mexico State 55-20 (75).
Tennessee at home beat Arkansas State 48-27 (75).
UCLA at home beat Washington 44-31 (75).
No. 6 California at home beat Arizona 45-27 (72). The Bears are now 4-0.
No. 7 Texas at home beat Rice 58-14 (72). The Longhorns are now 4-0.
Toledo at home beat Iowa State 36-35.
Four of these 20 games were noteworthy beyond the 70-plus combined score:
No. 21 Kentucky traveled to Arkansas and won 42-29 (71). The Wildcats are now 4-0. I still think Kentucky is not as good as its record. They are going to have to beat better competition to convince me.
Syracuse (an 0-3 team) traveled to No. 18 Louisville and upset the Cardinals 38-35 (73). Syracuse led 31-14 after the 3rd quarter. I have been saying for three weeks that Louisville has no defense worth talking about. The Washington Huskies traveled to Syracuse in their opener and beat The Orangemen 42-12.
No. 19 Hawaii at home beat AA Charleston Southern 66-10 (76). The Warriors are now 4-0 after another cupcake opponent.
No. 24 Nebraska at home beat Ball State, yes, THAT Midwestern powerhouse, 41-40 (81).
The bottom line: Would the sportswriters who vote in the AP Top 25 Poll get over it and move Louisville, Hawaii and Nebraska right out the poll. All three teams deserve to be booted out.
The 4th week saw two other upsets: Miami (FL) at home easily handled No. 20 Texas A&M, and Michigan at home held off No. 10 Penn State 14-9. Michigan was favored in the game, but I think Penn State should have been a visiting favorite if the Nittany Lions are truly the No. 10 team in the country.
Along with Louisville, Hawaii and Nebraska, Texas A&M should be voted out of the Top 25 to make room for better teams.
No. 1 USC easily slammed Washington State 47-14, No. 2 LSU beat No. 12 South Carolina 28-16, No. 22 Georgia traveled to No. 16 Alabama and won with a perfect touchdown pass and catch on the last play 26-23, No. 3 Florida slid by a weak Mississippi team 30-24, and No. 9 Wisconsin managed to beat a weak Iowa team 17-13 with a last quarter touchdown.
No. 5 West Virginia, No. 8 Ohio State, No. 14 Boston College, No. 15 Clemson, No. 17 Virginia Tech, No. 23 South Florida and No. 25 Missouri all won.
The bottom line: USC, LSU, Florida, West Virginia, Ohio State, Boston College, Missouri, Clemson, South Florida and Wisconsin all remain unbeaten.
I still think Wisconsin is not the 9th best team in college football. Reality finally hit Indiana as it lost its first game to Illinois.
Among the unranked and still unbeaten, Kansas at home beat Florida International 55-3, Michigan State traveled to Notre Dame and won 31-14, Connecticut traveled to Pittsburgh and won 34-14, and Cincinnati at home beat Marshall 40-14.
Among new coaches, Mark Dantonio of Michigan State is 4-0, Dennis Erickson at Arizona State is 4-0 and Nick Saban at Alabama lost his first game with the Crimson Tide and is now 3-1.
Note: Read my other 2007 College Football Roundups in my Sports Archive.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Anatomy of a Team on the Rise: Washington Will Get Over Freshmanitis and Really Thrive
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Ohio State blew into Husky Stadium last Saturday (9-15-07) as the No. 10-ranked team in the AP Top 25 Poll, and after beating Washington 33-14 became the No. 8-ranked team.
In other words, the Buckeyes' victory over Huskies was so impressive they moved up two spots in the AP poll.
Had Ohio State beaten the Tuba City Montana Bighorns (a factitious college in a factitious city in a real state) by the same score, the Buckeyes might well have dropped among the Top 25.
Whether you like it or not, University of Washington football is once again a big deal, in no small part because of Head Coach Ty Willingham and his avalanche of freshmen cascading down to the turf.
Let me give a big shout out to Husky fans: There is no need to jump into Lake Washington because the Huskies lost to Ohio State. They were expected to lose, and they did. No big deal.
There should be no cause for alarm just because Washington is suffering from a form of freshmanitis. There is a much brighter future ahead.
Did you notice that Washington led Ohio State 7-3 at the half and the Huskies had momentum on their side? Fans were dizzy with excitement at halftime, remembering Washington's upset of No. 22 Boise State a week earlier.
The Huskies were inside Ohio State territory 6 times against the top-ranked Buckeye defense. They were ready to pad their lead on the opening drive of the second half, moving to Ohio State's 19 before three consecutive plays lost yardage, the last a sack by linebacker Jim Laurinaitis.
Did I mention that Laurinaitis was last season's Nagurski Award winner as THE nation's best defensive player in college football? Laurinaitis has an "itis" too but his is like good HDL rather than bad LDL.
A blocked 46-yard field goal attempt led to Buckeye Brian Robiskie running past Husky freshman cornerback Vonzell McDowell for a 68-yard touchdown less than 6 minutes into the second half.
On the ensuing kickoff, Husky freshman Curtis Shaw fumbled trying to get more yardage after he was initially hit. Ohio State recovered and then Chris Wells ran through an arm tackle by freshman Vonzell McDowell for a 14-yard touchdown run.
In a scant 39 seconds the score changed from Washington ahead 7-3 to Washington behind 17-7 with 9 minutes left in the third quarter.
Did I mention that Ohio State has won 22 of its last 23 games? The Buckeyes only loss in 23 games was to Florida in the national championship game last January.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker rushed for 102 yards and passed for another 153, but Locker was also intercepted three times and threw some terrible passes.
Two of the interceptions were by Nagurski Award-winner Jim Laurinaitis, both of them coming deep in Buckeye territory. One was on a third-and-goal at Ohio State's 5-yard line when he deflected a shovel pass to himself, and the other came at the Ohio State 13-yard line.
Did you notice that Buckeye Head Coach Jim Tressel got a bucket of ice water dumped on his head on the last play of the game? You would have thought that Ohio State had won the BCS national championship game.
Trust me when I say that Tressel and his Buckeyes were happy to get out of Seattle with a win against a very dangerous team that is about to become more dangerous.
There is no way I can be overly upset with freshman mistakes by Jake Locker, Vonzell McDowell and Curtis Shaw. If they were all 5th year seniors I would be cussing in three foreign languages, but they are all talented freshmen capable of great plays and costly mistakes.
They are all pups about to grow up and into great players who will leave a legacy behind when their Husky football days are over. They are going to be joined by other great freshmen next year and the year after.
There may be some Husky boosters who object to playing freshman that can ruin an upset attempt.
If you think Ty Willingham is stupid to play freshmen, let me introduce you to another stupid coach named Urban Meyer. Remember him? He only took Florida to a 13-1 record and the national championship last season in his second year at Florida.
Urban Meyer is so stupid he has already played 17 freshmen this year. A whopping 47 freshmen and sophomores have seen action in Florida's first three games. Do you think that Meyer is waiting around for his juniors and seniors to get with it?
Before arriving at Florida, Meyer went 22-2 at Utah and won two consecutive Mountain West Conference championships. He has won all four bowl games his teams have competed in during this coaching career, and he has compiled a 64-12 career coaching record (that's 84% for math majors).
Washington Coach Ty Willingham suddenly does not look so stupid. You can bet the freshmen he is playing think he is pretty smart and will likely prove so in the weeks to come.
Note: See more articles on Washington Husky football in my Sports Archive.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Ohio State blew into Husky Stadium last Saturday (9-15-07) as the No. 10-ranked team in the AP Top 25 Poll, and after beating Washington 33-14 became the No. 8-ranked team.
In other words, the Buckeyes' victory over Huskies was so impressive they moved up two spots in the AP poll.
Had Ohio State beaten the Tuba City Montana Bighorns (a factitious college in a factitious city in a real state) by the same score, the Buckeyes might well have dropped among the Top 25.
Whether you like it or not, University of Washington football is once again a big deal, in no small part because of Head Coach Ty Willingham and his avalanche of freshmen cascading down to the turf.
Let me give a big shout out to Husky fans: There is no need to jump into Lake Washington because the Huskies lost to Ohio State. They were expected to lose, and they did. No big deal.
There should be no cause for alarm just because Washington is suffering from a form of freshmanitis. There is a much brighter future ahead.
Did you notice that Washington led Ohio State 7-3 at the half and the Huskies had momentum on their side? Fans were dizzy with excitement at halftime, remembering Washington's upset of No. 22 Boise State a week earlier.
The Huskies were inside Ohio State territory 6 times against the top-ranked Buckeye defense. They were ready to pad their lead on the opening drive of the second half, moving to Ohio State's 19 before three consecutive plays lost yardage, the last a sack by linebacker Jim Laurinaitis.
Did I mention that Laurinaitis was last season's Nagurski Award winner as THE nation's best defensive player in college football? Laurinaitis has an "itis" too but his is like good HDL rather than bad LDL.
A blocked 46-yard field goal attempt led to Buckeye Brian Robiskie running past Husky freshman cornerback Vonzell McDowell for a 68-yard touchdown less than 6 minutes into the second half.
On the ensuing kickoff, Husky freshman Curtis Shaw fumbled trying to get more yardage after he was initially hit. Ohio State recovered and then Chris Wells ran through an arm tackle by freshman Vonzell McDowell for a 14-yard touchdown run.
In a scant 39 seconds the score changed from Washington ahead 7-3 to Washington behind 17-7 with 9 minutes left in the third quarter.
Did I mention that Ohio State has won 22 of its last 23 games? The Buckeyes only loss in 23 games was to Florida in the national championship game last January.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker rushed for 102 yards and passed for another 153, but Locker was also intercepted three times and threw some terrible passes.
Two of the interceptions were by Nagurski Award-winner Jim Laurinaitis, both of them coming deep in Buckeye territory. One was on a third-and-goal at Ohio State's 5-yard line when he deflected a shovel pass to himself, and the other came at the Ohio State 13-yard line.
Did you notice that Buckeye Head Coach Jim Tressel got a bucket of ice water dumped on his head on the last play of the game? You would have thought that Ohio State had won the BCS national championship game.
Trust me when I say that Tressel and his Buckeyes were happy to get out of Seattle with a win against a very dangerous team that is about to become more dangerous.
There is no way I can be overly upset with freshman mistakes by Jake Locker, Vonzell McDowell and Curtis Shaw. If they were all 5th year seniors I would be cussing in three foreign languages, but they are all talented freshmen capable of great plays and costly mistakes.
They are all pups about to grow up and into great players who will leave a legacy behind when their Husky football days are over. They are going to be joined by other great freshmen next year and the year after.
There may be some Husky boosters who object to playing freshman that can ruin an upset attempt.
If you think Ty Willingham is stupid to play freshmen, let me introduce you to another stupid coach named Urban Meyer. Remember him? He only took Florida to a 13-1 record and the national championship last season in his second year at Florida.
Urban Meyer is so stupid he has already played 17 freshmen this year. A whopping 47 freshmen and sophomores have seen action in Florida's first three games. Do you think that Meyer is waiting around for his juniors and seniors to get with it?
Before arriving at Florida, Meyer went 22-2 at Utah and won two consecutive Mountain West Conference championships. He has won all four bowl games his teams have competed in during this coaching career, and he has compiled a 64-12 career coaching record (that's 84% for math majors).
Washington Coach Ty Willingham suddenly does not look so stupid. You can bet the freshmen he is playing think he is pretty smart and will likely prove so in the weeks to come.
Note: See more articles on Washington Husky football in my Sports Archive.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
College Football 2007 - Week 3: 6 Top 25 Teams Lose and Nosedive; Alabama, Kentucky, South Florida & Missouri Join Top 25
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
As predicted, no less than 6 AP Top 25 teams lost in college football's third week, two of them—Louisville and Nebraska—dropped in the rankings and four others—UCLA, Georgia Tech, Arkansas and Tennessee—dropped right out of the poll. Life in big time college football can be a little unsettling.
Four more—Alabama, Kentucky, South Florida and Missouri—moved into the Top 25 for the first time.
No. 9 Louisville finds itself now No. 18 after being upset by Kentucky 40-34. Kentucky is now 3-0 and No. 21 after its victory, the Wildcats' first win against a top-10 team since 1977, 30 years ago.
The loss by Louisville should come as no surprise. The Cardinals beat up on AA Murray State 73-10 (as they should have) and then gave up a whopping 42 points to Middle Tennessee before winning 58-42 (that is a porous defense).
Louisville is still overrated. If you do not think so, check this out: Middle Tennessee was rated No. 141 among 119 Division 1-A schools by Sagarin going into its game with Louisville. Good grief, talk about beating a lousy team. It makes you wonder, how good is Kentucky?
No. 14 Nebraska is now No. 24 after being dominated by USC on the Cornhuskers' turf, 49-31. USC gained 313 yards rushing and held Nebraska to 31. USC remains No. 1 in all polls from here to parts unknown.
No. 15 Georgia Tech was upset by No. 21 Boston College 24-10 and fell out of the poll.
No. 22 Tennessee was swamped by No. 5 Florida 59-20 and dropped out of the poll.
Moving into the AP Top 25 this week was No. 16 Alabama which tuned back then No. 16 Arkansas, 41-38, after twice blowing 21-point leads. It was a dramatic win for the Crimson Tide, who put on a defensive stand and a last-minute drive culminating in a final, 4-yard, game-winning touchdown pass with 8 seconds left.
I have said to keep your eyes peeled for Nick Saban, a quality coach in his first year at Alabama. Saban led LSU to the 2003 BCS National Championship while competing in the same SEC conference.
Moving into the Top 25 was the No. 24 South Florida Bulls who were idle this week after beating AA Elon 28-13 and upsetting then No. 17 Auburn on the road, 26-23, in overtime.
I have already taken Alabama and South Florida off my list of teams that will be in the Top 25 before the season is over. Last week I predicted that Alabama, South Florida, Washington, Arizona State and Michigan State will crack the AP Top 25.
Missouri beat Western Michigan 52-24 for its 3rd straight win and moved into No. 25 in the poll. The Tigers have also beaten Illinois 40-34 and Ole Miss 38-25. After this weekend's games, Sagarin rated Illinois No. 63, Ole Miss No. 75 and Western Michigan No. 111. I will let you know if Missouri is any good after they play and beat a team worth beating.
Washington, still unranked, led No. 10 Ohio State 7-3 at the half and had the momentum to pull off an upset for the second straight week (the Huskies upset No. 22 Boise State a week earlier).
Unfortunately, a 39-second stretch in the 3rd quarter cost Washington dearly. First, the Buckeyes' Brian Robiskie beat freshman cornerback Vonzell McDowell down the sideline for a 68-yard touchdown.
Then another freshman, Curtis Shaw, fumbled on the ensuing kickoff return trying to get more yardage after the initial hit. Ohio State scored on the turnover, taking a 17-7 lead and eventually winning 33-14 in a game that was much closer than the score.
I believe Washington is still a team on the rise and will bounce back this week as it starts Pac 10 play with a road game at UCLA. UCLA was ranked No. 11 before playing Utah over the weekend and getting the snot kicked out of it, 44-6, and falling out of the poll.
Arizona State, still unranked, won its 3rd straight by moving by San Diego State 34-13 (rated No. 106). First year Coach Dennis Erickson has also topped San Jose State 45-3 (rated No. 147) and Colorado 33-14 (rated No. 67). Arizona State starts its Pac 10 campaign this weekend at home against Oregon State.
Another first year coach, Mark Dantonio at Michigan State, won his 3rd straight game in hand-to-hand combat with Pittsburgh 17-13 (ranked No. 53). The Spartans led 14-7 at the half but frankly underwhelmed me with their performance.
After watching Michigan State sprint to a 42-0 lead in their opener midway through the second quarter in a 55-18 thrashing of UAB (ranked No. 125), scoring touchdowns in their first 6 possessions, I expected more against Pittsburgh. They got by Bowling Green 28-17 (ranked No. 65) in a not-so-impressive showing, but should have done more.
Pittsburgh brought some defense to the game. Remember that the Panthers' Head Coach Dave Wannstedt was an offensive tackle at Pitt and former NFL Head Coach of the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins, both known for their defensive teams.
For Michigan State to remain on the rise, the Spartans needed to best Pitt by two touchdowns and to be impressive they needed to beat them by four touchdowns. Neither happened.
MSU travels to Notre Dame on Saturday (9-22-07). The Irish are winless in 3 games and currently one of the worst teams in the nation. They have yet to score an offensive touchdown this season, have allowed 23 sacks (46 teams did not allow 23 sacks in all of last season), and rank dead last (119th) in 3 categories among Division 1-A teams--rushing, total offense and scoring offense.
The Lord will have to help Michigan State more than Notre Dame should the Irish upset the Spartans.
So who is moving up impressively this week? Try Steve Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks, from No. 17 to No. 12 by leveling AA South Carolina State 38-3; and the Oregon Ducks, from No. 19 to No. 13 by ripping Fresno State 52-21.
So who remains vastly overrated? Try No. 7 Texas. The Longhorns topped Arkansas State 21-13 (rated No. 74) at home, defeated TCU 34-13 (rated No. 39) at home and then barely got by UCF (University of Central Florida, rated No. 64) 35-32 on the road. Texas spotted UCF 32 points (this is defense?) and won by a field goal.
Another overrated team is No. 9 Wisconsin. The undefeated 3-0 Badgers' big time wins came against Washington State 42-21 (rated No. 48), UNLV 20-13 (rated No. 96) and AA The Citadel 45-31 (rated No. 129). They gave up 31 points to a AA team going nowhere.
Wisconsin is going down, it is just a matter of time. Soon the Badgers will be playing Michigan State, No. 10 Penn State at Penn State and No. 8 Ohio State at Ohio State. I want to see this ferocious Wisconsin offense against the Buckeye defense, ranked No. 3 nationally in total defense and No. 5 in scoring defense.
For the record, No. 1 USC is currently ranked No. 41 in total defense and No. 45 in scoring defense. This helps explain why the Trojans handled Idaho 38-10 (rated No. 116) and No. 24-ranked Nebraska 49-31 (rated No. 18).
No. 2 LSU is ranked No. 1 in total defense and No. 1 in scoring defense. This helps explain why LSU has stomped Mississippi State 45-0 (rated No. 46), then No. 9 Virginia Tech 48-7 (now rated No. 31) and Middle Tennessee 44-0 (rated No. 109).
So what else is noteworthy? Indiana, Connecticut, Purdue, Penn State, Texas A&M, Rutgers, Florida, Kansas, Arizona State and Hawaii have all gone 3-0 against either cupcake teams or weak competition. The jury is out of these teams until they actually play a decent or worthy opponent.
In other results, the Duke Blue Devils ended their 22-game losing streak, longest active in Division 1-A, by edging Northwestern 20-14. Florida International now has the longest losing streak with 14 after losing to Miami (FL) 23-9.
Boise State hosted Wyoming and won by 10, 24-14. Good for Wyoming, losing by only 10 in an away game to the mighty, high-scoring Boise State Broncos.
Mike Price's UTEP team was outscored in the 4th quarter and lost to New Mexico State 29-24 to go 1-2 on the year.
It is a real blessing that we will be getting into conference play this weekend so we can really begin to access who has it going on and who does not.
AA games may be interesting at times (like Appalachian State's 34-32 upset of Michigan in their Big House), but it tells you little about a team. Now the nonsense slows to a trickle and we get down to business.
Note: Read my other 2007 College Football Roundups in my Sports Archive.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
As predicted, no less than 6 AP Top 25 teams lost in college football's third week, two of them—Louisville and Nebraska—dropped in the rankings and four others—UCLA, Georgia Tech, Arkansas and Tennessee—dropped right out of the poll. Life in big time college football can be a little unsettling.
Four more—Alabama, Kentucky, South Florida and Missouri—moved into the Top 25 for the first time.
No. 9 Louisville finds itself now No. 18 after being upset by Kentucky 40-34. Kentucky is now 3-0 and No. 21 after its victory, the Wildcats' first win against a top-10 team since 1977, 30 years ago.
The loss by Louisville should come as no surprise. The Cardinals beat up on AA Murray State 73-10 (as they should have) and then gave up a whopping 42 points to Middle Tennessee before winning 58-42 (that is a porous defense).
Louisville is still overrated. If you do not think so, check this out: Middle Tennessee was rated No. 141 among 119 Division 1-A schools by Sagarin going into its game with Louisville. Good grief, talk about beating a lousy team. It makes you wonder, how good is Kentucky?
No. 14 Nebraska is now No. 24 after being dominated by USC on the Cornhuskers' turf, 49-31. USC gained 313 yards rushing and held Nebraska to 31. USC remains No. 1 in all polls from here to parts unknown.
No. 15 Georgia Tech was upset by No. 21 Boston College 24-10 and fell out of the poll.
No. 22 Tennessee was swamped by No. 5 Florida 59-20 and dropped out of the poll.
Moving into the AP Top 25 this week was No. 16 Alabama which tuned back then No. 16 Arkansas, 41-38, after twice blowing 21-point leads. It was a dramatic win for the Crimson Tide, who put on a defensive stand and a last-minute drive culminating in a final, 4-yard, game-winning touchdown pass with 8 seconds left.
I have said to keep your eyes peeled for Nick Saban, a quality coach in his first year at Alabama. Saban led LSU to the 2003 BCS National Championship while competing in the same SEC conference.
Moving into the Top 25 was the No. 24 South Florida Bulls who were idle this week after beating AA Elon 28-13 and upsetting then No. 17 Auburn on the road, 26-23, in overtime.
I have already taken Alabama and South Florida off my list of teams that will be in the Top 25 before the season is over. Last week I predicted that Alabama, South Florida, Washington, Arizona State and Michigan State will crack the AP Top 25.
Missouri beat Western Michigan 52-24 for its 3rd straight win and moved into No. 25 in the poll. The Tigers have also beaten Illinois 40-34 and Ole Miss 38-25. After this weekend's games, Sagarin rated Illinois No. 63, Ole Miss No. 75 and Western Michigan No. 111. I will let you know if Missouri is any good after they play and beat a team worth beating.
Washington, still unranked, led No. 10 Ohio State 7-3 at the half and had the momentum to pull off an upset for the second straight week (the Huskies upset No. 22 Boise State a week earlier).
Unfortunately, a 39-second stretch in the 3rd quarter cost Washington dearly. First, the Buckeyes' Brian Robiskie beat freshman cornerback Vonzell McDowell down the sideline for a 68-yard touchdown.
Then another freshman, Curtis Shaw, fumbled on the ensuing kickoff return trying to get more yardage after the initial hit. Ohio State scored on the turnover, taking a 17-7 lead and eventually winning 33-14 in a game that was much closer than the score.
I believe Washington is still a team on the rise and will bounce back this week as it starts Pac 10 play with a road game at UCLA. UCLA was ranked No. 11 before playing Utah over the weekend and getting the snot kicked out of it, 44-6, and falling out of the poll.
Arizona State, still unranked, won its 3rd straight by moving by San Diego State 34-13 (rated No. 106). First year Coach Dennis Erickson has also topped San Jose State 45-3 (rated No. 147) and Colorado 33-14 (rated No. 67). Arizona State starts its Pac 10 campaign this weekend at home against Oregon State.
Another first year coach, Mark Dantonio at Michigan State, won his 3rd straight game in hand-to-hand combat with Pittsburgh 17-13 (ranked No. 53). The Spartans led 14-7 at the half but frankly underwhelmed me with their performance.
After watching Michigan State sprint to a 42-0 lead in their opener midway through the second quarter in a 55-18 thrashing of UAB (ranked No. 125), scoring touchdowns in their first 6 possessions, I expected more against Pittsburgh. They got by Bowling Green 28-17 (ranked No. 65) in a not-so-impressive showing, but should have done more.
Pittsburgh brought some defense to the game. Remember that the Panthers' Head Coach Dave Wannstedt was an offensive tackle at Pitt and former NFL Head Coach of the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins, both known for their defensive teams.
For Michigan State to remain on the rise, the Spartans needed to best Pitt by two touchdowns and to be impressive they needed to beat them by four touchdowns. Neither happened.
MSU travels to Notre Dame on Saturday (9-22-07). The Irish are winless in 3 games and currently one of the worst teams in the nation. They have yet to score an offensive touchdown this season, have allowed 23 sacks (46 teams did not allow 23 sacks in all of last season), and rank dead last (119th) in 3 categories among Division 1-A teams--rushing, total offense and scoring offense.
The Lord will have to help Michigan State more than Notre Dame should the Irish upset the Spartans.
So who is moving up impressively this week? Try Steve Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks, from No. 17 to No. 12 by leveling AA South Carolina State 38-3; and the Oregon Ducks, from No. 19 to No. 13 by ripping Fresno State 52-21.
So who remains vastly overrated? Try No. 7 Texas. The Longhorns topped Arkansas State 21-13 (rated No. 74) at home, defeated TCU 34-13 (rated No. 39) at home and then barely got by UCF (University of Central Florida, rated No. 64) 35-32 on the road. Texas spotted UCF 32 points (this is defense?) and won by a field goal.
Another overrated team is No. 9 Wisconsin. The undefeated 3-0 Badgers' big time wins came against Washington State 42-21 (rated No. 48), UNLV 20-13 (rated No. 96) and AA The Citadel 45-31 (rated No. 129). They gave up 31 points to a AA team going nowhere.
Wisconsin is going down, it is just a matter of time. Soon the Badgers will be playing Michigan State, No. 10 Penn State at Penn State and No. 8 Ohio State at Ohio State. I want to see this ferocious Wisconsin offense against the Buckeye defense, ranked No. 3 nationally in total defense and No. 5 in scoring defense.
For the record, No. 1 USC is currently ranked No. 41 in total defense and No. 45 in scoring defense. This helps explain why the Trojans handled Idaho 38-10 (rated No. 116) and No. 24-ranked Nebraska 49-31 (rated No. 18).
No. 2 LSU is ranked No. 1 in total defense and No. 1 in scoring defense. This helps explain why LSU has stomped Mississippi State 45-0 (rated No. 46), then No. 9 Virginia Tech 48-7 (now rated No. 31) and Middle Tennessee 44-0 (rated No. 109).
So what else is noteworthy? Indiana, Connecticut, Purdue, Penn State, Texas A&M, Rutgers, Florida, Kansas, Arizona State and Hawaii have all gone 3-0 against either cupcake teams or weak competition. The jury is out of these teams until they actually play a decent or worthy opponent.
In other results, the Duke Blue Devils ended their 22-game losing streak, longest active in Division 1-A, by edging Northwestern 20-14. Florida International now has the longest losing streak with 14 after losing to Miami (FL) 23-9.
Boise State hosted Wyoming and won by 10, 24-14. Good for Wyoming, losing by only 10 in an away game to the mighty, high-scoring Boise State Broncos.
Mike Price's UTEP team was outscored in the 4th quarter and lost to New Mexico State 29-24 to go 1-2 on the year.
It is a real blessing that we will be getting into conference play this weekend so we can really begin to access who has it going on and who does not.
AA games may be interesting at times (like Appalachian State's 34-32 upset of Michigan in their Big House), but it tells you little about a team. Now the nonsense slows to a trickle and we get down to business.
Note: Read my other 2007 College Football Roundups in my Sports Archive.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
College Football: How to Ferret Out Which Teams Are Rising and Falling in the Polls
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Many sports fans who anxiously await the release of the weekly football polls really miss one of the best parts of the poll when searching only to see where their favorite is ranked.
Many newspapers and online services do not give the total results of the polling, they only list the Top 25 picks for the week.
You have to dig a little deeper to discover which teams received votes but not enough votes to make it into the Top 25. Look at the bottom of the poll results for this entry in small print: Others Receiving Votes.
In Tuesday's AP Poll (9-11-07) it showed these entries: South Florida 220, Missouri 144, Alabama 116, Washington 95, Arizona State 28, Appalachian State 19, Cincinnati 12, and Kansas 1. All of these teams started their season by winning their first two games, many times impressively.
I am ignoring five other teams which garnered votes in the AP Poll to make a point. These five were TCU 66, Auburn 23, Florida State 2, Iowa 1 and Purdue 1. Iowa and Purdue are 2-0 but have not won as impressively and the others are 1-1.
USC (Southern California) is No. 1 in the AP Poll with a 1-0 record and 1594 total points. Texas A&M is No. 25 with 243 points. Sportswriters cast ballots giving their 1st place pick 25 points and their 25th pick 1 point.
Notice that Texas A&M had 243 points, and South Florida which did not make it into the Top 25, had 220 points, only 23 points behind. Had South Florida gotten 24 more points, the Bulls (their nickname) would have been No. 25.
If the Top 25 this week had instead been the Top 36, then South Florida would have been No. 26, Missouri No. 27, Alabama No. 28, Washington No. 29, Arizona State No. 31, Appalachian State No. 33, Cincinnati No. 34, and Kansas No. 36.
This information is significant to fans like me because of my interest level. One game I play every week is to discern which teams are rising and which teams are falling in the polls.
While many of our wives, sweethearts and significant others may find this activity to be terribly boring, it is a habit that is far superior to other habits such as drinking, drugging, sleeping around, lying, cheating and stealing. This is why I feel no need to justify, apologize or defend myself in this practice.
Those following my College Football 2007 weekly reports during the first two weeks of the season know that I have already been spot on in identifying teams rising and falling.
Before the polls were even out, I correctly identified South Florida, Alabama, Washington, Arizona State, Cincinnati and Kansas as teams on the rise.
I correctly identified these teams as falling in the polls: Michigan (No. 5 to out of the Top 25), Florida State (No. 19 to out of the Top 25), Boise State (No. 22 to out of the Top 25), Auburn (No. 17 to out of the Top 25), Georgia (No. 11 to No. 23), Wisconsin (No. 5 to No. 7), Hawaii (No. 20 to No. 24) and Texas A&M (No. 23 to No. 25).
The two most overrated teams among those slipping are Wisconsin and Hawaii. Why Hawaii and Texas A&M are still in the polls is beyond me.
One or more of the Top 25 teams will lose this weekend, just as Michigan, Florida State, Boise State, Georgia and Auburn have already been ranked in the Top 25 and lost during the first two weeks of the season.
Let me predict that Alabama, Washington, Michigan State, South Florida and Arizona State will all be ranked among the Top 25 in the AP Poll before the season is over.
I would also note that in the Coaches Poll, South Florida, Washington, Alabama, Arizona State and Cincinnati did not make the Top 25 but did receive points.
Heck, in the Coaches Poll, even the Wyoming Cowboys—who I love because they are tough to beat at home—received points.
Receiving points in the Coaches Poll with 2-0 records were Missouri, Texas Tech, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland and Purdue. I have not identified any of these teams as on the rise because they have not played good teams or won impressively.
Keep your eye on Alabama, Michigan State and Arizona State because they all have first-year coaches in Nick Saban (the Crimson Tide), Mark Dantonio (the Spartans) and Dennis Erickson (the Sun Devils). These three coaches are excellent and all come from great teams with winning traditions.
Erickson's offensive savvy is so good he could probably make a winning player out of a blind mole in the Arizona desert.
Note: Read my articles on "College Football 2007 – Week 2: Oregon Carves Up Michigan's Secondary, 39-7, the 0-2 Wolverines Could Move to Another Planet", "College Football 2007 – Week 1: Who Was Up and Down During College Football's First Weekend" and "The Sagarin College Football Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them" in my Sports Archive.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Many sports fans who anxiously await the release of the weekly football polls really miss one of the best parts of the poll when searching only to see where their favorite is ranked.
Many newspapers and online services do not give the total results of the polling, they only list the Top 25 picks for the week.
You have to dig a little deeper to discover which teams received votes but not enough votes to make it into the Top 25. Look at the bottom of the poll results for this entry in small print: Others Receiving Votes.
In Tuesday's AP Poll (9-11-07) it showed these entries: South Florida 220, Missouri 144, Alabama 116, Washington 95, Arizona State 28, Appalachian State 19, Cincinnati 12, and Kansas 1. All of these teams started their season by winning their first two games, many times impressively.
I am ignoring five other teams which garnered votes in the AP Poll to make a point. These five were TCU 66, Auburn 23, Florida State 2, Iowa 1 and Purdue 1. Iowa and Purdue are 2-0 but have not won as impressively and the others are 1-1.
USC (Southern California) is No. 1 in the AP Poll with a 1-0 record and 1594 total points. Texas A&M is No. 25 with 243 points. Sportswriters cast ballots giving their 1st place pick 25 points and their 25th pick 1 point.
Notice that Texas A&M had 243 points, and South Florida which did not make it into the Top 25, had 220 points, only 23 points behind. Had South Florida gotten 24 more points, the Bulls (their nickname) would have been No. 25.
If the Top 25 this week had instead been the Top 36, then South Florida would have been No. 26, Missouri No. 27, Alabama No. 28, Washington No. 29, Arizona State No. 31, Appalachian State No. 33, Cincinnati No. 34, and Kansas No. 36.
This information is significant to fans like me because of my interest level. One game I play every week is to discern which teams are rising and which teams are falling in the polls.
While many of our wives, sweethearts and significant others may find this activity to be terribly boring, it is a habit that is far superior to other habits such as drinking, drugging, sleeping around, lying, cheating and stealing. This is why I feel no need to justify, apologize or defend myself in this practice.
Those following my College Football 2007 weekly reports during the first two weeks of the season know that I have already been spot on in identifying teams rising and falling.
Before the polls were even out, I correctly identified South Florida, Alabama, Washington, Arizona State, Cincinnati and Kansas as teams on the rise.
I correctly identified these teams as falling in the polls: Michigan (No. 5 to out of the Top 25), Florida State (No. 19 to out of the Top 25), Boise State (No. 22 to out of the Top 25), Auburn (No. 17 to out of the Top 25), Georgia (No. 11 to No. 23), Wisconsin (No. 5 to No. 7), Hawaii (No. 20 to No. 24) and Texas A&M (No. 23 to No. 25).
The two most overrated teams among those slipping are Wisconsin and Hawaii. Why Hawaii and Texas A&M are still in the polls is beyond me.
One or more of the Top 25 teams will lose this weekend, just as Michigan, Florida State, Boise State, Georgia and Auburn have already been ranked in the Top 25 and lost during the first two weeks of the season.
Let me predict that Alabama, Washington, Michigan State, South Florida and Arizona State will all be ranked among the Top 25 in the AP Poll before the season is over.
I would also note that in the Coaches Poll, South Florida, Washington, Alabama, Arizona State and Cincinnati did not make the Top 25 but did receive points.
Heck, in the Coaches Poll, even the Wyoming Cowboys—who I love because they are tough to beat at home—received points.
Receiving points in the Coaches Poll with 2-0 records were Missouri, Texas Tech, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland and Purdue. I have not identified any of these teams as on the rise because they have not played good teams or won impressively.
Keep your eye on Alabama, Michigan State and Arizona State because they all have first-year coaches in Nick Saban (the Crimson Tide), Mark Dantonio (the Spartans) and Dennis Erickson (the Sun Devils). These three coaches are excellent and all come from great teams with winning traditions.
Erickson's offensive savvy is so good he could probably make a winning player out of a blind mole in the Arizona desert.
Note: Read my articles on "College Football 2007 – Week 2: Oregon Carves Up Michigan's Secondary, 39-7, the 0-2 Wolverines Could Move to Another Planet", "College Football 2007 – Week 1: Who Was Up and Down During College Football's First Weekend" and "The Sagarin College Football Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them" in my Sports Archive.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Washington's Defense Makes Road Kill of Boise State with a Stunning 24-10 Upset
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
When they locked the gates at Husky Stadium Saturday night (9-8-07), the University of Washington football team had recorded its biggest victory in recent memory. All the Huskies did was:
Upset No. 22-ranked Boise State 24-10.
Snap Boise State's 14-game winning streak, the longest in major college football.
Hold the Broncos scoreless in the second half after staking out a 24-10 lead in the first half.
Hold Bronco running back Ian Johnson to 81 yards on 20 carries, breaking Johnson's streak of 7 consecutive games with 100-yards rushing.
Mind you, Boise State ran the table last year, going 13-0 to be the only undefeated Division 1-A team. The Broncos won their 5th straight Western Athletic Conference championship, and then defeated Oklahoma 43-42 in overtime when Ian Johnson scored on a statue-of-liberty play that left the Sooner defense without a decent excuse for losing the Fiesta Bowl.
Bronco Coach Chris Petersen was selected as the 2006 Paul "Bear" Bryant College Coach of the Year. His undefeated season made him only the second coach in college football history to post a 13-0 record in his first season as a head coach. The other coach was Walter Camp who led Yale to a 13-0 record in 1888—119 years ago.
Since 2001 no team in major college football has averaged more points scored per game than Boise State (41+ points per game). For the Washington Huskies to hold the Broncos to a measly 10 points was a huge accomplishment.
Did Boise State bring a tradition of excellence with them Saturday? Yes. Did the University of Washington football program and players finally get off the dime and show something Saturday? Yes.
Third-year Coach Tyrone "Ty" Willingham did not get dumped on this weekend or last weekend and for two good reasons—a 42-12 opening win over Syracuse on the road followed by Saturday's 24-10 home opener victory over Boise State.
The win marked the Huskies first 2-0 start since 2001. Despite Rick Neuheisel's departure as Washington's football coach, Neuheisel's 2000 team was the last really great Husky team, going 11-1, tying for the Pac 10 title and beating Purdue in the Rose Bowl 34-24.
The media and fans can carp all they want about Neuheisel, but the record book does not lie. No coach has even come close to Neuheisel's 2000 team until now. The 2007 Huskies with Ty Willingham are for real; they may not go as far as the 2000 team, but they are going to be taken seriously for a change.
In Washington's opener quarterback Jack Locker had an extraordinary debut going 14-for-19 with 142 yards passing and 83 yards and one touchdown rushing. Locker is beyond good for a redshirt freshman and is one of the fastest quarterbacks afoot in Division I-A play, if not the fastest.
Locker, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound, 19-year-old redshirt freshman with a cannon for an arm, did not commit a single turnover in his debut against Syracuse.
All of that changed against a much tougher Boise State defense when Locker became a more normal redshirt freshman by committing two turnovers.
One was a jump pass Locker threw into the end zone that was intercepted but did not cost the Huskies any points. The other came on a fumble when he was scrambling in the first quarter which resulted in Boise State's first touchdown. Locker might also have thrown three more interceptions if it were not for drops by Bronco defenders.
On the up side, Locker was 13-for-25 passing with 193 yards and one touchdown to Marcel Reese who plowed through two defenders on a 59-yard catch and run. He also ran 16 times for 84 yards including a 6-yard touchdown scamper to cap Washington's opening drive.
Neither team scored in the second half. When Locker was not a factor after halftime, the Husky defense took the spotlight by literally winning the game with some incredible pressure on Bronco quarterback Taylor Tharp—a 5th-year senior making his second start—and some awesome secondary play by senior Roy Lewis and true freshman Vonzell McDowell.
Lewis, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound cornerback, played much bigger than his size, recording 10 tackles and 1 assist and breaking up a key fourth-down pass in the end zone with 4 minutes left. Lewis also had an interception, defended three passes and made one tackle behind the line.
McDowell, a 5-foot-9, 176-pound cornerback out of Rainer Beach High School in Kent (WA), was attacked all day by the Bronco offense which saw him as easy pickings since he is a true freshman hitting the big time.
McDowell came up huge (as in 9-foot-5) when he intercepted Taylor Tharp's throw at the 2 yard line with 2:40 remaining, giving the Huskies possession of the ball to run out the clock and record their first win since 2003 in 11 tries over a Top 25 team.
You have to love the leadership of senior Roy Lewis, who led all Husky defenders in tackles, and the chutzpah of true freshman Vonzell McDowell Jr., who said in effect to the Bronco quarterback, "You might have been 13-0 last year but do not keep testing me in Husky Stadium, this is my house."
Because of Locker's great debut game and all of the accompanying positive publicity, fans may not have known that in the opening Syracuse victory Washington's defense held the Orangemen to 8 yards rushing while piling up 7 sacks and 1 fumble recovery.
Defensive Coordinator Kent Baer and his defensive players earned the spotlight Saturday by securing the Huskies huge upset over Boise State.
Don't ya just love college football? Here are the Huskies laying the smack down on the Broncos, senior mainstay defensive end Greyson Gunheim intercepting a pass, and junior linebacker and Bellevue (WA) High School product E. J. Savannah slamming Broncos to the ground.
What a relief to know that this is not going to be the Jack-Locker-do-or-die show! Locker can thank his lucky stars that he is surrounded by players that can pick him up and make him look even better than he is.
Defense wins games, wins conference championships and wins bowl games. Look at Hawaii if you want an example of a team with an explosive offense and no real defense that really is going to get found out sooner or later.
When the Huskies travel to Honolulu for their last regular season game with Hawaii, I hope they crush the Hawaii Warriors and then win a bowl game. A BCS game would be a super finish to a great start for the Washington Huskies.
The only thing better than a 2-0 start would be a 13-0 finish. I have seen a lot of football in 63 years. I am old enough to dream about a perfect season to match Washington's perfect 1991 season with a 12-0 record, a Pac 10 championship, a Rose Bowl victory over Michigan, and a national championship.
Let it be said here and now that the University of Washington Huskies are back in the hunt. If you have to ask what hunt you should not be allowed in the Stadium when they face the No. 10-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes this Saturday (9-15-07).
The early line has Washington as a 4-point dog, odds even a Husky should relish. After all, Ohio State is only ranked No. 10 in the Top 25 AP Poll and Washington is not in the poll. The Buckeyes should have to win by 5 or more to cover the spread.
Ohio State went 12-0 last year before losing to Florida in the BCS National Championship Game. Five of the Buckeye starters were first round picks in the NFL draft and later four more players went in the draft.
Can the Washington Huskies beat the Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday? Many media types and fans were asking the same question about Syracuse and Boise State. 'Nuff said?
Note: Read my articles on "College Football 2007 – Week 2: Oregon Carves Up Michigan's Secondary, 39-7, the 0-2 Wolverines Could Move to Another Planet", "College Football 2007 – Week 1: Who Was Up and Down During College Football's First Weekend" and "The Sagarin College Football Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them" in my Sports Archive.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
When they locked the gates at Husky Stadium Saturday night (9-8-07), the University of Washington football team had recorded its biggest victory in recent memory. All the Huskies did was:
Upset No. 22-ranked Boise State 24-10.
Snap Boise State's 14-game winning streak, the longest in major college football.
Hold the Broncos scoreless in the second half after staking out a 24-10 lead in the first half.
Hold Bronco running back Ian Johnson to 81 yards on 20 carries, breaking Johnson's streak of 7 consecutive games with 100-yards rushing.
Mind you, Boise State ran the table last year, going 13-0 to be the only undefeated Division 1-A team. The Broncos won their 5th straight Western Athletic Conference championship, and then defeated Oklahoma 43-42 in overtime when Ian Johnson scored on a statue-of-liberty play that left the Sooner defense without a decent excuse for losing the Fiesta Bowl.
Bronco Coach Chris Petersen was selected as the 2006 Paul "Bear" Bryant College Coach of the Year. His undefeated season made him only the second coach in college football history to post a 13-0 record in his first season as a head coach. The other coach was Walter Camp who led Yale to a 13-0 record in 1888—119 years ago.
Since 2001 no team in major college football has averaged more points scored per game than Boise State (41+ points per game). For the Washington Huskies to hold the Broncos to a measly 10 points was a huge accomplishment.
Did Boise State bring a tradition of excellence with them Saturday? Yes. Did the University of Washington football program and players finally get off the dime and show something Saturday? Yes.
Third-year Coach Tyrone "Ty" Willingham did not get dumped on this weekend or last weekend and for two good reasons—a 42-12 opening win over Syracuse on the road followed by Saturday's 24-10 home opener victory over Boise State.
The win marked the Huskies first 2-0 start since 2001. Despite Rick Neuheisel's departure as Washington's football coach, Neuheisel's 2000 team was the last really great Husky team, going 11-1, tying for the Pac 10 title and beating Purdue in the Rose Bowl 34-24.
The media and fans can carp all they want about Neuheisel, but the record book does not lie. No coach has even come close to Neuheisel's 2000 team until now. The 2007 Huskies with Ty Willingham are for real; they may not go as far as the 2000 team, but they are going to be taken seriously for a change.
In Washington's opener quarterback Jack Locker had an extraordinary debut going 14-for-19 with 142 yards passing and 83 yards and one touchdown rushing. Locker is beyond good for a redshirt freshman and is one of the fastest quarterbacks afoot in Division I-A play, if not the fastest.
Locker, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound, 19-year-old redshirt freshman with a cannon for an arm, did not commit a single turnover in his debut against Syracuse.
All of that changed against a much tougher Boise State defense when Locker became a more normal redshirt freshman by committing two turnovers.
One was a jump pass Locker threw into the end zone that was intercepted but did not cost the Huskies any points. The other came on a fumble when he was scrambling in the first quarter which resulted in Boise State's first touchdown. Locker might also have thrown three more interceptions if it were not for drops by Bronco defenders.
On the up side, Locker was 13-for-25 passing with 193 yards and one touchdown to Marcel Reese who plowed through two defenders on a 59-yard catch and run. He also ran 16 times for 84 yards including a 6-yard touchdown scamper to cap Washington's opening drive.
Neither team scored in the second half. When Locker was not a factor after halftime, the Husky defense took the spotlight by literally winning the game with some incredible pressure on Bronco quarterback Taylor Tharp—a 5th-year senior making his second start—and some awesome secondary play by senior Roy Lewis and true freshman Vonzell McDowell.
Lewis, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound cornerback, played much bigger than his size, recording 10 tackles and 1 assist and breaking up a key fourth-down pass in the end zone with 4 minutes left. Lewis also had an interception, defended three passes and made one tackle behind the line.
McDowell, a 5-foot-9, 176-pound cornerback out of Rainer Beach High School in Kent (WA), was attacked all day by the Bronco offense which saw him as easy pickings since he is a true freshman hitting the big time.
McDowell came up huge (as in 9-foot-5) when he intercepted Taylor Tharp's throw at the 2 yard line with 2:40 remaining, giving the Huskies possession of the ball to run out the clock and record their first win since 2003 in 11 tries over a Top 25 team.
You have to love the leadership of senior Roy Lewis, who led all Husky defenders in tackles, and the chutzpah of true freshman Vonzell McDowell Jr., who said in effect to the Bronco quarterback, "You might have been 13-0 last year but do not keep testing me in Husky Stadium, this is my house."
Because of Locker's great debut game and all of the accompanying positive publicity, fans may not have known that in the opening Syracuse victory Washington's defense held the Orangemen to 8 yards rushing while piling up 7 sacks and 1 fumble recovery.
Defensive Coordinator Kent Baer and his defensive players earned the spotlight Saturday by securing the Huskies huge upset over Boise State.
Don't ya just love college football? Here are the Huskies laying the smack down on the Broncos, senior mainstay defensive end Greyson Gunheim intercepting a pass, and junior linebacker and Bellevue (WA) High School product E. J. Savannah slamming Broncos to the ground.
What a relief to know that this is not going to be the Jack-Locker-do-or-die show! Locker can thank his lucky stars that he is surrounded by players that can pick him up and make him look even better than he is.
Defense wins games, wins conference championships and wins bowl games. Look at Hawaii if you want an example of a team with an explosive offense and no real defense that really is going to get found out sooner or later.
When the Huskies travel to Honolulu for their last regular season game with Hawaii, I hope they crush the Hawaii Warriors and then win a bowl game. A BCS game would be a super finish to a great start for the Washington Huskies.
The only thing better than a 2-0 start would be a 13-0 finish. I have seen a lot of football in 63 years. I am old enough to dream about a perfect season to match Washington's perfect 1991 season with a 12-0 record, a Pac 10 championship, a Rose Bowl victory over Michigan, and a national championship.
Let it be said here and now that the University of Washington Huskies are back in the hunt. If you have to ask what hunt you should not be allowed in the Stadium when they face the No. 10-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes this Saturday (9-15-07).
The early line has Washington as a 4-point dog, odds even a Husky should relish. After all, Ohio State is only ranked No. 10 in the Top 25 AP Poll and Washington is not in the poll. The Buckeyes should have to win by 5 or more to cover the spread.
Ohio State went 12-0 last year before losing to Florida in the BCS National Championship Game. Five of the Buckeye starters were first round picks in the NFL draft and later four more players went in the draft.
Can the Washington Huskies beat the Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday? Many media types and fans were asking the same question about Syracuse and Boise State. 'Nuff said?
Note: Read my articles on "College Football 2007 – Week 2: Oregon Carves Up Michigan's Secondary, 39-7, the 0-2 Wolverines Could Move to Another Planet", "College Football 2007 – Week 1: Who Was Up and Down During College Football's First Weekend" and "The Sagarin College Football Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them" in my Sports Archive.
Monday, September 10, 2007
College Football 2007: Oregon Carves Up Michigan's Secondary, 39-7, the 0-2 Wolverines Could Move to Another Planet
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
After Michigan managed to get beaten by Division 1-AA Appalachian State 34-32 last week in its home opener as 110,000 fans watched in the Big House at Ann Arbor, the Oregon Ducks traveled to the Big House and handed the once mighty Wolverines their worst loss since 1968, a 39-7 drubbing.
The 32-point margin of loss was Michigan's worst since losing 50-14 at Ohio State in 1968, 39 years ago. Last year the Wolverines were riding high with an 11-0 start before losing to Ohio State for the 3rd straight year, and then losing the Rose Bowl for the 3rd time in 4 years.
The porous Michigan secondary let Oregon's Dennis Dixon roll up 292 yards passing and a career-high 4 touchdowns. The Ducks did even better on the ground, gaining 331 yards rushing on 51 carries for a 6.49 yard average. In essence, Michigan had no defense, only excuses for a sorry performance.
The 0-2 start gave notice that Michigan has some serious problems as a national powerhouse this year. Perhaps petitioning to play on another planet would help. The Wolverines could scrimmage against their 3rd string lineup and maybe notch their first victory of the season.
Fortunately for Michigan, neither of the two losses were Big 10 Conference games.
Take heart, Michigan lovers, the Wolverines started 0-2 in 1998 and ended up becoming the Big 10 Champion. They also started 0-2 in 1988 and ended up beating USC 22-14 in the Rose Bowl.
The woes at Notre Dame continued this week as No. 14-ranked Penn State had little problem dispatching the Irish, 31-10.
To understand how good the Nittany Lions defense is at the moment, you only need to know that they have not allowed an offensive touchdown in two games. Notre Dame has failed to score an offensive touchdown in its second straight game.
Another powerhouse that failed to get it done this week was No. 11 Georgia which was upset at home by South Carolina 16-12. Georgia could not even score a touchdown on the South Carolina defense.
The SEC does not need to be reminded that Steve Spurrier is now coaching the Gamecocks. Spurrier's best move as a college football coach is to win.
By the end of Saturday, No. 17-ranked Auburn was upset by South Florida 26-23 in overtime. That had to be a real comedown for Auburn which not only lost, but lost at home.
South Florida is not exactly a household name in college football. The Bulls have only been playing football for 10 years and only became a Division I-A school in 2001.
Many fans do not know that Coach Jim Leavitt turned down the opportunity to coach at Alabama in 2003 to stay at South Florida. The Bulls have won their last 4 games, including an upset of No. 7 West Virginia and a bowl win in its final 2 games last season.
South Florida is now 4-0 in its last 4 games.
Auburn should not be ashamed by its loss, but it most certainly should be shocked.
Here are 8 stinkers that surfaced during the second week of play:
No. 5 Wisconsin was behind 10-9 going into the 4th quarter before winning its away game at UNLV, 20-13. Just how tough is Wisconsin as the No. 5 team in the country? You decide.
No. 8 Louisville's defense was not impressive in giving up 42 points to Middle Tennessee before pulling out a 58-42 victory.
No. 10 California gave up 4 touchdowns to winless Colorado State before winning 34-28.
No. 12 Ohio State used a 17-point second half to slide by Akron 20-2. It was hardly a show of offensive power by the Buckeyes as Akron led 3-2 at the half in what could have been a soccer game.
No. 13 UCLA had its hands full with Brigham Young (BYU) but finally scored a 4th quarter touchdown to win by 10, 27-17.
No. 16 Nebraska was lucky to pick up its second victory over winless Wake Forest, 20-17. Neither team scored in the 4th quarter.
No. 20 Hawaii just nipped Louisiana Tech in an away game, 45-44. Hawaii is not exactly the best road team in the NCAA and they proved it once again. All this talk about Hawaii being really good appears to be more talk than defense.
No. 23 Texas A&M gave up 45 points to Fresno State before barely winning in overtime 47-45 (Fresno State scored 16 points in triple overtime before the Aggies won).
All 8 stinkers are ranked higher than they should be, and the next few weeks will tell the real story.
Here are 3 fanny kickers that kept on rolling up big wins:
No. 4 Florida led 49-7 before beating Troy 59-31. Apparently a lot of backups played for Florida.
No. 6 Oklahoma had no problem with Miami (FL) 51-13, scoring 20 points in the last quarter to seal the deal.
No. 21 Georgia Tech led 62-7 before finishing off AA Samford, 69-14.
Here are 8 teams on the rise:
No. 15 Rutgers picked up its second win by downing Navy 41-24.
No. 25 Clemson scored 6 touchdowns in 3 quarters to beat Louisiana-Monroe 49-26. Last week Clemson upset Florida State 24-18 to move into the Top 25.
Unranked Washington used defense to upset No. 22 Boise State and its 14-game winning streak, the longest in major college football, by shutting out the Broncos in the second half of the Huskies' 24-10 victory. Last week the Huskies beat Syracuse 42-12 in an away opener.
Kansas picked up its second win by shutting out AA Southeastern Louisiana 62-0. Last week the Jayhawks ripped Central Michigan 52-7. Total points for Kansas in two games: 114. Total opponent points in two games: 7.
Three first-year coaches—Nick Saban, Mark Dantonio and Dennis Erickson—won their second straight game.
The Crimson Tide defeated Vanderbilt 24-10, giving Saban another win. So far, Saban is undefeated at Alabama. Next up: Arkansas comes to town. Can Saban go 3-0? We will wait and see.
The Spartans moved past Bowling Green 28-17 in a not-so-impressive home victory, giving Dantonio another win. So far, Dantonio is undefeated at Michigan State. Next up: Pittsburgh comes to town. Can Dantonio go 3-0? They have a good chance.
The Sun Devils took apart Colorado 33-14, giving Erickson another win. So far, Erickson is undefeated at Arizona State. Next up: San Diego State comes to town. Can Erickson go 3-0? Absolutely.
The last team on the rise is Cincinnati, yes Cincinnati. The Bearcats romped over Oregon State 34-3 for their second straight win after beating AA Southeast Missouri State 59-3 last week. Cincinnati has outscored its first two opponents 93-6.
In-state rivalries can be close and this week was no exception as a field goal decided two games: East Carolina beat North Carolina 34-31, and AA Southern Illinois nipped Northern Illinois by the same score.
In other state rivalries, New Mexico held off New Mexico State 44-34 with a fourth quarter touchdown, Arizona ripped AA Northern Arizona 45-24, Texas Tech pounded UTEP 45-31 (UTEP led at the half 28-17), No. 3 West Virginia took down Marshall 48-23, Illinois blanked AA Western Illinois 21-0, AA Northern Iowa upset Iowa State 24-13, Baylor doubled up on Rice 42-17, No. 7 Texas launched a comeback to beat No. 19 TCU 34-13 (TCU led 10-0 at the half), and Southern Methodist whipped North Texas 45-31.
In an obscure battle that almost no one noticed among 2 of 7 worst A teams in the country, Buffalo (rated 145 by Sagarin) made a statement by leveling Temple 42-7 (rated 143 by Sagarin and already going lower). Buffalo scored no less than 6 touchdowns; it had to have been a glorious day in upper New York.
In another obscure contest, Wyoming won at home against Utah State, 32-18. Whether you like it or not, more often than not, the Cowboys win at home, and they do not ask what's for dinner, they just expect beef.
So after the first two weeks of the college football season, who has had the most impressive start?
The No. 2-ranked LSU Tigers who put the hurt on Virginia Tech 48-7. Try 6 touchdowns against the No. 9-ranked team in the nation. LSU beat Mississippi State 45-0 last week. Coach Les Miles' Tigers have outscored their first two opponents 93-7.
Middle Tennessee which was rated No. 141 by Sagarin after the first week comes to Baton Rouge this week. The Blue Raiders, losers in their first two games, could be in for a very long afternoon at LSU.
Note: Read my article on "College Football 2007: Who Was Up and Down During College Football's First Weekend" and "The Sagarin College Football Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them" in my Sports Archive.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
After Michigan managed to get beaten by Division 1-AA Appalachian State 34-32 last week in its home opener as 110,000 fans watched in the Big House at Ann Arbor, the Oregon Ducks traveled to the Big House and handed the once mighty Wolverines their worst loss since 1968, a 39-7 drubbing.
The 32-point margin of loss was Michigan's worst since losing 50-14 at Ohio State in 1968, 39 years ago. Last year the Wolverines were riding high with an 11-0 start before losing to Ohio State for the 3rd straight year, and then losing the Rose Bowl for the 3rd time in 4 years.
The porous Michigan secondary let Oregon's Dennis Dixon roll up 292 yards passing and a career-high 4 touchdowns. The Ducks did even better on the ground, gaining 331 yards rushing on 51 carries for a 6.49 yard average. In essence, Michigan had no defense, only excuses for a sorry performance.
The 0-2 start gave notice that Michigan has some serious problems as a national powerhouse this year. Perhaps petitioning to play on another planet would help. The Wolverines could scrimmage against their 3rd string lineup and maybe notch their first victory of the season.
Fortunately for Michigan, neither of the two losses were Big 10 Conference games.
Take heart, Michigan lovers, the Wolverines started 0-2 in 1998 and ended up becoming the Big 10 Champion. They also started 0-2 in 1988 and ended up beating USC 22-14 in the Rose Bowl.
The woes at Notre Dame continued this week as No. 14-ranked Penn State had little problem dispatching the Irish, 31-10.
To understand how good the Nittany Lions defense is at the moment, you only need to know that they have not allowed an offensive touchdown in two games. Notre Dame has failed to score an offensive touchdown in its second straight game.
Another powerhouse that failed to get it done this week was No. 11 Georgia which was upset at home by South Carolina 16-12. Georgia could not even score a touchdown on the South Carolina defense.
The SEC does not need to be reminded that Steve Spurrier is now coaching the Gamecocks. Spurrier's best move as a college football coach is to win.
By the end of Saturday, No. 17-ranked Auburn was upset by South Florida 26-23 in overtime. That had to be a real comedown for Auburn which not only lost, but lost at home.
South Florida is not exactly a household name in college football. The Bulls have only been playing football for 10 years and only became a Division I-A school in 2001.
Many fans do not know that Coach Jim Leavitt turned down the opportunity to coach at Alabama in 2003 to stay at South Florida. The Bulls have won their last 4 games, including an upset of No. 7 West Virginia and a bowl win in its final 2 games last season.
South Florida is now 4-0 in its last 4 games.
Auburn should not be ashamed by its loss, but it most certainly should be shocked.
Here are 8 stinkers that surfaced during the second week of play:
No. 5 Wisconsin was behind 10-9 going into the 4th quarter before winning its away game at UNLV, 20-13. Just how tough is Wisconsin as the No. 5 team in the country? You decide.
No. 8 Louisville's defense was not impressive in giving up 42 points to Middle Tennessee before pulling out a 58-42 victory.
No. 10 California gave up 4 touchdowns to winless Colorado State before winning 34-28.
No. 12 Ohio State used a 17-point second half to slide by Akron 20-2. It was hardly a show of offensive power by the Buckeyes as Akron led 3-2 at the half in what could have been a soccer game.
No. 13 UCLA had its hands full with Brigham Young (BYU) but finally scored a 4th quarter touchdown to win by 10, 27-17.
No. 16 Nebraska was lucky to pick up its second victory over winless Wake Forest, 20-17. Neither team scored in the 4th quarter.
No. 20 Hawaii just nipped Louisiana Tech in an away game, 45-44. Hawaii is not exactly the best road team in the NCAA and they proved it once again. All this talk about Hawaii being really good appears to be more talk than defense.
No. 23 Texas A&M gave up 45 points to Fresno State before barely winning in overtime 47-45 (Fresno State scored 16 points in triple overtime before the Aggies won).
All 8 stinkers are ranked higher than they should be, and the next few weeks will tell the real story.
Here are 3 fanny kickers that kept on rolling up big wins:
No. 4 Florida led 49-7 before beating Troy 59-31. Apparently a lot of backups played for Florida.
No. 6 Oklahoma had no problem with Miami (FL) 51-13, scoring 20 points in the last quarter to seal the deal.
No. 21 Georgia Tech led 62-7 before finishing off AA Samford, 69-14.
Here are 8 teams on the rise:
No. 15 Rutgers picked up its second win by downing Navy 41-24.
No. 25 Clemson scored 6 touchdowns in 3 quarters to beat Louisiana-Monroe 49-26. Last week Clemson upset Florida State 24-18 to move into the Top 25.
Unranked Washington used defense to upset No. 22 Boise State and its 14-game winning streak, the longest in major college football, by shutting out the Broncos in the second half of the Huskies' 24-10 victory. Last week the Huskies beat Syracuse 42-12 in an away opener.
Kansas picked up its second win by shutting out AA Southeastern Louisiana 62-0. Last week the Jayhawks ripped Central Michigan 52-7. Total points for Kansas in two games: 114. Total opponent points in two games: 7.
Three first-year coaches—Nick Saban, Mark Dantonio and Dennis Erickson—won their second straight game.
The Crimson Tide defeated Vanderbilt 24-10, giving Saban another win. So far, Saban is undefeated at Alabama. Next up: Arkansas comes to town. Can Saban go 3-0? We will wait and see.
The Spartans moved past Bowling Green 28-17 in a not-so-impressive home victory, giving Dantonio another win. So far, Dantonio is undefeated at Michigan State. Next up: Pittsburgh comes to town. Can Dantonio go 3-0? They have a good chance.
The Sun Devils took apart Colorado 33-14, giving Erickson another win. So far, Erickson is undefeated at Arizona State. Next up: San Diego State comes to town. Can Erickson go 3-0? Absolutely.
The last team on the rise is Cincinnati, yes Cincinnati. The Bearcats romped over Oregon State 34-3 for their second straight win after beating AA Southeast Missouri State 59-3 last week. Cincinnati has outscored its first two opponents 93-6.
In-state rivalries can be close and this week was no exception as a field goal decided two games: East Carolina beat North Carolina 34-31, and AA Southern Illinois nipped Northern Illinois by the same score.
In other state rivalries, New Mexico held off New Mexico State 44-34 with a fourth quarter touchdown, Arizona ripped AA Northern Arizona 45-24, Texas Tech pounded UTEP 45-31 (UTEP led at the half 28-17), No. 3 West Virginia took down Marshall 48-23, Illinois blanked AA Western Illinois 21-0, AA Northern Iowa upset Iowa State 24-13, Baylor doubled up on Rice 42-17, No. 7 Texas launched a comeback to beat No. 19 TCU 34-13 (TCU led 10-0 at the half), and Southern Methodist whipped North Texas 45-31.
In an obscure battle that almost no one noticed among 2 of 7 worst A teams in the country, Buffalo (rated 145 by Sagarin) made a statement by leveling Temple 42-7 (rated 143 by Sagarin and already going lower). Buffalo scored no less than 6 touchdowns; it had to have been a glorious day in upper New York.
In another obscure contest, Wyoming won at home against Utah State, 32-18. Whether you like it or not, more often than not, the Cowboys win at home, and they do not ask what's for dinner, they just expect beef.
So after the first two weeks of the college football season, who has had the most impressive start?
The No. 2-ranked LSU Tigers who put the hurt on Virginia Tech 48-7. Try 6 touchdowns against the No. 9-ranked team in the nation. LSU beat Mississippi State 45-0 last week. Coach Les Miles' Tigers have outscored their first two opponents 93-7.
Middle Tennessee which was rated No. 141 by Sagarin after the first week comes to Baton Rouge this week. The Blue Raiders, losers in their first two games, could be in for a very long afternoon at LSU.
Note: Read my article on "College Football 2007: Who Was Up and Down During College Football's First Weekend" and "The Sagarin College Football Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them" in my Sports Archive.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
The Sagarin College Football Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
While betting on sports is only legal in a few places in the United States, such as Las Vegas, millions of office workers are involved in sports pools every week now that the football season has arrived.
When you know that more than $700 million can be bet on one game—the Super Bowl—in only Las Vegas, then you understand that billions were bet illegally on the Super Bowl last year in the United States and in offshore sports books around the world.
Folks in the gaming business know that more than a billion dollars is wagered on every Monday Night Football game during the season.
For those who wager, it may be helpful to put some science on your side when you wager, and one of the best places to do that is with the Sagarin College Football Ratings.
Created by Jeff Sagarin, a 1970 MIT mathematics graduate, these computer ratings are for Division I-A (what the NCAA now calls the Football Bowl (FB) Subdivision) and Division I-AA (what the NCAA now calls the Football Championship (FC) Subdivision) teams.
You will have to forgive the NCAA for taking titles that have been used for years and are perfectly clear, then renaming them and creating confusion in the process.
If there is a way for the NCAA to assert its superior power, it does so by making everything more difficult and confusing, similar to your United States government and its IRS tax code which could reduce a sane person to tears just reading it.
Anyway, the Sagarin rating is a numerical measure of a team's strength.
A hypothetical victory margin is determined by comparing the rating of the two teams after adding 2.93 points to the home team. The home edge will vary during the season.
Only Division I (both A and AA) are counted for rating and schedule strength during the season.
A diminishing-returns principle exists to prevent teams from building up ratings by running up large victory margins against weak teams. Instead, it rewards teams that do well against good opponents.
The BCS (Bowl Championship Series) does not factor in scoring margin. For Sagarin ratings and more detailed information go to: www.usatoday.com
USA Today, the largest circulation newspaper in the United States, is the nation's daily newspaper and carries the Sagarin College Football Ratings. The ratings are updated following each week's games and published in USA Today on Wednesdays.
Following the first week of college football action, here are some facts that interested me about Sagarin's first-week ratings:
1) Washington, one of the poor to mediocre teams in the country the last several years, was rated No. 31 after hammering Syracuse 42-14 in its home opener.
2) Michigan State, another short end of the stick team for far too long, was rated No. 36 after steamrolling over UAB 55-18 in its home opener.
3) Appalachian State, a AA school, was rated No. 38 following its upset of mighty Michigan 34-32 on Michigan's home field. The win was the biggest upset in college football history as no AA team had ever beaten a ranked team.
Michigan was ranked No. 5 by both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll going into the game. Following its horrendous loss, Michigan ended up being ranked No. 40 by Sagarin.
4) Wyoming, a small school and never among the nation's top teams, was ranked No. 41 by Sagarin following its 23-3 home victory over Virginia.
5) Notre Dame, beaten badly (33-3) by Georgia Tech, was rated No. 57 after the loss. Georgia Tech was rated No. 2. The Irish failed to score a touchdown for the first time ever in their home opener.
6) Temple (ranked No. 143 after its opening loss) and Buffalo (ranked No. 145 after its opening loss) face off in week two. Both teams are among the 7 worst Division I-A teams in the country, joining Louisiana-Monroe, Rice, Duke, Utah State and Florida International.
7) A total of 242 teams, 119 A schools and 123 AA schools, make up the Sagarin College Football Ratings. The worst-rated A school is Florida International at No. 174 (56 AA teams are rated better), and their play reflects their rating. The worst-rated AA school is the No. 242 La Salle Explorers. La Salle is a Catholic university located in Philadelphia.
La Salle lost its home opener to Ursinus 28-0. Ursinus is not a planet but a real liberal arts college in Pennsylvania.
Ursinus College is not a Division 1 school (which includes the 242 teams with La Salle), not a Division II team (which includes another 157 teams), but a Division III team. Now you can better understand why La Salle College is ranked last among 242 Division I schools.
The first job for La Salle this year will be to score a touchdown, or any points, including a field goal or touchback. The Explorers next job will be to actually win a game. Good luck, La Salle, and God speed.
Note: Read my article on "College Football 2007: Who Was Up and Down During College Football's First Weekend" in my Sports Archive.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
While betting on sports is only legal in a few places in the United States, such as Las Vegas, millions of office workers are involved in sports pools every week now that the football season has arrived.
When you know that more than $700 million can be bet on one game—the Super Bowl—in only Las Vegas, then you understand that billions were bet illegally on the Super Bowl last year in the United States and in offshore sports books around the world.
Folks in the gaming business know that more than a billion dollars is wagered on every Monday Night Football game during the season.
For those who wager, it may be helpful to put some science on your side when you wager, and one of the best places to do that is with the Sagarin College Football Ratings.
Created by Jeff Sagarin, a 1970 MIT mathematics graduate, these computer ratings are for Division I-A (what the NCAA now calls the Football Bowl (FB) Subdivision) and Division I-AA (what the NCAA now calls the Football Championship (FC) Subdivision) teams.
You will have to forgive the NCAA for taking titles that have been used for years and are perfectly clear, then renaming them and creating confusion in the process.
If there is a way for the NCAA to assert its superior power, it does so by making everything more difficult and confusing, similar to your United States government and its IRS tax code which could reduce a sane person to tears just reading it.
Anyway, the Sagarin rating is a numerical measure of a team's strength.
A hypothetical victory margin is determined by comparing the rating of the two teams after adding 2.93 points to the home team. The home edge will vary during the season.
Only Division I (both A and AA) are counted for rating and schedule strength during the season.
A diminishing-returns principle exists to prevent teams from building up ratings by running up large victory margins against weak teams. Instead, it rewards teams that do well against good opponents.
The BCS (Bowl Championship Series) does not factor in scoring margin. For Sagarin ratings and more detailed information go to: www.usatoday.com
USA Today, the largest circulation newspaper in the United States, is the nation's daily newspaper and carries the Sagarin College Football Ratings. The ratings are updated following each week's games and published in USA Today on Wednesdays.
Following the first week of college football action, here are some facts that interested me about Sagarin's first-week ratings:
1) Washington, one of the poor to mediocre teams in the country the last several years, was rated No. 31 after hammering Syracuse 42-14 in its home opener.
2) Michigan State, another short end of the stick team for far too long, was rated No. 36 after steamrolling over UAB 55-18 in its home opener.
3) Appalachian State, a AA school, was rated No. 38 following its upset of mighty Michigan 34-32 on Michigan's home field. The win was the biggest upset in college football history as no AA team had ever beaten a ranked team.
Michigan was ranked No. 5 by both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll going into the game. Following its horrendous loss, Michigan ended up being ranked No. 40 by Sagarin.
4) Wyoming, a small school and never among the nation's top teams, was ranked No. 41 by Sagarin following its 23-3 home victory over Virginia.
5) Notre Dame, beaten badly (33-3) by Georgia Tech, was rated No. 57 after the loss. Georgia Tech was rated No. 2. The Irish failed to score a touchdown for the first time ever in their home opener.
6) Temple (ranked No. 143 after its opening loss) and Buffalo (ranked No. 145 after its opening loss) face off in week two. Both teams are among the 7 worst Division I-A teams in the country, joining Louisiana-Monroe, Rice, Duke, Utah State and Florida International.
7) A total of 242 teams, 119 A schools and 123 AA schools, make up the Sagarin College Football Ratings. The worst-rated A school is Florida International at No. 174 (56 AA teams are rated better), and their play reflects their rating. The worst-rated AA school is the No. 242 La Salle Explorers. La Salle is a Catholic university located in Philadelphia.
La Salle lost its home opener to Ursinus 28-0. Ursinus is not a planet but a real liberal arts college in Pennsylvania.
Ursinus College is not a Division 1 school (which includes the 242 teams with La Salle), not a Division II team (which includes another 157 teams), but a Division III team. Now you can better understand why La Salle College is ranked last among 242 Division I schools.
The first job for La Salle this year will be to score a touchdown, or any points, including a field goal or touchback. The Explorers next job will be to actually win a game. Good luck, La Salle, and God speed.
Note: Read my article on "College Football 2007: Who Was Up and Down During College Football's First Weekend" in my Sports Archive.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
College Football 2007: Who Was Up and Down During College Football's First Weekend
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
The first week of college football was full of surprises and disappointments; it is what makes college football worth watching. College football is exciting, surprising and unpredictable all at once.
There was some really bad news for the Michigan Wolverines, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and Florida State Seminoles.
First the Wolverines managed to get beaten by Division 1-AA Appalachian State 34-32 on their home field as 110,000 fans watched in the Big House at Ann Arbor.
Michigan went into the game ranked No. 5 in both preseason polls. When the poll results came out Tuesday following Saturday's game, Michigan dropped out of the poll completely.
It marked the first time that a team ranked that high had completely dropped out of the poll since the AP Poll was expanded to 25 teams in 1989.
Since the death of the legendary Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines have gone 0-3 and given up 108 points.
"I wouldn't want to be on their practice field Tuesday," said victorious Appalachian State Coach Jerry Moore.
To compare the two football programs, Appalachian State's football budget is $1.5 million, and Michigan is in the middle of a $226 million renovation of its stadium. I would say forget the renovation and get some real players at Michigan.
The upset has already been called by many sports pundits and followers as the biggest upset in the history of college football since a AA team has never beaten a ranked team in NCAA play.
Then Notre Dame got a prime whipping from Georgia Tech 33-3. The game marked the most lopsided opening game loss in Notre Dame history, and first time the Irish have failed to score a touchdown in an opener since 1985.
Geez, where is the offense? Charlie Weis is all about offense, but the Irish have clearly suffered from defensive weaknesses the past two seasons.
I am part Irish and a Notre Dame fan. I want to see Weis succeed big time at Notre Dame. Weis is starting his third season and this opening game loss does not bode well for Notre Dame.
Last year the Irish scored 31 points a game (16th best among 119 Division I-A schools) and gave up 24 points a game (67th best).
Defense is a problem for the offensive-minded Weis, and it will continue to be until he fixes it. It almost goes without saying that offense is a huge problem at the moment.
By the end of Saturday, No. 19-ranked Florida State took on way too much swamp water and was upset by Clemson, 24-18. Florida State was conspicuously absent in the polls Tuesday and Clemson snuck into the 25th spot in the AP Poll.
I was not surprised by Clemson's win as they were at home and last year Clemson gave up only 16 points a game (16th best in the nation).
Here are some ranked teams that showed how to take care of business the first week:
No. 2 LSU shut out Mississippi State 45-0.
No. 6 Florida rolled past AA Western Kentucky 49-3.
No. 8 Oklahoma slapped North Texas around, 79-10.
No. 10 Louisville turned poor AA Murray State into road kill, 73-10.
No. 11 Ohio State did not give up a touchdown to AA Youngstown State in a 38-6 victory.
No. 16 Rutgers beat Buffalo 38-3.
No. 17 Penn State shut out Florida International 59-0.
No. 20 Nebraska beat Nevada 52-10.
No. 22 TCU shut out Baylor 27-0.
No. 23 Hawaii slammed AA Northern Colorado 63-6 and led 49-0 after three quarters.
No. 24 Boise State hammered AA Weber State 56-7.
Other ranked teams that won but were not impressive winning or they gave up too many points included No. 3 West Virginia, No. 4 Texas, No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 14 UCLA, No. 18 Auburn, No. 21 Arkansas and No. 25 Texas A&M.
At least three unranked teams shined in their openers: Indiana topped AA Indiana State 55-7, Kansas ripped Central Michigan 52-7, and Cincinnati drubbed AA Southeast Missouri State 59-3.
I did not think that Cincinnati could score 59 points on anybody; last year the Bearcats averaged 21 points a game and gave up 20 points.
Three other teams did not shine as brightly. The Big 10's Minnesota was upset at home by Bowling Green 32-31 in overtime. Bowling Green led 21-0 at the half against the Golden Gophers (what a terrible nickname for Minnesota in this game).
In-state rivalries always are unpredictable and Colorado proved it again by barely sliding by Colorado State 31-28 at home in another overtime game. One might say this proves that both teams have some offense. I would say this proves that both teams lack defense.
In Oregon many fans and pundits call the annual Oregon-Oregon State rivalry The Civil War. One could say the same about this year's Michigan-Michigan State rivalry.
Six other game results I separated out for special attention and comment.
Two of the six involved Pac 10 teams which saw the No. 12 California Golden Bears take down the No. 15 Tennessee Volunteers 45-31 (many think this is THE year at Cal Berkeley to challenge USC), and redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker led the Washington Huskies past Syracuse 42-12.
New Alabama Coach Nick Saban did what he was hired to do, notch a 52-6 win over AA Western Carolina in the Crimson Tide's home opener. Alabama's SEC fortunes should rise with Saban.
New Michigan State Coach Mark Dantonio led the Spartans past UAB 55-18 as his new offense scored touchdowns in its first six possessions—that is impressive—while sprinting to a 42-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Michigan State's Big 10 fortunes should also rise with Dantonio.
I was happy to see two teams I like win their openers. In a rather obscure game Mike Price's UTEP Miners slid past New Mexico 10-6.
I still believe that Mike Price was set up to be driven out at Alabama before he was ever given a chance to coach the Tide. The are still many Southern boys who do not like Yankees that far south.
The second game saw Wyoming beat Virginia 23-3 in their opener at home. Not many fans care about Wyoming but I do.
I like the Cowboys because they play very tough at home no matter who lines up against them. Wyoming takes pride in its Cowboys. Invade their territory and they just might clean your clock and brand your backside.
(Editor's Note: I spent 20 years in the news business, have covered pro and college teams, and have been sports editor of a daily. Everyone has their opinion and impressions and you just read some of mine.)
Note: Read my sports articles on "Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stage as Head Coach at Michigan State", "Nick Saban: A Great College Football Coach Who Might Bring Alabama Back to Greatness", and "Boise State Looked Oklahoma in the Eye and Showed How Belief Makes a Winner". Find these in my Sports Archive.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
The first week of college football was full of surprises and disappointments; it is what makes college football worth watching. College football is exciting, surprising and unpredictable all at once.
There was some really bad news for the Michigan Wolverines, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and Florida State Seminoles.
First the Wolverines managed to get beaten by Division 1-AA Appalachian State 34-32 on their home field as 110,000 fans watched in the Big House at Ann Arbor.
Michigan went into the game ranked No. 5 in both preseason polls. When the poll results came out Tuesday following Saturday's game, Michigan dropped out of the poll completely.
It marked the first time that a team ranked that high had completely dropped out of the poll since the AP Poll was expanded to 25 teams in 1989.
Since the death of the legendary Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines have gone 0-3 and given up 108 points.
"I wouldn't want to be on their practice field Tuesday," said victorious Appalachian State Coach Jerry Moore.
To compare the two football programs, Appalachian State's football budget is $1.5 million, and Michigan is in the middle of a $226 million renovation of its stadium. I would say forget the renovation and get some real players at Michigan.
The upset has already been called by many sports pundits and followers as the biggest upset in the history of college football since a AA team has never beaten a ranked team in NCAA play.
Then Notre Dame got a prime whipping from Georgia Tech 33-3. The game marked the most lopsided opening game loss in Notre Dame history, and first time the Irish have failed to score a touchdown in an opener since 1985.
Geez, where is the offense? Charlie Weis is all about offense, but the Irish have clearly suffered from defensive weaknesses the past two seasons.
I am part Irish and a Notre Dame fan. I want to see Weis succeed big time at Notre Dame. Weis is starting his third season and this opening game loss does not bode well for Notre Dame.
Last year the Irish scored 31 points a game (16th best among 119 Division I-A schools) and gave up 24 points a game (67th best).
Defense is a problem for the offensive-minded Weis, and it will continue to be until he fixes it. It almost goes without saying that offense is a huge problem at the moment.
By the end of Saturday, No. 19-ranked Florida State took on way too much swamp water and was upset by Clemson, 24-18. Florida State was conspicuously absent in the polls Tuesday and Clemson snuck into the 25th spot in the AP Poll.
I was not surprised by Clemson's win as they were at home and last year Clemson gave up only 16 points a game (16th best in the nation).
Here are some ranked teams that showed how to take care of business the first week:
No. 2 LSU shut out Mississippi State 45-0.
No. 6 Florida rolled past AA Western Kentucky 49-3.
No. 8 Oklahoma slapped North Texas around, 79-10.
No. 10 Louisville turned poor AA Murray State into road kill, 73-10.
No. 11 Ohio State did not give up a touchdown to AA Youngstown State in a 38-6 victory.
No. 16 Rutgers beat Buffalo 38-3.
No. 17 Penn State shut out Florida International 59-0.
No. 20 Nebraska beat Nevada 52-10.
No. 22 TCU shut out Baylor 27-0.
No. 23 Hawaii slammed AA Northern Colorado 63-6 and led 49-0 after three quarters.
No. 24 Boise State hammered AA Weber State 56-7.
Other ranked teams that won but were not impressive winning or they gave up too many points included No. 3 West Virginia, No. 4 Texas, No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 14 UCLA, No. 18 Auburn, No. 21 Arkansas and No. 25 Texas A&M.
At least three unranked teams shined in their openers: Indiana topped AA Indiana State 55-7, Kansas ripped Central Michigan 52-7, and Cincinnati drubbed AA Southeast Missouri State 59-3.
I did not think that Cincinnati could score 59 points on anybody; last year the Bearcats averaged 21 points a game and gave up 20 points.
Three other teams did not shine as brightly. The Big 10's Minnesota was upset at home by Bowling Green 32-31 in overtime. Bowling Green led 21-0 at the half against the Golden Gophers (what a terrible nickname for Minnesota in this game).
In-state rivalries always are unpredictable and Colorado proved it again by barely sliding by Colorado State 31-28 at home in another overtime game. One might say this proves that both teams have some offense. I would say this proves that both teams lack defense.
In Oregon many fans and pundits call the annual Oregon-Oregon State rivalry The Civil War. One could say the same about this year's Michigan-Michigan State rivalry.
Six other game results I separated out for special attention and comment.
Two of the six involved Pac 10 teams which saw the No. 12 California Golden Bears take down the No. 15 Tennessee Volunteers 45-31 (many think this is THE year at Cal Berkeley to challenge USC), and redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker led the Washington Huskies past Syracuse 42-12.
New Alabama Coach Nick Saban did what he was hired to do, notch a 52-6 win over AA Western Carolina in the Crimson Tide's home opener. Alabama's SEC fortunes should rise with Saban.
New Michigan State Coach Mark Dantonio led the Spartans past UAB 55-18 as his new offense scored touchdowns in its first six possessions—that is impressive—while sprinting to a 42-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Michigan State's Big 10 fortunes should also rise with Dantonio.
I was happy to see two teams I like win their openers. In a rather obscure game Mike Price's UTEP Miners slid past New Mexico 10-6.
I still believe that Mike Price was set up to be driven out at Alabama before he was ever given a chance to coach the Tide. The are still many Southern boys who do not like Yankees that far south.
The second game saw Wyoming beat Virginia 23-3 in their opener at home. Not many fans care about Wyoming but I do.
I like the Cowboys because they play very tough at home no matter who lines up against them. Wyoming takes pride in its Cowboys. Invade their territory and they just might clean your clock and brand your backside.
(Editor's Note: I spent 20 years in the news business, have covered pro and college teams, and have been sports editor of a daily. Everyone has their opinion and impressions and you just read some of mine.)
Note: Read my sports articles on "Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stage as Head Coach at Michigan State", "Nick Saban: A Great College Football Coach Who Might Bring Alabama Back to Greatness", and "Boise State Looked Oklahoma in the Eye and Showed How Belief Makes a Winner". Find these in my Sports Archive.
A Sports Fan's Dream: Michigan State Slams UAB 55-18 in Mark Dantonio's Coaching Debut - Part 3
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
My third favorite team to win was the Michigan State Spartans which opened up a can of thump 'em on UAB (the University of Alabama at Birmingham) in the season opener for both teams at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.
The battle between first-year coaches Mark Dantonio of MSU and Neil Callaway of UAB proved to be no contest with Dantonio's Spartans winning 55-18.
On Thursday before Friday's game, Callaway said, "he had the sense that his team was ready to start the season" against MSU, the first Big 10 team UAB has ever played. Michigan State gave Callaway a lot to think about on his way back to Alabama.
Dantonio's Spartans sprinted to a 42-0 lead midway through the second quarter, scoring touchdowns on their first 6 possessions and rolling up 252 rushing yards in the first half on 34 carries (a 7.4 average per carry).
Senior running back Jehuu Caulcrick had 4 touchdowns on 94 yards rushing in the first half.
Caulcrick is a 6-foot, 255 pound running back who, with 35 pounds of football gear, is coming at you looking a mean 290 pounds and strong. Caulcrick weighed more than any player on the Syracuse offensive line. I am glad I was not the Syracuse defensive back who had to tackle Caulcrick.
Junior running back Javon Ringer put up 83 yards rushing and junior quarterback Brian Hoyer was a perfect 8-for-8 passing with 149 yards.
MSU's defense gave up just 87 total yards in the first half. The Spartans had one penalty in the first half. I think you get the picture. Michigan State University football is back big time under Dantonio's watchful eye.
The offensive explosion by MSU was unexpected. Dantonio turned MSU upset down, making it a run-oriented, physical team rather than the spread offense used by former coach John L. Smith. Going out-the-door with Smith was the country club atmosphere Smith cultivated.
Trust me when I say that Dantonio will not be putting up with half an effort and no accountability from assistant coaches or players. The screwing around by players at Michigan State is over.
It reminded me of when Lou Piniella came to the Seattle Mariners in 1993. The first thing he did was get the then pathetic Mariner team together and tell them this: "We are going to win in Seattle from now on. Unfortunately, 75% of you will not be here to see us win."
Within two years, Piniella got rid of 75% of his players, found some players who wanted to win and Seattle started winning.
Piniella became the American League Manager of the Year in 1995 and again in 2001 when he led Seattle to a major league record-setting 116 win season.
Great coaches will not tolerate a lack of effort, a crummy attitude, stupid mental mistakes and mediocrity. Piniella will not and Dantonio will not.
Major kudos to Head Coach Mark Dantonio, Offensive Coordinator Don Treadwell and Defensive Coordinator Pat Narduzzi on their debut of the Dantonio Era at Michigan State.
In January of this year I wrote an article when Dantonio was selected as MSU's new football coach. I was effusive in my excitement and now you know why.
The entire weekend was topped off wonderfully when news came that the University of Michigan Wolverines were upset by their NCAA Division I-AA opponent Appalachian State 34-32.
The defeat came before 110,000 fans at the Big House in Ann Arbor which might now be called the House of the Mouse because it was Appalachian State that proved to be The Mouse that Roared.
Michigan's three stars on offense and its coach returned this year rather than the players going into the NFL draft and Head Coach Lloyd Carr into retirement. The Wolverines were rated No. 5 in the preseason Associated Press Sportswriters Poll and also the Division I Coaches Poll.
I thought about calling Lloyd Carr to offer my condolences after his defeat by Appalachian State, but I was too busy laughing.
Carr may actually have a bright future in coaching, but it does not appear at the moment to be at Michigan or Appalachian State.
As a loyal Spartan fan, I am a licensed hater of the University of Michigan Wolverines, mostly because they have had their way with MSU in recent years. Now they are on notice.
If you are wondering about my MSU connection, I graduated from MSU in 1966 when a guy named Duffy Daugherty led the Spartans to the Big 10 title with a 7-0 mark and a season mark of 9-0-1 that resulted in a National Championship after the infamous 10-10 tie with Notre Dame in the "Game of the Century".
In 1965, my junior year, Daugherty led MSU to another Big 10 title at 7-0, a 10-1 season record and another National Championship. No wonder I was spoiled when I left Michigan State.
It has been 41 years since 1966 and the unmatched glory of Spartan football.
I find it ironic that Duffy Daugherty, the greatest football coach in Michigan State history, played his college football at Syracuse. I take it as a good omen that Mark Dantonio started his career at MSU by opening that can of thump 'em on Syracuse. After all, Daugherty made his mark at MSU, not at Syracuse.
The football gods have now given us Mark Dantonio who ranks as the best bet to bring back MSU glory since Duffy Daugherty.
This weekend is what being a football fan is all about: victories for all your favorite teams and the college team you hate the most comes up sucking pond water by losing to a AA team in its own stadium.
(Editor's Note: This is Part 3 of a 3-Part Article.)
Note: Read my sports articles on "Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stage as Head Coach at Michigan State", "Nick Saban: A Great College Football Coach Who Might Bring Alabama Back to Greatness", and "Boise State Looked Oklahoma in the Eye and Showed How Belief Makes a Winner". Find these in my Sports Archive.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
My third favorite team to win was the Michigan State Spartans which opened up a can of thump 'em on UAB (the University of Alabama at Birmingham) in the season opener for both teams at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.
The battle between first-year coaches Mark Dantonio of MSU and Neil Callaway of UAB proved to be no contest with Dantonio's Spartans winning 55-18.
On Thursday before Friday's game, Callaway said, "he had the sense that his team was ready to start the season" against MSU, the first Big 10 team UAB has ever played. Michigan State gave Callaway a lot to think about on his way back to Alabama.
Dantonio's Spartans sprinted to a 42-0 lead midway through the second quarter, scoring touchdowns on their first 6 possessions and rolling up 252 rushing yards in the first half on 34 carries (a 7.4 average per carry).
Senior running back Jehuu Caulcrick had 4 touchdowns on 94 yards rushing in the first half.
Caulcrick is a 6-foot, 255 pound running back who, with 35 pounds of football gear, is coming at you looking a mean 290 pounds and strong. Caulcrick weighed more than any player on the Syracuse offensive line. I am glad I was not the Syracuse defensive back who had to tackle Caulcrick.
Junior running back Javon Ringer put up 83 yards rushing and junior quarterback Brian Hoyer was a perfect 8-for-8 passing with 149 yards.
MSU's defense gave up just 87 total yards in the first half. The Spartans had one penalty in the first half. I think you get the picture. Michigan State University football is back big time under Dantonio's watchful eye.
The offensive explosion by MSU was unexpected. Dantonio turned MSU upset down, making it a run-oriented, physical team rather than the spread offense used by former coach John L. Smith. Going out-the-door with Smith was the country club atmosphere Smith cultivated.
Trust me when I say that Dantonio will not be putting up with half an effort and no accountability from assistant coaches or players. The screwing around by players at Michigan State is over.
It reminded me of when Lou Piniella came to the Seattle Mariners in 1993. The first thing he did was get the then pathetic Mariner team together and tell them this: "We are going to win in Seattle from now on. Unfortunately, 75% of you will not be here to see us win."
Within two years, Piniella got rid of 75% of his players, found some players who wanted to win and Seattle started winning.
Piniella became the American League Manager of the Year in 1995 and again in 2001 when he led Seattle to a major league record-setting 116 win season.
Great coaches will not tolerate a lack of effort, a crummy attitude, stupid mental mistakes and mediocrity. Piniella will not and Dantonio will not.
Major kudos to Head Coach Mark Dantonio, Offensive Coordinator Don Treadwell and Defensive Coordinator Pat Narduzzi on their debut of the Dantonio Era at Michigan State.
In January of this year I wrote an article when Dantonio was selected as MSU's new football coach. I was effusive in my excitement and now you know why.
The entire weekend was topped off wonderfully when news came that the University of Michigan Wolverines were upset by their NCAA Division I-AA opponent Appalachian State 34-32.
The defeat came before 110,000 fans at the Big House in Ann Arbor which might now be called the House of the Mouse because it was Appalachian State that proved to be The Mouse that Roared.
Michigan's three stars on offense and its coach returned this year rather than the players going into the NFL draft and Head Coach Lloyd Carr into retirement. The Wolverines were rated No. 5 in the preseason Associated Press Sportswriters Poll and also the Division I Coaches Poll.
I thought about calling Lloyd Carr to offer my condolences after his defeat by Appalachian State, but I was too busy laughing.
Carr may actually have a bright future in coaching, but it does not appear at the moment to be at Michigan or Appalachian State.
As a loyal Spartan fan, I am a licensed hater of the University of Michigan Wolverines, mostly because they have had their way with MSU in recent years. Now they are on notice.
If you are wondering about my MSU connection, I graduated from MSU in 1966 when a guy named Duffy Daugherty led the Spartans to the Big 10 title with a 7-0 mark and a season mark of 9-0-1 that resulted in a National Championship after the infamous 10-10 tie with Notre Dame in the "Game of the Century".
In 1965, my junior year, Daugherty led MSU to another Big 10 title at 7-0, a 10-1 season record and another National Championship. No wonder I was spoiled when I left Michigan State.
It has been 41 years since 1966 and the unmatched glory of Spartan football.
I find it ironic that Duffy Daugherty, the greatest football coach in Michigan State history, played his college football at Syracuse. I take it as a good omen that Mark Dantonio started his career at MSU by opening that can of thump 'em on Syracuse. After all, Daugherty made his mark at MSU, not at Syracuse.
The football gods have now given us Mark Dantonio who ranks as the best bet to bring back MSU glory since Duffy Daugherty.
This weekend is what being a football fan is all about: victories for all your favorite teams and the college team you hate the most comes up sucking pond water by losing to a AA team in its own stadium.
(Editor's Note: This is Part 3 of a 3-Part Article.)
Note: Read my sports articles on "Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stage as Head Coach at Michigan State", "Nick Saban: A Great College Football Coach Who Might Bring Alabama Back to Greatness", and "Boise State Looked Oklahoma in the Eye and Showed How Belief Makes a Winner". Find these in my Sports Archive.
Monday, September 3, 2007
A Sports Fan's Dream: Jake Locker Makes Good in His Debut, Leads Washington Past Syracuse - Part 2
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
My second favorite team to win was the University of Washington Huskies that outclassed and outran a poor Syracuse University squad 42-12 in an away game that was led by 19-year-old redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker.
Jake Locker (remember his name as you will be hearing it again and again in the future) led his Ferndale (WA) High School team to the Washington State 3-A title as a senior.
He was a first-team, national high school All-American and the state 3A Player of the Year.
As a high school senior Locker passed for 1,603 yards, ran for 1,338 yards, threw 27 touchdowns with only 3 interceptions, and ran for another 24 touchdowns.
Locker is the most hyped player ever at the University of Washington, and he is arguably the most humble and most talented quarterback ever.
Hugh Millen, the former Husky quarterback who led Washington to an 11-1 season in 1984 and a 24-17 victory over then No. 2-ranked Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, has said that Locker is "the most talented Husky quarterback ever" at Washington.
Millen, one of the smartest and most articulate radio and television sports commentators in the Seattle market, should know. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams and spent 8 years in the NFL for 6 teams as a backup quarterback.
The very best thing that can be said about Jack Locker in his debut against the Syracuse Orange is that he has lived up to his hype and then some.
Although his first pass was incomplete and first run was for no gain, Locker showed why Husky fans just might think that the University of Washington actually has a football team again.
After missing 3 of his first 4 passes, Locker connected on 13 of his next 14, ending the game 14 for 19 with 142 yards, and 10 carries for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
Washington flat got after it, cutting the Syracuse defense into Orange slices with 302 yards of rushing, and a career high 147 yards by senior running back Louis Rankin who scored on runs of 47, 20 and 13 yards.
Husky linemen and receivers actually threw blocks that opened holes you could run three players through. It was so sweet to see the Washington players block, tackle, run and pass with efficiency and productivity.
Head Coach Ty Willingham and Offensive Coordinator Tim Lappano have suffered through two miserable years of Husky football to get where they arrived on Friday.
The wait was worth it from my perspective as I see the fortunes of Washington football rising dramatically with Locker as the unquestioned leader.
Locker is a big kid at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds and still very much growing as a 19-year-old who did not commit a single turnover in his debut. He is beyond dangerous as he is the second fastest (you heard it right, second fastest) player on the team.
When you are outrunning defensive cornerbacks, you have very unusual speed for a quarterback. Locker does.
If the University of Washington was a Catholic university there would be prayer vigils daily for the health of Jake Locker for the next four years. If Locker stays healthy and continues to be surrounded by talented incoming recruits, the Huskies are headed for the big time once again.
(Editor's Note: This is Part 2 of a 3-Part Article.)
Note: Read my sports articles on "Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stage as Head Coach at Michigan State", "Nick Saban: A Great College Football Coach Who Might Bring Alabama Back to Greatness", and "Boise State Looked Oklahoma in the Eye and Showed How Belief Makes a Winner". Find these in my Sports Archive.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
My second favorite team to win was the University of Washington Huskies that outclassed and outran a poor Syracuse University squad 42-12 in an away game that was led by 19-year-old redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker.
Jake Locker (remember his name as you will be hearing it again and again in the future) led his Ferndale (WA) High School team to the Washington State 3-A title as a senior.
He was a first-team, national high school All-American and the state 3A Player of the Year.
As a high school senior Locker passed for 1,603 yards, ran for 1,338 yards, threw 27 touchdowns with only 3 interceptions, and ran for another 24 touchdowns.
Locker is the most hyped player ever at the University of Washington, and he is arguably the most humble and most talented quarterback ever.
Hugh Millen, the former Husky quarterback who led Washington to an 11-1 season in 1984 and a 24-17 victory over then No. 2-ranked Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, has said that Locker is "the most talented Husky quarterback ever" at Washington.
Millen, one of the smartest and most articulate radio and television sports commentators in the Seattle market, should know. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams and spent 8 years in the NFL for 6 teams as a backup quarterback.
The very best thing that can be said about Jack Locker in his debut against the Syracuse Orange is that he has lived up to his hype and then some.
Although his first pass was incomplete and first run was for no gain, Locker showed why Husky fans just might think that the University of Washington actually has a football team again.
After missing 3 of his first 4 passes, Locker connected on 13 of his next 14, ending the game 14 for 19 with 142 yards, and 10 carries for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
Washington flat got after it, cutting the Syracuse defense into Orange slices with 302 yards of rushing, and a career high 147 yards by senior running back Louis Rankin who scored on runs of 47, 20 and 13 yards.
Husky linemen and receivers actually threw blocks that opened holes you could run three players through. It was so sweet to see the Washington players block, tackle, run and pass with efficiency and productivity.
Head Coach Ty Willingham and Offensive Coordinator Tim Lappano have suffered through two miserable years of Husky football to get where they arrived on Friday.
The wait was worth it from my perspective as I see the fortunes of Washington football rising dramatically with Locker as the unquestioned leader.
Locker is a big kid at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds and still very much growing as a 19-year-old who did not commit a single turnover in his debut. He is beyond dangerous as he is the second fastest (you heard it right, second fastest) player on the team.
When you are outrunning defensive cornerbacks, you have very unusual speed for a quarterback. Locker does.
If the University of Washington was a Catholic university there would be prayer vigils daily for the health of Jake Locker for the next four years. If Locker stays healthy and continues to be surrounded by talented incoming recruits, the Huskies are headed for the big time once again.
(Editor's Note: This is Part 2 of a 3-Part Article.)
Note: Read my sports articles on "Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stage as Head Coach at Michigan State", "Nick Saban: A Great College Football Coach Who Might Bring Alabama Back to Greatness", and "Boise State Looked Oklahoma in the Eye and Showed How Belief Makes a Winner". Find these in my Sports Archive.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
A Sports Fan's Dream: All 3 of Your Favorite Teams Win Their Game in the Same Weekend - Part 1
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
It was a magic weekend for this sports fan in Western Washington. All three of the teams I care about won—the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, the University of Washington Huskies on Friday and the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday.
Even though the Seahawks game was only an exhibition before the start of Pro Football's NFL season next weekend, it is always better to celebrate victory rather than defeat.
The Seahawks 19-14 win over the Oakland Raiders in Seattle did come at a price—the season-ending loss of mega-sized defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs who suffered a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in his right knee.
Tubbs was counted on heavily as a run stopper because the Seattle defense gives up too much yardage without him.
In the five games Tubbs played last season, the Seahawks allowed an average of 82 yards; in the 11 games while he was injured and required micro-fracture surgery on his left knee, the defense allowed an average of 147 yards per game.
The 26-year-old Tubbs, a 6-foot-3, 318-pound college prospect out of nationally-ranked Texas, was the first-round pick of the Seahawks three years ago. He has never played a full season due to injuries.
Seattle had crossed its fingers on Tubbs hoping he would not be injured again following successful surgery and apparent recovery on his initial left knee surgery. He tore the ACL on his right knee early in the Oakland game on Thursday after twisting his leg awkwardly.
Tubbs career in the NFL may be all but over. I would not give you two cents for his chances to recover from yet another disastrous injury. ACL injuries have ended the careers for many NFL running backs.
Tubbs could also be a player who is just huge, talented and brittle. The NFL can be a vicious playground and, as one player said, "this is a place where you can legally hurt people real bad."
While Tubbs' injury was clearly an accident, some players hold up better than others.
One is Bruce Matthews who holds the NFL record as an offensive lineman for the most games played—296—and most seasons played—19.
Matthews was an All-American at the University of Southern California and a first-round draft choice of the Houston Oilers. He played his entire career with the Oilers as they moved their franchise which later became the Tennessee Titans.
Matthews tied Merlin Olson's NFL record by being selected to the Pro Bowl 14 times. He was an All-Pro pick 9 times and an All-AFC pick 12 times.
Bruce Matthews was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year along with Dan Marino, Eric Dickerson, John Elway and Jim Kelly.
The Seattle Seahawks have another injured-prone lineman in Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack. Pork Chop is a very versatile player on the line and as brittle as potato chip in action. He spends more time on the injury list than on the active roster.
(Editor's Note: This is Part 1 of a 3-Part Article.)
Note: Read my sports articles on "Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stage as Head Coach at Michigan State", "Nick Saban: A Great College Football Coach Who Might Bring Alabama Back to Greatness", and "Boise State Looked Oklahoma in the Eye and Showed How Belief Makes a Winner". Find these in my Sports Archive.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
It was a magic weekend for this sports fan in Western Washington. All three of the teams I care about won—the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, the University of Washington Huskies on Friday and the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday.
Even though the Seahawks game was only an exhibition before the start of Pro Football's NFL season next weekend, it is always better to celebrate victory rather than defeat.
The Seahawks 19-14 win over the Oakland Raiders in Seattle did come at a price—the season-ending loss of mega-sized defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs who suffered a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in his right knee.
Tubbs was counted on heavily as a run stopper because the Seattle defense gives up too much yardage without him.
In the five games Tubbs played last season, the Seahawks allowed an average of 82 yards; in the 11 games while he was injured and required micro-fracture surgery on his left knee, the defense allowed an average of 147 yards per game.
The 26-year-old Tubbs, a 6-foot-3, 318-pound college prospect out of nationally-ranked Texas, was the first-round pick of the Seahawks three years ago. He has never played a full season due to injuries.
Seattle had crossed its fingers on Tubbs hoping he would not be injured again following successful surgery and apparent recovery on his initial left knee surgery. He tore the ACL on his right knee early in the Oakland game on Thursday after twisting his leg awkwardly.
Tubbs career in the NFL may be all but over. I would not give you two cents for his chances to recover from yet another disastrous injury. ACL injuries have ended the careers for many NFL running backs.
Tubbs could also be a player who is just huge, talented and brittle. The NFL can be a vicious playground and, as one player said, "this is a place where you can legally hurt people real bad."
While Tubbs' injury was clearly an accident, some players hold up better than others.
One is Bruce Matthews who holds the NFL record as an offensive lineman for the most games played—296—and most seasons played—19.
Matthews was an All-American at the University of Southern California and a first-round draft choice of the Houston Oilers. He played his entire career with the Oilers as they moved their franchise which later became the Tennessee Titans.
Matthews tied Merlin Olson's NFL record by being selected to the Pro Bowl 14 times. He was an All-Pro pick 9 times and an All-AFC pick 12 times.
Bruce Matthews was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year along with Dan Marino, Eric Dickerson, John Elway and Jim Kelly.
The Seattle Seahawks have another injured-prone lineman in Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack. Pork Chop is a very versatile player on the line and as brittle as potato chip in action. He spends more time on the injury list than on the active roster.
(Editor's Note: This is Part 1 of a 3-Part Article.)
Note: Read my sports articles on "Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stage as Head Coach at Michigan State", "Nick Saban: A Great College Football Coach Who Might Bring Alabama Back to Greatness", and "Boise State Looked Oklahoma in the Eye and Showed How Belief Makes a Winner". Find these in my Sports Archive.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Running - There is an Inescapable Correlation Between Weight and Cardiovascular Efficiency - Part 5
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Dr. Peter D'Adamo also addresses the personality question by saying that Os carry a genetic memory of strength, endurance, self-reliance, daring, intuition and innate optimism. All of those qualities I possess as well as being a risk taker.
I would be the last person in the world to be happy working as hired help for a major corporation, or as a bureaucrat in a public service position, or in the military as a volunteer soldier. I am a Vietnam Veteran but I would never have been a career military person.
I figured out real quick in life that if you have any intelligence, talent, creativity, productivity and especially integrity, you will find it much harder to progress and prosper if you are not self-employed in your own business.
I answer to myself first, last and always. Type Os like me are stable, reliable, dependable, responsible and accountable for their actions. If I screw up, I admit it, self-correct and get on with being successful. This could be why Type Os are known as loners.
Supplements can also be important. For example, a surprising amount of chronic joint pain (especially in the lower back and knees) in Type O patients (and certainly runners) has been helped with a short period of manganese supplementation, according to Dr. D'Adamo.
Manganese supplementation should only be done under a physician's supervision, even if you can buy the supplement over the counter.
Here are some other facts that are interesting from Dr. D'Adamo about Type Os:
1) Aspirin's blood-thinning properties can be trouble as Type Os already have thin blood.
2) Type Os should avoid penicillin-class antibiotics as their immune systems are more allergically sensitive to this class of drugs. I was given penicillin as a child; when given penicillin as an adult, I developed a severe reaction to penicillin. If I am given a shot of penicillin today, it will kill me within minutes. I am told that if I took penicillin in tablet form and my stomach was pumped immediately, I might have a chance to remain alive.
If you think D'Adamo's advice on this did not get my attention, you are dead wrong.
3) Try to avoid macrolide-class antibiotics. Erythromycin and the newer macrolides Biaxin and Zithromax can aggravate bleeding tendencies in Type Os.
The bottom line from Peter D'Adamo, who is a naturopathic physician and ridiculed by some other physicians who think they are God's answer to medicine, is this: Try to avoid over-the-counter medications as there are natural alternatives that work just as well or better.
When I researched the ingredient labels on foods at the supermarket I was amazed at how many food products include wheat flour, high fructose corn syrup and simple sugars.
Do you realize how much money the wheat flour, high fructose corn syrup and simple sugar interests dole out in research grants every year to medical research laboratories to prove the value of their products for consumers? It is in the millions, if not billions.
Is it any wonder why Dr. D'Adamo's clinical and laboratory research is discredited by some major money interests? A lot of what D'Adamo is saying about O blood types runs counter to their vested interests. Dr. Atkins suffered through the same criticism before he was proven correct.
I predict Dr. D'Adamo will eventually prevail as Dr. Atkins did. It just may take a number of years to happen.
I used to drink soda pop like water and now I drink water like I used to drink soda pop. A 20-ounce bottle of soda pop or even Gatorade is loaded with sugar. Most sports drinks are loaded with sugar.
A 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola Classic has high fructose corn syrup as well as 140 calories and 39 grams of sugar (thus 39 carbohydrates). A single, 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola Classic has high fructose corn syrup as well as approximately 265 calories and 65 grams of sugar (thus 65 carbohydrates).
I used to down 4 or 5 of these 20-ounce bottles a day and could easily put away a 2-liter bottle of Classic Coke on a weekend day. I have switched to plain water and the 23.7-ounce Grape Propel, which has a total of 30 calories and 6 grams of sugar per bottle.
I suggest that you consider doing the same unless you want to float away like I did. I got to the point where it seemed that if I ingested a grain of simple cane sugar my pancreas would automatically pump out 8 ounces of insulin to regulate the amount of glucose in my blood. I am kidding but you get the point.
My hormonal balance was so screwed up with excess sugar and wheat flour products, both adding fat I did not want, that I was gaining weight faster than putting bricks on a scale.
Now all of that nonsense is over. Coca-Cola will have to find another customer for its products.
In America it seems that we have a lobby for everything and every group. There cannot be two more powerful and effective lobbies in the United States today than the sugar lobby and the wheat flour lobby. They are literally part of many foods we eat.
No wonder we are getting fatter and fatter by the meal. Well, at least most of us. I am getting skinner every time I eat and drink. I will run faster too and will be happy to do so.
Lifelong runners like myself who have been training and competing forever (47 years plus) know that there is an inescapable correlation between your weight and your cardiovascular efficiency.
Essentially, when you lose 10% of your body weight, you increase your cardiovascular efficiency 10%.
When my weight drops 65 pounds from 225 to 160, I will have lost at least 28% of my body weight, meaning my cardiovascular efficiency will increase 28%. Trust me when I say that upon reaching my ideal weight, you will know.
I will be the guy screaming the news on top of my house for everyone to hear.
(Editor's Note: This is Part 5 of a 5-Part Article.)
Note: Read my sports articles on "What Makes a Person Want to Run, and Why Few Will Ever Know the Joy of Running", "A St. Patrick's Day Toast to Irish Runners Marcus O'Sullivan and Eamonn Coghlan" and "Millrose Games Celebrates 100th Birthday as Track's Most Prestigious Indoor Event". Find these reviews in my Blog Archive.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Dr. Peter D'Adamo also addresses the personality question by saying that Os carry a genetic memory of strength, endurance, self-reliance, daring, intuition and innate optimism. All of those qualities I possess as well as being a risk taker.
I would be the last person in the world to be happy working as hired help for a major corporation, or as a bureaucrat in a public service position, or in the military as a volunteer soldier. I am a Vietnam Veteran but I would never have been a career military person.
I figured out real quick in life that if you have any intelligence, talent, creativity, productivity and especially integrity, you will find it much harder to progress and prosper if you are not self-employed in your own business.
I answer to myself first, last and always. Type Os like me are stable, reliable, dependable, responsible and accountable for their actions. If I screw up, I admit it, self-correct and get on with being successful. This could be why Type Os are known as loners.
Supplements can also be important. For example, a surprising amount of chronic joint pain (especially in the lower back and knees) in Type O patients (and certainly runners) has been helped with a short period of manganese supplementation, according to Dr. D'Adamo.
Manganese supplementation should only be done under a physician's supervision, even if you can buy the supplement over the counter.
Here are some other facts that are interesting from Dr. D'Adamo about Type Os:
1) Aspirin's blood-thinning properties can be trouble as Type Os already have thin blood.
2) Type Os should avoid penicillin-class antibiotics as their immune systems are more allergically sensitive to this class of drugs. I was given penicillin as a child; when given penicillin as an adult, I developed a severe reaction to penicillin. If I am given a shot of penicillin today, it will kill me within minutes. I am told that if I took penicillin in tablet form and my stomach was pumped immediately, I might have a chance to remain alive.
If you think D'Adamo's advice on this did not get my attention, you are dead wrong.
3) Try to avoid macrolide-class antibiotics. Erythromycin and the newer macrolides Biaxin and Zithromax can aggravate bleeding tendencies in Type Os.
The bottom line from Peter D'Adamo, who is a naturopathic physician and ridiculed by some other physicians who think they are God's answer to medicine, is this: Try to avoid over-the-counter medications as there are natural alternatives that work just as well or better.
When I researched the ingredient labels on foods at the supermarket I was amazed at how many food products include wheat flour, high fructose corn syrup and simple sugars.
Do you realize how much money the wheat flour, high fructose corn syrup and simple sugar interests dole out in research grants every year to medical research laboratories to prove the value of their products for consumers? It is in the millions, if not billions.
Is it any wonder why Dr. D'Adamo's clinical and laboratory research is discredited by some major money interests? A lot of what D'Adamo is saying about O blood types runs counter to their vested interests. Dr. Atkins suffered through the same criticism before he was proven correct.
I predict Dr. D'Adamo will eventually prevail as Dr. Atkins did. It just may take a number of years to happen.
I used to drink soda pop like water and now I drink water like I used to drink soda pop. A 20-ounce bottle of soda pop or even Gatorade is loaded with sugar. Most sports drinks are loaded with sugar.
A 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola Classic has high fructose corn syrup as well as 140 calories and 39 grams of sugar (thus 39 carbohydrates). A single, 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola Classic has high fructose corn syrup as well as approximately 265 calories and 65 grams of sugar (thus 65 carbohydrates).
I used to down 4 or 5 of these 20-ounce bottles a day and could easily put away a 2-liter bottle of Classic Coke on a weekend day. I have switched to plain water and the 23.7-ounce Grape Propel, which has a total of 30 calories and 6 grams of sugar per bottle.
I suggest that you consider doing the same unless you want to float away like I did. I got to the point where it seemed that if I ingested a grain of simple cane sugar my pancreas would automatically pump out 8 ounces of insulin to regulate the amount of glucose in my blood. I am kidding but you get the point.
My hormonal balance was so screwed up with excess sugar and wheat flour products, both adding fat I did not want, that I was gaining weight faster than putting bricks on a scale.
Now all of that nonsense is over. Coca-Cola will have to find another customer for its products.
In America it seems that we have a lobby for everything and every group. There cannot be two more powerful and effective lobbies in the United States today than the sugar lobby and the wheat flour lobby. They are literally part of many foods we eat.
No wonder we are getting fatter and fatter by the meal. Well, at least most of us. I am getting skinner every time I eat and drink. I will run faster too and will be happy to do so.
Lifelong runners like myself who have been training and competing forever (47 years plus) know that there is an inescapable correlation between your weight and your cardiovascular efficiency.
Essentially, when you lose 10% of your body weight, you increase your cardiovascular efficiency 10%.
When my weight drops 65 pounds from 225 to 160, I will have lost at least 28% of my body weight, meaning my cardiovascular efficiency will increase 28%. Trust me when I say that upon reaching my ideal weight, you will know.
I will be the guy screaming the news on top of my house for everyone to hear.
(Editor's Note: This is Part 5 of a 5-Part Article.)
Note: Read my sports articles on "What Makes a Person Want to Run, and Why Few Will Ever Know the Joy of Running", "A St. Patrick's Day Toast to Irish Runners Marcus O'Sullivan and Eamonn Coghlan" and "Millrose Games Celebrates 100th Birthday as Track's Most Prestigious Indoor Event". Find these reviews in my Blog Archive.
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