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Michigan City, Ind. — Alleged thoughts between the ugly pyuck from the December skies...
* No Golden Watch for You: Shore didn't take Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pedersen long to put his stamp on Prairie U.'s athletic program. Apparently a six-year record of 58-19, better than 75% won-lost percentage, just won't cut it with Stevieboy. So Frank Solich, loyal soldier to Tom Osborn for many years, was cashiered after the season. "We are not going to concede the Big 12 title to Oklahoma and Texas," saith Pedersen. Terrific. What he didn't say the new man better take under advisement. "Win or win, we love ya."
* Big Time Way to Go: In the often dark, shady world of Southeastern Conference football, Mississippi State's hierarchy made the boldest of moves, going from the ridiculous (Jackie Sherrill, about whom more presently) to the sublime (Sylvester Croom). In hiring the S.E.C.'s first African-American coach, the Bulldogs earn a major cheer from the nawthland and all around the U.S. of A. Sherrill will best be known for his famous bullclip ("I wanted to inspire..." he was alleged to have said) to his infamous bullsomethingelse, where he allegedly called a rival coach's house at 12:30 a.m. after losing a key recruiting battle and reportedly berated him to his wife in x-rated language. Hey Jackie, DON'T be making Hall of Fame reservations, OK?
* No Respetta Dept.: Honest. Before you S.E.C. and Southern California fans fire off a few angry e-mails, understand why your faithful scribbler arrives at the conclusion Michigan should be playing Oklahoma for the national title. The reasoning is simple as A-B-C...
A. Skill position players -- L.S.U., U.S.C., others don't match up to Q.B. John Navarre, receivers Braylon Edwards and Steve Breaston in particular, running back Chris Perry. Nor do they in offensive line play.
B. Grinder schedule -- The Big 10 will take it out of anybody.
C. At season's end, with a deflating (or elating, depending on one's border position) 35-21 win over then No. 4 Ohio State in its pockets, who was playing better football than U-M? This from a lifelong Buckeye.
* Oy Dept.: In the rush to decipher the B.C.S. b.s., many probably overlooked the Big Ten/Atlantic Coast Conference "challenge." Yeah, right. Nine Big 10 programs looked very much like Dresden 1945 -- even the survivors (oops, winners) ... all two of them wore that worn-down look. Ohio State and Michigan State -- the latter called a major Final Four candidate by many -- suffered 20-point homecourt losses to Georgia Tech and Duke respectively. Only winners: Purdue (over Clemson) and Michigan (North Carolina State). Terry Boers of "The Score" (WSCR/AM 670 in Chicago) twitted Illinois coach Bruce Weber with a suggestion next year the Big Ten might want to consider the Patriot League (Lehigh, Fordham, Holy Cross, yadayadayada). Luckily the rookie Illini coach has a sense of humor. You may need one to watch some of this ball this winter. Wake Forest 100, Indiana 67. Sobering reminder.
* It's official: Please, referees' overseer Dave Parry, put the jeweler's eye to your Big Ten officiating crews in the off-season. It's getting embarrassing. Although the crew working the O.S.U.-Michigan game did a sterling job, giving some semblance of zebraic self-respect to the refs. But repeated misjudgements and allegations of geographic favoritism spread far too widely through the league this year. Even if untrue in many cases, some serious scrutiny in the off-season is clearly necessary.
* Kevin Jones Dept.: Aren't you thrilled you took your Penn State opportunity, shelved it and took off for Appalachia and hid for three years in the Blue Ridge Mountains, racking up your yardage against some of the true lightweights of Division I-A football for Virginia Tech? And now you're taking off after 3 years? Terrific. Let's see how this plays out in the N.F.L. draft. When was the last great Va Tech running back in the N.F.L. again?
I only stop here, because I have to see if I've regained my pre-Thanksgiving weight. Have a great December and holiday season. |
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