I'm currently looking at the newest AP Top 25 Rankings for Week 5 of the 2008 Collegiate Football season and it's the Top 10 that really has me shaking my head. I have concluded that the so-called "knowledgeable" individuals that vote teams into prominence should be working at Goodwill because they obviously know nothing about the sport they are voting for. Here's a link to the newest Top 10 and a link to the full list on ESPN.
1) Oklahoma
2) Alabama
3) LSU
4) Missouri
5) Texas
6) Penn State
7) Texas Tech
8) Brigham Young
9) USC
10) South Florida
I had a hard time typing "Brigham Young" and "South Florida" without completely laughing my ass off at whoever put those two jackass squads in there. Ok, before I go on my rant I KNOW that the whole "Oregon State beat USC so since OSU got anally probed by Penn State that means PSU would destroy USC" logic can be/is faulty at times but bear with me on this. Strength of schedule will be my main point of discussion for these teams.
1) Oklahoma - I have no beef with you being #1. At this point I think it makes sense. You guys are really good! Even though your fan base is the biggest group of whiners ever assembled I completely understand...I'd whine too if my state was the armpit of the United States and my sister was also my wife.
2) Alabama - This is where it really begins. Alabama number 2? Really? Wow they beat a Georgia team that has one good player in Knowshon Moreno and I guess since they dismantled that truly bad ass Hawaii team ( <--- sarcasm) in the Sugar Bowl last year they were really that good. You also beat a No. 9 Clemson back in week 1 who officially sucks and is out of Top 25 now. Those wins over Tulane, Western Kentucky and Arkansas are mediocre at best as well. You're definitely a good team, but No. 2....I think not.
3) LSU - I think Les Miles is living right because that guy has a knack for winning close games down the clutch (ex. last week against Auburn). Auburn is better than Georgia too...mark that down. Your defense is arguably the fastest in the nation and you're only going to get better on offense with your walk-on QB in Jarrett Lee. The Bayou Bengals deserve to be #2 in my opinion.
4) Missouri - Your marquee win thus far is against Illinois who isn't even ranked anymore...and you had to outscore them 52-42 to do it. Your other wins are against Southern Missouri State, Nevada and Buffalo and you're ranked #4. Riiiiiight. Your defense is suspect and will not hold up against the top teams in the Big 12 (ex. Texas and Oklahoma). You don't play a good opponent until October 18th when you travel to the Longhorns. By then you'll probably be #2, and then you'll get rolled like a burrito. Enjoy it while it lasts.
5) Texas - I watched you play UTEP for your second game of the season and you put the smack down on them pretty good 42-13. After the departure of stud running back Jamal Charles I figured you might have a little trouble adjusting, but then I remembered you're Texas. You recruit...really well. Colt McCoy really looks like he is coming into his own too. Typing his name is almost as fun as saying it. You play at Colorado on the 4th of October and I think that game will be even more telling as to the true potential of this team. At this point you should be ahead of Missouri in the rankings.
6) Penn State - I love you Penn State. My love affair with you began 3 weeks ago when you proceeded to $hit-can the Beavers. The state of Oregon would be overrun right now with "OS" bandanas wrapped around the necks of pet sheep if it wasn't for your interjection. In retrospect that was a pretty sweet win and your spread offense definitely has the potential to give Ohio St. fits. Unfortunately, you do have to play at the horse shoe later in the year, but I still think you'll be a Top 5 team after all is said and done. You deserve to be No. 4 simply because you are a successful team with a coach who doesn't even coach....and that my friends is impressive.
7) Texas Tech - All I know is that you have a QB in Graham Harrell that throws the ball about 75 times a game and the best WR out there in Michael Crabtree. Sorry, but you're still a pansy though. You have beaten Eastern Washington, Nevada (they seem to be everybodys whipping boy), Southern Methodist and Massachusetts. WOW Texas Tech...don't schedule anybody too tough. You don't play an opponent of any significant value until October 25 when you line up against Kansas. Needless to say, you won't even be in the Top 25 at the end of the season.
8) BYU - Northern Iowa, Washington (Pac-10 official aided win), UCLA and Wyoming are your only wins thus far. They are a combined 5-12 in the win/loss column. And when most teams are playing quality opponents in week 5 you get the joy of playing Utah St. I think half the team can go to the game and the other half can go find their 3rd wives. Your toughest test has been to a Washington team that Oklahoma, the #1 team in the country, beat like a red headed step-child. Your one quality in conference opponent is Utah and that game is the finale for the year. I guess we'll be hearing about your "outstanding" team for next 2 months. Joy.
9) USC - You let a midget running back tear you up...enough said. You don't really deserve to even be in the Top 10 in my opinion after the shellacking Oregon St. gave you. If the voters took you out of the Top 10 though then that might mean you can't achieve the championship game, and there is just TOO much revenue in the L.A. area to let that happen. You have more talent and speed than any other team out there, and you do have a way of winning games when your back is against the wall. Just feel compelled to start that trend AFTER Oregon leaves town on Saturday, October 4th at around 2 A.M. when they board their plane to return home.
10) South Florida - You being ranked this high is about as illegitimate as BYU. You beat Kansas on Friday Night Football at home....barely. I could give you credit for that if it wasn't for Todd Reesing throwing a horrible pass and serving it up to you on a silver platter. This year your conference makes the PAC-10 look like the SEC in difficulty, and as of this moment the only other ranked team in your conference is No. 24 Connecticut. Maybe I'm the only one who remembers when Oregon stomped you out in the Sun Bowl last year by 40, but that would be the same result if you actually played in a conference with some balls. Here's hoping you stumble against West Virginia or even that vaunted Connecticut team. Hey, look on the bright side...you have the ugliest QB in college football...and that is something to be proud of.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Pete Carroll Should've Played NCAA Football 09
First off, Congratulations Beavers (I hate saying that). The dismantling of USC's Defensive Line on Thursday night with a midget tailback was something to applaud. With that being said, how in the hell didn't USC adjust to stop the Beaver running attack? It's not like Pete Carroll can't say he doesn't have the personnel available to stop the run. That whole team is chalk full of 4 and 5 star recruits! I pondered this quandary for many hours and then I had a "Dr. Lou" moment where the answer came to me through a perfect medium: Video Games. After playing EA's latest version of the popular collegiate football game "NCAA Football 2009" I feel like I have found a simple solution that would have solved all of USC's problems: Bunch the defensive line. What do I mean by "bunch" you ask? Well, in the video game running the football is an integral part of opening up the passing game and teams like Florida, USC and Ohio St. are masters at this. Stopping these teams is easier said than done, but shifting all of your Defensive Tackles closely together to make the opposing teams running backs bounce it outside is one of the main ways to slow them considerably. By "bunching" the DT's together you have big bodies closing holes that may have been there previously for the tailback to run through.
Let me be honest, Jacquizz Rodgers was squirting through sizable holes all night, but when he did try to bounce the ball outside the team speed of USC and their cornerbacks hemmed him in pretty well. Nearly ALL of his yards were accumulated by running right up the gut where USC's team speed was at a disadvantage. To demonstrate my point I found a screenshot of NCAA 09 that has USC lined up against the California Golden Bears. There defense is in a standard set that doesn't have the defense shifted together to stuff the run. In the game, however, you can call an audible and shift your D-line anyway you want...left, right, center etc.
(Click on image to enlarge)
The white lines I drew in photoshop indicate the shift of the defensive line and the safeties position if the RB does indeed find himself able to bounce the ball outside. This whole strategy forces the quarterback to throw the ball to beat you...WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT USC SHOULD HAVE DONE. Lyle Moevao is average at best, and when he did throw the ball it was to USC defenders 1/4 of the time. And how good is USC? There first win was against a Virginia team that was owned on by Duke today. Enough said there. There other notable win was against an Ohio St. team that nearly lost to Ohio and beat a Minnesota team today 34 to 21. That's the same Minnesota team that won ONE game last year. ONE GAME! Oregon St. played a great game and in some instances luck was on their side. But as the old cliche goes: "Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good."
Let me be honest, Jacquizz Rodgers was squirting through sizable holes all night, but when he did try to bounce the ball outside the team speed of USC and their cornerbacks hemmed him in pretty well. Nearly ALL of his yards were accumulated by running right up the gut where USC's team speed was at a disadvantage. To demonstrate my point I found a screenshot of NCAA 09 that has USC lined up against the California Golden Bears. There defense is in a standard set that doesn't have the defense shifted together to stuff the run. In the game, however, you can call an audible and shift your D-line anyway you want...left, right, center etc.
(Click on image to enlarge)
The white lines I drew in photoshop indicate the shift of the defensive line and the safeties position if the RB does indeed find himself able to bounce the ball outside. This whole strategy forces the quarterback to throw the ball to beat you...WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT USC SHOULD HAVE DONE. Lyle Moevao is average at best, and when he did throw the ball it was to USC defenders 1/4 of the time. And how good is USC? There first win was against a Virginia team that was owned on by Duke today. Enough said there. There other notable win was against an Ohio St. team that nearly lost to Ohio and beat a Minnesota team today 34 to 21. That's the same Minnesota team that won ONE game last year. ONE GAME! Oregon St. played a great game and in some instances luck was on their side. But as the old cliche goes: "Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good."
Oregon's New Uniforms? Uh Oh....
According to uber-donor and Nike inventor extraordinaire Phil Knight, Oregon does have new uniforms on the way at some point this season. But what exactly will they look like is the biggest question? I have seen numerous people throw out the concept of some sort of "camo" uniform combination, and I have to say that if those rumors are remotely true I might have to pick a new team to support.
While browsing the usual Duck enthusiast boards I came across a rumor from uniwatchblog.com that may hold more water than the "camo" idea.
Here's the gist of the rumor:
Here's the closest thing I could imagine to the uniforms looking like sans the spots for all the pads. All I ask is this....PLEASE NO CAMO!
While browsing the usual Duck enthusiast boards I came across a rumor from uniwatchblog.com that may hold more water than the "camo" idea.
Here's the gist of the rumor:
Yeah, I know...a UNITARD right?! The more I thought about it though this could be a REALLY interesting concept. First off, Nike doesn't do anything half-ass. With that being said I can see a full bodysuit made of an under-armour (oh my bad...Dri-Fit!) material that would have places for the pads to be built in. I remember watching some of the Olympic sprinters in Sydney in 2000 and they had some track suits that looked like this, but had pieces that went around there head as well.I just graduated from Oregon. During my final class this summer, we had a group project. One of my group members told me about his uncle, who is personal friends with Phil Knight. During dinner one night, Phil told my friend’s uncle and his dad about the Oregon uniforms. They are going to be a solid, one-piece uniform (unitard) with a very space/tech edge. “Very strange-looking” was my friend’s description. And apparently they will be worn at homecoming versus UCLA [which is on October 11th].
Whether it will be all-black, including helmets, as someone mentioned in the comments following that article you posted to, I am not sure. But my friend said that is solid inside information from his uncle.
Here's the closest thing I could imagine to the uniforms looking like sans the spots for all the pads. All I ask is this....PLEASE NO CAMO!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Bryce Brown: Either Miami or Oregon
I found a new video interview from KAKE Channel 10 in Wichita, Kansas that raises questions about how pertinent Oregon is to the discussion of actually landing Bryce Brown. On occasion I tend to browse team boards on Scout.com, and with Brown being a slight question mark for the Miami Hurricanes due to his soft verbal I decided to peruse their comments and concerns.
Here is a link to the video:
http://www.kake.com/sports/headlines/28563929.html
Hearing from the horse's mouth that it is simply "Oregon and Miami" who he is most interested in is very cool, and the fact that he is interested in Missouri's facilities is even more of a plus for Oregon. If he thinks that Missouri's facilities are some of the best in the nation he is going to be pleasantly surprised when he makes it out to Oregon for his visit. As I mentioned before, he told Rivals.com he is coming out for a visit to Oregon and the rumor currently flying around is that a probable time for him to visit would be the UCLA game on October 11th.
For all the "hoopty doo" I've been making over this kid I figured I'd provide a YouTube video of his highlights. He has some SERIOUS speed...and the highlight that starts at the 1:40 mark is simply awesome. It reminds me of Reggie Bush going from Pylon to Pylon against Oregon at Autzen Stadium in 2005.
Here is a link to the video:
http://www.kake.com/sports/headlines/28563929.html
Hearing from the horse's mouth that it is simply "Oregon and Miami" who he is most interested in is very cool, and the fact that he is interested in Missouri's facilities is even more of a plus for Oregon. If he thinks that Missouri's facilities are some of the best in the nation he is going to be pleasantly surprised when he makes it out to Oregon for his visit. As I mentioned before, he told Rivals.com he is coming out for a visit to Oregon and the rumor currently flying around is that a probable time for him to visit would be the UCLA game on October 11th.
For all the "hoopty doo" I've been making over this kid I figured I'd provide a YouTube video of his highlights. He has some SERIOUS speed...and the highlight that starts at the 1:40 mark is simply awesome. It reminds me of Reggie Bush going from Pylon to Pylon against Oregon at Autzen Stadium in 2005.
Monday, September 22, 2008
LaMichael James: Future "Lightning"
I have heard "dyspeptic rumblings" recently regarding Oregon's recruiting of a marquee running back for the 2009 class and quite possibly the lack thereof. As of today, Scout.com has Oregon with 2 running back prospects they are pursuing and they have only offered one of those. Four-star prospect Dasarte Yarnway, who is labeled as having a high interest in the California Golden Bears, is the #23 ranked RB in the country according to Scout.com. The odds of Oregon actually getting this kid are slim at best in my opinion.
On a brighter note, Rivals.com has recently reported that five-star prospect Bryce Brown, the #1 ranked RB in the country, has determined that he will make a visit out to Oregon at some point during the season. He is currently listed as a soft verbal to Miami, but there is no doubt that he could flip-flop on his commitment between now and signing day. Motivation for his visit is his relationship with Oregon QB Chris Harper. They both lived in Wichita, Kansas and became great friends while playing high school football there. I found this interview with Brown regarding his current status with Miami. Shifting his commitment away from them may be more likely than Oregon actually acquiring Yarnway.
With that being said I believe Oregon already has a special running back in LaMichael James. The kid was a four-star prospect from the state of Texas and ranked by Rivals.com as the #12 best running back in the country for 2008. The kid has speed that you can't teach and possesses a shifty quality eerily similar to Barry Sanders. He is listed at 5'9" and 180 lbs....definitely more of a scat back for Oregon's offense. Ultimately, he would fill the void of Jeremiah Johnson next year for Oregon and still provide the "Lightning" to Blount's "Thunder." Living in Oregon it seems that all the media pundits are freaking out over Jacquizz Rodger's, the freshman phenom from Oregon State, who is of similar stature to James and whom has nearly the same style of play. I know rankings can ultimately mean nothing, but according to Rivals.com Rodgers was listed as only a three-star prospect and the #26 best running back overall. Bob Rickert, a writer for the Oregonian who profiles the Oregon ducks on his blog for Oregonlive.com, believes James is the future. This is an excerpt from one of his older columns:
"His quickness is just electifying and his ability to make people miss, even after just a few practices is pretty special. My own worry that Oregon really needs a premier back in this year's recruiting class is growing smaller with every week of practice. They need at least one back for sure, but James is clearly part of the future the day Johnson steps off campus and into the NFL."
Take a peak at James' skills for yourself...I don't think you'll be disappointed.
On a brighter note, Rivals.com has recently reported that five-star prospect Bryce Brown, the #1 ranked RB in the country, has determined that he will make a visit out to Oregon at some point during the season. He is currently listed as a soft verbal to Miami, but there is no doubt that he could flip-flop on his commitment between now and signing day. Motivation for his visit is his relationship with Oregon QB Chris Harper. They both lived in Wichita, Kansas and became great friends while playing high school football there. I found this interview with Brown regarding his current status with Miami. Shifting his commitment away from them may be more likely than Oregon actually acquiring Yarnway.
With that being said I believe Oregon already has a special running back in LaMichael James. The kid was a four-star prospect from the state of Texas and ranked by Rivals.com as the #12 best running back in the country for 2008. The kid has speed that you can't teach and possesses a shifty quality eerily similar to Barry Sanders. He is listed at 5'9" and 180 lbs....definitely more of a scat back for Oregon's offense. Ultimately, he would fill the void of Jeremiah Johnson next year for Oregon and still provide the "Lightning" to Blount's "Thunder." Living in Oregon it seems that all the media pundits are freaking out over Jacquizz Rodger's, the freshman phenom from Oregon State, who is of similar stature to James and whom has nearly the same style of play. I know rankings can ultimately mean nothing, but according to Rivals.com Rodgers was listed as only a three-star prospect and the #26 best running back overall. Bob Rickert, a writer for the Oregonian who profiles the Oregon ducks on his blog for Oregonlive.com, believes James is the future. This is an excerpt from one of his older columns:
"His quickness is just electifying and his ability to make people miss, even after just a few practices is pretty special. My own worry that Oregon really needs a premier back in this year's recruiting class is growing smaller with every week of practice. They need at least one back for sure, but James is clearly part of the future the day Johnson steps off campus and into the NFL."
Take a peak at James' skills for yourself...I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Memo To Bellotti: You Gotta Believe
I just got done reading John Canzano's article titled Memo To Bellotti: You Gotta Believe from the Oregonian on Oregonlive.com. He makes some good points in regard to the Oregon coaching staff needing to turn the Oregon offense over to Darron Thomas for the year. Canzano is known for being critical to both Oregon and Oregon St., and there was a portion of the article wear I wondered if an editor had actually read this article before they submitted it for printing. This is his comment if Thomas would have engineered the 4th quarter victory over Boise St.:
"He threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, and Thomas probably wins the game and spends this week shopping for a pair of diamond-stud earrings to celebrate if Oregon gets another couple of possessions."
Am I the only one that finds the "shops for a pair of diamon-stud earrings" disconcerting and borderline racist? Maybe Canzano knows something I don't in regard to Thomas' personal finances. I'm thinking somebody should tell John that not all black individuals are interested in the "bling bling" that he apparently believes to be a stereotype. Then again, maybe he's referring to Darron going out and buying some REAL "diamond-stud earrings" instead of the cubic zirconia kind like he has in this picture. Oh wait, that's just me ASSUMING they are fake. I'm sure Canzano just meant to infer that Nike supplies diamond-studs in the Duck Shop. Thomas can just stop by after practice any day of the week and get them for free along with all the other Oregon gear Nike supplies.
"He threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, and Thomas probably wins the game and spends this week shopping for a pair of diamond-stud earrings to celebrate if Oregon gets another couple of possessions."
Am I the only one that finds the "shops for a pair of diamon-stud earrings" disconcerting and borderline racist? Maybe Canzano knows something I don't in regard to Thomas' personal finances. I'm thinking somebody should tell John that not all black individuals are interested in the "bling bling" that he apparently believes to be a stereotype. Then again, maybe he's referring to Darron going out and buying some REAL "diamond-stud earrings" instead of the cubic zirconia kind like he has in this picture. Oh wait, that's just me ASSUMING they are fake. I'm sure Canzano just meant to infer that Nike supplies diamond-studs in the Duck Shop. Thomas can just stop by after practice any day of the week and get them for free along with all the other Oregon gear Nike supplies.
Oregon Vs. Boise St. - Hidden Treasure
The first loss of a season can never be easy and it always leaves the sour taste in your mouth of what could have been. Yesterday's lost to Boise St. was no different. The quarterback woes continued to leave the Ducks struggling and look pathetically inept through the air for practically two complete quarters (2nd and 3rd). I don't think you can blame Chris Harper for his inability to throw the ball and complete first downs on a continual basis. He is a freshman and obviously raw as a passer. There is no denying his athletic abilities and the recognition that he has the future potentional to be a game changer...but now is not that time. I think he belongs holding Darron Thomas' clip board for the time being.
I'm not going to get into the X's and O's of the loss, but rather comment on the positives and negatives, but focus heavily on the silver lining of this loss:
1) Darron Thomas was the diamond in the rough. It's unfortunate the coaching staff couldn't uncover him quicker. In my opinion he went from an unknown commodity to possibly the best option Oregon has...even after Roper comes back.
2) LeGarrette Blount is REALLY good. His leap over a Boise St. defender for a score was the No. 1 play of the day on ESPN's SportsCenter. He compliments Jeremiah Johnson perfectly and I don't think we would have got past Purdue without him.
2) Jeremiah Masoli can get the job done. Before he took the late hit yesterday he looked like the quarterback that lead his team to a Junior College National Title. Boise St. had to respect his passing ability, and I don't believe they would have stopped Oregon all day if he would have continued playing. I'd be willing to bet my paycheck (albeit a small one) that Boise St. was willing to take a 15 yard penalty for the cheap shot on Masoli just to get him out of the game and turn Oregon into a one dimensional unit. After watching the replay of the helmet to helmet hit he took I lost all respect for Boiste St. Defensive Coordinator, Justin Wilcox, and thought that it was a premeditated move. With that being said, however, that plan worked to perfection and ultimately resulted in a win for the Broncos.
3) The loss wasn't to a PAC-10 opponent. The Rose Bowl is still in sight, and after watching ASU's play against UNLV and Georgia I can't say that they really scare me at this point. Neither does the rest of the PAC-10 for that matter.
4) Nick Allioti is on a short leash. How many times was he planning on letting the Play Action Pass burn the Ducks all day? There is only so many times I can watch the tight end go untouched down the field without an Oregon player within 5-10 yards of him without wondering if it's time for a change. Last week we give up 180 yards to Purdue's RB Kori Sheets on the ground and make Curties Painter, a VETERAN QB, look merely pedestrian. Then 7 days later we hold an All-American running back in Ian Johnson to 40 yards on the ground, but presume to give up 386 yards in the air to a reshirt freshman quarterback. The consistency on defense isn't there. I know Walter Thurmond III wasn't playing, but Talmadge Jackson III did intercept a pass and not look half bad.
5) Patrick Chung needs to return kick offs more often. The guy has pure speed and is always fearless. My girlfriend and I were in attendance and even she noticed how fast he gets up to full speed.
6) Hopefully Bellotti comes to the realization that there is only a two man quarterback competition for the Washington St. game.
- Darron Thomas = 13/25 for 210 yards and 3 TD's and 1 Int. And this occurred when the defense knew he was going to throw EVERY down. What kind of numbers can the baby faced freshman put up when he actually has a running game to compliment his passing ability?
- Jeremiah Masoli = 3/4 for 27 yards before being knocked out. Those numbers would have continued to grow.
- Chris Harper = 0/3 for two Interceptions. I think that speaks for itself.
There is no doubt that Thomas' emergence from this game can be seen as a huge motivational lift for the Ducks, and hopefully next week the Oregon coaching staff will award him with the start. Watching him in action was like watching Dennis Dixon version 2.0 without the extra "0" on the back of his jersey. This should be his team now...even through the youthful mistakes that are sure to occur.
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