The Chop Shop

First-Round Mock Draft

2007-01-25T12:37:00.000-08:00

God I love the Draft! I love how in one weekend the future of the NFL is forever altered. I love the trades, I love the second-guessing, I love Chris Berman getting loopy as ESPN heads into the tenth hour of coverage, I love the last player in attendance sitting there praying to get picked soon so ESPN can stop shoving cameras in his face (two years ago Aaron Rogers put on a performance for the ages in this role), and mostly I love watching all the college football highlights four months after the season ended. Like I said earlier, for junkies like me the NFL Draft is a football oasis in the desert of April. By the way, my favorite draft site on the planet is NFL Draft Countdown - Scott Wright is a true draft freak and he does a tremendous job putting as much information as possible out there. I don't agree with all of his projections but I'll take him over Mel Kiper any day of the week. Anyway, here's my first mock draft of the season. Obviously a lot's going to change after the all-star games, NFL combine, free agency, and pro days are over but I think this is a pretty good starting point:

1. OAKLAND RAIDERS (QB, OL, WR, RB, DT)
QB JaMarcus Russell, LSU
The Raiders offense in '06 was one of the most pathetic units on either side of the ball that I've seen in a long, long time. There are a ton of statistics and anectodes I could throw out to prove just how sucktacular Oakland was this year, but the one stat that sums it up the best is this: the Raiders were last in turnover differential at MINUS-TWENTY! Two-zero! That's incredible. You almost have to try to suck that bad and in fact if you watched Oakland play O last year it did appear that the quarterbacks were throwing to the wrong team on purpose at times (maybe they just liked the other team's DBs better than they liked Randy Moss). The situation under center simply has to change. Enter Jamarcus Russell, a giant for the position that's exactly the kind of big-armed QB Al Davis wants. Russell's still raw and he won't fix all the Raiders' problems right away but he's already better than anything they've got and if Moss could ever extract his head from his own ass he and Russell could form a lethal combo as good, if not better, than Daunte Culpepper and Moss formed back in Minnesota.

2. DETROIT LIONS (QB, DE, S, CB, WR)
QB Brady Quinn, Notre Dame
Is there anyone in America who's worse at his job than Matt Millen? Okay, yes there's George W. is there anybody else? Despite being blessed with hands-0ff owners who remain free-spending even after losing $11 billion dollars, and an array of high draft picks to spand that money on Millen has managed to run this once-proud franchise into the ground with a series of fuck-ups too long to recount here. One of his biggest oversights was investing heavily in skill-position athletes without ever adequately addressing his offensive and defensive lines, so it's almost inevitable that on draft day when Joe Thomas - the best offensive tackle prospect to come along in at least five years - is sitting there for the taking you can bet the farm that Millen will grab the glory boy from Notre Dame. Don't get me wrong, I think Quinn can be an excellent quarterback and he's a huge upgrade over the Jon Kitna, who made more turnovers than Betty Crocker this season, but at some point the team from Motor City needs to invest in some Mack Trucks for the front lines. And here's a scary question foryou Detroit fans: since Charles Rogers and Mike Williams appear to be on their way out would Millen consider taking another first-round receiver in Calvin Johnson? And if so, would that necessarily be a bad thing? I mean, how far can you go with Mike Furrey as your #2? One thing's for sure, with Millen involved this promises to be one of the more entertaining picks in the top 10.

3. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (OL, CB, DT, WR, TE)
WR Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech
The Buccaneers have to get better play from their offensive line if they want to become competitive again, but after investing their first two picks last year on linemen I can't see them going that route again. They also need an infusion of youth on the defensive side of the ball, since that unit has apparently lost the ability to create turnovers or pressure the quarterback. But more than anything they need a gamebreaker who can make plays on offense and along comes Calvin Johnson, the best wide receiver prospect since Keyshawn Johnson went #1 overall to the Jets in '96. In many years Johnson would be the #1 pick as well, but due to team needs I think he'll fall into the Buccaneers lap and they'll be happy to have him. With his incredible combination of size, speed, and hands he should help the 'Bucs offense in a number of ways, from catching balls to drawing double-teams to blocking. Michael Clayton hasn't worked out as a lead receiver and Joey Galloway is getting up there in years so in my mind this is a total no-brainer for Tampa Bay.

4. CLEVELAND BROWNS (OL, DE, S, WR, QB)
OT Joe Thomas, Wisconsin
Here's another team that has neglected its front lines - the Browns have only taken one lineman on Day One of the draft in the last three years (DT Amon Gordon) - but Cleveland has a coach that understands the importance of offensive line play and if he's available I have no doubt the Browns will snatch up Thomas. They may be tempted to grab Calvin Johnson if he's still available, but after investing in Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards you've got to figure the Browns have higher priorities than picking up more receivers. Thomas may not be an exciting pick, but he's the right one for Cleveland.

5. ARIZONA CARDINALS (OL, DT, MLB, DE, S)
DT Alan Branch, Michigan
Much like the Lions, the Cardinals find themselves with excellent players on the edges that are limited by the poor play of the lines. Arizona's offensive line play last year was flat-out awful and really that's the area they need to address the most. Unfortunately for them, outside of Joe Thomas there really isn't an offensive lineman worthy of a top 5 pick so I could see them trading up for Thomas or trading down if Calvin Johnson somehow falls to this spot. But, if they stay in the five-spot I think they'll address their other glaring weakness, the middle of their defense. They could reach for a safety but I think they'll take the best defensive tackle in the draft and that's Branch, a huge man with quickness and pass-rushing ability who was the centerpiece of Michigan's top-rated defense this year. By teaming Branch with Darnell Dockett and Gabe Watson the Cards could find themselves with a talented young tackle rotation that should help shore up the run defense. They could also use a pass rusher and I'm sure Gaines Adams will get some consideration here, but great defenses are built from the inside out so I think Branch is the right call.

6. WASHINGTON REDSKINS (DT, DE, S, LB, WR)
DE Gaines Adams, Clemson
The Redskins find themselves in an awkward position; the offense really let them downthis year, yet that was the side of the ball they invested a ton of resources into. Do you blow it up all ready and start over, or do you give some love to the defense? I wouldn't be surprised to see them trade this pick for extra picks or for an established player, since they seem to prefer that route, but if they stay at #6 I think they'll take the oppotunity to address a terrible pass rush that was led by Andre Carter with only six sacks for '06. Gaines Adams is the top defensive end out there, and although there are some questions about whether or not Adams may be better suited as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense after watching the guy play for the past two years any FSU fan will tell you he can really get after the quarterback. This could be another really interesting pick in the top 10, though.

7. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (WR, TE, DE, LB, CB)
WR Dwayne Bowe, LSU
The Vikings were good at running the ball and stopping the run this year, but they didn't make the playoffs bacause they couldn't make plays in the passing game. At this point it's abundantly clear that Troy Williamson isn't a #1 receiver and I don't know who they can get to fill that role in free agency (actually, could Moss be an option? Hmmmmm). In my mind Dwayne Bowe was an unrecognized superstar in college football, and although this is higher than he's being rated right now I think that after the all-star games and the NFL combine are through he's going to skyrocket up draft boards. By taking Bowe - a big, physical receiver who is simply too much for most CBs to handle one-on-one - the Vikings can make Williamson more of a #2 receiver and deep threat specialist while picking up a big weapon for young quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. If Southern Cal's Dwayne Jarrett runs well in testing he could also be an option here but right now there are questions about his speed, so Bowe is the pick. The Vikings could also really use a pass-rusher and if Gaines Adams falls this far I think they'd have a hard time passing on him but I don't think that's likely at this point.

8. HOUSTON TEXANS (RB, CB, S, DE, QB)
RB Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma
Passing on Reggie Bush and Vince Young clearly pissed off the football gods because they've been smiting the shit out of Houston ever since. Domanick Davis' right leg immediately exploded and to make matters infinitely worse it now appears that David Carr could be on thin ice. But the Texans earned some karma back by taking DeMeco Ryans, the Defensive Rookie of the Year, and soime building blocks for the offensive line. Now it's time to take the next step by adding a super-duper-star running back in Peterson, who may have been the #1 pick if he could have come out as a freshman. Behind an improving line AP could finally give Houston a consistent threat out of the backfield which would help Carr and Andre Johnson in the passing game. I really don't think the Texans have a choice if Peterson is there for the taking; if they pass on another star their fans might just burn down that fancy new stadium, and frankly who could blame them?

9. MIAMI DOLPHINS (QB, OL, DT, TE, CB)
OT Levi Brown, Penn State
The Dolphins finished a disappointing 6-10 despite having the NFL’s 4th-ranked defense and an array of offensive weapons with great potential - four players caught more than 50 passes and Ronnie Brown had his first 1,000-yard rushing season - but disappointing productivity, finishing just 29th in scoring offense. Obviously the big hole is at quarterback but there are no available quarterbacks worthy of a pick this high. The offensive line could sure use some work though. Levi Brown may be a bit of a reach at this point but he's been a solid performer throughout his career at Penn State and has played well against top competition. And he has added value by allowing Venon Carey to move inside, fixing two holes with one pick. Why don't I have a job doing this for real?

10. ATLANTA FALCONS (WR, S, LB, CB, DE)
FS LaRon Landry, LSU
Ahhhh, the Dirty Birds. Anyone who watched Atlanta this past season knows the receiving corps is still the unit that needs the most fixing, but after sinking a ton of draft picks and free agent dollars into the position there's just no way Atlanta can take another receiver here. So the Falcons move on to the next most-busted group, the safeties. Chris Crocker and Lawyer Milloy were brought in to replace Atlanta's previous group of ineffective deep men, and while they did improve the run support they're both useless in coverage. After picking up Jimmy Williams last year the Falcons are still trying to fix their secondary and the bast way to do that is to pick Landry, a playmaker who was productive throughout his college career and excels against both the run and the pass. The explosive Reggie Nelson could also be a possibility here but I think Landry fits the Falcons mold a bit better. Atlanta could also decide to build up depth at defensive end, an area that's been cursed with injuries lately, and reach for local boy Quentin Moses of Georgia but I think Landry is the safer and smarter pick.

11. SAN FRANSISCO 49’ERS (CB, WR, S, LB, DT)
CB Leon Hall, Michigan
This year the 49’rs started to see signs of improvement from their young offense but the defense still isn’t up to par. When a team is often behind, i.e. their opponent is more likely to run, and they’re still in the bottom ten in passing defense you know they’ve got coverage issues. Leon Hall grew into one of the anchors for Michigan’s defense and although he’s susceptible to the big play he’s also an impressive package of sped and size. The race to be the #1 corner taken is far from over and candidates like David Irons or Aaron Ross could climb up to this spot, but right now Hall seems the most likely candidate to step in and help right away, and San Francisco needs all the help they can get.

12. BUFFALO BILLS (OL, DT, CB, WR, TE)
DT Amobi Okoye, Louisville
Buffalo addressed the secondary last year in the first round and the passing game finished 7th in the NFL. Now it’s time to fix the 28th ranked run defense. Sure, some of that rushing yardage was due to a lot of teams being ahead and trying to ram it down the Bills’ throat, but there were also holes in the defensive front. A 19-year-old college senior, Okoye is a tremendous prospect with a lot of room to grow as a player, and by all accounts he already plays with a maturity far beyond his age. The Bills aren’t afraid to take chances in the draft and this risk is one that's likely to pay off.

13. ST. LOUIS RAMS (LB, S, WR, OL, DT)
OLB Lawrence Timmons, Florida State
It seems like the Rams have been looking for outside linebackers forever and the best candidate to fix their problems at the position this year is Timmons, a versatile linebacker who was stout against the run and also handled coverage responsibilities well for the ‘Noles. Penn State’s Paul Posluszny could be another candidate here but the athleticism of Timmons is a better fit for St. Louis’ style of...you know what, I really don't want to talk about it because I get a little emotional when I think about Timmons moving on. Give me a minute...

Let's just move on.

14. CAROLINA PANTHERS (OL, DT, WR, QB, S)
OT Justin Blalock, Texas
Like a lot of teams near the top of the draft the Panthers are in need of offensive line help and I think this is about where it makes sense to pull the trigger. This may be a bit high for Blalock but with a shortage of marquee lineman in this draft he'll get a boost in position thanks to his skills and his versatility in being able to play guard or tackle. The Panthers could also look at adding another weapon at wide receiver and there are some intriguing defensive line prospects out there, but if the Panthers are going to become contenders again they first need to fix their offensive front.

15. DALLAS COWBOYS (FS, OL, LB, CB, DE) trade with PITTSBURGH
FS Reggie Nelson, Florida
If Nelson falls out of the top ten I have to think the Cowboys would start making inquiries with every team ahead of them about trading up. As much as I want Pat Watkins to grow into Dallas’ free safety of the future Nelson is a guy who can step in and change their defense right away. He would free up Roy Williams from a lot of his bothersome coverage responsibilities so he could just focus on hurtin’ people, and Nelson could help out in that aspect as well. The Steelers seem like the most likely candidate to trade down because they can pick up a linebacker or a quality offensive lineman later in first round.

16. GREEN BAY PACKERS (CB, OL, DT, S, RB)
RB Marshawn Lynch, California
This draft is fairly deep in running backs but I there’s only two guys in the top tier – Peterson and Lynch. The Packers need to continue overhauling their skill position players and the venerable Ahman Green is on the downside of his career, and while Vernand Morency and Noah Herron provide some depth neither is a long term solution. Lynch has a chance to be special and would give Green Bay an important weapon that could help ease the transition to whoever succeeds Favre at quarterback.

17. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (QB, CB, OL, WR, DE)
DE Jamaal Anderson, Arkansas
The Jaguars have spent most of their recent top draft picks on building up the offense, so now it's time to give the defense a boost. Jacksonville was stout on D in '06 but there's still room for improvement, especially at defensive end. Enter Anderson, an underrated player who thrived against top competition and would be a great building block for the future. I could also see Jacksonville grabbing one of the talented cornerbacks still out there, but Anderson is a potential top 10 talent and if he falls this far the Jags will be getting a gift that they can't pass up.

18. CINCINATTI BENGALS (LB, DT, S, OL, OLB)
CB Aaron Ross, Texas
Ever since the Bengals surrendered 42 second-half points in a week 10 loss to the Chargers it was clear Cincinnati needed secondary help. Thorpe Award winner Ross would provide Cincinnati with a long-term complement to Jonathan Joseph and a talented group of young corners to succeed Deltha O’Neal and Tory James. The middle of the defense needs to be addressed as well, and in light of Odell Thurman's issues Patrick Willis would be a sound invetsment here, but Cincinnati has to stop getting torched deep. I think secondary help is a must here.

19. TENNESSEE TITANS (DT, DE, LB, CB, S)
DE/DT Adam Carricker, Nebraska
Tennessee found some answers on the offensive side of the ball with QB Vince Young and RB Travis Henry, but on defense they have nothing but question marks. A versatile talent like Carricker could help them against the run, but more importantly he could boost the Titans' awful pass rush. Kyle Vanden Bosch led the Titans with 6.5 sacks this season, or the same amount as Shawne Merriman had just against Oakland and Seattle (and he missed the second Oakland game). Carricker has shown the ability to put heat on opposing QBs and he's a physical presence on the line that could even provide some insurance if Albert Haynesworth isn't brought back. I'm sure Tennessee would also like to get Pac-Man Jones some help in the secondary but Carricker brings too much to the table to pass up.

20. NEW YORK GIANTS (CB, LB, OL, S, DT)
CB Darrelle Revis, Pittsburgh
There’s no way to single out one specific deficiency that led to the Giants late-season collapse since you could point in any number of directions and find a player or coach who deserves a share of the blame. But since Tom Coughlin is apparently staying and the expensive offensive stars aren’t likely to be moved yet I think the Giants will look to augment a pass defense that finished 28th in the NFL and struggled to force turnovers. Revis is a solid cover corner with good size that could help shore up New York’s porous secondary and provide a future replacement for their aging duo of RW McQuarters and Sam Madison.

21. DENVER BRONCOS (CB, DE, RB, OL, DT)
CB David Irons, Auburn
Even before the untimely passing of Darrent Williams I’m sure the Broncos were thinking of getting some help for Champ Bailey in the Broncos’ secondary. Unfortunately, what was a luxury pick is now a necessity as Denver finds itself down a starting cornerback. Irons is a tough, scrappy corner who’s handled big, physical receivers in the SEC and could provide Denver with some immediate help in the secondary. There may be bigger names out there but I think Irons will impress during the pre-Draft activities and prove that he's a guy who can play right away, which is exactly what Denver needs.

22. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (FS, LB, CB, OL, WR) from DALLAS
LB Paul Posluszny, Penn State
Pittsburgh could look to further bolster their receiving corps after drafting Santonio Holmes last year, or they could look to add a cornerback help since tehre's no way Ike Taylor's coming back after his disastrous season. However, for years the main weapon in the Steelers 3-4 defense has been fast, versatile, aggressive linebackers. Not only does Posluszny possess all of those traits, he’s a Pennsylvania hero who brings the blue-collar attitude that defines the franchise. Poz could line up inside or outside for Pittsburgh and would provide long-term insurance for Clark Haggans and James Farrior. To me this would be a match made in football heaven.

23. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (DT, WR, S, OT, CB)
WR Ted Ginn, Ohio State
For most of the decade the Chiefs managed to boast one of the league’s top passing games despite the lack of a #1 receiver. With the departure of Gunther Cunningham and instability at quarterback the streak of prolific passing attacks came to an end in 2006 and it’s time for Kansas City to finally pay some serious attention to its receiving corps. Now I happen to think that Ginn is somewhat overrated - I would take a guy like Tennessee's Robert Meachem over him in a second - and I doubt he’ll be a lead receiver in the NFL, but he has added value for Kansas City since he can provide a spark in the return game and eventually take over for the fading Dante Hall. Also, it should be noted that with the exception of the Browns the Chiefs may have been the worst-drafting team in the league over the past few years, and taking an overrated player twenty spots too high is pretty much par for the course with them so in that regard this pick makes total sense.

24. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (CB, WR, S, LB, DE) from SEATTLE
DE/LB Quentin Moses, Georgia
The Patriots linebacker corps started to show its age in 2006 and with Teddy Bruschi contemplating retirement it’s time to bring in some reinforcements. Bill Belichick likes SEC players and I think Moses' versatility plays right into what the Patriots want to do defensively. It will be interesting to see if he can handle pass coverage duties, but if he can make the transition to linebacker and the Patriots can iron out the inconsistency in his game they could be getting another big-time playermaker in their front seven.

25. NEW YORK JETS (CB, LB, OL, RB, WR)
CB Daymeion Hughes, California
The Jets could very well pick a workhorse back like Kenny Irons or Michael Bush here to pick up the load that Curtis Martin carried for so many years, or they could look to bolster the defensive front after beefing up the offensive line in the first round last year, but what they really need is a steady cover man to line up opposite Andre Dyson, and with the top cornerback talent rapidly slipping away at this point I think they’d pull the trigger on Hughes, a stand-out players for Cal for the past few years and an experienced corner who’s gone up against some great wide receivers in the Pac-10.

26. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (LB, SS, DT, RB, QB)
SS Aaron Rouse, Virginia Tech
For some reason I wound up watching a ton of Eagles games this season and every time I couldn’t help but notice what a huge liability Sean Considine was to their defense. He's perfected the move where a defender is totally burnt so he dives at the runner's heels, swinging his arm in a vain attempt to trip up the runner before he can complete his 60-yard jaunt to the endzone. Seriously, no one pulls off that move like Consididine. Plus he sucks against the run and the pass! Rouse, a huge safety that can play in the box but also has good coverage skills, would change all that. The Eagles have traditionally invested high draft pick on lineman and their secondary, and if they hold to that philosophy I think Rouse would be a great fit for them.

27. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (CB, DT, LB, OL, S)
MLB Patrick Willis, Ole Miss
For years the Saints have been trying to build up their front seven, and while they finally appear set at defensive end and Hollis Thomas has helped out at defensive tackle they still need an upgrade at linebacker where Mark Simoneau and Scott Shanle are nothing special. Willis is the best inside linebacker in the draft and one of the best ‘backers available overall. A tackling machine, he would immediately help New Orleans’ 23rd-ranked run defense and with his speed he’d add some versatility to the position. I’m sure the Saints would also like to bring in a replacement for Fred Thomas, who was beaten more often than the Washington Generals over the past month, but the Saints have been trying to upgrade their linebackers forever and they can’t pass on a talent like Willis.

28. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (CB, WR, S, LB, DE)
CB Marcus McCauley, Fresno State
For the past few years the Patriots have been getting by with castoffs and overachievers in the secondary, and while Asante Samuel turned in a great performance this season he seems likely to bolt in free agency. Regardless of whether he stays or goes, the Pats could use an infusion of youth and size at cornerback and McCauley has both. New England does a great job of stockpiling draft picks and just like with Vince Wilfork the Pats could have the luxury of picking up a long-term solution for their defense late in the first round thanks to shrewd maneuvering. They could also be tempted to take a receiver here but with the emergence of Jabar Gaffney in the playoffs and Chad Jackson still developing I think they'll focus on defense and take McCauley.

29. BALTIMORE RAVENS (WR, RB, DE, LB, QB)
WR Dwayne Jarrett, Southern Cal
There was nothing wrong with the Ravens’ defense in ’06 but the offenses left a lot to be desired. I’m sure they’d like to bring in a long-term solution at quarterback but I don’t know that one is available at this point. With their preference for big, bruising runners Michael Bush could be an intriguing choice here, but I think they have to continue overhauling their receiver corps and Jarrett is a top prospect who’s a touchdown-scoring machine. If he runs well in testing he’ll go way earlier than this but right now there are rumors that he runs in the 4.6 range, and if that's the case the Mike Williams comparisons could cause him to fall in the first round. If that's the case the Ravens would be crazy not to swoop him up as a perfect long-term complement to Mark Clayton.

30. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (WR, LB, CB, DE, S)
WR Robert Meachem, Tennessee
The Chargers are arguably the NFL’s most talented team and are pretty stacked at every position (except Head Coach, of course), but one area where they really lack difference-makers is at wide receiver. Eric Parker might get run out of town after his disastrous performance against New England, and while Vincent Jackson is an intriguing prospect he only caught 27 passes in 2006. Meachem is a big, physical receiver who could team with Jackson to present a match-up nightmare for opposing secondaries and in time he could give the Chargers a true lead receiver. Since the Chargers are reportedly (and inexplicably) rumored to be shopping Donnie Edwards and Shaun Phillips can’t stay out of trouble they could also look at a linebacker here but I think receiver is a more pressing need for them.

31. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (DT, LB, CB, OL, WR)
MLB Brandon Siler, Florida
The Colts run defense has been better in the playoffs but they were shredded like lettuce during the regular season and they have to address their interior defense, so this pick is either going to be a defensive tackle or an inside linebacker. The Colts aren’t afraid to take smaller, quicker defenders so Buster Davis could be a possibility here or they could grab Tank Tyler or Quinn Pitcock to clog up the running lanes, but I think Siler would be a great addition. He brings speed, size, and leadership to the position and is a beast against the run. He’ll probably run faster than Davis in testing and with his superior size and coverage skills I think he fits perfectly into Tony Dungy's defense.

32. CHICAGO BEARS (OL, CB, S, QB, LB)
OLB Rufus Alexander, Oklahoma
Last year the Bears surprised just about everyone by focusing on their defense even though it was already the strength of their team. A lot of observers felt they made a mistake, yet now Chicago's headed to the Super Bowl and rookies like Mark Anderson, Devin Hester, and Danieal Manning are a big reason why. Since the Bears biggest needs on offense are wide receiver and offensive line and the elite prospects at those positions are gone by now I think they’ll depart from conventional wisdom yet again and go with defense. Alexander is cut from the Bears mold; he’s a big, aggressive intimidator at linebacker who could step right into the void left when Lance Briggs bolts in free agency.

Okay, that's it. Look for an updated two-round mock draft after the NFL Combine and then I'm shooting for a full Day One, three-round mock draft right before Draft Day. Enjoy!

BC Three at the Buzzer Beats 'Noles

2007-01-23T19:57:00.000-08:00

First the shenanigans at the Black Out and now this. I'm starting to kind of dislike Boston College...

Where To Begin?

2007-01-23T14:19:00.000-08:00

Wow, a lot has happened in the last two weeks. I mean a LOT! Obviously the biggest news is the hiring of Chuck Amato, completing the overhaul of the coaching staff, but that whole situation deserves it's own post so we'll have a Coaching Review up later. For now let's look the rest of the big stories in 'Nole Nation...

- Big shout-out to the basketball team for rebounding nicely from an 0-3 start in ACC play with wins over red-hot Virginia Tech and a blow-out of Miami. I attended the FSU/Georgia Tech game a couple weeks ago and noticed that Al Thornton looked like he was getting more and more frustrated as the 'Noles flailed around on offense. Well he took those frustrations out on the Hokies with 13 rebounds and 27 points -- IN THE SECOND HALF! What I saw in the GaTech game - and what was confirmed against VaTech - was that when Thornton decides to be selfish and own the game that he can be as dominant as any player in the country. It's a credit to him that he's bought into Coach Hamilton's philosophy of team-oriented play, but with an unbalanced team like FSU (too many swingmen, no true point or center) Thornton needs to put the team on his back against tougher competition.

Against the 'Canes Big Al was more than happy to share the load as Isaiah Swann, Uche Echefu, and Ralph Mims all made big contributions to the 'Noles 86-67 win. It was a beautiful win, but to be fair Miami was undermanned for the game and FSU was absolutely unconscious from three-point range. For the game FSU actually shot better from beyond the arc (a blistering 56.5%) than they did from two-point range. Still, it was a much-needed conference win and hopefully a huge morale boost for a team getting into the meat of its conference schedule.

Now comes a big test: tonight's game at Boston College is huge for the future of this team. With the dismissal of Sean Williams B.C. is a much better match-up for FSU and this becomes a "should win" game for the 'Noles. With FSU's recent struggles against top competition they can't afford to lose any games they "should" win, and they still need to pick up a few more quality wins to go with Florida and Virginia Tech. Plus FSU has been abysmal on the road this year and a win at Chestnut Hill would do wonders for the team's confidence. IF the 'Noles can get out of Boston with a 'W' they'll get to .500 in ACC play, and with Wake Forest and Maryland coming up FSU could have a chance to build up some momentum and establish themselves in the top half of the best conference in college basketball. I think this is the year we break the NCAA Tournament drought, but we've got to beat solid teams like BC if we're going to get there.

- HUGE news on the football front as it was recently announced that Clemson will replace Miami as FSU's Labor Day opponent. Personally I love the match-up: both teams are in serious need of a bounce-back year and a loss in Game One could have huge implications for the Atlantic Division race. I don't like opening on the road for the second straight year, but since early-season contests favor defense over offense and Clemson is losing Gaines Adams and CJ Gaddis I feel pretty good about the 'Noles' chances. And talk about sub-plots! Forget the tired "Bowden Bowl" angle, this game will mark the beginning of the Jimbo Fisher era at FSU and everyone in the Southeast will be interested to see if he can turn around FSU's offense. Tommy Bowden's hold on the Clemson Head Coaching position is tenuous at best and with a home loss the natives will get restless (okay, they're already pretty restless. Is "restlesser" a word?). The CJ Spiller soap opera has been pretty exciting already and there could be a few more plot turn between now and September, plus this game could feature new starting QBs for both teams. As if it wasn't hard enough waiting for football season, now 'Noles and Tigers fans will have added anticipation for the '07 kickoff. I'm giddy just thinking about it, and it's only January!

- Speaking of January, we're smack-dab in the middle of recruiting season and while I can't say I'm thrilled with FSU's recruiting class so far, it's not as bad as I feared. Granted, people on Warchant are doing back-flips because we signed a two-star offensive guard while Florida is racking up the five-star prospects, but I like the quality of the individuals we're bringing in. Anthony Grosso's 3.9 GPA doesn't look so hot next to Myron Rolle's 4.0, but it fits in nicely with Christian Ponder's 3.8. I know we don't bring these guys in just for their brains but it seems that in the wake of the Fred Rouse fiasco the coaches have made a concerted effort to bring in players of higher character, and I don't see how that can be a bad thing. But is the talent there? Outside of Kendall Smith, Dionte Allen, and Bernard Brinson there's not a lot to get too excited about yet, but there are still some big fish out there. Marvin Austin is apparently a very good possibility at DT and Joe McKnight is still out there. If only we could get some big-time OL to commit...oh wait, we did that with Chris Little and then new OL Coach Rick Trickett turned him away! Now, I've never coached an offensive line in my life and Coach Trickett has proven that he knows what he's doing, but the Little situation is extraordinary and bears watching over the next few year.

Look, there's not much I can share about recruiting - most of my info comes from Warchant and if you want the inside dirt pay the $9.95/month and sign up, just don't get too excited for this year. Five years from now we may look back on this as a stellar class, but from a recruiting RANKINGS standpoint it's going to be an off-year for FSU.

- After football season and recruiting season comes one of my favorite times of the year: NFL DRAFT SEASON! (Quick note: apparently Lorenzo Booker is tearing it up at Senior Bowl practices. I wish LoBo the best, but if he blows up ala Leon Washington in New york it will just make the last six years so much harder to bear). Unlike last year's first-round extravaganza it looks like the 'Noles will have a single first-round pick this year in Lawrence Timmons, but Buster Davis and Booker should both be first-day picks as well. But beyond FSU's prospects it's turning out to be a fascinating draft at the top with Oakland, Detroit, and Cleveland all in dire need of QBs and only two top-notch passers to go around. Personally, the NFL Draft is one of my favorite days of the year; it's this beautiful sparkling oasis of football in the desert wasteland of April sports. Look for the first of many mock drafts to go up shortly.

- As much as I hated to see Manning make it to the Super Bowl (not that I hate the guy, it's just fun to rag on him) at least we won't have to see fifty Rex Grossman/Reche Caldwell "did you know they were teammates at UF!?!" stories on SportsCenter. Ironically, we have Caldwell to thank for it...had he caught even one of the two wide-open passes he dropped against Indy the Pats would have scored and the Colts never could have come back. Gotta love those UF receivers in the pros! By the way, am I the only one who really enjoyed watching Bill Belichick squirm at the post-game press conference? He looked like a man who suddenly realized he was standing in a room full of people in a dirty sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off, looking like some guy who hangs out in front of a Gas-n-Go. To me that sweatshirt came to symbolize the arrogance that had seeped into the Patriots organization and eventually led to their loss in the AFC Championship. It was arrogance to let all their veteran free agents go, it was arrogance to go cheap on the wide receiver corps, and it was arrogance to sit on all their cap space at the trading deadline. That they made it as far as they did is a testament to Belichick's brilliance and Brady's clutchness (oh, and a metric fuck-ton of luck against San Diego), but Belichick was in dire need of some humble pie and I'm glad the Colts served it to him cold.

Hopefully FSU will take Indy's lead and whup some Boston ass tonight! GO NOLES!!!

It's Hard Out Here for a 'Nole

2007-01-22T17:39:00.000-08:00

I can't escape it. Everywhere I turn I see it. And it's driving me MAD! That stupid Gator logo is everywhere, and when I say everywhere I mean EVERY-FUCKING -WHERE! As a college sports junkie the two sites I spend the most time on (other than Warchant) are Rivals.com and ESPN.com, and I defy you to spend more than 30 seconds on either site without stumbling across some article or another openly fellating the Crocs and Urban Meyer. Never mind that it took a staggering collection of lucky breaks and colossal upsets for UF to find itself in its current position as National Champ, never mind that Urban is being hailed as a genius despite the fact that UF won thanks to a defense he didn't coach manned by players he didn't recruit. Such trivialities as "facts" needn't cloud one's judgement when it's so much easier to revel in partisan hystrionics, as exemplied by this column from former Orlando Sentinal columnist Jemele Hill who apparently believes the 'Noles should just go ahead and shut down the football program now instead of continuing to offer token resistance against the Urban Empire (note to self: next time in Florida, hit Jemele Hill with car. Run.) Never mind that we nearly forced the omnipotent Gators to overtime despite feilding one of the youngest teams in the nation, never mind that with a competent OC we win four more games at least. It's over, the dream is dead, time for 'Ol Bobby to head out to pasture. The Age of Urban has begun.

Resistance is futile

And now the Croc-luv has extended beyond the collgiate level and invaded seemingly every other facet of the sports universe. All weekend I've had to watch analysts praise Rex Grossman (who had one decent throw against Seattle after killing his team for three-plus quarters) and Tom Brady's all-UF receiving corp (who have hamstrung the Pats offense all year with their lack of pace and inconsistent performance). Today there's an article in USA Today spotlighting David Lee just a couple of pages after the new college basketball poll is posted...you'll never guess who's #1 (hint: it's a team FSU beat just a few weeks ago).

Bottom line: Seminole fans everywhere are in a Best of Times/Worst of Times situation here. On the one hand there's more hope for the football team then there's been in years. The coaching situation is working out quite nicely (post once the changes are complete), and recruiting is going better than expected. At the same time it's physically impossible to escape constant reminders of the unprecedented run our enemies from the East are on right now. I can't change it, I can't make it better, all I can do is offer three pearls of wisdom for Seminoles everywhere:

1. It can't last forever. Seriously, for the last two years everything has gone against us and for them. But luck is a cyclical thing and eventually even the biggest rush comes to an end. At some point, probably sooner rather than later, they'll stop getting all the breaks and some semblance of order will return to the universe.

2. It can't get any worse. This is a mixed bag since right now UF is hotter than any athletic department has been in recent memory. And yet we hung right with them in football (and have I mentioned that we whupped the Crocs' and Joakim Noah's ugly ass in Basketball? I thought they were supposed to be good or something). The gap between the two athletic departments is already smaller than people believe, and the Crocs have to come back down to earth soon.

3. They're still Crocs and we're still 'Noles. Seriously, who would you rather root for: a whiny littly bitch like Urbie or a classy gentleman like Bobby Bowden? As someone once said, I'd rather root for an 0-12 FSU team than a 12-0 Gator team, and after this year I realized they were right.

Keep you chin up 'Nole fans, for better days are ahead for us (and the BS in Gainesville can't go on forever...can it?)

Is This the Beginning of the Googlenium?

2007-01-16T10:55:00.000-08:00

Google messed up my Blogger so I had to re-post this column. Why am I telling you this? I have no idea.

I Hate My Job

2006-12-29T19:03:00.000-08:00

Between the Holidays and the demon-fiends who run my factory deciding to hold a marathon inventory the week between Christmas and New Year when EVERY OTHER PERSON ON EARTH is spending most of their time figuring out where they're getting plastered this weekend I haven't had much time to follow up on all that big "Aaaaaand We're Back!" talk, but before I collapse after another day of guiding non-English-speaking people through the complicated process of pointing a scanner and pushing a button I'd like to share some thoughts:

- GREAT win for the 'Noles against UCLA! After this up-and-down-and-then-further-down-and-then-getting-shutout-by-Wake season it feels almost embarrassingly good to whup on on some sorry West Coast team (thank God for those Pac-10 defenses!). Bobby got another bowl win, LoBo had the game of his career - begging the question "where the hell was THAT the last four years???" - and for once it was the other team's QB throwing a game-clinching interception! Good times all around. There will be more on the game later, but in the meantime check out Rocky Top Talk's bad-ass Drive Chart of the game...

- I hope you absolutely rip up the NFL Lawrence Timmons! Thanks for all the blocked punts, huge stops, and the MASSIVE hit on Tebow. Every year during recruiting season there's one recruit that jumps out at me and just screams "SUPERSTAR!" and three years ago Timmons was that guy for me. I just had a feeling about him from day one, so seeing him leave early is extra sad for me. Thankfully my Signing Day crush from two years ago (Everette Brown) is primed to unleash hell next year!

- The Barry Zito signing...unbelievable. I'm not even a baseball guy and yet I'm outraged and confused by the whole thing. First of all, the Giants are based right across the bay from Oakland so they should know better than anyone that he's one of the most overrated pitchers in the game. Second of all, what were the odds that someone would overpay the guy by $50 million and it wouldn't be the Yankees or Red Sox? And finally, $126 million bucks can either get you 15 wins a year and an ERA over 4.00, or it could solve the financial worries of 15,000 American families...I love this country but man our priorities are fucked.

- In light of the Timmons incident Drew Rosenhaus just jumped to #1 on my list of "10 People I Will Punch in the Face If I Ever Meet Them in Person". Here's the revised list:
1. Drew "Trust me T.O. this is all going to work out great!" Rosenhaus
2. George W
3. Carrot Top
4. Any member of Panic! at the Disco
5. Tom Lemming
6. Paris Hilton (I don't hit women, but since she's more of a soul-sucking demon I think it's cool)
7. Urban Meyer
8. Josh Hartnett
9. The guy from the Pizza Hut commercial who can't believe the delivery kid screwed up again
10. Terry Bradshaw

- Did anyone see 335-lb. Andre Smith score a TD for Bama? Orlando Pace is the greatest offensive tackle I've ever seen...Smith could be better when it's all said and done.

- Finally saw "Talladega Nights" over the holidays, after hearing how it was so much better than "Anchorman". Whaaaaaaaa? IT'S THE SAME MOVIE! Don't get me wrong, if you saw my Pre-Season Top 24 you know how much I love "Anchorman" but all Will Ferrell did was switch Vince Vaughn for Sacha Baron Cohen and Christina Applegate for Leslie Bibb! Obviously I still thought the movie was great but give me Baxter and "Sex Panther" any day.

- Best of luck to you Aaron Jones. We hardly knew ye.

- When will 5-star recruits learn that RON ZOOK CAN'T COACH?!?

- It's hard for me to say this, but Brandon Warren needs to go home. The kid is a phenomenal talent and I think he could be one of the best to ever wear the Garnet & Gold, but when your mom has cancer you need to be there for her. At the very least take a redshirt year and take care of her for awhile. Some things are more important than football.

- If I was a Clemson fan, losing to Kentucky would be the absolute last straw for me. Has there ever been a coach that rips the heart out his fanbase more than Tommy Bowden? If he just flat-out sucked it wouldn't as traumatic, but he keeps pulling this crazy yo-yo act where he makes everyone believe he's finally got the program on solid footing, everything is going great and the Tigers are on track to be a legitimate contender...and then they completely meltdown and destroy all the momentum they'd built up AGAIN. I mean, how does a team that looked like a top 10 powerhouse six weeks ago wind up losing to South Carolina and Kentucky to end the year? How??? Seriously, I'm asking you HOW? because it's IN-EX-PLICK-A-BULL.

- Within one week FSU will probably have a real, live offensive coordinator! I'm giddy. Bobby, I just want to thank you for the thoughtful gift, it's just what I wanted!

All right ya'll, I swear once the masters at L&P quit crackin that whip I'll get back to blogging to my heart's content. In the meantime have a safe and happy New Year, and GO NOLES!

Aaaaaaaaaaand We're Back!

2006-12-22T07:57:00.000-08:00

As much as I've loved my cool new fake job as a blogger this year, inevitably real life intrudes and the blogging must take a backseat for awhile. But thankfully my real life has begun to settle down and the blogging has begun anew! So just in case you thought I was too depressed by the regular season - and the upcoming disaster of recruiting season - to blog any further, fear not. I'd never give up on my 'Noles!

There will be a lot coming up in the next few weeks, but for the time being let me just wish everyone out there a safe and happy holiday. Merry Christmas and GO NOLES!!!

Who's The Best Man for the Job?

2006-12-01T12:11:00.000-08:00

The #1 question on every FSU fan's mind is "who is going to take over the offense next year?" While I worry that there may be deeper problems in the program than just the OC, there were several games over the past few seasons that FSU would have won had the offense merely played average, competent football and not handed the ball over to the other team like a relay baton. So maybe it's not a stretch to think that with a real OC calling real plays FSU could quickly find itself back in the polls and atop the ACC.

I've heard a lot of names tossed around the last few weeks; I even read a post on Warchant from a guy who went to school with Bobby Bowden's neighbor's son who knows for sure that Bill Walsh has agreed to come out of retirement to run FSU's offense. So that's pretty cool. And as excited as I am about the change I have to say that based on Daryl Dickey, Mark McHale, and Leonard Hamilton I'm not so sure that Bobby Bowden and Dave Hart are the best guys to make this decision. I'm already underwhelmed by their choice, and they haven't even chosen anyone yet. I've got the same sense of foreboding I got while walking into the theater to see Gigli, like I know things are going to end badly but there's no turning back. Okay, that's a lie...I never saw Gigli, but still.

However, if there's one trait that defines football fans it's that resilient optimism that let's us all believe our teams can win the National Title next season, no matter how ugly this season was. So just for the hell of it let's take a look at some of the possible candidates - some real, some rumored, and some merely wished for by yours truly - and see who makes the most sense, and who will actually wind up with the job.

Click on each guy's name for his bio...

Ugggghhh...You Can't Be Serious!

Larry Fedora
Current Job Situation: Offensive Coordinator at Oklahoma State

The Upside: He's done a good job with the Xavier Lee-ish Bobby Reid and the offense at Oklahoma State. Maybe he just needed some time to get his feet wet as a coordinator?

The Downside: He was the offensive coordinator at UF under Ron Zook, and while the Gators put up some decent numbers his offense was never inspiring. It always seemed like the Gators were mired in an miasma of pointless runs and endless bubble screens. He made FSU fans feel better about Jeff Bowden....that right there should tell you what you need to know.

Why He Makes Sense For FSU: Not sure. He's always mentioned as a candidate, but whether that's based on actual interest from FSU or posturing by his agent remains unclear.

Chances He's The Next OC: I'm going to go on the high side here and say 2%. He doesn't have any apparent connection to Bobby Bowden and he's got little to no support among the FSU faithful. He did have one of his best games as Florida's OC against FSU and maybe that stuck in the back of Dave Hart's mind, but I get the feeling that there's no real mutual interest between Fedora and Florida State.

Chuck Amato
Current Job Situation: Recently fired as Head Coach at NC State

The Upside: He's a terrific recruiter and a player's coach. He spent 14 years working for Bobby Bowden so he's obviously familiar with the staff. If he could get FSU to play as well as his teams always played against FSU we'd be back in the National Title hunt in no time.

The Downside: Chuck the Chest was fired by NC State for good reason. The Wolfpack killed themselves with more consistency and flair than any team in recent memory. Horrific turnovers and stupid penalties destroyed the Wolfpack in almost every game they played (except FSU, of course) over the past three years. For a team like FSU that's struggling to eliminate horrific turnovers and stupid penalties I'm thinking Amato might be a bad choice. Plus, Bobby finally stopped wearing those stupid Ray-Bans this year. Do you really want to see those abominations back on the sidelines? Me neither.

Why He Makes Sense For FSU: He's got head coaching experience now and he would help with the flagging recruiting effort. He's been mentioned several times on FSU chat rooms as a potential candidate, though I can't figure out why since he's a defensive coach.

Chances He's The Next OC: -250%, and that may be too high. Amato is a defensive coach who reportedly clashed with some of the other FSU coaches before he left for Raleigh. Bringing him back on the offensive side of the ball would actually be a step backwards, as hard as that is to fathom.

Terry Bowden
Current Job Situation: College football analyst for ABC

The Upside: Restaurants in the Tallahassee area would immediately experience a surge in business. But seriously, Terry is arguably the most successful of the Baby Bowdens, guiding Auburn to a perfect season in 1993 and following that up with a 10-win season the next year.

The Downside: Following those two scintillating seasons Bowden was run out of town by Auburn boosters, much like what just happened to Jeff and what's going to happen to Tommy soon. He hasn't been in coaching in over a decade and I have a hard time believing the players could take a pudgy North Pole-reject that wears WAY too much rouge seriously as the offensive coordinator.

Why He Makes Sense For FSU: He doesn't make sense AT ALL, so why does he keep getting mentioned on message boards? If every person on the planet was a candidate for the job I'd rank him as the third-worst candidate alive behind (1) Jeff Bowden, and (2) Saddam Hussein but only because Hussein is about to be hanged (I'm pretty sure Saddam could run a two-minute drill better than either of them).

Chances He's The Next OC: I want to say -1,000,000,000%, but with Bobby calling the shots you've got to figure there's a chance. I will now go snort a line of live fire ants.

Well, at Least He's Not Jeff

Frank Cignetti
Current Job Situation: Recently fired as Offensive Coordinator at North Carolina

The Upside: Cignetti is better known for his work as the Offensive Coordinator at Fresno State where he guided several prolific offenses. In fact, the other FSU fell on hard times as soon as Gignetti moved on. He's also coached a succession of well-known QBs including Aaron Brooks, Jake Dalhomme, Billy Joe Tolliver, and Paul Pinegar. And if that list of names scares the hell out of you, you're not alone.

The Downside: I can't get past the "UNC" on his reume. Their offense was abysmal this year, and I only use "abysmal" because I already used "horrific" a few blurbs ago.

Why He Makes Sense For FSU: His father coached under Bobby Bowden at West Virginia and actually succeeded Bobby when he left for FSU so Frank has a Bowden connection, and he would fill two crucial roles for FSU as an OC/QB coach.

Chances He's The Next OC: Thanks to the Bobby connection I'm going to put him up around 20%. I don't think that at this point in his career Bowden wants to bring in an unknown coach with no connections to the program. Cignetti is probably a guy Bobby's been familiar with for a number of years and feels confortable with, and I have to think that gives him an edge.

Marc Trestman
Current Job Situation: Recently fired as Offensive Coordinator at NC State

The Upside: Trestman has a wealth of experience both at the collegiate level and in the NFL.

The Downside: Frankly, it scares the crap out of me that two names being tossed around for the job are the former OC's at UNC and NC State - two of the worst offensive teams in a conference defined by weak attacks. This past season NC State continually ignored their biggest asset, namely a loaded backfield, and after the past six years do we really want a guy who can't get the running game going? Also, he spells Marc with a "c", which bugs the hell out of me.

Why He Makes Sense For FSU: Perhaps his NFL experience could come in handy with play-calling and recruiting. Beyond that I see little upside. He's only on this list due to message board chatter.

Chances He's The Next OC: He's not a hot name and he has little to no connection to Bowden. 0.0001%

Brad Scott
Current Job Situation: Offensive Line Coach at Clemson

The Upside: Everyone knows that FSU must improve their OL and Scott's done a tremendous job with the line at Clemson. Oh, and he was the Offensive Coordinator for FSU's first National Championship team or something.

The Downside: After his tremendous success at FSU Scott left to become the Head Coach at South Carolina. Now he's the OL Coach at Clemson. In other words, things didn't go well. His offenses have been underwhelming without Charlie Ward at the helm, and as much as I'd like him for the OL I don't know if I want him calling plays. Plus I think he burned some bridges on his way out of Tallahassee.

Why He Makes Sense For FSU: Could help us as both OC and OL Coach and is very familiar with Bobby Bowden and most of the staff. His players love him and he'd provide a nice link between the program's past and its present.

Chances He's The Next OC: He's currently employed by Tommy Bowden at Clemson and there's rumors of bad blood between him and the FSU staff, so let's go with 7%

What is This Odd Sensation? It Almost Feels Like...Hope!

Larry Coker
Current Job Situation: Recently fired as Head Coach at Miami

The Upside: Coker was the OC for the great Hurricane teams of the early 00's. He's a strong recruiter and a class act.

The Downside: Miami's downfall was the same as FSU's - a listless, punchless offensive attack that couldn't use it's playmakers properly. Also, who would he bring with him? At one point he had a strong offensive staff under him, but after firing guys like Art Kehoe last winter would he bring the staff that just got him fired at UM? Yikes.

Why He Makes Sense For FSU: Coker and Bowden seem to have a lot of respect for each other and I could see them working well together. Coker's the type of gracious, classy gentleman that I'm sure Bobby would like to have around and he runs a smart, run-oriented offense.

Chances He's The Next OC: Since I added him to this list despite never hearing him mentioned as a candidate it's probably safe to say the odds are between slim and none. But I still think he'd be a better choice than most of the guys that are actually up for the job.

Chris Hatcher
Current Job Situation: Head Coach at Valdosta State University

The Upside: Hatcher's "Air Raid" offense has been extremely successful at the Div-II level and is often compared to the "Fast Break" offense FSU employed during the '90s. Hatcher rode his explosive offense to the 2004 Division-II National Championship and Coach of the Year honors. Check out this resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives commending him! Hatcher is also a proven asset as a QB coach, working with #1 overall pick Tim Couch and winning his ring with former FSU QB Fabian Walker.

The Downside: Would Hatcher's pass-happy offense work at this level? Can he run a balanced offense that will take advantage of Antone Smith's skills? Does he have enough experience?

Why He Makes Sense For FSU: Explosive offense is what put FSU on the national radar and Hatcher brings the mindset to make FSU a big-time passing offense again. His experience level is a question mark, but considering what Arkansas accomplished this year with a high school coach running their offense it's kind of hard to hold the "Div-II coach" thing against him.

Chances He's The Next OC: Chris Hatcher is a young, energetic, creative coach. I think he's exactly the sort of guy we should be going after. However, he's being considered by a group of men that aren't young, aren't energetic, and aren't all that creative. That could work against him. Let's say 25%.

That Sound You Hear is the Rest of the ACC Wetting Themselves

Al Borges
Current Job Situation: Offensive Coordinator at Auburn

The Upside: A talented OC and QB Coach, Borges won the Frank Broyles award as the nation's top assistant in 2004 for his work in turning around Auburn's underachieving offense. More importantly, he transformed Jason Campbell from an indecisive mess into a poised, accurate first-round draft pick.

The Downside: Ummmm...hold on, I'm still thinking...well, he's moved around a lot. How's that?

Why He Makes Sense For FSU: I think it is critical for FSU to get an Offensive Coordinator who is also the QB Coach, and Borges has been handling those duties for the last 20 years with great success, getting both Campbell and Cade McKnown into the first round of the draft. He's recruited well for Auburn and he's an old-school coach that I would expect to mesh very well with Bobby Bowden.

Chances He's The Next OC: I threw him in here as one of my two Dream Candidates so the odds aren't good. How does 5% sound?

George Henshaw
Current Job Situation: Running Backs Coach and Offensive Assistant for the New Orleans Saints

The Upside: NFL experience and loads of it. Henshaw spent the last 18 years on NFL sidelines, coaching every offensive unit and serving as OC for the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans. Two things that jumped out from his bio are the tremendous success Tennessee's tight ends enjoyed under Henshaw and the great running game he established in New York. Me thinks Brandon Warren and Antone Smith might be excited to hear about that.

The Downside: My only reservation about Henshaw is recruiting. He's been in the pro game for almost two decades now. How will he respond to working with a bunch of 18-year-olds and, more importantly, how will they respond to working with him? Miami made a similar move to bring in an NFL coordinator last winter and the offense actually regressed.

Why He Makes Sense For FSU: Honestly I wasn't that impressed with Henshaw until I read his full bio. On top of a great NFL coaching career Henshaw coached both lines at FSU and from '79-'82 he was the Offensive Line Coach and Offensive Coordinator. FSU went 21-1 over that period. Let's see here; extensive offensive coaching experience...check. History of coaching strong offensive lines...check. Close ties with Bobby Bowden...check. NFL experience...check. Any questions?

Chances He's The Next OC: He's got everything I think the men making this decision want in the next OC. I have to believe the job is his if he wants it, but lately he seems to be on the back burner. That could have a lot to do with the fact his current employer is in the thick of the NFC South race, though. I still think he's a leading candidate, so let's go with 65%.

Hello, BCS!

Jimbo Fisher
Current Job Situation: Offensive Coordinator at LSU

The Upside: Fisher has been at LSU for the last seven years and has led some of the best offenses in school history. He's a terrific QB Coach and his teams have always produced whether he had Rohan Davey, Matt Mauck, or Jamarcus Russell under center. He runs a balanced offense that takes advantage of its skill position guys, and he's won big games on the road against top competition. He's also a dynamic recruiter.

The Downside: He's clearly a guy on the way up, and even if he does make it to FSU without accepting a head coaching job at Cincinatti or some other small school the odds are he won't stay in Tallahassee long. Plus, his offensive coordinator at Samford was none other than Jeff Bowden! I don't know about you, but that scares the bejeezus out of me.

Why He Makes Sense For FSU: I think it's absolutely critical that FSU bring in a top OC who's also a gifted QB coach, and Fisher has had more success in that role than any other candidate FSU is looking at. Throw in his accomplishments as a recruiter and he's the total package FSU is looking for. But wait, there's more! The rumor mill has been churning, and word is that if Jimbo Fisher comes to FSU he would bring in former FSU great Lawrence Dawsey as the WR coach and current West Virginia OL Coach Rick Trickett. Needless to say, Seminole fans are absolutely giddy at the thought of that staff taking over our roster.

Chances He's The Next OC: I think the chances are pretty good that Fisher will come to FSU if he doesn't get snatched up by a small school looking for a Head Coach. With his resume I wouldn't be at all surprised to see that happen. I also hear money is an issue, but if we can afford to pay Jeff Bowden $120K a year NOT to coach we can certainly give Mr. Fisher whatever it takes to aquire his services. Along with Henshaw he's the best candidate so I'm putting his chances at 35%.

Steve Sarkisian
Current Job Situation: Quarterbacks Coach and Assistant Head Coach at Southern Cal

The Upside: This is the guy right here. I'm telling you, this is the guy. Sarkisian started coaching the QBs at USC in 2002 - also known as the year Carson Palmer went from career underachiever to Heisman winner and #1 draft pick. Then Sarkisian coached Matt Leinart in his first year when he led USC to a share of the National Championship. After leaving for a stint in the NFL, Sarkisian rejoined the USC coaching staff in 2005 just in time to coach Leinart's final season and oversee the transition to possible serial killer John David Booty. Part of the reason he returned to USC was the opportunity to help run the offense, and under the care of Sarkisian and OC Lane Kiffin the Trojans haven't missed a beat since Norm Chow left for the NFL. Sarkisian is also a gifted recruiter on the best recruiting staff in the nation.

The Downside: He lives on the West Coast, so shipping all of his stuff to Tallahassee is going to cost a mint. Other than that, he's perfect.

Why He Makes Sense For FSU: He's a young, creative, aggresive coach that fills the OC/QB Coach role that FSU is in such desperate need of. He comes from a program with a history of outstanding OL play, so I'm assuming he could bring along some good coaches for the line. He'd instantly add a winning mantality, a sharp offensive mind, and a great recruiter to the staff. And he went to BYU so I have to think he'd fit in well with the decidedly Christian bent of the current FSU staff.

Chances He's The Next OC: He's my #1 Dream Candidate, and if I was making the call we'd already have a secret under-the-table deal worked out, but in the real world I've only heard him mentioned in rumor and innuendo. I think Bobby would hold his relative inexperience against him and he has no connection to the Bowdens or any other FSU coaches that I know of, so unfortunately I'm going to have to go with a big fat 1%. Bummer.

I Hate Football

2006-11-28T06:48:00.000-08:00

The only thing that can knock you on your ass worse than a break-up is a break-up that's immediately followed by watching every team you hold dear getting embarrassed on the same weekend. Don't get me wrong; I'm proud of the way FSU hung in there and gave it all they had against UF, but the offensive ineptness is still shocking to behold. I miss my girlfriend, and I miss the 'Noles I grew up with. Here's what I saw on Saturday...

The Good

- As it's done almost all year the defense rose to the occasion. Mickey Andrews must have ripped a couple new ones at halftime because the defense came out fired up and shut down the Gators for the majority of the second half. The defensive line that's been so beat up this year played great, and all three LBs turned in vintage performances. Lawrence Timmons' hit on Tim Tebow may be the highlight of the year, Geno Hayes wreaked his usual amount of havoc, and Buster Davis played nearly every position at some point in the game - seriously, I saw him lined up at CB in the third quarter after he was defending passes downfield like a safety earlier in the game. I predict Buster will slip into the later rounds of the draft due to his height, then play 12 productive years on a consistently strong defense.

- The team really played their hearts out in this one. Even Greg Carr looked like he was trying. The seniors went out in style: Lorenzo Booker did the best he could with what he was given (6.6 ypc but only 10 carries) and Chris Davis made plays at every opportunity. Lost in the cesspool of the second half of the season has been the strong play of Davis, who finally morphed into a big-play threat.

- Special teams were actually pretty special except for Gary Cismesia, who's currently in the midst of his annual meltdown. Graham Gano boomed punts all day and Michael Ray Garvin provided a spark that had been missing from the kick return game all season, barely missing a HUGE touchdown return in the fourth quarter. Really, the defense and special teams were there; if the offense was even remotely competent FSU would have won. Seriously Jeff, good luck and all but get the hell away from my football team!

The Bad

- It's always tough to criticize the defense when they're the unit holding the team together, but Mickey Andrews had a tough day on third-and-long. Early in the game I was freaking out over the dreaded three-man rush and zone coverage that allowed UF to convert numerous 3rd-and-8 situations. In the fourth quarter Andrews finally heeded my advice and brought the heat on 3rd down...only to see Dallas Baker catch two long passes, one for a touchdown. Tony Carter was burned on both plays, illustrating Andrew's dilemma all year: he's been hamstrung by a secondary that can't make plays and a defensive line that gets little pass rush on it's own. Hopefully both problems can be attributed to youth, because FSU must improve both areas to get back to the level of defensive savagery exhibited throughout the '90s.

- Another massive Achilles' Heel for the 'Noles all year has been the dropped passes. Brandon Warren: I love you man, but you HAVE to make that catch.

- If there was any tiny shred of doubt remaining about the future of Daryl Dickey it has to be gone by now. You could present the tapes of FSU's last three games as Exhibits A, B, and C in a program called "How NOT To Handle a Two-QB System". You've gotta give Dickey credit for raising his game this season... when Chris Rix was here Dickey was only ruining one QB at a time, now he's managed to destroy the confidence of two QBs in the same month! Pretty impressive, Daryl!

- Other than QB play the biggest difference between the two teams was simply Belief. It looked to me like the Crocs believed they were going to win, while the 'Noles hoped that somehow they would pull it out. That belief is a powerful thing in football and FSU used to have it. We'll know that we're truly "back" when we see it in the faces of our players again.

- By the way, my other favorite college team is Georgia Tech and my favorite pro team is the Falcons. Nobody should ever be subjected to as much gawd-awful QB play as I watched over the past weekend. As bad as Drew was at least he has an excuse. Reggie Ball had a terrific running game and a sublime receiver at his disposal and still found a way to hand Georgia the game. The announcers kept talking about his "linebacker mentality"; the problem was he never developed a "quarterback mentality". He is officially the Chris Rix of Georgia Tech. As for Mike Vick, what more can you say at this point? He stole the spotlight when we won the '99 MNC and he routinely kills the Falcons. Let's just say I'm not a huge fan.

The Ugly

- Usually I talk about different aspects of the game here, but one play stood out above all others as truly deserving of the moniker "Ugly". Late in the first half FSU was flailing towards the conclusion of another four-yard "drive" when Lorenzo Booker got tackled near the sideline. Ten yards away, completely out of the play, John Frady "blocked" Florida DT Stephen Harris by diving at his kneees from behind. Frady received a Clipping penalty for the dive, but he should have been kicked out of the game. I don't care if he is a senior; that kind of crap has no business on the field and that kind of dirty play has no business at FSU. As competitive and clean as the rest of the game was that play disgusted me, and I've been a big John Frady fan ever since he came aboard. He set a terrible example that I'm happy to say wasn't followed by the rest of the team.

I've seen a couple other fans say this, and it definitely feels weird, but I'm actually glad this season is over. It's just been too awkward, too disheartening. With the changes upcoming on the offensive staff at least we can all hope for a better showing next year with a bunch of talented youngsters, and hope is a dish I haven't sampled since September. Bring on Oregon or Arizona or whoever the hell we play in the Emerald Bowl!

The Greatest Game Ever Played

2006-11-17T16:02:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm running late so I can't write much about this, but with all the hoopla surrounding the Michigan-Ohio State tilt (RIP Bo Schembechler) I had to mention that 10 years there was another "Game of the Century" between arch-rivals ranked #1 and #2. On Thanksgiving Weekend of 1996 Tank Black's - ummm, I mean Steve Spurrier's - Florida Gators strolled into Doak Campbell Stadium with a #1 ranking, a Heisman-frontrunner at QB, and a full complement of future NFL busts at WR. The Seminoles countered with Thad Busby, Warrick Dunn, and one of the greatest Defensive Lines in college football history. Colege football wouldn't see a game of that magnitude, with that much drama, and with so many stars on the field until Southern Cal and Texas played for the National Title last year. I sat down and figured it out one time: out of the 44 starters for both teams at least 40 would go on to play in the NFL, including future Pro-Bowlers like Dunn, Jevon Kearse, Peter Boulware, and Walter Jones.

Warrick Dunn: the man, the myth, the legend

On offense, Warrick Dunn was the hero for the 'Noles, playing like a man possessed and rushing for an awe-inspiring 186 yards. On defense, the 'Noles kicked the ever-loving shit out of Weurffel from start to finish. In fact, that was the day Danny Boy earned the respect of most Seminole fans because he kept getting back up after getting flattened by Boulware, Reinard Wilson, Andre Wadsworth, and pretty much everybody else wearing Garnet & Gold. It was the greatest defensive performance in Florida State history, and remains my favorite FSU victory even ahead of the two National Title wins.

Just remember 'Noles: the greatest Gator team of all time got their punk-asses handed to them when they came to Tallahassee!

GO 'NOLES!!!

Where Do We Go From Here?

2006-11-15T05:53:00.000-08:00

At last comes the moment the college football world has been anticipating all week. No, not the epic Michigan/Ohio State clash...it's The Chop Shop's take on the resignation of Jeff Bowden! Can you feel the excitement?

There's a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Florida State football program in the wake of the loss to, well...Wake, and the subsequent resignation of JB. Something this huge deserves preferential treatment, so without further ado we present a very special mid-week Good/Bad/Ugly covering the aftermath of the game and the potential future for the Seminoles:

The Good

- First and most importantly, congratulations to my brother Stephen for getting married on Saturday! As Best Man, not only did I watch my little brother get hitched, I managed to avoid watching most of the catastrophe that occurred at Doak Campbell on Saturday night.

- Ironically the loss to Wake may have been the best thing that could have happened to FSU in the long run. It had been clear for some time that changes had to be made, but with FSU remaining competitive (albeit against sub-par competition) there was always an out for Bobby. In his interviews he could always point to a couple of mistakes that cost FSU the game, and for some reason the fact that these mistakes happened every week didn't seem to bother him. Well, there's no way to sugarcoat a 30-0 home shutout at the hands of a team that has less talent at literally every position. You couldn't blame injuries or youth for the complete lack of effort the team showed against the Demon Deacons. I said a while back that things were going to get worse before they got better - well, on Saturday night they got much, much worse. But the silver lining is that FSU finally has a chance to improve an offense that has weighed down the team for years.

"So let me get this straight - I've sucked at my job for

six years, but if I quit now you'll pay me HOW much?!?"

- Looking at things from a larger perspective, the loss will allow FSU to join the rest of the ACC in a badly-needed coaching overhaul. UNC got the ball rolling when they euthanized the John Bunting era and upgraded to Butch Davis. FSU is finally rid of Jeff Bowden. Miami is sure to fire Larry Coker soon, and hopefully NC State and Virginia will join the party after the season. In order for the ACC to blossom there had to be some serious pruning of the coaching ranks and it looks like the job is well underway.

- I promised more details on my experience at the game so here you go: after the wedding reception was over my brother-in-law Nick and I made our way to the stadium just in time for the fourth quarter. The security guard tried to stop us at the gate but I, emboldened by about a dozen Jack & Cokes, dashed past him into the stands. Of course, in doing so I completely abandoned Nick, who lives in Japan and had no idea where he was. Sorry buddy! I'm still not sure how security didn't catch up to me since I was still wearing my tuxedo and surely must have stood out among the 20-30 people that were still at the game. Anyway, I remember sitting in the stands with my head in my hands for awhile, and when I finally looked up everyone was gone and the field was empty. Now I'm a naturally inquisitive person so I started to explore a bit, and that's where things got wierd. Not only did I wind up getting into the luxury boxes and both locker rooms (FSU's is sweeeeeeet), but I eventually made my way out onto the field where, for the first time in my 24 years as an FSU fan, I stood on the 50 yard-line at the Doak! Apparently if you're wearing a tux people will pretty much let you go wherever you want. However, the night pretty much went downhill after that as I had no idea where Nick had left my car since I went to the reception in the wedding party's limo. I spent the next three hours limping around campus (those tuxedo shoes SUCK!) trying to make my way to the Civic Center. Many thanks to the kids at the Tennessee Street house party who gave me beer and cigarettes! And many apologies to Nick and my sister, who spent most of those three hours driving around looking for me. My bad. Anyway, in spite of FSU taking it's worst home loss of my lifetime it was a pretty fun night for me personally...

- A hidden benefit of the loss is that it inadvertently screws Florida's shot at the BCS Title Game. While Southern Cal closes their schedule with Cal, Notre Dame, and UCLA, the Gators will play I-AA Western Carolina and unranked Florida State. Assuming they both win out the Trojans will have better wins on their resume than the Gators, and although UF's loss to Auburn isn't as damaging as USC's loss to Oregon State the Crocs need to finish with a flourish to make up some ground. With USC already ahead in the BCS standings and their stronger schedule down the stretch, it's completely possible UF may not be able to catch the Trojans thanks to the weakness of FSU, and that fact gives me more pleasure than it should.

Any time a Gator gives you crap about
Jeff Bowden just show him this picture

The Bad

- Poor Xavier Lee! After watching Drew Weatherford get chance after chance Lee finally ascended to the starting QB role for Florida State. One of the great high school players in the state's history, it was obvious that Lee possessed physical gifts that Weatherford couldn't match and the team was more dangerous with him on the field. Well, I shouldn't say "obvious" because the coaching staff apparently couldn't see it. I don't have a problem with Lee being pulled from the game after throwing his second INT. I have a problem with him not being re-inserted into the game after getting coached up (assuming Darryl Dickey is actually capable of coaching anyone up), and as much as I love Drew I have a BIG problem with Weatherford being named the starter against Western Michigan. Anyone with eyes can see that Lee gives FSU the best chance for long-term success, and the steadfast refusal to give X a fair shake may go down as the biggest of many, many blunders made by this coaching staff.

Please don't go, X!

- One can only assume that more changes are in store for FSU after JB's resignation. Whoever the new OC turns out to be I can only assume he'll be allowed to bring in a new staff to replace the incompetent Dickey and the ineffective Mark McHale. So Bobby's choice for the new OC is of the utmost importance. However, based on his past few hires I can no longer say with certainty that I trust Bowden to make the right choice. For years and years Bobby enjoyed perhaps the best staff in the college football but in the last six years the only new hire that's worked out has been LB coach Kevin Steele. JB, Dickey, McHale, and Joe Kines were all disasters and I have my doubts that the trend will change when Jeff's replacement is brought in.

- Though I didn't watch the game it wasn't really necessary...I've seen that game every year since 2001. The play-calling was awful, outrageously stupid penalties cost us scoring chances, and you got the feeling the field was tilted at a 30° angle with the 'Noles playing uphill all day. I saw that game in 2001 against UNC, in 2002 against Notre Dame, in '03 against Clemson, in '04 against Florida, in '05 against Clemson and UF, and in 2006 against...well, just about everybody. It's been a tough century for FSU fans.

The Ugly

- I'm not so sure the new Offensive Coordinator will be picked by Bobby Bowden. I recently wrote that he would stay for at least two more years, but in the wake of JB's resignation you have to wonder if Bobby sees it all slipping away. Everyone knows he didn't want Jeff to leave and he's understandably upset about the way things have gone down. Nobody wants to see Bowden go out this way, but at this point in his career if he feels like he's losing control over the program he built from the ground up he may just decide to walk away - wins record be damned - and that would be a shame after all he's done for FSU. As much as I hated seeing the offense suffer and the team regress, I've always felt that Bobby deserved to go out his way, and this ain't it.

- FSU sits in one of the toughest recruiting regions of the country with Georgia to the north, Alabama, LSU, and Auburn to the west, Florida to the east, and Miami to the South. Any hiccup in recruiting can lead to a talent void that will be tough to make up. In addition, even one down year can lead to a situation down the road where you find yourself with a young team devoid of senior leadership...kinda like this year! FSU was already expected to struggle in recruiting this season but we may see a Chernoble-level meltdown if things really go sour. I'm already expecting Dionte Allen and Ahmad Paige to bolt, and they're FSU's only four-star commitments at this point. You can bet that the rest of FSU's recruits have been getting calls from coaches all over the southeast. This will bite us in the ass down the road, mark it down.

- The team did something on Saturday we haven't seen all year: they quit. Never a good sign. How will they respond after all the turmoil surrounding the team? Suddenly a win, even against Western Michigan, doesn't look like a sure thing. Yikes.

Through it all I'm proud to be a Seminole fan. Keep your head up 'Nole Nation for better days are ahead of us. Good luck to the team this weekend, and as always GO NOLES!!!

What the Hell Was THAT?!?

2006-11-14T15:39:00.000-08:00

The nice thing about FSU getting completely and utterly humiliated at home against Wake Forest is that it makes the post-game column really easy to write:

The Good

Everything...well, except for the actual game.

The Bad

See below.

The Ugly

Every single instant from kickoff until I woke up in the stands sometime after the fourth quarter had mercifully come to an end (more on that later...)

Random Thoughts on a Thursday

2006-11-09T20:30:00.000-08:00

- You know, Rule 3-2-5e has gotten all the attention this season, and I'll admit that it sucks, but not many people have noticed the impact of rule 4-2-0c, which states that "if a team wins a big game at home and then has to immediately play another big game on the road, especially if they have to play on short rest or at night, that team shall fall apart in the second half in a crushing loss." Florida was the first to feel 4-2-0c's effects, losing at Auburn after their big win over LSU. A few weeks later The Clemson Tigers fell victim to the new rule when they followed up a dominant victory over Georgia Tech by getting owned by Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Tonight 4-2-0c claimed its latest victim when Louisville, fresh off a huge win over West Virginia, saw its National Title hopes die when Brian Ito's mulligan FG split the uprights. I guess that's the danger of playing a game in which emotion plays such a crucial role. It's not easy to maintain the kind of intensity needed to beat a fired-up opponent, as several contenders have learned so far.

- "Excuse me, Coach Schiano? You have a call from a Mrs. Shalala. She says it's urgent...."

- Arrelious Benn to Illinois?!? Ron Zook is an unintelligible, unintelligent mess who's absolutely useless on gameday. And yet he pulls in big recruits every year! And you know what? That's fine with me now that he's not at UF. Obviously I would have preferred if Benn had signed with FSU, but since the alternative was watching a 5-star receiver sign with Notre Dame I'm glad he decided to waste four years with the Zooker. Enjoy winning tenth-place in an eleven-team league every year, Arrelious.

- Thank God North Carolina did the smart thing and wrapped up Butch Davis. Sure, he's going to use them like a dish rag and bolt as soon as he gets a better offer, but in the meantime he should make the Tarheels a competitive team again. He's a great recruiter and he's got the talent-rich Tidewater area of Virginia just to the North and all ofhis contacts in Florida to the South.

- Speaking of Florida, it's just another kick in the nads that FSU and Miami are sucking this year when one-loss Louisville and undefeated Rutgers are stocked with Florida-born players the Big 3 didn't want. Ouch.

- Back on that topic, Louisville's offensive line was a sieve in the second half. Greg Schiano's defense did a tremendous job bring blitzers from all angles, but many times the pressure was simply due to Rutgers' undersized linemen outhustling the Cardinals' front five.

- How under the radar is Cal? They were written off for dead after the Tennessee game, then they received a ton of pub when they bounced back blowing out team after team, and now they're invisible again. If they beat Southern Cal - and they should - they could win the Pac-10 and head to the BCS 11-1. And no one east of the Mississippi will give a crap.

- Okay if each of the following teams was to win out who do you give the edge to for a spot in the National Title game? It should be based on schedule and quality of wins, right? So who do you pick out of this group (with their four toughest games in parentheses):
1. Florida (LSU, @Auburn[L], @FSU, Arkansas)
2. Auburn (LSU, Arkansas[L], Florida, @Alabama)
3. Southern Cal (@Oregon State[L], Oregon, Cal, Notre Dame)
4. Notre Dame (@Georgia Tech, Penn State, Michigan[L], @ Southern Cal)
5. Cal (@Tennessee[L], Oregon, UCLA, @Southern Cal)
6. Texas (Ohio State[L], @Oklahoma, @Nebraska, Texas A&M)
7. Arkansas (Southern Cal[L], @Auburn, Tennessee, LSU)

That's a tough one. It should be fun finding out!

Miami's Bryan Pata Shot and Killed

2006-11-07T19:57:00.000-08:00

My heart goes out to his family, friends, and teammates. This is terrible, shocking news and at a time like this football just sort of shrinks away. My deepest condolences go out to Canes everywhere.

R.I.P. Bryan Pata

B(C)S Solutions

2006-11-07T12:35:00.000-08:00

Come on, you didn't think I was going to just bitch and bitch about the B(C)S without offering some constructive solutions did you? I'll leave that to the professionals! I've developed a system that I think would be fair, would fit into the current system, and would ensure that the worthy teams were given a shot at the National Championship every year. Without further ado, The Chop Shop proudly presents the real Bowl Championship Series...

CHANGES

- First of all, EVERY conference becomes a BCS conference as long as they meet certain criteria. Automatic bids to the BCS are history, since every I-A conference that meets the minimum requirements is eligible.

- In order to become eligible for the BCS a conference must have at least 10 members and must stage a Conference Championship Game. If a conference has 10 members each team must play every other team in the conference, just like the Pac 10 does today. The two teams with the best conference records then meet for the Conference Championship. If a conference has 12 members they must be split into divisions with the division winners meeting for the Conference Championship, just like the Big XII does today. The championship games essentially serve as a de facto playoff round.

- After the Conference Championship Games the BCS Standings will be used to place eight teams into the BCS just like they do now, only there will be a Strength of Schedule factor in the rankings to discourage teams from scheduling cupcakes. Games against I-A opponents will carry a weighted score from 0.1 to 1.0. The tougher the opponent the more heavily the win is weighted. Games against I-AA opponents will have a NEGATIVE SOS rating from -0.1 to -1.0

- The six highest-ranked conference champions get into the BCS, as well as two wild card teams. However, if a conference champion is ranked below six other conference champions but is still in the top 12 of the BCS standings they take one of the wild-card spots. That should protect the smaller leagues that can't get the national recognition that the major conferences receive, while punishing major conferences that don't perform.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

- The 5th and 6th highest-ranked conference champions play against the wild card teams in glorified exhibitions much like they do today. However, the #4 conference champ plays the #1 conference champ and #2 plays #3 in what is essentially a four-team playoff. Note that YOU MUST WIN YOUR CONFERENCE in order to play for the Championship. Don't have a conference? Tough shit. Notre Dame, if you ever want to win another National Title you'd better get on the phone with the Big 10 or Big East pronto before all the spots fill up!

- The two national semifinals take place on New Year's Day, and one week later the two winners play each other to determine a true National Champion. The beauty is that the infrastructure for this system is already in place... the difference is that instead of a watered-down BCS with four meaningless games, we get two hugely important games matching great teams followed by a National Championship Final!

BENEFITS

- All conferences are included and everyone has a shot at the BCS Championship. The SOS component encourages teams to schedule tougher non-conference games, giving good teams from the smaller conferences a better shot at landing games against the big boys.

- Every regular season game is still important since you must win your conference to have a shot at the Championship. Just look at Auburn this year... their lone loss to Arkansas may keep them out of the SECCG, and under the Chop Shop plan that would eliminate them from National Title contention.

- There are never more than four teams that are really deserving of National Title consideration. Under this plan all of the true Title contenders will always get a shot at the Championship, and while there may be carping about the 4th and final spot in the Championship Tournament that's a hell of a lot better than arguing about #2 and having legitimate contender left out of the Championship entirely.

- Notre Dame gets screwed. Technically that's more of a bonus than a benefit, but I think it bears mentioning.

- The National Champion is determined on the field...and isn't that the whole point?

DRAWBACKS

- The one major drawback I can see is if a 10-team league such as the Big 10 (assuming they'd go down to 10 teams) has a game like Ohio State/Michigan this year where the two best teams from a conference play at the end of the season. The regular season game wouldn't be as important because there would be an immediate rematch in the Conference Championship Game. Unfortunately I don't see an easy fix for this scenario, but it would be a fairly rare occurrence so I guess we'd have to live with getting to watch two powerhouses go at it twice. Bummer.

EXAMPLE

- Assume that the system I've described was in place this year. For argument's sake assume Ohio State, Louisville, Texas, and Florida win the rest of their regular season games, and each wins its respective Conference Championship Game.

- The BCS would likely consist of those four teams, plus the Cal/USC winner (Pac-10 winner), Boise State (6th-highest-ranked conference champ), plus Michigan and Auburn as the wild card teams.

- Note that Boise State would be rewarded for an unbeaten season, while the ACC - which has been the definition of mediocrity this year - would be justly punished by having likely champion Georgia Tech left out (unless the Jackets could somehow climb into the BCS top 12). I love Georgia Tech and the ACC but I believe we should have a fair system, and if the Big East was in the ACC's predicament I'd have no problem with them missing out on the BCS, so it's only right that the ACC - and for that matter all the other conferences - should be held to the same standard.

- Michigan and the Pac-10 winner would play in the Rose Bowl, Auburn and Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, and on New Year's Day you'd get to watch Texas try to contain Louisville's explosive offense in the Orange Bowl followed by a clash of great defenses when Ohio State took on Florida in the Sugar Bowl. Tell me that wouldn't be a great day of college football! (and note that last year USC/Ohio State and Texas/Penn State would have been the prelude to the Championship Game. How awesome would it have been watching AJ Hawk and Co. go up against Leinart, Bush, and Jarrett!)

- A week later the Ohio State/Florida winner would face the Texas/Louisville winner to settle the Championship at one of the four BCS bowl sites, which would rotate in a four year cycle. The National Title is solved on the field and all is right with the world.

So that's it - my grand plan for college football harmony throughout the universe. It's fair to all conferences, it would be a HUGE money-maker, and it would require minimal changes to the current system. In other words it's perfect. Now you may commence picking it to pieces...

Mickey Andrews for President of the Universe!

2006-11-06T11:07:00.000-08:00

There are certain facts of life that I may never understand. For example...
- Why is Paris Hilton famous?
- What is the Dharma Initiative?
- How did Michael Rapaport ever get his own TV show? And most puzzling of all...
- How come when ESPN, Athlon, Sporting News and other so-called experts publish their pre-season previews and list the best Defensive Coordinators I never see Mickey Andrews mentioned?

Bud Foster's always in there along with Gene Chizik and Bo Pelini, and while those gentlemen are certainly worthy of the honor I don't believe any of them have coached multiple #1 rushing defenses like Mickey has, nor have they coached as many All-Americans and NFL stars as Mickey. Miami's Randy Shannon may match Mickey in productivity and star power, but Mickey's been doing it longer. Plus he's WAY more fun to watch! True, FSU's defense hasn't been as dominant the last few years as it was in the '90s, but a lot of that has to do with the 'Noles offensive struggles. Turnovers, poor field position, and the lack of long drives have repeatedly put FSU's defense in tough positions the last few years, yet they've risen to the occasion more often than not. In 2006 a new twist was added to the defense's woes: massive, crippling injuries.

That's two rings for Mickey,
one for Foster, Chizik, and Pelini

In order for Mickey to play his style of defense he needs run stopping beasts at DT, pass rushing terrors at DE, lightning-fast LBs who can hit, lock-down CBs that can play man-coverage, and play-making safeties. Thanks to unprecedented attrition he now has tackles and linebackers that used to be DEs, with a bunch of rookies at DE, more rookies at CB, and exactly two healthy safeties. And yet his defense just pitched a shutout. Unbelievable! Granted, Virginia helped out by dropping several third-down passes and their young QB Jameel Sewell hasn't yet grasped the concept of throwing the ball away, but the defensive effort was still mighty impressive and will do wonders for the confidence of a young but rapidly improving unit.

I had to mention all of this now since there's no room for "Spectacular" in the Good/Bad/Ugly format, but there's plenty more to talk about after FSU's first shut-out in three years so away we go...

The Good
- In his second career start Xavier Lee overcame a shaky start to record another strong outing. The passing numbers won't blow you away (12-for-25, 184 yards and 1 TD) but Lee added 49 yards rushing and was much sharper in the 2nd half once he settled down. His 37 yard strike to Chris Davis was a thing of beauty, and he made a couple of plays that simply wouldn't have happened with Drew Weatherford behind center. We love Drew, but the offense looked significantly less dangerous when he entered the game in the 4th quarter. If Xavier continues to develop and gets more consistent the FSU offense is going to be dangerous once again.

You have much much to learn young
grasshopper. But DAMN you're fast!

- Pass protection was excellent again. Virginia's no slouch on defense and they play a tricky 3-4 scheme but the Seminole OL kept Xavier Lee's jersey pretty clean all day. In addition to the line I noticed the backs doing a great job of blitz pick-up, especially Lorenzo Booker.

- The receivers are starting to play like men out there, led by senior Chris Davis. If Davis had played this way all season he'd be a Biletnikoff finalist, but at least he's finally turning it on. Greg Carr was mysteriously quiet, but Brandon Warren and Caz Puirowski made up for his absence. In fact, those two may form the best TE tandem FSU has ever had. Warren in particular is turning into quiet a player. And if you believe the rumors about the Caz Twins, Mr. Puirowski may be quite a “player” in his own right.

Davis has kicked his game into high gear

- Davis is also starting to pick up his game on punt returns. He averaged 12.4 yards per return and looks approximately 350% more comfortable fielding punts than he did early in the year. Willie Reid grew as a punt returner last season to the point that he was a threat to take it to the house on every return. Chris Davis has the talent to be just as dangerous as Reid if he continues to improve at his present rate.

- Myron Rolle is really coming on strong. I covered the defense in the opening, but young Mr. Rolle deserves special mention after playing a whale of a game. After all the pre-season hype Myron was fairly quiet the first half of the season, to the point that I wondered whether his shoulder was still bothering him, but he's really started to assert himself the last few games and was all over the field against Virginia. He made tackle after tackle - several of the Jack'd Up! variety - and played like a veteran, sniffing out several screens and play-actions. He's got to stay healthy now that he doesn't have a back-up, and I'd like to see him start making more plays against the passing game, but he's already living up to his five-star ranking.

Myron Rolle: the man, the myth, the legend

- No turnovers! FSU was -6 in turnover differential during their disappointing 4-4 start. Against the Cavaliers the 'Noles were +2, including Tony Carter's interception return for a touchdown. In a related story, the 'Noles picked up a W on Saturday.

- The kicking game was excellent again. Gary Cismesia nailed a 44 yard FG and Graham Gano averaged over 40 yards per punt. How we can get a great kicking performance in a season when every other unit has struggled is beyond me. I just hope it keeps up, because this is one area where we might have a decided advantage against UF.

The Bad
- The offensive production in the first half has been pretty poor all season, and that trend continued against the Cavs with the Seminole offense posting -9 yards of offense in the 1st quarter. In losses to Clemson, BC, and Maryland the 'Noles kept digging themselves into holes they couldn't get out of. Thanks to the dominant defensive performance that wasn't the case against Virginia, but the 'Noles can't keep trying to mount a comeback every week. If we fall behind against Wake Forest and their stingy, ball-hawking defense there could be trouble.

- As good as the pass protection was, the run blocking still leaves much to be desired. Too many times the FSU linemen simply leaned against their man instead of driving him back. Virginia has a pretty stout DL, but the 'Nole OL still looks too timid in the running game and I doubt we'll see much improvement in this area until next season at the earliest.

Hey, YOU try finding a good picture of FSU's OL!

- Kicking coverage continues to be abysmal. Again, I doubt we'll see significant improvement in this area due to our forced reliance on walk-ons. Wake Forest and Western Michigan shouldn't test us too much in this area, but Florida will definitely make us pay for poor coverage and shoddy tackling.

The Ugly
- There's not much to complain about after a 33-point victory. In fact, the only thing I didn't like was Drew throwing for the TD at the end of the game. The game was over at that point so why go for the score there instead of just running for the 1st down and killing the clock? Maybe we were working on our red zone offense or something, but it seemed like poor sportsmanship to me. On the other hand Virginia knocked us out of the National Championship race last year, so I don't feel too bad. I just don't think we should risk the bad karma.

Look, I hate to complain after a much-needed win. It was a great performance for a young team and I love seeing a new spirit of optimism among 'Nole Nation today. Bring on Wake Forest!

B(C)S Questions

2006-11-03T09:07:00.000-08:00

In the wake of Louisville's impressive 44-34 victory over fellow Big East behemoth West Virginia the B(C)S Championship picture is starting to clear up. The problem with that clarity is that it exposes some pretty serious flaws in the B(C)S logic that could (and will) lead to much bitching and moaning once the participants in the National Title game are announced. If you're being fair this should be the list of contenders right now:

Ohio State
Michigan
Louisville
Auburn
Texas
Southern Cal
Florida
Rutgers
Notre Dame
West Virginia
Tennessee
Arkansas
California

That's every BCS conference team with at most one loss that's currently in the BCS top 15. Now you'll look through that list and say "wait a minute, no way are some of those teams contenders!" Well, that's kind of the point. Teams such as Rutgers and Arkansas have no realistic shot at making it to Glendale, despite the fact that they could wind up with a resume as good or better than the so-called contenders above them...

Consider Rutgers' case: so far they're 8-0 with a Heisman candidate at RB who's leading the nation in rushing. Over their final four games they play #5 Louisville and #3 West Virginia. Should Rutgers win out they could boast an undefeated season with wins over two top 10 teams...just like Michigan. Yet there's absolutely no way Rutgers will play for the National Championship.

Consider Arkansas' case: so far they're 7-1 with a Heisman darkhorse at RB who's leading the SEC in rushing. Over their final four games they play Tennessee and Louisville, with a potential rematch against the Vols or a showdown with Florida in the SECCG. Should Arkansas win out they would own victories over Auburn, LSU, Tennessee, and possibly Florida which would be the strongest resume in the SEC and would trump either Texas or the Ohio State/Michigan loser. Yet there's absolutely no way Arkansas will play for the National Championship.

And what about West Virginia? Should they win out they would have one loss on their record - a 10-point road loss to a top 5 team - that would be a "better" loss than Auburn's or Texas' losses. If Louisville loses to either Pitt or Rutgers does West Virginia leap back into contention based on having the "best" loss of any one-loss team? Of course not... West Virginia's title hopes died last night. But is that fair when Auburn is still a contender?

And then there's Texas, who was blown out at home in their biggest game of the year and have narrowly escaped defeat the last two weeks against one average team (Nebraska) and one bad team (Texas Tech). They play in a remarkably weak conference, so why are they getting a free pass when on paper they have one of the weaker resumes out there? If they win out they're only behind a one-loss SEC champ in the line for National Title Game participation.

My point is that at the end of the season every team should be judged based on what they've done - who've they beaten, where, and by how much - yet there is clearly a bias when it comes to picking teams for the Championship game, and that bias is very much a product of the pre-season polls. Why are we using polls that are based on assumptions and speculation and applying them at the end of the year when there's a full season of empirical evidence to guide us?

I realize this is an old argument at this point, but could we just go ahead and agree that the 'C' in BCS is extraneous..."BS" is a much better description of the current system. What is the point of the polls if they won't objectively rank teams based on their actual accomplishments instead of their rep? Of course the answer is so plainly obvious that it will never happen... with an eight-team playoff we could be free of these ridiculous compare/contrast exercises to pick between teams with similar resumes. This season is shaping up as the perfect example of why we need to get rid of the ludicrous system currently in place in favor of a decent, respectable playoff system. Kind of like every other sport on the planet.

Not that it would do FSU any good, but still...

Random Thoughts on a Thursday

2006-11-02T06:35:00.000-08:00

It's November, which means that while the weather's getting cold college football is heating up. The big conference-deciding showdowns kick off tonight when West Virginia visits Louisville (more on that later) and continue throughout the month building up to the (hopefully) epic Ohio State/Michigan showdown that will close out the regular season. There's just too much going on at FSU and around college football to write columns about all of it, so here's what's been floating around my head the last couple of days...

- X marks the spot? While I enjoyed Xavier Lee's outstanding debut as a starter as much as the next 'Nole I think the Heisman-hype may be a bit premature. That's the first time Xavier has looked good in an FSU uniform and it came in a situation in which there was absolutely no pressure. He found out he was starting just before the game so he didn't have time to think, all he did was go out and make plays. But what happens when he does have time to think? Will he get nervous once the pressure's on? How will he respond this week in a situation where he's expected to produce in front of a home crowd? I want to see X succeed as much as anyone, but right now he's a rookie with an 0-1 record. Let him grow into the job before declaring him the next Charlie Ward.

Are you the Chosen One?

- For the ACC to rebound from it's slump to the bottom of the BCS barrel there must be an infusion of fresh coaching talent throughout the league, which makes UNC's new head honcho a big deal for a league looking to regain the respect it's lost in 2006. The Big East's growing rep has been built on the solid foundations laid down by Rich Rodriquez, Bobby Petrino, and Greg Schiano. North Carolina must find a similarly gifted, dynamic coach to replace the rotund John Bunting in order to put the ACC back on the road to recover. UNC has money, facilities, and talent in the high school ranks. A decent coach could build a solid program there...a great coach could build a monster. Here's hoping they stay clear of the trendy Gene Chizik (another DC in the mold of Carl Torbush and Bunting) in favor of a proven winner from a smaller school, along the lines of a Jim Tressel. Whatever the Tarheels decide to do, they should move quickly before the coaching searches at Miami, NC State, and maybe Virginia start up in earnest.

Can't figure out why the ACC sucks? I'll give you three hints...

- Is it just me or is Troy Smith successfully executing the most boring, unremarkable Heisman campaign of all time? The guy's made one exciting play all year, yet he's unassailable in the race for the stiff-armed statue thanks to the superiority of the talent around him and the struggles/injuries of Brady Quinn and Adrian Peterson. It's just that kind of year...nothing really jumps out at you. Ohio State isn't as good as they were last year, yet they've been a comfortable #1 all season and their only competition appears to be a Michigan team that is defensively stout but inconsistent offensively. Maybe some enjoy the mess of mediocrity this season but I prefer last year when two juggernauts rumbled headlong through the regular season on the path to a National Championship collision. But maybe it is just me...

The next Vince Young... or the next Geno Torretta?

- I don't know how feasible it is considering his current employer, and I don't know if there's some history that would make it difficult, but I for one would love to see current Clemson OL coach Brad Scott return to the Florida State coaching ranks. Scott was the OC for the beginning of FSU's dynasty run and coached Charlie Ward before leaving for the South Carolina job. While things didn't work out in Columbia, Scott's a good coach and great offensive mind. I'd love to see Bobby bring Brad back to Tallahassee as QB Coach/Co-Offensive Coordinator in order to maximize Xavier Lee's abilities and help Jeff Bowden infuse some unpedictability and precision in the offense.

- Are we still pretending the SEC is that tough this year? Let's see what has become of the league that was supposed to have six MNC contenders this year... in the West, Alabama's offense has actually regressed from last year's inept unit, Auburn's offensive scheme is called "Kenny Irons", and LSU can't beat anyone with a pulse. Arkansas narrowly escaped Bama and Vandy and was destroyed by Southern Cal, and ff the SEC is going to base a large portion of its rep on Tennessee's thrashing of California they must also take the hit for Arkansas' beat-down at the hands of the Trojans. In the East the Vols have made a nice turn-around but everyone seems to weigh their pasting of the Golden Bears much more than the close call against Air Force. Florida's defense is lights-out, but that offense make you want to turn the lights off so you don't have to watch, while Georgia's as good as their quarterbacks (in other words, not very good). UF in particular gets much love for squeaking by mediocre teams like Bama and Georgia. All in all these teams seem to be ranked highly because of recruiting rankings and hype rather than the product on the field. What else is new?
Overrated, overrated, overrated. Seeing a pattern here?

- If FSU can stay healthy next year you'd have to think that they'll improve on this year's record (hard to imagine they could do much worse), and the core of next year's team will be a bunch of sophomores and juniors, most of whom will be back in 2008. With a potentially good team and an easier schedule in '08, can I go ahead and assume that Bobby Bowden will be back to take another shot at a third ring after next season? Hey, if he revamps his offensive staff in the off-season he might even have a legitimate shot at it. All I'm saying is, all those fans who are holding out hope that 2007 will be Bobby's swan song may want to brace themselves for disappointment. Barring health issues I think the Bowden era will continue for at least two more years.

- How thankful is the Big XII for the ACC's rough year? While everyone's busy trashing our five ranked teams and competitive division races nobody seems to have noticed that Texas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma are the only decent teams in the Big XII, and Texas has barely escaped with one loss the last two weeks while Nebraska just got spanked by Oklahoma State and the Sooners have disappointed on both sides of the ball. And the Big XII North is still the worst division in any BCS conference. As bad as the ACC is this year at least there's hope on the horizon. Next season the Big XII will be the conference everyone loves to hate on.
Texas is the only thing separating the Big XII from the WAC

- One thing's been bothering me the last few weeks: I know I'm seeing improvement in FSU's offense, yet we can't seem to score more than 24 points against anyone decent. If the execution is better than last year and the 'Noles have been putting together better drives recently then why hasn't point production increased? It took me a while to figure it out, but the key is field position. FSU has consistently lost the field position battles this year because of defensive inconsistency, poor special teams coverage, and lack of takeaways. The 'Noles are consistently forced to drive the length of the field, chewing up time, limiting scoring opportunities, and forcing FSU to play flawless football. In addition, the teams that score 30+ a game are those that can force turnovers and use special teams as a weaponm, and the 'Noles have been unchacteristically weak in both of those areas. The effect of the injuries on the defense gets a lot of attention, but you can't overlook what the losses of Marcus Ball, Jae Thaxton, and Tony Carter have meant for the special teams and FSU's ability to put points on the board.

Damn you BC, with your competent
ball-control offense! Damn you to hell!!!

- Poor Mickey Andrews. It's got to be killing him trying to stay patient with this young, reshuffled defense. He was forced to move his best pass rusher inside to DT, but the youngsters who are playing DE can't get much pressure so the baby-faced DBs are hung out to dry. So either he can blitz his LBs to get pressure which will force FSU's shaky secondary into man-coverage all over the field (see: Clemson loss), or he can pull the LBs back into zone coverage leaving the opposing QB all day to throw (see: NC State loss). There's nothing wrong with Mickey or his scheme, he just doesn't have the horses to play his brand of football this season. But when all looks lost I look at the projected two-deep for next year and see a lot of seasoned, talented players coming back a year stronger. My prediction for 2007? Pain.

- Speaking of which, allow me to wish a speedy recovery to Paul Griffin, Emanuel Dunbar, DJ Norris, Aaron Jones, Marcus Ball, Jae Thaxton, Derek Nicholson, Geno Hayes, Tony Carter, and Anthony Houlis. That's ten key defenders, for those of you keeping score at home.

- Unfortunately, considering the struggles and class-size limits of FSU and the coaching uncertainty at Miami, UF is looking at a banner year in recruiting, and for Florida that's saying something. Urban Meyer's offense will still suck, but in a state as talent-rich as Florida you don't want to see one school getting a big advantage like UF has this year. This will bite us in the ass in 2010.

- The Chop Shop extends a big thank you to Drew Weatherford for playing his heart out every game and leading FSU to the ACC Championship last year. Even if XLee leads us to the National Title and picks up a Heisman Trophy along the way Drew will always be one of our favorites for his toughness, his class, and his great work ethic. Drew 'da man!

- Note to the 'Noles: remember how Virginia got insanely lucky to beat you last year, hitting ridiculous play after ridiculous play? Rememebr how bad it felt to get knocked out of the National Championship race? For that matter, remember what it felt like to win an ACC game? What's say we get a little payback this Saturday and beat the living crap out of the Cavaliers for four quarters! Go Noles!!!

Seek. Destroy. Repeat.

Finding Ways to Lose

2006-10-30T07:52:00.000-08:00

Against Clemson we dug ourselves into a hole and came back strong only to lose a close game late. Against NC State we dug ourselves into a hole, stormed back to take the lead, then lost a close game late. Against BC we made numerous big mistakes but we played our way back into the game only to lose a close game late. Are you seeing the pattern here? In what has become the most frustrating FSU season in recent memory the 'Noles continued their trend of finding ways to lose to inferior opponents in a 24-27 loss to Maryland. At least Clemson is good. At least Boston College is decent. Maryland sucks. And they beat us. Fuck.

The Good
- Xavier Lee looked great in his first career start, completing 22-of-36 passes (with at least four drops) for 286 yards and 2 TDs, plus 50 yards rushing on top of that. X kept the 'Noles back in the game and made the plays to put FSU in position to win. It's clear that Lee can make plays that Drew Weatherford physically can't make. I don't expect him to look that good in every game but it certainly wasn't his fault FSU lost and I expect him to be the starter next week against Virginia.

XLee stood tall against the Terps

- Antone Smith may have cemented his role as the lead back. He runs with more toughness than Lorenzo Booker and is equally dangerous out of the backfield. He gets downfield quickly and can break tackles. Next season we need to quit rotating the backs and get Antone 15-20 carries per game.

The Bad
- The defense stepped up in the second half holding Maryland to just 37 yards and seven points, but by then the damage was done. The Terps sliced through the usually tough 'Nole D like a hot knife through butter in the first half putting up 20 points and almost 200 yards of offense. Ralph Friedgen did a good job of forcing FSU's freshman starters to make tough decisions against misdirection plays and the Terps were able to take advantage of great field position to get easy scores. What's really hurting FSU is that they have no playmakers in the back seven capable of creating turnovers so FSU is always forced to go on long scoring drives and always seems to be fighting the momentum of the game. The D has been heroic at times but with no depth they appear to be running on fumes.

- The offensive line did a decent job of blocking - even in the running game - but they continued to kill drive after drive with false starts and holding penalties. On a day when everyone else on offense performed pretty well it was the OL that held the offense back all day...with some help from the receivers. If Mark McHale is still employed by FSU next season I will be very, very disappointed (that goes for Daryl Dickey, too).

The Ugly
- Graham Gano had a tough day right after I praised his work so far this season. My bad.

- Penalties, Turnovers, and Mistakes. Where do you place the blame here? Of course you have to look at the coaches because well-coached teams don't beat themselves, right? But is it Jeff Bowden's fault that Greg Carr dropped a first-and-goal pass in the waning moments of the 4th quarter? Is it Mickey Andrews fault a bunch of walk-ons missed tackle after tackle on the punt return team? For the second week in a row FSU beat themselves with dumb plays and crucial errors. I got BC flashbacks when Carr fumbled in the first quarter, leading to Maryland's first touchdown. Then more flashbacks when the offensive line started killing drives with false starts. Greg Carr's big drop was a new twist, which was kind of refreshing, but the botched kick at the end of the game was vintage FSU. Every loss hurts, but when you outgain the opposition by 235 yards, your QB plays well, the running game is clicking, and the defense plays their heart out in the second half AND YOU STILL LOSE there's nothing to do but shake your head and drink heavily. Bring on Virginia!

Mid-Season Grades

2006-10-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know that we reached mid-season a week ago, but since I got a chance to attend the Boston College game I wanted to wait to grade the team's progress - or lack thereof - until after I'd seen them for myself. As much frustration and anger as there is in 'Nole Nation right now, if you look objectively there's also been a lot to like in this sub-par season. Keep your head up FSU fans, for hope is not lost. On to the grades...

-- A --

The Linebackers. Led by senior Buster Davis the FSU linebackers have been easily the most dominant and consistent group on the team. Despite losing starting WILL Geno Hayes and key back-ups Marcus Ball, Jae Thaxton, and Derek Nicholson the LB corps has continued to play at an extremely high level. Davis has been an iron-man as the only healthy MIKE on the team. Junior Lawence Timmons has been great in coverage when he's not blowing up running backs, and true freshman Dekoda Watson - a converted DE - stepped into a starting LB role against Boston College and delivered with eight tackles. If you want to quantify how amazing the LBs have been, consider that the DT position has been ravaged by injury yet the 'Noles still rank in the top 15 nationally against the run. Kevin Steele has done an amazing job with these guys and next year if Ball, Nicholson, and Thaxton can come back healthy this could be far and away the best LB corps in the nation.

The Freshman Class. A large part of FSU's downfall this year has been the forced reliance on freshman in key spots. Against BC a whopping FIVE freshman were forced into starting roles, and freshman mistakes contributed to the loss. However, when you look at the speed and skill the incoming class has brought to team it wouldn't unrealistic to say this is the best class FSU has brought in in a decade. Everywhere you look freshman are making huge contributions: TE Brandon Warren has been the team's most reliable receiving threat, LB Marcus Ball was a revelation at SAM LB and on special teams, SS Myron Rolle has been steady in the secondary, and the aforementioned Dekoda Watson has come up big wherever the coaches play him. And that doesn't mention the contributions of Caz Puirowski, Kevin McNeil, Matt Hardrick, Justin Mincey, or Patrick Robinson. When FSU fans howl about the state of the team they would do well to realize that while dark clouds are hanging over the current season the future is bright for the 'Noles new crop of stars.

The Kicking Game. After his debacle against Penn State in the Orange Bowl last year a lot of people thought that Gary Cismesia would be a liability in 2006. We all remember what happened to Xavier Beitia after his miss against Miami in 2002, and FSU fans conditioned to expect kicker melt-downs were sure we'd see "Weed" go up in smoke as well. Much to my surprise Cismesia has been a rock this season going 9-10 on FGs, with his only miss coming in the Troy debacle. Converted place-kicker Graham Gano has been outstanding at Punter as well. His average per punt has steadily climbed throughout the season, peaking with a brilliant performance against BC where he average 47.5 yards/punt and would have had two punts downed at the one-yard line had Joslin Shaw not gotten too cute with the first one. It's almost painful to think of how many times the kicking game has done in FSU in the past, only to see the kickers come through just as the rest of the team is falling apart.

-- B --

The Defensive Line. Despite being absolutely gutted by injury the DL has continued to produce no matter who Odell Haggins plugs in. It's hard to belive how many injuries have hit the Defensive Tackles, which looked to be one of the deepest positions on the team coming into the season. It's been so bad that DEs Alex Boston and Justin Mincey have been moved inside, hurting FSU's pass rush. Fortunately Everett Brown (another stand-out freshman) has stepped up and is starting to pressure opposing QBs with regularity. The rush isn't up to FSU standards, but with our best pass rusher playing tackle that's to be expected. In light of all the injuries you have to be impressed with the steady production of Andre Fluellen and the determination shown by the whole unit. Odell has proved once again that he's one of the premier DL coaches in America.

-- C --

Jeff Bowden. The running game hasn't progressed as much as expected, and in a few games we've seen the issues with Time-Out usage and clock management resurface, but Bowden the Younger has made unmistakable progress as a play-caller in this, his sixth season in the role. I wooul dprobably be rating him higher than this if not for the abysmal decision to throw short right before the half against BC and the tendency of the offense to start off slowly. Still, for the firsts time we've started to see signs of competence in the booth: setting up defenses, shifting formations, integrating the TE and FB into the offense, and long sustained drives are all signs that the light may be turning on for JB. The epic 99-yard drive against NC State alone is worthy of a C. We still need to get the offense going in the first quarter so we're not forced to come back all the time, and obviously the running game must pick up, but for the first time I'm starting to think that Jeff can be an asset to this team instead of a crippling liability.

The Running Backs. Obviously I realize that FSU's running game is still a shambles, but that has more to do with the offensive line than the backs. When given enough opportunities Lorenzo Booker and Antone Smith have shown that they can produce. And even when they're not getting carries they've been instrumental in the passing game, illustrated by pair combining for 14 catches for 150 yards against BC. FB Joe Surratt has provided the physical running the team lacked last season - though he's been mysteriously absent the last few games - and now that Jamaal Edwards is coming back hopefully he can start to contribute as well. I'm sure the backs are frustrated because as much as they've contributed there's no question they are talented enough to do so much more.

Drew Weatherford. Maybe too much was made of Weatherford's freshman season when he led the ACC in passing and showed tremendous toughness even as he killed FSU in a couple games. His progression hasn't been as great as expected and he's still prone to the killer mistake such as the game-ending pick against NC State. He struggles with his accuracy on long throws, he runs too soon sometimes, and his ball fakes are terrible. And you know what? I love the kid. He's probably the toughest SOB we've ever seen at QB, he works his ass off, and he's always willing to take responsibility for bad plays or bad games. I still think he's the guy for this team, and if you don't agree consider the case of Chad Henne, another talented QB who endured a shaky sophomore campaign and is now at the helm of the undefeated Michigan Wolverines. If we can get Drew some decent coaching (more on that later) he could be another great one for FSU.

-- D --

The Secondary. Oh, what might have been had Antonio Cromartie returned for his senior season! Instead of an All-American shut-down corner FSU has made due with some under-performing upperclassmen and some talented youngsters. The result has been a pass defense ranked 70th nationally, far below FSU's lofty standards. The loss of Trevor Ford looms large as JR Bryant has continued his disappointing career, forcing true freshman Patrick Robinson into the starting line-up at Boundary Corner. The excellent Tony Carter has been dinged up leaving the diminutive Michael Ray Garvin to take on the daunting challenge at Field Corner (where the DB is often in one-on-one coverage). Roger Williams, expected to be the leader of the secondary, got off to a terrible start missing tackles, dropping interception, and getting caught out of position time and time again. Myron Rolle has been steady and has played great for a true freshman, but we need him tobe more of a playmaker. The secondary wass directly responsible for the NC State loss and simply hasn't been good enough to allow Mickey Andrews to play his sstyle of defense. With the talented youngsters growing up in a hurry there's hope for the future, but if FSU is going to win out the secondary must play better NOW.

The Offensive Line. The sad thing is that a 'D' is actually an improvement from last season's 'F-' performance. The pass blocking has actually been very good. Drew hasn't been pressured nearly as much as he was last year, which has contributed to the drop in interceptions an dthe development of the short passing game. However, the run blocking is still abysmal. The line simply gets no push against the defense and FSU's backs are constantly hit at or behind the line of scrimmage. After an entire summer spent on conditioning and focusing on the run the effort of the line has been one of the biggest disappointments of the season. As if that wasn't enough, mental mistakes have cost the 'Noles dearly as well. For whatever reason whenever FSU reaches the red zone the OL tends to make a stupid mistake that kills the drive and costs FSU points. Against BC at leat 10 points were taken off the board by dumb penalties and bad snaps. It doens't matter how good our backs are, how much Drew progresses, or what plays Jeff calls - if the line can't block FSU won't win. Period.

The Wide Receivers. I really thought FSU's receivers were going to surprise the nation this year. It seemed that we had the perfect mix - the lightning-quick Chris Davis in the slot, the powerful DeCody Fagg patrolling the midde, and Greg Carr providing the deep threat. Unfortunately it hasn't worked out that way. Davis has been plagued by fumbles and drops, Fagg has been injured as usual, and for some reason Carr has disappeared from the game plan as FSU has gone away from the deep ball. What's left is a disappointing crew of talented yet enigmatic performers. The sophomores - oft-injured Rod Owens and drop-prone Richard Goodman - aren't going to provide any immediate relief, but freshmen Preston Parker and Damon McDaniel have looked great in limited opportunities. For FSU's offense to click we MUST get the receivers more involved in the offense. Hopefully that will start against Maryland thiss weekend.

Kick Returns, Coverage, and Blocking. As good as the kicking game has been, the return and coverage units have been well below FSU standards. Chris Davis hasn't been able to fill the void left by Willie Reid's departure, and the coverage units badly miss Pat Watkins, Marcus Ball, and Jae Thaxton. This is an area that is usually a weapon for FSU, yet with the notable exception of the Clemson game, kick-blocking and coverage has been a liability all season. With all of the injuries we may not have an answer for this problem until 2007.

-- F --

Daryl Dickey and Mark McHale. While Jeff Bowden takes all the heat for FSU's anemic offense it is these two useless individuals who should be taken to task. FSU fans realized long ago that our QBs tend to regress during their career, which begs the question "what the hell does Dickey do all day?" During the Dynasty Years the 'Noles enjoyed a steady stream of talented, fundamentally sound QBs. Then Dickey took over the QB Coach position and we've seen a never-ending series of bad reads and bad throws since. In addition, details like ball fakes, snap counts, and thorwing mechanics are apparently ignored by Dickey since our QBs never seem to improve in these areas. Our QBs deserve better. McHale was brought in to correct the lethargy and unfocused OL play that had become common under Jimmy Heggins. McHale's offensive lines can't run block at all, but at least he's a terrible recruiter! Bobby and Jeff aren't going anywhere, but for FSU to improve we must revamp the coaching staff on the offensive side of the ball.

So that's it. A promising season has been derailed by injuries, inexperience, and poor coaching. Note the mass of 'C' and 'D' grades and you'll see why this season has been such a disappointment. Although this season is done as far as championship hopes go, with our wealth of talented youngsters we must still focus on improving and getting ready for 2007 - and beating UF of course! The 'Noles have been right there in every game and are not far removed from being 7-0 right now. With better coaching and better luck we'll be right bak in the ACC and National races in 2007. Now the onus is on Bobby Bowden to make the right moves in the off-season to make that happen. The hope here is that the old man can see the problem and make the necessary changes to right the ship.

Here's to a better second half and a great 2007 season!

Thoughts on FSU/BC

2006-10-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

I returned from Tallahassee early Sunday morning with a heavy heart. I had just watched my 'Noles earn a heartbreaking home loss to Boston College. And I mean it - FSU earned that loss more than BC earned the victory. If not for a plethora of bad mistakes and a terrible call by the Ron Cherry-led crew I would have witnessed a 20-3 FSU victory instead of the 'Noles's third consecutive ACC home loss. To be honest I don't know what to make of this team - they play great in fits and spurts but they seem to find ways to lose big games. In any other situation I could blame injuries and youth, but after five seasons of excuses I have no patience for excuses. Anyway, here are my observations from the game...

The Good
- The crowd! I picked a great game to come back to FSU, since the crowd was hyped up for the Black Out. There were black shirts everywhere and the special black jerseys were much sweeter than I thought they would be. The stadium was packed and the Doak was rocking on every BC third down. Despite the loss it was a great atmosphere and I'm glad I went.

- The defense played their hearts out and stood tall despite all the injuries. Buster Davis and Lawrence Timmons were all over the field, and Andre Fluellen continued his excellent season. Roger Williams, who I called out a few weeks ago, played a tremendous game and Myron Rolle was in on a ton of tackles. I noticed youngsters such as Bud Thacker and Dekoda Watson making big contributions, and the young secondary played well for the most part. If not for the massive injuries I believe FSU would have challenged Michigan for the #1 defense in all the land. As things stand we just have to use this as a learning year for 2007, and it appears that many of our young players are well ahead of the curve.

- The offensive execution between the 20's was excellent. Coming into this game I thought BC would play field position, keep their defense back, and force FSU to execute on long drives...which is pretty much what happened. For most of the game FSU made that look like a mistake by running a short passing game and running for good yardage after the catch. I truly believe that Jeff Bowden had the right game plan for BC, and Drew executed the game plan very well for the most part. Drew looked finding the open man, plus he made several throws on third-and-long to extend drives. There's no doubt that the offense has improved from last season, though there's still a TON of room for improvement.

- The pass protection was good enough to allow the short passing game to thrive, and for most of the game Drew had a ton of time to find his receivers. The OL has looked really good in the passing game, and those who would question Jeff's game plan should look at the OL on pass plays vs. run plays to see why he went the way he did. As with every other facet of FSU's game, the pass protection was great for MOST of the game. On the two most important snaps for FSU - third- and fourth-down plays with 3 minutes to go in the fourth quarter - the line was responsible for the breakdowns, first on a bad snap, then on a missed blitz pick-up. Again, FSU failed to finish.

- Overlooked in the loss was the fact that FSU kicking game was outstanding again. Cismesia was perfect on the day and Gano was unbelievable at placing his punts inside the five-yard line. How ironic is it that when every other facet of the team is struggling the kicking game FINALLY comes around!

- Charlie Ward and the Seminole Tribe were honored during the game and the crowd gave both a warm welcome. It was pretty moving to see the REAL Seminoles and the greatest 'Nole of all honored during the same game. Just wish we could have sent them both home happy.

The Bad
- The offensive execution in the red zone was abysmal. Most people will look at the turnovers and say they're why FSU lost, but the 'Noles repeatedly shot themselves in the foot once they reached scoring territory, and those mistakes hurt just as bad as the turnovers. After FSU's first good drive in the second quarter John Frady had a false-start penalty that killed momentum and led to a punt. Later the 'Noles drove deep into BC territory only to have Frady bounce-pass a snap that Drew was forced to fall on. Field goal instead of a touchdown. And the back-to-back mistakes at the end of the epic 17-play drive in the fourth quarter prevented FSU from tying the game and effectively sealed FSU's fate.

- The run blocking was terrible. Bravo to Jeff and Drew for keeping Antone and Lorenzo involved in the offense, but some semblance of a running game would have been nice. For some reason all of FSU's running plays were draws and traps - slow-developing plays behind a line that hasn't shown it can hold its blocks on running plays. I don't have a problem with JB's play-calling going away from the run game because the passing game was working, but Mark McHale needs to get his guys playing better. They don't have the excuse of being injured this year, they're just not getting it done up front.

- The WRs are still mysteriously absent from the game. Coming into the year I thought FSU had one of the most underrated WR corps in the nation. Now I think they may have been OVERrated. Chris Davis had a big day, but he's been inconsistent all year. Greg Carr had man-coverage but he was only thrown to twice that I saw and we never challenged BC deep. DeCody Fagg was merely and afterthought (granted, he's banged up). Ironically, Jeff Bowden's insistence on NOT throwing any jump-balls may be hurting FSU's offense since teams haven't had to worry about a deep threat. It's a philosophical about-face that has me scratching my head right now.

- One possible reason for the WRs disappearing act may be Drew's struggles on intermediate and deep balls. Getting to see him play in person for only the second time it became clear that on throws deeper than 10 yards Drew really starts to struggle with his accuracy (another reason I liked JB's game plan of controlled, short passing). The big play has completely disappeared from FSU's repertoire in large part because teams can sit back in a zone defense, keep everything in front of them, and wait for FSU to make mistakes. Unfortunately, until we develop a running attack or a deep passing game that strategy will continue to work.

The Ugly
- Turnover and penalties lost the game for FSU, and it's a damn shame because the crowd, the players, the Seminole Tribe, and of course Charlie Ward deserved a win. FSU flat-out outplayed BC for most of the game, only to shoot themselves in the foot twice. When you can't score more than 20 points against good defense you can't afford to give the other team 14 points, yet that's what we did. Caz's fumble was the result of a true freshman trying to do too much. It's understandable and forgivable as long as he learns from the mistake. The interception at the half is another story. EVEN IF the coaches made the decision to try to get a little momentum back after BC's touchdown, what the hell good is a three-and-out pass going to do when there's 24 seconds left and your deep in you own territory?!? That turnover was inconceivable and unforgivable, and Jeff, Dickey, and Drew all share the blame. In their three losses FSU has been right there in position to take the game, and we've found a new way to lose each time. A lot of that is due to having such a young team, but the coaches haven't always put FSU in the best position to succeed either, and that play is a perfect example of how we keep losing games we should win.

- The crowd...I know I just gave them props earlier, but every time a run got stuffed the guys behind me would yell "keep throwing the ball!". Good idea bud, we should be totally one-dimensional! Every time a pass went incomplete the guy in front of me tried to start a "Fire Jeff!" chant. Excellent plan sir, since clearly it's Jeff's fault that Drew missed an open receiver. The nadir came with three minutes to play and FSU driving deep into BC territory, for that was the exact moment that the student section decided to start THE WAVE!!! I swear to God, this actually happened. Obviously the football gods were outraged because they killed the drive immediately. And frankly, I can't blame them.

So where do we go from here? On defense I really can't complain...the coaches did a tremendous job with a bunch of freshmen. The youngsters are getting invaluable experience and next year when Paul Griffin, Emanuel Dunbar, Letroy Guion, Geno Hayes, Jae Thaxton, Marcus Ball, and Derek Nicholson are healthy this could be a frightening unit. I would put FSU's defensive staff against any in the country, and this game just reinforced my respect for Mickey, Odell, Steele, and Colzie.

It's the offense that has me bumfuzzled. There's been undeniable improvement from last year in the play-calling, the pass blocking, and the execution. So why can't we score more than 20 points against good defenses? Why can't we get a balanced offensive effort against good defenses? Why can't we throw the ball downfield? Obviously coaching is the culprit, and I would love to see Daryl Dickey get his walking papers at the end of the season. Honestly, I think the man his been playing Minesweeper for the last six years, because he sure hasn't been coaching up the QBs. Jeff Bowden is a trickier problem. We know he's not going anywhere, but is he ever going to get it done? Before the season I would have said no, but after watching the team this season I'm not so sure. Many people feel that Bobby has relaxed his grip on the offense this season, and the improvements seem to coincide with Jeff's increased responsibilities. So who's to blame? Well, there's only one other place to look...

Being in Tallahassee gave me the opportunity to listen to the post-game show, and it was shocking to hear Bobby after the game. He was dead-on that we killed ourselves, but he didn't know if we had a punt-block called when the Roughing the Kicker penalty was called (we did, for no apparent reason) or if the interception was Jeff's fault or Drew's. He was out of the loop on most, if not all, of the strategic decisions made during the game. And while that may help our performance in fits and starts, what affect does it have on a football team when there is no central figure running the show? Is it possible for FSU to return to glory without a strong, smart head coach who can make the tough decisions in key games? My head says no, but my heart...says no. So I'm going to go with NO. This team has the components in place to be a good team, a championship team, but it lacks leadership both on the field and on the sidelines, and until that void is filled there will be another void in the hearts of FSU fans where championship memories should be.

The Top 24 - Week 7

2006-10-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

qOur long national nightmare is finally over…the Top 24 is back! Contrary to popular opinion I did not go on a two-week bender after FSU’s heart-breaking loss to NC State that rendered all Championship aspirations for 2006 null and void. In fact, my life has been taken over by a 120-foot-ling curing oven at work. Now that the parts that are supposed to be hot are hot, and the parts that aren’t supposed to be hot aren’t, I can finally get back to the important things in life: namely creating lists arbitrarily ranking college football teams based on my own subjective opinions. Hoo-ray!

Without further ado, the Top 24...

1. Ohio State (7-0)
W vs. Michigan State, 38-7
Last week, would have been: 1

2. Michigan (7-0)
W vs. Penn State, 17-10
Last week, would have been: 2

3. Louisville (6-0)
W vs. Cincinatti, 23-17
Last week would have been: 5

4. West Virginia (6-0)
W vs. Syracuse, 41-17
Last week, would have been: 6

5. Southern Cal (6-0)
W vs. Arizona State, 28-21
Last week, would have been: 3

6. Auburn (6-1)
W vs. #3 Florida , 27-17
Last week, would have been: 12

7. Clemson (6-1)
W vs. Temple, 63-9
Last week, would have been: 10

8. Tennessee (5-1)
bye
Last week, would have been: 7

9. California (6-1)
W vs. Washington State, 21-3
Last week, would have been: 9

10. Texas (6-1)
W vs. Baylor, 63-31
Last week, would have been: 8

11. Georgia Tech (5-1)
bye
Last week, would have been: 11

12. Florida (6-1)
L vs. #12 Auburn, 17-27
Last week, would have been: 3

13. Notre Dame (5-1)
bye
Last week, would have been: 13

14. Arkansas (5-1)
W vs. SE Missouri State
Last week, would have been: 14

15. Nebraska (6-1)
W vs. Kansas State, 21-3
Last week, would have been: 16

16. Oregon (5-1)
W vs. UCLA, 30-20
Last week, would have been: 17

17. Wisconsin (6-1)
W vs. Minnesota, 48-12
Last week, would have been: NR

18. Boise State (7-0)
W vs. New Mexico State, 40-28
Last week, would have been: 19

19. Pittsburgh (6-1)
W vs. Central Florida, 52-7
Last week, would have been: 22

20. Louisiana State (5-2)
W vs. Kentucky, 49-0
Last week, would have been: 20

21. Oklahoma (4-2)
W vs. Iowa State, 34-9
Last week, would have been: 21R

22. Boston College (5-1)
W vs. #15 Virginia Tech, 22-3
Last week, would have been: NR

23. Wake Forest (6-1)
W vs. NC State, 25-23
Last week, would have been: NR

24. Rutgers (6-0)
W vs. Navy, 34-0
Last week, would have been: 24

What Did I Ever See In You??? … Virginia Tech (#15), Missouri (#18), Iowa (#23) and Thank God. Now we can all stop pretending that Iowa’s good. Hoo-ray!

Black Power!

2006-10-19T14:11:00.000-07:00

This Saturday I'll be gracing Doak Campbell Stadium with my presence for the first time in three years. Needless to say, I'm giddy at the thought of watching FSU beat the almighty hell out of Boston College during the first ever Black Out at the Doak. If you want to meet me I'll be the guy in black yelling his head off. Stop by and say hi!

Home Sweet Home, baby. See you on Saturday!!!

Hope Is a Good Thing, and No Good Thing Ever Dies

2006-10-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

For some odd reason I've been feeling pretty good about my 'Noles and their place in the universe lately. Part of it is the fact that after last weekend's Spinning-Dragon-Kick-To-The-Nuts chain of events anything short of nuclear holocaust seems pretty good, and part of it is that there are some legitimate silver linings beginning to emerge around the dark cloud that has been the 2006 season so far:

- I thought it would never happen, but there's mounting evidence to suggest that Jeff Bowden's head is slowly emerging from his ass. Ever since the offensive debacle against Troy - which by all accounts had a lot more to do with Bobby mucking the gameplan right before kickoff than with Jeff's performance - the 'Noles have shown a balance and diversity in the offense that we haven't seen since the halcyon days of yore (btw, "yore" = the '90s). After two games FSU was averaging 23 rushing yards per game, good for 118th in the nation. However, in the four games since then FSU is averaging 160 rushing yards per game, which would put us at 41st nationally. Lorenzo Booker and Antone Smith have started to contribute big plays and JB has done a better job of mixing up formations and getting the ball to his playmakers in space. There's still a long way to go - the 'Noles are smack-dab in the middle of the pack coming at 60th in Total Offense - but the play-calling and preparation have been noticeably better the last few games. The 99-yard TD drive against NC State set a new high-water mark for the JB Era and got me all fired up. If we start to show some consistency this has the potential to be a good offense - who would have thunk it?

- Brandon Warren has emerged as a major playmaker. If FSU were undefeated instead of 4-2 Warren would be considered on the same level as Tim Tebow, Mitch Mustain, and Percy Harvin in terms of impact freshmen. As things stand he'll have to settle for being the best TE in the ACC in just his first year at the I-A level. If FSU can get Greg Carr going on the outside it would open up things even more for Brandon in the middle of the field. Hopefully he'll be ready to go against Boston College and the nation can get a good look at FSU's best TE since Lonnie Johnson.

- Drew. He hasn't had the kind of season FSU fans were hoping for but you've got to admire the kid's toughness and character. He takes huge shots and just keeps getting up. He never makes excuses and is always willing to take the heat. He's a leader, an inspiration, and a credit to the program. And he's only a sophomore.

- I'm not going to say anything about the offensive line until after the BC game. But I will say this...McHale is starting to make his mark.

- About a year ago the coaches seemed to make a conscious decision to put more of a focus on character. Certain malcontents were dismissed from the team and for the first time in several years the summer passed by without incident. Now, despite the disappointing losses, the team still seems focused and determined to get better. Meanwhile, down in Coral Gables the Hurricanes are stomping on FIU's logo...not the one on the field, the one on the players' helmets! The focus on good character is a welcome change for FSU and one that will produce benefits far beyond wins and losses.

- If we win this weekend it will mean we faced a 5-1 squad with perhaps the best QB in the ACC and beat them with a defense that has been absolutely gutted by injuries, with freshmen starting at DE, OLB, CB, and SS. Needless to say, I'd feel pretty good about the future of the defense if that happens.

- Mickey Andrews is still the Defensive Coordinator and Odell Haggins and Kevin Steele are still on his staff, so I think the above scenario has a pretty good chance of playing out.

- After last weekend's events it appeared as though the universe had tilted in favor of the University of Evil down in Gainesville. Then Urban Meyer got outcoached, Chris Leak wet the bed (again), Rex Grossman got completely owned by the Arizona Cardinals, and suddenly the Gator hype-machine went eerily quiet. Hopefully it will stay like this until basketball season starts.

- Looking around at Georgia, Oklahoma, Miami, and Michigan State makes me realize that Florida State's problems aren't all that bad.

It's a great time to be a 'Nole, ya'll. See you in Tallahassee this weekend for the BC Beat Down!

Bush Declares this "National Hate FSU Week"

2006-10-13T05:44:00.000-07:00

The loss to NC State last Thursday was tough to take. Coughing up a 10-point lead against a young Wolfpack offense that absolutely caught fire in the second half put me in an existential funk for a couple days, but that was nothing compared to the soul-scarring experience of perusing the college football media afterwards:

- Here Ivan Maisel delivers his eulogy of the Florida State program. I love Ivan and he's been a supporter of the 'Noles for a long time, so reading this was...unpleasant. Especially from a guy who wrote a column last year in which he promised to write "I will never doubt Bobby Bowden again" 100 times after the ACC Championship Game.

- Mark Schlabach leads off his Hot/Not list by absolutely trashing FSU, on the heels of his chat last week where he absolutely trashed FSU. If that wasn't painful enough, his body-slam is right next to a glowing report of UF's hot start. I don't love Mark and only recently started reading his stuff. He's not getting a Christmas card this year, I can tell you that.

- Pete Fiutak take not one, not two, but FOUR shots at FSU in his weekly column. I like Fiu and read his column weekly, so I don't begrudge him for his take on the loss. But still, four shots in one column? The horse is dead man, no need to keep beating it.

- Even the good guys over at Atlantic Coast Chronicles are calling for Bobby to step down.

- Shockingly, EDSBS is less than complimentary about the state of FSU's program. "Giddy" would be a more accurate description. After the Choke in Doak and all the times we used UF as our personal launching pad to the National Title game I guess you can't blame them.

- Here's a fun game: try and navigate ESPN's front page without finding sixteen stories drooling over UF. I've tried, and it's not possible.

Look, I've never been one of those guys who thinks the media has it out for FSU. If anything I think we've received an inordinate amount of support from guys like Maisel, Gene Wojchiekowski, Lee Corso, and Kirk Herbstriet over the years. We continually reaped the rewards of our high profile when we were winning, so I have no problem with the program taking a heap of criticism when we struggle. But DAMN it's hard ou here for a 'Nole! Surfing the web has become an exercise in landmine avoidance, as seemingly every columnist on the planet jostles for position to pound in the last nail in FSU's coffin. Maybe I wasn't paying attention, but did Penn State get this much grief when they went 3-8? Did Nebraska get this much grief when they jumped the shark? Did UF get this much grief after losing to Mississippi State? I don't know, I'm asking...

Keep your head held high 'Nole Nation. You're never as good as your last win or as bad as your last loss. We'll get this thing turned around - either under this regime or the next - and then our friends in the media will start calling us again, inviting us out to parties, and saying how they never doubted us for a second.

The Top 24 - Week 6

2006-10-12T19:41:00.000-07:00

The Top 24 is on hiatus for this week. There are a couple of reasons for this:

- My girlfriend's parents were visiting over the weekend so no writing got done then
- My boss is out of town leaving me with double duty, so no writing got done at work
- I just discovered I can watch "The Office" on YouTube, so no writing got done at home
- It's too damn depressing to write it without FSU in there this week

Look for a new Top 24 next week. I can already tell you it won't include Virginia Tech...

Real-Time Reaction to FSU/NC State

2006-10-08T08:53:00.000-07:00

Obviously I'm disappointed with how things turned out on Thursday night. I still can't believe FSU lost that game after the way they played in the third quarter. That was the type of situation, and the tyoe of game, that FSU's rep was built on, but they let it get away. This is one of the most disappointing losses in the last six years, and I'm not sure where we go from here. Anyway, this is how I saw the game as it played out...

1st QUARTER
- 'Noles on defense first, NC State guy falls down on 3rd down - looked like he had the 1st if he could have stayed upright, but it's a 3-and-out. Sweet.

- 2 rushed for 20 yards so far for FSU

- FUCK! Fumble...my friend Mel called me up and almost immediately Lorenzo Booker dropped the ball. I couldn't get off the phone fast enough...

- Okay, it appears that Booker was down but Kirk Herbstreit is giving the ACC refs WAYYYY too much credit if he thinks this is a gimme call.

- Wow, chalk one up for the guys in black & white! They got the call right. Hooray!

- By the way, reffing the game tonight is NOT Ron Cherry. Between the running game and the ref I'm giddy right now.

- Hmmmm, so pre-snap shifting by the offense - interesting. It's important to note that although the opponent last week was Rice that game was still important for the 'Noles because it was one of the few times we've seen some diversity in Jeff Bowden's play-calling. This game will be a big test of whether or not he can keep it going, and so far the results look promising.

- Bobby's glasses actually look pretty cool tonight. He's gong with the aviator shades instead of the beach-volleyball style Oakley’s. Hopefully this is another trend that sticks.

- Good lord this is the slowest ref of all time.

- Booker Baby! Big run for Lorenzo - the O looks great so far.

- You've got to put this in the end zone...

- 7 rushes, 1 pass so far

- Last year NC State won because they were able to keep FSU out of the end zone on several possessions inside the 10 yard line. Needless to say, I'm not thrilled with the FG after that drive, but I'll take the early lead.

- For the record, I'm not a fan of the all-white jerseys. I think we lost to Miami in the 2003 Orange Bowl in the all-whites.

- Weird play...Buster moves Fluellen over and Andre Brown promptly runs through the giant hole that was created for 10 yards.

- Fuck you Amato and your gay-ass trick plays.

- Seriously, it's like Cleveland from Family Guy is reffing this game.

- NC State's QB has gotten CRUSHED three plays in a row. He may not survive the night.

- Over/Under on penalties in this game: 37

- I take that back...it's more like Chris the retarded son from Family Guy is reffing this game. They seem mystified by how to spot this 5-yard penalty. ACC Referees, everybody!

- The safety's up for NC State. I'm just saying...

- Holy crap, what's up with Corey Simon?!? The ticker says he's out for the year due to a non-football related illness. Wherever you are, get well soon #53.

- NOOOO! Good God, not another one - Derek Nicholson is down...looks like a non-contact knee injury. What the hell did FSU do to deserve this?

- Oh man, Fowler just called this a "field position game". That's like calling someone a "possession receiver". Ouch.

- Two great young LBs gone in two weeks. Add in the massive injuries at DT and Tony Carter and we officially have no depth on defense.

- By the way, I kind of dig these new Cadillac commercials.

2nd QUARTER
- Okay what the hell, suddenly NC State looks like the '85 Dolphins.

- Are You Kidding Me!?! Geno Hayes is down...please god be okay.

- Good Lord - ridiculous play for a TD. 7-3 NC State. Trestman did away with the fancy stuff, went to 3- and 5-step drops and had Evans just throw it to a spot. And it worked. Plus two LBs are hurt. I hate this game right now.

- Wowwowwowwowwow, great play by Drew to spin away from trouble and find Booker for 73 yards on 3rd-and-10! And MY GOD what a cheap shot by NC State on Drew after the play!!! Say whatever you want about Drew Weatherford, but the kid is tough.

- Greg Carr here maybe? 2nd-and-goal at the 2...nope. Now 3rd-and-Goal...

- Dammit! Still having trouble in the red zone. Can't settle for FGs down here.

- Son of a bitch! Another game, another opposing QBs Dad is the center of attention. I swear this is bad mojo for FSU

- Geno on the sack!!! Thank God he's okay!

- Good lord, terrible penalty on the punt return. We could have had the ball on the 40-yard-line if not for that stupid holding. Sill, starting at midfield's not bad.

- Okay, this is big...3rd-and-1 calls have been bad for FSU...and fuckfuckfuck. Tank Tyler with a big stop. Opportunity squandered.

- Huh, this must be what it's like playing against FSU...NC State has no running game and they're throwing up jump balls every down.

- YEAH, CHRIS DAVIS BABY! That's how you play the jump-ball offense! 'Noles are back in front 13-7!!!

- Ummmm, that's not how you protect the lead guys...big kickoff return. Blackmon does it to us again.

- Wooooooo...HUGE hit! Lawrence Timmons, ya'll. 3rd-and-2...

- Whew, they get the FG but disaster was averted. 13-10, good guys. A score here before the half would be nice.

- Okay, this is either the worst two-minute ever, or the worst clock-killing drive ever. I really can't decide.

- Well, at least they took a shot for Greg Carr. Great job on Carr so far by AJ Davis, a former big-time recruit who was thought to be headed to FSU but switched to NC State late in the process. 0 catches for Big Greg in the 1st half.

- 13-10, FSU at the half. It should be 21-7. Not good - too many missed opportunities. But it could be a lot worse.

- I wonder what Chuck Amato would sound like if he got kicked in the nuts? Would his voice be so high that only dogs could hear it?

- Whoa, Lou Holtz and Mark May. See you in 20 minutes, ESPN.

3rd QUARTER
- By the way, the beverage of choice tonight is Flying Dog "DOGtoberfest". Actually it's pretty good, and they were giving away pint glasses with a six-pack of it at Whole Foods. So for $8 you get a free glass.

- I really don't like that 3-and-out for FSU right there. You want to make a statement with your first drive of the half

- Damn! stupid penalty to bail out NC State on 3rd-and-8

- DAMN! Missed tackle to bail out NC State on 3rd-and-10

- What a ridiculous Holding penalty on NC State!

- What a ridiculous facemask by FSU!!!

- In case you didn't hear, Buster Davis is the MAN! Great tackle on 3rd-and-goal...

- 4th-and-goal...NO!!! 'NOLES RULE!

- Great block by Lorenzo Booker on that pass out of the end zone. And a great call by JB.

- Oh sweet lord is Brandon Warren awesome. 3rd-and-12 and the true freshman converts. He's been FSU's most reliable receiver this year.

- And Greg Carr is in the books! Nice catch, now keep going to him.

- Gotta say, it's been a great game so far. It's 3rd-and-6, 5:20 left in the 3rd quarter, FSU is on the NC State 46 yard line and they take a time-out. This is where games are won or lost.

- Sweet play by Drew - Warren was doubled so he dumped it to Booker for 8

- Fowler mentions 'Noles that were quiet in college but blew up in the pros. Um, Marion Butts anyone? He was like 5th string at FSU and then led the NFL in rushing one year and is a total badass in Super Tecmo Bowl.

- 3-for-3 on 3rd downs on this drive...

- FSU WR Chris Davis on the run, FSU WR Richard Goodman on the tackle.

- Herbie gives props to Tommy Tuberville for calling for a play-off system. I agree.

- Damn! Drew had Carr in the end zone there.

- WHAT A DRIVE!!! 99.9999 yards, ending with a perfect throw to Brandon Warren for the TD!!! Best drive in six years! FUCK YEAH!!!

- As a football fan, could you ever ask for anything more than a goal-line stand, followed by a 99-yard TD drive, all in a hostile environment on the road? Wow! I just...wow!

- Let the record show that at 10:14 pm EST on October 5, 2006 Jeff Bowden finally figured out how to set up a defense. Only took six years. That kicked ass!

- God, another big 3rd down conversion for NC State. This isn't what the D used to do. You've got to crush their soul there.

- Evans has all day to throw...FSU isn't getting any pressure on him. Nice play by Michael Ray Garvin.

- Damn! The draw AGAIN! That play has killed us every time. Brown must be averaging 17 ypc on draws. They're just killing us with that play.

- Not what the doctor orders...TD answer from NC State. Garvin got smoked. We miss Tony Carter.

- They just said that Amato isn't on the hot seat, and that the program is moving in the right direction. How could he NOT be on the hot seat? Losing to Akron and Southern Miss is the "right direction"?!?

4th QUARTER
- The defense looks worn out. There’s no depth anymore and there are freshmen and sophomores that have been out there all game. They look gassed. We need a drive here.

- Oh man, how can you go 3-and-out right there? We're going to have to hang on here.

- 3rd-and-12, come on D...

- Oh no. That sucked, we had to have that stop.

- The defense is getting chewed up on this drive.

- Oh my god. Fucking Duncan made that catch on another jump ball against perfect coverage. State takes the lead back, 24-20

- We've got to answer right now.

- Remember the Louisiana Purchase? That involved less territory than Drew just gave up on that play.

- 3rd-and-26...what could go wrong?

- Why did I ask. Add in a shanked punt that gives State the ball at midfield.

- Unreal. All they've done in the second half is throw up jump balls and their receivers just keep catching everything over our DBs. They’re absolutely on fire right now.

- Freshman CB, freshman DE, freshman SS... are you sensing a pattern on FSU's defense yet?

- Why are people acting like Detroit beat the Yankees would be an upset? Didn't Detroit have the better record all year long?

- Oh for fuck's sake...NC State punt rolls out at the FSU 4. 96 yards to go? Shouldn't be a problem...

- Man, Weatherford has been rough this game. Fumble, but DeCody Fagg was in the right place at the right time and got the 1st down.

- ...ummm, that could be bad. Weatherford fired a poor pass into traffic and it was tipped to the safety. Uuugggghhh.

- Oh man, this is bad. We're done for 2006.

- Well, this one's on the defense. There was no pressure form the DL, the CBs got beat too often, and they’re beat up right now. This one hurts.

Behind Enemy Lines: Discussing FSU/NC State

2006-10-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of Thursday night's throw-down between Florida State and North Carolina State we here at The Chop Shop sent a few questions to the guys at NC State blog Section Six and they sent some back to us. Wolpack guru Steven was kind enough to share his thoughts on the game, the two programs, and the ACC in general...

The Chop Shop: When you hear Oklahoma fans bitch about the Oregon game, how bad do you want to send them photographic evidence that Akron's RB was down before he reached the endzone? Do you think the ACC should do something about its refs (who royally screwed up several calls during the GTech/VTech game), and what do you think of the new rules this year - replay, new clock rules, etc?
I'm not at the point where I think the ACC needs to do anything beyond what it already does (reprimands, suspensions). The officiating in general is not that serious a problem; plus, I doubt the efficacy of whatever the conference might do. You can say you're going to go out and get better officials, or part ways with those who have poor track records, but I wouldn't expect those things to result in much improvement. I agree with most people about the clock rules -- I hate that we're losing 10-15 plays per game. I never had a problem with the length of games. Starting the clock when the kicker makes contact with the ball on kickoffs is no big deal; starting the clock after a change of possession adds an unwanted wrinkle.

Section Six: I heard that FSU played in front of a lot of empty seats against Rice. Was that a sign of growing frustration with the program, or was it just because Rice was the opponent?
To quote Grandpa Simpson, "a little from Column A, a little from Column B". The Rice game was the third straight home game, and for a lot of FSU fans who live out of town (like me) it's expensive and draining to travel three weeks in a row. Plus, FSU fans are accustomed to a slightly higher level of competition. At the same time, a lot of fans are fed up with the offensive staff. There was a thread on Warchant a few weeks ago asking fans to boycott the games to protest the Jeff Bowden era, which may the dumbest idea since Fox hired Tim McCarver to announce post-season baseball. But maybe some fans are going through with it. FSU has great fans, but now everyone realizes that JB isn't getting it done - and possibly never will - yet we're stuck with him as long as Bobby's the coach. It's a frustrating situation for the fans - and for the players, if you heard any of Antonio Cromartie's recent comments. Everybody loves Bobby, but six straight years of declining offense are tough to take for fans that are used to offensive fireworks and National Championship races.

TCS: Is Daniel Evans the real deal? Obviously the throw to beat Boston College was a tremendous play, and now he gets the chance to go against a very young FSU secondary. With QB play being such a huge issue for State since Rivers left, do you see Evans having success in this game and down the road?
It's still too early to say. All we can do is hope, hope, hope that we have finally found our guy. The big question about Evans is: how much better will he get? Jay Davis and Marcus Stone didn't improve much with experience. During ESPN's telecast of the BC game, Ed Cunningham said he could picture Evans going on to have Rivers-type success, which I thought was a ridiculous thing to say at that point. I think FSU will get alot of pressure on Evans, making it hard for him to be effective. As for his long term prospects, I couldn't even begin to guess where his ceiling is. If I had to make a prediction, I'd say someone other than Evans will be starting next season.

SS: What's the deal at quarterback? Should we expect to see any of Xavier Lee on Thursday?
Personally I would like to see more of X. The knock on Xavier has always been his grasp of the offense, but he's in his third year so that had better not be a problem anymore. He has physical gifts that Drew Weatherford can't match, but he doesn't seem to have Drew's poise. X is more of a high-risk/high-reward player at this point, but something is obviously wrong with the offense and if it's not working why not try something else? After his performance against Rice I think he earned more playing time, but this offensive staff is extremely cautious so if the game is close - which I think it will be - we probably won't see much more of Xavier until the Duke game.

TCS: The Wolfpack hasn't been televised much so far. Are there any new stars 'Nole fans should fear - John Dunlap perhaps, who at one point was an FSU recruit - or is it still the Andre Brown show?
Keep an eye on tight end Anthony Hill (#83), who leads the team in receptions and usually does a good job run-blocking as well. On the defensive side, defensive tackles Tank Tyler (#72) and DeMario Pressley (#92) are guys to watch. Linebacker Pat Lowery (#42) leads the team in tackles by a wide margin.

SS: I really thought FSU's offense would be better this season. What are some of the reasons for the ineffectiveness -- aside from playcalling?
Jeff Bowden deserves all of the criticism he's received so far... his business card says "Offensive Coordinator" so if the offense stinks it's his fault. Having said that, no one on FSU's offensive staff has earned his paycheck this season. QB Coach Darryl Dickey hasn't received nearly enough blame for the job he'd done - or hasn't done - developing QB's at FSU, which was a QB factory once upon a time. Billy Sexton's RBs have been a major disappointment so far - especially Lorenzo Booker - with all the dancing behind the line. And OL coach Mark McHale has been the biggest disaster of all. The OL is better than last year, but they spent all summer working on the running game and FSU still hasn't found any consistency on the ground. Obviously the players have to raise their games, but this is a very young offense that seems to lack leadership - the loss of Leon Washington was bigger than people realize - and I think the burden is on the coaches to get them straightenend out.

TCS: Do you think this game will decide Chuck Amato's fate? Everyone assumed he was history before the BC upset, but if NC State beats FSU that would be back-to-back wins against ranked teams. Would a win save Amato's job, and if so, is that best for NC State?
In that the outcome of this game puts us one step closer to or further from a winning season, I suppose it could. Amato's job security isn't so tenuous that it hangs on any one game. If he wants to ease the pressure, there is a lot he needs to do beyond winning Thursday, like getting to a bowl and beating UNC along the way. Is retaining Amato the best thing for NC State? Good question! It's so good, I have to stall by repeating the question. I have no idea how to answer this right now; ask me again in December (sorry for the cop-out).

SS: Where do you think NC State can exploit the Seminoles (if anywhere)?
The most obvious problem for FSU is the loss of Tony Carter, who has been our best cover guy since his first game. Sophomore Michael Ray Garvin will take his place, with a freshman backing him up. Our most experienced CB is junior JR Bryant, and he just got benched for redshirt freshman Jaime Robinson. True freshman Myron Rolle will start at rover. Junior Free Safety Roger Williams should be the leader of the secondary, but so far he's been the weakest link on the whole defense. The entire secondary is a question mark right now so that would be my first guess. Unfortunately most of FSU's injuries have been at the Defensive Tackle position, to the point that Mickey Andrews moved our best DE inside to shore up the depth. So we might struggle against the pass, but at least our run-stoppers are all hurt. Yikes!

TCS: What is your prediction for the game? How will the game go, and what will the final score be?
I could see this game playing out like the 2004 game,which you may remember if you managed not to fall asleep during it. Slow and low-scoring. With the issues we have with stopping the run, however, I think FSU's offense could end up pleasantly surprising 'Noles fans. I'll go with NC State 24, FSU 21. Just because.

SS: What's the final score going to be?
I know I've sounded pretty negative in all my answers, but I actually have a lot of hope for the 'Noles this season. The offense looked night-and-day better against Rice - and yes, I realize it was Rice - with much better play-calling and a physical running attack that had been missing all season. Fortunately FSU has recruited well on defense and our coaches on that side of the ball are among the nation's best, so I don't think the defense will drop off too badly. I don't know if Daniel Evans is experienced enough to exploit FSU's young secondary, and the 'Noles still have a bunch of heat-seeking missiles at LB and they'll all be aimed at Andre Brown. While I fear that Jeff Bowden may revert to being...well, Jeff Bowden, I think the 'Noles pull it out 20-14.

The Top 24 - Week 5

2006-10-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

Well here we are at week 5 - the appetizers are out of the way and we're getting into the entree portion of the season. A big 'ol heaping helping of conference showdowns awaits with LSU-Florida and Georgia-Tennessee in the SEC, Texas-Oklahoma in the Big XII, and Oregon-Cal in the first ginormous Pac-10 showdown in recent memory that doesn't involve Southern Cal. In the ACC, FSU-NC State on Thursday night is a key game for the 'Noles ACCCG hopes. FSU is hungry for a win, but the Wolfpack's not satiated by beating Boston College, they want the 'Noles for dessert. Am I pushing the food metaphor too far? Have you had your fill? Enjoy the football feast this weekend, ya'll! (okay, I'm done now...)

!!!Warning: I've been digging into cfbstats.com so expect lots of numbers!!!

Without further ado, the Top 24...

1. Ohio State (5-0)
W vs. #21 Iowa, 38-17
Last week: 3
After a one-week demotion the Buckeyes return to the head of the class. As predicted here they mopped the floor with Iowa, but it was the efficient brilliance with which they did it that really impressed me. Ohio State boasts weapons at every offensive position and can beat teams in a number of ways. Anthony Gonzalez's catch-and-run TD was a thing of beauty, and the underappreciated Antonio Pittman continued to shine against the Hawkeyes. The defense isn't as good as last year, coming in at only 42nd against the run, but with the Troy Smith-led offense clicking on all cylinders they don't have to be.

2. Michigan (5-0)
W vs. Minnesota, 28-14
Last week: 1
They would've had to put a mighty ass-whupping on Minnesota to hold off Ohio State for the top spot, and a 14-point margin over an average Gopher squad doesn't quite cut it. The defense is absolutely unholy, currently ranking #1 against the run and #8 overall, but the offense has been inconsistent from week to week. Still, considering the struggles Auburn and USC had with supposed conference lightweights I can't justify moving the Wolverines any further down than this.

3. Auburn (5-0)
W vs. South Carolina, 24-17
Last week: 4
That highly-touted Tiger defense sure showed some holes against South Carolina. Give credit to Tommy Tuberville for making the gutsy onside kick call, and to Auburn for keeping the ball away from Steve Spurrier's offense for the entire third quarter. Pulling out a win against a fired up opponent in a hostile atmosphere isn't something I take lightly. But this team and their fanbase are seeking respect after the 2004...unpleasantness. Getting taken to the wire by a banged up Gamecocks squad and their third-string QB ain't the way to get it.

4. Southern Cal (4-0)
W vs. Washington State, 28-22
Last week: 2
Maybe the Trojans can't just reload after all. Washington State took possible serial killer John David Booty and Co. to the brink, and if not for Steve Smith's heroics the Trojans could sitting in the middle of the pack in the Pac-10. A better offense would have beaten USC on Saturday, raising the question of whether the winner of Cal/Oregon should be considered the front-runner in the conference. Hey, it's just nice to have a race in a league that's had "Property of USC" stamped on it for the last five years.

5. Louisville (4-0)
bye
Last week: 5
They had a bye, what do you want me to say? How about this: Louisville gets a lot of hype for their explosive passing game, but did you know they're #5 in the nation in rushing offense? That puts them ahead Texas, Michigan, and Oklahoma. You've got to be impressed with the way the Cardinals have kept on rolling despite the loss of their two stars on offense. And the defense ain't exactlly shabby, either (more on that later). Seriously Coach Petrino, you can get a lot of great deals on Tallahassee real estate these days...

6. LSU (4-1)
W vs. Mississippi State, 48-17
Last week: 7
I watched a lot of LSU/MSU on Saturday, mostly because it came on first and my hangover made operating the remote surprisingly difficult. I realize that Mississippi State is absolutely terrible this year but Jamarcus Russell was incredible in that game, putting on a performance as impressive as any I've seen this year. I have no idea how Auburn kept LSU out of the endzone but I have a feeling that if they played later in the year the results would be very different. Of course they're inconsistent enough to lay another egg against Florida, so who knows?

7. West Virginia (4-0)
bye
Last week: 6
They had a bye, what do you want me to say? How about this: West Virginia is 93rd in Passing Offense (Louisville is 16th), 30th in Rushing Defense (Louisville is 5th), and 34th in Total Defense (Louisville is 23rd) despite playing a weaker schedule than the Cardinals. So why do so many fans and pollsters assume West Virginia is better? I'm not buying it. Even if Brian Brohm can't go I'm taking Louisville against the Mountaineers - they seem to be the more complete team. No disrespect to Rich Rodriguez, who's done a fantastic job at West Virginia, but in my mind West Virginia is a step behind Louisville in the Big East.

8. Texas (4-1)
W vs. Sam Houston State, 56-3
Last week: 8
Shockingly, the Longhorns eked past Sam Houston State in the prelude to their big showdown with Oklahoma. Lately I started to think that the Longhorns might have a tougher time than people expected against the Sooners, but then I realized Texas is 2nd against the run and Oklahoma's entire offense is based on Adrian Peterson. And it doesn't help that the Sooner defense has been unimpressive so far. With Selvin Young and Jamaal Charles the Longhorns can match Oklahoma on the ground, and they should be better at pretty much every other position. I think the Longhorns will roll through their first Big XII test with ease.

9. Florida (5-0)
W vs. Alabama, 28-13
Last week: 9
Another game I watched closely, and I have to say that Alabama had a lot of chances to take control of this game. The Gator defense is stout - especially up the middle - but there are holes in the secondary that a good QB could exploit. John Parker Wilson missed his chances, but will Jamarcus Russell be so accomodating? The offense is flat-out ugly at times, and they haven't seen a death squad unit like LSU's so far. I'll give the Gators all the credit they deserve if they knock off the Tigers this Saturday, but after watching both teams play this past weekend I'll be surprised if that happens.

10. Clemson (4-1)
W vs. Louisiana Tech, 51-0
Last week: 12
Here are the numbers: 11th in Total Offense (7th in rushing), 9th in Total Defense (11th against the run). That right there is a solid team folks. Clemson is underrated right now, but after once-beatens with bigger reps like Oklahoma and Tennessee get beat again and frauds like Georgia are bumped off the Tigers will be in the top 10 where they belong. Hopefully they won't take Wake too lightly, and those back-to-back games against Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech look pretty daunting, but Clemson looks like the most complete team in the ACC so far.

11. Oregon (4-0)
W vs. Arizona State, 48-13
Last week: 11
The Ducks are a solid team, and undeserving of all the criticism after the Oklahoma incident(s). I still can't believe I'm legitimately excited about a Pac-10 showdown, but Oregon/Cal should be a great game.

12. Georgia Tech (4-1)
W vs. #10 Virginia Tech, 38-27
Last week: 14
Any rational person who saw the Jackets dismantle Virginia Tech must realize Georgia Tech is underrated...unless that person is a Division I-A coach. The Coaches' Poll and the Harris Poll both have GT ranked lower the team they just crushed in Blacksburg. Gee, I wonder why the BCS has no credibility?

13. Notre Dame (4-1)
W vs. Purdue, 35-21
Last week: 13
Here we go... Notre Dame gets to fatten up their record on cupcakes over the next few weeks while Lou Holtz goes all Mark Foley over Brady Quinn. The Irish are 79th is rushing defense - behind Illinois and Syracuse and roughly equal to Vanderbilt and Tulane. But UCLA has the only realistic shot at knocking off the Irish until Quinn and Co. get a shot at revenge aginst Southern Cal.

14. Oklahoma (3-1)
bye
Last week: 15
Adrian Peterson for President! AD is the best player in the country, but the rest of the Sooners haven't lived up to expectations. What if Rhett Bomar hadn't been declared ineligible? Would the Sooners have started the year #1? And if they'd knocked off Oregon would they still be #1 despite the disappointing defense and Ohio State's performance thus far?

15. Tennessee (4-1)
W vs. Memphis, 41-7
Last week: 17
Would the real Tennessee please stand up? If the team that rolled over Cal and Memphis shows up in Athens, Georgia's days in the top 10 are done. If the team that coughed up the lead aginst Florida shows up we may have a race in the SEC East. The Vols are talented enough on offense to run the table, but one can only wonder how good they may have been on defense if the impressive Justin Harrell had stayed healthy.

16. California (4-1)
W vs. Oregon State, 41-13
Last week: 18
Cal has played so well since their Week One blowout in Knoxville that it's hard to keep them behind Tennessee. If they put on another impressive performance in a victory over Oregon they're jumping the Vols, and that's that.

17. Virginia Tech (4-1)
L vs. #14 Georgia Tech, 27-38
Last week: 10
Never forget, when choosing between two teams that are roughly equal in talent go with the team with the better QB. Sean Glennon couldn't match Reggie Ball - Reggie Ball! - and that made all the difference in the ACC Coastal showdown. The Hokies' are solid on defense, and Brandon Ore is a good running back, but until they get better QB play (a common theme among ACC schools this year) Virginia Tech won't be a contender.

18. Georgia (5-0)
W vs. Ole Miss 14-9
Last week: 16
Poll Madness #1: Virginia Tech over Georgia Tech. Poll Madness #2: Georgia STILL in the top 10 despite back-to-back clunkers against 0-4 Colorado and 1-4 Ole Miss. Georgia fans, take it from someone who lived through the Wyatt Sexton era: when your hanging your hopes on a mediocre QB like Joe Tereshinski, you have no hope at all.

19. Nebraska (4-1)
W vs. Kansas, 39-32
Last week: 19
Personally I think Mark Mangino has done a solid job at Kansas so I'm more impressed than most by Nebraska's close win over the Jayhawks. Bill Callahan has pulled the 'Huskers back from the brink and into the realm of solid respectability. But will he ever lead them back to the elite? That's the question that haunts 'Huskers Nation.

20. Florida State (3-1)
bye
Last week: 22
I hate to say it, but Thursday night's game against unranked NC State is big for the 'Noles. If they can build off of the explosive offensive showing against Rice there will be hope for the rest of the season. If they revert to the timid, predictable attack from the Miami and Clemson games...well, things will get broken around Chop Shop Headquarters. A secondary that keeps getting younger and a beat-up defensive line won't help matters.

Greg Carr needs to see the ball a lot more for FSU to be successful

21. Missouri (5-0)
W vs. Colorado, 28-13
Last week: NR
Mizzou has played absolutely no one, but when you're in the top 10 overall in offense AND defense a quarter of the way through the season you deserve to be ranked. The quest for legitimacy begins this Saturday at Texas Tech.

22. Boise State (5-0)
W vs. Utah, 36-3
Last week: 23
Still haven't seen a second of Boise State football. Love that blue turf, though!

23. Iowa (4-1)
L vs. #3 Ohio State 17-38
Last week: 21
I kind of pre-emptively punished the Hawkeyes for the Ohio State blow-out in last week's poll. Iowa isn't really great at anything, but they're solid throughout and they play hard until the final whistle. That's enough to keep them in the rankings for now.

24. Rutgers (5-0)
W vs. South Florida, 22-20
Last week: NR
I don't expect them to stay in the polls for long, but Greg Schiano has done a great job returning Rutgers to respectability. Ray Rice has rushed for more yards than two-thirds of the teams in Division I-A.

What Did I Ever See In You??? … TCU (#20), Michigan State(#24)

And while we're here, I'd like to take this opportunity to extend my condolences to Michigan State fans. Last week when I put State at #24 I included a paragraph stating that, despite ranking their team in the Top 24, I knew with 100% certainty that the Spartans were going to self-destruct in the wake of the Notre Dame game - again - and miss out on a bowl - AGAIN! I took out that paragraph because their upcoming opponent was Illinois, and surely they couldn't drop their HOMECOMING game to Illinois and the Zooker!!! Sadly, I underestimated the evil curse that hangs over that beat-down shell of a program. How those fans are able to pick up the pieces every off-season I'll never know, but my heart goes out to them.

Is There Hope for the ACC in '06?

2006-10-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

After the first four weeks of the season it appeared that the ACC was dead in the water. The two showcase programs - Miami and FSU - both got off to terrible starts, with the Hurricanes absorbing a humiliating defeat at the hands of Louisville and the Seminoles almost doing the same against Troy. NC State was beaten twice by non-BCS schools, then further weakened the conference by upsetting Atlantic Division-leader Boston College. Maryland was blown off the field by West Virginia. Virginia was blown off the field by everyone. After one month the conference only had two two unbeatens left: untested Virginia Tech and surprising Wake Forest. The conference that had appeared ready to challenge for college football supremacy in 2005 suddenly looked more like the SWAC than the SEC. But then a funny thing happened...a couple teams started to play some serious ball.

Everyone who's overachieved so far raise

your hand. Whoa, not so fast Miami...

Ever since their last-second win in Tallahassee the Clemson Tigers have been playing with confidence, and their offense is running like a well-oiled machine. Actually well-oiled machines should run like Clemson, which is currently 7th in the nation in rushing and 2nd in scoring. The Tigers boast one of the deepest backfields in the nation and have outrushed their opponents by a huge margin of 171.4 yards/game. In addition senior QB Will Proctor has been an improvement over the departed Charlie Whitehurst. While Proctor doesn't possess Whitehurst's physical gifts he also forces fewer bad throws, reducing turnovers and allowing Clemson's dominant ground game to wear down their opponents. On the other side of the ball the Tigers haven't fared nearly as well. They're only 9th in total defense and a lowly 11th in rushing defense. Pathetic! Actually, it's amazing they've performed so well after losing Tye Hill and Jamaal Fudge to the NFL and star LB Anthony Waters to injury. Even with star DE Gaines Adams banged up the defense has continued to shine.

The Tigers D has been flat-out nasty so far

Though technically trailing Boston College, the FSUwin put the Tigers firmly in the driver's seat for the Atlantic Division's ACCCG bid. All they need is another BC loss and the Eagles still have to play Virginia Tech, FSU, and Miami. There are some road blocks for Clemson as well. The Tigers travel to undefeated Wake Forest this weekend, followed by a scrimmage against Temple before back-to-back showdowns against Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech. If they can win out Clemson is all but assured of a trip to Jacksonville to play for the ACC Championship and their first BCS bid.

James Davis should help Clemson
win some more hardware this year

In the other half of the league, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets may have just wrapped up the Coastal Division with their dominant 38-27 win at Virginia Tech - which wasn't as close as the final score would indicate. Calvin Johnson may be the best receiver in college football this year, and although Reggie Ball still seems confused about which team he's supposed to throw to, he's avoided the killer turnovers that doomed Tech in the past. The running game has been solid as well, with Tashard Choice doing a solid PJ Daniels impersonation. The offense hasn't been as explosive as Clemson's, but it hasn't had to be thanks to an outstanding defense that ranks 10th against the run and 26th overall despite playing two top-10 teams already. The October 28th game against Miami will determine the Jackets' fate, and with the way the Hurricanes have struggled this year you have to like the Jackets' chances at home. If Tech wins that game they'll be heading South to Alltel Stadium in December.

The Yellow Jackets dominated
Virginia Tech in Blacksburg

Right now both of these teams are severely underrated nationally. In Georgia Tech's case there's indisputable evidence of this, since both the USA Today and Harris polls have them ranked behind a Virginia Tech team they just demolished. Clemson is sitting at #15 despite their gaudy numbers, but their potent offense has started to attract some national attention and if they can maintain their level of play look for them to rise up the rankings in a big way in the coming weeks. Georgia Tech @ Clemson on October 21st is looking like the Game of the Year in the ACC, and by that time it should be a match-up of top 15 teams.

Will Calvin Johnson

terrorize the Tigers this year?

The ACC isn't a two-team conference, either. Should Clemson falter a young FSU squad could wind up defending its title in Jacksonville. Virginia Tech - though limited by their young QB - is still a terror on defense and has a good shat at winning out, meaning Georgia Tech doesn't have much room for error. And while the conference as a whole is down, we're far from out. With the SEC/ACC showdowns at the end of the year, plus the bowl games, the Atlantic Coast Conference has an excellent chance to find itself with four top 15 teams by the end of the season and momentum heading into 2007. We may be on life-support right now, but the reports of our demise have been greatly exaggerated.

Dear ESPN...

2006-09-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

Back in the Golden Days of my youth ESPN's SportsCenter was an oasis in the dessert of basic cable monotony. I would watch the Dan Patrick/Keith Olbermann show at 11pm, then happily sit through the Brett Haber/Craig Kilborn recap at 2am. The personalities, catch-phrases, and plethora of highlights were ambrosia to my insatiable hunger for sports.

But the show became TOO popular - eventually corporate America realized there was a market opportunity and swooped in. In the ten years since that time the "Worldwide Leader", and the Disney corporate behemoth that calls the shots, has tightened its iron grip on sports news and as a result the quality of the on-screen product has steadily deteriorated right before our eyes. It got so bad that I stopped watching SportsCenter completely, except for those five glorious months known as Football Season. After a long lay-off it's been a bit jarring seeing how far ESPN has fallen. And sure, maybe those halcyon days of yore can never be recaptured, but here are some suggestions that would help ESPN become fun to watch again, or at least would make me less likely to hurl my remote at John Buccigross...

- Improve the talent level. I realize this seems pretty obvious, but when Mark May and Lou Holtz are your main studio analysts for college football there's a problem. Back in the day there were personalities at ESPN that were almost as big a draw as the highlights themselves - Olbermann, Mayne, Kilborn, and Patrick just to name a few. Now there seems to be an assembly line spitting out bland, interchangable hosts on SportsCenter. The attempts at improving diversity have resulted in the unwatchable Rachel Nicholls and the unlistenable Stephen A. Smith. There are still some great talents at ESPN - Dan Patrick appears to be a lifer, the underrated Brian Kenny excels wherever they send him, and the GameDay guys are the best. But much like Florida State, the Worldwide Leader doesn't have the depth it once did.

- SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT TERRELL OWENS!!! Seriously, enough is enough. For a three-hour span every Sunday I care about Terrell Owens. Other than that I don't give a rat's ass about the man. I don't care what he said about his QB, I don't care what he ate for breakfast, I don't care, period. There are plenty of talented, decent people in sports who deserve more coverage than that pill-popping ass-monkey.

- Don't go the MTV route. The so-called "Music Television" station hasn't shown a music video since 1998. Now they're focused on cheesy high-school dramas and "Pimp my Ride" marathons. Similarly, ESPN has lost it's focus with original programming like the short-lived "Playmakers" and the atrocious "Tilt". What happened to the World's Strongest Man competition or any of the other off-the-wall sports ESPN used to feature? This attempt at original programming reeks of Disney interference, and it takes the focus off of actual sports coverage, which is the heart and soul of the network. Dance with what brung ya', guys.

- Please for the love of god tone down the "personal interest" stories! I'm a morning SportsCenter guy now so I have a 30 minute window to get my sports fix in the a.m., and there's nothing worse than turning on the TV expecting highlights and instead getting the sad piano music from "Full House" and a 10 minutes piece about a one-armed high school football player in Tennessee. And yes, I realize I'm going to hell now and I'm okay with it.

- Could we maybe hype up the Mannings a little less until one of them actually wins something? I mean, Peyton never won his division in the SEC, and he has yet to make a Super Bowl appearance, yet he gets 10 times the coverage Brady does (though watching him try to look tough in that GatorAde Rain commercial may be the only thing funnier than Monty Python's "Holy Grail").

- Is SportsCenter a TV show or a carnival ride? I feel like I'm about to have a seizure half the time I'm watching the show with all the crazy, flashing graphics flying around the screen. It's the same problem I have with Fox Sports and the visual hyperbole they like to throw around their football coverage. I'm already watching the station, all I want is some highlights and some witty analysis, so what exactly is the purpose of the hyper-drive light effects or the dancing robots? Enough already.

- Woody Paige and Skip Bayless should fight to the death, with the winner getting a bullet to the back of the head. Under no circumstances should either of these men be on television for any reason. Watching the ancient Paige try to make a coherent point with his hair all gelled up like a California beach boy is one off the most painful things I've ever witnessed, and I've been watching a Jeff Bowden offense for six years now. Besides, what exactly is entertaining about a bunch of sportswriters screaming at each other? I have yet to figure that out...

- Steer clear of the high school sports. Maybe we should blame LeBron for the phenomenon, but the increasing coverage of high school sports and shows like MTV's "Two-a-Days" reeks of exploitation. These 15- and 16-year olds kids should be allowed to grow up, to learn, to succeed, and to fail without the pressure of a national audience.

That's all I've got. Overall I'm happy ESPN exists and for the most part they do a great job, but I also know it could be a whole lot better. If ESPN would get back to focusing on what made them great in the first place - first rate coverage of the sports world at large - then maybe I'd find myself once again anticipating that famous theme song every night at 11pm. Da-du-da! Da-du-da!

The Top 24 - Week 4

2006-09-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe we're already through the first trimester of the season, but man what a ride it's been already. Almost every team has played a big game at this point, and here's what I've learned:

- There is no dominant team this year. Last season was magnificent from the opening kick-off to the final gun of the Rose Bowl. Everyone sensed that something special was happening, and everyone was right. There will be no Clash of the Titans in Glendale on January 8, but what we have in its place is a wide-open race to the BCS that's sure to end in controversy and bitterness. Good times!

- The SEC is the only conference that hasn't been completely embarrassed yet, though Georgia's near-loss to Colorado was an awfully close call. Perhaps the comference will get thier come-uppance in November when all the ACC/SEC clashes go down (yes you read that right).

- Many pundits seemed to think that Brady Quinn had the Heisman Trophy and the #1 spot in the NFL Draft locked up before the season even started. Many pundits are idiots.

- The national championship race has been whittled down to less than a dozen teams and will be decided by conference schedules. Conference Championship games could also play a big role (Damn you Pac-10! Damn you Big 10(11)! Damn you Big East!). At this point we think there are ten teams that still have a legitimate shot at the crystal football, so this week we'll look at why each team might win it all, and why they may fail miserably.

On to the Top 24...

1. Michigan (W vs. Wisconsin 27-13)
Last week: 4
Why they can win the title: Right now they simply have the best resume of any team. Their KO of the Fighting Irish was the most impressive win of the season so far and the Wolverines are the only team with no glaring weakness. The defense has been rock-solid behind Lamarr Woodley and Prescott Burgess, while a healthy Michael Hart has brought balance and harmony to the offense. When compared objectively to the other top teams they are the most deserving of the #1 spot at this point.
Why they won’t win the title: Lloyd Carr is still the coach right? There was something unsettling in his reaction to the Notre Dame win…you could see the disbelief in his eyes. It was as if he was happy to have won, but had no idea how it happened. I’m still not convinced he’s a big-game coach, and that little tussle with Ohio State at season’s end is going to be as big as they get.

2. Southern Cal (W vs. Arizona 20-3)
Last week: 2
Why they can win the title: Sure the Trojans lost a lot of talent in the off-season, but Pete Carroll has blue-chippers backing up his blue-chippers. Dwayne Jarrett is the best WR in the country and the young RBs have undeniable talent. While the offense is rounding into form the defense has emerged as a fearsome shut-down unit with perhaps the best LB corps in the nation.
Why they won’t win the title: The Trojans haven’t really been tested yet so there’s no way to know how they’ll react when the game is on the line. Matt Leinart’s legend was born on the road at Auburn and was cemented when he hit Jarrett on 4th-down at Notre Dame. Will John David Booty be able to come up with such clutch plays when the Trojans’ backs are against the wall?

3. Ohio State (W vs. Penn State 28-6)
Last week: 1
Why they can win the title: Troy Smith may be the best senior QB in the nation and their arsenal of offensive weaponry is unmatched. Jeremy Gonzalez has had a break-out season opposite Ted Ginn while the underrated backfield has turned in a number of big plays. There is still plenty of speed and skill on the other side of the ball as well.
Why they won’t win the title: For the second straight year Smith was handled by Penn State, what will happen against Michigan's superior D? The Buckeyes are loaded on offense, but their conservative play-calling tends to keep even their inferior opponents in the game. The defense has given up chunks of yardage on the ground and they haven’t been tested by a good QB yet.

4. Auburn (W vs. Buffalo 38-7)
Last week: 3
Why they can win the title: Defense, defense, defense. I was concerned about the Tigers’ undersized front seven coming into the season but they were magnificent against LSU. The Auburn D flies around the field creating havoc and shutting down the run while David Irons and the secondary make life miserable for opposing WRs. David’s brother Kenny is pretty good too, in case you haven’t heard.
Why they won’t win the title: Brandon Cox seems like a “caretaker” QB to me, ala Craig Krenzel, as opposed to a playmaker like Troy Smith. True, you can win titles with a caretaker QB but everything has to fall into place on defense and special teams. Plus, Krenzel had Michael Jenkins and Chris Gamble to throw to. Who does Cox have? Other than Kenny Irons the Tigers lack playmakers and if they find themselves behind in a big game they’ll be hard-pressed to come back.

5. Louisville (W vs. Kansas State 24-6)
Last week: 5
Why they can win the title: Offense, offense, offense. Bobby Petrino had already established himself as one of the preeminent offensive minds in the country before the Cardinals dropped 60 on their first two opponents, and then lit up a great Miami defense. And the ‘Ville can hurt you on the other side of the ball as well. The defense forced a big turnover early against Miami and the ‘Canes were never able to regain the momentum. Louisville’s back seven may be the best in the Big East, which is saying more than you think, and I'd give them the edge over West Virginia defensively.
Why they won’t win the title: Hard to overcome the loss of two Heisman candidates and still compete at the highest level. If either Michael Bush or Brian Brohm were healthy I’d give Louisville a big edge in their showdown against West Virginia. With both guys hurt you’ve got to figure the offense will regress, as it appeared to do against Kansas State. We’ll see if Brohm is the same guy when he returns from his thumb injury…

6. West Virginia (W vs. East Carolina 27-10)
Last week: 7
Why they can win the title: Dan Mozes and the West Virginia offensive line have done an unbelievable job opening up holes – actually, they’re more like gaping chasms – for Steve Slaton and Pat White to rocket through on their way to the endzone. Everyone knows what’s coming against West Virginia this year, but no one’s been able to stop it. And as the Mountaineers proved in the Sugar Bowl last year, this is no gimmick offense – it works against fast SEC defenses, too.
Why they won’t win the title: I’ve got to figure that at some point West Virginia is going to run into a defensive coordinator with the smarts and talent at his disposal to make Pat White throw the ball, and then the Mountaineers could be in trouble. Do they even have wide receivers? The defense is still a question as well. When you don’t have a single sack in four games something is wrong up front. If Brohm comes back healthy and has all day to throw West Virginia is going to have a hard time with the Cardinals. Further hurting their chances is one of the weakest schedules in the country. Teams that take the easy route never win the big one.

7. LSU (W vs. Tulane 49-7)
Last week: 8
Why they can win the title: A talented roster, a tough remaining schedule, and loss very early in the season will keep the Tigers in the race. Games against Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida give LSU plenty of chances to reassert themselves in the SEC, and with their great WR corps and tough defense LSU has a chance to win out. Should Auburn falter they would assume the mantle of SEC favorite. With the strength of the conference and parity throughout the country a one-loss SEC team could still find its way to the BCS Championship game.
Why they won’t win the title: The offensive inconsistency LSU displayed against Auburn could cost them dearly down the road. JaMarcus Russell and Co. moved the ball well in Jordan-Hare Stadium but struggled to put points on the board, and with all the stingy defenses remaining on the schedule points will be at a premium. The emergence of a running game would help tremendously.

8. Texas (W vs. Iowa State 37-14)
Last week: 9
Why they can win the title: A plethora of great running backs and a stingy defense usually means a winning football team and Texas has both. They also get to play in a weak conference that doesn’t figure to offer much resistance to the Longhorns, even with a freshman QB. As the defending national champ Texas will get the benefit of the doubt in voters’ minds and they have the benefit of a Conference Championship game to further build their resume after an early loss that shouldn’t hurt too bad in the long run.
Why they won’t win the title: Name me a national champion from the last 20 years that had a shaky QB? If you’re struggling to come up with one it’s because it hasn’t happened, and it’s won’t this year. Colt McCoy has shown a lot of promise but he’s still a freshman. As Ohio State showed, any team that can put the game on McCoy’s young shoulders has a chance to shut down the Longhorn’s offense.

9. Florida (W vs. Kentucky 26-7)
Last week: 6
Why they can win the title: A veteran QB and a strong defensive front seven have given the Gator’s opponents fits so far. Chris Leak has had one of the hottest starts in the country throwing for ten TDs already to lead Urban Meyer’s revamped offense. The run defense has been outstanding and the secondary, led by Reggie Nelson, came up big in UF’s comeback win against Tennessee. Actually the Gator team as a whole showed poise and determination in pulling out a one-point victory in front of 100,000 orange-clad Vols fans.
Why they won’t win the title: Last year’s epic championship game didn’t just feature two of the country’s best collections of skill position players – it featured arguably the nation’s two best offensive lines. In general, teams with good offensive lines win big games and teams with bad offensive lines don’t. Florida’s offensive line falls into the latter category right now, and will cost them against the death squad defenses of LSU, Auburn, and Georgia. Plus, the Gator “faithful” are risking the vengeance of the Football Gods by booing four-year starter Leak in favor of unproven rookie QB Tim Tebow.

10. Virginia Tech (W vs. Cincinnati 29-13)
Last week: 11
Why they can win the title: The Hokies are good this year for the same reasons the Hokies are good ever year: special teams and defense. With Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall VT boasts one of the best LB duos in the nation, while their punt- and kick-block units continue to score points. And it’s not like the Hokies can’t score on offense. With Brandon Ore they have a strong running game to complement their array of dangerous WRs.
Why they won’t win the title: Sean Glennon feels like a pretty big step back at QB, and not just because he name’s not Vick. The offense has looked good at times but has been inconsistent overall. How will they fare against the tough ACC defenses the Hokies will see down the road? To be honest, I can’t answer that question because VT has played nobody this year. As bad as West Virginia’s schedule has been, Virginia Tech’s has been worse. Like I said, teams that take the easy route don’t finish on top. Teams that can’t win in November don’t finish on top either, and the Hokies have had a problem finishing the season strong for years now.

11. Oregon (bye)
Last week: 14
Not much to say after a bye week, other than Jonathan Stewart is a big fat badass. Is anyone else hoping against hope for an Oregon/Oklahoma rematch in the Holiday Bowl?

12. Clemson (W vs. North Carolina 52-7)
Last week: 15
No one believed me when I said Clemson was for real this year. Heck, even I started to waver after the Boston College game, but I think pulling out the game in Tallahassee last weekend gave this team a huge infusion of confidence. I’m not saying they won’t pull a Clemson and lose to Wake Forest, but for the first time in years I would be surprised if it happened. Right now they’re the runaway favorite to represent the Atlantic Division in the ACCCG.

13. Notre Dame (W vs. Michigan State 40-37)
Last week: 10
I would just like to thank Drew Stanton and John L. Smith in advance for the avalanche of hyperbole and breathless Notre Dame hype all of us are going to have to endure for the next six weeks while the Irish steamroll through the soft portion of their schedule. Notre Dame was done. D-O-N-E. Toast. And then suddenly Stanton forgot which team he was playing for and starting throwing the ball to Irish defenders like he was Drew Bledsoe or something. At this point does anyone else suspect that Charlie Weis is, in fact, a Jedi? Do they allow morbidly obese Jedi? It’s the only explanation for the inexplicable ability of his teams to suddenly start picking off the Peyton Mannings and Drew Stantons of the world just when things look their worst. And it’s starting to seriously piss me off.

14. Georgia Tech (W vs. Virginia 24-7)
Last week: 13
Yellow Jacket fans are happy that Tech finally cracked the AP poll at #24. I’m ticked off about it. What the hell took so long? You’re telling me that Tech’s stout defense, shaky QB, and All-World WR that played Notre Dame down to the wire were somehow worse than Penn State’s stout defense, shaky QB, and non-existent WRs that got blown out by Notre Dame? Georgia Tech is a solid team this year, I’m just waiting to move them up until they prove it by knocking off Virginia Tech on Saturday. For some reason I have the overwhelming feeling that the Jackets are going to the ACCCG this year. Book it.

15. Oklahoma (W vs. Middle Tennessee State 59-0)
Last week: 19
I was strongly tempted to drop Oklahoma, just to see what the university President’s reaction would be. I’ve seen teams get screwed over by worse calls than what Oklahoma dealt with, but I’ve never seen a group of allegedly sane, rational men fly off the handle the way the Sooners’ coaches and administrators have in the wake of the Oregon game. They may want to pay more attention to the shaky run defense or the anemic passing game, or all the refs in the world won’t be able to help them against Texas.

16. Georgia (W vs. Colorado 14-13)
Last week: 12
Should probably be lower based on the miracle it took for them to beat Colorado at home. I was already working on the banner I was going to hang up at work for all the UGA fans when Joe Cox threw his second TD pass and ruined the party, but the Dawgs were exposed against the Buffs as a one-dimensional offense with serious QB issues. The defense is still tremendous, but if the running game can get shut down by the likes of Colorado what’s going to happen against Auburn?

17. Tennessee (W vs. Marshall 33-7)
Last week: 16
Usually this deep into the season I think I have a pretty good feel for the strengths and weaknesses of the major teams, but one question still haunts me: how good is Tennessee? Are they as good as they looked against Cal, because in that case Florida is really tough and the Pac-10 might not be that bad. Or are they as bad as they looked against Air Force, in which case Florida still has a lot to prove and the Pac-10 is still a two-team race. It’s a mystery wrapped in an enigma, covered in riddle sauce. Unfortunately we might not learn the truth Tennessee travels to LSU on November 4th. Or maybe we'll find out this week - the past two weeks the Chop Shop's #17 team has gone down in flames. If Tennessee loses this will officially become the Dead Zone of the Top 24.

18. California (W vs. Arizona State 49-21)
Last week: 21
One of the things that makes college football so great – and college football polls so quixotic – is that football teams are dynamic, living organisms that grow and change throughout the season. It’s entirely possible that the Cal team that just demolished Arizona State is a completely different unit from the timid squad that got worked over in Neyland Stadium to start the year. We’ll keep them behind the Vols for now, but one more performance like they put on this past Saturday and the Bears will be Golden once more.

19. Nebraska (W vs. Troy 56-0)
Last week: 22
I know college football scores do not fit into a linear equation. If Team A beats Team B by X points, and Team B beats Team C by Y points, it does NOT follow that Team A is (X + Y) points better than Team C. Still, for Nebraska to pound a Troy team that had given FSU and Georgia Tech a lot of trouble is impressive. They’d probably be higher if they’d shown anything against USC, and if I didn’t think Troy was wiped out by their third straight road game against a BCS opponent. Still, I’m keeping an eye on the intriguing Cornhuskers.

20. TCU (bye)
Last week: 18
I don’t know crap about TCU, so I won’t pretend to. Good defense, they play hard, blah blah blah. Their ranking is based on the belief that Texas Tech was good, which I have my doubts about. But, considering the issues I have with the rest of the teams in the poll I’ll leave the Horned Frogs here for now, if only because I like discussing “The Horned Frogs”. Hee hee.

21. Iowa (W vs. Illinois 24-7)
Last week: 20
I can not state this strongly enough: Iowa sucks, and anyone who has them in their top 10 isn’t using sound logic. I know Kirk Ferentz is a good coach, I know Iowa is generally solid, but they haven’t been impressive in a game yet this year and they’re about to get their asses handed to them by Ohio State. The thing that irks me is that many observers will use a blowout of Iowa as further proof of Ohio State’s omnipotence, when in fact they’ll just be topping a middling Hawkeye squad that was fortunate to beat Iowa State. Thanks for all the corn and everything but Iowa, you’re starting to get on my damn nerves.

22. Florida State (W vs. Rice 55-7)
Last week: 23
As detailed in an earlier post, the Florida State offense that dominated Rice looked nothing like the flat, ridiculously conservative unit that got dominated throughout the first three weeks of the season. Everything was better, from the blocking to the ball security to the execution. Most importantly, the play-calling was far and away the most creative and varied we've seen this year. Unfortunately the stirring performance came against a team named after a starchy side dish, as opposed to a Southern state. Do it against a real opponent (NC State will have to do, I suppose) and the ‘Noles will be back in the top 20 where they belong. More Xavier Lee might help the cause. As a side note, get well soon Marcus Ball! You will be sorely missed.

Is this the man that will turn around the 'Noles season?

23. Boise State (W vs. Hawaii 31-24)
Last week: NR
I haven’t seen a single minute of a Boise State game this year. I know they’ve looked good, and their QB’s name is Jared so that’s cool, but I can’t put a team that only beat a June Jones-coached team by one score any higher than this.

24. Michigan State (L vs. #10 Notre Dame 37-40)
Last week: NR
Yeah, yeah, they lost…in horrible, could-only-happen-to-Michigan-State fashion. They also dominated a solid Notre Dame team for three-plus quarters and were mere minutes from starting the season an impressive 4-0. Despite the melt-down Drew Stanton-to-Matt Trannon is a dangerous combination that not many teams can match. Maybe I’m swayed because I only saw the good side of Michigan State on Saturday, but I was impressed. If games were only three quarters long maybe they’d be in the top 10, but with all the parity in college football this year you can’t tell me there’s 24 teams better than the Spartans right now.

What Did I Ever See In You??? … Boston College (#17), UCLA (#24)

What the Hell Was That?

2006-09-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

On Saturday afternoon Rice and some team wearing Florida State jerseys played a ballgame in Doak Campbell stadium. I’m not sure who the team in Garnet & Gold was, but they looked pretty darn good! The blocking was strong, the offense was balanced, and for the most part they played smart, focused football. We should invite those guys back some time, because they were fun to watch. In all seriousness, that game was just what the doctor ordered for FSU and their fans. It had been a while since the team has looked that dominant, and even though the opponent was lowly Rice, the terrific performance by Florida State has fanned the tiny flames of hope that flicker deep inside every true fan. Here’s what I saw on Saturday…

The Good
- The thing that immediately stood out was the emergence of the running game for the first time this season. Both Lorenzo Booker and Antone Smith surpassed 100 yards on the ground and of the ‘Noles 500 yards of offense nearly 300 came on the ground. The blocking was excellent and the runners hit the hole with authority. Apparently Jeff is starting to realize that running the football is kind of important…

- Greg Carr is still alive! I thought maybe he’d joined a monastery or had been abducted by Leonard Hamilton, but there was on Saturday afternoon catching everything thrown his way and blocking out the sun with his impressive 6’6” frame. It’s a crime FSU hasn’t gotten him more involved in the offense since he’s obviously more than just a jump-ball receiver. On one play in the first half he showed excellent quickness and agility, catching a ball on an underneath route and proceeding to juke out two smaller defenders on his way to a first down. He’s a weapon that must be used more often down the road.

- Xavier Lee looked good in his first action of the season. He still looks raw for a guy with his talent and three years in the system, but he’s seen precious little game action. Hopefully he’ll see the field more often as the season progresses, because as Georgia showed it’s always nice to have a decent back-up ready just in case. Normally I would be concerned about a QB controversy, but Drew Weatherford’s attitude is good enough – and his play has been shaky enough – that I think X needs to get more reps.

- Youth was served on Saturday, and it’s becoming clear that FSU signed a very special group of youngsters in this last recruiting class. True freshman LB Marcus Ball looked like the most dynamic defender on FSU’s defense until his injury, and Myron Rolle was impressive in his first start. Dekoda Watson made his way into Rice’s backfield repeatedly, and Bud Thacker was spotted playing noseguard in a 3-4 defense late in the game. Plus, Preston Parker and Chop Shop favorite Damon McDaniel both saw action. None of that includes Patrick Robinson’s blocked field goal against Clemson or the impressive contributions of TEs Caz Piurowski and Brandon “Scorin’” Warren. From a sheer talent perspective this is the best class FSU has seen in nearly a decade.

- Jeff Bowden called a great game. The same Jeff Bowden that has been pilloried on this page all week – and deservedly so – earned praise for mixing up the play calls, balancing the offense, and attacking weaknesses on the defense. Sure, it was Rice so there was a target-rich environment, but it was light-years better than what we saw against Troy, or any game from the past year for that matter. One question: whywhyWHY didn’t he figure it out a week ago???

The Bad
- This team has fumbled more in the last three weeks than any FSU team in recent memory. I’d like to attribute the butter-fingers epidemic to youth, but fifth-year senior Chris Davis has been one of the main culprits. You can overcome turnovers against Sun Belt schools, but there are still some big games to be played this year (cough, cough, FLORIDA, cough) and the ‘Noles have to do a better job of protecting the ball if they want to win out.

- FSU’s secondary has been the weak point of the defense all year and that trend continued on Saturday. Despite being the obvious focus of the offense Jarrett Dillard found enough space to catch 7 balls for 113 yards and 1 TD. Roger Williams improved his play, but Dee McClure is going to have to step up as the primary back-up at both safety positions. With Tony Carter’s injury the young corners are going to be pressed into service ahead of schedule. Hopefully the secondary can tighten up ahead of the big games looming at the end of the year.

The Ugly
- Really the only thing to be upset about after the ‘Noles great performance was the injury to Marcus Ball. He had looked fantastic all season, and his interception return in the second quarter was an incredibly instinctive play for such young player. The injury looked bad on TV and we don’t expect to see him until next year. Good luck and Godspeed Marcus…can’t wait to see you next season!

- Since that was the only ugly part of FSU’s game, how about Michigan State and Drew Stanton playing the 4th quarter of their game aginst Notre Dame with both hands around their necks, allowing the Irish to complete a 17-point comeback that saved their season? The baffling part is that all Michigan State had to do was HANG ONTO THE BALL and they would have won the game! Unfortunately, now the rest of us will be subjected to two more months of insufferable Notre Dame hype until their inevitable season-ending demolition at the hands of Southern Cal. Damn you Michigan State, damn you Drew Stanton, and damn you John L. Smith. At some point doesn’t it get old choking away your season every year?

Bring on NC State!

The Top 24 - Week 3

2006-09-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I certainly picked a hell of a time to start an FSU blog... almost 20 years on top of the college football world and I launch The Chop Shop just as the wheels are coming off! Losing at home to an unranked team used to be inconceivable in Tallahassee, like snowstorms or decent sushi. Now there are message board posters asking, in all seriousness, what to do if we lose to RICE!!! Just for the record those people are idiots, but the pervasive pessimism surrounding the program is suffocating the joy out of this young season. Fortunately we here at The Chop Shop are not just FSU fans; we love all things pertaining to college football, including the construction of arbitrary lists ranking teams based on completely subjective conjecture. Oh, and using big words. We LOVE using big words. On to the Top 24!

1. Ohio State (W vs. Cincinnati 37-7)
Last week: 1
I remember exactly where I was in 2002 when Cincinnati led Ohio State deep into the 4th quarter and narrowly missed a game-winning TD in the closing minutes. Those memories were flashing through my mind as the Bearcats once again took a lead on the Buckeyes, but this time Ohio State ended the suspense pretty quickly. While I still feel that the 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes are nowhere near a great team - I would take the 2005 Buckeyes over these guys in a heartbeat - I also recognize that this is a supremely confident Ohio State squad. They calmly regained control of the game behind Troy Smith and Antonio Pittman and cruised to another victory. Given the state of the Big 10 I wish we could fast-forward through the formalities of the Penn State and Iowa beat-downs straight to the OSU-Michigan game that's starting to look like a potential Game of the Year candidate.

2. Southern Cal (W vs. #20 Nebraska 28-10)
Last week: 3
Another ranked opponent, another easy win for the Trojans. Among the most impressive aspects of the USC run has been the ease with which they dispatch their opponents no matter what the name on the front of the jersey says. In the 2004 National Championship game the Trojans steamrolled Oklahoma with the same efficiency that they destroyed Oregon State or Stanford. In this game a talented Nebraska team was handled was dominated like so much WAC fodder. Due to the regional broadcast I didn't get to see much of this game, but the Trojan defense seems to be coming on strong as John David Booty picks up where Matt Leinart left off. If you listen hard enough you can already hear Dan Fouts pimping him for the Heisman after the Trojans destroy Notre Dame in November. Sadly, it looks like a wide-open path to the BCS Title Game for USC, unless Oregon can get the refs from the Oklahoma game reinstated in time for their showdown in November.

3. Auburn (W vs. #3 LSU 7-3)
Last week: 4
Auburn can start making travel arrangements for Atlanta after their big win over LSU ("big" here referring to the magnitude of the victory, not the four-point margin by which said victory was achieved). This was gritty, ugly, old-school SEC football and ultimately the Tigers just seemed to want it more. Despite being held in check by LSU's maniacal defense Kenny Irons ran with a reckless abandon that seemed to inspire his teammates, while the Auburn secondary did a great job against LSU's impressive arsenal of stud WRs. While the game itself may have set back offensive football by 20 years Auburn showed that the timeless qualities of determination and persistence still equate to winning football. The meager offensive output leaves them behind Southern Cal, but if the Auburn wins out I would argue that they're more deserving of a BCSCG berth than any Pac 10 school. Of course, we've heard this argument before...

4. Michigan (W vs. #5 Notre Dame 47-21)
Last week: 7
On a day of huge games around the country it was Michigan's complete and utter destruction of Notre Dame that made the biggest impact. I was wiped out by the end of the game...not from excitement, but from getting up every five minutes to let the guys out on the porch know that Mario Manningham had just abused the Notre Dame secondary for another touchdown. Michigan's coaches did a great job of exposing the Golden Domers flaws, and you can bet that every team the Irish play for the foreseeable future - like, maybe, a certain team from East Lansing - will try to imitate Michigan's game plan

The best part of this game for me (other than watching Brady Quinn struggle to hold back tears) was the post-game press conference when Lloyd Carr just sat there looking like a 5-year-old on Christmas, not quite sure what he did to deserve such a wonderful bounty of goodness and completely overwhelmed at the sheer awesomeness of it all...but also with a little "F%#@ all you sportswriters and bandwagon fans!" twinkle in his eye. Thank you Michigan for giving me a reason to smile last Saturday.

5. Louisville (W vs. #17 Miami 31-7)
Last week: 6
If it weren't for Michigan abusing Notre Dame this would have been the statement game of the weekend. First Miami embarrassed themselves with their logo-stomping antics, then it was the Cardinals turn to embarrass the 'Canes by blowing them off the field with precision execution on offense and hellion abandon on offense. How did a Louisville team with a bunch of Big Three rejects destroy the 'Canes so thoroughly? Confidence and coaching.

I became a huge Bobby Petrino fan on the play after Brian Brohm was knocked out the game (by the way Bobby, real estate is cheap in Tallahassee. I'm just saying...). In came the back-up QB, and out flew a perfectly thrown post-pattern that snuffed out any flicker of hope the 'Canes had left. If there's one lesson to learn from the past weekend it's that aggression is rewarded in football, and the coaches that knew how to go for the jugular were the guys smiling after the game. On the other hand, it was shocking to see how fragile the psyche of the 'Canes has become. Once Charlie Jones fumbled inside the UM 10-yard-line the Hurricanes seemed resigned to their fate even though they still had the lead. More than any other factor is this lack of confidence that should ensure Larry Coker's departure from Coral Gables.

6. Florida (W vs. #16 Tennessee 21-20)
Last week: 7
As much as I hate to do it, I have to give props to the Gators. They were the only one of the Big Three who didn't blink in the face of adversity. While FSU fell apart at the very end and UM lost it completely, the Crocs showed great composure in putting together a game-winning TD drive after Tennessee had seized momentum with James Wilhoit's 52-yard FG. You can question the INT that was called back on a terrible Roughing the Passer call, you can question the Tennessee D for not crowding the box anytime Tim Tebow entered the game, but you can't question the determination and precision with which Florida executed in the 4th quarter.

7. West Virginia (W vs. Maryland 45-24)
Last week: 9
Everyone expected West Virginia to roll over Maryland, but it was supposed to take longer than 15 minutes! Steve Slaton renewed his BadAss license by romping through the Terps' defense for yet another huge night, while Pat White provided the perfect complement in the speed option. Do they deserve to play for the National Title? Hell no. But give the Mountaineers credit, they've resurrected something special in Morgantown that many thought we'd seen the last of: a dominant running team that can compete at the highest levels. Not since mid-'90s Nebraska has a team so thoroughly dominated on the ground. I'm getting all giddy just thinking about the land-vs.-air battle that will ensue when West Virginia invades Louisville on November 2nd.

8. LSU (L vs. #4 Auburn 3-7)
Last week: 2
The last of my bandwagon teams bites the dust, just as everyone was climbing on board. While the defense was at its hellion death-squad best, the erratic play of the mercurial Jamarcus Russell doomed LSU (and not a missed call, as some LSU fans have claimed). With two star receivers and the experienced Russell calling the shots I expected LSU to show a lot more on offense, but maybe the loss of Joseph Addai and several key offensive linemen was just too much to overcome. Or maybe Jimbo Fisher is going all Jeff Bowden on us. Or maybe both, who knows? All I know is that with this loss LSU will be hard-pressed to return to Atlanta unless Auburn pulls a major choke-job.

9. Texas (W vs. Rice 52-7)
Last week: 8
I love the talent at Texas. The Longhorns probably have the best pair of running backs in the nation, the offensive line is one of the best around, and Limas Sweed is the real deal. On defense they have a bunch of QB-seaking missiles on the defensive line and speed demons at linebacker. The one thing they lack - and that every team above them has - is a veteran leader at QB. I'm convinced that a college football team can overcome anything - bad coaching, bad officials, and bad luck - if they're talented enough. But bad QB play will kill any team at any level, and Texas is no exception. Until their baby signal-callers grow up Texas stays at the back of the pack.

10. Notre Dame (L vs. #10 Michigan 21-47)
Last week: 5
Every flaw in Notre Dame was exploited to perfection by Michigan. Their soft interior defense was exposed by Michael Hart to the tune of 124 yards and a TD. The weak secondary was demolished by Mario Manningham and an OC who actually decided to use his star receiver in the second half (sorry, but I'm still pretty pissed about Patrick Nix's inexplicable Calvin Johnson embargo during the Georgia Tech game). Best of all, the offense that has always been more one-dimensional than most people realized was totally disrupted thanks to the constant pressure applied by the Wolverines. Make no mistake, Notre Dame is still a solid team that is extremely well-coached, but they finally ran into the perfect storm: a more-talented team, combined with a coaching staff that knew how to utilize that talent to hit all the pressure points, much like Ohio State in last year's Fiesta Bowl. Michigan must have watched that tape closely, because they used the same game plan with the same result... a severe beat-down of the Fighting Irish.

11. Virginia Tech (W vs. Duke 36-0)
Last week: 11
It's very difficult to accurately rank the Hokies considering the pathetic schedule they've played so far. Still, lots of teams have feasted on cupcakes and few have been as impressive as Virginia Tech in dismantling the opposition. The defense and running game have been better than expected, and although the QB spot still seems unsettled the talent is there to have a good. I haven't forgotten the Hokies propensity to fall apart in November, but at this point they get bonus points for being one of only two ACC teams that haven't completely embarrassed the league yet. The other one - Georgia Tech - comes calling next Saturday, when we may finally find out what the Hokies are made of.

12. Georgia (W vs. UAB 34-0)
Last week: 12
Well, it may be a little early to start the "Matt Stafford 4 Heisman" campaign, but with a backfield that's deeper than the Nietzsche and a death squad defense who cares? Georgia is the only team in the nation that has yet to give up a single point and that's impressive no matter who you play. Can they run the table with true freshman Stafford under center? Well, they're ranked below Florida so you know what I think. But with that Dawg Pound D anything is possible.

13. Georgia Tech (W vs. Troy 35-20)
Last week: 13
You'd think that all of my friends who gave me so much shit after FSU struggled with Troy would offer their profuse apologies after seeing Tech struggle against the Trojans into the 4th-quarter. Of course, you'd be wrong. Tech did a better job than FSU of executing on offense, which is why they handled Troy by a wider margin, but Reggie Ball still scares the hell out of me. Still, Calvin Johnson and a great defense will take you pretty far in the world of college football. Quick question; is there any way we can trade Troy for NC State?

14. Oregon (W vs. Oklahoma 34-33)
Last week: 17
Yeah, yeah, we’ve all seen the replays and we all know that Oregon was the beneficiary of some horrendous and inexplicable officiating errors against Oklahoma, but the Ducks should get all the credit in the world for taking the breaks they got and turning them into game-winning points. Adrian Peterson is the best player in the country, but Jonathan Stewart isn't far behind, and Dennis Dixon is legit. I don't know if Oregon has a realistic shot at USC, but it should be a whole lot of fun finding out.

15. Clemson (W vs. #15 Florida State 27-20)
Last week: 21
Is it wrong that during the entire game I wanted to hunt down Will Proctor's dad and punch him in the throat? Proctor played well, but I have a hard time seeing all the good things Clemson did for all the bad plays on FSU's side. Still, you've got to give the Tigers' coaches credit. The end-zone throw on third-and-one was a great call, and the hurry-up snap in the fourth-quarter was a thing of beauty. Plus, James Davis is a total stud. The talent gap between the Atlantic Division powers has officially been closed. As much as I can fault Jeff Bowden for the loss, Clemson did a better job on the sidelines and they deserved the win. Now if I could just find the Proctor's home address.

16. Tennessee (L vs. #7 Florida 20-21)
Last week: 16
I actually thought Tennessee became a little over-rated after their big win over Cal. Sometimes in college football certain games spiral out of control... all the breaks go one way, or a team gets the early momentum, and the team on the wrong side of things gets totally derailed. That seemed to be the case on week 1, and I thought the Vols close call against Air Force was a better indication of their ability. So I was pleasantly surprised at the level of poise and control Tennessee showed on offense and the speed and skill of the Tennessee defense. They should have beaten Florida, plain and simple. I wasn't sure they belonged this high before but they played well enough in losing that my impression of them actually improved. Great defense, Phil Fulmer stretching his Dockers to the breaking point, and choking against Florida - the Vols are back!

17. Boston College (W vs. BYU 30-23)
Last week: 10
If there were any Boston College fans that actually read this blog I'm sure they would point out that BC just beat Clemson and surely deserves to be ranked higher than the Tigers. I respectfully disagree. Although the Eagles won the game, Clemson outplayed them and was unfortunate to take the loss. Then Clemson followed up the game by beating FSU on the road while BC was severely tested at home by BYU. Sorry, Eagles, but I still think Clemson is the better team.

18. TCU (W vs. #23 Texas Tech 12-3)
Last week: NR
Three points? THREE POINTS??? Any time you hold Texas Tech to three measly points you're playing some mad defense. On the strength of that D the Horned Frogs finally crack the Chop Shop Top 24. Let the celebrations in Waco commence!

19. Oklahoma (L vs. #14 Oregon 33-34)
Last week: NR
The only possible reason Oklahoma was included in many top 10 lists after Rhett Bomar's dismissal was the defense that, as we were all told, was a cross between the '85 Bears and Sauron's Ringwraiths. Well, fantasy was definitely the right genre to discuss because this Oklahoma D is nowhere near as good as the fearsome units that were featured on Bob Stoops' earlier teams. Stoops and the Oklahoma administration can whine and cry all they want (and they've shown no sign of letting up), but as bad as the refs were it was the defense that ultimately let the Sooners down. However, Adrian Peterson by himself is better than half the I-A teams in the nation. On the strength of his unbelievable skills we welcome Oklahoma back to the Top 24.

20. Iowa (W vs. Iowa State 27-17)
Last week: 19

I realize I've been hard on Iowa, but I finally got a chance on Saturday to realize the error of my ways and watch the Hawkeyes in action. I hoped to get a better feel for Kirk Ferentz's troops and their special brand of whup-ass that MGoBlog can’t get enough of. Finally I saw the Hawkeyes and Drew Tate in action…and I couldn't have been less impressed. Iowa's WRs and secondary are painfully average, and Pam Ward's endless fawning over Drew Tate's competitiveness only underscored the celebrated Iowa QB's phenomenal lack of talent. Ferentz deserves all the credit he's received for turning this into a winning program, because he has nowhere near the level of athleticism you see at any SEC school, let alone the major Big 10 programs. It was a nice comeback win for Iowa, but beating an average Iowa State team that ran out of gas in the second half won't win you many points around these parts. I came away from the game with the impression that any other top 20 team would handle the Hawkeyes with ease.

21. California (W vs. Portland State 42-16)
Last week: 22
You get no credit in this poll for blowing out Portland State. Cal is still in the rankings solely on our belief that Marshawn Lynch is a stone-cold badass and that the Tennessee game was a fluky amalgam of bad luck and home-team mojo run amuck. We'll find out a lot more about the Bears this weekend when they welcome the enigma that is Arizona State to Berkeley.

22. Nebraska (L vs. #2 Southern Cal 10-28)
Last week: 20
While the defense is quite possibly the real deal we still don't believe that Bill Callahan will ever get Nebraska over the hump, and the Cornhuskers uninspired effort in the second half against USC only reinforces that opinion. There has been undeniable improvement but Nebraska is a long way removed from the elite status they so desperately crave.

23. Florida State (L vs. #21 Clemson 20-27)
Last week: 15
I didn't even watch this game. What happened? Who won? Wait, what's that? I did watch it...and I've written two colums bitching about it already??? Hmmmmm, I must be repressing all the rage I have over Jeff Bowden's unbelievably incompetent display of play-calling and the depths to which he's dragged the once-proud Seminoles. In the '90s losing to anyone at home was unacceptable. In year six of the Jeff Bowden Experience it's not even shocking anymore. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go eviscerate myself with a melon-baller.

Bobby explaining that it's not like golf... in football you want a HIGHER score than your opponent. Note how all this new information gives Jeff a splitting headache.

24. UCLA (bye)
Last week: 24
Still clinging to the rankings on the strength of their week one domination of Utah and the fact that they didn't have the chance to embarrass themselves last Saturday. Still, unless they show me something against an improved Washington squad I'm looking hard at moving a Big 10 team (Penn State? Wisconsin?) into this spot. Or maybe an ACC team, if only for comic relief.

What Did I Ever See In You??? … Miami(#17), Texas Tech (#23)

Calvin Johnson is the Man

2006-09-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

In the wake of last night's complete and utter annihilation of Viginia, here is a brief mid-season tribute to the force of nature known to mortal men as "Calvin Johnson"

10 Things I Learned on Separation Sunday

2006-09-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

10. Adrian Peterson is the Best Player in the Country. At this point the only player I can compare to "All Day" Peterson is Bo Jackson. Not the real Bo, mind you...I'm talking Super Tecmo Bowl Bo that could rocket around the corner and then demolish any defender foolish enough to block his path. Peterson was a one-man wrecking crew against Oregon as he single-handedly put the Sooners in control with 145 yards in the 4th quarter. The only men on the field who could stop AD were the guys in black and white, as two gawd-awful calls robbed Oklahoma of certain victory. The loss doesn't diminish Peterson's performance one iota, though. With Brady Quinn's struggles not only has Peterson grabbed the lead in the Heisman race, but a lot of NFL teams have to be penciling him in as the #1 prospect in the country.

9. When Did Quarterbacks Become Untouchable? I understand that when you've got 300-lb. DEs racing around the edge looking to inflict maximum pain there need to be measures to protect the QB, but it's gotten out of hand this year. In three weeks of football I've seen three ludicrous Roughing the Passer calls that have directly affected the outcome of major games. In each case the team that benefited from the call won the game:
Week 1 - Call against Georgia Tech on a clean third-down hit on Brady Quinn keeps a TD drive alive, allowing the Irish to seize momentum. Tech loses a lead it never regains.
Week 2 - Again against the Irish, Penn State is robbed of their biggest play by a bogus late hit call on Quinn. Sapped of all hope the Nittany Lions are blown out.
Week 3 - An non-descript shot on Chris Leak is called (as a make-up call) negating a pick-six that would have put Tennessee up big. Gators go ahead in the final minutes and hold on.
Look, these QBs are out there with big boys. If they don't want to get hit they should go play soccer or something. Enough already.

8. Ohio State is the New Miami. OSU has become a bottomless well of great defensive players much like the Hurricanes during the Russell Maryland, Warren Sapp, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Jonathan Vilma, Sean Taylor run. UM still has plenty of badasses on D, but the offense has gone off the rails and the team no longer has the old swagger. Apparently it's moved to Colombus, Ohio where the Buckeyes have simply reloaded on D and have a wealth of lightning quick skill players - another Hurricane trademark - to rip the heart of their opposition. Add in an annoying catchphrase and former players receiving jail sentences and the resemblance becomes uncanny.

7. Welcome Back Big East. West Virginia and Louisville each made strong statements over the past week. WVU was expected to beat Maryland, but the ease with which the Mountaineers dismantled the Terps was astonishing. But that was only the appetizer for the Big East. Louisville served up the soup, the entree, and dessert agianst Miami in dismantling 'da U'. The most impressive part for me was the way Louisville didn't let up a bit after Brian Brohm left the game. Even with both of their Heisman candidate on the bench the Cardinals ran the 'Canes defense ragged. Despite Pitt getting put in their place the Big East can now boast two legitimate top 5 teams which no other league can claim, except possibly the SEC. Not bad for a conference that was considered too weak to have an automatic BCS bid.

6. Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder. It cracks me up reading SEC fans talk about how amazing the Auburn/LSU game was two weeks after bashing the FSU/Miami game as a boring, sluggish, ugly game. Both were defensive battles with tons of skill and speed on defense. The only difference is that FSU and Miami both managed to find the end zone. I wan't argue that Auburn and LSU are better than the two Florida schools right now, but only an old-school SEC purist could enjoy Saturday's slug-fest in Auburn.

5. USC is the New Florida State. Once upon a time FSU...yes, that FSU...put up 60+ points as a matter of routine. The Seminoles annually sported a veteran QB throwing to dangerous WRs behind a massive wall of All-American offensive linemen. Sound familiar? USC has simply reloaded their killer offensive attack, and not just on the field but in the coaches' box as well. Where once there were Charlie Ward, Danny Kanell, and Chris Weinke now there's Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, and John David Booty. Mike Williams and Dwayne Jarrett have inherited the mantle from Peter Warrick and Anquan Boldin. Add in a bunch of mean, lightning-fast defenders, a red-and-gold color scheme, and a mascot on a horse and you have the West Coast version of the 90's 'Noles.

4. Parity Rules in 2006. Every week we're receiving these bizarre reports of BCS schools getting beat, often at home, by lower-tier schools and even some I-AA teams. Stanford lost to San Jose State. Northwestern lost to New Hampshire. And Colorado...1990 co-National Champion COLORADO!...got handled by Montana State. And we haven't even gotten to the ACC yet (more on that in a minute). Scholarship limits and young, inventive coaches have seriously narrowed the gap between the haves and have-nots.

3. The ACC Sucks... Okay, coming into the season I figured that with the lack of big-time QBs and the loss of so much defensive talent to the NFL the ACC was bound to take a step back, but not even in my darkest nightmares could I have envisioned the train-wreck the league has become. In week 1 Duke was shut out at home by Div-1AA Richmond, while Boston College was tested by Central Michigan and Virginia got pounded by Pitt. In week 2 NC State was upset at home by Akron, while Florida State was tested by Troy and Virginia escaped in overtime against Wyoming. In week 3 Miami was blown-out by Louisville, while NC State was waxed by Southern Miss and Virginia dropped one to Western Michigan. Are you seeing a pattern here? The depth that was expected to be a strength of the league has dried up overnight, and suddenly there's not enough hot seats to go around (Fridge takes up two, which doesn't help). Expect massive carnage among ACC coaches in the off-season...if not sooner.

2. ...But Thank God for the Big XII. The conference began to show serious signs of decay last year with the Oklahoma teams scuffling and Texas A&M underperforming. But this past weekend provided a golden opportunity to regain some respect with four games against BCS foes and one against #20 TCU. The result? The Big XII went 0-5 in the five games, including Texas Tech getting demolished by TCU and Nebraska getting dominated at home against USC. Oklahoma can cry about the refs all they want, but if they play better defense or hit the field goal at the end they win anyway. I won't even mention Texas A&M's inexplicable near-loss to ARMY...except I did mention it because it's freakin' hilarious. And all of this followed Texas' near-shut out at the hands of Ohio State's young defense last week. Only surprising Missouri has surpassed expectations this season and they're far from a top team. This league is a mess and I honestly can't figure out why, but they've sunk to the bottom of the BCS packing order that now reads as follows:
1. SEC ... Two great teams and three good ones is more than enough for the top spot
2. Big 10(11) ... Michigan's big win validates the entire conference
3. Pac 10 ... A win is a win for Oregon, while USC is here to stay
4. Big East ... No depth, but the two good teams are REALLY good
5. ACC ... Bad QBs, bad coaches, and bad mojo are killing the league
6. Big XII ... What the hell is going on out there?

1. Jeff Bowden is the Devil. There's no way FSU should suck this bad. With an average offensive coordinator this team should score 30 points a game. Instead they have 0 points in the first half through three games, and have somehow managed to regress on offense to the same predictable, let's-burn-all-our-time-outs-in-the-first-five-minutes eyesore of 2002. The offense's performance so far has been so atrocious I actually yearn for the halcyon days of last season, when the 'Noles finished dead last in rushing in the ACC (which, I remind you, includes Duke) with a 94 yards/game average. I would kill distant relatives for 94 yards/game right now!

The back-to-back-to-back embarrassing outings have finally convinced me that no matter how many talented recruits we bring in, no matter how many teams the coaches visit for ideas, no matter WHAT, barring divine intervention FSU's offense will suffer as long as Jeff Bowden is ostensibly running the show. They look ragged, the execution is terrible, and the play-calling has been abysmal...again. To quote the great Homer Simpson, Jeff Bowden is the suckiest suck who ever sucked, and he's killing the program. And as long as the offense is inept the defense will continue to get hung out to dry, which has happened repeatedly to the warriors on the other side of the ball. The sad fact is that FSU is stuck until Bobby retires - I'm guessing after the 2007 season - because Jeff stays as long as Bobby does. I understand the situation now and I'll deal with it, but I DON'T LIKE IT.

Also, thanks to the inept showing of FSU's offense I got to watch Clemson score a last-second game-winning touchdown in Doak Campbell, only to change the channel in disgust just in time to see Florida score a fourth-quarter game-winning touchdown against Tennessee, which is roughly the football equivalent of getting a prostrate exam and then, right when the doctor's in up to his elbow, he kicks you in the nuts. So that sucked.

All in all a great day of football that went horribly, horribly wrong. On to the conference schedules!

It's The End of The World As We Know It

2006-09-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

In the wake of FSU's demoralizing 20-27 loss to Clemson last night the season, indeed the future of the entire program, seems to be on the edge of the abyss. While there were innumerable struggles over the last five seasons, there was always a reason for hope. But after three consecutive disappointing performances to start the season I feel like that hope has finally been extinguished. I will always love the 'Noles and I think there's a lot to like about this team, but it became clear last night that we are nowhere near the force we once were and are unlikely to regain elite status until the next coaching regime takes over. Here's what I saw last night:

THE GOOD
- The one positive development for FSU was the increased commitment to the running game. For the first time this season the Noles cracked 100 yards on the ground and Antone Smith and Joe Surratt punished Clemson with inside runs. We're not exactly '95 Nebraska - no back carried more than 11 times and the team only averaged 2.7 yards/carry - but the fact that JB actually ran the ball after the first quarter was a pleasant surprise.

- Mickey Andrews wass ready for the wide receiver screens. Clemson gashed FSU repeatedly last year with WR screens to Chansi Stuckey, who racked up almost over 150 yards receiving and two TDs in that game. This year FSU's DBs did a much better job of attacking the ball and Stuckey was held to 34 yards (though he did catch a TD pass). In the second half FSU was able to force Clemson to all but abandon the screens.

- The team showed tremendous heart in coming back to tie the score at 20-all. There is no quit in this team and it is this fact alone that let's me believe there may be a brighter future ahead. In the second half the offense finally showed a physical side and the defense continually rose to the occasion until the final drive. Still, you can't keep digging yourself into a hole and expect to climb out every time. With two second-half comebacks already in the books it was simply too much to ask for a three in a row.

- The last two discs of "Lost: Season 1" came in the mail today. So that's pretty cool.

THE BAD
- The offensive line is still below-average. Clemson dropped LBs into coverage on almost every down and never moved their safeties up, yet FSU was unable to break a single long run all night as Clemson quickly closed any holes that opened up. Of even more concern were the four sacks on Drew Weatherford, which was a huge disppointment considering how good the pass protection had been in the first two games. Some of the sacks came from coverage with the Tigers dropping eight men into coverage, but it was embarrassing how much pressure Clemson was able to apply with a three-man rush. Mark McHale is looking like another shaky hire on an offensive staff that's full of them.

- Outside of the improved screen coverage the secondary wasn't good at all. Free safety Roger Williams has been a notable weak link in FSU's defense with several missed tackles and poor coverage. He should have been helping Tony Carter with deep help on Clemson's third-quarter TD, instead he was looking into the backfield as Will Proctor lofted a pass over his head. Williams wasn't the only culprit though. Broken coverages on third-down repeatedlykept Clemson drives alive and drained the defense in the first half.

- Paul Griffin's injury really affected FSU's defensive line. With Griffin, and back-ups Emanual Dunbar and Aaron Jones injured, FSU essentially played without a DT for most of the game. In the 20 years I've been following FSU football I can't recall them ever playing a three-man DL as much as they did last night. At some points Alex Boston was moved inside, but that took away FSU's most consistent pass rusher, and as a result Will Proctor often had all day to throw. He wasn't sacked all night. The three-man line was a bold move by Mickey Andrews and it almost worked, but ultimately the lack of depth took its tolll and the defense was unabe to stop Clemson's final drive.

THE UGLY
- FSU's defense made one major mistake in each half and both times it led to a Clemson touchdown. Letroy Guion's late hit negated what would have been 3rd-and-long for Clemson in their own territory. Instead they got a first down and ultimately took the lead on Proctor's 20-yard TD run. At least I can give Guion, who was playing hurt, credit for hustling on the play. FSU's coaches GOT hustled late in the fourth quarter when Clemson's offense lined up, hiked the ball, and rolled off a 54-yard run as the 'Nole defenders were staring at the sideline waiting for a signal. As bad as the 'Nole offense was all night, FSU still could have won the game without those mental errors.

- The wide receivers were terrible. Awful. Cover-your-eyes bad. Richard Goodman, who is apparently a God on the practice field, dropped a sure TD pass. Chris Davis dropped a first-down throw from Weatherford that hit him squarely in the hands. Greg Carr was a non-factor. Coming into the season I felt that FSU had a very underrated group of receivers, but so far they've shown nothing. Only DeCody Fagg has shown up each week, though freshman TE Brandon Warren continues to impress. If only the WR coach could get more out of his group. Speaking of which...

- We are now on year six of the Jeff Bowden Experience and the true magnitude of the damage is plain for all to see. Seriously, it's like he never even looked at the tape of last year's game. Clemson came out in the exact same defense they shut FSU down with last year - don't worry about the run, rush only the four DL, and drop seven into coverage - and yet the Seminole offense seemed totally unprepared for it. The offense was once again shut out in the first half and no adjustments were made until after the half. To me the disparity between Clemson's OC and FSU's OC was made clear by the following contrast: in the third-quarter Clemson faced a key 3rd-and-1 around FSU's 30. Instead of pounding away at FSU's stacked D Proctor executed a perfect play-action pass into the endzone and Clemson took a 20-9 lead. Later in the game FSU faced a huge 3rd-and-1 at their own 40. At this point in the game FSU had tied the score, Clemson's defense was tired, and the crowd was going crazy. I turned to my buddy Hootie and said "FB Dive", which was exactly what JB called. The 'Noles had already run SIX FB Dives in the game and it was painfully obvious to everyone - including, of course, Clemson's entire defense - that it would be run again because JB can't seem to grasp the concept of setting up the defense. Surratt got the ball, all 11 Clemson defenders jumped on top of him, and Clemson was able to regain some much-needed momentum and eventually win the game.

At this point we all know the deal. Jeff Bowden is terrible at his job and he has two guys under him - QB coach Daryl Dickey and OL coach Mark McHale - who apparently do nothing at all. The Seminole offense has steadily deteriorated under their watch, yet they have better job security than a Supreme Court Justice thanks to Bobby Bowden...and there's the rub. I love Bobby and have the utmost appreciation for what he's done at Florda State. The man is a legend and he deserves to go out on his own terms, but now I recognize that those terms include allowing his son to wreck the program he spent half of his life building up. It's a damn shame and will be sad to watch, but there's nothing any of us fans can do about it. In "Fever Pitch" Nick Hornby compared being a fan to being in a bad marriage... sure, there were some good times but now every little thing drives you insane and you feel like screaming until your head explodes. On Saturday night I knew exactly what he meant. The ongoing offensive struggles have drained me of all hope and watching the team drives me mad, but I'm still a 'Nole. 'Til death do us part.

Immediate Reaction to the Game...

2006-09-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

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(Okay, that's not even 1 million but I don't want to blow up Blogger's server. I think I made my point)

Lo Siento

2006-09-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

To my many, many readers (latest estimate: 4) I apologize for the crappiness of my posts lately, but for some reason I'm expected to accomplish things at work from time to time, which has really taken a bite out of my posting schedule. Now that Comcast has managed to find a man brave enough to drive the entire two miles from their headquarters to my new apartment, and smart enough to flip the switch that grants me access to this internet thingy, expect The Chop Shop to improve in both content and deliverance.

Unless FSU loses tomorrow, and then it will just be a blank screen with the words "Die Jeff Die" repeated 20,000,000 times...

Go Noles!

Bowden Bowl IX - This Time It's Personal

2006-09-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

Finally we have reached Football Nirvana - September 16 when seemingly the entire Top 25 will be involved in key showdowns that will determine the course of the National Championshp race for the rest of the year. Over on ESPN.com they are pimping the seven (SEVEN!) games between ranked teams including the two huge SEC games and the Miami/Louisville battle for ACC/Big East supremacy. A week ago it looked like there would be eight great games, but Clemson's one-point OT loss to Boston College knocked them from the rankings. What does that mean for FSU? Jack squat... this is still the key game of the whole year. Win and we're in great shape for the ACCCG, lose and the team's collective psyche is crushed while we're forced to play catch-up to Boston College.

It's not inconceivable that Bowden Bowl IX could chart the course for both programs for the next few years. A loss here and Clemson's hopes for a New Year's Day bowl are all but dashed before October...again. This has been a recurring theme under Tommy Bowden and is surely wearing the patience of the Clemson faithful awfully thin. Another sad offensive showing for the 'Noles on the heels of last week's embarrassment against Troy and the howls of protest from the FSU faithful will reach a fever pitch...again. So who has the edge in this Oedipal conflict?

FSU Offense vs. Clemson Defense - It's hard to say that FSU's offense has an edge against anyone these days, but this is a badly depleted Clemson defense. Star MLB Anthony Waters was lost for the year with a torn ACL, starting CB CJ Gaddis is out, and All-American DE Gaines Adams is banged up. A depleted secondary should have Drew Weatherford licking his chops, but so far FSU's receiving corps has been underwhelming. FSU desperately needs to get the running game going in order to force Clemson's safeties into the box and open up some space for Greg Carr to work one-on-one. Hopefully after the Troy debacle FSU's coaches have been challenging the OL to quit slap-fighting the DL, and for FSU RBs run through the holes instead of taking a Capital Circle-esque route around the line of scrimmage. Taking it right at the young Clemson D should wear them down and lead to favorable match-ups for the FSU WRs. At the beginning of the year this appeared to be a major advantage for Clemson, but with all of the star defenders for Clemson that are out or playing hurt and the added motivation for an FSU offense that has a lot to prove I have to give a slight edge to FSU.

Do the ongoing offensive woes signal
the end of the Bowden era?

Clemson Offense vs. FSU Defense - Clemson isn't the only team dealing with key injuries. Players getting hurt is never good, but losing your starting NG right before you go up against the ACC's best backfield is a disaster. Paul Griffin had looked great in the 'Noles first two games and his absence, on top of all the other injuries to the FSU DL, could have a major impact on the outcome of the game. FSU must find a way to slow down James Davis, Reggie Meriweather, and CJ Spiller or the 'Noles defense will be on the field all day. Even if they can stop the Tigers running game the FSU secondary still has to find a way to contain Clemson's Chansi Stuckey, who lit up FSU last year. Thankfully a dependable second receiver hasn't emerged yet for the Tigers so the 'Noles should be able to focus on Stuckey. I would have given FSU an advantage in this match-up but with Griffin, Emanuel Dunbar, and Aaron Jones all out with injuries ad Letroy Guion hobbled the edge shifts over to Clemson and their strong running game.

Could Bowden have another promising
season derailed in September?

Special Teams - Gary Cismesia missed a FG last week but he hit the one he had to hit a week after going 2-for-2 agsint Miami. The punting game has looked good so far and punt coverage has been outstanding. The one concern for FSU has been kickoff coverage, and Jacoby Ford of Clemson is just the sort of returner that could make the 'Noles pay. On the other side Clemson's special teams were awful last week in the BC loss. In fact it was ultimately a blocked extra point that provided the margin of victory for the Eagles. With all the issues the Tigers have had on special teams I give a slight edge to FSU here.

No surprise here, but I like FSU in this game. The night-time atmosphere at Doak Campbell will be electric and FSU should have extra motivation to prove themselves after last week's debacle. the tough loss to Boston College and the mounting injuries have to have had a detrimental effect on the Tiger's psyche. I think the FSU crowd and the rash of key injuries will be too much for Clemson to overcome as FSU wins a tough, physical contest. Go Noles!

No doubt about it, Bowden needs a big win this weekend

The Top 24 - Sept. 12, 2006

2006-09-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

Week two is in the books and there were some major revelations around the country: apparently Vince Young was kind of important for Texas, Notre Dame has a good offense, and Jeff Bowden is really, REALLY bad at his job. Who knew? On to the Top 24...

1. Ohio State (W vs. #2 Texas 24-7)
Last week: 1
Whatever residual doubts there may have been about Ohio State's worthiness as a #1 team were erased by a 24-7 shellacking of Texas in Austin. Troy Smith and Anthony Gonzales were brilliant, and the running backs all looked dangerous. But the Buckeyes were supposed to dominate on offense - the concern was the youth on defense, especially in the back seven. Ironically, the pass defense was superb and it was the run defense that gave up some yards for the second straight week. Rushing defense is the only remaining concern for this team (except maybe placekicking), and in a year with no dominant team that's good enough. This was the biggest win for any team so far and left little doubt as to who should sit atop the polls ath this point.

2. Southern Cal (bye week)
Last week: 3
What can you say after a bye? In a week where so many Top 25 teams suffered through let-downs against lesser opposition maybe the Trojans picked a great time to sit at home and watch. Besides, the Trojans already got their cupcake game out of the way at Arkansas. Now they get to stomp on Nebraska, and based on the and the ass-whupping that's about commence I'm just going to go ahead and move them up to #2 now to save time.

3. LSU (W vs. Arizona 45-3)
Last week: 4

Is it too early to say "I told you so"? The Tigers didn't improve their resume by beating a sorry Arizona team, but thay appear to be gaining momentum ahead of their monumental showdown with Auburn. Since I'm still not sold on Notre Dame and I’ve been riding the Tiger’s bandwagon so far I have to put them here ahead of Auburn. Thankfully all speculation will end on Saturday, when we find out for certain which one of the SEC West powerhouses is the real deal. I know Auburn should have won last year but I think LSU's defense and array of weaponry on offense will wear down the Tigers.

4. Auburn (W vs. Mississippi State 34-0)
Last week: 7

Okay, okay I’m ready to admit that Auburn looks damn good so far. Even though Mississippi State may have the worst offense in the country outside of Tallahassee the Tiger's impressive 38-0 demolition was a nice prelude to the mega-showdown with LSU. However, there has to be some concern about MSU's ability to slow down Kenny Irons. The Bulldogs are a solid defensive team, but if they can affect Auburn's vaunted rushing attack what will LSU's fierce D be able to do?

5. Notre Dame (W vs. #18 Penn State 41-17)
Last week: 9

Other than the Ohio State/Texas game I watched more of ND/Penn State than any other contest. Despite the final score I came away with the same impression of the Irish that I got out of their week one win against Georgia Tech... if not for Charlie Weis this would be a thoroughly ordinary team. Darius Walker is good but isn't anything special on this level. Rhema McKnight is an impressive physical specimen but not a game-breaker. They have exactly two good players on defense in Zbikowski and Abiamiri. Penn State ran all over the Irish but repeatedly shot themselves in the foot with turnovers and penalties. Plus, the Irish got ANOTHER terrible call in their favor when a dubious clipping penalty negated Penn State’s best play of the day. I didn’t think Penn State had a shot at the Domers in the first place but they gave a much better effort than the score indicates. Still, if Notre Dame beats Michigan it would be a nice 3-0 start against tough competition. I'll be happy to give them their due should that happen.

6. Louisville (W vs. Temple 62-0)
Last week: 6
Another game, another 60-point outing for the Cardinals. If only we could clone Bobby Petrino and find him a spot on FSU's staff! It was an impressive effort without Michael Bush, but beating Temple won’t move you up the poll. We’ll find out how legit this offense really is when Miami comes to town this weekend for a huge ACC/Big East showdown. It's a testament to how much respect the Cardinals have earned in the last few years that most expect to see them win this game.

7. Florida (W vs. Central Florida 42-0)
Last week: 8

Two fairly impressive wins have set up UF nicely for the brutal stretch of SEC showdowns that pack their schedule. Chris Leak, Percy Harvin, and the defense have looked great so far but the Gators always look good aginst their traditional two cupcakes games to start the season. Now we find out what they look like agianst a real defense. UF got a pair of big break when Tennessee’s Inky Johnson and Justin Harrell were both injured against Air Force. Harrell is showing tremendous courage by deciding to play against UF. It will be interesting to see what sort of impact he has agsint UF's young OL. I have my doubts about the Gators, but they'll prove whether or not they belong in the Top 10 this Saturday.

8. Texas (L vs. #1 Ohio State 7-24)
Last week: 2
The Mack is back! The weather is getting cooler, gas prices are dropping, and Mack Brown is killing his team in big games…ahhhh, all is right with the world. Despite a thriving running game that was picking up yardage in huge chunks Brown elected to put the game on the inexperienced shoulders of Colt McCoy. Mack also made a ridiculous challenge after the Longhorns' goal-line fumble and watched his defense get burned by man-coverage of Ted Ginn right before the half. The result of Mack's genius? The Longhorns were nearly shut-out by Ohio State’s rebuilding defense and Texas is all but eliminated from the National Championship race. A soft Big XII conference and the return of Tarrell Brown may keep Texas near the top of the polls, but with the old Mack Brown in charge expect Texas to go back to struggling in big games and squandering their abundance of talent.

9. West Virginia (W vs. Eastern Washington 52-3)
Last week: 13

I’m starting to come around on West Virginia as a contender. Not because they slaughtered Eastern Washington, but because everyone else looks mighty shaky. Maybe it's just that most other teams have played a decent opponent so far so their weaknesses have been revealed, but in not embarrassing themselves during the first two weeks of the season West Virginia has elevated themselve above 90% of the teams in the nation. Plus, as an FSU fan I’m in awe of any team that can average more rushing yards per quarter than the ‘Noles are likely to pile up all year. Plus Steve Slaton is a stone-cold badass. Still, if West Virginia plays in the National Championship game I will throw up in my mouth. Their schedule really is that bad.

10. Michigan (W vs. Central Michigan 41-17)
Last week: 14

I can't decide if I've been disappointed in Michigan so for, or if they've been exactly what I expected in two uninspiring wins over marginal competition. For Lloyd Carr’s sake I hope they’ve been sand-bagging so as not to tip their hand ahead of this weekend’s huge game against Notre Dame. Michigan's defense has been great so far and they have the Georgia Tech blueprint for stopping the Irish. If Michael Hart has a big game the Wolverines have a legitimate shot to knock off the Irish in South Bend. In fact, I like most of the match-ups for Michigan except the one on the sidelines. Sadly, I suspect the Wolverines are once again doomed to be victimized by an overly conservative coaching staff that will continue to let them down in big games.

11. Virginia Tech (W vs. North Carolina 35-10)
Last week: 13

North Carolina is not a good team, and Virginia Tech wasn’t especially overwhelming against the Tarheels, no matter what the score says. Unfortunately, this far down in the poll (#11!?!) everyone has some pretty major flaws, and at least the Hokies have yet to embarrass themselves. Sean Glennon couldn’t match his solid first start, but the defense again stepped up and led the Hokies to a victory. Against their Charmin-soft schedule a suffocating D and a competent running game will be more than sufficient on most Saturdays.

12. Georgia (W vs. South Carolina 18-0)
Last week: 16

When is a loss really a win? When your spectacularly untalented senior QB gets injured, paving the way for your uber-freshman QB to assume the reins of the offense AND avoid the nasty QB controversy that would usually accompany such a transition. With JTIII out of the picture the Dawgs offense may run into a few patches of turbulence - as evidenced by Stafford’s three INTs on Saturday - but they’ll be better off in the long run. They still have ridiculous depth in the backfield to help ease Stafford's transition to starting QB, and the defense is sufficiently unholy to help smooth over the rough spots.

13. Georgia Tech (W vs. Samford 38-6)
Last week: 19

As impressive as Tech’s defensive effort against Notre Dame was at the time, it became even more so after the Irish were able to slice-and-dice Penn State. Following their great effort on week one the Jackets controlled Samford in every phase of the game and were able to get everyone on the rosterdowmn to the back-up water-boy some valuable PT in the second half. Are you paying attention FSU? THIS is what you do against a cupcake! Georgia Tech just may be for real...it seems to us that a strong defense, a decent running game, and Calvin Johnson will carry you far this year.

14. Oregon (W vs. Fresno State 31-24)
Last week: 17

Okay, time to move the Ducks up. Oregon followed up a great showing on week one by beating a tough Fresno State team on the road in their final tune-up for Oklahoma. Give Oregon credit for scheduling such a tough non-conference schedule to open the season. Give them even more credit for having an emerginging offense. As shaky as Oklahoma's D has looked so far I think Oregon has a great chance to knock off the Sooners. If the Ducks get to 3-0 they'll have a strong case for Top 10 consideration, and it says here they’ll get the job done.

15. Florida State (W vs. Troy 25-17)
Last week: 10

So does anyone know what Jimmy Heggins is up to? The long-time FSU OL coach “resigned” after his unit strung together a few uninspiring years of churning out a rushing attack that wass merely ranked in the top 30 nationally. Now we're 15 games into the Mark McHale era and I don’t know if the ‘Noles can eke out 30 yards a game! There is absolutely no excuse for the 'Noles weak showing against Troy on Saturday. The players are to blame for putting the ball on the ground seven times, but quotes such as the one uttered by John Frady in which FSU's starting center admitted the team wasn’t prepared or focused on the game puts the onus squarely on the coaches. Jeff Bowden has seemingly used the same game-plan in every game for the last five years, and opposing defensive coordinators figured out how to beat it about four-and-a-half years ago. Without some versatility in the play-calling and consistent execution on offense I fear the ‘Noles might waste their #1-ranked rushing defense and fall into the same 7-5/8-4 rut they’ve occupied for the first five years of the decade.

16. Tennessee (W vs. Air Force 31-30)
Last week: 15

I think I speak for everyone when I say, “What the fuck?” After the Vols dominant performance against Cal they almost coughed one up against Air Force. Blame injuries on defense or the looming game against UF, but this result raises the question of whether Tennessee is really back, or if they just caught Cal on an off-day. They get a chance to prove again that they’re legit this Saturday, but it will be a whole lot tougher to contain the Gators with Justin Harrell and Inky Johnson out for the year.

17. Miami (W vs. Florida A&M 51-10)
Last week: 21

While FSU came out flat aginst Troy it appears the ‘Canes found some motivation in their game-one loss. They dominated FAMU and racked up yardage by air, land, and sea. Miami pounded out their frustration on the Rattlers and instilled some confidence in the offense heading into what should be a tremendous game against Louisville this Saturday. Miami's defense should match up pretty well against Louisville with Michael Bush out. The Canes' back seven is second to none and is physically capable of shutting down Brian Brohm and Co, especially if Louisville's running attack isn't a threat. I just wonder if UM will look more dangerous on offense than they did aginst the Seminoles. No matter how good your D is you've still got to score points, and Brock Berlin isn't around to bale out the Canes anymore should they spot the Cardinals a big lead.

18. Boston College (W vs. #5 Clemson 34-33)
Last week: NR

How bad is Clemson wishing that Syracuse had been the third team poached by the ACC instead of Boston College? In their two years in the league the Eagles have handed Clemson two painful overtime losses, this one coming in the second OT period on a blocked extra point. Despite being out-gained by a wide margin, BC held tough behind the steady leadership of Matt Ryan and got the big plays when they needed them to stay in the game. Jim O’Brien’s team is once-again a scrappy, tough team that always seems to play close games, whether their opponent is Temple or Texas. This win could potentially put the Eagles in the driver’s seat for the Atlantic Division if Clemson can turn around and knock off FSU this weekend.

19. Iowa (W vs. Syracuse 20-13)
Last week: 12

I realize Drew Tate was out for this game, but Syracuse is a terrible (repeat: TERRIBLE) team that had no business hanging with a supposedly Top 10 team. The Hawkeyes do deserve credit for stopping the ‘Cuse seven times inside their own two and pulling out the victory despite tossing four INTs, but I still think this is a mediocre team that doesn’t have the weapons on offense or defense to hang with the big boys. Fans of the Big 10 need to recognize that last year is over and so far in 2006 the league, outside of Ohio State, is looking extremely average. Iowa may not be as good as last year (when they were an average squad) and yet they may be the 2nd-best team in the league, which isn't a good thing.

20. Nebraska (W vs. Nicholls State 56-7)
Last week: 20

QB Zac Taylor’s strong play has given Nebraska fans hope, but it’s the strong running game that gives them balance and truly makes them dangerous. Plus the defense is fast and far more talented than the Arkansas defenders who mere speed bumps for the Trojans. So can the ‘Huskers pull off the big upset? Short answer…no. Long answer…hell no. But the 'Huskers don't really need to win this game. Proving that they belong on the same field as USC is all that's needed to return Nebraska to respectability.

21. Clemson (L vs. Boston College 33-34)
Last week: 5

Two weeks have gone by and two of my bandwagon teams have already bitten the dust. In Clemson’s case a combination of poor special teams, a shaky secondary, and key injuries derailed their promising season against BC. The Tigers aren’t dead yet though. They can get back in the Atlantic race with a win over FSU this weekend, but they’ll have to show a bit more cohesion on offense and get the stops on defense when necessary. That will be difficult with most of their stars on defense hurting. Plus the Noles tough run D should put even more pressure on Will Proctor and the passing game to produce.

22. California (W vs. Minnesota 42-17)
Last week: 24
I suspected that Cal may have had a Murphy’s Law type of game against Tennessee where everything that could go wrong did just that, and their domination of Minnesota backs up that assertion. This was the Cal team everyone expected to see with Marshawn Lynch running for 139 yards and two TDs while DeShawn Jackson caught three of QB Nate Longshore's four TD passes. The Golden Bears appear to be playing with a chip on their shoulder after being written off by everyone after the first week of the season. If Cal can keep playing mad they may work their way back into the Top 10 by the time it’s all said and done.

23. Texas Tech (W vs. Texas El-Paso 38-35)
Last week: 23

My concern with Texas Tech coming into the season was the defense, which had to replace some talented players in the off-season. Those fears were partly confirmed by the Red Raiders’ 38-35 battle against UTEP. Tech deserves credit for the win, however, since Mike Price has built a pretty strong team in El Paso. In a weak conference the Raiders could very well be the second best team behind Texas, and as long as the Texas Tech offense continues to produce behind Graham Harrell they have a chance to make some noise.

24. UCLA (W vs. Rice 26-16)
Last week: 22

The Bruins followed the trend of many other teams with a big win in week 1 followed by a struggle with a lesser opponent in week 2. UCLA dominated a talented Utah team in their opener but struggled with lowly Rice in the follow-up game. Ben Olsen had another strong outing throwing for two scores, but it was the running game that’s trying to replace Maurice Drew that won the game against the Owls. UCLA wasn’t seriously threatened, but struggling with one of the worst BCS teams will cost you a couple spots.

What Did I Ever See In You??? … Penn State (#18)

Sorry the posts have been so erratic but I only have so many chances to procrastinate at work. Not that there’s much to say about FSU’s showing last week, but thankfully my home internet connection is finally being set up tomorrow, so let the bitching begin!

The Ship Be Sinking for Many ACC Coaches...

2006-09-08T11:53:00.000-07:00

As Marcus pointed out so well on Atlantic Coast Chronicles, several ACC coaches did an abysmal job on the first week of the season. One ACC team lost to a 1-AA opponent and two others were beaten by Big East schools which, let's face it, is just as bad. Even the conference's two flagship programs were soundly criticized after their defensive struggle on Labor Day. If The Chop Shop were laying odds on ACC head coaches getting fired after this season we'd put the over/under at five right now. Here's a look at the league's head coaches, and the chances that they're still ACC head coaches a year from now...

CALL THE MOVERS, IT'S TIME TO GO
John Bunting, North Carolina - Back in 2004 UNC scored a huge upset over Miami. At the time it was one of the best wins in school history...turns out, it may have been one of the worst. Thanks in large part to that win John Bunting remained the head coach and UNC remained one of the most underachieving programs in the country. Hopefully the Tarheels embarrassing 21-16 loss to Rutgers will finally convince the administration that instead of Bunting, UNC should be going for a home run.

Al Groh, Virginia - Remember back in the good old days of Virginia football when Matt Schaub was leading the league in passing and there was a stable of stud LBs ready to destroy any opposing players foolish enough to venture across the line of scrimmage? Graduation, suspensions, and defections have gutted the once-promising Cavaliers to the point that they were humiliated at the hands of Dave Wannstedt Pitt Panthers (Dave Wannstedt!). Mediocre records and embarrassing bowl losses are bad enough, but losing to the Wannstache is inexcusable. Time for Groh to go.

Chuck Amato, NC State - Chuck the Chest was supposed to bring NC State their own version of Bobby Bowden. Instead he's been closer to Ron Zook, hauling in strong recruiting classes that ultimately disappoint on the field. Never in all my days have I seen a team that beats itself in more ways and with more regularity than the Wolfpack under Amato. When you can't beat Appalachian State by two touchdowns with the talent NC State has at its disposal it's time to go in another direction.

Ted Roof, Duke - The only reason Roof wasn't fired immediately after the Richmond loss on Saturday afternoon is that the expectations at Duke are so ridiculously low. But at ANY 1-A school it simply unacceptable to get shut out...at home...to RICHMOND. Roof has had some relatively strong recruiting classes so far and up until now was thought to be instilling a better attitude in the Blue Devils, so he'll likely get a chance to oevrcome the rocky start, but even a program as accustomed to humiliation as Duke can't accept home losses to 1-AA schools. The Roof! The Roof! The Roof is getting Fired!

MIGHT WANT TO UPDATE THAT RESUME, JUST IN CASE
Chan Gailey, Georgia Tech - The Yellow Jackets strong showing against Notre Dame last Saturday was a double-edged sword. On the one hand they went toe-to-toe with the #2 ranked team in the country. On the other hand they very well could have beaten the #2 ranked team in the country were it not for a flat, unimaginative offense that couldn't convert short 3rd downs. Since offense is supposedly Gailey's milieu (and he appeared to get more involved in the play-calling just as the Jackets began to trail off) he has to take some of the blame for the loss. If Georgia Tech doesn't build on their strong showing and winds up regressing to their customary 7-5 record Gailey might get rambled right out of town.

Larry Coker, Miami - How could a coach that started his career 23-1 possibly be on the hot seat just three years later? By misusing his talent and producing a string of uninspiring victories sprinkled with shocking upsets to lesser teams. After Miami's 10-13 home loss to Florda State - a loss in which the 'Canes were held to 12 yards of total offense in the 2nd half - the heat is on Coker more than ever. His seat is so hot it appears to have burned all the hair off his body! If UM doesn't make a run at the ACCCG expect all 12 die-hard Hurricane fans to lobby hard for Coker's dismissal after they get blown out again in their bowl game.

Ralph Friedgen, Maryland - During his first two year at Maryland the Fridge brought a level of prosperity to the Terrapins - and local restaurants - never before seen in our lifetime. After back-to-back ten-win season and a BCS berth many pundits felt that Maryland was a rising power, but since those halcyon days the Terps have regressed to their previous level of mediocrity. Worse yet, Friedgen's offensive genius has been M.I.A. from a halting, inconsistent attack. Quarterback play has been a major issue and with Florida transfer Josh Portis waiting in the wings there is still hope, but if Maryland is going to struggle with the likes of William & Mary the lights may go out on the Fridge era before Portis gets a chance to right the ship.

Tommy Bowden, Clemson - Now wait, how could we have Clemson at #5 in our rankings yet place Tommy Bowden in the "at risk" category? So far Bowden's tenure has been a roller-coaster tease for Clemson fans, who ache for the return of the good-old Danny Ford days when they could cheat with the best of the SEC teams. Bowden has assembled a Special Ops Death Squad of offensive talent that has only ratcheted expectations up to a fever pitch, but with higher expectation comes greater pain when the inexplicable losses to Wake Forest and Duke occur. We think the Tigers are going to be awfully tough this year, but if they experience their usual let-downs against the dregs of the league the fall from grace may be too much for Clemson fans to bear.

NOT GOING ANYWHERE
Jim Grobe, Wake Forest - Bobby Bowden himself has called Grobe the best coach in the conference. His annually overachieving teams have beaten Georgia Tech and Clemson recently and have even put a few scares into the big boys of the league. Wake is a tough, gritty team that is always well-coached and usually posts a winning record. Let's just put it this way...you would never, EVER see the Demon Deacons get shut out at home by Richmond. Grobe does more with less than just about any coach in the country, and Wake is lucky to have him at the helm.

Tom O'Brien, Boston College - O'Brien's BC teams seem to mirror their coach...they're conservative, solid, and consistent winners. The Eagles annually produce good results and do a great job of turning average talent into dangerous squads capable of playing with any team in the country on any given Saturday. With Matt Ryan at the helm another strong season is expected in Beantown, and if history is a good guide the Eagles will produce. O'Brien is a credit to his profession and has been an asset for the league in the short time BC has been a member.

Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech - Beamer has done a pretty good Bobby Bowden impersonation in transforming Virginia Tech from a no-name school in the middle of nowhere into a perennial college football power. Two years in the ACC have yielded one outright Championship and an appearance in the first-ever Championship Game, plus the 2006 edition of the Hokies got off to a great start by blanking Northeastern. Frank the Tank will go when he damn well feels like it.

Bobby Bowden, Florida State - When there's a statue of you outside the stadium and the field is named after you your job is pretty safe. Unless Jeff Bowden brings the whole program crashing down, which is still a distinct possibility.

The Suck/Rule - 09/08/06

2006-09-08T08:44:00.000-07:00

Finally, actual football-related stuff to trash/praise!

Things that Suck
- Any offensive player on Miami not named Lance Leggett
- Every single QB on Cal's roster
- Rule 3-2-5-e. Less football is never a good thing
- Diddy's "rapping"
- Not starting Heath Miller on my Fantasy Football team
- Diddy's propensity to profit off his dead friends
- The tackling skills of Pac-10 defenders
- The name "Diddy"...seriously, how did that douchebag get on the NFL Kick-off show?
- Scheduling a 1-AA cupcake as your opener...and losing!
- Rich Olsen, although I'm psyched that FSU no longer has the worst OC in Florida.
- Over-rated run defenses. Ohio State and Auburn, I'm looking in your direction...
- Wide Right montages
- Every offensive line in the State of Florida
- Rushing for 2 yards
- The unfortunate injuries to Anthony Waters, Michael Bush, and Mike D'Andrea

Things that Rule
- Buster Davis, one-man wrecking crew
- Tennessee's receivers
- The "Stunt City" commercial
- Randy Shannon. How is it that John Bunting's a head coach, but Shannon is not?
- The NFL's return to NBC. It's about damn time.
- Notorious B.I.G.'s "Hypnotize"
- Ben Olsen, Dennis Dixon, and possible serial killer John David Booty
- Getting LaDainian Tomlinson at #3 in my fantasy draft!
- Mighty Montana State! Shout-out to the Richmond Spiders as well.
- Mickey Andrews, who once again proved he's the best DC in the country
- Garrett Wolfe
- #1 vs. #2 matchups. btw I like Ohio State, 27-24 (Eugene Robinson Rule in effect
- Every defensive line in the State of Florida
- Rushing for 1 yard...but winning anyway!
- All the players who missed last season with injuries finally getting pay-back for their countless hours of rehab and getting back out on the field. Welcome back gentlemen!

The Top 24 - Sept. 6, 2006

2006-09-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a week of college football! Okay, so most of the top teams feasted on an array of cupcakes that would make Andy Samberg jealous. Still, there were some compelling games, some surprising upsets, and enough drama to whip up the frenzy for next week’s Clash of the Titans in Austin (and that’s nothing compared to what’s coming up on 9/16). Without further ado, here’s hard evidence of how bad I screwed up my pre-season Top 24…

1. Ohio State (W vs. Northern Illinois 35-12)
Last week: 1
I actually did okay with this one. Ted Ginn and Troy Smith made it look ridiculously easy to rip through a decent MAC defense, and Antonio Pittman and the RBs were extremely impressive. Most importantly, the young Buckeye defense looked pretty good, though they'll have to play better run defense against Texas' stable of stud RBs. On a side note; Mike D'Andrea, we wish you the best.

2. Texas (W vs. North Texas 56-7)
Last week: 4
What an impressive debut for the impressively named Colt McCoy! Three TD tosses – including one on his third career attempt – and the longest run of the day for the Longhorns. That last stat may be a bit disconcerting for a team that will supposedly be run-oriented, but there wasn’t much need to unleash the hounds against North Texas. Big question: will the Eugene Robinson Rule kick into effect in the wake of Terrell Brown's arrest on weapons and drug charges? You don’t want to go into the Game of the Year with bad mojo…

3. Southern Cal (W vs. Arkansas 50-14)
Last week: 5
It’s not easy to go on the road against a talented SEC opponent that’s been gearing up for the game all summer. You could argue the “talented” portion of that statement in regards to Arkansas, but you can’t argue with the unholy beat-down administered by the Trojans. When the team you just defeated winds up going through massive roster turmoil and the coach's ass starts getting warm from that hot seat you know you just opened up a can of Special Reserve Triple Bock Whup-Ass.

4. LSU (W vs. Louisiana-Lafayette 45-3)
Last week: 2

Wow, one week and I've already abandoned my wild-card #2 pick. LSU didn’t really do anything that deserves a drop in the rankings; it’s just that Southern Cal was more impressive against better competition. I still like all the talent the Tigers can put on the field and they are still my pick for SEC Champion. They’ve got some catching up to do to the big 3 but they’ll get plenty of opportunities to prove their worthiness in the coming weeks.

5. Clemson (W vs. Florida Atlantic 54-6)
Last week: 7

In my pre-season rankings I had three bandwagon teams in the Top 10. One bandwagon had the wheels come off (Cal) and one busted an axle (Louisville), but Clemson cruised against FAU and showed off their impressive array of talented skill position players. Will Proctor had a strong debut, James Davis was his steady self, the under-appreciated Reggie Meriweather had some strong runs, and lightning-quick Jacoby Ford ran a kick back for 92 yards or so (that should be a recurring theme this year, btw). We’ll know all we need to know about Clemson after the next two games, but so far they deserve to occupy this lofty spot.

6. Louisville (W vs. Kentucky 59-28)
Last week: 6
Our heart goes out to Michael Bush, who made a noble move by returning to Louisville and would have been one of the premier players in the country. Mr. Bush will be fine once he starts cashing those NFL checks in 10 months but it’s a shame college football fans were deprived of their last chance to see his formidable skills at this level. I flirted with the idea of dropping Louisville, but they’re still dangerous so for now they stay here until we see how Bobby Petrino and Brian Brohm will handle life without Bush.

7. Auburn (W vs. Washington State 40-14)
Last week: 9

In case you didn’t know, Kenny Irons is really good. His 189-yard performance was very impressive. Still, my main concern with Auburn wasn’t the rushing offense, it was the rushing defense. Let the record show that Auburn gave up 7.5 yards/rush to Washington State. The players may have been confused since they were probably expecting The Citadel to show up instead of a real team. Maybe it was just a fluke, but LSU and UGA will surely test that run D even more than the Cougars did.

8. Florida (W vs. Southern Miss 34-7)
Last week: 10

I don’t know what it is but I just don’t think Florida deserves to be this high. Urban Meyer can point to some good things so far in his tenure, especially wins over UGA, Tennessee, and FSU. And yet, the team as a whole hasn’t come close to living up to his hype. The running game is still painfully anemic (and this is coming from an FSU fan!), the offense doesn’t look smooth, and despite what UF fans would tell you I still think they have the third-best defense in the state. If Tennessee’s defense can play at the level they did this past Saturday they'll give UF fits. For the time being the Gators deserve to be ranked ahead of last year’s victims, so here they are. For now.

9. Notre Dame (W vs. Georgia Tech 14-10)
Last week: 3

That was the #3 team in the country? How could I have been so blind, how could I fall for the Notre Dame hype machine that badly? HOW??? After watching Georgia Tech thoroughly outplay Notre Dame in the first half it became clear that the Irish are thoroughly beatable. Georgia Tech was the victim of bad play-calling, a waning defense, and a terrible helmet-to-helmet call that swung the balance in Notre Dame’s favor. I was not impressed at all with the Irish’s physical abilities (except maybe Rhema McKnight). It is solely the inventiveness of Charlie Weis and the steady confidence he's instilled in the team that makes them Top 10 caliber, but teams with more depth and better coaching than GT will find the Irish to be easy pickings. Penn State isn’t that team, but Michigan just may be.

10. Florida State (W vs. #14 Miami 13-10)
Last week: 12

I felt that four big questions had to be answered in order for the Seminoles to be successful:

(1) Can they rebuild the offensive line? Miami didn’t lay a finger on Drew Weatherford all night, but the running game was shut down. Incomplete so far.
(2) Can they replace the lost talent on the DLine? UM had two yards rushing and Kyle Wright was sacked four times. Ummm, I think the DL is okay,
(3) Will the undersized, inexperienced secondary kill them? JR Bryant was a liability at times, but I didn’t see Tony Carter give up a pass all night and Michael Ray Garvin ended the game with a pick. Incomplete until they play Clemson.
(4) How will they replace the leadership of Leon Washington? Did you happen to notice a guy named Buster Davis on Monday night? How about Drew Weatherford raising his game in the 2nd half? I think we’re good here.
So FSU answered a lot of questions on Labor Day, but 1 rushing yard does not a dynasty make. The OL looked tons better, but until they start opening some holes for the RBs the ‘Noles won’t rise much higher than this.

11. West Virginia (W vs. Marshall 42-10)
Last week: 13

I’m still torn about the Mountaineers. Slaton and White are as talented as any duo in the country but I just can’t take WVU seriously until they beat somebody, and with Michael Bush’s injury they may not get the chance to face an elite opponent until January. I just checked their schedule and it’s even worse than I remembered. The sad thing is this could actually be one of the best teams in the country but absolutely no one can take them seriously because of the Big East. It's a damn shame.

12. Iowa (W vs. Montana 41-7)
Last week: 16

I’m still thinking Iowa is going to be a disappointment this year, but with Drew Tate and Albert Young looking good I can’t put them below any of lower-ranked teams. Still, that defensive back seven scares the crap out of me, and at some point a Big Ten team is going to realize the don't need to cover the Hawkeye receivers. So here’s compromise: I’ll move them up in the rankings, and then when they lose I’ll claim I only did it because a bunch of Iowa corn farmers threatened to cut off the supply of ethanol-E85 to Georgia, thus making flex-feul cars useless in this state.

13. Virginia Tech (W vs. Northeastern 38-0)
Last week: 18

Granted Northeastern isn’t a good measuring stick, but VaTech was the only Top 24 team to register a shut-out on week 1 which has to count for something. On top of that Sean Glennon looked good in his first start. If Glennon turns out to be the real deal the Hokies will be dangerous, considering how much talent they have in the receiving corps. With Miami’s loss and Georgia Tech's ongoing employment of Chan Gailey the Hokies suddenly find themselves in the driver’s seat for a spot in the ACCCG. For 'Nole fans that's music to our ears.

14. Michigan (W vs. Vanderbilt 27-7)
Last week: 11

How in the hell did Michigan get tested by VANDERBILT? I realize the Wolverines were never in any real danger of losing the game, and maybe I’m giving too much weight to the final score, but VANDERBILT?? You needed to rush Michael Hart 31 times against VANDERBILT??? On the plus side the defense looked solid, Hart looked 100%, and the Wolverine receivers looked like they'll be very tough this year. Speaking of which; VANDERBILT?!? A three-spot demotion for Michigan, and they’re getting off light.

15. Tennessee (W vs. #8 California 35-18)
Last week: NR

By far the best win of the weekend was Tennessee’s demolition of Cal. The receivers looked like the five-star prospects they were coming out of high school, QB Eric Ainge played a sound game, and the play-calling was light-years better. And the defense - sweet Jesus, the defense! The Vols had so much speed on D that poor Marshawn Lynch’s Heisman chances were run right out of town. It will be extremely interesting to see how Tennessee's DL matches up with UF's OL in two weeks.

16. Georgia (W vs. Western Kentucky 48-12)
Last week: 15

The good news…UGA is stacked with great RBs, they have a talented defense, and their punt returner will never celebrate prematurely again the rest of his life. The bad news…their QB stinks. If Mark Richt honestly thinks he’s going to win behind JTIII he may not be the offensive genius people mistake him for (as an attendee at the 2000 Orange Bowl I can attest to that). Unless the Dawgs want to see 11-man fronts for the rest of the year they need to get Matthew Stafford a bit more involved in the offensive flow, and Tereshinski a bit more involved in the calling-in-signals-from-the-sideline flow. One-spot demotion for the Dawgs.

17. Oregon (W vs. Stanford 48-10)
Last week: 20

Finally, a team that’s UNDERrated. The Ducks have a talented core of offensive players with the wildly underrated Jonathan Stewart, the steady Dennis Dixon, and some guy named Garren Strong who’s apparently pretty good. But the poor overall showing by the Pac-10 has left a bitter taste in my mouth and is really the only think that kept me from moving them up higher. The fact that they beat up on a Pac-10 patsy didn’t help either. A couple more impressive performances, though, and the Ducks will be on the move.

18. Penn State (W vs. Akron 34-16)
Last week: 23

I actually took a little heat for ranking the Nittany Lions so low in the pre-season rankings. Needless to say, an 18-point win over Akron has me feeling pretty good about my assessment of Penn State. By all accounts Anthony Morelli was hit-and-miss in his debut and the running game was pretty flat. This may be a very good team by the end of the year, and definitely will be in 2007, but I’ll be shocked if they beat Notre Dame next week. By the way, check out the picture on the right if you want to know why I have mad respect for Penn State. Say what you want about JoePa, but the man's a class-act and his program reflects that.

19. Georgia Tech (L vs. #3 Notre Dame 10-14)
Last week: 24

I think the Jackets deserve at LEAST a five-spot promotion for playing the heralded Irish toe-to-toe. Calvin Johnson was easily the best player on the field, and the defense contained the vaunted Irish attack for most of the game. If not for a HIGHLY questionable call in the third quarter the game would have been tied (maybe) heading into the final quarter. To be clear, I thought ND was the better team overall and they deserved to win the game, but Tech showed they have the talent to play with the big boys. The only real disparity on Saturday night was on the sidelines, where Charlie Weis simply out-coached Chan Gailey. Who could have seen that coming?

20. Nebraska (W vs. Louisiana Tech 49-10)
Last week: 21

As if facing the Louisiana Tech juggernaut in week 1 wasn’t enough, now Nebraska must gear up to face might Nicholls State. Who the hell set up this schedule, Bill Snyder? Couldn't have been the old K-State coach, because after Nicholls State they play some school called ‘Southern Cal’. I hear they’re pretty good. I'll be rooting for the Huskers in that game for the simple reason that no one in the pac-10 looks capable of stopping the Trojans. Hopefully the 'Huskers are up to the task, but it's hard to gauge them off of this game.

21. Miami (L vs. #12 Florida State 10-13)
Last week: 14

I almost wish Miami was still in the Big East just so I could see their immovable front seven go up against West Virginia’s unstoppable running game. Oh, and their secondary is unbelievable. Unfortunately they didn’t make much headway with the offense. I couldn’t be more please about the Rich Olsen hire. His playcalling in the 2nd half was terrible. Kyle Wright still looks overrated as well. He's got plenty of physical ability but lacks insticts. Plus no one that looks that much like Dustin Diamond can be taken seriously. That unholy defense will win them a lot of games, but unless they get better offensive coaching and something resembling an offensive line they’re going to be slumming here in the dregs of the Top 24.

22. UCLA (W vs. #22 Utah 31-10)
Last week: NR

Tennessee’s win over Cal was might impressive, but it was another Pac-10 school that provided the weekend’s other big win. UCLA overcame the loss of a talented QB named Olsen by plugging in…another talented QB named Olsen. Ben Olsen, the former #1-ranked prospect, looked tremendous is his debut as the starter and was instrumental in leading UCLA past the Utes. The Pac-10 desperately needs another team to step up besides USC, and right now it’s looking like a two-team race for second between UCLA and Oregon. We'll give the edge to the Bruins just based on the uniforms.

23. Texas Tech (W vs. Southern Methodist 35-3)
Last week: 19

The Texas Tech I know would have put up 60 against SMU. Is Mike Leach going soft, or is the transition to sophomore Graham Harrell not going as smoothly as expected? With their embarrassment of riches at WR Tech could still turn into a dangerous team, but at this point I remain unimpressed. Their defense still has holes, and with the loss of Taurean Henderson no one knows of they have a running game. They remain in the rankings for now, but they're on the brink.

24. California (L vs. Tennessee 35-18)
Last week: 8
“Bandwagon pick #3, and the one I feel is most likely to blow up in my face.” That’s how I started my blurb on Cal in the pre-season rankings. Blow up is an understatment for what happened to Cal, but I’m going to give the Golden Bears a break. It’s not easy to go on the road (especially Neyland Stadium) with an inexperienced QB and face a talented team that’s been gearing up all season for the game. Cal still has some talent, but they’d better learn how to tackle or they won’t be ranked in anybody’s poll for long.

What Did I Ever See In You??? … Oklahoma (#17), Utah (#22)

And We're Back! My Real-Time Reaction to FSU/UM

2006-09-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

Somehow I managed to move into a new apartment, spend quality time with my girlfriend, AND watch two great football games this weekend. Labor Day rules! The first great game was the Georgia Tech/Notre Dame game that Tech almost won. Notre Dame is very lucky they aren't 0-1 after Charlie Weis got away with some ridiculous play calls, and had the benefit of going up against Chan the Man Gailey. The other great game was, of couse, the annual Florida State/Miami clash. I decided to take notes on the game as it happened, which I did for two reasons:

1. I wanted to keep a record of the ebb and flow of the game and try to catch the little things that get glossed over in most media post-game recaps.

2. I had to do something to keep the beer and cigarettes at bay. I get pretty anxious during big games and tend to drink heavily to "calm down"...somehow I'm always able to convince myself it will work (which it never does). As a result I don't remember the 4th quarter of the 1999 Sugar Bowl at all, and a lot of other big games are hazy blurs in my memory. I'd like to actually remember these games that I wait months and months for.

This real-time reaction is a Chop Shop exclusive, by the way. No one has ever done this before...not Bill Simmons, not Pete Fiutak, not anyone! Hope you like it...

- 1st Quarter -
- Ready for kickoff! I'm here at the home of my friends Mel and Hootie, who were kind enough to supply a beautiful 55-inch plasma TV for the occasion. Also in attendance is my buddy Jeff, a die-hard Georgia Tech fan who loathes both FSU and Miami. There's at least a 75% chance we'll wind up strangling each other at some point during the game.

- Kickoff...and a big hit from Marcus Sims! Jeff says, "wait, I thought Ernie went to the NFL?" He's truly confused. I decide to leave him that way and don't tell him Marcus is Ernie's little brother.

- So this is the great Sam Shields we've all been hearing about? Not bad. By the way, people keep talking about the drop in the quality of these FSU-Miami games...well, just look at how many freshmen are being called into service in these games now! Plus it's the first week of the season. What do you expect?

- YES! 3-and-out for Miami and we're about to get our first look at FSU's offense. Block that punt, please...

- I like the little swing pass to Booker; it takes advantage of Miami's aggression. Nice way to start the game.

- Oh dear God NO, It can't be...IT IS! It's Ron Cherry. Dear ACC, why why WHY would you send the most incompetent referee in the history of mankind to your league's showcase game??? Suddenly I'm terrified.

- Nice little drive for the 'Noles, but now comes the moment every FSU fan fears: a FG attempt against Miami. Honestly, how can you trust a kicker named Weed? But it's GOOD! 3-0 FSU. By the way, in 2005 FSU was 8-0 when they scored first, 0-5 when their opponent scored first. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

- Most people didn't think Marcus Ball would even make it to FSU, now he's playing big boy minutes against Miami in his first game...and looking good! Muy Impresivo.

- Ladies and Gentleman, Mr. Buster Davis!!! Huge sack on Wright. That's one...I hope we beat last year, when the 'Noles racked up a ridiculous nine sacks. At this rate it could happen. Miami's forced to punt again.

- Jeff and I just had the following conversation...
Jeff: "Chris Davis? Never heard of him."
Me: "Really?"
Jeff: "Yeah, is he a freshman?"
Me: "Fifth-year senior"
Jeff: "Oh, he must have been a scrub last year"
Me: "He was our leading receiver"
Jeff: "Oh. Never heard of him."
Which brings me to my point: Chris Davis is ridiculously underrated. But he's going to blow up this year, I can feel it.

- Wow, Miami is crowding the line. I count ten defenders within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. If FSU could bust a TE down the seam it could go for big yards.

- Nope, FSU runs and gets stuffed. Antone Smith was really close to breaking that one but Randy Phillips caught him by his shoelaces. FSU is winning the field position battle though.

- Just so you know, I was late getting to Hootie's house. I'd been making appearances at various Labor Day cook-outs all over the city and had to drive from Powder Springs to Decatur for the game. Anyway, thanks to Hootie's DVR (Greatest. Invention. EVER.) I didn't miss any of the game, but I'm a few minutes behind real-time. So people keep calling me to talk about things that happened in the game and saying stuff like "I can't believe that call!", at which point I explain that I'm five minutes behind them and don't want to know what's about to happen. Then they go "Oh..." and there's this ominous pause. It's really starting to freak me out. What the hell's about to happen???

- So far FSU's defense looks S-I-C-K. I didn't think we'd have too much of a drop-off at LB, but I was worried about the DL. So far, no worries.

- HOLY CRAP! Brian Monroe just boomed a 68-yard punt that totally flips the field position in Miami's favor. That sucks; first break of the game goes to UM. Same thing happened in the Notre Dame/Georgia Tech game when Notre Dame's punter crushed a 69-yarder that kept ND in the game. Hope Monroe's punt doesn't hurt FSU as bad as ND's hurt Tech.

- Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Brandon Warren! I like the play call, and Warren made a nice catch for about 4 yards, but the coverage was too good. UM's defense is the truth.

- Damn, Caz Piurowski is GIGANTIC! 6'8", 270 lbs. and he looks bigger than that. I can't wait to see what these two freshmen TEs can do this season.

- Dang it, FSU has to punt and my worst fears are confirmed. Monroe's punt completely shifted field position in UM's favor. Booooooo!

- This morning as soon as I woke up my girlfriend told me that Steve Irwin died. How am I supposed to function after that? Ruined the whole day until now. Crocodile Hunter, you were one of a kind and you will be missed.

- End of the 1st, 3-0 FSU. I like it so far.

- 2nd Quarter -
- Son of a bitch. Buster laid another big hit on Kyle Wright, but Wright was able to get the pass off. It was a little lazy floater that Darnell Jenkins hauled in for 38 yards as JR Bryant casually lounged around nearby. JR, you gotta look for that ball buddy.

- ANOTHER huge hit by Buster Davis! He has roughly 237 tackles and is dominating this game so far.

- Wait, what??? Oh sweet lord...personal foul by Paul Griffin. I'm sure he's just excited to be playing in his first big-time college football game, but you simply can not make those kinds of mental mistakes in that spot. Huge break for the 'Canes.

- Roger Williams did everything right - diagnosed the play, got into the hole, kept the runner on his inside shoulder, and squared up for the hit - and then inexplicably watched as Charlie Jones ran right by him for the TD. What the hell was that? 7-3 Miami.

- Where's Greg Carr?

- Where's DeCody Fagg?

- And while we're on the topic of wide receivers, Calvin Johnson is a freak of nature. He almost beat Notre Dame by himself. You gotta love smart, personable 6'5" WRs who have a 40-inch vertical. He's a superstar, and that's all I have to say about that.

- All that talk in the off-season and FSU STILL can't run the damn ball. Aaaarrrrgghhhh! Still, we can't abandon the run or we're done.

- UM's secondary is winning the game so far. Everything else has been equal, but their DBs have shut down Drew and the passing game, while UM has found a little room to throw. That's the difference.

- Another break for Miami when Jenkins fumbles the ball but gets it back. The momentum is squarely in Miami's corner now.

- The Canes are picking on JR Bryant now. They've thrown to his man three or four times in a row.

- Did I mention that Buster Davis is AWESOME!?!

- Where's Myron Rolle?

- Why is Jamie Robinson, a redshirt freshman seeing his first game action, playing so much? Is something wrong with Tony Carter?

- Crap. Big 3rd down conversion by UM. Lance Leggett (covered by Robinson) made that look too easy. Gotta keep them out of the endzone here.

- Whew. FSU's D locks down and the Canes settle for a FG. 10-3 Miami. That was big.

- Or maybe not. Drew throws a bad pick to Meriweather, who had perfect coverage. Miami's secondary has been unholy so far. Seriously, it's like trying to throw against the Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse.

- Wow that was a huge penalty on Miami! What a break by Timmons; FSU has Wright's snap count down cold. The holding call took them out of FG range and FSU forced the punt. Finally a big break for FSU.

- 2 missed tackles + 2 personal fouls = 10 points for UM.

- FSU is 0-6 on 3rd down conversions and has 1 yard rushing. How are we still in this game?

- 10-3 Miami at the half and I feel very fortunate to only be down one score. I don't know how we're going to catch up though...the rushing game hasn't worked at all and the UM's coverage in the secondary has been outstanding. So we can't run and we can't pass. Other than that we're doing great!

- During the GT/ND game there was an atrocious personal foul called on Tech that gift-wrapped ND's second TD. When the referee was announcing the call someone from the stands actually hit him with a water bottle, which was amazing because he was at least 30 yards from the seats! I've seen lots of stuff get thrown at refs, but I've never seen anyone actually make contact from that distance. It was an incredible throw and everyone I watched the game with was thoroughly delighted. Not only did the POS ref get nailed with a water bottle but we got to joke for 20 minutes about how you could rule Reggie Ball out as a suspect (the bottle would have gone 10 yards over the refs head, hahahahaha) Well, Jeff just revealed that it was none other than our friend BJ who threw the bottle! Now he's a hero to us all, and our children will sing songs of his valor that will echo down through the ages. You think I'm kidding.

- 3rd Quarter -
- I've been watching Shannon Boatman in pass protection and he looks pretty good. His match-up with Baraka Atkins worried me a ton but the JUCO transfer appears to be holding his own.

- Good god, these penalties are KILLING us! btw, one of the announcers just said it was uncharacteristic for FSU to lead the ACC in penalties like we did last year. Whaaaaaa??? I can't remember a year when we DIDN'T lead the league in penalties. We're like the Oakland Raiders of college football! Normally it's just a by-product of aggressive play, but tonight it's mostly mental errors and it's really hurting us.

- Drew looks like crap so far, but I still believe in him.

- Jeff just asked who our back-up QB is, and I just resisted the urge to punch Jeff in the face.

- No points, but a good opening drive for JB and the 'Noles. Did I mention that Randy Shannon has been making Jeff Bowden his bitch for six years now, and nobody on FSU's staff seems to mind? I find this quite vexing.

- Good lord I hate seeing all the ex-players on UM's sideline. Edgerrin James is talking about how much money he's making on this game, apparently oblivious that sports gambling is illegal and he's talking about it on national television. Fun fact: Edgerrin James and Emmitt Smith went a combined 0-7 against FSU.

- Once upon a time I loved Dwyane Wade. Loved him like a brother. But then he started getting the Jordan treatment from NBA refs, he was part of the USA team that won shameful Bronze (how did we lose to GREECE?!?), and he's standing on Miami's sideline. He's dead to me now.

- Geno Hayes is FAST!

- Sweet lord, what the hell happened to Bernie Kosar??? He looks like Drew Rosenhaus' older, slightly less evil brother. Yikes.

- Roger Williams has missed two tackles and two INTs so far. Miami has missed nothing. Coincidentally, they're winning.

- WHOA! Big tackle on Darnell Jenkins for a loss of six. Say what you want about our offensive coaches, but nobody and I mean NOBODY is better than Mickey Andrews and his staff. They've got the defense flying around the field.

- Chris Davis is the shit.

- Hootie said it before I could: when you make an audible and you only tell the OL and running backs it sort of tips off the defense that you’re going to run the ball. That’s exactly what happened against UF and that’s exactly what’s happening right now. If I can figure that out, and Hootie can figure that out, why the hell can’t Jeff Bowden figure that out???

- On the heels of that little JB rant, Jeff just offered to trade me Chan Gailey for Jeff Bowden straight up. After politely refusing the offer I realized that maybe FSU doesn't have it all that bad.

- Lorenzo Booker is doing way too much dancing.

- Oh good, it’s raining. That should help the offense get on track!

- Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Myron Rolle! Man I can’t wait to see this kid do his thing. And he’s wearing #3! Between Leon Washington and now Myron Rolle I’m destined to love every #3 at FSU.

- Oh nooooooo…Buster Davis is slow to get up. The D has been on the field a LOT tonight.

- DAAAAAAAAMMMN! I guess Buster was okay because he just sacked Kyle Wright (again!) for a 17-yard loss. Man, that Lombardi Award is going to look good on his mantle.

- Ooooooooooo, almost blocked that punt. We’ve been close three times now.

- It’s subtle, but you can feel the emotional edge shifting to FSU right now. Momentum is huge in these types of games and right now its inching in Florida State’s direction.

- Wow, Weatherford has been gawd-awful so far.

- FSU has been in 3rd-and-long situations all night.

- FIRST DOWN! What a catch by DeCody Fagg! And then as soon as I get excited I realize what I just saw…The Jump Ball Offense. Noooooooooooo!

- More dancing from Booker…for 25 yards! Best play of the night so far, and FSU is in business at Miami's 5 yard line.

- What a catch by Chris Davis; the man has Velcro hands. It wasn’t a TD but it’s close enough.

- Okay JB here’s the plan: QB Sneak, QB Sneak, QB Sneak. Got it?

- Wow, our offense has looked like shit all night and yet we’re six inches away from tying the game. On a side note, in their pre-season previews both Kirk Herbstreit and CFBNews.com neglected to mention Mickey Andrews among the best defensive coordinators in the nation. Tell you what, why don't you ask Larry Coker or Kyle Wright who’s the best?

- Have I mentioned that I fucking hate Ron Cherry? How many times are we going to run this freaking play?

- End of the quarter, 10–3 Miami. But FSU is knocking on the door.

- I went to the restroom in between quarters (wasn't able to keep the beer away) and noticed Hootie’s Motivational Quote of the Day calendar. Here’s the quote for today: “When you get in a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time the tide will turn.” – Harriett Beecher Stowe. If that’s not an omen I don’t know what is...

- 4th Quarter -
- TOUCHDOWN!!! On his first career rushing attempt Joe Surratt takes it in for a touchdown against Miami. Not bad, young fella.

- Was the Wide Right montage really necessary?

- Bobby just said, “It’s like the NBA Playoffs where it comes down to who misses the last shot.” Gotta love the man’s optimism! Actually, given our history against UM you can't really blame him.

- Whoa, Marcus Sims was out cold for a second there. He's looking pretty unfocused as he's being helped off the field. The kid plays balls-out just like his brother.

- By the way, FSU and Momentum just took out a one-year lease on a condo in the Highlands. We have all the emotion right now!

- “Damn, that Fagg can catch,” says Hootie. It doesn’t even bother me any more.

- FSU has now shamelessly reverted to the jump-ball offense. The sad thing is it’s the only thing that’s worked so far.

- Good lord, Holly Rowe’s going to need a sand-blaster to get those eight coats of make-up off.

- Greg Carr is in the house! Nice move for a first-down.

- I BELIEVE IN DREW!

- Running game? We don’t need no stinking running game!

- Did I mention that I LOATHE Ron Cherry???

- Weed comes through! He’s 2-2 on FGs in a soggy Orange Bowl. After the debacle against Penn State and a shaky off-season that's got to feel good. 13–10 FSU.

- UM looks disheveled and disorganized; they got lucky on that fumble. And yes! A personal foul on Miami! Did I mention that I love Ron Cherry?

- Ummmmm, aren’t we supposed to be killing the clock? Two passes and a time-out??? It's like we're trying to find new and inventive ways to lose this game!

- Three plays, 0 yards, 44 seconds run off the clock. Jeff Bowden, everyobody! Give the man a round of applause. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go stab myself in the heart with a shrimp fork.

- What the hell was that? UM had a 3rd-and-long deep in their own territory and they lined up in this funky bunched-up formation with multiple TEs. Everyone knows they’re going to throw so what’s the point? Terrible move by Miami's new OC Rich Olsen who - outside of the 2nd quarter - has been abysmal. To top it all off Sam Shields drops a pass that would have given UM a first down.

- By the way, Miami has 10 yards in the second half. Ten. One away from single digits. I think FSU's going to be okay on defense.

- And they punt??? Larry Coker is so done.

- Hey Jeff, let’s throw a couple more bombs to Carr!

- Run, run, run. Good boy.

- Miami ball on their own 20, 1:14 left, no time-outs. Horrifying visions of the 2000 game are flashing through my brain.

- GAME OVER!!! Michael Ray Garvin makes a diving pick and finally I can start breathing again. This is a HUGE win for FSU! The confidence of this young team is going to be through the roof now. God I love football!

- People keep calling me to talk about the game, but I’m exhausted. All I can say is “1-0, baby. 1-0.” Damn straight. 1-0.

Moving Day

2006-09-01T06:59:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately the Countdown and other posts will have to be shelved for couple days while I move into my new apartment. The Great Satan known as Comcast won't be able to switch over my internet connection for a few days so The Chop Shop will have to go on a brief hiatus. No big deal, right? I mean, it's not like this is the first weekend of the season and FSU has a potential Game of the Year looming in three days, right? Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go scream into a pillow...

Enjoy the first weekend of the season, and GO NOLES!!!