* Wow, it looks cold in New York. I'm cold in my living room in Huntington Beach. Never mind being in the middle of a bunch of Giant blowhards in the swamps of Jersey.
* If the ball rolls off the tee and is blown across the field by the wind, odds are it won't remain on the tee the second time. So, why wait to have someone hold the damn thing? Even Madden points this out. If Madden has a grasp of the obvious that exceeds your own, there is trouble to be had.
* Reed Doughty stands out like a sore thumb when the lineups introduce themselves. Still painful.
* If Smoot weren't a 'Skin, I would despise him. Burress goes by you like you're a traffic cone, has you beat by ten yards but, because brother of Peyton underthrows the ball by 10 yards, you're able to get back in the play and interfere with Burress before the ball gets there. This was not something to celebrate.
* Holy shit, that was a terrible punt. Frost just about lodged that in the upback's ass. This game might not match the classic that was Browns 8, Bills 0, but there might not be much more scoring than that.
* I don't know how good I'm feeling if, because of the wind, Eli is reduced to handing the ball off and this game is decided by whose offensive and defensive lines are better.
* Madden observes that Eli and Burress look pretty good going through the passing tree in pre-game warmups. Then again, when there's no one on the field and there's no one trying to rip the QB's head off, I look pretty good throwing the ball to my dog. Aaaaaannnnndddd, right on cue, Eli fumbles the ball away. Eli Manning, x-factor.
* Three straight three and outs for the Skins. But, they have turned the field position around. So, that's progress, right?
* I thought there was no way you kick the 50 yarder in the swirling winds. Shazam is a slight improvement on John Hall, isn't he?
* Shades of Thurman Thomas for Randle-El, losing track of his helmet. Thomas' blunder came in the Super Bowl, so maybe a slight degree of difference there.
* One of the Hogs is in the crowd! You know, I bet the muumuu is nice on a cold and windy night like tonight.
* Collins completes a deep ball! And, here comes the double point, muscle flex from Moss. So many variations. First down!
* Collins to Yoder! Between last week and this, they've become the most productive Skins connection. Who knew?
* And the dreaded Red Zone Affliction continues to manifest itself. Here comes Shazam...and plays the wind to perfection. That kick looked like it was headed for the corner of the stands, not the middle of the uprights.
* Drops and bad throws for Eli and the Jints offense. It would be awesome if the fans, fed up with Eli, start pelting their own QB with snowballs. Please let this happen.
* I've tried licking my fingers before gripping a football. Just makes it slippery. Do I have some type of genetically inferior saliva that ensured I would never be an NFL quarterback? My wife is horrified when she sees players licking their fingers or picking their mouthpieces off the ground and putting them right back into their mouths. I guess I see her point...but, we're men baby!
* The wind just blew the ball from the 19 to the 4 yard line on Frost's punt. Perhaps God has forsaken Jon Kitna and can now fully get behind Gibbs and the Skins.
Digression Numero Uno:
Michigan hires Rich Rodriguez, ending the run of rejection in Ann Arbor. The heir apparent at QB in Michigan is Ryan Mallett, a big, rocket armed statue of a QB. Not exactly a fit for the spread option attack Rodriguez favors. What happens there?
A painful loss for WVU. Rodriguez, a Mountaineer alum, leaves for greener pastures. Had they not shit the bed against Pitt, I doubt Rodriguez is on his way to Michigan right now. So, the pain of that loss just increased exponentially.
* Great hit by Landry on Burress to separate the ball and prevent the big play. Then, in standard 2007 Skins style, he taunts Burress and gets the unsportsmanlike penalty. Pure stupidity. Gibbs, courtesy of lip reading the replay, "What a dumb play." Come on Joe...go over and tell Laron how un-Christian that was. He'll never do it again.
* Smoot just got knocked the fuck out by Brandon Jacobs. Small winged houseboats full of strippers were circling his head. No celebrating that hit. Ow.
* With a Gibbs offense getting the ball inside of 2 minutes, you have to know the clock killing runs are coming, right? Portis busts the draw for a long gain and the refs tack on a questionable 15 yard face mask. Beauty.
* Here comes the Gibbs school of clock management. They run to Portis again, don't take a time out, take their sweet ass time getting to the line, run it again, and now take a timeout. Good grief. Maybe Gibbs doesn't know that you can't take your three timeouts into the second half with you?
* And the RZA strikes again. Wu-Tang lives on. Shazam converts another sidewinder of a field goal and the Giants fans boo the team off the field. Don't be discouraged Giants fans! This is the Gibbs II Redskins....no lead too big, no advantage too secure. This team has increased my pessimism ten fold.
* I have to focus my energies on the second half. After all, my encouragement and focus impacts the outcome of this game.
*
16 December 2007
01 December 2007
What Happens Now???
In a fitting conclusion to the college football regular season, #1 Missouri and #2 West Virginia both lose, throwing the BCS into utter and complete chaos. Already, the talking heads are dissecting the various situations, trying to determine who will be going to the national championship game. One of the solutions posited is:
* Blow up last week's ballot and have the pollsters start over, ranking the teams based on who they believe to be the top teams.
If this is the case, can you insert Ohio State into the top spot, as so many are assuming? Ohio State's one loss this season came at home to 3 loss Illinois. Their final appearance of the season came in an uninspiring win against a disappointing Michigan. It almost seems as if people are begrudgingly placing Ohio State into the national championship game while casting a skeptical eye at their disappearance in last year's BCS championship.
Further, how do you then decide how to rank the remaining teams? People keep stating that USC and Georgia are hottest teams.
USC, since losing to Oregon, has played 4 games. They handled Oregon State. They struggled to top a Cal team that has absolutely gone in the tank. They dominated Arizona State on Thanksgiving, giving the impression that most people seem to be carrying with them right now. USC largely struggled against an injury decimated UCLA team today, doing little to cement the reputation that many seem to hold.
Georgia, as many have documented, did not play in today's SEC championship game due to their two losses earlier this season. One was at home to a South Carolina team that has lost it's final five games of the season. The other was a blowout loss at Tennessee. Georgia wrapped their season by putting up a rather unimpressive win that was not wrapped until the late moments of the game at Georgia Tech. So, I'm unsure where the assertion that they are one of the hottest teams in the land comes from. It would seem that they are riding on the wide ranging belief that the SEC is head and shoulders the toughest conference in the land and that wins over Florida, Auburn, and Kentucky to end their SEC slate is enough to elevate them.
In both cases, I'm not sure that either team is as hot as people seem to believe. At the very least, they are not unquestionably the two top teams based on their current level of play.
* It would seem that, based on the fact that most seem to assume that Ohio State is a given for #1, that the contenders for the #2 slot are Georgia, Kansas, Virginia Tech, LSU, Oklahoma, USC, and West Virginia. Yes, West Virginia just lost to unranked Pittsburgh. But, if you exclude West Virginia for that reason, you would think that Oklahoma, LSU, and USC would have to also be excluded for their losses to unranked Colorado, Arkansas, and Stanford, respectively. The only reason West Virginia isn't in the argument is because their loss took place today. I understand the recency argument and I would personally remove them but, based on a review of the TOTAL record, they're either in or removing a lot of teams along with them.
Since it seems that most have removed West Virginia from the argument, you have to also remove Oklahoma, LSU, and USC from the debate. That would leave Georgia, Kansas and Virginia Tech. Georgia didn't reach their conference championship game. Neither did Kansas.
Does this leave Virginia Tech standing alone? (I'm such a homer.) The argument against the Hokies is that they were shellacked by LSU and could not be in the national championship game ahead of LSU. It's a valid argument. But, consider that VT's two losses were to teams that were, at the time, ranked #2 in the country. The makeup of the football team is drastically different from the team that lost at LSU, with a two QB system, a reconstituted offensive line, and a defense that has rebounded to again finish in the top 10 in the nation. They avenged their second loss by defeating BC in the ACC Championship game.
How do you weigh the damage of the respective losses of each team? I could attempt to analyze this but I'm not sure I'd get any sleep tonight. Plus, I'm not paid to do this. Yet another argument for a comprehensive playoff system. Not a plus one though. Good gracious, there would be as much confusion trying to determine the top 4 this season as there is the top 2. A playoff would be oustanding, allowing so many of these issues to be settled on the field, creating a hallmark event for college football and putting money is everyone's pockets (since the decision to go to a playoff will eventually be the result of a comprehensive economic breakdown of the profit the event would generate. Sounds like a job for Ben Bernanke and the Fed.).
I obviously would love to see the Hokies in the national championship. Had they been able shut down Matt Ryan on that fateful rainy night, they'd be making reservations for New Orleans. Since they were unable, they are now part of the BCS morass. And unlikely to overcome their loss to LSU, who has already squandered two appearences in the top two yet is the likeliest candidate for selection to face Ohio State.
* Blow up last week's ballot and have the pollsters start over, ranking the teams based on who they believe to be the top teams.
If this is the case, can you insert Ohio State into the top spot, as so many are assuming? Ohio State's one loss this season came at home to 3 loss Illinois. Their final appearance of the season came in an uninspiring win against a disappointing Michigan. It almost seems as if people are begrudgingly placing Ohio State into the national championship game while casting a skeptical eye at their disappearance in last year's BCS championship.
Further, how do you then decide how to rank the remaining teams? People keep stating that USC and Georgia are hottest teams.
USC, since losing to Oregon, has played 4 games. They handled Oregon State. They struggled to top a Cal team that has absolutely gone in the tank. They dominated Arizona State on Thanksgiving, giving the impression that most people seem to be carrying with them right now. USC largely struggled against an injury decimated UCLA team today, doing little to cement the reputation that many seem to hold.
Georgia, as many have documented, did not play in today's SEC championship game due to their two losses earlier this season. One was at home to a South Carolina team that has lost it's final five games of the season. The other was a blowout loss at Tennessee. Georgia wrapped their season by putting up a rather unimpressive win that was not wrapped until the late moments of the game at Georgia Tech. So, I'm unsure where the assertion that they are one of the hottest teams in the land comes from. It would seem that they are riding on the wide ranging belief that the SEC is head and shoulders the toughest conference in the land and that wins over Florida, Auburn, and Kentucky to end their SEC slate is enough to elevate them.
In both cases, I'm not sure that either team is as hot as people seem to believe. At the very least, they are not unquestionably the two top teams based on their current level of play.
* It would seem that, based on the fact that most seem to assume that Ohio State is a given for #1, that the contenders for the #2 slot are Georgia, Kansas, Virginia Tech, LSU, Oklahoma, USC, and West Virginia. Yes, West Virginia just lost to unranked Pittsburgh. But, if you exclude West Virginia for that reason, you would think that Oklahoma, LSU, and USC would have to also be excluded for their losses to unranked Colorado, Arkansas, and Stanford, respectively. The only reason West Virginia isn't in the argument is because their loss took place today. I understand the recency argument and I would personally remove them but, based on a review of the TOTAL record, they're either in or removing a lot of teams along with them.
Since it seems that most have removed West Virginia from the argument, you have to also remove Oklahoma, LSU, and USC from the debate. That would leave Georgia, Kansas and Virginia Tech. Georgia didn't reach their conference championship game. Neither did Kansas.
Does this leave Virginia Tech standing alone? (I'm such a homer.) The argument against the Hokies is that they were shellacked by LSU and could not be in the national championship game ahead of LSU. It's a valid argument. But, consider that VT's two losses were to teams that were, at the time, ranked #2 in the country. The makeup of the football team is drastically different from the team that lost at LSU, with a two QB system, a reconstituted offensive line, and a defense that has rebounded to again finish in the top 10 in the nation. They avenged their second loss by defeating BC in the ACC Championship game.
How do you weigh the damage of the respective losses of each team? I could attempt to analyze this but I'm not sure I'd get any sleep tonight. Plus, I'm not paid to do this. Yet another argument for a comprehensive playoff system. Not a plus one though. Good gracious, there would be as much confusion trying to determine the top 4 this season as there is the top 2. A playoff would be oustanding, allowing so many of these issues to be settled on the field, creating a hallmark event for college football and putting money is everyone's pockets (since the decision to go to a playoff will eventually be the result of a comprehensive economic breakdown of the profit the event would generate. Sounds like a job for Ben Bernanke and the Fed.).
I obviously would love to see the Hokies in the national championship. Had they been able shut down Matt Ryan on that fateful rainy night, they'd be making reservations for New Orleans. Since they were unable, they are now part of the BCS morass. And unlikely to overcome their loss to LSU, who has already squandered two appearences in the top two yet is the likeliest candidate for selection to face Ohio State.
Hokies-Eagles...
The Hokies came out awfully flat at the beginning of this game. They were consistently unable to generate any pressure on Matt Ryan, whether with a 4 man rush or by bringing a blitz, which was in direct contrast to their meeting earlier this season when the defensive line treated the Eagles offensive line like a bunch of amusement park turnstiles. However, the Eagles lack of athletes on the perimeter allowed the Hokies to keep the opposition in front of them, preventing the slants and swing passes from causing greater damage. While the Eagles racked up yards and dominated time of possession, they were only able to generate 9 offensive points in the game. The defense kept up the bend but don't break philosophy in the first half and then turned up the heat in the second half, limiting the length of the Eagles' drives and doing an excellent job of stuffing the running game.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Hokies continued with their two QB shuffle. Taylor was largely ineffective today, appearing to suffer some lingering effects from a high ankle sprain he suffered earlier in the season, with the exception of one long gain on a draw play in the 4th quarter. Glennon had a very efficient day, making decisive decisions and throwing the ball with a high degree of accuracy. With the running game struggling all day, the Hokies leaned on Glennon and their senior receiving corps to move the ball.
Overall, a solid and workmanlike effort by the Hokies. Near the end of the broadcast, ABC's Bob Griese played the "what might have been" card, regarding the Hokies' heartbreaking loss earlier in the season to the Eagles. Ouch...
On the offensive side of the ball, the Hokies continued with their two QB shuffle. Taylor was largely ineffective today, appearing to suffer some lingering effects from a high ankle sprain he suffered earlier in the season, with the exception of one long gain on a draw play in the 4th quarter. Glennon had a very efficient day, making decisive decisions and throwing the ball with a high degree of accuracy. With the running game struggling all day, the Hokies leaned on Glennon and their senior receiving corps to move the ball.
Overall, a solid and workmanlike effort by the Hokies. Near the end of the broadcast, ABC's Bob Griese played the "what might have been" card, regarding the Hokies' heartbreaking loss earlier in the season to the Eagles. Ouch...
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