Really? Are you kidding me with this? Now? Tells you a lot about Darren Carrington folks. This was a selfish act of epic proportions. I know it's a "next man up" mentality with the Oregon Ducks, but this is just ridiculous. Carrington evidently decides to blaze up in Eugene and puts his whole teams National Title hopes in jeopardy on Monday night...
For the whole column go to www.cfbroundtable.com
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Friday, January 9, 2015
Expand the Playoffs
It's official. People love it. A lot. What is this that they love you say? It's the College Football Playoffs. The ratings tell us that the football crazy public does and anybody that does not see this is in some kind of weird denial. Now what does the NCAA do with the current playoff system? Blow it up and expand it so more teams have the chance to participate? I think they will.
Now the current contract with ESPN runs through 2020 or something like that, but with the ratings bonanza that the four letter network has got and the immense craziness at the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl, I think the money hungry people at the NCAA will want to go to ESPN and say "Hey, you know that contract we had, lets, uh, you know, renegotiate that thing..." I guarantee that ESPN will say that that will not be an issue because that means more money. There is so much more money to be made and more exposure for these programs that the NCAA will have no real other choice other than to expand it.
How much do they expand the playoffs? The prevailing thought is that they will go to a six or eight team playoff. I have been of the train of thought to keep it at four, but am coming around to the thought of the eight team. You can have first round byes, you could have teams have a home field advantage scenario, and you could include games in cold weather stadiums. I am not sure that I would want it to go as far as 12 teams because then you start diluting the talent pool in terms of teams that really deserve a shot at being in the playoff. I wouldn't want this playoff to turn into the NCAA basketball tournament. There are to many teams in that tournament. Let's face it. Everybody likes the underdog, but in the end people generally want to see the "big boys" go at each other. So for football, it's turned out nice this year by seeing Alabama take on an Ohio State, watch Florida State deal with Oregon. People tune in for something like that. They wouldn't necessarily being tuning for a Florida State-Washington game or a Oregon-Kansas State game if we had a bunch of different rounds in the college football playoff. Each round needs to have major teams going at each other.
I think when they expand the playoffs to probably an eight team format then you can have seeding and have the top two seeds have first round byes. People say that wouldn't be fair. I say, so what. This is not little boy football where we hand out trophies just being there. If you want a first round bye, go earn it by your play on the field and who you play. I would even say that the top two seeds could have home field advantage when they play their first games in the playoff. That may put a team in a cold weather situation such as playing in Oregon or at The Horseshoe in Columbus, but if those teams earn that right, they earn that right.
I am not sure that I am totally convinced that I like expanding it, but I am a realist when there are hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars involved with something like this. To much money can be made by people who want that money, so in the end, the playoffs will get expanded and the NCAA will get what it always wants.... money. Just saying...
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Now the current contract with ESPN runs through 2020 or something like that, but with the ratings bonanza that the four letter network has got and the immense craziness at the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl, I think the money hungry people at the NCAA will want to go to ESPN and say "Hey, you know that contract we had, lets, uh, you know, renegotiate that thing..." I guarantee that ESPN will say that that will not be an issue because that means more money. There is so much more money to be made and more exposure for these programs that the NCAA will have no real other choice other than to expand it.
How much do they expand the playoffs? The prevailing thought is that they will go to a six or eight team playoff. I have been of the train of thought to keep it at four, but am coming around to the thought of the eight team. You can have first round byes, you could have teams have a home field advantage scenario, and you could include games in cold weather stadiums. I am not sure that I would want it to go as far as 12 teams because then you start diluting the talent pool in terms of teams that really deserve a shot at being in the playoff. I wouldn't want this playoff to turn into the NCAA basketball tournament. There are to many teams in that tournament. Let's face it. Everybody likes the underdog, but in the end people generally want to see the "big boys" go at each other. So for football, it's turned out nice this year by seeing Alabama take on an Ohio State, watch Florida State deal with Oregon. People tune in for something like that. They wouldn't necessarily being tuning for a Florida State-Washington game or a Oregon-Kansas State game if we had a bunch of different rounds in the college football playoff. Each round needs to have major teams going at each other.
I think when they expand the playoffs to probably an eight team format then you can have seeding and have the top two seeds have first round byes. People say that wouldn't be fair. I say, so what. This is not little boy football where we hand out trophies just being there. If you want a first round bye, go earn it by your play on the field and who you play. I would even say that the top two seeds could have home field advantage when they play their first games in the playoff. That may put a team in a cold weather situation such as playing in Oregon or at The Horseshoe in Columbus, but if those teams earn that right, they earn that right.
I am not sure that I am totally convinced that I like expanding it, but I am a realist when there are hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars involved with something like this. To much money can be made by people who want that money, so in the end, the playoffs will get expanded and the NCAA will get what it always wants.... money. Just saying...
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Thursday, January 8, 2015
Championship Experience
This time of year always brings back great memories for me and probably for my brother. On January 4, 2006 we got to attend probably the best college football game ever. We saw University of Southern California take on the University of Texas. We saw Vince Young run all over the Trojan defense and score the winning touchdown at the end of the game. Thrilling, phenomenal, unbelievable are only a few words that describe this experience...
For the entire article, go to www.cfbroundtable.com.
Follow me on twitter: @pigskinopinion
For the entire article, go to www.cfbroundtable.com.
Follow me on twitter: @pigskinopinion
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Quarterback Changes at Stanford?
The college football off season is always full on rumor, innuendo, and partial facts. Case in point, Stanford and their possible change at quarterback. Kevin Hogan is their current quarterback and the rumor mill has him moving on to places like Texas, Michigan, and even Maryland. What? Are you kidding me? Moving on from Stanford? Why?
Look, a lot of this is just conjecture right now. Message boards are putting out things that are not true, or at least things that can not be confirmed right now. I like to call it wishful thinking because I just do not see it happening. I could be wrong about this, I have been wrong before, but I get "gut" reactions to things such as this and sometimes my gut tells me yes, I can certainly see it happening, and other times it tells me no, this is not going to happen. As previously stated, I don't see Kevin Hogan moving on from Stanford and being a fifth-year graduate quarterback, much like Russell Wilson did when he went from North Carolina State to the University of Wisconsin to play.
Kevin Hogan is the guy that took over for Andrew Luck after Luck went number one in the NFL draft. He's also the guy that has won a couple of games against mighty Oregon, a Pac-12 Championship, and a Rose Bowl for Stanford. He's also won 25 games as a starter for the Cardinal. He's helped make Stanford Head Coach David Shaw look like a genius since Shaw has taken over for that guy that just took over Michigan.
Since the Stanford Cardinal beat up on Maryland in the Foster Farms Bowl and Hogan took home the MVP of the game there has been speculation that Hogan may have played his last game for Stanford. This is something that has not been confirmed or even denied by the parties involved, but there is no fact to the thought that Kevin Hogan is leaving.
Like I said earlier, I don't see this happening. He's done some pretty special things at Stanford and would love to continue those special things as a graduate school quarterback. Rumors have said that Hogan and his head coach have clashed over how the offense has been run. Hogan supposedly doesn't like Shaw's conservative type of offense. Really? A quarterback and coach clashing over how the offense is run. I would act shocked, if I was. This happens more than people know or would even care to know. I look at that as not a big deal, but other fans at other schools who need a quarterback run with this kind of rumor.
A perfect example would be the University of Michigan. Fans would love to have a quarterback of Kevin Hogan's talent because they don't know who is going to be their quarterback in 2015. It's a question mark for Jim Harbaugh and his staff. Landing Kevin Hogan would be an absolute coup. Especially with the hated rival Ohio State having so much success and possibly winning the National Championship in the next few days. Message boards are saying: "He is rumored to be considering a fifth year transfer. He was recruited by Harbaugh, but has played his entire career for David Shaw. He could immediately shore up the questions at QB. Definitely seems like something at least worth exploring for JH." Quotes like this almost want to make it seem like Michigan is going to pursue it. However, nothing has been confirmed at all. It's fans dreaming big and WANTING Hogan to land in Ann Arbor. The Michigan fan base isn't the only one wanting to land a big fish.
Texas fans want everything, all the time. In this case, it's no different. At the SB Nation's Texas Longhorns blog they are pointing out the differences that David Shaw and Kevin Hogan apparently have to help drive people to think that Hogan definitely wants out. The blog is pointing out all of Hogan's stats and ends with the line "People treat him as if he's chopped liver. He's not." Those who know anything about football and more specifically Stanford football, know that he is not chopped liver or a horrible quarterback.
He has a slow release, but that is something that is easily worked on with any number of quarterback gurus that help college kids get ready for the NFL draft.
Hogan has been dismissive of questions concerning his future, but from what I have heard it is simply questions about the NFL and not questions about his relationship with David Shaw. Who knows. Hogan may in fact be tired of the Stanford offense, but if you think about why he would want to leave you will get a puzzled look on your face.
Stanford is returning a huge amount of players on the offensive side of the ball. He should have four returning linemen, three great running backs, solid tight ends, and two great wideouts to help stretch the field for the Cardinal. With those returnees, why would Hogan go to a totally new program, a totally new offense, when he has already been reassured by Coach Shaw that he is the starter in 2015 if he returns. On top of that, why go to Texas, Maryland, or Michigan and play for teams that are worse than Stanford? That's a very valid question to ask these quarterback starved fan bases.
In the end, Kevin Hogan is not going anywhere. I don't see this happening because if he returns, he is THE man, has a loaded offense, and already knows the offense. He should want to finish what he started on The Farm. He will, however, you have to love the off season rumor mill.
Look, a lot of this is just conjecture right now. Message boards are putting out things that are not true, or at least things that can not be confirmed right now. I like to call it wishful thinking because I just do not see it happening. I could be wrong about this, I have been wrong before, but I get "gut" reactions to things such as this and sometimes my gut tells me yes, I can certainly see it happening, and other times it tells me no, this is not going to happen. As previously stated, I don't see Kevin Hogan moving on from Stanford and being a fifth-year graduate quarterback, much like Russell Wilson did when he went from North Carolina State to the University of Wisconsin to play.
Kevin Hogan is the guy that took over for Andrew Luck after Luck went number one in the NFL draft. He's also the guy that has won a couple of games against mighty Oregon, a Pac-12 Championship, and a Rose Bowl for Stanford. He's also won 25 games as a starter for the Cardinal. He's helped make Stanford Head Coach David Shaw look like a genius since Shaw has taken over for that guy that just took over Michigan.
Since the Stanford Cardinal beat up on Maryland in the Foster Farms Bowl and Hogan took home the MVP of the game there has been speculation that Hogan may have played his last game for Stanford. This is something that has not been confirmed or even denied by the parties involved, but there is no fact to the thought that Kevin Hogan is leaving.
Like I said earlier, I don't see this happening. He's done some pretty special things at Stanford and would love to continue those special things as a graduate school quarterback. Rumors have said that Hogan and his head coach have clashed over how the offense has been run. Hogan supposedly doesn't like Shaw's conservative type of offense. Really? A quarterback and coach clashing over how the offense is run. I would act shocked, if I was. This happens more than people know or would even care to know. I look at that as not a big deal, but other fans at other schools who need a quarterback run with this kind of rumor.
A perfect example would be the University of Michigan. Fans would love to have a quarterback of Kevin Hogan's talent because they don't know who is going to be their quarterback in 2015. It's a question mark for Jim Harbaugh and his staff. Landing Kevin Hogan would be an absolute coup. Especially with the hated rival Ohio State having so much success and possibly winning the National Championship in the next few days. Message boards are saying: "He is rumored to be considering a fifth year transfer. He was recruited by Harbaugh, but has played his entire career for David Shaw. He could immediately shore up the questions at QB. Definitely seems like something at least worth exploring for JH." Quotes like this almost want to make it seem like Michigan is going to pursue it. However, nothing has been confirmed at all. It's fans dreaming big and WANTING Hogan to land in Ann Arbor. The Michigan fan base isn't the only one wanting to land a big fish.
Texas fans want everything, all the time. In this case, it's no different. At the SB Nation's Texas Longhorns blog they are pointing out the differences that David Shaw and Kevin Hogan apparently have to help drive people to think that Hogan definitely wants out. The blog is pointing out all of Hogan's stats and ends with the line "People treat him as if he's chopped liver. He's not." Those who know anything about football and more specifically Stanford football, know that he is not chopped liver or a horrible quarterback.
He has a slow release, but that is something that is easily worked on with any number of quarterback gurus that help college kids get ready for the NFL draft.
Hogan has been dismissive of questions concerning his future, but from what I have heard it is simply questions about the NFL and not questions about his relationship with David Shaw. Who knows. Hogan may in fact be tired of the Stanford offense, but if you think about why he would want to leave you will get a puzzled look on your face.
Stanford is returning a huge amount of players on the offensive side of the ball. He should have four returning linemen, three great running backs, solid tight ends, and two great wideouts to help stretch the field for the Cardinal. With those returnees, why would Hogan go to a totally new program, a totally new offense, when he has already been reassured by Coach Shaw that he is the starter in 2015 if he returns. On top of that, why go to Texas, Maryland, or Michigan and play for teams that are worse than Stanford? That's a very valid question to ask these quarterback starved fan bases.
In the end, Kevin Hogan is not going anywhere. I don't see this happening because if he returns, he is THE man, has a loaded offense, and already knows the offense. He should want to finish what he started on The Farm. He will, however, you have to love the off season rumor mill.
Friday, January 2, 2015
Wildcat Disappointment
Youth, inexperience, and not being ready to play can get your team into trouble. These three things came to fruition for the Arizona Wildcat in the Fiesta Bowl. Arizona came into this game wanting to get rid of the taste of the Pac-12 Championship game in which Oregon ran them right off the field. That was the plan anyways.
In the blink of an eye, Boise State took a 21-0 lead on the Wildcats and it was only by getting a touchdown in the first quarter that the Cats stopped the bleeding. However, Arizona came out very slow on offense and on defense. They seemed at least a step slow on both sides of the ball and the Broncos took full advantage of it. The Broncos scored on two long scores on their first two drives and it wouldn't be a Boise State Fiesta Bowl appearance if they didn't do some kind of trick play. Boise State breaks out the Statue-of-Liberty play and scores their third touchdown of the first quarter.
From there Arizona was not able to muster any kind of comeback on the Broncos for the first half. The score at the half was 31-17 Boise State was ahead, but I had the feeling that Arizona was not going to be able to get back into the game due to their horrible defense in the first half. They couldn't tackle, were slow on their feet, and almost looked disinterested in the game. They should have shown more energy because Boise State had plenty of energy coming out of the gate.
The second half of the game was a little bit different. Arizona showed the energy that they should have had in the first half. They started making some plays on both sides of the ball. However, Boise State was still making enough plays to keep the Wildcats far enough away on the scoreboard that it never felt like the Cats were not going threaten.
Arizona needed to take bigger chunks of the lead away and they couldn't do that. Anu Soloman committed a couple of interceptions at critical times and that lead to two touchdowns by Boise State. Solomon, as talented as he is as a young quarterback, is still a young quarterback. The interceptions were bad, bad throws made with bad decisions. You could tell that Head Coach Rich Rodriguez was starting to become a little frustrated with his quarterback with those interceptions. Rich Rod did not pull him like he did against Oregon, even though some of the fans may not have argued with that move.
The move that really showed Anu Solomon's inexperience was the last play of the game. The Cats quarterback got his team down in the red zone, but the team had no timeouts left to use. With 14 seconds left to play he had a couple of plays left to score the touchdown and two point conversion they needed. Enter youth and inexperience. Solomon rolls out and to his credit was trying to make a play, but he had very little time to make a play. He needed to throw the ball away once he saw nothing open, instead he takes a sack, the clock runs out. Game over.
Anu Solomon will learn how to better manage the pocket when he is passing, he will know when to run or throw the ball away, and finally when to NOT take a sack. He's a good quarterback, he will get better and Rodriguez will get him better.
There is a lot of young talent at the skill positions for the Arizona Wildcats and all the experience that they got this year will be put to good use in 2015. Coaches and fans have great optimism heading into next year and another Pac-12 South division title should be within grasp for them again. They have solid leadership on the team and the chemistry is only going to get better. Bear Down Arizona fans, better things are coming your way.
In the blink of an eye, Boise State took a 21-0 lead on the Wildcats and it was only by getting a touchdown in the first quarter that the Cats stopped the bleeding. However, Arizona came out very slow on offense and on defense. They seemed at least a step slow on both sides of the ball and the Broncos took full advantage of it. The Broncos scored on two long scores on their first two drives and it wouldn't be a Boise State Fiesta Bowl appearance if they didn't do some kind of trick play. Boise State breaks out the Statue-of-Liberty play and scores their third touchdown of the first quarter.
From there Arizona was not able to muster any kind of comeback on the Broncos for the first half. The score at the half was 31-17 Boise State was ahead, but I had the feeling that Arizona was not going to be able to get back into the game due to their horrible defense in the first half. They couldn't tackle, were slow on their feet, and almost looked disinterested in the game. They should have shown more energy because Boise State had plenty of energy coming out of the gate.
The second half of the game was a little bit different. Arizona showed the energy that they should have had in the first half. They started making some plays on both sides of the ball. However, Boise State was still making enough plays to keep the Wildcats far enough away on the scoreboard that it never felt like the Cats were not going threaten.
Arizona needed to take bigger chunks of the lead away and they couldn't do that. Anu Soloman committed a couple of interceptions at critical times and that lead to two touchdowns by Boise State. Solomon, as talented as he is as a young quarterback, is still a young quarterback. The interceptions were bad, bad throws made with bad decisions. You could tell that Head Coach Rich Rodriguez was starting to become a little frustrated with his quarterback with those interceptions. Rich Rod did not pull him like he did against Oregon, even though some of the fans may not have argued with that move.
The move that really showed Anu Solomon's inexperience was the last play of the game. The Cats quarterback got his team down in the red zone, but the team had no timeouts left to use. With 14 seconds left to play he had a couple of plays left to score the touchdown and two point conversion they needed. Enter youth and inexperience. Solomon rolls out and to his credit was trying to make a play, but he had very little time to make a play. He needed to throw the ball away once he saw nothing open, instead he takes a sack, the clock runs out. Game over.
Anu Solomon will learn how to better manage the pocket when he is passing, he will know when to run or throw the ball away, and finally when to NOT take a sack. He's a good quarterback, he will get better and Rodriguez will get him better.
There is a lot of young talent at the skill positions for the Arizona Wildcats and all the experience that they got this year will be put to good use in 2015. Coaches and fans have great optimism heading into next year and another Pac-12 South division title should be within grasp for them again. They have solid leadership on the team and the chemistry is only going to get better. Bear Down Arizona fans, better things are coming your way.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Physical Ducks
Coming into the game with Florida State the Ducks heard the critics say that they were to soft to win a big game or a championship. Well, Thursday night at The Rose Bowl they showed that the soft label should not be used when people talk about Oregon. They made life miserable for the former defending champs and sent them packing back to Tallahassee...
For the complete article go to www.cfbroundtable.com.
Follow me on twitter:@pigskinopinion
For the complete article go to www.cfbroundtable.com.
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