Cardinal rule!!

There's still a winning streak going on and a certain #23 made sure that it would continue.  I'm talking about the Stanford Cardinal home game win streak at Maples Pavilion, which now stands at 53.  The #23 I'm talking about is senior guard Jeanette Pohlen, who had a game high 31 points, while helping the Cardinal end UConn's 90 game win streak.  Something had to give.




Jeanette Pohlen: the other # 23

Stanford played like a unit, out-hustling and out-rebounding the Huskies and making sure that it was going to be anyone else but Maya Moore to carry UConn to victory.  Maya Moore went 5-15 from the floor for 14 points and while she got some help from Bria Hartley (14 pts) and Kayla Farris (19 pts), it still wasn't enough to extend the streak.  UConn never even led at any point in this game; first time in five years that happened.


UConn's win streak started after a loss to Stanford in the Final Four back in 2008.  During the 90 game win streak, they beat Stanford 3 times including the last two Final Four meetings;  the national semis in 2009 and the national title game in 2010.  The other meeting was in Hartford, CT, where Stanford led at halftime but couldn't keep up with the Huskies in the second half.


Maya Moore: missing in action

Personally, I wouldn't call this Stanford win an upset.  Stanford are a legit program and have the ability to recruit on a national scale just like Connecticut.  They have enough talent to be able to win games just like these and so their win shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone. 


What this game proves however, is that UConn will only go as far as Maya Moore will take them.  Rarely does she ever have an off night, but when she does, there's no Tina Charles or Renee Montgomery to help pick up the slack.  She is in a very similar situation to Diana Taurasi, who willed UConn to national titles in 2003 & 2004 and helped extend a winning streak that would climax at 70 games. 




Diana Taurasi: UConn legend

Diana Taurasi was a key contributor on the 2002 national championship team, but it was Sue Bird and Swin Cash who were headliners that season.  Upon their departure, the onus fell on Taurasi to carry the team and she delivered; leading to Geno Auriemma's famous quote, "We have Diana, and you don't", in response to a reporter's question as to why he felt UConn would win the 2004 title.  Taurasi not only established herself as a UConn legend, but as one the great ones to have played the women's game.


Maya Moore has already passed Taurasi on the all-time scoring chart and is on pace to set the record for most career points at Connecticut; a record that is currently held by former teammate Tina Charles.  If Moore can lead this team a national championship, she will undoubtedly be hailed as the best ever to have come through the program. 

Stanford now joins both Notre Dame's football and men's basketball programs on the list of legend slayers.  Oklahoma's 47 game win streak in football started and ended with a loss to the Fighting Irish; the UCLA men's basketball also tasted a little Irish luck during their 88 game win streak. 

Both Stanford and Connecticut of course will move on to their next games, but don't be surprised if they end up playing each other for the national championship.

Remember the Alamo.....bowl!!!

It was exactly six years ago to the day, when I made the trip to San Antonio to watch Oklahoma State play against The Ohio State University (that's how they call it, don't ask me why).  My good friends hooked me up with a ticket (thank you to Barry and Connie Bloyd) that actually turned out to be a great seat.  I had a great trip to San Antonio (well except the Greyhound ride back home).  I got to connect with some old friends, made some new friends, visited the San Antonio Zoo and of course, the Riverwalk.  I had a blast!!  And that was as good as it got.


Come game time, it was a whole different story.  The only things that these two squads had in common was that they played football and shared the same initials.  Other than that, there were two different sets of players on the field; NFL caliber talent vs Division I football talent.  Oklahoma State just never got going against an Ohio State team that at 7-4, was having a considerably down year.


Flash forward to yesterday and it was neat to see the Cowboys round off what has been their best season in school history so far, and snap a 2 game bowl skid while they were at it.  I'm already sick and tired of hearing these commentators and analysts state the same thing, over and over and over and over...... (I could do this all day), that Oklahoma State was supposed to have been rebuilding, they had been picked to finish near the bottom of the Big 12..... and so on.  Lookie here guys, and I'm not naming anyone specific (Craig James), we've heard it since spring training, the summer workouts and the entire season!!  How about telling something that we don't already know, okay?


Catch him if you can; oh wait, YOU CANT!!!



At some point in the first quarter, Justin Blackmon got wide open for a pass that went 71 yards for a touchdown.  Arizona corner back Robert Golden was probably thinking that he would have help from a safety over the top, and when that didn't happen, Blackmon did!!  Golden didn't even bother trying to chase him down.  Somebody help me out here; Blackmon is a 1st team All-American, he has lit up just about every cornerback that single covered him, he is a Biletnikoff Award winner (given to the best receiver in the country), yet somehow, he got behind your defense!!  If I was Mike Stoops, I would have him double covered from the day he arrived in San Antonio.  I'd make sure there were 2 defenders following him EVERYWHERE he went (OK, not just about everywhere!!).


Not to be left out of the fun, the defense got in on the act collecting 5 sacks and 3 interceptions.  Markelle Martin was probably the busiest player on the defensive side.  Beside returning an interception for a touchdown, he was busy racking up personal foul penalties left and right.  I'm thinking he must have had a side-bet with someone because he was playing like a man possessed.  Whatever floats your boat, buddy.

Arizona did just about everything but score.  They held the ball for 15 more minutes, ran over 20 more plays and did everything they could to keep Oklahoma State's orange-hot offense off the field.  Only problem was that when they couldn't score, the Cowboys didn't mind showing them how it's done.  I was hoping to see a flea-flicker from OSU at some point, but I guess they didn't get around to it because Dana Holgorsen was too busy chugging a Red Bull on the sideline; talk about free publicity.

I was rather disappointed when the officials reversed Michael Harrison's obvious touchdown.  It appeared to me that he had made a clean catch, had possession as he crossed the goal line and only lost the ball after the defender tried to wrestle it from him.  Poke nation thought "touchdown", the officials ruled "incomplete pass"; oh well!!

Let's do this again sometime!!

With Arizona set to make a trip to Stillwater, OK next September, I don't think the Wildcats, Robert Golden in particular, will be looking forward to seeing Justin Blackmon around.  Prior to the game, there were rumours that Blackmon had told some fans that would be returning for his junior season.  Other rumours have it that he had submitted some paperwork to the NFL to see get an evaluation of where he would likely be drafted should he leave.

I wouldn't mind him coming back for another season, but as I've always understood with regards to the NFL draft, you leave when you're hot and your draft stock is high.  Last I checked, he was projected to be a 1st round (25th overall) pick and ranked as the 3rd best receiver in the draft.  If you're wondering why he is rated as the 3rd best receiver, don't ask me, I'm just quoting the reports.

It was really great to see Oklahoma State players having fun.  It's been a great season and San Antonio isn't a bad place to be, especially at this time of the year.  I can only imagine that the trip back home was a lot better than the last time they played in the Alamo Bowl.

Four-letter acronym for hypocrisy.....

I'm sure that I am not the first person who is confused by the hypocrisy of the NCAA, and neither will I be the last one.  A lot of sports analysts are on the offensive as well, in the wake of the recent suspensions handed out to six Ohio State players who traded autographs for tattoos, and for selling other memorabilia as well.  Among the five players suspended include, QB Terrelle Pryor, RB Dan Herron and WR DeVier Posey.


They have been ordered to repay back anywhere between $1,500-$2,500 and will miss the first five games of the 2011 season.  Here's the kicker though; they have been allowed  to play in the 2011 Sugar Bowl against Arkansas because according to the NCAA, they were not "properly educated" on the rules regarding their "amateur" status.  And there lies the rub.


Give me a break!!  I wouldn't buy this excuse for even half the price!  So these players won't play the first five games of next season, but they're allowed to play in their bowl game, despite their infractions?  Ohio State's first five games of next season are: Akron, Toledo, Miami (FL), Colorado, Michigan State; except for the Miami game, the rest of the fixtures will be in Columbus, OH.  The Buckeyes might go 4-1 at the very least on that schedule; otherwise, it's a sweep.  Another thing to consider is that these players are eligible for the NFL draft, so don't be surprised if they make the jump to the NFL and skip their punishment altogether.


No disrespect to Arkansas, who very much deserves to be in the Sugar Bowl.  They pushed Alabama to the wire, traded blows with Auburn, beat South Carolina convincingly (in Columbia, SC too; and this was the same Carolina team that played for the SEC title), and they beat a great LSU team.  Once again, no disrespect to Arkansas, but it's Ohio State that is the bigger draw in this match-up.  An Ohio State without it's star quarterback, running back and receiver isn't exactly good for ratings.  Do the math and get back to me.


This is probably the same reason that Cameron Newton will lead Auburn into the national championship game, despite being the subject of a "pay-for-play" deal orchestrated by his father.  In Cam's case, he claimed that "he didn't know" his father was trying to auction him off to the highest bidder.  I'm not accusing Newton of anything here, but please, try and tell me that Auburn would have beat South Carolina in the SEC title game had Newton been declared ineligible.


Earlier in the season, Georgia receiver A.J. Green was suspended for the first 4 games after he admitted to selling his jersey from last year's Independence Bowl.  North Carolina started the season with 12 players suspended for various school/NCAA violations.  Last year, Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant was suspended for the remainder of the season, because he lied about having met with an agent.  Dez did not take any money or sign any contracts, so I was thinking that maybe a two-game suspension might suffice.  In another case, Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, was forced to miss the 2004 Alamo Bowl and the first game of the 2005 season after it was discovered that he took $500 from a booster.


I hope you can understand why I'm confused.  Don't get me wrong, because I'm not condoning what either of these guys did.  What I'm failing to understand here is why some players got punished right away, while the current group of Ohio State players don't get punished at all?  I could sit here and scratch my head all day long, and still won't get it.

I'm going to let ya'll mess with this one; I'm folding!!

89 consecutive wins; but where is the R.E.S.P.E.C.T!!

The Connecticut women's basketball team now hold the longest winning streak in Division 1 college basketball, courtesy of a 92-63 rout of Florida State.  It doesn't matter whether you talk about men's or women's hoops; we are just talking Division One hoops, period.

Maya Moore making it happen

In such a crucial game, it was only fitting that Maya Moore took center stage to bring home the win and make sure that this Connecticut would go down in history as one of the best teams to ever grace the hardwood.  Moore did it all; inside and out, on her way to a career high 41 points.  Also getting in on the action were Tiffany Hayes (14 points) and Bria Hartley (21 points), who is being tipped as the next big star for this program.


Outside of Maya Moore, Lorin Dixon and Caroline Doty, the current crop of Husky players have yet to play on a losing team.  They probably couldn't spell it if you drilled them.  UConn survived Baylor earlier in the season and play Stanford on the 30th of this month; the last team to beat them, in case you forgot.


Prior to writing this article, I stopped by a few forums to check out what people thought about UConn and women's basketball in general.  What I read didn't surprise me at all, in fact some of the comments were downright stupid if you ask me.  There was a large number of people who were simply happy for the lady Huskies, while others said that they couldn't even beat an average boys high school team.  Seriously?


the man of the hour

Regardless of what people may say, UConn has managed to accomplish something that is very rare and we may never get to see again in our lifetime.  There is some truth about the lack of parity in the women's game; but that argument completely undermines the great job that the UConn staff does when it comes to recruiting and coaching.

A good number of comments stated that "Geno Auriemma should coach men's basketball".  What more does he need to prove?  Maybe women's basketball is "boring" because they actually learn the fundamentals, play as a team and the players actually graduate from school.  Maybe that is why it is possible to establish dominant programs in the women's game.  In the men's game, you're dealing with players who only care about improving their draft stock and what kind of shoe deal they'll get once they declare for the draft; so you're looking at a situation where you're recruiting a lot of one-and-done players.  You can't be dominant when your best players don't stick around, right?  I'm not saying that Auriemma can't coach men, but who would want to give up a good thing?

The immortal John Wooden

Of course, the biggest story of the evening is UConn surpassing the 88 game win streak, set by John Wooden's UCLA teams from 1971-1974.  First of all, these are two different teams from two different eras.  While it's still basketball, men's hoops and women's hoops are two different brands.  You can not compare these two teams against each other.  It is not and will never be the same thing; at all.


When, if ever, will people learn to not read too much into everything that's put out there.  The media has done more than it's fair share of bringing this discussion to the table, and people have take the bait; hook, line and sinker.  People are talking indeed, whether or not they watch the women's game.  It's plain and simple, you either root for them, root against them or you just don't care.


Just because UCLA's record was against men's teams, and Connecticut's record was against women's teams, does not make the Huskies' record any less relevant.  UCLA's record was, is and will always be relevant given the fact no other men's program has even come close to accomplishing what they did.  What these two teams have in common, is that they beat the teams in front of them; which is what they are supposed to do if they want to win, right?

Whether Connecticut measures up to UCLA isn't the topic here, because it's not even relevant.  These ladies shouldn't be victims of their own success.  To keep it simple, give respect where it's due; they earned it.  Take it for what it is, congratulate them, give them a pat on the back or whatever and just leave them be; they've got a streak to preserve.

UConn Lady Huskies; 88 and counting.......

Should the UConn lady Huskies emerge victorious against Florida State tonight, they will be in sole possession of the longest winning streak in college basketball (division 1 at least) period.  At 88 wins, they are currently tied with UCLA men's basketball team of the early 70's for consecutive games won.

Maya Moore; the alpha husky.

You'd have to go all the way back to April 2008, in the National Semifinals, to see when this team last lost a game.  Maya Moore, UConn's all-everything, was a freshman back then, and the top rated Huskies lost to a Candice Wiggins-inspired Stanford team; avenging an earlier loss to the Huskies in the process.

Maya Moore was the focus of a recruiting war between Tennessee and Connecticut, that was so intense, it strained the "working" relationship between Pat Summitt (Vols coach) and Geno Auriemma; and even led to the cancellation of their regular season series between these 2 powerhouses.  I say "working" relationship, because these two coaches could, quite honestly, care less for the other.  It's there for everyone to see (Am I the only one here who thinks that maybe these 2 need a room?).

With regards to the series being cancelled, despite one year left on the contract, Pat Summitt said that it would help Tennessee develop other rivalries, while Geno Auriemma -who's never been known to pull any punches - called out Summitt for claiming that UConn cheated to get Moore.  Go figure.

Having seen Moore play for three years now, I can see what the hype was all about.  She is playing head and shoulders above everyone else.  She is to coach Auriemma what Rebecca Lobo, Swin Cash, Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi have been in seasons before.  He sure can recruit them can't he?

When the streak started, the Huskies were anchored by Tina Charles and Renee Montgomery.  After Montgomery left, the onus fell on Tina Charles to lead the team.  Charles did her work on the inside, swatting anything and everything withing 3 feet of the rim, while Moore covered the perimeter.  When all else failed, there was one solution; pass the ball to Moore.  This was the case when she single-handedly bailed a struggling team during last year's championship against Stanford.

This season, it's all about Maya Moore.  Everyone knows who's going to take the most shots, and who's getting the ball when the game's on the line.  It's really not rocket science.  Yet somehow, she just can't be stopped.  Of course, this is a team sport and everyone else is playing their part; but without Maya Moore, this streak would have ended a lot sooner.

What UConn have achieved already is remarkable.  However, questions are flying in left and right, asking whether this win streak is bad for women's basketball; a sport that hardly gets any "recognition" if at all.  Would they be getting this much attention if they weren't close to tying the 88 game streak by the UCLA men.  Would anyone even care had the streak ended earlier?  Would the Huskies be better served by losing now rather later in the season?

Whatever the questions may be, one thing stands out loud and clear; people are paying attention.  Whether they care for the sport or not, they are watching.  They might not watch each and every game, but they will try and catch up to see how the Huskies are doing.  That can only mean that the win streak is good for women's basketball; I've never known anything bad to come out of winning.  So when the streak does come to an end, it still won't take away from what these ladies have managed to accomplish.

Would the Huskies be better off losing now rather than later?  Let's keep watching and we'll find out, won't we? 

Cam Newton vs the Heisman Jinx; who wins?



Since the 2000 season, the winner of the Heisman trophy has played in the national championship game in all but 2 seasons (2002 & 2007).  Only two of those winners (Matt Leinart, 2004 & Mark Ingram, 2009) have added the crystal ball to their bronze statue.


For some reason, the Heisman trophy winner has followed up a great season with probably one of their worst performances ever.  Even though the trophy is awarded for the regular season performance, I'm starting to think that maybe it should be awarded after the bowl games.  If bowl game stats count toward a player's total stats for the season, then I see no reason why they just can't move the Heisman Ceremony to mid-January.  It's only a one hour special anyways.


If they did so, we might have had a different winner in each case and Vince Young and Tim Tebow would probably join Archie Griffin as 2 time winners.  It's already bad enough that the Heisman trophy now is almost exclusive to only Quarterbacks and Running backs whose team is playing for a national title.  I'll cover that in another discussion.

Will he fall victim to the jinx?

For all the off field headlines and what not, Cam Newton definitely proved himself a worthy winner of this year's award.  Every time his team needed him, he answered the bell.  Despite a flawless performance in the SEC Title game, his crowning moment was when he led his team, down 24-0, to a win against Alabama.  Did I forget to add that this game was in Tuscaloosa and that Alabama were the defending national champion?

At 6'6", 250 lbs, he's just as big as his offensive linemen, if not bigger, but is he too big for the jinx?  Last year, Mark Ingram proved himself against a Texas team that was among the best at stopping the run.  However for the most part, 'Bama had a good defense as well and created enough turnovers to hold of the Longhorns.


Matt Leinart led a very good USC team against an Oklahoma team that quite honestly, should not have been in that game.  I'm not just saying that because OU lost, but Auburn was just as deserving as any; they beat more ranked teams down the stretch including Tennessee (twice).


Let's take a quick look at past winners who failed in the big game.


Chris Weinke, 2000.  Led a high flying Florida State into the title game against Oklahoma.  The offense never really found its rhythm against a stifling Oklahoma defense.
Eric Crouch, 2001.  Despite an outstanding season, Eric Crouch and Nebraska were overmatched against Miami and have never been the same since.
Jason White, 2003.  Written off before the season even started due to his 2 reconstructed knees, he ended up posting what was one of the most prolific seasons for a QB in school history.  Against LSU, he played through hand and foot injuries.  What's crazy is that as bad as Oklahoma played, they still could have won the game.
Reggie Bush, 2005.  Say what you may, but he put together a season that hasn't quite been seen in recent times (well, at least until Cam Newton this year).  While Bush wasn't quite as explosive in the title game, Vince Young was.  Enough said.
Troy Smith, 2006.  Had quite an outstanding season and was the very reason Ohio State was playing in the title game.  In the game against Florida, Ted Ginn was injured only seconds into the game and Smith desperately missed his "go-to" guy.  He spent the entire evening running for his life.
Sam Bradford, 2008.  Despite being the trigger-man in Oklahoma's point-per-minute offense, Florida got the better of the Sooners in this game due to one simple aspect; coaching.

Newton's law states that an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.  Let the games begin.

Win the battle, lose the war??

I recently saw highlights of a WEC match between Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis.  Now, I'm not much of an MMA fan; I don't know the fighters very well, nor the history of the whole thing.  So I have a pedestrian-like knowledge of this particular genre. 

What I do know however, is that when two grown men get in the Octagon to duke it out, I want to see somebody get knocked out!!  I'm not bloodthirsty or addicted to violence, or anything like that.  If you don't know what you're doing in there, you probably should be in another line of work.  It's not always easy and there's a strategy to it; not just come out swinging.

From what I've heard, Ben Henderson is a legend in his own right.  I had never heard of him or seen him fight before.  When I saw the highlights of this fight, he seemed to be dominating Pettis.  He had the upper hand in this fight by the time it went to 5th and final round.  Sometimes however, life will deliver that occasional kick in the face when you least expect it. 

Having never seen Henderson before, I don't think I'll be forgetting him anytime soon.  Talk about first impressions.

Stoops to "The Swamp"? If not him, then who?

With Urban Meyer set to coach his last game (for now) in the Outback Bowl, the search for a replacement is currently the hottest news in the land.

Even before the regular season came to a close, there were a few openings around; Minnesota, Miami, Pittsburgh; but in all honesty, and no disrespect to any of these programs, they all take a back seat to the Florida.  A school that has gone 64-15 and won 2 national championships over the last 6 years has got to be "hot property", at least in my opinion.

As expected, there might be that pitch to Bob Stoops, to try and get him back to The Swamp.  This is after all where Stoops, while running the defense, made a name for himself.  What's not to like about Florida?  The state is a major recruiting hotbed and there's enough talent to go around; inspite of stiff competiton from Miami and Florida State. 

Money won't be an issue either, as the school would be willing pay the going rate for a coach of his calibre.  Considering how fast he was able to turn Oklahoma from an afterthought to contender, what wonders could he do with a team that is 2 seasons removed from it's last championship?

As good as it may seem, I don't think Stoops would be willing to change addresses.  I don't know the guy personally, but I don't see this move happening.  He was approached back in 2001 after Steve Spurrier stepped down, and I'm sure he must have been contacted back in 2004 when the "Ron Zook" experiment didn't work out at all.  During his tenure, he's been wooed by the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and even Notre Dame (after they fired Charlie Weiss).  He's held firm and I've come to believe that he's found a home at Oklahoma.  Of course, I could be wrong, but only time will tell.

So if not Stoops, who else is out there that can take the reins and lead the Gators back to prominence?  Former Meyer assistants Dan Mullen (Mississippi State) and Charlie Strong (Louisville) have also been mentioned.  If it's any credit, both coaches have led their respective programs to a their first bowl games in a while.  That being said, and with all do respect to both coaches, I doubt that either of them are quite ready to take on a bigger job.  Mullen is finishing his second year in Starkville, while this this only Charlie Strong's first year as a head coach.

Then of course you have Bobby Petrino, but he just signed an extension at Arkansas, so I doubt he'll be leaving any time soon.  Then again, after he did an about-turn on the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL, who's to know what's on his mind right now?  He did an amazing job leading Louisville to an Orange Bowl win before leaving for the pro's; and he's got Arkansas playing in their first BCS bowl since............. (I don't even remember).  Well, if you consider how quickly Lane Kiffin jumped ship from Tennessee to USC, nothing is ever certain.

Kirk Ferentz is a name that has also been mentioned here and there.  Rumours have it that he's probably the strongest candidate out there.  You can't always believe what you read or hear now, can you?  Even though he could do really well at Florida, I doubt that he'll leave Iowa.  And even though he's in a conference dominated by Ohio State currently, he's always managed to make the Hawkeyes relevant.

In my opinion, the BEST qualified candidate would be Gary Patterson of TCU.  He's been at the school since 2001 and has led them to a bowl game every season (5-3 record), except in 2004.  He has also led the program to 10+ wins in 7 of the last 10 seasons.  He has consistently produced winning seasons despite the limited resources and talent; and has had TCU a spot away from playing in the national championship game the last 2 seasons.

We do not know who Florida will hire at this time, but what we do know is that they want to win right away.  I guess let's just sit back and see how all this plays out.

Urban Flight.

For the second year in a row, Urban Meyer has decided to step down from coaching.  Last year,  citing health concerns, he retired only to unretire the next day.  This time, he stated that it was a desire to spend more time with his family and interests away from football.  He seems to have his mind made up, but for how long will he stay retired?

There's a lot of speculation that he could unretire, again, and take up the vacant coaching spot for the Denver Broncos.  That would reunite him with Tim Tebow, the man who seemed to make Meyer's life as coach a lot easier.  It would also confirm what I've always believed; that Meyer couldn't seem to contemplate what his life would be without Tim Tebow, hence his decision to retire last year.  Let's be real, he misses the kid.

Tim Tebow was one of the most highly recruited players during his 2005 senior year.  Despite a strong pitch by Alabama, he chose Florida and attained a cult-like status from the day he set foot in Gainesville.  As a back up to Chris Leak during his freshman year, he was a key contributor toward the Gators championship run that season.  As a starting QB, he held a 35-6 record, won the Heisman Trophy and led Florida to the National Championship.  Altogether, Florida had a record of 48-7 during Tebow's 4 years on campus. 

In the year 1 P.T (Post Tebow), Florida has all but vanished from the college football map.  Along with John Brantley, Florida had to use Jordan Reed and Trey Burton in QB shuffle, as they struggled to a 7-5 record this past season.  Believe it or not, they were still in contention for the SEC East crown, but South Carolina quickly took care of that.

It's hard to believe that at one point, Cameron Newton was next in line after Tim Tebow.  Seeing the kind of impact that Newton has had on Auburn, one can only wonder what might have been, had he stuck around at Florida.  Had he stayed, and it was Florida going to the national championship instead of Auburn, would Urban Meyer have made this decision to walk away?  Also considering that Newton is a junior and would likely be back for his senior season (which could possibly be another national title run), would Urban Meyer have wanted to walk away from that too?

Following the 2008 season, Meyer has lost 2 key assistants that have gone on to fill head coaching vacancies; Dan Mullen to Mississippi State and Charlie Strong to Louisville.  After Mullen left, the offense hasn't quite been the same the last 2 years; and you can also see how much their defense misses Charlie Strong.  I guess that's the price you pay when you have a top program.  It is never easy to replace quality assistants, just ask Florida State.

In 10 years as head coach, Urban Meyer has coached at 3 schools while compiling a record of 103-23 (17-6 at Bowling Green, 22-2 at Utah, 64-15 at Florida).  That is as good as any record during that period.  His record in bowl games stands currently stands at 6-1.  His coaching highlights include leading Utah to a 12-0 record and a Fiesta Bowl win in the 2004 season (making Utah the first BCS buster),  and 2 national championships at Florida.  The man has indeed proven his worth as a head coach.

Should Meyer decide to return to coaching at some point, it won't be with Denver though (at least that's what I think).  My best guess is that he'll probably wait until Tressel steps down at Ohio State.  That makes sense to me, as Meyer is from Ohio.  What a homecoming that would be.

The Outback Bowl against Penn State will be Meyer's last game in charge.  Across the field will be Penn State's Joe Paterno, 83 years young.  The irony.

Third time's a charm; Glendale here we come!!!

Hopefully, we have all by now got over the fact that Oklahoma will be playing the Connecticut Huskies, the Big East champions.  I don't think I'm wrong in assuming that most OU fans were hoping for a rematch with Stanford (from last year's Sun Bowl), or maybe a showdown with Ohio State or Arkansas.  What we got instead, was a team with an 8-4 record and is ranked #26 in the BCS standings (I didn't know that they went that far).

Before I get on the "Oklahoma's going to blow out UConn" bandwagon, you'd be surprised at how much these two teams have in common on their road to Glendale, AZ.  Both teams were written off after losing 2 conference games.  They both put in strong defensive performances down the stretch, to go along with a combined 9 game win streak (4 for Oklahoma, 5 for UConn).  They both won their last conference games by a field goal (UConn beat South Florida 19-16 on last minute field goal, while Oklahoma beat Nebraska 23-20).

That being said, if there was anytime that Oklahoma needed to end its 5 game losing streak in BCS games, this would be it.  Oklahoma however is in a "no-win" situation.  If they win, well, they were supposed to.  If they lose, then it's another BCS bust.  Oklahoma's last BCS win was against a Washington State team that has gone 35-61 since that Rose Bowl.  Since then, Oklahoma has been the punchline to many a joke in Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, Boise and Morgantown.

Last time Oklahoma was in a "no-win" situation like this one, it was against a Boise State team that was making it's first appearance in a BCS bowl game.  In defense of the Broncos, they had posted a record of 85-16 (4-2 in bowl games) going into that match-up.  They were a well coached team and knew how to execute; and I really don't have to tell you how the game ended.

Then came West Virginia.  A team that had lost their coach 3 weeks before playing OU.  Prior to that, they had fallen a game short of playing in the National Championship game.  So you'd be forgiven for thinking that they would be lacking any inspiration or motivation going into the Fiesta Bowl against a red-hot Oklahoma team.  What many people overlook is the fact that the Mountaineers were riding a 32-5 record (2-0 in bowl games), and were very much a championship calibre team.  So they had EVERY reason to show that they still had some fire left.  And did they show up ever!!!  Playing the way they did, they could have beaten ANY team that night.

So in this third trip, I'm sure that Oklahoma will look at where they've failed in their past trips to the Fiesta Bowl.  Whether it may be conservative play calling, execution on both sides of the ball, over confidence; I really don't know.  Even though they'll be highly favored against Connecticut, Oklahoma will be playing with a chip on its shoulder.  And that is when they play best.

Battle of the Big Red: One night only!!!

When I think of Oklahoma vs Nebraska, I think of 2 great programs who are rivals not out of hatred, but out of deep respect for one another.  2 tradition rich and dominant programs that co-existed in the same conference, since the days of the Big Eight and even beyond.

Throw in the numbers if you'd like.  12 National Titles, 86 Conference Titles, 8 Heisman Trophy winners, over 100 consensus All-Americans.  Games of the Century I & II.  Sooner Magic.  Switzer and Osbourne roaming the sidelines.  How can you not love this, the amount of respect that these 2 teams have for each other.  Even the fans can't help but throw friendly jabs at each other every now and then.

So it was only fitting that Nebraska and Oklahoma got together one more time, to close the chapter on the Big 12 Conference.  For one night only; where people can reminisce about the time when it was these 2 teams running the show.  None was 2nd best to the other, and everyone else was playing for the scraps.

You never really quite knew what to expect with this Nebraska team.  First, they blow out Kansas State (who in turn blew out Kansas), then come back 2 weeks later and lose to Texas.  They didn't even get an offensive touchdown.  The next week, they go to Stillwater and Taylor Martinez puts on a passing clinic against Oklahoma State.  They then followed that up with some less than convincing performances against Iowa State, Kansas and Texas A&M before bouncing back to beat Colorado.  It was becoming rather hard to know what to expect from this team.

I doubt any of us thought that OU would be trailing 17-0 midway through the 2nd quarter.  Especially after Nebraska's 2nd touchdown was set up by a Landry Jones interception (yeah, I know we're still trying to forget the 5 he threw last year in Lincoln).  I was starting to wonder where this Nebraska team was when they played both Texas and Texas A&M.  

However, Oklahoma had a little Sooner Magic up its sleeves.  Against one of the better defenses in the nation, especially against the pass, Oklahoma was able to go deep a few times and got some results.  Nebraska neutralized Oklahoma's short passing game (which at times has been rather annoying), and their pass rush forced Landry Jones into making some throws early or just throwing it out of bounds altogether (where's Broderick Brown when you need him).

Earlier in the season, had Oklahoma been trailing 17-0, especially on the road (coz that sure ain't happening in Norman), it would have been understandable if you wrote the team off.  Something happened to Landry Jones along the way, and aren't we glad it did.  He was on the money on those attempts, and Oklahoma outscored Nebraska 23-3 in that span.  He just stayed with it and it paid off.

Had it not been for Nebraska's defense, this game might have been a blowout.  How often does a team turn over the ball 4 times, get completely shut out in the second half and lose only by 3 points?  The second half turned out to be a retro Big 8 match up; smash mouth defense ruled the day and neither team would budge, save for a couple of long gains and those didn't come easy.  Sometimes, the beauty of a masterpiece lies not in the result but in the struggle.

Despite the result, this game will surely go down as one of the good ones in this storied rivalry.  The next Oklahoma-Nebraska is scheduled in 10 years, unless they meet in a bowl game.  Until then, thank you for all the memories.  It sure was fun while it lasted.

Maybe now they'll understand.

In the wake of the Bedlam showdown last Saturday, I'm sure some Oklahoma State fans haven't quite yet come to terms with the outcome.  It's not hard to understand why.  They were flying high and their star couldn't have shone any brighter; picking up landmark wins against Texas Tech, Kansas State and Texas.  It had also been forever and a day since they last went undefeated on the road in conference play.  Meanwhile Oklahoma had faltered along the way, with losses to Mizzou and Texas A&M.


This certainly had to be the year; they had vanquished Texas and the only thing standing between them and a Big 12 Title game, was Oklahoma.  All the pieces seemed to fit.  Playing at home against a team, whose struggles on the road have been well documented; and a prime time television audience to sweeten the deal.  Just about every analyst out there had picked Oklahoma State to win; you can thank Lee Corso for that (by the way, he says, "you're welcome!!").


When all was said and done, the result was another Oklahoma win and this is maybe why, if possible, you should tell Lee Corso to never pick your team.  As an OU fan, I've witnessed it enough times to know that there's not a lot of good that comes out of him wearing the mascot head of your school.  That being said, believe it or not Cowboy fans, but in some weird, twisted way, Oklahoma fans can kind of relate to how you were feeling after Saturday night.  I know it sounds crazy, but just stay with me and I'll take you on a trip down memory lane.


In 2001, #3 ranked Oklahoma headed into that Bedlam showdown, needing a win to book their place in the Big 12 Title game in Dallas (the irony).  They were the defending national champions and, despite a loss to Nebraksa (more irony), there were still in a good position to play in the Rose Bowl (the site of that year's championship game).  Oklahoma was riding a 19 game win streak in Norman and were hosting a 3-7 Oklahoma State team.  How hard could it be, right??  Not to say that they underestimated OSU; but c'mon, a 3-7 team coming to your backyard?


If only games were won on paper.  Even though Oklahoma scored early, they didn't have much going for them.  Oklahoma State sacked quarterback Nate Hybl about 7 times (maybe more), intercepted him 3 times (including a late desperation heave to seal the game) and shut down running back Quentin Griffin; in the process, they held Oklahoma to negative yardage in rushing.  In the meantime, the Cowboys were slowly but surely chipping away at the lead.


Then in the 4th quarter, with about 1:43 (or something like that) left in the game, Josh Fields threw a fade to the corner of the end zone, that was caught by receiver Rashaun Woods for a touchdown, giving OSU their first lead of the game.  I could have sworn I heard a pin drop in Owen Field at that moment.  With that touchdown, everything was gone!!  A shot at a Big 12 title, a trip to the Rose Bowl to defend their national title.  It was gone!!  Out the window.  I couldn't begin to tell you how much that really hurt.  It did.  


In Austin however, Texas players and fans were celebrating like they had just reclaimed the Alamo.  They had just clinched the south division title, courtesy of Oklahoma State, and an outside chance to play in the national championship game.  All they had to do was win the Big 12 title and hope for some weird scenarios to take place.  Well, Texas lost to Colorado in that game, but that's not the point I'm trying to make.


Back to Bedlam.  Even though Oklahoma has been to three other national championship games (they lost all three, but that's not the point either), that 2001 Bedlam loss was one that was just a little too hard to swallow.  In some ways, it was "the one that got away".  There are certain things in sports that you can never quite understand, until they happen to you.  And until Oklahoma State was in the same position, on the brink of something special, even historic, only to have it taken from you right under your nose, you'd never quite understand.  Maybe now you will.

Bedlam by any other name.

Is it just me, or are Bedlam games played in Stillwater more exciting?  40 combined points, 4 touchdowns and over 400 yards of total offense!!  That would be a stat line from a typical, slow grinding slugfest, except that all this happened in the 4th quarter!!  I guess this is what we've come to expect of Bedlam in Stillwater.  Don't leave your seats because you never know what you might miss.  And what would Bedlam be if some of these games didn't go down to the wire??  For the sake of filling my page with material, I'll list down some memorable moments.

1. 2000:  Derrick Strait deflects a pass in the end zone that was intended for Marcellus Rivers.  OU hangs on to win and blah blah blah yada yada.............
2. 2002:  Coming off a 2001 stunner in Norman, Oklahoma State, led by Rashaun Woods (13 catches, 200 + yards 3TDs) build an early lead, forcing OU to play from behind.  The final score was 38-28, but in reality, the game wasn't even that close.  What makes this exciting was how Woods and Josh Fields combined to torch a highly rated OU secondary.
3. 2004:  Jason Ricks' field goal attempt to send the game into overtime goes wide left and OU survives 38-35 after quite an interesting second half.
4. 2006:  Another close game comes down to the last play.  Zac Robinson's desperation throw into the end zone is tipped by OU cornerback Lendy Holmes and barely misses D'Juan Woods' outstretched hands.
5. 2008:  With spread offenses now the norm, both teams combine for 39 points in a wild 4th quarter.

The 2010 edition didn't disappoint at all.  Oklahoma State fans might see it differently, but we can all agree that we saw a very good game.  Broderick Brown jumping to bat the ball back inbounds where it was picked off by Shaun Lewis had to be the Play Of The Game, bar none.  How often do you ever see someone do that!!  In my opinion (not that it really matters), it has to be one of the the Plays Of The Year, maybe even ESPY worthy.

If you really want to see where this game was won or lost, you need to look at the stat sheet.  That explains how Oklahoma, playing on the road where they have struggled lately, was able to put a full game together and beat a red-hot Oklahoma State team that had a lot going for them.  Could there a better way for Oklahoma State to send off their senior class than beating their hated rival?  And getting to dance all over their body because the Big 12 South Crown came with the win?  Talk about a grand finale.

Back to the stat sheet, before I get derailed.  You'll notice that Oklahoma had the ball 11 minutes longer, converted more 3rd downs (16, while OSU attempted only 15 all game) and more importantly, held Kendall Hunter to only 55 yards rushing.  OSU was also held to about 200 + yards below their usual offensive output while running only 66 plays compared to OU's 107.  To sum it up, the nation's best offense was kept on the sideline; they can't beat you if they are not on the field, right?  It just goes to show that even in the big games, despite all the explosive and incredible plays, it usually comes down to executing the little things.

For what it's worth, Bedlam will be in Stillwater for the second year in a row and hopefully, it will be just as exciting as this one.

Dana, oh Dana!! Where thou art forth, Dana!!

I have got to admit something here.  When Mike Gundy brought in Dana Holgorsen to run the offense at Oklahoma State, I knew there was a storm brewing.  Gundy must loved what he saw, that he handed the play calling duties over to Holgorsen.  That kind of speaks for itself; after all, he was the offensive coordinator at Houston when they upset a #5 ranked Oklahoma State last year.

Oklahoma State's offense is explosive and is ranked in the top 3 in some major categories; scoring offense, total yards and passing offense.  Brandon Weeden, Kendall Hunter and Justin Blackmon are also lined up for some major awards in their respective positions.  These guys are lighting it up left and right and are going places that no Oklahoma State team has ever been to.

The next logical step would be to move on as a head coach.  Some of the best assistants (offensive coordinators in this case) over the years have moved on to head coaching gigs.  Mark Richt went to Georgia from Florida State.  Steve Sarkisian went to Washington from USC.  Jimbo Fisher was at LSU then took the same position at Florida State before succeeding Bobby Bowden.  Of course we all know about Mike Leach, which brings us back to Holgorsen.

So which job would be a good fit?

Minnesota:  It's possible to win there, but it will take ages to get a decent recruiting class and it'll be a while longer before they can compete for the conference title.

Colorado:  They can't even dominate the North division and now have to contend with the likes of USC, Arizona and Arizona State; I bet those 3 are tougher than Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State.  Pretty sad, considering that they've been to 4 Big 12 title games.  Colorado can only offer $2 million tops; Holgorsen's resume will command a lot more.

Georgia:  I doubt they'll fire Mark Richt; but if they do, failure to beat Tennessee & Florida consistently means that you're a bad season or two from losing your job.

Illinois:  Probably the most attractive job of the bunch, but it's no walk in the park.  Recruiting shouldn't be a problem but breaking into the Big Ten's "Top 3" on a yearly basis?  Now there lies the rub.

Ole Miss:  Playing the SEC West that's always been dominated by LSU, Auburn and Alabama?  You're already playing from behind on the first day.

Arizona State:  Not a bad job either, but they only make an impact once every blue moon if any at all.

So we know that the jobs and possible openings are out there.  I doubt any of them are attractive enough to make Holgorsen blink, let alone think twice.  Besides the money, the ability to recruit and win consistently will be ace in the deck of cards.  If all else fails, Holgorsen could always take his talents to the NFL.

College Football; Week 11 "hot or not"!!

After week 11, let's check out the toast of the town.


HOT: Wisconsin Badgers: They put up 83 points on a hapless, helpless Indiana team.
NOT: Indiana Hoosiers.  When you concede 83 points, is there a reason why the defensive coordinator still has his job?


HOT: Oklahoma State Cowboys: It's been 12 years since they last beat Texas; 66 since they last won in Austin.  The Pokes are on the verge of winning 10 games this season; a first in school history.
NOT: Texas Longhorns: After coming so close to winning the national championship last season, no one could have seen this coming.  They've lost 6 of their last 7 games, including the last 4; and might not even make qualify for a bowl game.


HOT: South Carolina Gamecocks: A series of firsts; first ever win in Gainesville, first ever SEC-East crown, first trip to the title game.  A tasty rematch with Auburn awaits.
NOT: Florida Gators: They returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and that was about all the excitement they got.


HOT: Texas A&M: After losing 3 straight, they're riding a 4 game win streak; highlighted by a wins over Oklahoma and a 42-30 win over Baylor (at one point, they trailed 30-16).  A win over Nebraska leaves them in contention for the Big 12 south crown.
NOT: Utah Utes: A few weeks ago, they were ranked #5 and considered by some as a possible national title contender.  They got blown out by TCU and followed it up with a loss to Notre Dame.  Look who got busted!!!


HOT: Ohio State Buckeyes: Trailing Penn State 14-3 at the half, they dominated the second half; scoring 35 unanswered points to win 38-14.  This win leaves them in contention for a Big 10 title and a Rose Bowl berth.
NOT: Penn State: They outplayed Ohio State in the first half, but couldn't sustain the pressure in the second half,  Simply put, they got owned.


HOT: Virginia Tech: The Hokies are on an 8 game win streak after an 0-2 start.  A win over Miami should see them through to the ACC Title game.
NOT: Iowa Hawkeyes: Their loss to Northwestern knocked them out of the conference title race.


HOT: Dustin Hopkins; kicker, Florida State:  Kicked a 55 yard field goal as time expired to give Florida State a win over Clemson.
NOT: Giorgio Tavecchio; kicker, Cal: missed a 29 yard field goal that would have given Cal a 16-15 lead over #1 Oregon.  He had initially converted a 24 yard attempt, but he stutter stepped and was flagged for a false start.  Prior to his miss, he had been 6 for 6 in field goal attempts under 30 yards.  The missed field goal might have saved Oregon's season.


I'm sure there's room for more, but this is where I jump off the ledge.  Have a good week.  

Another home win; so what else is new?

Back from a tough outing in College Station, Oklahoma turned around and blew away Texas Tech.  I really wasn't surprised by the outcome.

Texas Tech has a better record than Iowa State and Colorado.  Iowa State beat Texas Tech, but lost to Colorado; who also lost to Texas Tech.  All these three teams came to Norman and received the same treatment; a beatdown.  No disrespect to any of them, but it's just what it was. 

After watching this game, I'm sure everyone has the same question, "How come they never play like this on the road?".  Granted, Mizzou and A&M aren't exactly easy places to play, but their defenses aren't exactly stellar either.  If anything, OU has the ability to put points on the board.

However, what happens is that they beat themselves up, then the opponents finish the job for them.  Make your pick: the predictable play-calling, slow starts, a blown coverage here or there, missed tackles.  The list is endless.  Still, just about everyone has had it with the "Jekyll and Hyde" act that has plagued the Sooners over the last 5 seasons.  I'm sure the coaches have had enough, right?  At least that's what they tell us.

What we learned on Saturday:

1. There were hardly any "bubble screens" plays.  OU coaches seem to have fallen blindly in love with this scheme, even when it proves to be ineffective due to its predictability.  They went more vertical with their passes, and the run blocking was improved.  Turns out there's actually more plays in the playbook, who'd have thunk it.  
2. Ryan Broyles is the second coming of Mark Clayton.  Broyles has just about broken every school receiving record, except for career receiving yards.  That should be settled in a couple of weeks.
3. Ryan Broyles and Travis Lewis may have just played their last game in Norman.  I think the lure of the NFL might prove too strong to resist.

Hopefully, this performance was a sign of good things ahead for the Sooners.  We'll find out in a fortnight.

Senior Night, Oh what a night!!

Oklahoma's bid to win the South division will be tested when they host Texas Tech this weekend.  The Sooners will also bid farewell to a distinguished group of seniors that include among others: Adrian Taylor, Jeremy Beal, Erik Mensik, Quinton Carter, Jonathan Nelson, Mossis Madu and DeMarco Murray.  This might also be the last home game for Travis Lewis; the junior linebacker might declare for the draft at season's end.

Last November, OU was on the receiving end of a 41-13 mauling , which was supposedly payback for the 65-21 thrashing that Tech received the previous season (coincidentally on Senior Night too).  Both games featured a little soundtrack - House of Pain's Jump Around - as each team rubbed some salt onto the other's wounds.  No offense to Tech, but OU's was better.

Texas Tech is coming off an impressive win over Mizzou; who in the last couple of weeks have resembled nothing of the team that beat Oklahoma.  The Red Raiders were torched by Ryan Tannehill (449 yards passing) in a loss to the Aggies, but bounced back to hold Blaine Gabbert to only 95 yards passing.


Even though Tech is riding a wave of momentum going into this match, Oklahoma should be able to extend their home game winning streak.  They play very well at home and the crowd will definitely be a factor.  The only twist here might the be QB shuffle that Tech might use; but expect OU to adjust accordingly and give their senior class a fitting send off.  Enjoy your football weekend.

Different venue, same result.

For the second time this season, Oklahoma’s impressive home performance has been followed with a sub par one on the road.  Despite a valiant 3rd quarter effort, they couldn’t close the deal in the 4th quarter………………again.

What went wrong this time around?  Was it the errant snap that sailed over Landry Jones and through the end zone for a safety?  How about when they couldn’t score on 4th & Goal from the 1 yard line in their first trip to the end zone and later in the game (three times if you're counting!!!).  It could have been the touchdown they gave up on a kickoff return to open the second half.  Or the missed field goal to cut the deficit to 26-20.  Don’t forget the pass off the fake field goal attempt that James Hanna wasn’t able to haul in for a score.

I’ll give Bob Stoops some credit for rolling the dice on that play.  However when he came up empty, the opportunity to take the lead was lost and so was any momentum that Oklahoma had gained.  The Aggies scored on back to back possessions to put the outcome of the game beyond doubt.

We have heard time and time again how Kevin Wilson, the offensive coordinator, preaches for the need of a balance of offense to take pressure off Landry Jones.  59 pass plays compared to 29 running plays doesn’t exactly seem balanced to me.  This time, it wasn’t the turnovers that were the problem but the rather predictable play calling; and yet we wonder why Oklahoma plays poorly on the road.

Oklahoma was beaten in the trenches, between the lines.  The Aggies dominated the line of scrimmage on offense by gaining more rushing yards and making it count when it mattered in the 4th quarter.  They dominated the line of scrimmage on defense by stopping Oklahoma on three “4th & Goal” situations from the 1 yard line; including twice in the 4th quarter.

Is it me, or does Oklahoma seem to suffer from a kicking recession?  How did we get from Garrett Hartley, a super bowl winner, to whatever we have now?  If there is any way in which Jimmy Stevens and Patrick O’Hara complement each other, it’s that they are both mediocre on a good day.  Stevens missed a chip shot field goal that would have tied the game against Mizzou, while O’Hara followed up by missing a field goal that would have cut the deficit to a one-score game.  Both misses helped swing the momentum greatly in favor of the opposition.

The defense kept the game within reach by getting some crucial stops and forcing turnovers as well; but the offense couldn’t take advantage.  Despite rushing for only 10 yards in the first half, Oklahoma used the run effectively and was rewarded with 17 points to keep the game close.  Then somehow, the running game was abandoned in favor of a predictable passing game that resulted in “3rd & long” situations that weren't converted.  They ran the ball when they needed to pass and passed when they needed to run.

Oklahoma ran more plays, had more time of possesion and won the turnover battle; yet lost by 14 points.  There are some issues that if not addressed come Bedlam, don't be surprised should Oklahoma come out on the losing end.