Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
It is important to understand that there is no need for any coach to announce a leader, leaders announce themselves by moving on instinctively. They will not tolerate running with the pack, nor should they.
Steve Prefontaine is the perfect example. Pre never allowed ANYONE at ANYTIME—in practice or competition—to best him. If you wanted to race him in practice two days before an important meet, he would run you into the ground and then do it again on race day, only by a bigger margin.
Pre made it clear who the leader was and why he was the leader. He was not the fastest runner, but he was almost always the best runner. No one had his heart and guts, and if they did, they could not tolerate his work ethic.
Did you know that Pre never missed a single practice or competition during his entire athletic career at Oregon? Did he ever have a cold? Did he ever have the flu? Did he ever run injured? Of course he did; he just never bothered to tell anyone and would not allow himself to show any obvious stress. Pre was, and is, one of a kind.
Probably at least half if not three-quarters of all running coaches in America will tell you that leaders are made and not born. Imagine taking a runner who has never run faster than 13 seconds for 100 meters and trying to make him into a world class sprinter. I never believed this nonsense 45 years ago and I do not believe it today. I believe, and always have believed, that leaders are born and not made.
A lot of runners who appear not to be leaders (and a few very select Michigan State men may be among this group) actually are leaders. They just do not know it. They are not leading today because they have not been required to lead.
Their instinct will click in when faced with a life and death situation in a foxhole during wartime. Or maybe they are 16 and the oldest of 7 siblings, their father and mother are killed instantly in an accident, and they are left with nothing and the responsibility to raise 7 children or the family will be separated by a state agency with the children in 7 different homes.
When it really counts in life, people in danger do not want to know what you think, they want to know what you know because their life may depend upon your experience, courage and wisdom. That is why with every fiber in my body, my life experience tells me leaders are born, not made.
I know from personal experience that it is much easier to find a winner than to try and develop a winner. Trust me when I say that eagles fly, not chickens. You can coach a chicken for 100 years and if they have no talent and no leadership ability, the result will be the same.
If you want to see a winner, go watch Nicole Bush run. When it counts the most, the leaders will surface. If you want to see another winner, go watch Rita Arndt-Molis coach.
Anyone who runs for the Spartans should understand who they represent and Michigan State's running tradition. There is exactly one school among the 299 NCAA Division 1 Men's Cross-Country programs that has won more national championships than Michigan State, and that is Arkansas with 11 titles in 17 years between 1984 and 2000.
Michigan State has won 8 national titles—the first in 1939, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1958 and the last in 1959, 47 years ago. That is too long ago. From 1948 to 1959, Michigan State won 7 titles in 12 years before anyone ever heard of Oregon, Bill Bowerman or Steve Prefontaine. That is dominance.
For the record, UTEP (yes, THAT University of Texas at El Paso) has also won 8 titles while no other school, including Oregon and Stanford, has won more than 4.
On the women's side of the ledger, Villanova has won 7 national titles and 6 consecutively from 1989 to 1994. Stanford is the current power, winning the last 3 national championships. It is axiomatic that Stanford can be beaten, just as surely as night follows day.
Those almost silent footfalls that the Stanford runners hear behind them are the Michigan State Spartan women getting closer and closer.
(Editor's Note: This is Part 2 of a 2-Part Article.)
Read my other articles on Michigan State University runners, including "Walt Drenth Becomes Director of MSU's Cross-Country and Track & field Programs", "Meet Michigan State's Newest Dynamo: Associate Head Coach Rita Arndt-Molis" and "What Makes a Person Want to Run and Why Few Will Ever Know the Joy of Running".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 87 Sports Articles, 57 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (372 total articles) plus 629 Famous Quotes.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Michigan State's Nicole Bush Finishes 5th at NCAA Nationals, Best Spartan Run Ever - Part 1
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Senior Nicole Bush put the finishing touch on an outstanding cross-country season by finishing 5th in the NCAA National Championship meet, earning All-American status with a 6000-meter time of 20:13.4, missing the school-record for the meet by a scant 3-10ths of a second. The 6K is roughly 3.84 miles and Bush's mile pace was roughly 5:16.
Her 5th place individual finish led the Michigan State women to a 5th place team finish, the second best showing ever for the Spartans, topped only by the 4th place finish in 1981 at the first-ever NCAA women's championships.
The improvement by Bush from last year to this year's All-American run was dramatic. She finished 3rd among the Spartan runners last year in 78th place with a time of 22:09, only 4 seconds shy of a full two minutes slower.
Bush was followed by junior Alissa McKaig (50th in 21:22), junior Sarah Price (82nd in 21:37), senior Lisa Senakiewich (90th in 21:44) and sophomore Emily MacLeod (94th in 21:45). Not scoring this year were two more sophomores—Becky McCormack (115th in 21:54) and Ashley Casavant (199th in 23:12).
It is important to note that the difference between the finish of McKaig and Price amounted to 32 places but only 15 seconds. Missing from the race was the Spartans' strong 5th runner, senior Katie Kelly, who was out with a back injury. Had Kelly been available, the Spartans could have done even better.
Things are getting better and better for Michigan State's running fortunes, especially when you know all of the women team members will be returning next year.
Anita Arndt-Molis continues to impress as Michigan State's Associate Head Coach in charge of all middle distance and distance runners. Last year the Spartan women were 12th in the NCAA Championship run.
Can the Spartan women improve even more? You decide with just the knowledge of these three facts:
1) Last year Alissa McKaig finished 9th overall in 21:07; this year was not her day as she was 50th in 21:22.
2) Sarah Price was 137th last year and 82nd this year.
3) Nicole Bush was only 3 seconds behind the eventual winner—Sally Kipyego of Texas Tech—at the 2K mark, only 20 seconds behind her at the 4K mark and 43 seconds behind her at the end. More strength training, increased confidence from this year's showing, and increased experience and maturity can close the gap to an individual national championship considerably.
Clearly, Nicole Bush must now be considered among the emerging elite middle distance runners nationally, and a prospect for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
For the record, Stanford won the 2007 NCAA women's title followed by Oregon, Florida State and Arizona State. With their 5th place finish, Michigan State's women left Big Ten champion Minnesota (12th) and Great Lakes Regional runner-up Michigan (21st) in the dust.
The Spartan men's team, which finished 17th at last year's NCAA Championships, did not quality for this year's final run. Their season ended with the Great Lakes Regional Championships and a 6th place finish behind Michigan and Wisconsin (which tied for 1st), Notre Dame, Indiana and Ohio State. Sophomore Max Goldak led Michigan State with a 23rd place finish.
The Spartan men ran well as a pack (about a 64 second spread between the 1st and 5th runners) but not fast enough to push their way to NCAA qualification.
The Spartan women refused to run behind by successfully defending their Great Lakes Regional title, besting Michigan by 3 points led by Nicole Bush's runner-up finish. All five Spartan scorers were among the top 25 finishes, a precursor to their outstanding NCAA performance.
For the record, Michigan State's women were 2nd at the 2007 Big Ten Conference finals, barely nipped by Minnesota by a single point. This kind of finish underscores the importance of all 7 runners on the team, not just the first 5 finishers who figure in the team scoring. When a team's 6th and 7th place runners finish ahead of another team's 5th scorer, the impact is more than significant.
The men placed well out of the money at the Big Ten finals, finishing 7th. They run well in a pack but either the entire pack has to get faster or someone needs to separate from the pack and become the leader, pulling the others along faster. The speed of the group benefits from the speed of the leader.
The Wisconsin Badgers won the men's 2007 Big Ten title for the 9th consecutive year by placing their first 5 finishers among the top 15. You read it right, 9 consecutive titles; Wisconsin did it by recruiting winners. They have created a winning environment that attracts successful prep runners. Period, end of story.
(Editor's Note: This is Part 1 of a 2-Part Article.)
Read my other articles on Michigan State University runners, including "Walt Drenth Becomes Director of MSU's Cross-Country and Track & field Programs", "Meet Michigan State's Newest Dynamo: Associate Head Coach Rita Arndt-Molis" and "What Makes a Person Want to Run and Why Few Will Ever Know the Joy of Running".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 87 Sports Articles, 57 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (372 total articles) plus 629 Famous Quotes.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Senior Nicole Bush put the finishing touch on an outstanding cross-country season by finishing 5th in the NCAA National Championship meet, earning All-American status with a 6000-meter time of 20:13.4, missing the school-record for the meet by a scant 3-10ths of a second. The 6K is roughly 3.84 miles and Bush's mile pace was roughly 5:16.
Her 5th place individual finish led the Michigan State women to a 5th place team finish, the second best showing ever for the Spartans, topped only by the 4th place finish in 1981 at the first-ever NCAA women's championships.
The improvement by Bush from last year to this year's All-American run was dramatic. She finished 3rd among the Spartan runners last year in 78th place with a time of 22:09, only 4 seconds shy of a full two minutes slower.
Bush was followed by junior Alissa McKaig (50th in 21:22), junior Sarah Price (82nd in 21:37), senior Lisa Senakiewich (90th in 21:44) and sophomore Emily MacLeod (94th in 21:45). Not scoring this year were two more sophomores—Becky McCormack (115th in 21:54) and Ashley Casavant (199th in 23:12).
It is important to note that the difference between the finish of McKaig and Price amounted to 32 places but only 15 seconds. Missing from the race was the Spartans' strong 5th runner, senior Katie Kelly, who was out with a back injury. Had Kelly been available, the Spartans could have done even better.
Things are getting better and better for Michigan State's running fortunes, especially when you know all of the women team members will be returning next year.
Anita Arndt-Molis continues to impress as Michigan State's Associate Head Coach in charge of all middle distance and distance runners. Last year the Spartan women were 12th in the NCAA Championship run.
Can the Spartan women improve even more? You decide with just the knowledge of these three facts:
1) Last year Alissa McKaig finished 9th overall in 21:07; this year was not her day as she was 50th in 21:22.
2) Sarah Price was 137th last year and 82nd this year.
3) Nicole Bush was only 3 seconds behind the eventual winner—Sally Kipyego of Texas Tech—at the 2K mark, only 20 seconds behind her at the 4K mark and 43 seconds behind her at the end. More strength training, increased confidence from this year's showing, and increased experience and maturity can close the gap to an individual national championship considerably.
Clearly, Nicole Bush must now be considered among the emerging elite middle distance runners nationally, and a prospect for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
For the record, Stanford won the 2007 NCAA women's title followed by Oregon, Florida State and Arizona State. With their 5th place finish, Michigan State's women left Big Ten champion Minnesota (12th) and Great Lakes Regional runner-up Michigan (21st) in the dust.
The Spartan men's team, which finished 17th at last year's NCAA Championships, did not quality for this year's final run. Their season ended with the Great Lakes Regional Championships and a 6th place finish behind Michigan and Wisconsin (which tied for 1st), Notre Dame, Indiana and Ohio State. Sophomore Max Goldak led Michigan State with a 23rd place finish.
The Spartan men ran well as a pack (about a 64 second spread between the 1st and 5th runners) but not fast enough to push their way to NCAA qualification.
The Spartan women refused to run behind by successfully defending their Great Lakes Regional title, besting Michigan by 3 points led by Nicole Bush's runner-up finish. All five Spartan scorers were among the top 25 finishes, a precursor to their outstanding NCAA performance.
For the record, Michigan State's women were 2nd at the 2007 Big Ten Conference finals, barely nipped by Minnesota by a single point. This kind of finish underscores the importance of all 7 runners on the team, not just the first 5 finishers who figure in the team scoring. When a team's 6th and 7th place runners finish ahead of another team's 5th scorer, the impact is more than significant.
The men placed well out of the money at the Big Ten finals, finishing 7th. They run well in a pack but either the entire pack has to get faster or someone needs to separate from the pack and become the leader, pulling the others along faster. The speed of the group benefits from the speed of the leader.
The Wisconsin Badgers won the men's 2007 Big Ten title for the 9th consecutive year by placing their first 5 finishers among the top 15. You read it right, 9 consecutive titles; Wisconsin did it by recruiting winners. They have created a winning environment that attracts successful prep runners. Period, end of story.
(Editor's Note: This is Part 1 of a 2-Part Article.)
Read my other articles on Michigan State University runners, including "Walt Drenth Becomes Director of MSU's Cross-Country and Track & field Programs", "Meet Michigan State's Newest Dynamo: Associate Head Coach Rita Arndt-Molis" and "What Makes a Person Want to Run and Why Few Will Ever Know the Joy of Running".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 87 Sports Articles, 57 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (372 total articles) plus 629 Famous Quotes.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Meet Michigan State's Newest Dynamo - Associate Head Coach Rita Arndt-Molis
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
During the changing of the guard for Michigan State University's cross-country and track & field programs, Rita Arndt-Molis was named Associate Head Coach following Walt Drenth's appointment as director of the programs.
Arndt-Molis will coach both men and women middle-distance and distance runners in both cross-country and track. She spent her first two years as head coach of the women's cross-country team and as an assistant coach in track and field.
Her impact was immediate. The 2004 cross-country team was 14th at the NCAA National Championships, led by All-American Danette Doetzel's 12th place finish. The women were also 3rd at the Great Lakes Regional Championships and tied with Illinois as runners-up in the Big Ten Championships.
Arndt-Molis provided the leadership, encouragement and motivation to lead her runners to success in both competition and in the classroom. Her 2004 cross-country team recorded a team GPA of 3.52 to earn Academic All-American recognition.
The 2005 track team set a school-record 11:29.69 in the distance medley relay and was runner-up at the Big Ten Indoor Championships.
Arndt-Molis guided the 2005 cross-country team to its 5th consecutive trip to the NCAA National Championships where the Spartans were 30th. Before qualifying for the nationals, the team finished 5th at the Great Lakes Regional Championships. The team's overall 3.61 GPA earned them Academic All-American recognition.
The 2006 track team finished 4th at the Great Lakes Regional Championships with 4 runners—Nicole Bush, Emily Adams, Michelle Rafferty and Aimee Keenan—qualifying for the NCAA National Championships. Bush was 5th in the 3000-meter run at the nationals in a school-record 10:01.04, and she became an All-American with the 5th fastest 3000-meter time in the nation.
Prior to Michigan State, Arndt-Molis spent two seasons as an assistant coach for cross-country and track with the University of South Florida Bulls, where she helped develop 43 all-conference athletes, 10 all-regional performers and 3 NCAA qualifiers.
The personable and energetic Arndt-Molis coached up Christa Benton, South Florida's first-ever All-American in cross-country, and Andrew Smith, the Bulls' first conference men's cross-county champion. In track, the men's 4x800 relay team set a school record. Arndt-Molis became part of the 2003 Conference USA Coaching Staff of the Year.
Like Walt Drenth, Rita Arndt-Molis had tremendous coaching success prior to ever arriving on the Michigan State University campus.
Arndt-Molis ran for the Spartans' cross-country and track teams for 2 years before finishing her collegiate career at South Florida, where she became a 6-time NCAA qualifier, 3-time Academic All-American and helped the Bulls' to their first-ever Conference USA Championship, and first-ever berth to the NCAA Championships in 1998.
In her 5-year cross-country and track & field coaching career, Rita Arndt-Molis has directly helped create:
Sixty All-Conference athletes, 4 individual Conference champions, 1 Conference championship team, 24 All-Regional athletes, 4 Academic All-American teams, 2 Academic All-American individuals, 2 NCAA Cross-Country Championship team qualifiers, 11 NCAA Regional qualifiers, and 3 All-Americans.
You could call Rita Arndt-Molis personable, spunky, energetic, positive or upbeat, but the best name to call her is winner. She is a winner first, last and always, and Michigan State University and its athletes benefit from it every day she is coaching the green and white.
Read my 4-Part series on Mead Mania: "The Golden Era of Prep Distance Running in Washington – Part 1", "Pat Tyson's Arrival Starts a Run of 9 Consecutive Titles – Part 2", "How About a State X-Country Title Where the First 3 Finishers Are Your Runners – Part 3" and "2 Mead Runners Crack 9 Minutes at the State 3200 Meter Championships – Part 4".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 87 Sports Articles, 57 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (372 total articles) plus 629 Famous Quotes.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
During the changing of the guard for Michigan State University's cross-country and track & field programs, Rita Arndt-Molis was named Associate Head Coach following Walt Drenth's appointment as director of the programs.
Arndt-Molis will coach both men and women middle-distance and distance runners in both cross-country and track. She spent her first two years as head coach of the women's cross-country team and as an assistant coach in track and field.
Her impact was immediate. The 2004 cross-country team was 14th at the NCAA National Championships, led by All-American Danette Doetzel's 12th place finish. The women were also 3rd at the Great Lakes Regional Championships and tied with Illinois as runners-up in the Big Ten Championships.
Arndt-Molis provided the leadership, encouragement and motivation to lead her runners to success in both competition and in the classroom. Her 2004 cross-country team recorded a team GPA of 3.52 to earn Academic All-American recognition.
The 2005 track team set a school-record 11:29.69 in the distance medley relay and was runner-up at the Big Ten Indoor Championships.
Arndt-Molis guided the 2005 cross-country team to its 5th consecutive trip to the NCAA National Championships where the Spartans were 30th. Before qualifying for the nationals, the team finished 5th at the Great Lakes Regional Championships. The team's overall 3.61 GPA earned them Academic All-American recognition.
The 2006 track team finished 4th at the Great Lakes Regional Championships with 4 runners—Nicole Bush, Emily Adams, Michelle Rafferty and Aimee Keenan—qualifying for the NCAA National Championships. Bush was 5th in the 3000-meter run at the nationals in a school-record 10:01.04, and she became an All-American with the 5th fastest 3000-meter time in the nation.
Prior to Michigan State, Arndt-Molis spent two seasons as an assistant coach for cross-country and track with the University of South Florida Bulls, where she helped develop 43 all-conference athletes, 10 all-regional performers and 3 NCAA qualifiers.
The personable and energetic Arndt-Molis coached up Christa Benton, South Florida's first-ever All-American in cross-country, and Andrew Smith, the Bulls' first conference men's cross-county champion. In track, the men's 4x800 relay team set a school record. Arndt-Molis became part of the 2003 Conference USA Coaching Staff of the Year.
Like Walt Drenth, Rita Arndt-Molis had tremendous coaching success prior to ever arriving on the Michigan State University campus.
Arndt-Molis ran for the Spartans' cross-country and track teams for 2 years before finishing her collegiate career at South Florida, where she became a 6-time NCAA qualifier, 3-time Academic All-American and helped the Bulls' to their first-ever Conference USA Championship, and first-ever berth to the NCAA Championships in 1998.
In her 5-year cross-country and track & field coaching career, Rita Arndt-Molis has directly helped create:
Sixty All-Conference athletes, 4 individual Conference champions, 1 Conference championship team, 24 All-Regional athletes, 4 Academic All-American teams, 2 Academic All-American individuals, 2 NCAA Cross-Country Championship team qualifiers, 11 NCAA Regional qualifiers, and 3 All-Americans.
You could call Rita Arndt-Molis personable, spunky, energetic, positive or upbeat, but the best name to call her is winner. She is a winner first, last and always, and Michigan State University and its athletes benefit from it every day she is coaching the green and white.
Read my 4-Part series on Mead Mania: "The Golden Era of Prep Distance Running in Washington – Part 1", "Pat Tyson's Arrival Starts a Run of 9 Consecutive Titles – Part 2", "How About a State X-Country Title Where the First 3 Finishers Are Your Runners – Part 3" and "2 Mead Runners Crack 9 Minutes at the State 3200 Meter Championships – Part 4".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 87 Sports Articles, 57 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (372 total articles) plus 629 Famous Quotes.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Walt Drenth Becomes Director of MSU's Cross-Country and Track & Field Programs - Spartans Go With a Winner
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Michigan State University's cross-county and track & field programs have taken a really positive step forward with the appointment of Walt Drenth as the director.
Just as Tom Izzo has led the Spartan basketball program back to national prominence, and new first-year coach Mark Dantonio has already dramatically improved Michigan State's football fortunes with a bowl appearance, Walt Drenth will create a winning tradition among Spartan runners.
Drenth arrived on campus as a proven winner about to become a more successful winner at Michigan State. He had spent 7 years as Arizona State's head cross-country coach, turning a failing team into one of the premier performers in the West.
When he arrived at Arizona State, neither of the men or women cross-country runners had ever made a team appearance at the nationals nor earned a national ranking. The women had never even produced one All-American runner.
Under Drenth's leadership, encouragement and motivation, the Arizona State women have been to the NCAA Championships 5 years in a row, including a school-record 6th place finish. They have also been two-time regional runners-up, 3-time Pac 10 runners-up, posted a program-best No. 3 national ranking, and produced a woman All American 4 years in a row.
The Arizona State men made their first appearance at the nationals, were nationally ranked, and logged a school-record 3rd place finish at the regionals. Drenth also made a difference by coaching the distance runners in track as they produced 12 school records in distance events and 14 became All-Americans.
Not too shabby considering that there are 299 NCAA Division 1 Men's Cross-Country programs at last count.
None of this was new to Walt Drenth, who led the College of William & Mary to 5 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) cross-country titles and 2 track and field titles in 6 years, and was named CAA Cross-Country Coach of the Year 5 times. William & Mary was also a District II champion in cross-country and Drenth was District II Coach of the Year twice. His William & Mary track teams won 2 CAA titles and he tutored 5 All-American runners.
Prior to coaching at William & Mary, Drenth was the head cross-country and assistant track and field coach at his alma mater, Central Michigan University. He won a District IV title there and was named District IV Coach of the Year. Drenth also won 2 Mid-American Conference titles and was named MAC Coach of the Year twice.
In short, Drenth has won team titles and produced individual champions at every coaching stop in his 20-plus-year career. He will not be stepping up at Michigan State as much as stepping up Michigan State's running programs because winners win and losers don't.
In examining Michigan State's 2007 roster of men and women runners, I find that 35 of the 45 runners (77%) are from Michigan. Rule 1 is to dominate recruiting in your state. Do not let good runners get away to other schools and beat you. This is doubly important for Drenth because among the 50 states, Michigan has the 8th largest population.
An insider has told me that Drenth does not play psychologist with his athletes. In other words, his program is performance-based. I really like Drenth's approach. Apparently he does not hand out scholarships like candy. Talking a good game will get you nowhere; you must perform to reap any rewards for your effort.
It does not automatically follow that a state champion distance runner in high school will enjoy the same success level at college. College races are longer, the competition is much better, and the academic and social adjustments at college level are more difficult.
You must have some talent to succeed at a higher level. You must be willing to work hard by training consistently and effectively. You must have personal growth emotionally to withstand the ups and downs of performance and improvement. You must also develop a mental toughness to separate yourself from the pack.
A runner or athlete who wants to be a champion must announce himself or herself by separating from the lead pack. There is a reason why Steve Prefontaine was a front runner. Trust me when I say it was not because he planned on losing the race.
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. Look for an explosion of running success at Michigan State University as Walt Drenth is prepared to make it happen.
Editor's Note: Read my 5-Part series on Running: "Wheat Products and Sugar Can Be the 'Kiss of Death' When Trying to Lose Weight – Part 1", "How Lectins (Proteins in Foods) Are Very Negative in O Positive Blood Types – Part 2", Gluten in Wheat Products Bind to the Small Intestine Lining and Turn to Fat – Part 3", "How Popular Running Magazines Are Constantly Giving Very Poor Diet Advice – Part 4" and "There Is an Inescapable Correlation Between Weight and Cardiovascular Efficiency – Part 5".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 87 Sports Articles, 57 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (372 total articles) plus 629 Famous Quotes.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Michigan State University's cross-county and track & field programs have taken a really positive step forward with the appointment of Walt Drenth as the director.
Just as Tom Izzo has led the Spartan basketball program back to national prominence, and new first-year coach Mark Dantonio has already dramatically improved Michigan State's football fortunes with a bowl appearance, Walt Drenth will create a winning tradition among Spartan runners.
Drenth arrived on campus as a proven winner about to become a more successful winner at Michigan State. He had spent 7 years as Arizona State's head cross-country coach, turning a failing team into one of the premier performers in the West.
When he arrived at Arizona State, neither of the men or women cross-country runners had ever made a team appearance at the nationals nor earned a national ranking. The women had never even produced one All-American runner.
Under Drenth's leadership, encouragement and motivation, the Arizona State women have been to the NCAA Championships 5 years in a row, including a school-record 6th place finish. They have also been two-time regional runners-up, 3-time Pac 10 runners-up, posted a program-best No. 3 national ranking, and produced a woman All American 4 years in a row.
The Arizona State men made their first appearance at the nationals, were nationally ranked, and logged a school-record 3rd place finish at the regionals. Drenth also made a difference by coaching the distance runners in track as they produced 12 school records in distance events and 14 became All-Americans.
Not too shabby considering that there are 299 NCAA Division 1 Men's Cross-Country programs at last count.
None of this was new to Walt Drenth, who led the College of William & Mary to 5 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) cross-country titles and 2 track and field titles in 6 years, and was named CAA Cross-Country Coach of the Year 5 times. William & Mary was also a District II champion in cross-country and Drenth was District II Coach of the Year twice. His William & Mary track teams won 2 CAA titles and he tutored 5 All-American runners.
Prior to coaching at William & Mary, Drenth was the head cross-country and assistant track and field coach at his alma mater, Central Michigan University. He won a District IV title there and was named District IV Coach of the Year. Drenth also won 2 Mid-American Conference titles and was named MAC Coach of the Year twice.
In short, Drenth has won team titles and produced individual champions at every coaching stop in his 20-plus-year career. He will not be stepping up at Michigan State as much as stepping up Michigan State's running programs because winners win and losers don't.
In examining Michigan State's 2007 roster of men and women runners, I find that 35 of the 45 runners (77%) are from Michigan. Rule 1 is to dominate recruiting in your state. Do not let good runners get away to other schools and beat you. This is doubly important for Drenth because among the 50 states, Michigan has the 8th largest population.
An insider has told me that Drenth does not play psychologist with his athletes. In other words, his program is performance-based. I really like Drenth's approach. Apparently he does not hand out scholarships like candy. Talking a good game will get you nowhere; you must perform to reap any rewards for your effort.
It does not automatically follow that a state champion distance runner in high school will enjoy the same success level at college. College races are longer, the competition is much better, and the academic and social adjustments at college level are more difficult.
You must have some talent to succeed at a higher level. You must be willing to work hard by training consistently and effectively. You must have personal growth emotionally to withstand the ups and downs of performance and improvement. You must also develop a mental toughness to separate yourself from the pack.
A runner or athlete who wants to be a champion must announce himself or herself by separating from the lead pack. There is a reason why Steve Prefontaine was a front runner. Trust me when I say it was not because he planned on losing the race.
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. Look for an explosion of running success at Michigan State University as Walt Drenth is prepared to make it happen.
Editor's Note: Read my 5-Part series on Running: "Wheat Products and Sugar Can Be the 'Kiss of Death' When Trying to Lose Weight – Part 1", "How Lectins (Proteins in Foods) Are Very Negative in O Positive Blood Types – Part 2", Gluten in Wheat Products Bind to the Small Intestine Lining and Turn to Fat – Part 3", "How Popular Running Magazines Are Constantly Giving Very Poor Diet Advice – Part 4" and "There Is an Inescapable Correlation Between Weight and Cardiovascular Efficiency – Part 5".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 87 Sports Articles, 57 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (372 total articles) plus 629 Famous Quotes.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
The Glory Years of the Green and White Michigan State University Football Teams - From Daugherty to Brewer - Part 2
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
"Biggie" Munn 1947 to 1953 – Two National Championships and the Best Winning Percentage (85+%) Ever
Clarence "Biggie" Munn was an All-American at Minnesota before replacing Charlie Bachman. Despite getting waxed 55-0 by Michigan in his debut, he quickly logged a 7-2 record in his first of 7 seasons. By 1950 Munn had the Spartan program in the Top 10 nationally with an 8-1 campaign that included victories over No. 3-ranked Michigan and Notre Dame.
He would put together back-to-back 9-0 seasons in 1951 and 1952 to go 18-0 and win two National Championships as well as National Coach of the Year Honors in 1952, beating 3 nationally-ranked opponents—Penn State, Purdue and Notre Dame.
In 1953 he would go 9-1, beat UCLA 28-20 in the Rose Bowl and push his 3-year regular season record to 27-1 and his 4-year mark to 35-2 (a 94% won-loss record).
Munn ran Michigan State's unbeaten streak to 28 games before losing to Purdue 6-0 in 1953. In 7 seasons, his overall record would be 54-9-2 (an 85+% won-loss record, the best ever at Michigan State) and he would produce 18 All-Americans, including the great two-way tackle Don Coleman.
Following his coaching career, the legendary Biggie Munn would serve as MSU's Athletic Director for 18 years, building the Spartans into a nationally prominent program. He was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959.
(Editor's Note: Don Coleman was a 1951 graduate of Central High School in Flint (MI). I graduated from Flint Central in 1962 and remember his picture hanging on the wall as one of our most famous graduates. I graduated from Michigan State University in 1966 so you can appreciate my interest in the fortunes of Michigan State University Spartan football and its history.)
"Duffy" Daugherty 1954 to 1972 – MSU's Most Popular Coach Wins Two National Championships
Hugh "Duffy" Daugherty became one of the nation's most popular coaches in the history of college football during his 19-year career as the Spartans' mentor. Daugherty was famous for his wit, personality and wisdom.
He became a great interview for sportswriters, coming up with quotes such as, "Football isn't a contact sport, it's a collision sport. Dancing is a contact sport" and "A tie is like kissing your sister" and "When you are playing for the national championship, it's not a matter of life and death. It's more important than that."
He was a guard and captain of his Syracuse football team, was an assistant coach to Biggie Munn when Munn coached Syracuse before coming to Michigan State, and followed Munn as his line coach. After being part of Munn's 2 national championship teams, he became head coach.
Daugherty's 1955 team went 9-1 and beat UCLA 17-14 in the Rose Bowl. His greatest teams came in 1965 and 1966 when he went 19-1-1, won 2 Big Ten titles outright and 2 National Championships. His only defeat during the 2 years was a 14-12 loss to UCLA in the 1966 Rose Bowl. He will be forever remembered for his monumental 10-10 tie in the 1966 "Game of the Century" when the No. 2-ranked Spartans faced the No. 1-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
No less than 8 of the players from the 1966 team were chosen in the NFL draft, including defensive end Bubba Smith, linebacker George Webster, halfback Clint Jones, flanker Gene Washington, offensive lineman Jeff Richardson, defensive backs Jim Summers and Charlie Thornhill, and kicker Dick Kenney. Daugherty produced 29 All-Americans.
Daugherty's overall record during 19 years was 109-65-5 (a 63% won-loss percentage). He was named National Coach of the Year in both 1955 and 1965, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1984.
(Editor's Note: In both of my junior and senior years at Michigan State the Spartans won National Championships. I took away a lot of memories and will never forgive Notre Dame Coach Ara Parseghian for playing for a tie in one of the most memorable games in college football history. I would rather had have my Spartans win or lose the game than suffer a tie.)
After the 26-year run of Biggie Munn and Duffy Daugherty with 4 National Championships, the Michigan State football program pretty much went into the dumper.
It is true that after Daugherty, George Perles in 1987 would take the 9-2-1 Spartans to their first Rose Bowl appearance in 21 years, beating Southern California 20-17 to finish No. 8 nationally. Perles was the defensive line coach and defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers "Steel Curtain" defense that led to Super Bowl titles in 1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979.
Despite turning around the MSU football program temporarily, Perles could not even sniff at the success of Biggie Munn and Duffy Daugherty. Since 1987 nothing much has really taken Michigan State back to the national prominence it enjoyed under Munn and Daugherty.
Michigan State's football fortunes are now in the hands of Mark Dantonio, the former defensive coordinator for Ohio State's 2002 National Championship team.
(Editor's Note: This is Part 2 of a 2-Part Series.)
Read my other Spartan articles on MSU football, including "Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stage as Head Coach at Michigan State", "Michigan State Slams UAB 55-18 in Mark Dantonio"s Coaching Debut" and "College Football – Evaluating Three First-Year Coaches: Saban, Erickson and Dantonio".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 87 Sports Articles, 57 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (372 total articles) plus 629 Famous Quotes.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
"Biggie" Munn 1947 to 1953 – Two National Championships and the Best Winning Percentage (85+%) Ever
Clarence "Biggie" Munn was an All-American at Minnesota before replacing Charlie Bachman. Despite getting waxed 55-0 by Michigan in his debut, he quickly logged a 7-2 record in his first of 7 seasons. By 1950 Munn had the Spartan program in the Top 10 nationally with an 8-1 campaign that included victories over No. 3-ranked Michigan and Notre Dame.
He would put together back-to-back 9-0 seasons in 1951 and 1952 to go 18-0 and win two National Championships as well as National Coach of the Year Honors in 1952, beating 3 nationally-ranked opponents—Penn State, Purdue and Notre Dame.
In 1953 he would go 9-1, beat UCLA 28-20 in the Rose Bowl and push his 3-year regular season record to 27-1 and his 4-year mark to 35-2 (a 94% won-loss record).
Munn ran Michigan State's unbeaten streak to 28 games before losing to Purdue 6-0 in 1953. In 7 seasons, his overall record would be 54-9-2 (an 85+% won-loss record, the best ever at Michigan State) and he would produce 18 All-Americans, including the great two-way tackle Don Coleman.
Following his coaching career, the legendary Biggie Munn would serve as MSU's Athletic Director for 18 years, building the Spartans into a nationally prominent program. He was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959.
(Editor's Note: Don Coleman was a 1951 graduate of Central High School in Flint (MI). I graduated from Flint Central in 1962 and remember his picture hanging on the wall as one of our most famous graduates. I graduated from Michigan State University in 1966 so you can appreciate my interest in the fortunes of Michigan State University Spartan football and its history.)
"Duffy" Daugherty 1954 to 1972 – MSU's Most Popular Coach Wins Two National Championships
Hugh "Duffy" Daugherty became one of the nation's most popular coaches in the history of college football during his 19-year career as the Spartans' mentor. Daugherty was famous for his wit, personality and wisdom.
He became a great interview for sportswriters, coming up with quotes such as, "Football isn't a contact sport, it's a collision sport. Dancing is a contact sport" and "A tie is like kissing your sister" and "When you are playing for the national championship, it's not a matter of life and death. It's more important than that."
He was a guard and captain of his Syracuse football team, was an assistant coach to Biggie Munn when Munn coached Syracuse before coming to Michigan State, and followed Munn as his line coach. After being part of Munn's 2 national championship teams, he became head coach.
Daugherty's 1955 team went 9-1 and beat UCLA 17-14 in the Rose Bowl. His greatest teams came in 1965 and 1966 when he went 19-1-1, won 2 Big Ten titles outright and 2 National Championships. His only defeat during the 2 years was a 14-12 loss to UCLA in the 1966 Rose Bowl. He will be forever remembered for his monumental 10-10 tie in the 1966 "Game of the Century" when the No. 2-ranked Spartans faced the No. 1-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
No less than 8 of the players from the 1966 team were chosen in the NFL draft, including defensive end Bubba Smith, linebacker George Webster, halfback Clint Jones, flanker Gene Washington, offensive lineman Jeff Richardson, defensive backs Jim Summers and Charlie Thornhill, and kicker Dick Kenney. Daugherty produced 29 All-Americans.
Daugherty's overall record during 19 years was 109-65-5 (a 63% won-loss percentage). He was named National Coach of the Year in both 1955 and 1965, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1984.
(Editor's Note: In both of my junior and senior years at Michigan State the Spartans won National Championships. I took away a lot of memories and will never forgive Notre Dame Coach Ara Parseghian for playing for a tie in one of the most memorable games in college football history. I would rather had have my Spartans win or lose the game than suffer a tie.)
After the 26-year run of Biggie Munn and Duffy Daugherty with 4 National Championships, the Michigan State football program pretty much went into the dumper.
It is true that after Daugherty, George Perles in 1987 would take the 9-2-1 Spartans to their first Rose Bowl appearance in 21 years, beating Southern California 20-17 to finish No. 8 nationally. Perles was the defensive line coach and defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers "Steel Curtain" defense that led to Super Bowl titles in 1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979.
Despite turning around the MSU football program temporarily, Perles could not even sniff at the success of Biggie Munn and Duffy Daugherty. Since 1987 nothing much has really taken Michigan State back to the national prominence it enjoyed under Munn and Daugherty.
Michigan State's football fortunes are now in the hands of Mark Dantonio, the former defensive coordinator for Ohio State's 2002 National Championship team.
(Editor's Note: This is Part 2 of a 2-Part Series.)
Read my other Spartan articles on MSU football, including "Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stage as Head Coach at Michigan State", "Michigan State Slams UAB 55-18 in Mark Dantonio"s Coaching Debut" and "College Football – Evaluating Three First-Year Coaches: Saban, Erickson and Dantonio".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 87 Sports Articles, 57 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (372 total articles) plus 629 Famous Quotes.
Friday, December 21, 2007
The Glory Years of the Green and White Michigan State University Football Teams - From Daugherty to Brewer - Part 1
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Time has a way of evaporating history. I am told that much of history would never have been recorded in the Dark Ages had it not been for the painstaking effort of Catholic monks who recorded what others would not.
Thankfully, Michigan State University has done a remarkable job of recording its storied football history since 1896, more than 110 seasons with some stellar performances among its many coaches and players.
Here are the Spartan coaches who rank among the best:
Chester Brewer 1903 to 1910 – The Defensive Genius
Brewer, a 4-sport star at Wisconsin, knew a thing or two about how to play defense. In 8 years he went 54-10-6, throw out the ties and his 54-10 winning record was an astounding 84%. That is impressive enough, even more impressive was the fact that among his 54 victories were 43 shutouts, making 79% of his victories shutouts.
In 1904 he had 6 straight shutout victories while going 8-1. Among his 6 ties were 4 scoreless (0-0) ties. Two other facts about Brewer shine very brightly, 1) He NEVER lost a home game in 8 years, and 2) He only lost 10 games in 8 years. In 1904 he had a 104-0 rout of Hillsdale, but his greatest moments were a 0-0 tie against Fielding Yost's 1908 Michigan team and a 17-0 shutout over Notre Dame in 1910.
John Macklin 1911 to 1915 – The Pacesetter with a String of Firsts
Macklin, an outstanding athlete at Pennsylvania, succeeded Chester Brewer. He went 29-5 in 5 seasons for an 85% winning percentage, and ran the table in 1913 with a 7-0 mark that included Michigan State's first victory over Michigan, a 12-7 win at Michigan.
Among Macklin's other greatest moments were a 6-3 upset against Penn State in 1914; another 24-0 away victory over Michigan in 1915; and a 35-20 victory over Ohio State in 1912, the first achieved by a MAC team against a Big Ten team.
Jim Crowley 1929 to 1932 – One of Notre Dame's Immortal Four Horsemen
After several years of mediocrity, Crowley restored Michigan State to national prominence by going 22-8-3 (a 73% won-loss percentage) with 4 winning seasons and one win short of a perfect season with a 7-1 record his final year. Crowley's teams had a pair of 0-0 ties against Michigan in 1930 and 1931 which broke Michigan State's 14-game losing streak to Michigan.
Crowley was one of Knute Rockne's Four Horsemen during Notre Dame's glory years made famous by legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice. Crowley would go on to become head coach at Fordham in 1933 and create the "Seven Blocks of Granite" that included legendary Green Bay Packer Coach Vince Lombardi.
From Notre Dame's Four Horsemen to Michigan State to Fordham's Seven Blocks of Granite and the Green Bay Packer's Vince Lombardi is a pretty good legacy created by the man known as "Sleepy Jim" Crowley.
Charlie Bachman 1933 to 1946 – He Brought in Notre Dame's Winning System
Bachman followed Jim Crowley and brought with him Notre Dame's system and managed to log 10 winning seasons in 13 years with a 70-34-10 record (a 67% won-loss percentage). There was no football in 1943 due to World War II.
Bachman was a teammate of Knute Rockne and a Notre Dame alumnus like Crowley. He led the Spartans to a 8-1 mark in his second season, including a 16-0 victory over Michigan, the school' s first outright win in 19 years; it would be the first of 4 consecutive wins against Michigan that Bachman's teams would accomplish. After posting another 8-1 season in 1937 Michigan State received its first bid to a postseason bowl game, the 1938 Orange Bowl.
(Editor's Note: This is Part 1 of a 2-Part Series.)
Editor's Note: Read my other Spartan articles on MSU football, including "Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stage as Head Coach at Michigan State", "Michigan State Slams UAB 55-18 in Mark Dantonio"s Coaching Debut" and "College Football – Evaluating Three First-Year Coaches: Saban, Erickson and Dantonio".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 87 Sports Articles, 57 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (372 total articles) plus 629 Famous Quotes.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Time has a way of evaporating history. I am told that much of history would never have been recorded in the Dark Ages had it not been for the painstaking effort of Catholic monks who recorded what others would not.
Thankfully, Michigan State University has done a remarkable job of recording its storied football history since 1896, more than 110 seasons with some stellar performances among its many coaches and players.
Here are the Spartan coaches who rank among the best:
Chester Brewer 1903 to 1910 – The Defensive Genius
Brewer, a 4-sport star at Wisconsin, knew a thing or two about how to play defense. In 8 years he went 54-10-6, throw out the ties and his 54-10 winning record was an astounding 84%. That is impressive enough, even more impressive was the fact that among his 54 victories were 43 shutouts, making 79% of his victories shutouts.
In 1904 he had 6 straight shutout victories while going 8-1. Among his 6 ties were 4 scoreless (0-0) ties. Two other facts about Brewer shine very brightly, 1) He NEVER lost a home game in 8 years, and 2) He only lost 10 games in 8 years. In 1904 he had a 104-0 rout of Hillsdale, but his greatest moments were a 0-0 tie against Fielding Yost's 1908 Michigan team and a 17-0 shutout over Notre Dame in 1910.
John Macklin 1911 to 1915 – The Pacesetter with a String of Firsts
Macklin, an outstanding athlete at Pennsylvania, succeeded Chester Brewer. He went 29-5 in 5 seasons for an 85% winning percentage, and ran the table in 1913 with a 7-0 mark that included Michigan State's first victory over Michigan, a 12-7 win at Michigan.
Among Macklin's other greatest moments were a 6-3 upset against Penn State in 1914; another 24-0 away victory over Michigan in 1915; and a 35-20 victory over Ohio State in 1912, the first achieved by a MAC team against a Big Ten team.
Jim Crowley 1929 to 1932 – One of Notre Dame's Immortal Four Horsemen
After several years of mediocrity, Crowley restored Michigan State to national prominence by going 22-8-3 (a 73% won-loss percentage) with 4 winning seasons and one win short of a perfect season with a 7-1 record his final year. Crowley's teams had a pair of 0-0 ties against Michigan in 1930 and 1931 which broke Michigan State's 14-game losing streak to Michigan.
Crowley was one of Knute Rockne's Four Horsemen during Notre Dame's glory years made famous by legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice. Crowley would go on to become head coach at Fordham in 1933 and create the "Seven Blocks of Granite" that included legendary Green Bay Packer Coach Vince Lombardi.
From Notre Dame's Four Horsemen to Michigan State to Fordham's Seven Blocks of Granite and the Green Bay Packer's Vince Lombardi is a pretty good legacy created by the man known as "Sleepy Jim" Crowley.
Charlie Bachman 1933 to 1946 – He Brought in Notre Dame's Winning System
Bachman followed Jim Crowley and brought with him Notre Dame's system and managed to log 10 winning seasons in 13 years with a 70-34-10 record (a 67% won-loss percentage). There was no football in 1943 due to World War II.
Bachman was a teammate of Knute Rockne and a Notre Dame alumnus like Crowley. He led the Spartans to a 8-1 mark in his second season, including a 16-0 victory over Michigan, the school' s first outright win in 19 years; it would be the first of 4 consecutive wins against Michigan that Bachman's teams would accomplish. After posting another 8-1 season in 1937 Michigan State received its first bid to a postseason bowl game, the 1938 Orange Bowl.
(Editor's Note: This is Part 1 of a 2-Part Series.)
Editor's Note: Read my other Spartan articles on MSU football, including "Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stage as Head Coach at Michigan State", "Michigan State Slams UAB 55-18 in Mark Dantonio"s Coaching Debut" and "College Football – Evaluating Three First-Year Coaches: Saban, Erickson and Dantonio".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 87 Sports Articles, 57 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (372 total articles) plus 629 Famous Quotes.
Monday, December 17, 2007
AP Top 25 Poll Offers Clear Evidence of College Football's Current Parity - Call It Musical Chairs
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
If you wanted clear evidence that college football's current parity is real, you have only to study the AP Top 25 Poll during the 2007 regular season. I charted the AP Poll of sports writers and broadcasters for 14 consecutive weeks and discovered some amazing facts.
Here are some eye-openers that give every college football team in America hope that next year could be their breakout year, and give you some conversation tools to impress your friends while tipping a brew at the local pub:
1) Only 10 teams that started out the 1st week were able to remain in the AP Top 25 Poll all 14 weeks. Here they are with where they started the 1st week and finished the 14th week:
Southern California (1st to 6th), Louisiana State (2nd to 2nd), West Virginia (3rd to 11th), Florida (4th to 9th), Oklahoma (5th to 3rd), Texas (7th to 17th), Virginia Tech (9th to 5th), Georgia (11th to 4th), Ohio State (12th to 1st) and Hawaii (20th to 10th).
2) Only 5 teams moved into the Poll after the 1st week and were able to stay in the Poll through the 14th and final week. Here they are with the week they started, their place and where they finished:
Boston College the 2nd week (21st to 14th), Missouri the 3rd week (25th to 7th), Arizona State the 4th week (23rd to 12th), Kansas the 6th week (20th to 8th) and Brigham Young the 12th week (23rd to 19th).
3) Three teams rose to the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll before losing—Louisiana State, Missouri and Ohio State. Only the Ohio State re-gained the No. 1 spot, and that happened on the 14th and final week of the regular season when the Buckeyes were idle.
4) No less than 6 teams rose to the No. 2 spot in the Poll before losing—West Virginia, California, Oregon, Boston College, South Florida and Kansas.
5) No less than 45 teams among the 119 Division 1A schools made it into the Top 25 during the 14-week regular season. The 45 teams represent more than one-third (37%) of the 119 schools.
6) Only 6 of the 45 teams were in and out of the poll twice (in, out, in and then out again)—California, Penn State, Rutgers, Alabama, Kentucky and Kansas State.
7) Only 2 of the 45 teams were in and out of the poll three times (in, out, in, out and then in again)—Auburn and Tennessee.
8) Only 4 of the 45 teams became what I would call one-week wonders, they appeared in the Top 25 for one week and then vanished, never to return. They were Purdue, Florida State, Texas Tech and Wake Forest.
Here is the final AP Top 25 Poll following the 14th and final week of regular season play: 1 Ohio State, 2 Louisiana State, 3 Oklahoma, 4 Georgia, 5 Virginia Tech, 6 Southern California, 7 Missouri, 8 Kansas, 9 Florida, 10 Hawaii, 11 West Virginia, 12 Arizona State, 13 Illinois, 14 Boston College, 15 Clemson, 16 Tennessee, 17 Texas, 18 Wisconsin, 19 Brigham Young, 20 Cincinnati, 21 Virginia, 22 Auburn, 23 South Florida, 24 Boise State and 25 Arkansas.
The best state for football in 2007? Clearly Virginia, with Virginia Tech finishing 5th, West Virginia 11th and Virginia 21st. No other state had 3 teams in the Top 25.
The upcoming 32 bowl games can and will change the final AP Top 25 standings when the holiday season is over.
Editor's Note: Read my articles on "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss" and "The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 87 Sports Articles, 57 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (372 total articles) plus 629 Famous Quotes.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
If you wanted clear evidence that college football's current parity is real, you have only to study the AP Top 25 Poll during the 2007 regular season. I charted the AP Poll of sports writers and broadcasters for 14 consecutive weeks and discovered some amazing facts.
Here are some eye-openers that give every college football team in America hope that next year could be their breakout year, and give you some conversation tools to impress your friends while tipping a brew at the local pub:
1) Only 10 teams that started out the 1st week were able to remain in the AP Top 25 Poll all 14 weeks. Here they are with where they started the 1st week and finished the 14th week:
Southern California (1st to 6th), Louisiana State (2nd to 2nd), West Virginia (3rd to 11th), Florida (4th to 9th), Oklahoma (5th to 3rd), Texas (7th to 17th), Virginia Tech (9th to 5th), Georgia (11th to 4th), Ohio State (12th to 1st) and Hawaii (20th to 10th).
2) Only 5 teams moved into the Poll after the 1st week and were able to stay in the Poll through the 14th and final week. Here they are with the week they started, their place and where they finished:
Boston College the 2nd week (21st to 14th), Missouri the 3rd week (25th to 7th), Arizona State the 4th week (23rd to 12th), Kansas the 6th week (20th to 8th) and Brigham Young the 12th week (23rd to 19th).
3) Three teams rose to the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll before losing—Louisiana State, Missouri and Ohio State. Only the Ohio State re-gained the No. 1 spot, and that happened on the 14th and final week of the regular season when the Buckeyes were idle.
4) No less than 6 teams rose to the No. 2 spot in the Poll before losing—West Virginia, California, Oregon, Boston College, South Florida and Kansas.
5) No less than 45 teams among the 119 Division 1A schools made it into the Top 25 during the 14-week regular season. The 45 teams represent more than one-third (37%) of the 119 schools.
6) Only 6 of the 45 teams were in and out of the poll twice (in, out, in and then out again)—California, Penn State, Rutgers, Alabama, Kentucky and Kansas State.
7) Only 2 of the 45 teams were in and out of the poll three times (in, out, in, out and then in again)—Auburn and Tennessee.
8) Only 4 of the 45 teams became what I would call one-week wonders, they appeared in the Top 25 for one week and then vanished, never to return. They were Purdue, Florida State, Texas Tech and Wake Forest.
Here is the final AP Top 25 Poll following the 14th and final week of regular season play: 1 Ohio State, 2 Louisiana State, 3 Oklahoma, 4 Georgia, 5 Virginia Tech, 6 Southern California, 7 Missouri, 8 Kansas, 9 Florida, 10 Hawaii, 11 West Virginia, 12 Arizona State, 13 Illinois, 14 Boston College, 15 Clemson, 16 Tennessee, 17 Texas, 18 Wisconsin, 19 Brigham Young, 20 Cincinnati, 21 Virginia, 22 Auburn, 23 South Florida, 24 Boise State and 25 Arkansas.
The best state for football in 2007? Clearly Virginia, with Virginia Tech finishing 5th, West Virginia 11th and Virginia 21st. No other state had 3 teams in the Top 25.
The upcoming 32 bowl games can and will change the final AP Top 25 standings when the holiday season is over.
Editor's Note: Read my articles on "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss" and "The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 87 Sports Articles, 57 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (372 total articles) plus 629 Famous Quotes.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
College Football - Evaluating Three First-Year Coaches: Saban, Erickson and Dantonio - Part 3
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Unlike the hiring of Dennis Erickson at Arizona State and Mark Dantonio at Michigan State, the hiring of Nick Saban as Alabama's new head coach became a national media event.
It was not just Saban's incredible coaching record that made his signing such a big deal, it was more the fact that his 8-year, $32 million contract made him the highest paid college football coach ever.
Saban paid his dues in the trenches as a defensive assistant and/or defensive coordinator at Kent State, Syracuse, West Virginia, Ohio State, Navy and Michigan State in the college ranks and with the Houston Oilers in the pros. As a head coach, Saban:
1) Took the Toledo Rockets from a 6-5 record to a 9-2 mark and the Mid-American Conference co-championship before leaving after a year to become Defensive Coordinator for the NFL Cleveland Browns for 4 years under Bill Belichick.
The Browns went from allowing the most points in the NFL (462) prior to Saban's arrival to allowing the fewest points in the league (204) in 2004, the sixth-fewest points surrendered in NFL history at the time. In 4 years of guiding Cleveland, the Browns never allowed an average of 20 points scored for any opponent.
2) Left the Browns to return to Michigan State as its head coach. When he arrived, the Spartans had played one bowl game in the last 5 years. Saban had the Spartans in 4 bowl games in 5 years, becoming the first Spartan coach to lead his team to consecutive bowl appearances in his first 3 seasons.
In 1999, his last year, Michigan State defeated Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State in the same year for the first time since 1965, and recorded 6 home victories for the first time since the 1912 season. The Spartans were ranked 7th nationally as a team, 5th nationally in Rushing Defense and 11th in Total Defense.
3) Served another 5-year stint at Louisiana State (LSU), producing a 48-16 record (.750 winning percentage in the SEC) while winning a national championship in 2003, 2 Southeastern Conference titles, and 3 SEC West Division championships. His 48 victories in 5 years were the 3rd most among Division 1A head coaches at that time.
He was selected as the 2003 National Coach of the Year by the Associated Press, and earned both the Paul "Bear" Bryant National Coach of the Year Award, and the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award by the Football Writers Association of America.
Saban promoted academic success at LSU as well as football success, producing 84 Academic All-SEC honorees in 5 seasons, including 25 members of his 2003 national championship team, which led the national in Scoring Defense and Total Defense. Twenty-eight of his players were selected in the NFL draft. Thirteen of his players from his 2003 national championship team would go on to play in the NFL.
Saban's 2001 team went 10-3 and won the program's first outright SEC title since 1986 and its first victory in a New Year's Day bowl game since 1968. And, yes, he probably could have been elected governor of Louisiana.
4) Spent 2 years as head coach of the Miami Dolphins in the NFL. Miami was 4-12 when he took over and 9-7 in his first season.
5) Moved on to the Alabama job after bolting from the Miami Dolphins 2 years into a 5-year contract. No one has questioned his success on the field but many have questioned his loyalty and coaching methods. Saban is not a big fan of mediocrity, and he does not tolerate false effort. He demands and gets a lot from his players.
He is comfortable under the klieg lights of Hollywood, and some think he is too full of himself. Given a vote at the University of Alabama, I would guess that the Crimson Tide are happy he is on their side of the field.
Among the three first-year coaches being evaluated in this article—Dennis Erickson of Arizona State, Mark Dantonio of Michigan State and Nick Saban of Alabama—Saban has had the least success.
Alabama's offense was Average in Scoring Offense, Total Offense, Rushing Offense and Passing Offense and Poor in Pass Efficiency Offense. Saban's defense, his strong suit, was Good in Scoring Defense (29th nationally), Total Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense (both 28th nationally), and Average in Rushing Defense and Passing Defense.
Overall, Alabama scored 32 of 50 possible points in my rating system, Michigan State scored 33 of 50 and Arizona State 35 of 50.
Alabama was 6-2 this year at its zenith before hitting a downward spiral in its last 4 games, losing by a touchdown to LSU 41-34, getting beat on the road at Mississippi State 17-12 (bad), losing at home by a touchdown to Louisiana-Monroe 21-14 (terrible), and then dropping its last game to Auburn by a touchdown on the road 17-10 (horrific). Friend, you just do not lose to Auburn when you coach Alabama.
Nick Saban and his Crimson Tide will have at least one shot at some redemption when they face Colorado (6-6) in the Independence Bowl on Dec. 30. A more accurate name for this bowl match-up might be the Mediocre Bowl. Despite Saban's first-year record, the smart money will still be on Alabama, at least for this game.
Editor's Note: This is the last of a 3-Part Series.
Editor's Note: Read my sports articles on "Nick Saban: A Great College Football Coach Who Might Bring Alabama Back to Greatness", "Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stage as Head Coach at Michigan State" and "Boise State Looked Oklahoma in the Eye and Showed How Belief Makes a Winner".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 138 Movie Reviews, 81 Sports Articles, 55 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 40 News and Comment Articles, and 616 Famous Quotes.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Unlike the hiring of Dennis Erickson at Arizona State and Mark Dantonio at Michigan State, the hiring of Nick Saban as Alabama's new head coach became a national media event.
It was not just Saban's incredible coaching record that made his signing such a big deal, it was more the fact that his 8-year, $32 million contract made him the highest paid college football coach ever.
Saban paid his dues in the trenches as a defensive assistant and/or defensive coordinator at Kent State, Syracuse, West Virginia, Ohio State, Navy and Michigan State in the college ranks and with the Houston Oilers in the pros. As a head coach, Saban:
1) Took the Toledo Rockets from a 6-5 record to a 9-2 mark and the Mid-American Conference co-championship before leaving after a year to become Defensive Coordinator for the NFL Cleveland Browns for 4 years under Bill Belichick.
The Browns went from allowing the most points in the NFL (462) prior to Saban's arrival to allowing the fewest points in the league (204) in 2004, the sixth-fewest points surrendered in NFL history at the time. In 4 years of guiding Cleveland, the Browns never allowed an average of 20 points scored for any opponent.
2) Left the Browns to return to Michigan State as its head coach. When he arrived, the Spartans had played one bowl game in the last 5 years. Saban had the Spartans in 4 bowl games in 5 years, becoming the first Spartan coach to lead his team to consecutive bowl appearances in his first 3 seasons.
In 1999, his last year, Michigan State defeated Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State in the same year for the first time since 1965, and recorded 6 home victories for the first time since the 1912 season. The Spartans were ranked 7th nationally as a team, 5th nationally in Rushing Defense and 11th in Total Defense.
3) Served another 5-year stint at Louisiana State (LSU), producing a 48-16 record (.750 winning percentage in the SEC) while winning a national championship in 2003, 2 Southeastern Conference titles, and 3 SEC West Division championships. His 48 victories in 5 years were the 3rd most among Division 1A head coaches at that time.
He was selected as the 2003 National Coach of the Year by the Associated Press, and earned both the Paul "Bear" Bryant National Coach of the Year Award, and the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award by the Football Writers Association of America.
Saban promoted academic success at LSU as well as football success, producing 84 Academic All-SEC honorees in 5 seasons, including 25 members of his 2003 national championship team, which led the national in Scoring Defense and Total Defense. Twenty-eight of his players were selected in the NFL draft. Thirteen of his players from his 2003 national championship team would go on to play in the NFL.
Saban's 2001 team went 10-3 and won the program's first outright SEC title since 1986 and its first victory in a New Year's Day bowl game since 1968. And, yes, he probably could have been elected governor of Louisiana.
4) Spent 2 years as head coach of the Miami Dolphins in the NFL. Miami was 4-12 when he took over and 9-7 in his first season.
5) Moved on to the Alabama job after bolting from the Miami Dolphins 2 years into a 5-year contract. No one has questioned his success on the field but many have questioned his loyalty and coaching methods. Saban is not a big fan of mediocrity, and he does not tolerate false effort. He demands and gets a lot from his players.
He is comfortable under the klieg lights of Hollywood, and some think he is too full of himself. Given a vote at the University of Alabama, I would guess that the Crimson Tide are happy he is on their side of the field.
Among the three first-year coaches being evaluated in this article—Dennis Erickson of Arizona State, Mark Dantonio of Michigan State and Nick Saban of Alabama—Saban has had the least success.
Alabama's offense was Average in Scoring Offense, Total Offense, Rushing Offense and Passing Offense and Poor in Pass Efficiency Offense. Saban's defense, his strong suit, was Good in Scoring Defense (29th nationally), Total Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense (both 28th nationally), and Average in Rushing Defense and Passing Defense.
Overall, Alabama scored 32 of 50 possible points in my rating system, Michigan State scored 33 of 50 and Arizona State 35 of 50.
Alabama was 6-2 this year at its zenith before hitting a downward spiral in its last 4 games, losing by a touchdown to LSU 41-34, getting beat on the road at Mississippi State 17-12 (bad), losing at home by a touchdown to Louisiana-Monroe 21-14 (terrible), and then dropping its last game to Auburn by a touchdown on the road 17-10 (horrific). Friend, you just do not lose to Auburn when you coach Alabama.
Nick Saban and his Crimson Tide will have at least one shot at some redemption when they face Colorado (6-6) in the Independence Bowl on Dec. 30. A more accurate name for this bowl match-up might be the Mediocre Bowl. Despite Saban's first-year record, the smart money will still be on Alabama, at least for this game.
Editor's Note: This is the last of a 3-Part Series.
Editor's Note: Read my sports articles on "Nick Saban: A Great College Football Coach Who Might Bring Alabama Back to Greatness", "Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stage as Head Coach at Michigan State" and "Boise State Looked Oklahoma in the Eye and Showed How Belief Makes a Winner".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 138 Movie Reviews, 81 Sports Articles, 55 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 40 News and Comment Articles, and 616 Famous Quotes.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
College Football - Evaluating Three First-Year Coaches: Saban, Erickson and Dantonio - Part 2
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
When Mark Dantonio took over as head coach at Michigan State University this year, he was really a low-profile appointee and far less known than Dennis Erickson and Nick Saban outside of the college football fraternity.
Dantonio had made his biggest impression as an assistant coach at Ohio State rather than as a head coach at Cincinnati. Not that he did poorly at Cincinnati. He became only the second head coach in Cincinnati history to take the Bearcats to a bowl game in his first season in 2004, topping Marshall 32-14 in the Fort Worth Bowl to cap a 7-5 season.
His 2006 Cincinnati Bearcats played the second toughest schedule in the country and went 7-5 overall with four losses to ranked teams and also an upset victory over then-ranked No. 7 Rutgers, marking the highest-ranked opponent ever defeated in Bearcat history.
While serving as the Defensive Coordinator at Ohio State, Dantonio helped the Buckeyes to a 32-6 record in three seasons, and Ohio State was 14-0 and won the national championship in 2002. His national championship defense was 2nd nationally in Scoring Defense.
In the 2003 season his defense ranked first nationally in Rushing Defense and 9th in Total Defense, which led the Buckeyes to an 11-2 record and a No. 4 national ranking. Six Buckeye defenders were named first team All-Big 10 during Dantonio's 3-year tenure and 13 were drafted into the NFL, including two first round picks.
Prior to becoming Michigan State's head coach, he spent 6 years with the Spartans as the secondary coach and associate head coach. He was instrumental in Michigan State's successful 1999 season when the Spartans were 10-2, won the Florida Citrus Bowl, and ranked No. 7 in the final polls.
Dantonio's first season at Michigan State was the school's most successful since 2003. His Spartans went 7-5, losing all 5 games by 7 points or less, and becoming bowl eligible for the first time in four years. The Spartans will play the Boston College Eagles in the Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 28. Coincidentally, Michigan State defeated Boston College for the College Hockey National Championship in 2007.
Dantonio, known for his defensive prowess, won 7 games this year despite his inherited players scoring Average in all major defensive categories: Scoring Defense, Total Defense, Rushing Defense, Pass Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense.
His offense was Good in Scoring Offense (24th nationally), Rushing Offense (22nd nationally) and Pass Efficiency Offense (23rd nationally) while his Total Offense and Passing Offense were Average.
The former defensive back at South Carolina inherited a team that was not bowl-eligible and went 5-7, 5-6 and 4-8 the last three years. Going 7-5 and earning a bowl game in his first season was an accomplishment, especially since Dantonio did not pick the talent-level of his players, and trust me when I say they had some slugs on defense.
Michigan State lost by a touchdown to both No. 1-ranked Ohio State and Iowa in away games, lost by a field goal to Wisconsin away, lost by a touchdown to Northwestern in overtime at home, and lost by 4 points to Michigan at home. In 4 of those losses, the Spartans gave up 48, 37, 34 and 28 points; that is simply giving up too many points to expect to win.
Dantonio's first recruiting class currently ranks 55th according to Scout.com with no recruits in the Top 100, no 5-star players and one 4-star player. This is not a good sign. Notre Dame has the top recruiting class in the country with seven Top 100 players, four 5-star players and thirteen 4-star players. Yikes!
Ohio State, another big competitor for recruiting in the Midwest, has nine Top 100 players, four 5-star players and eight 4-star players. The Spartans are going to have to tighten their helmet strap a little tighter and dig deeper to fight off this kind of opposition.
Let us hope that Mark Dantonio and his players understand that motivation is an inside job. The coaches pick the talent and convince the talent to come to their program, but the players ultimately make their talent pay. You cannot win big without talent, but talent has to not only show up but play on game day or you lose anyway.
Editor's Note: This is Part 2 of a 3-Part Series. Part 3 evaluates Nick Saban's performance at Alabama.
Editor's 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".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 138 Movie Reviews, 81 Sports Articles, 55 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 40 News and Comment Articles, and 616 Famous Quotes.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
When Mark Dantonio took over as head coach at Michigan State University this year, he was really a low-profile appointee and far less known than Dennis Erickson and Nick Saban outside of the college football fraternity.
Dantonio had made his biggest impression as an assistant coach at Ohio State rather than as a head coach at Cincinnati. Not that he did poorly at Cincinnati. He became only the second head coach in Cincinnati history to take the Bearcats to a bowl game in his first season in 2004, topping Marshall 32-14 in the Fort Worth Bowl to cap a 7-5 season.
His 2006 Cincinnati Bearcats played the second toughest schedule in the country and went 7-5 overall with four losses to ranked teams and also an upset victory over then-ranked No. 7 Rutgers, marking the highest-ranked opponent ever defeated in Bearcat history.
While serving as the Defensive Coordinator at Ohio State, Dantonio helped the Buckeyes to a 32-6 record in three seasons, and Ohio State was 14-0 and won the national championship in 2002. His national championship defense was 2nd nationally in Scoring Defense.
In the 2003 season his defense ranked first nationally in Rushing Defense and 9th in Total Defense, which led the Buckeyes to an 11-2 record and a No. 4 national ranking. Six Buckeye defenders were named first team All-Big 10 during Dantonio's 3-year tenure and 13 were drafted into the NFL, including two first round picks.
Prior to becoming Michigan State's head coach, he spent 6 years with the Spartans as the secondary coach and associate head coach. He was instrumental in Michigan State's successful 1999 season when the Spartans were 10-2, won the Florida Citrus Bowl, and ranked No. 7 in the final polls.
Dantonio's first season at Michigan State was the school's most successful since 2003. His Spartans went 7-5, losing all 5 games by 7 points or less, and becoming bowl eligible for the first time in four years. The Spartans will play the Boston College Eagles in the Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 28. Coincidentally, Michigan State defeated Boston College for the College Hockey National Championship in 2007.
Dantonio, known for his defensive prowess, won 7 games this year despite his inherited players scoring Average in all major defensive categories: Scoring Defense, Total Defense, Rushing Defense, Pass Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense.
His offense was Good in Scoring Offense (24th nationally), Rushing Offense (22nd nationally) and Pass Efficiency Offense (23rd nationally) while his Total Offense and Passing Offense were Average.
The former defensive back at South Carolina inherited a team that was not bowl-eligible and went 5-7, 5-6 and 4-8 the last three years. Going 7-5 and earning a bowl game in his first season was an accomplishment, especially since Dantonio did not pick the talent-level of his players, and trust me when I say they had some slugs on defense.
Michigan State lost by a touchdown to both No. 1-ranked Ohio State and Iowa in away games, lost by a field goal to Wisconsin away, lost by a touchdown to Northwestern in overtime at home, and lost by 4 points to Michigan at home. In 4 of those losses, the Spartans gave up 48, 37, 34 and 28 points; that is simply giving up too many points to expect to win.
Dantonio's first recruiting class currently ranks 55th according to Scout.com with no recruits in the Top 100, no 5-star players and one 4-star player. This is not a good sign. Notre Dame has the top recruiting class in the country with seven Top 100 players, four 5-star players and thirteen 4-star players. Yikes!
Ohio State, another big competitor for recruiting in the Midwest, has nine Top 100 players, four 5-star players and eight 4-star players. The Spartans are going to have to tighten their helmet strap a little tighter and dig deeper to fight off this kind of opposition.
Let us hope that Mark Dantonio and his players understand that motivation is an inside job. The coaches pick the talent and convince the talent to come to their program, but the players ultimately make their talent pay. You cannot win big without talent, but talent has to not only show up but play on game day or you lose anyway.
Editor's Note: This is Part 2 of a 3-Part Series. Part 3 evaluates Nick Saban's performance at Alabama.
Editor's 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".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 138 Movie Reviews, 81 Sports Articles, 55 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 40 News and Comment Articles, and 616 Famous Quotes.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
College Football - Evaluating Three First-Year Coaches: Saban, Erickson and Dantonio - Part 1
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Early in the 2007 college football season I identified three capable, experienced new first-year coaches brought in to rescue troubled programs—Nick Saban at Alabama, Dennis Erickson at Arizona State and Mark Dantonio at Michigan State. Since the regular season has ended, it is time to evaluate their performance.
I created a new system to do so. The basis is the actual NCAA regular season team statistics for the 5 main offensive and 5 main defensive categories. These are Scoring Offense, Total Offense, Rushing Offense, Passing Offense, Pass Efficiency Offense, Scoring Defense, Total Defense, Rushing Defense, Pass Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense.
A numerical value (1 to 5) was then assigned for the 119 Division 1A schools. The Top 10 in each category got a "Great" rating of 5, the next 20 got a "Good" rating of 4, the next 59 an "Average" rating of 3, the next 20 a "Poor" rating of 2, and the bottom 10 a "Terrible" rating of 1.
The Great and Good ratings represent the top 25% of the schools, the Average rating represents the middle 50%, and the Poor and Terrible ratings represent the bottom 25% of the schools.
Given this system, the best results were clearly produced by Dennis Erickson, followed by Mark Dantonio and then Nick Saban.
When Arizona State signed Dennis Erickson as its head coach, the Sun Devils won the lottery. Erickson is arguably among the 5 greatest current college football coaches in the country, and he has the performance record to back up my assertion. Before arriving at Arizona State, Erickson had:
1) Led Miami (FL) to a 63-9 record (.875 winning percentage) during a 6-year period that produced two national championships in 1989 (11-1) and 1991 (12-0). Erickson logged 32 straight home victories, part of the longest home winning streak in college football history as Miami won 58 straight from 1985 to 1994.
2) Engineered one of the biggest turnarounds in college football history at Oregon State, taking a team that had not had a winning season in 28 years to a 7-5 record his first year, and an 11-1 mark his second year, beating Notre Dame 41-9 in the Fiesta Bowl and ending the year ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll. He was named Pac 10 Coach of the Year, and the Sporting News National Coach of the Year.
3) Inherited a pathetic Washington State team and was 9-3 his second year, upsetting top-ranked UCLA and beating Houston 24-22 in the Aloha Bowl in 1988. The bowl victory was the first for Washington State in 57 years. He was named Pac 10 Coach of the Year.
4) Inherited a struggling Idaho program and instantly turned it into 4 consecutive winning seasons with a 32-15 record and two Division IAA playoff appearances.
5) Joined Lou Holtz as the only coaches in the past 20 seasons to win 3 games against No. 1 ranked teams in the AP Poll. He beat top-ranked UCLA, Notre Dame (snapping a 23-game winning streak for the Fighting Irish) and Florida (snapping a 16-game winning streak for the Siminoles).
So how did Erickson do in his first regular season at Arizona State? Not too shabby. He inherited a 7-6 team that had suffered an embarrassing 41-24 loss to Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl, and promptly won his first 8 games, rising to No. 6 in the AP Poll before losing to Oregon.
The Sun Devils finished the season at 10-2 with a No. 11 ranking in the BCS Standings. Arizona State will face Texas (9-3) in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27. He was again selected as Pac 10 Coach of the Year this year, and also nominated for the 2007 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.
Erickson did start with some talent but the statistics highlight his coaching ability. On offense the Sun Devils were no more than Average in Scoring Offense, Total Offense, Rushing Offense and Passing Offense and Good in Pass Efficiency Offense. On defense they were Good in Scoring Defense, Total Defense, Rushing Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense and Average in Pass Defense.
Erickson is known as an offensive innovator but his greatest legacy is winning football games. He lifetime record is currently 158-67-1. Dennis Erickson was a better coach than either Nick Saban or Mark Dantonio this year.
Editor's Note: This is Part 1 of a 3-Part Series. Part 2 evaluates Mark Dantonio's performance at Michigan State.
Editor's 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".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 138 Movie Reviews, 81 Sports Articles, 55 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 40 News and Comment Articles, and 616 Famous Quotes.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Early in the 2007 college football season I identified three capable, experienced new first-year coaches brought in to rescue troubled programs—Nick Saban at Alabama, Dennis Erickson at Arizona State and Mark Dantonio at Michigan State. Since the regular season has ended, it is time to evaluate their performance.
I created a new system to do so. The basis is the actual NCAA regular season team statistics for the 5 main offensive and 5 main defensive categories. These are Scoring Offense, Total Offense, Rushing Offense, Passing Offense, Pass Efficiency Offense, Scoring Defense, Total Defense, Rushing Defense, Pass Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense.
A numerical value (1 to 5) was then assigned for the 119 Division 1A schools. The Top 10 in each category got a "Great" rating of 5, the next 20 got a "Good" rating of 4, the next 59 an "Average" rating of 3, the next 20 a "Poor" rating of 2, and the bottom 10 a "Terrible" rating of 1.
The Great and Good ratings represent the top 25% of the schools, the Average rating represents the middle 50%, and the Poor and Terrible ratings represent the bottom 25% of the schools.
Given this system, the best results were clearly produced by Dennis Erickson, followed by Mark Dantonio and then Nick Saban.
When Arizona State signed Dennis Erickson as its head coach, the Sun Devils won the lottery. Erickson is arguably among the 5 greatest current college football coaches in the country, and he has the performance record to back up my assertion. Before arriving at Arizona State, Erickson had:
1) Led Miami (FL) to a 63-9 record (.875 winning percentage) during a 6-year period that produced two national championships in 1989 (11-1) and 1991 (12-0). Erickson logged 32 straight home victories, part of the longest home winning streak in college football history as Miami won 58 straight from 1985 to 1994.
2) Engineered one of the biggest turnarounds in college football history at Oregon State, taking a team that had not had a winning season in 28 years to a 7-5 record his first year, and an 11-1 mark his second year, beating Notre Dame 41-9 in the Fiesta Bowl and ending the year ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll. He was named Pac 10 Coach of the Year, and the Sporting News National Coach of the Year.
3) Inherited a pathetic Washington State team and was 9-3 his second year, upsetting top-ranked UCLA and beating Houston 24-22 in the Aloha Bowl in 1988. The bowl victory was the first for Washington State in 57 years. He was named Pac 10 Coach of the Year.
4) Inherited a struggling Idaho program and instantly turned it into 4 consecutive winning seasons with a 32-15 record and two Division IAA playoff appearances.
5) Joined Lou Holtz as the only coaches in the past 20 seasons to win 3 games against No. 1 ranked teams in the AP Poll. He beat top-ranked UCLA, Notre Dame (snapping a 23-game winning streak for the Fighting Irish) and Florida (snapping a 16-game winning streak for the Siminoles).
So how did Erickson do in his first regular season at Arizona State? Not too shabby. He inherited a 7-6 team that had suffered an embarrassing 41-24 loss to Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl, and promptly won his first 8 games, rising to No. 6 in the AP Poll before losing to Oregon.
The Sun Devils finished the season at 10-2 with a No. 11 ranking in the BCS Standings. Arizona State will face Texas (9-3) in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27. He was again selected as Pac 10 Coach of the Year this year, and also nominated for the 2007 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.
Erickson did start with some talent but the statistics highlight his coaching ability. On offense the Sun Devils were no more than Average in Scoring Offense, Total Offense, Rushing Offense and Passing Offense and Good in Pass Efficiency Offense. On defense they were Good in Scoring Defense, Total Defense, Rushing Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense and Average in Pass Defense.
Erickson is known as an offensive innovator but his greatest legacy is winning football games. He lifetime record is currently 158-67-1. Dennis Erickson was a better coach than either Nick Saban or Mark Dantonio this year.
Editor's Note: This is Part 1 of a 3-Part Series. Part 2 evaluates Mark Dantonio's performance at Michigan State.
Editor's 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".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 138 Movie Reviews, 81 Sports Articles, 55 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 40 News and Comment Articles, and 616 Famous Quotes.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
College Football Statistics - Washington Huskies Led Nation in One Critical Category: Strength of Schedule
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
If you ask a Husky fan or rabid booster to describe Washington's recently completed football season in 3 words the answer might be "another losing season." In 2 words it might be "lousy coaching" or "terrible defense" or "stupid mistakes." My description in 2 words would be "Locker" and "schedule."
Schedule would be strength of schedule. The Huskies ended their season as the No. 1-rated team in strength of schedule (difficulty of opponent) among the NCAA's 242 Division 1A and 1AA teams.
With a 4-9 season record, some fans might say, "So what?" While it is true that playing the toughest schedule in the country did not win Washington any more games, it did provide the one ingredient the Huskies need most to improve more next year: experience against quality opponents.
In effect, a lot of inexperienced Huskies got up-close, personal lessons in what it takes to win at the highest level. They, according to the most recent BCS Standings:
1) Upset No. 24-ranked Boise State 24-10 at home.
2) Led No. 1-ranked Ohio State 7-3 at the half before losing 33-14 at home.
3) Led No. 7-ranked Southern Cal 17-14 at the half before losing 27-24 at home.
4) Led No. 11-ranked Arizona State 17-13 at the half before losing 44-20 on the road.
5) Led No. 10-ranked Hawaii 21-0 after 10 minutes and 28-21 at the half before losing 35-28 on the road.
The inexperienced, talent-challenged Huskies never did really learn how to lock down and finish off an opponent. It was not the offense that let them down, they averaged more than 4 touchdowns a game; it was the defense that most often collapsed in the second half.
Among 119 Division 1A schools, the Washington defense was ranked 94th in Scoring Defense (Poor), 102nd in Total Defense (Poor), 89th in Rushing Defense (Poor), 99th in Pass Defense (Poor) and 99th in Pass Efficiency Defense (Poor).
Name calling is never nice, however, the Husky defensive secondary could not cover their grandmother on their best day. Note to Coach Ty Willingham: Recruit and offer scholarships to players with speed. You cannot coach slow.
If God did not give you speed, you cannot make players faster by coaching them to death. They are already dead, dead slow in a fast player's game. If the entire Husky defensive secondary were all seniors and gone next year, Washington would do no worse. Speed kills in football. If the defensive staff cannot recognize speed, have them watch NFL films of Randy Moss separating from defenders.
Which brings me to Locker, Jake Locker, as in Washington's redshirt freshman quarterback. Locker is a NFL quality running back with size, strength and speed right now. He just happens to play quarterback.
Running is all about instinct and speed. Passing is about arm strength, quick release, patience, presence and proper technique. Passing is so much more complicated than running; no wonder Locker is so impressive running rather than passing. I believe Locker will improve his accuracy and touch in passing, Lord knows he has the arm strength.
How good is Locker? He was just named the Pac 10 Conference Freshman of the Year. Locker broke the Husky and Pac 10 record for rushing yards by a quarterback, finishing the year with 986 yards and 13 touchdowns (also a Husky QB record). He also set a new Husky freshman record for most yards passing with 2,062. Unless injured, he will be playing on Sundays in the NFL.
Ty Willingham's Washington Husky recruits for next year include 5-star Kavario Middleton (rated No. 2 nationally as a tight end), and 4-star recruits Craig Noble (DT), Senio Kelemete (OT), Drew Schaefer (OT), Jermaine Kearse (WR) and Cody Burns (WR). Washington has the 18th best recruiting class in the country, according to Scout.com and Dawgman.com.
Despite a 3-year record of 11-25, it was announced today that Ty Willingham will return as the Husky head coach next year. Some fans and boosters wanted Willingham gone, others loved that he is staying on to finish what he started when he signed a 5-year contract. Can Washington go from a 4-9 record this year to a 9-4 record next year? Only time will tell.
One thing is for sure: Eight of the Huskies' 12 opponents next season are playing bowl games this year—Brigham Young, Oregon, Oklahoma, California, Oregon State, Southern Cal, Arizona State and UCLA. Their other 4 opponents include Stanford, Arizona, Notre Dame and Washington State.
They better be better or the odds say Ty Willingham and his assistant coaches will be job hunting.
Editor's Note: Read my 11 other Washington Husky articles including "Meet the Nation's Most Statistically Incredible Team – The University of Washington Huskies", "Anatomy of a Team on the Rise: Washington Will Get Over Freshmanitis and Really Thrive" and "College Football Mayhem: Flagrant Helmet-to-Helmet Shots Need to Stop Before Someone Gets Killed".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/
Discover 138 Movie Reviews, 81 Sports Articles, 55 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 40 News and Comment Articles, and 616 Famous Quotes.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
If you ask a Husky fan or rabid booster to describe Washington's recently completed football season in 3 words the answer might be "another losing season." In 2 words it might be "lousy coaching" or "terrible defense" or "stupid mistakes." My description in 2 words would be "Locker" and "schedule."
Schedule would be strength of schedule. The Huskies ended their season as the No. 1-rated team in strength of schedule (difficulty of opponent) among the NCAA's 242 Division 1A and 1AA teams.
With a 4-9 season record, some fans might say, "So what?" While it is true that playing the toughest schedule in the country did not win Washington any more games, it did provide the one ingredient the Huskies need most to improve more next year: experience against quality opponents.
In effect, a lot of inexperienced Huskies got up-close, personal lessons in what it takes to win at the highest level. They, according to the most recent BCS Standings:
1) Upset No. 24-ranked Boise State 24-10 at home.
2) Led No. 1-ranked Ohio State 7-3 at the half before losing 33-14 at home.
3) Led No. 7-ranked Southern Cal 17-14 at the half before losing 27-24 at home.
4) Led No. 11-ranked Arizona State 17-13 at the half before losing 44-20 on the road.
5) Led No. 10-ranked Hawaii 21-0 after 10 minutes and 28-21 at the half before losing 35-28 on the road.
The inexperienced, talent-challenged Huskies never did really learn how to lock down and finish off an opponent. It was not the offense that let them down, they averaged more than 4 touchdowns a game; it was the defense that most often collapsed in the second half.
Among 119 Division 1A schools, the Washington defense was ranked 94th in Scoring Defense (Poor), 102nd in Total Defense (Poor), 89th in Rushing Defense (Poor), 99th in Pass Defense (Poor) and 99th in Pass Efficiency Defense (Poor).
Name calling is never nice, however, the Husky defensive secondary could not cover their grandmother on their best day. Note to Coach Ty Willingham: Recruit and offer scholarships to players with speed. You cannot coach slow.
If God did not give you speed, you cannot make players faster by coaching them to death. They are already dead, dead slow in a fast player's game. If the entire Husky defensive secondary were all seniors and gone next year, Washington would do no worse. Speed kills in football. If the defensive staff cannot recognize speed, have them watch NFL films of Randy Moss separating from defenders.
Which brings me to Locker, Jake Locker, as in Washington's redshirt freshman quarterback. Locker is a NFL quality running back with size, strength and speed right now. He just happens to play quarterback.
Running is all about instinct and speed. Passing is about arm strength, quick release, patience, presence and proper technique. Passing is so much more complicated than running; no wonder Locker is so impressive running rather than passing. I believe Locker will improve his accuracy and touch in passing, Lord knows he has the arm strength.
How good is Locker? He was just named the Pac 10 Conference Freshman of the Year. Locker broke the Husky and Pac 10 record for rushing yards by a quarterback, finishing the year with 986 yards and 13 touchdowns (also a Husky QB record). He also set a new Husky freshman record for most yards passing with 2,062. Unless injured, he will be playing on Sundays in the NFL.
Ty Willingham's Washington Husky recruits for next year include 5-star Kavario Middleton (rated No. 2 nationally as a tight end), and 4-star recruits Craig Noble (DT), Senio Kelemete (OT), Drew Schaefer (OT), Jermaine Kearse (WR) and Cody Burns (WR). Washington has the 18th best recruiting class in the country, according to Scout.com and Dawgman.com.
Despite a 3-year record of 11-25, it was announced today that Ty Willingham will return as the Husky head coach next year. Some fans and boosters wanted Willingham gone, others loved that he is staying on to finish what he started when he signed a 5-year contract. Can Washington go from a 4-9 record this year to a 9-4 record next year? Only time will tell.
One thing is for sure: Eight of the Huskies' 12 opponents next season are playing bowl games this year—Brigham Young, Oregon, Oklahoma, California, Oregon State, Southern Cal, Arizona State and UCLA. Their other 4 opponents include Stanford, Arizona, Notre Dame and Washington State.
They better be better or the odds say Ty Willingham and his assistant coaches will be job hunting.
Editor's Note: Read my 11 other Washington Husky articles including "Meet the Nation's Most Statistically Incredible Team – The University of Washington Huskies", "Anatomy of a Team on the Rise: Washington Will Get Over Freshmanitis and Really Thrive" and "College Football Mayhem: Flagrant Helmet-to-Helmet Shots Need to Stop Before Someone Gets Killed".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/
Discover 138 Movie Reviews, 81 Sports Articles, 55 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 40 News and Comment Articles, and 616 Famous Quotes.
Facts to Impress Your Friends: Picking Apart the 10 Teams that Won College Football's BCS Bowl Lottery
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
While the BCS Standings may have had a mess in determining which teams should play for college football's national championship, it turns out that Ohio State and Louisiana State may have been the best possible choice after all.
In analyzing the 10 teams that won this year's bowl lottery with the highest payouts for the 5 major BCS bowl games, I created a new system to evaluate the teams involved. Rather than add to the already flooded opinions about who should or should not have been chosen, I have decided to apply some cold, hard facts that are beyond dispute.
The basis is the actual NCAA regular season team statistics for the 5 main offensive and 5 main defensive categories. These are Scoring Offense, Total Offense, Rushing Offense, Passing Offense, Pass Efficiency Offense, Scoring Defense, Total Defense, Rushing Defense, Pass Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense.
A numerical value (1 to 5) was then assigned for the 119 Division 1A schools. The Top 10 in each category got a "Great" rating of 5, the next 20 got a "Good" rating of 4, the next 59 an "Average" rating of 3, the next 20 a "Poor" rating of 2, and the bottom 10 a "Terrible" rating of 1.
The Great and Good ratings represent the top 25% of the schools, the Average rating represents the middle 50%, and the Poor and Terrible ratings represent the bottom 25% of the schools.
Given this system, the best quality game (not necessarily the best game) during the bowl season may well be the Ohio State-Louisiana State (LSU) match-up in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game. Here is why:
1) A perfect score in the 5 defensive categories is 25 and Ohio State (11-1) fits the profile with a perfect 25 score. The Buckeyes lead the nation in 4 of the 5 categories: Scoring Defense, Total Defense, Pass Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense, and rank No. 3 in Rushing Defense. Ohio State is, in fact, the best defensive team in the country based on actual results.
2) LSU (11-2) is among the Top 10 teams in 3 defensive categories: No. 3 in Total Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense, and No. 9 in Pass Defense. The Tigers are Good in the other two categories for a total score of 23.
3) On offense neither team is really good. Ohio State is Good in 2 categories and Average in 3 others for a 17 total score, while LSU is Good in 3 categories and Average in 2 others for an 18 score.
4) Adding up their offensive and defensive totals, Ohio State scores 42 out of a perfect 50, and LSU scores 41. This should be a lower scoring defensive battle with all of the earmarks of a great national championship game going down to the final moments. Call it a toss-up.
The Rose Bowl pits Southern California (10-2) and Illinois (9-3) with a distinct advantage for Southern Cal (USC) because it is the only other team among the 10 BCS bowl contestants that has a perfect 25 score on the defensive side of the ball.
USC, like Ohio State, is in the Top 10 nationally in all 5 defensive categories, ranking No. 2 in Total Defense and No. 4 in both Rushing Defense and Scoring Defense. Illinois is Good in 2 categories and Average in 3 others for a total of 17 out of 25.
Both USC and Illinois tie for the lowest total score with 15 among the 5 offensive categories. USC is only 1 of 2 teams to rate Average in every offensive category. Illinois is Great in Rushing Offense (No. 5 nationally) and Terrible in Passing Offense (No. 114 nationally).
The question is "Can USC's top-rated rush defense stop Illinois' top-rated rushing offense?" I think the Trojans can. USC has far more experience at this level than Illinois, and a great defense generally stops a great offense when the great offense meets better competition.
The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl should prove to be an interesting clash between Oklahoma (11-2) and West Virginia (10-2). Oklahoma scores out a little better on offense (21 to 18) and West Virginia scores a little better on defense (22 to 20). Oklahoma's total score is 41, the same as LSU's, and West Virginia's is 40. Another good contest.
The Oklahoma Sooners are Great in 4 categories: Scoring Offense (No. 3 nationally), Pass Efficiency Offense (No. 2 nationally), Scoring Defense (No. 9 nationally) and Rushing Defense (No. 8 nationally).
The West Virginia Mountaineers are Great in 3 categories: Rushing Offense (No. 4 nationally), Total Defense (No. 4 nationally) and Scoring Defense (No. 7 nationally). West Virginia is Terrible in Passing Offense (No. 113 nationally).
Look for West Virginia to run, run, run and Oklahoma to use its great rushing defense to stop them. While Oklahoma is no Ohio State defensively, they bring much more experience to the table, having played in 3 national championship games in the past 7 years. The Sooners beat Florida State 13-2 for the national title in 2000, lost to LSU 21-14 in 2003 and lost to USC 55-19 in 2004. West Virginia has yet to play in a national championship game.
Oklahoma should win this game. The Sooners have to be smarting after last year's humiliating 43-42 loss to Boise State in last year's Fiesta Bowl. Oklahoma returns to the same bowl game as last year's loss and has some unfinished business, like winning against a better team this year.
The FedEx Orange Bowl game between Virginia Tech (11-2) and Kansas (11-1) should also be interesting. Virginia Tech has the 3rd highest total defensive score (24 of 25) among the 10 bowl teams.
The Hokies are Great in Scoring Defense (No. 2 nationally), Pass Efficiency Defense (No. 4 nationally), Total Defense and Rushing Defense (both No. 5 nationally). Virginia Tech's offense is Average to Poor so the Hokies better be good on defense.
Kansas has the best offensive score (23 of 25) among the 10 bowl teams. The Jayhawks are Great in 3 categories: Scoring Offense (No. 2 nationally), Total Offense (No. 6 nationally) and Pass Efficiency Offense (No. 7 nationally).
Kansas is also Great in 3 defensive categories: Scoring Defense (No. 5 nationally), Rushing Defense (No. 7 nationally) and Pass Efficiency Defense (No. 10 nationally). The Jayhawks and the only team among the 10 bowl teams rated Great in 6 categories. Their loss to Missouri hurt a bunch; they just might send Virginia Tech home with a loss.
The Allstate Sugar Bowl game brings Hawaii (12-0) face-to-face with Georgia (10-2). On paper Hawaii has a much better offense, scoring Great in 4 categories: Scoring Offense and Passing Offense (both No. 1 nationally), Total Offense and Pass Efficiency Offense (both No. 3 nationally). The Warriors have Colt Brennan, a quarterback to be feared.
Hawaii's defense in not good but neither is Georgia's offense; the Bulldogs, like the USC Trojans, are Average across the board. Georgia's defense is better but its Pass Efficiency Defense is Average. Georgia has played much better competition than Hawaii and should win this game, but I have seen Colt Brennan pass, and he is THAT good.
Editor's Note: Read my articles on "Want a Six-Figure Income Without Getting a College Degree of Any Kind? Here Is How", my 2-part series on "There Is No Huge Correlation Between Education and Income and Here Is Why" and "Who Earns the Most Based on Their Educational Level".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 138 Movie Reviews, 81 Sports Articles, 55 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 40 News and Comment Articles, and 616 Famous Quotes.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
While the BCS Standings may have had a mess in determining which teams should play for college football's national championship, it turns out that Ohio State and Louisiana State may have been the best possible choice after all.
In analyzing the 10 teams that won this year's bowl lottery with the highest payouts for the 5 major BCS bowl games, I created a new system to evaluate the teams involved. Rather than add to the already flooded opinions about who should or should not have been chosen, I have decided to apply some cold, hard facts that are beyond dispute.
The basis is the actual NCAA regular season team statistics for the 5 main offensive and 5 main defensive categories. These are Scoring Offense, Total Offense, Rushing Offense, Passing Offense, Pass Efficiency Offense, Scoring Defense, Total Defense, Rushing Defense, Pass Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense.
A numerical value (1 to 5) was then assigned for the 119 Division 1A schools. The Top 10 in each category got a "Great" rating of 5, the next 20 got a "Good" rating of 4, the next 59 an "Average" rating of 3, the next 20 a "Poor" rating of 2, and the bottom 10 a "Terrible" rating of 1.
The Great and Good ratings represent the top 25% of the schools, the Average rating represents the middle 50%, and the Poor and Terrible ratings represent the bottom 25% of the schools.
Given this system, the best quality game (not necessarily the best game) during the bowl season may well be the Ohio State-Louisiana State (LSU) match-up in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game. Here is why:
1) A perfect score in the 5 defensive categories is 25 and Ohio State (11-1) fits the profile with a perfect 25 score. The Buckeyes lead the nation in 4 of the 5 categories: Scoring Defense, Total Defense, Pass Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense, and rank No. 3 in Rushing Defense. Ohio State is, in fact, the best defensive team in the country based on actual results.
2) LSU (11-2) is among the Top 10 teams in 3 defensive categories: No. 3 in Total Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense, and No. 9 in Pass Defense. The Tigers are Good in the other two categories for a total score of 23.
3) On offense neither team is really good. Ohio State is Good in 2 categories and Average in 3 others for a 17 total score, while LSU is Good in 3 categories and Average in 2 others for an 18 score.
4) Adding up their offensive and defensive totals, Ohio State scores 42 out of a perfect 50, and LSU scores 41. This should be a lower scoring defensive battle with all of the earmarks of a great national championship game going down to the final moments. Call it a toss-up.
The Rose Bowl pits Southern California (10-2) and Illinois (9-3) with a distinct advantage for Southern Cal (USC) because it is the only other team among the 10 BCS bowl contestants that has a perfect 25 score on the defensive side of the ball.
USC, like Ohio State, is in the Top 10 nationally in all 5 defensive categories, ranking No. 2 in Total Defense and No. 4 in both Rushing Defense and Scoring Defense. Illinois is Good in 2 categories and Average in 3 others for a total of 17 out of 25.
Both USC and Illinois tie for the lowest total score with 15 among the 5 offensive categories. USC is only 1 of 2 teams to rate Average in every offensive category. Illinois is Great in Rushing Offense (No. 5 nationally) and Terrible in Passing Offense (No. 114 nationally).
The question is "Can USC's top-rated rush defense stop Illinois' top-rated rushing offense?" I think the Trojans can. USC has far more experience at this level than Illinois, and a great defense generally stops a great offense when the great offense meets better competition.
The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl should prove to be an interesting clash between Oklahoma (11-2) and West Virginia (10-2). Oklahoma scores out a little better on offense (21 to 18) and West Virginia scores a little better on defense (22 to 20). Oklahoma's total score is 41, the same as LSU's, and West Virginia's is 40. Another good contest.
The Oklahoma Sooners are Great in 4 categories: Scoring Offense (No. 3 nationally), Pass Efficiency Offense (No. 2 nationally), Scoring Defense (No. 9 nationally) and Rushing Defense (No. 8 nationally).
The West Virginia Mountaineers are Great in 3 categories: Rushing Offense (No. 4 nationally), Total Defense (No. 4 nationally) and Scoring Defense (No. 7 nationally). West Virginia is Terrible in Passing Offense (No. 113 nationally).
Look for West Virginia to run, run, run and Oklahoma to use its great rushing defense to stop them. While Oklahoma is no Ohio State defensively, they bring much more experience to the table, having played in 3 national championship games in the past 7 years. The Sooners beat Florida State 13-2 for the national title in 2000, lost to LSU 21-14 in 2003 and lost to USC 55-19 in 2004. West Virginia has yet to play in a national championship game.
Oklahoma should win this game. The Sooners have to be smarting after last year's humiliating 43-42 loss to Boise State in last year's Fiesta Bowl. Oklahoma returns to the same bowl game as last year's loss and has some unfinished business, like winning against a better team this year.
The FedEx Orange Bowl game between Virginia Tech (11-2) and Kansas (11-1) should also be interesting. Virginia Tech has the 3rd highest total defensive score (24 of 25) among the 10 bowl teams.
The Hokies are Great in Scoring Defense (No. 2 nationally), Pass Efficiency Defense (No. 4 nationally), Total Defense and Rushing Defense (both No. 5 nationally). Virginia Tech's offense is Average to Poor so the Hokies better be good on defense.
Kansas has the best offensive score (23 of 25) among the 10 bowl teams. The Jayhawks are Great in 3 categories: Scoring Offense (No. 2 nationally), Total Offense (No. 6 nationally) and Pass Efficiency Offense (No. 7 nationally).
Kansas is also Great in 3 defensive categories: Scoring Defense (No. 5 nationally), Rushing Defense (No. 7 nationally) and Pass Efficiency Defense (No. 10 nationally). The Jayhawks and the only team among the 10 bowl teams rated Great in 6 categories. Their loss to Missouri hurt a bunch; they just might send Virginia Tech home with a loss.
The Allstate Sugar Bowl game brings Hawaii (12-0) face-to-face with Georgia (10-2). On paper Hawaii has a much better offense, scoring Great in 4 categories: Scoring Offense and Passing Offense (both No. 1 nationally), Total Offense and Pass Efficiency Offense (both No. 3 nationally). The Warriors have Colt Brennan, a quarterback to be feared.
Hawaii's defense in not good but neither is Georgia's offense; the Bulldogs, like the USC Trojans, are Average across the board. Georgia's defense is better but its Pass Efficiency Defense is Average. Georgia has played much better competition than Hawaii and should win this game, but I have seen Colt Brennan pass, and he is THAT good.
Editor's Note: Read my articles on "Want a Six-Figure Income Without Getting a College Degree of Any Kind? Here Is How", my 2-part series on "There Is No Huge Correlation Between Education and Income and Here Is Why" and "Who Earns the Most Based on Their Educational Level".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 138 Movie Reviews, 81 Sports Articles, 55 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 40 News and Comment Articles, and 616 Famous Quotes.
Monday, December 3, 2007
College Football - The BCS: What a Mess - Now It Becomes Crystal Clear: There Is No No. 1 Team in College Football
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Both No. 1-ranked Missouri and No. 2-ranked West Virginia had to go and lose in the final weekend of this year's regular college football season, throwing the Allstate BCS National Championship Game into a crapshoot in which No. 3-ranked Ohio State and No. 5-ranked LSU won.
Had Missouri beaten Oklahoma for the Big 12 championship, and had West Virginia beaten Pittsburgh, they would be playing in the BCS National Championship Game. Instead, it will be Ohio State (11-1) and LSU (11-2) for all the marbles. LSU will be the first two-loss team to play for the national title since the inception of the BCS in 1998.
No. 9-ranked Oklahoma (11-2), which whipped Missouri 41-31 earlier in the season, humbled Missouri again by 3 touchdowns, 38-17, to end the Tigers national title hopes. By winning again the Sooners won the Big 12 championship and a BCS bowl game berth. They will face West Virginia (10-2) in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
West Virginia lost to Pittsburgh (5-7) 13-9 on its home field in a defensive battle. It was a sad end to the Mountaineers regular season. The Mountaineers continue to vex themselves by having won more games than any other team in major college football without winning a national title.
Pittsburgh Coach Dave Wannstedt, a Pitt grad who played tackle for the Panthers, was a former defensive coordinator for the NFL Dallas Cowboys and also Head Coach for the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins. He has made Pitt a tough opponent despite a 16-19 record since taking over in 2005.
LSU helped its case immensely by turning back Tennessee 21-14 and winning the SEC championship. By staying the course, the Tigers find themselves playing for their 2nd national championship in 5 years. LSU won the title in 2003 by beating Oklahoma 21-14.
The LSU Tigers also benefited by losing both of their only losses to Louisville and Arkansas in triple overtime. They could have just as easily been 12-0 like Hawaii. Ohio State, which was idle this weekend after beating Michigan 14-3 for the Big 10 title a week earlier, just sat patiently and watched as Missouri and West Virginia blew their chances.
No. 6-ranked Virginia Tech (11-2) slapped Boston College 30-16 to win the Atlantic Coast championship and a BCS bowl game spot in the FedEx Orange Bowl against Kansas (11-1).
No. 8-ranked Southern California (10-2) beat UCLA 24-7 to earn an unprecedented 6th consecutive Pac 10 championship. The Trojans were ranked No. 1 starting the season but suffered a shocking 24-23 loss to 41-point underdog Stanford, and then they were upset by Oregon 24-17 to knock them out of national title contention.
Do not feel too bad for Southern Cal though as the win gets them a BCS bowl game appearance in the Rose Bowl against Illinois (9-3). It also marks the Trojans 6th straight BCS bowl berth and 32nd appearance in the Rose Bowl, commonly referred to as the "Granddaddy of All Bowl Games".
No. 11-ranked Hawaii ended its season with two 4th quarter touchdowns to edge Washington 35-28 and finish as the nation's only undefeated Division 1A team at 12-0. By winning, Hawaii—the outright Western Athletic Conference champions—earned a BCS bowl game spot in the Allstate Sugar Bowl against Georgia (10-2).
Washington stormed to a quick 21-0 lead in the first 10 minutes of the game on 3 Hawaii turnovers, but the Warriors proved their mettle by coming from behind on the strong and accurate arm of senior Colt Brennan, who completed 42 of 50 passes for 442 yards, 5 touchdowns and no interceptions.
Brennan, who should be playing on Sundays in the NFL, notched a school record 20 straight completions against the pathetic Husky secondary that ranks 99th among 119 Division 1A schools in both Pass Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense. Brennan has thrown for 4.174 yards and 38 touchdowns this season.
Here is some well deserved love for Hawaii: The Warriors may have played a weak schedule (rated 137th among 119 Division 1A teams), and the Washington Huskies may have played the nation's toughest schedule (rated No. 1 nationally), but Hawaii beat Washington straight up 35-28 and is the better team. Period, that's it.
And more Hawaiian love: Like it or not, the Warriors have won a national-best 13 straight games, and 22 of their last 23 games. They have a chance to make it 14 straight wins and continue the streak by beating Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
Two teams that were passed over for BCS bowl games were Missouri (11-2) and Arizona State (10-2), each of which could have gotten a bid.
The real winner of that elusive last spot among the 5 BCS bowl games went to Illinois (9-3), which lost to Missouri, Iowa and Michigan during the regular season. The choice of Illinois should be no mystery when you know that Illinois was 2-10 last year and 9-3 this year. Credit Head Coach Ron Zook for the incredible turnaround the Fighting Illini experienced.
Perhaps even more important to advertisers is that Illinois is in the nation's 3rd largest metro market (9 million people) and its opponent—Southern Cal—is in the nation's 2nd largest metro market (12.3 million). These markets dwarf Arizona's largest market (13th at 4 million) and Missouri's largest market (18th at 2.7 million). It is all about people and money and where they are at for advertisers.
Arizona State did beat in-state rival Arizona 20-17 but the win was hardly impressive, not that it mattered. The Sun Devils could have beaten them by 4 touchdowns and the result would probably have been the same: no BCS slot for Arizona State. Both Arizona State and Missouri will play in bowl games, just not the 5 major BCS ones with big payouts.
Here is a complete list of this year's bowl lineup; all game times are listed in EST.
2007-08 College Football Bowl Schedule
Dec. 20 – Thursday
Utah (8-4) vs. Navy (8-4) in the Poinsettia Bowl – ESPN, 9 p.m.
Dec. 21 – Friday
Florida Atlantic (7-5) vs. Memphis (7-5) in the New Orleans Bowl – ESPN2, 8 p.m.
Dec. 22 – Saturday
Cincinnati (9-3) vs. Southern Mississippi in the Papajohns.com Bowl – ESPN2, 1 p.m.
New Mexico (8-4) vs. Nevada (6-6) in the New Mexico Bowl – ESPN, 4:30 p.m.
Brigham Young (10-2) vs. UCLA (6-6) in the Las Vegas Bowl – ESPN, 8 p.m.
Dec. 23 – Sunday
East Carolina (7-5) vs. Boise State (10-2) in the Hawaii Bowl – ESPN, 8 p.m.
Dec. 26 – Wednesday
Purdue (7-5) vs. Central Michigan (8-5) in the Motor City Bowl – ESPN, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 27 – Thursday
Texas (9-3) vs. Arizona State (10-2) in the Holiday Bowl – ESPN, 8 p.m.
Dec. 28 – Friday
Michigan State (7-5) vs. Boston College (10-3) in the Champs Sports Bowl – ESPN, 5 p.m.
Houston (8-4) vs. TCU (7-5) in the Texas Bowl – NFL Network, 8 p.m.
Oregon State (8-4) vs. Maryland (6-6) in the Emerald Bowl – ESPN, 8:30 p.m.
Dec. 29 – Saturday
Wake Forest (8-4) vs. Connecticut (9-3) in the Meineke Car Care Bowl – ESPN, 1 p.m.
Central Florida (10-3) vs. Mississippi State (7-5) in the Liberty Bowl – ESPN, 4:30 p.m.
Texas A&M (7-5) vs. Penn State (8-4) in the Alamo Bowl – ESPN, 8 p.m.
Dec. 30 – Sunday
Alabama (6-6) vs. Colorado (6-6) in the Independence Bowl – ESPN, 8 p.m.
Dec. 31 – Monday – New Year's Eve
Air Force (9-3) vs. California (6-6) in the Armed Forces Bowl – ESPN, 12:30 p.m.
Oregon (8-4) vs. South Florida (9-3) in the Sun Bowl – CBS, 2 p.m.
Georgia Tech (7-5) vs. Fresno State (8-4) in the Humanitarian Bowl – ESPN, 2 p.m.
Kentucky (7-5) vs. Florida State (7-5) in the Music City Bowl – ESPN, 4 p.m.
Indiana (7-5) vs. Oklahoma State (6-6) in the Insight Bowl – NFL Network, 5:30 p.m.
Auburn (8-4) vs. Clemson (9-3) in the Chick-fil-A Bowl – ESPN, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 1 – Tuesday – New Year's Day
Wisconsin (9-3) vs. Tennessee (9-4) in the Outback Bowl – ESPN, 11 a.m.
Missouri (11-2) vs. Arkansas (8-4) in the Cotton Bowl – Fox, 11:30 a.m.
Virginia (9-3) vs. Texas Tech (8-4) in the Gator Bowl – CBS, 1 p.m.
Michigan (8-4) vs. Florida (9-3) in the Capital One Bowl – ABC, 1 p.m.
Illinois (9-3) vs. Southern California (10-2) in the Rose Bowl (a BCS Bowl Game) – ABC, 5 p.m.
Hawaii (12-0) vs. Georgia (10-2) in the Sugar Bowl (a BCS Bowl Game) – Fox, 8:30 p.m.
Jan. 2 – Wednesday
Oklahoma (11-2) vs. West Virginia (10-2) in the Fiesta Bowl (a BCS Bowl Game) – Fox, 8 p.m.
Jan. 3 – Thursday
Virginia Tech (11-2) vs. Kansas (11-1) in the Orange Bowl (a BCS Bowl Game) – Fox, 8 p.m.
Jan. 5 – Saturday
Rutgers (7-5) vs. Ball State (7-5) in the International Bowl in Toronto, Canada – ESPN, Noon.
Jan. 6 – Sunday
Tulsa (9-4) vs. Bowling Green (8-4) in the GMAC Bowl – ESPN, 8 p.m.
Jan. 7 – Monday
Ohio State (11-1) vs. LSU (11-2) in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans – Fox, 8 p.m.
Note: ESPN dominates bowl game broadcasting. ESPN will broadcast 21 of the 32 bowl games, Fox 5, and ABC, CBS and the NFL Network 2 apiece.
Editor's Note: Read my articles on "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss" and "The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/
Discover 138 Movie Reviews, 81 Sports Articles, 55 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 40 News and Comment Articles, and 616 Famous Quotes.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Both No. 1-ranked Missouri and No. 2-ranked West Virginia had to go and lose in the final weekend of this year's regular college football season, throwing the Allstate BCS National Championship Game into a crapshoot in which No. 3-ranked Ohio State and No. 5-ranked LSU won.
Had Missouri beaten Oklahoma for the Big 12 championship, and had West Virginia beaten Pittsburgh, they would be playing in the BCS National Championship Game. Instead, it will be Ohio State (11-1) and LSU (11-2) for all the marbles. LSU will be the first two-loss team to play for the national title since the inception of the BCS in 1998.
No. 9-ranked Oklahoma (11-2), which whipped Missouri 41-31 earlier in the season, humbled Missouri again by 3 touchdowns, 38-17, to end the Tigers national title hopes. By winning again the Sooners won the Big 12 championship and a BCS bowl game berth. They will face West Virginia (10-2) in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
West Virginia lost to Pittsburgh (5-7) 13-9 on its home field in a defensive battle. It was a sad end to the Mountaineers regular season. The Mountaineers continue to vex themselves by having won more games than any other team in major college football without winning a national title.
Pittsburgh Coach Dave Wannstedt, a Pitt grad who played tackle for the Panthers, was a former defensive coordinator for the NFL Dallas Cowboys and also Head Coach for the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins. He has made Pitt a tough opponent despite a 16-19 record since taking over in 2005.
LSU helped its case immensely by turning back Tennessee 21-14 and winning the SEC championship. By staying the course, the Tigers find themselves playing for their 2nd national championship in 5 years. LSU won the title in 2003 by beating Oklahoma 21-14.
The LSU Tigers also benefited by losing both of their only losses to Louisville and Arkansas in triple overtime. They could have just as easily been 12-0 like Hawaii. Ohio State, which was idle this weekend after beating Michigan 14-3 for the Big 10 title a week earlier, just sat patiently and watched as Missouri and West Virginia blew their chances.
No. 6-ranked Virginia Tech (11-2) slapped Boston College 30-16 to win the Atlantic Coast championship and a BCS bowl game spot in the FedEx Orange Bowl against Kansas (11-1).
No. 8-ranked Southern California (10-2) beat UCLA 24-7 to earn an unprecedented 6th consecutive Pac 10 championship. The Trojans were ranked No. 1 starting the season but suffered a shocking 24-23 loss to 41-point underdog Stanford, and then they were upset by Oregon 24-17 to knock them out of national title contention.
Do not feel too bad for Southern Cal though as the win gets them a BCS bowl game appearance in the Rose Bowl against Illinois (9-3). It also marks the Trojans 6th straight BCS bowl berth and 32nd appearance in the Rose Bowl, commonly referred to as the "Granddaddy of All Bowl Games".
No. 11-ranked Hawaii ended its season with two 4th quarter touchdowns to edge Washington 35-28 and finish as the nation's only undefeated Division 1A team at 12-0. By winning, Hawaii—the outright Western Athletic Conference champions—earned a BCS bowl game spot in the Allstate Sugar Bowl against Georgia (10-2).
Washington stormed to a quick 21-0 lead in the first 10 minutes of the game on 3 Hawaii turnovers, but the Warriors proved their mettle by coming from behind on the strong and accurate arm of senior Colt Brennan, who completed 42 of 50 passes for 442 yards, 5 touchdowns and no interceptions.
Brennan, who should be playing on Sundays in the NFL, notched a school record 20 straight completions against the pathetic Husky secondary that ranks 99th among 119 Division 1A schools in both Pass Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense. Brennan has thrown for 4.174 yards and 38 touchdowns this season.
Here is some well deserved love for Hawaii: The Warriors may have played a weak schedule (rated 137th among 119 Division 1A teams), and the Washington Huskies may have played the nation's toughest schedule (rated No. 1 nationally), but Hawaii beat Washington straight up 35-28 and is the better team. Period, that's it.
And more Hawaiian love: Like it or not, the Warriors have won a national-best 13 straight games, and 22 of their last 23 games. They have a chance to make it 14 straight wins and continue the streak by beating Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
Two teams that were passed over for BCS bowl games were Missouri (11-2) and Arizona State (10-2), each of which could have gotten a bid.
The real winner of that elusive last spot among the 5 BCS bowl games went to Illinois (9-3), which lost to Missouri, Iowa and Michigan during the regular season. The choice of Illinois should be no mystery when you know that Illinois was 2-10 last year and 9-3 this year. Credit Head Coach Ron Zook for the incredible turnaround the Fighting Illini experienced.
Perhaps even more important to advertisers is that Illinois is in the nation's 3rd largest metro market (9 million people) and its opponent—Southern Cal—is in the nation's 2nd largest metro market (12.3 million). These markets dwarf Arizona's largest market (13th at 4 million) and Missouri's largest market (18th at 2.7 million). It is all about people and money and where they are at for advertisers.
Arizona State did beat in-state rival Arizona 20-17 but the win was hardly impressive, not that it mattered. The Sun Devils could have beaten them by 4 touchdowns and the result would probably have been the same: no BCS slot for Arizona State. Both Arizona State and Missouri will play in bowl games, just not the 5 major BCS ones with big payouts.
Here is a complete list of this year's bowl lineup; all game times are listed in EST.
2007-08 College Football Bowl Schedule
Dec. 20 – Thursday
Utah (8-4) vs. Navy (8-4) in the Poinsettia Bowl – ESPN, 9 p.m.
Dec. 21 – Friday
Florida Atlantic (7-5) vs. Memphis (7-5) in the New Orleans Bowl – ESPN2, 8 p.m.
Dec. 22 – Saturday
Cincinnati (9-3) vs. Southern Mississippi in the Papajohns.com Bowl – ESPN2, 1 p.m.
New Mexico (8-4) vs. Nevada (6-6) in the New Mexico Bowl – ESPN, 4:30 p.m.
Brigham Young (10-2) vs. UCLA (6-6) in the Las Vegas Bowl – ESPN, 8 p.m.
Dec. 23 – Sunday
East Carolina (7-5) vs. Boise State (10-2) in the Hawaii Bowl – ESPN, 8 p.m.
Dec. 26 – Wednesday
Purdue (7-5) vs. Central Michigan (8-5) in the Motor City Bowl – ESPN, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 27 – Thursday
Texas (9-3) vs. Arizona State (10-2) in the Holiday Bowl – ESPN, 8 p.m.
Dec. 28 – Friday
Michigan State (7-5) vs. Boston College (10-3) in the Champs Sports Bowl – ESPN, 5 p.m.
Houston (8-4) vs. TCU (7-5) in the Texas Bowl – NFL Network, 8 p.m.
Oregon State (8-4) vs. Maryland (6-6) in the Emerald Bowl – ESPN, 8:30 p.m.
Dec. 29 – Saturday
Wake Forest (8-4) vs. Connecticut (9-3) in the Meineke Car Care Bowl – ESPN, 1 p.m.
Central Florida (10-3) vs. Mississippi State (7-5) in the Liberty Bowl – ESPN, 4:30 p.m.
Texas A&M (7-5) vs. Penn State (8-4) in the Alamo Bowl – ESPN, 8 p.m.
Dec. 30 – Sunday
Alabama (6-6) vs. Colorado (6-6) in the Independence Bowl – ESPN, 8 p.m.
Dec. 31 – Monday – New Year's Eve
Air Force (9-3) vs. California (6-6) in the Armed Forces Bowl – ESPN, 12:30 p.m.
Oregon (8-4) vs. South Florida (9-3) in the Sun Bowl – CBS, 2 p.m.
Georgia Tech (7-5) vs. Fresno State (8-4) in the Humanitarian Bowl – ESPN, 2 p.m.
Kentucky (7-5) vs. Florida State (7-5) in the Music City Bowl – ESPN, 4 p.m.
Indiana (7-5) vs. Oklahoma State (6-6) in the Insight Bowl – NFL Network, 5:30 p.m.
Auburn (8-4) vs. Clemson (9-3) in the Chick-fil-A Bowl – ESPN, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 1 – Tuesday – New Year's Day
Wisconsin (9-3) vs. Tennessee (9-4) in the Outback Bowl – ESPN, 11 a.m.
Missouri (11-2) vs. Arkansas (8-4) in the Cotton Bowl – Fox, 11:30 a.m.
Virginia (9-3) vs. Texas Tech (8-4) in the Gator Bowl – CBS, 1 p.m.
Michigan (8-4) vs. Florida (9-3) in the Capital One Bowl – ABC, 1 p.m.
Illinois (9-3) vs. Southern California (10-2) in the Rose Bowl (a BCS Bowl Game) – ABC, 5 p.m.
Hawaii (12-0) vs. Georgia (10-2) in the Sugar Bowl (a BCS Bowl Game) – Fox, 8:30 p.m.
Jan. 2 – Wednesday
Oklahoma (11-2) vs. West Virginia (10-2) in the Fiesta Bowl (a BCS Bowl Game) – Fox, 8 p.m.
Jan. 3 – Thursday
Virginia Tech (11-2) vs. Kansas (11-1) in the Orange Bowl (a BCS Bowl Game) – Fox, 8 p.m.
Jan. 5 – Saturday
Rutgers (7-5) vs. Ball State (7-5) in the International Bowl in Toronto, Canada – ESPN, Noon.
Jan. 6 – Sunday
Tulsa (9-4) vs. Bowling Green (8-4) in the GMAC Bowl – ESPN, 8 p.m.
Jan. 7 – Monday
Ohio State (11-1) vs. LSU (11-2) in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans – Fox, 8 p.m.
Note: ESPN dominates bowl game broadcasting. ESPN will broadcast 21 of the 32 bowl games, Fox 5, and ABC, CBS and the NFL Network 2 apiece.
Editor's Note: Read my articles on "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss" and "The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/
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