College Football Signing Day: Where Everyone Is A National Champion

Is there anyone that was not 100 percent satisfied with their recruiting class after National Letter of Intent signing day?

Probably not.

It might be the only day in sports where every team can consider themselves victorious.  Referees, weather factors, field conditions and jet lag take a back seat, if only for one day, as team's gush over bringing a slew of 18-year-old young men on to campus. 

Heck, the only person happier to see young a bunch of young high schoolers all at the same time was taken down by police on a Dateline NBC special with Chris Hansen.

It's good to see Florida head coach Urban Meyer in good health after securing the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation.  I guess that means you can pencil in Florida in one half of the championship bracket for the next four years.  Until, of course, the day comes when Meyer leaves Gainesville to retire coach the Dallas Cowboys.

College coaches will gossip like school children if it means bringing down their opposition.  But if you say one thing that disparages my program, so help you God...

...I digress.

I mean, why would Meyer want to leave Gainsville for Dallas?  There is a distinct difference between stress accumulated when on campus and stress accumulated when you go into the land of grown-ups.  Trust me. 

The difference is that on campus, you can relieve stress by taking Jello shots off the exposed chest of your lab partner at a basement house party.  That kind of stress reliever no longer exists once you put your days on campus behind you.

The only two people feeling like crap after NLOI day are probably newly minted Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and Illinois boss Ron Zook.

Kelly and the Fighting Irish are already looking to the Class of 2011 after a lackluster 2010 class that saw its top recruit bolt shortly after Charlie Weis was ushered out of South Bend and lured to Kansas City by the sweet, sweet smells of barbecue a job as an offensive coordinator in the NFL.

Notre Dame is to college football what that one guy with a brand new headband and fresh-out-of-the-box Jordan's is to your rec league.  Both think they're hot shit and are the only ones who think so highly of themselves.  And yes, both should probably get nut-punched for the heck of it.

Then there's Zook, who should probably be refreshing his resume after one of his top recruits put the Heisman on the Zooker and his staff, switched gears and is now heading to Nebraska of the instability in the coaching staff in Champaign-Urbana.

If you're Illinois and you lose a kid to Southern Cal or Florida, it's understandable.

It's hard for a 18-year-old kid to say no to Song Girls and southern belles of the SEC for a frozen midwestern treat. But when you lose a kid to Nebraska, then you know there's something wrong with your situation.

Meanwhile, my alma mater brought in 21 kids including a steal from conference rival Missouri State and a steal from a MAC school. 

Suckas!

Is it too early to start looking for betting line's for next year's Illini-Saluki game?

Texas Fans Can Blame Jerry Angelo For Last Night

There will always be an asterisk next to Alabama's national championship victory against Texas.

Not because of steroids, yet, but because the Longhorns were without two-time Heisman runner-up quarterback Colt McCoy, who was injured on the team's opening drive. 

While it is easy to circle that and pin the loss on not having one of college football's best quarterbacks, TBDS thrives on finding the buried leads in stories.

This is no different.

Had Chicago Bears GM Jerry Angelo sealed the deal with Nick Saban, last night's events would never have happened.

Allow me to explain.

In 2003, Angelo assumed a full set of powers that go to actual general managers after Ed McCaskey died.  With said powers, Angelo put an end to the Dick Jauron-John Shoop-Greg Blache Era of bad Bears football.

Saban was Angelo's No. 1 choice to replace Jauron, but ended up coaching the Miami Dolphins before returning to campus because Jerry had no intentions of sharing the player personnel decisions.

Thanks to Angelo's ego, the championship aspirations of two football teams have been crushed.

Revenge Of The Jocks Costs Gerhart Heisman

Toby Gerhart has no one to blame but himself for why he did not win the Heisman Trophy.

Had he gone to a college football powerhouse rather than a rebuilding Pac 10 program coming out of high school, maybe he would be handling some hardware.  Gerhart, who rushed for 1,736 yards and 26 rushing touchdowns, lost out to Alabama's Mark Ingram who rushed for 149 fewer yards and 8 fewer total touchdowns.


Why?  Because the Alabama brand of football is more highly thought of than Stanford's football program. 


Yet, a part of me is not completely surprised by Gerhart's snub, because it represents the train of thought of a good chunk of American decision makers.

How many people get passed over for jobs because their collegiate degree is not from Northwestern, Harvard, Princeton or ... even Stanford.

Ingram was the best offensive player on the nation's top-ranked team.  Colt McCoy got a good number of Heisman votes, so for the second straight season, Texas fans are up in arms over their signal caller coming up short in the Heisman race.  Longhorns fans need to get their heads on straight.  McCoy saw his passing yards, completion percentage, yards per completion, passer rating and touchdown passes go down, while his interceptions went up.


Yet, he was deserving of a Heisman trophy?  He would not have been had he been quarterbacking Texas Christian.

Division I college football is the only sport where the team name is valued as much as a team's performance.  Imagine how you would feel as a sports fan if that happened at every other level.

Derek Jeter would win the American League Most Valuable Player award every year, while the Yankees and Red Sox alternated years in which they won World Series titles.  Duke's men's college basketball team would flash forward to the national title game awaiting 64 teams to battle for a spot to take on a well-rested Blue Devils team at the end of March Madness.

The NFL would give the Cowboys a bye week during the month of December as the team geared up for a Super Bowl run.  Kobe's Lakers and Ewing's LeBron's D'Antoni's Knicks would square off in the NBA Finals every year just so David Stern could line his pockets with the cash made from the television markets alone.

And unless you were a fan of each of those squads, sports would be boring and predictable.  Like the world of politics, but with muscles.


Maybe this is the sports world's way of sticking it to the man.  Still, Gerhart earned the award that Ingram ended up taking home.  At least Gerhart will always have that Stanford degree to fall back on.

Draft No. 1,927,638: A College Football Playoff System

Inspired by @weNEEDaPLAYOFF, TBDS has come up with a unique college football playoff formula.

Warning: This will not completely please the BCS.  However, the great minds of TBDS came up with a formula to keep big business happy while using the BCS formula.

Aren't we so thoughtful?

First, we're making it a 16-team playoff.  No moaning, groaning or bitching.  The kids at the FCS level have been doing it for years, and they have to go through the same finals schedule everyone else does.  And there is no complaining about "thinking of the children" when they have to do it.

So, how do we pick 16 teams?  Let's start with the conference champions.  All of them.

Georgia Tech (ACC), Texas (Big 12), Ohio State (Big Ten), Cincinnati (Big East), Alabama (SEC), Oregon (Pac 10), Houston (C-USA), Central Michigan (MAC), Troy State (Sun Belt), Boise State (WAC), Texas Christian (MWC).

With 11 spots already grabbed by auto-bids, that leaves us with five open spots.  How do we choose them?  Well, if the BCS insists on pestering us with their presence, we'll use their system to work for us rather than against us.

TBDS will use the BCS rankings to pick the best five at large teams.  Those teams are: Florida (SEC), Iowa (Big 10), Virginia Tech (ACC), LSU (SEC) and Penn State (Big 10).  Sorry, Brigham Young (MWC), better luck next season.  The aforementioned squads rank fifth, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th in the BCS standings.

Now that we have our teams, let's break them down and then place them into regions.

No. 1 seeds: Alabama, Texas, TCU, Cincinnati

No. 2 seeds: Ohio State, Georgia Tech, Oregon, Boise State

No. 3 seeds: Florida, Iowa, LSU, Penn State

No. 4 seeds: Houston, Central Michigan, Troy State, Virginia Tech

Furthermore, we'll use the BCS bowls as playoff sites for the final four.  We'll seed the top four teams as follows, according to the BCS rankings and set them in a pod.

Sugar Bowl - Alabama (1)

• Georgia Tech
  
• Penn State
  
• Troy State
  

Fiesta Bowl - Texas (2)

• Boise State
• Iowa
• Central Michigan
  

Rose Bowl -TCU (3)

• Oregon
• LSU
• Houston
  

Orange Bowl - Cincinnati (4)

• Ohio State
• Florida
• Virginia Tech
  

If the seeds pan out you'll have an Alabama-Georgia Tech game in the Sugar Bowl, a Texas-Boise State game in the Fiesta Bowl, a TCU-Oregon game in the Rose Bowl and a Cincinnati-Ohio State match-up in the Orange Bowl.

This way, everyone gets a chance.  Want a higher BCS ranking?  Schedule tougher opponents.  If you can't schedule tougher opponents, the BCS teams that bring in the University of the Little Sisters of the Poor before the conference season starts will be penalized in the rankings.

Our system benefits everyone.  The BCS gets to stay around with its numbers formula and their big-time money making bowls, the fans get their playoff system and every conference is represented.

Non-BCS bowls can serve as the college football world as an appetizer to the playoff main course.  Therefore, the schools that will be on the outside looking in will also have a chance to end the season with a "W" ... or as Athletic Directors look at it ... getting another paycheck to throw into the coffers.

What do you think?  We'll accept questions, comments, concerns, compliments, hate and general thoughts in the comments section.

If you dare.

Heisman Trophy & Bowl Championship Series Buried Leads

Only in college football you can find a team win all of its games and not compete in a national championship game.

You'll read that lead a million times from now until mid-January.  Cincinnati, Boise State and Texas Christian (TCU) each were undefeated and were the undisputed champions of their conference.  That we know.
 
But consider the following factors.

Texas Christian University found itself screwed because its school name doesn't stop at Texas.

At what point does a 28.3 margin of victory come into play?  I guess that only works if you're one of the big boys.  Gotcha.

The Longhorns came into the season ranked No. 2 in the country because of the return of quarterback Colt McCoy.  Its non-conference schedule featured Louisiana-Monroe (6-6), Wyoming (6-6) and UTEP (4-8).  The only non-conference opponent with a winning record was UCF (8-4).  Basically, all Texas had to do was load up on cupcakes and coast into the Big 12 championship game.

It's hard to take this whole system seriously when the BCS says it wants to make the regular season games have more of an impact, even though we all knew the winner of the Big 12 and Southeastern Conferences would be represented in the BCS title game.


Cincinnati might have the biggest beef because the system that was supposed to help it get to the title game cornholed it into a match-up with Florida.  Cincy owns wins at South Florida, when it was ranked 21st, against West Virginia when it was ranked 25th and at Pittsburgh when it was ranked 15th.  The Bearcats also defeated Oregon State, which currently 18th in the country.

And all it did was get them in a bowl game against Tim Tebow in what surely will be nothing short of an overblown going away party/Tebow slurp fest.

Do you think that if there was a playoff system in place, Brian Kelly wouldn't be feverishly putting together a game-plan for the Bearcats rather than wearing a lime-green tie in South Bend, Ind.?

Boise State's got beef too.  You can't say they didn't play anyone this time around.  In fact, the Broncos are the only undefeated team (other than Alabama) to have played an opponent heading to a BCS Bowl.  You all remember the punch, but apparently it doesn't matter much to the selection committee that Boise State beat Oregon in the process.

You could blame the computers or the voters with power conference ties, but the real culprit here is the pre-season poll.  It automatically puts teams in non-BCS conferences at a major disadvantage.  There is no level playing field from the get-go.  If the BCS system doesn't go after this season, the powers that be should really take a look at abolishing the pre-season poll.  Not having polls until Week 5 should give everyone enough time to separate the contenders and pretenders.

As for the Heisman, that now is too turning into a popularity contest. 

McCoy gets an invite because he was the best quarterback on one of the top teams in the country, despite posting numbers that were not as good as last year.  Mark Ingram gets the nod because he's the best offensive player on the nation's top team. 

It's unfair Ndamukong Suh gets punished because 1) He plays defense and 2) His team didn't get enough TV time.  Why should that matter?  Guess that means Toby Gerhart's trip to NYC is in vain as well.

And how come C.J. Spiller doesn't get an invite despite being the only player in college football to score a touchdown in each of his team's games.  Oh, right.  Because his team wasn't really good.  That's great.  Where does it say the Heisman is supposed to go to a player on a team that is ridiculously good.

(Checks.)

Nowhere.

I know a lot of people who think the government getting into the mix is stupid.  They couldn't be more wrong.  Sure, there's a two-front war going on, a nasty unemployment rate, a fledgling economy and health care on the docket -- and how is that different from any other time Congress is in session?  You know where you can place the blame for the two-front war. 

As for the umemployment rate, economy and healthcare, that can all be solved if Congress checked its ego at the steps of Capitol Hill and at least pretended that it cared about the people rather than what kind of pork it can get for signing a bill.

And why should the government be involved with the BCS anyway?  Simple.  Look at the two teams in your title game.  The University of Alabama vs. The University of Texas.  Two public universitites funded by government grants and such.

I dare you to tell me the government doesn't care about the schools it helped put on the map in the first place.

Brian Kelly's Dumb Decision

I might be the only person that does not understand the mystique surrounding the Notre Dame job.

I'm not talking about Notre Dame in the '90s, '80s or '70s.  I'm talking about the Notre Dame of the 2000s.  The program that went through three different coaches this decade, and the only bowl win it has to show was against Hawaii.  In one of the years it actually made a BCS bowl, the Fighting Irish were so bad, they made JaMarcus Russell look like a No. 1 overall pick.

Here's a shovel, Mr. Kelly.  You're going to need it.

Notre Dame loses its quarterback, Jimmy Claussen, and top wide receiver, Golden Tate, to the NFL.  Its top defensive recruit for next season has already backed out.  It has no conference affiliation, and since the BCS has already shown its ability to screw BCS teams -- the teams the system was invented to help -- out of championship games, what exactly is the point in going to Notre Dame.

Good luck in the recruiting field.  It must have been easy at Cincinnati.  Bob Huggins did it for years and has how many players with degrees to show for it?  I've seen more of the Cincinnati campus by watching TV cutaways during the game than most Bearcat players have.  I can't wait 'til you get a kid foolish enough to want to play at Notre Dame, only to find out that after making the cut on his ACTs, SATs and NCAA Clearinghouse, the kid can't attend Notre Dame because he doesn't meet Notre Dame's lofty standards.

Soon enough, that young man will sign with Florida, Southern California or Texas.  You'll have to go up against said young man, who will not only be motivated to beat you because he will represent another university.  He'll want to beat you because you couldn't bring him to your team.

Do people not realize this isn't 1980 anymore?  Joe Montana is not walking through that door.  Try talking to an 18-year-old kid about Notre Dame's prestige and they'll laugh in your face.  Or look at you with a confused look on their face.  One of the two.

It's hard to convince an 18-year-old young man to spend the next three-to-five years of his life in South Bend, Ind., when schools in Florida, Texas and California, which have been successful in this decade, come calling with winning records and hot chicks.

Seriously, turn down a USC Song Girl?

Didn't think so.  Erin Andrews went to Florida.  Think some high school senior out there wants a chance to date the next Erin Andrews?  Texas.  Trust me, everything's better in Texas

This girl isn't a Tennessee hostess (I don't think) but watching this video made me suddenly want to go to grad school in Knoxville. ... And I hate Tennessee.

And if that doesn't sway your opinion, this should.

Dale Lennon's University of North Dakota 17 Brian Kelly's Grand Valley State 14.

Or for those of you keeping mathematical statistics at home?

Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Head Football Coach > Notre Dame Head Football Coach

Suck it, Notre Dame!

Salukis Take A 'Seat' In FCS Playoffs

The Southern Illinois Salukis football team ended the season No. 1 in the rankings and No. 1 in your hearts.

So, how did Southern end up No. 3 in the Football Championship Subdivision Playoff (yes, I said college football playoff) seedings?

Beats the heck out of me.

Certainly Saturday's win against SEMO didn't help.  Wait.  A win didn't help?  Not when that team enters the season 2-8, and is only beaten 42-24.  I hoped whatever playoff selection committee existed was not watching Saturday's sluggish effort put forth by Southern.  Apparently they were, and even though that win was not indicitive of the Salukis' entire body of work, it might have played a part in where SIU would be seeded for the playoffs.

Another factor working against the Salukis was Northern Iowa's loss to Illinois State.  The Redbirds win did not just knock the Panthers out of the playoffs, it weakened what looked like SIU's biggest win -- a road "W" in Cedar Falls, Iowa.  The Missouri Valley Football Conference will only get two teams in the playoffs as South Dakota State will also represent The Valley.

While many will have their say (read: fans are pissed) about the decision made by the NCAA, and its terrible production of its Selection Show on ESPN, none of it will matter when Weber State Eastern Illinois comes into McAndrew Stadium on Nov. 28th.

No matter where the Salukis were going to be seeded, the team looked to be motivated headed into the playoffs with something to prove as it seems as if the Dawgs have been on a mission since the season started.  Should Southern feel slighted?  Sure.  But they won't be.  Head coach Dale Lennon won't allow it.

And really, the last thing the rest of the FCS needed was a motivated Saluki group with another chip on their shoulders.

(Screen grab via, HT: @bfeldt)

Must Win For Michigan

Through six games, the University of Michigan football team looked to be bowl bound.  The Wolverines were 4-2 overall, and even though they were coming off back-to-back losses, they were a six point loss to Michigan State and a two-point loss at Iowa.

Michigan fans were sure that Rich Rodriguez's offense was hitting its stride and Tate Forcier was to be the leader of future success at Ann Arbor.  But after a 63-6 win against Delaware State, the Wolverines have failed to return to the win column as it has dropped games to Illinois and Purdue along the way.  Now, Michigan sits at 5-6 (1-5 Big Ten) and there is only one way to become bowl eligible.

And that's by beating (THE) Ohio State University.  And guess what, it's not going to be easy.  The Buckeyes would love nothing more than to make sure Michigan does not get in on the bow bash.  On the other hand, nothing would make Big Blue's season like breaking this lengthy losing streak by busting one upside tOSU.

There is a part of me that thinks UM can pull off the upset and end our long national nightmare known as the Buckeyes' dominance because anything is possible.  Then there is the part of me that remembers the Michigan defense couldn't stop Juice Williams and thinking there's no way they stop Terrell Pryor on Saturday.  Just a subtle reminder that not everything is probable.

Michigan will keep it interesting for at least one half, but it won't matter.  Unless the Wolverines find a way to win the game and make themselves bowl eligible, we'll have an offseason full of "Fire Rich Rodriguez."  And yes, I'm prepared to fire on all cylinders if that is the case.  I haven't been Rich Rod's No. 1 fan by any means, but I'll support a coach/team/system if the end result is more wins than losses.

But it seems as if through two years, Michigan has taken a step back.  Somewhere, Lloyd Carr is retired and laughing -- thankful he is to not have to deal with The Game or The Sweatervest.

In the end, even if Michigan loses, the Wolverines will still hold a 57-43-6 advantage all time.

Suck it, Buckeyes!

(P.S. Edyta says hi.  She's awesome.)

Pigskin Pimpin On A Sunday

Does the lack of a Bears game got you down?  It shouldn't.  The good news is that you won't be wasting three hours of your life yelling at Jay Cutler, Ron Turner and the Bears defense though the television.  The bad news is that now you will be subjected to chores from the wifey.

Oh well.  Before you hit the mall/grocery store circuit, here are your Pigskin Pimpin picks.

Have you ever been so much better at something than someone that you spotted them a lead, only to crush them anyway?  Well, that's how it felt watching the Southern Illinois football team demolish Missouri State 44-24 to clinch the Missouri Valley Football Conference title outright.

The Salukis (9-1) were tested early after giving up a long touchdown run to find itself facing a deficit for the first time since playing at Northern Iowa.  SIU battled back immediately, scoring touchdowns on five of its first six possessions en route to putting up 34 unanswered points to take complete control of the game.  Senior running back Deji Karim rushed for 117 yards on only 14 carries (8.4 yards per carry) and three rushing touchdowns.

As for the Saluki opponents, a simple LOL is all you need to describe the Missouri State offense.  After scoring a touchdown, this is how the next nine possessions for the Bears ended: fumble, fumble, interception, punt, turnover on downs, punt, interception, punt, interception

The Senior Day win gave Southern its 14th consecutive win versus MVFC opponents.

Without the Bears to make you maddeningly frustrated, I would suggest doing whatever chores you have on your slate early so you can enjoy the made-for-TV match-up between Tom Brady's Patriots and Peyton Manning's Colts.

It might be the best QB rivalry since the Steve Young-Troy Aikman days of the mid-90s.  Like Aikman-Young, Manning-Brady pits a pair of future Hall of Famers, whose teams are in contention and end up crossing paths sometime in the playoffs.  There is a rivalry like this once every 10 years or so, and since I think I took the Cowboys-49ers for granted when I was younger, I will make sure to keep an eye on tonight's primetime match-up.

And yet, I'm trying to figure out what will be the next great QB rivalry.  Jay Cutler-Aaron Rodgers could be good because the Bears and Packers square off twice every year in one of football's premier rivalries, but right now, neither has an offensive line that can keep them upright for more than a split second.  Tony Romo-Eli Manning could be good as well, but both teams would be better served setting up the run rather than getting in a gunslinger showdown.

The Ben Roethlisberger-Carson Palmer-Joe Flacco triumvirate in the AFC North could be the best quarterbacked division, while match-ups between Drew Brees and Matt Ryan could turn into epic showdowns, especially since both teams are in the playoff hunt.

Can you believe a Dave Wannstedt coached team is 9-1.  Sure, they beat Notre Dame, a team I love to watch lose, but it is still a Wannie team.  How could Charlie Weis, he of the Super Bowl winning, quarterback developing past lose to the Wannstache?  Huh?  Wannstedt was the most clueless man in football when he was the head coach in Chicago.

Heck, when he was at the college level he wasn't that great.  He was so looked down upon, Joe Flacco took himself out of Pittsburgh to play his college football at friggin' Delaware.

This has got to spell the end of the Weis regime at ND, right?

(I debated writing about Charlie Weis' future, but that will be an upcoming feature.)

While there is no clear-cut favorite in the Heisman Trophy race, Colt McCoy might be the top choice, if only because it would be a career-achievement award for the University of Texas quarterback.  McCoy was under center for a Longhorns victory for the 42nd time, tying the record for most wins by a Football Bowl Subdivision quarterback.

McCoy completed only 23 of 34 passes for 181 yards (I told you there was nothing impressive about this class) and a pair of touchdowns.  But before you start believing this means McCoy is a lock to be the next great NFL quarterback, if you look at the top five winningest FBS QBs, Peyton Manning is the only one who is currently employed as a starting NFL quarterback.

Again, soccer cheerleaders.  It isn't going to make me like the on-the-field product, but there's nothing wrong with some sideline candy.

Pigskin Pimpin On A Sunday

Your weekly installment of football stuff and gratuitous cheerleader photos after the jump.

 

The alma mater kept the ball rolling in a 27-8 win against Youngstown State.  In the last two games between the Salukis and Penguins, Southern Illinois has outscored The Fightin' Tressels (h/t for the nickname goes to Jon. I) 61-7.  However, SIU's win comes at a cost.

Junior quarterback Chris Dieker suffered a broken collarbone on his non-throwing arm and looks as if he might be out indefinitely.  Listening to head coach Dale Lennon's post-game radio interview wasn't encouraging as Lennon noted Dieker was very emotional after finding out the injury and that he couldn't blame him for being so emotional because of the extent of the injury which could be season ending before changing course and saying he wasn't sure if it was that serious yet.

In his stead, Paul McIntosh completed 10 of 14 passes for 133 yards -- including an 86-yard pitch-and-catch from McIntosh to Joe Allaria, the guy Dieker beat out for starting QB job last year.  It wasn't a classic bomb, but it was a sideline route in which the speedy Allaria used some fine footwork and some downfield blocks to explode into the end zone.

Before anyone goes jumping off the clocktower on campus, McIntosh is a more-than-capable back-up.  In fact, there were some people in some circles that thought McIntosh was a better fit for Phil Longo's pseudo-spread offense.  In addition to his 133 passing yards, McIntosh rushed for a team-best 81 yards on 12 carries.  It's just another wrinkle tSIU could use down the stretch.

Running back Deji Karim, who was held under the 100-yard mark for the first time this season, surpassed the 1,000-yard plateau and became the third fastest Saluki to do so.  However, he missed a chunk of the fourth quarter and will be watched very closely as the Dawgs will square off against Indiana State which actually won a game, defeating Western Illinois 17-14.

While Illinois' best college football team improved its record despite losing its starting quarterback, Illinois' biggest school continued its free fall.  The Fighting Illini fell to Purdue 24-14 on Saturday.  At this point, that magical Rose Bowl run is nothing but a figment of your imagination.  Juice Williams, other than the drive that cut the Illini's deficit to 21-14, looked like a shadow of his old self.  And to think, this is his senior year.

The calls for Ron Zook's head are starting to get louder and louder, and there is reason.  The U of I has seen a decrease in production since the Rose Bowl year despite several highly touted recruiting classes.  And while Illini AD Ron Guenther says there won't be any changes at the top, but I think Illinois needs a little more than some window dressing to take this team out of the gutter.

Think SIU has a shot to knock 'em off at Memorial Stadium next year?  You bet your ass I do.

Cedric Benson has been talking $#!% again and claims the Bears lowballed, blackballed (and blueballed?) him.  He said the Bears went out of their way to make him look bad.  How?  By showing game tape?  Benson struggled in Chicago because he was so concerned about getting his mula.  That is it.  That's where the story begins and where it ends.

Why is Benson the NFL's third leading rusher right now?  Well, it's not as if the talent wasn't there when he was in Chicago.  But the effort and the desire weren't.  Things change when you blow a $17 million signing bonus, and Benson is a better football player because of it.  Do I wish he would have put it together in Chicago?  Yes.  Would he have been able to do so?  Absolutely not.  Benson is a changed man on the field, off of it, it's the same old Ced.

There are seven undefeated college football teams competing in the Football Bowl Subdivision.  Florida and Alabama will likely represent one half of the national championship scenario, but it takes two to tango.  Texas is in the driver's seat despite the Big Twelve Conference having a down year compared to what it was a year ago.  And even though it plays in the Big Ten, Iowa has a legit case to a spot in the national title game.  Same can be said about potential Big East representative Cincinnati.  Then there's Boise State and TCU, who has no other big time opponents in the wings, so there is a distinct possibility that the Broncos and Horned Frogs could go the rest of the year without losing a game and still be on the outside looking in -- possibly to a one-loss team.

And as much money as college football makes by having bowl games, I wonder why it can't bring in that kind of dough by using those bowl games as playoff sites.  College hoops rakes in the greenbacks hand-over-fist when the NCAA Tournament rolls around.  Not to mention the lucrative television deal it has not only with the Big Dance ... but also with the NIT. 

Then there is USC, who always falls flat out of the gate with some sleeper Pac 10 team, but always seems to get better on a week-by-week

Soccer doesn't excite me.  But the idea of soccer cheerleaders does.  Sometimes the best action is on the sidelines, and not on the field.

Pigskin Pimpin: Salukis FTW! Edition

The Southern Illinois University football team had won 127 games from 1994-2008.  None of them were at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

In what is arguably the most bitter rivalry in the Gateway Missouri Valley Football Conference, the University of Northern Iowa had always gotten the better of Southern Illinois when the games were played indoors.  Panthers fans called it "Dome Magic."  Saluki fans called it (expletive deleted) ... among other things.

And as yours truly predicted on Friday, it all came to an end as the Salukis beat the Panthers 27-20 on Saturday at the little dome of horrors.

Consider the following.  Southern has had six head coaches try and fail to beat UNI in its back yard since Rey Dempsey's squad did the trick in 1983 en route to the school's lone national title.  Ten different First Team All-Americans have suited up in the maroon and white.  None of them came home with a road win at Northern Iowa.  Southern has fielded 16 different 1,000-yard running backs.  But none had carried the Egyptian Hunting Dawgs to a road win in the terror dome.

That all became nothing more than a past nightmare as Deji Karim rushed for 125 yards and what turned out to be the game winning touchdown. The 1-yard score on 4th-and-Goal gave SIU a 20-13 lead with about five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

On the Panthers' ensuing possession, cornerback Brandon Williams took back a pick six to put the game on ice.

And for good measure, former Saluki great Jerry Hairston Jr. scored the winning run for the New York Yankees after leading off the bottom of the 13th with a base hit.  I guess you could pencil in a 10-tackle day for Bart Scott against the Bills and a 100-yard rushing game for Brandon Jacobs against the Saints as a pair of former Dawgs will hit the gridiron later today.

And now, the rest of your Pigskin Pimpin' on a Sunday morning...

A great day for the alma mater was made better by a loss for a school I never even thought of attending.  Notre Dame.  Sure, the Fighting Irish made it close in the end, but the Southern Cal showed it was just a better team.  At least, enough of a better team to beat the Irish by seven points.

I know ND fans thought they'd pick up a win in this one.  Their beloved Fightin' Stereotypes had the home field advantage, an edge at the quarterback position and the motivation to get it done.  However, I'm not sure why this team was so confident.  Sure, it had beaten the University of Washington, a team that had beaten USC a few weeks ago.  But if there's one thing I know about the Trojans is that they don't let an early-season loss put them down.

USC is one of the few teams that seems to get better each as the season goes on.  I guess that's why they always have an argument to be in the national title hunt at the end of the year despite losing to a mediocre Pac-10 squad earlier in the year.

Some Irish fans are shocked with the loss.  Why?  The Trojans had already beaten a quality opponent on the road.  Granted that opponent was the uber-fraudulent Ohio State, but give the Buckeyes credit where it's due -- they never lose at home.

As for Notre Dame, they somehow find a way to lose big games.  Remember when they used to win big games?  Ah, the days of Lou Holtz and Ron Powlus must feel like ages ago for fans of the Fighting Irish.

Yeah, I enjoyed the fact that Ohio State lost to Purdue.  You can't fault the Buckeyes for falling on the road in the Big Ten?  I can.  Terrell Pryor ain't winnin' the Heisman.  Not this year.  Maybe not ever.  He's gone after his junior year -- you heard it here first.  Still, gotta love The Sweatervest.

As for Purdue, well, Purdue is bad.  Plain bad.  Drew Brees isn't running the show.  Neither is Kyle Orton.  Once upon a time, Joe Tiller offenses used to light up the scoreboard.  Now, it's the Boilermaker defense that spends most of the time getting lit up.

At least Purdue has Matt Painter (yet, another Saluki reference in tonight's blog) and basketball season in the not-too-distant future.

The Atlanta Falcons provide the Chicago Bears with their biggest test to date when the team's square off for a nationally televised game on NBC.  Here's hoping Chicago fares better tonight than the last time the team was under the national microscope.

The bad news is that Jay Cutler is one four-INT game away from being the worst quarterback evar! in Chicago Bears history.  That's just how Chicago sports fans are.  One week, you're the savior.  The next week, the only person more maligned than you is Satan.  Those are just the breaks.

However, the good news is that the Bears do have Jay Cutler, and that means if this game gets into a shootout -- like the Falcons' Week 5 match-up against a good 49ers team -- Chicago should be adequately prepared.

Cutler has 10 games under his belt in which he has thrown for at least 300 yards.  He also has a 447-yard throwing performance in his back pocket as well.  In his big games, he owns a 60 percent completion rate and an 18 career touchdowns against 13 interceptions.  Cutler is 5-5 in such games.  In the wins, Cutler owns a 4-1 TD-to-INT ratio (12 TDs, 4 INTs) and his teams have averaged 32.6 points per game with a 41-point game against the Oakland Raiders in Sept. 2008 being the high-water mark.  On the other hand, Cutler's teams have allowed an average of 35.6 points per game in the losses.

For the Stat Boy in all of us:  The Falcons are averaging 25.5 points per game in 2009.  The Bears average 26.2 points per game.  Cutler is 14-1 when his defense allows 20 points or less.

Anyone ready for a shootout in the Georgia Dome tonight?

Pigskin Pimpin' On A Sunday

Ohhhh snap it's another edition of your favorite snarky and sarcastic football segment.  Catch it if you can ... after the jump.

Get your Kurt Cobain vigils ready, Da Bears are traveling to Seattle.

Dave Krieg's Strike Beard has attempted to rally the troops in an effort to make the Bears' time in Seattle a traumatic experience.  It's Seattle.  Consider that feat already accomplished.

T.J. Houshmybabydaddy came off as a bitter, jilted ex-lover earlier in the week as he threatened that Jerry Angelo would rue the day he refused to sign.  While talented, it seems as if the Bears GM has taken a cue from his Chicago baseball counterparts by not paying top money for a second-rate talent.  Upon hearing TJH's comments, the Bears secondary turned the other cheek -- and if they play well enough on Sunday, The Housh might be planting a pair of lips on said cheek.


As for the gameday festivities, Da Bears are coming off a feat the Seahawks and their fandom would be jealous of --  and that's beat the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.  They did so by  stumping the run without Brian Urlacher and providing that classic bend-don't-break pass defense in the guts of the game against Ben Roethlishotdogpolishberger, but they did the job at its most crucial moments.  Thankfully, the Bears won't have to deal with Big Ben or Matt Hasselbeck.  Seneca Wallace provides his own set of issues, primarily, what the heck kind of name is Seneca?

Contrary to my original opinion, today might not be a Jay Cutler kind of day.  Did you see what Frank Gore did to the Seahawks last week? Next week at this time, we'll be able to replace Gore's name with Matt Forte.

If the Bears lose, it might be due to colorblindness as the Seahawks will apparently debut a set of uniforms that even the Oregon Ducks football team thinks is a bit of an eyesore.

BISON BUSTERS

Revenge is a dish best served with a side of Bison.  It was my first thought after the SIU football team was able to hold off North Dakota State 24-14 on Saturday at McAndrew Stadium.

It was a game in which the Saluki defense did a bulk of the heavy lifting.  Kyle Walker came away with three quarterback sacks, fellow linebacker Brandin Jordan collected 10 tackles and safety Marty Rodgers picked off a fourth quarter pass that would eventually spell the beginning of the end for a Bison offense that came into the game averaging 40 points per game.

Quarterback Chris Dieker rallied from a slow start to throw a pair of touchdown passes, including a 61-yard strike to Jeff Evans.  Dieker's struggles can be a cause of concern for a Saluki squad that has their eyes set squarely on a national championship.  But it seems as if Dieker is always doing just enough to put up Ws week-in and week-out.

SIU will travel to Western Illinois for its next Missouri Valley Football Conference showdown.  The Salukis will be going up against a familiar foe that will have a few new wrinkles.  Southern should eb expecting the unexpected as the Leathernecks will likely try to rally around their coach Don Patterson, who recently resigned as he is fighting health concerns.

TIM TEBOW GOT KNOCKED THE F*** OUT




Tebow's been released from the hospital.  You can resume your lives.  And now, meet your heir apparent to the Tebow Dynasty ... John Brantley?

These fans don't seem to thrilled.

FANTASY UPDATE

After two weeks, everyone in my fantasy league owns a 1-1 record.  For the second straight week, Trent Edwards -- a late round draftee for yours truly -- gets the start over one of my top picks Jay Cutler.  I'm not feeling the Cutler-Seattle match-up and feel that Matt Forte is going to have a monster game against the Seahawks.

Unfortunately, TBDS' own Johnny Sole has Forte going for him.

Other fantasy bench warmers include TJH, Darren McFadden, Pierre Thomas, Benjamin Watson and Percy Harvin.

Yahoo!'s exit polls project me to narrowly fall to the Soleman.  Do I have a shot with what I've got to pull of a minor upset?

Pigskin Pimpin' On A Saturday

I'm sure Peyton Manning's fantasy updates include Reggie Wayne.  Poor Dallas Clark probably feels a little out of the mix.  After the jump, stuff about football.

 

Florida is about to pound the living snot out of Tennessee, so much so that Vols fans will be already looking forward to college basketball season.  On second thought, maybe not.  For all his flaws, at least Lane Kiffin has brought the Tennessee football program out of the druthers that Bud Kilmer Phil Fulmer had put it in.  Never have I seen a game that was so certain to be a blowout reach such levels of hype.

Any guesses when Florida coach Urban Meyer will call off the dogs?  My prediction is somewhere around the year 2012.  Unless, of course, he's at Notre Dame.

The other big game of the weekend is Texas Tech visiting Texas in Austin.  The Longhorns will have revenge on their mind as they will likely try to run it up on the Running Rebels, who helped knock them out of national title contention last year.

It shouldn't be a difficult task if you take into consideration that Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree no longer reside on campus.  Sure, Mike Leach is an offensive wizard, but every coach will tell you that you don't win games without talent, no matter how good of a coach you are.

Texas talent > Texas Tech talent.

Well, then there's Texas "talent" ... amiright?

Texas takes center stage again on Sunday night when the Cowboys host the Giants in the regular season debut of the 'Boys' new stadium.  This game looks a lot different than it would on Madden 2009, that's for sure.

Gone from the Giants is the receiver that Plax'd himself.  Gone from the Cowboys is the receiver fans wish would Plax himself.  Instead, starring in this game are a pair of alumns from Directional State Universities from the great state of Illinois.

Dallas will lean on the right arm of former Eastern Illinois great Tony Romo.  New York will likely hand the rock to former Southern Illinois Saluki great Brandon Jacobs.

Having met Jacobs personally, he's a nice guy.  So I'll go with the Giants to spoil the party -- then party with the cheerleaders afterward.

Oh yeah, then there's the Bears' home opener.  Quarterback Jay Cutler desperately needs to do two things.  A) Erase last week's game from his memory -- at least the parts where he threw four INTs.  B) Figure out how to beat the 3-4 defense.  He struggled last year against the Chargers, who use that system.  He struggled mightily against the Packers, who just started using that system and have made Dom Capers look like a genius again.  Now he goes against a team that has perfected the defense and has the NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

If only Dick LeBeau could turn his defensive prowess into a head coaching job.  Oh right, he did.

Here's hoping Cutler avoids a scene like this tomorrow.

POLL: Sam Bradford vs. Richard Seymour: Who's Got It Worse?

Overheard in Oklahoma: "Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

Seeing Sam Bradford on the sidelines with a sling on his arm is Exhibit A on why he should have left college last season.

He won't repeat as Heisman winner, and if he declares for the draft, he won't be nearly as highly sought after as he was/would have been had he come out last year.  The Oklahoma QB came back to school to try to make history, win another Heisman trophy and possibly compete for a national championship.  Oh yeah, and get that degree in whatever field he'll go pro in after sports.

The bad news is that Bradford by passed millions upon millions of dollars only to see himself get injured in the first game of the season.  The good news is that he doesn't have to play for the Detroit Lions.

On the other hand, there's Richard Seymour, who was traded from one of football's best franchises to the league's absolute worst.  The New England Patriots dealt the star defensive lineman to the Oakland Raiders for a 2011 first-round pick.


But if it's any consolation, the 2011 pick will likely be in the top-10, if not better.  It's the Raiders, they'll continue to fall.  Trust me.

Seymour probably isn't smiling any more after being shipped to Oakland.

It's a head scratcher at first as the Pats deal away one of their best defenders to cap an offseason that saw Mike Vrabel traded and Tedy Bruschi retire -- only one season after losing cornerback Asante Samuel to the Philadelphia Eagles.  Seymour's presence made New England's defense good, but not great.

But If I was a Pats fan, I'd pray for Tom Brady's health on a nightly basis because it's all on his shoulders as New England games will likely feature some Madden-esque scores when it's all said and done.

Bradford? Seymour Who's Got It Worse?

• Bradford! He blew a chance at millions.
• Seymour! He has to play in Oakland.
• Both!
• Neither! Nationals fans have it the worse.

Created on Sep 6, 2009

View Results

poll by twiigs.com

Saluki Football: It's Deja Vu All Over Again

Saluki football fans have been down this road before.  They know where it leads, and quite frankly, would be very disappointed to follow that same track again.

SIU was outscored 21-7 in the third quarter of its 31-28 loss at Marshall on Saturday.  Sure, the game proved that (once again) the Salukis could compete with an FBS foe -- and probably could earn a bowl bid in the MAC.  But allowing 21 points in the third quarter isn't going to look good -- especially when FCS opponents get a hold of that game tape and figure out where they can exploit the Salukis.

Competitive against the next level is one thing.  But SIU needs to re-focus its efforts to its FCS opposition.  And a good starting point would be fixing its third-quarter deficiencies.

More later when the Maroon Kool-Aid shipment comes in.

Or not.

When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong: Blogosphere Edition

One of the best things about sports blogging is that anyone can do it. One of the knocks on sports blogging is that because anyone can do it, there are those who do it without insight or know-how and then come across as know-it-alls.

So what happens when someone from the inside blogs? Censorship, of course.

Colorado University senior cornerback Ben Burney dipped his toe into the blogosphere Thursday with an entry titled "The Sad Goodbye" which promised to present readers with an inside look at the life of a college football player. Apparently, part of the look was a lil' bit too inside for the powers that be.

Part of it had to do with a meal that destroyed toilets, preseason speeches and (set your phasers to "stunned") encounters with the "girl of the night."

Bruney's defense? He's just trying to keep it real.

"I was just trying to portray how it is. I wasn't trying to be risqué or anything like that. I was just trying to make it realistic. I guess it was too realistic."

Haven't the folks over at CU ever heard of the term road beef or come across sites like Deadspin or With Leather?

If this is breaking news to anyone that has been on a college campus, then I would run a brief background check to make sure that they did, in fact, attend college.

And taking Burney's lead of being real, allow me to be "real" with you, my respected readers. The "girl of the night" scenario on campus isn't limited to athletes. Surprise! Heck, a night that starts with a cheesy pick-up line, includes a smattering flirtatious battering of the eyelids, busting a few moves on the dance floor and a little bit of liquid courage could land you a special someone.

If only for one night.

It's almost disappointing to see Burney get censored, so here's my pitch.

Ben Burney, if you want to blog about what's going on in your life, I would like to extend to you an invitation to The Big Dead Sidebar. You want to blog about special lady friends, be my guest. Dinner food got you in the dumps? Have at it on this forum. Want to go the Vince Young route and enshrine yourself in football's Hall of Fame, come on down.

CU Buffs Nix Player Ben Burney's Blog After Risque Entry [Colorado Daily]
CU Buffs Let Player Blog About Reality Of College Football, Reconsider After Player Blogs About Reality Of College Football [Denver Westword]

Future Headline: Obama To Slay The BCS Monster

Someone should tell President Barack Obama that eliminating the Bowl Championship Series should be his top priority as he steps into the Oval Office today.

Sure, the economy is in dire need of a PacMan Jones, rain-induced boost. And yes, we should make a courtesy call to our worldly neighbors just to catch up. And we should most definitely drape the White House with a banner that proudly says "U.S.A.: Under New Management" as soon as possible.

But why deal with all the hard stuff first. Take care of the BCS and you would be crowned an instant success by people like me.

All I am asking you is to come in on your white horse and slay the evil BCS Monster once and for all.

Or at least come with your cavalcade of black GMC Sierras and sign a bill with that mighty pen that denounces the system that has caused as more message board wars than Barry Lamar Bonds, SpyGate and Lindsay Lohan's relationship status combined.

Take advantage of that whole "executive power" deal and help benefit America, because, truth is, a playoff benefits everyone.

And if those bowl-pushing bullies try to intimidate you, tell them they can keep their individual bowls featuring the barely bowl eligible WAC and MAC teams as long as the top teams can battle for a true national championship.

Use the BCS bowls as playoff sites that pit conference champions against one-another. Because that makes sense, and unlike the thinking of the previous presidential regime, making sense is a good thing.

And if Central Michigan wants to play Nevada in the Big Dead Sidebar Bowl of Mediocrity, so be it.

We really could use the advertising money.

Mark Sanchez is going pro in something other than communication

Reports state Southern California quarterback Mark Sanchez is forgoing his senior season to enter the NFL Draft, risking the opportunity to be drafted by the Detroit Lions who own the first overall pick.

Sanchez lit up the Pac-10 all season long and then picked apart a pretty good Penn State defense in the Rose Bowl to cap his collegiate career. And after seeing Matt Leinart's draft stock plummet after he returned for his senior year, Sanchez is taking the safer route that will likely bring him a few more millions.

As for his decision to forgo his senior season, I'm thinking it's not so smart. I'm not sure what a degree in communication brings other than intra and interpersonal skills and probably the ability to communicate well with others without using profanities and slang, but at least the degree would have been a nice fall back when NFL defenses decaptiate him.

Besides, anyone who chooses to leave sunny California and the USC Song Girls and risk a frigid winter in Detroit or Kansas City has got to be only about the money.

Superman Returns

We aren't even a week removed from college football's computer calculated championship game and you can already pencil in the preseason No. 1 team thanks in part to a few words from Tim Tebow.

The Heisman winning quarterback and two-time national title winner announced he would be returning for his senior season at Florida instead of entering the NFL Draft. Because let's be honest, you would have to be an absolute nut to choose winter in Detroit over winter in Florida.

The move can only benefit Tebow, which is odd because returning to campus and ignoring the big bucks of the pros is usually the kiss of death and success is rare.

But as Superman returns to do his best Van Wilder impersonation, he can truly cement his legacy in college football.

He has an opportunity to win a second Heisman trophy, and if he plays like he did after the Ole Miss loss then he's a shoo-in. He can win a third SEC crown, which would be quite a feat for college football's premier conference.. He could find himself in his third national title game and if he and the Gators can do what they've done to Ohio State and Oklahoma then Tebow will immediately ascend to being the greatest college football player ever.

But it's really too early to be talking about that. But it's never too early for a gratuitous shot of his alleged arm candy.