Yey! I’m finally out of Baltimore!!

After he lead the UCLA Bruins to a victory in the 1984 Rose Bowl, Rick Neuheisel was destined for a future in football somewhere. Well, the pro career didn’t quite pan out, so Neuheisel went to coach Colorado, where he did a great job in reviving the Buffalo program. He then took a better paying job at Washington, where again he did very good things for the Huskies.

However, as with all things, there usually is a catch. With Neuheisel, it wasn’t recruiting violations, it wasn’t drinking and driving, it wasn’t losing–it was gambling. Not hardcore betting like some referees have been accused of, but betting on NCAA basketball in office pools. While it may seem harmless enough, it still ended up with his resignation from the university ranks. He decided to go to the pros, where for the last couple of years he has been the Baltimore Ravens QB coach.

Rick, time to come home. After that whirlwind tour, he is back in Bruinland, ready to lead his alma mater. The Bruins, who have as of late been a decent football program, hope that he can lead them back to those glory days in which he had the Bruins near the top of the standings.

While some say that he brings this baggage with him and there are still some question marks surrounding things like recruiting with some “black marks” on his sheet, I think UCLA made a fine choice and there’s no one who will go after and be able to market to players like Neuheisel will. He’s done good things at the collegiate level, and he should take some of the press and players away from big bullies USC and Cal.

Just–please–everyone stay away from him come March Madness, ok?

Dang!

Here is number six Pitt, playing good basketball, including continuing their trend as a grinder team that plays staunch defense. Enter Dayton, the A-10 overachiever that has the guts, but did they have the glory?

You betcha.

Smoking the Panthers by 25 points–dang!–the Flyers won their 10th in a row and rode 31 points by Brian Roberts, while the Flyers played the role of defensive stalwart, limiting the Panthers to 30 percent from the floor.

You can almost bet that this will mean a skyrocket into the top 25 for Dayton, who stands at 11-1.  In one of my previous posts, I talked about how the Atlantic 10 was on the rise. This win–this no-doubt victory–proves it once and for all.

Congrats, Flyers. You earned it.

When many people looked at the games for the college bowl season, many games were met with either indifference or a big sigh. Basically, this was done because of the fact that the games seemed largely gapped in terms of talent levels and competition, whereby there seemed to be many David vs. Goliath matchups.

However, as the first couple of weeks have proved, the big favorites and the large spreads for these games have meant nil in terms of the final outcome. Perhaps the biggest was the Florida Atlantic-Memphis game, where Memphis was a slight favorite but ended up getting beat by almost 20 in what could have been an even worse margin. Purdue had a huge spread over Central Michigan after they thumped them earlier in the season, and it took a last second field goal in order to beat them. Boston College lead early but Michigan State crept back up and the Eagles held on to beat the Spartans by 3.

What it comes down to is this–yes, on paper, these games may seem one-sided, but there’s a reason why every team is in a bowl–because it has proven beyond a doubt that it can win games against quality opponents, so it shouldn’t be any surprise when these games are either upsets or very close, because the talent levels and the month-long preparations by good coaching staffs should mean that the close margins are not really all that surprising overall.

Bottom line–even though you may want to pass on a game because it seems like a boring lock, take a gander for a while. I’ll almost guarantee you’ll be surprised and entertained at the same time.

Purdue has always been known for its offensive prowess, especially under head coach Joe Tiller. Central Michigan boasts what the media calls the “poor man’s Tim Tebow” in Dan LeFevour, who has passed for more than 3000 yards and has run for more than 1000 yards.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to surmise that the game will be high scoring. And–what’s even more of an odder fact is that this game is actually a match up of an earlier nonconference game in which Purdue ran away with the game early in lieu of a 45-22 win.

The Boilermakers are an overwhelming favorite, and even in looking at Yahoo! Bowl Pickem, over 86% have picked Purdue to win. Considering the earlier win and also that Purdue has never lost to CMU, it does seem like the thought would back these numbers up. However, you can’t discount the scoring power of the Chippewas, and Purdue has had a tendency to sometimes fizzle a bit from time to time, and after starting out 5-0, they’ve gone 2-5 since, losing to their in-state rival Indiana at the end of the year.

And the Chippewas have been the opposite-finishing 7-2. LeFevour has been sensational, but the defense has been swiss-cheese against quality competition. If there’s any coach that will have a team ready, it will be Tiller, and Cory Painter could throw for as many yards as he did in the previous game (360). While it won’t be a blowout, it will be closer than most think. Still, I’ll go with the populace to select Purdue in a 41-35 win.

Memphis has not been a team that anyone has taken lightly for several years. John Calipari’s reign as Conference USA’s bully has made the university formerly known as Memphis St. to the national scene and kept them in the top 10 for most of the past two seasons. This season, they started out very high and currently sit at 10-0.

After yesterday’s drubbing of Georgetown, another top 5 team, many are asking the question–can Memphis go to the NCAAs without a blemish on their record? Considering that they are in a conference which isn’t exactly taut with talent, the Tigers have few that should be able to compete, but there could be some big games along the way that cause them to be “human”:

December 29 vs. Arizona–Kevin O’Neill will have his team ready, don’t just slough off the Wildcats because they’ll be playing at Memphis. If there’s any chance for a let down game, it’s here. But–Chase Budinger and company will have to shoot lights out to beat Memphis.

January 26 vs. Gonzaga–The Zags will probably still be ranked here, but with the Tigers again having home advantage, the likelihood that Gonzaga pulls the upset here is probably not good.

Jan 30 at Houston–Huh? Really? Well, Houston is 10-1 right now, and being in the Cougars’ den could cause some havoc for Memphis, and you better bet the crowd will be on top of the Tigers. However, the pedigree for Houston is just not all that (they have beaten Kentucky), so the away factor may be nullified based on strength of schedule alone.

Feb 16 at UAB–one of the most dangerous teams in the country, their flying around and hap-hazard ways either give them a huge advantage or sometimes…not so much. I really think this is the game that if the Tigers are going to fall, it’s here.

Feb 23 vs. Tennessee–yes, Bruce Pearl is hyped for this, and this could be another top 10 game, but again, Memphis is at home, and the Vols haven’t exactly been overwhelming on the road. By this time, if the Tigers are still undefeated, they will definitely be amped for the Vols matchup, and the home crowd will be a huge advantage.

The answer is-yes. They could run the gamut with an undefeated record–but with some of these potential roadblocks and again with parity in NCAA, I would say they will more than likely drop 1 or 2 of these listed above.

Sorry, Mr. Calipari. I call ‘em how I see ‘em.

Papa John’s. Better ingredients. Better Pizza. (Can we get better teams?) 

This game looks on paper like it should be a pretty clear choice. For one, Cincinnati has the schedule and the ranking. They have the firepower and the street cred. But, on the other hand, there are five fingers.

Just thought you’d like to know.

Seriously, though, Southern Miss does have one big intangible–and that this is ’s last game as coach for the Golden Eagles. Bower has been with the school for 17 years and although he already resigned and the school has found his replacement, he is being allowed to coach the team in the bowl game. This gives Southern Miss more motivation, more heart, and more chance than most people are giving them.

However, with Cincinnati, their offense may just be too dominate for the Eagles. The Bearcats have Wake Forest transfer Ben Mauk, who has a gaudy 154.6 passer rating. He also had 27 TDs on the year, despite being injured 2 games. As a team, the Bearcats averaged almost 37 points, the second-best offense in the Big East.

The Cincinnati defense, though, is the X factor in this game. They are not exactly stellar, and the offense has had to bail them out of many games this year. The Achilles’ heel for the defense has been giving up huge plays through the air-it’s been a killer. However, the Golden Eagles were last in C-USA in passing yards.

While I like both teams and it would be a storybook ending for Bower to get the win on his way out, I just think Cincy is too strong to buckle in this bowl.  I’ll take them 37-24.

Florida Atlantic…hmmm…where have I heard that name before…oh wait—I haven’t.

Many people haven’t either. Yet this game’s publicity is basically ranging around head coach Howard Schnellenberger, who lead the “U” of Miami and Louisville to national prominence back when Flock of Seagulls was still popular (or were they really ever popular? Anyways, I digress…). He took on this program in ‘98 before they ever had a football program (talk about your fixer-uppers), and now they are basically the only team in Southern Florida to be in a bowl. Miami is sitting home for the first time in 10 years after they didn’t make a bowl. Isn’t it ironic, don’t ya think? Schnellenberger is looking to extend his unbeaten streak in bowl games, although the last time he was even in one many of his players were still learning how to tie their shoes (some probably still can’t).

Memphis, on the other hand, really never thought they had a shot even being in the postseason. Starting out 2-4 after going 2-10 last year, the university was buzzing more about John Calipari’s basketball squad than anything else. But then the team turned the jets on, winning 5 of their next 6 and climbing to second in C-USA.

Basically, we’ve got two Cinderellas duking it out for one glass slipper. While the Owls of FAU have Sun Belt POY Rusty Smith and have a good passing offense, Memphis also sports a great aerial game and has played a bit higher level of competition, and also has Auntie Mo’ on their side.

The spread is close for this game, but I am going to go with Memphis in a squeaker–but I can tell you that the losing team, whomever it is, will be close to scoring 40 points, so get your track shoes on!

Football. The game of men. Where mud flies, bones crack, and the meek dare not enter the field. The grunts, the growls, and the intimidation factor was extremely high at the…wait a second..the POINSETTIA Bowl?

The essence of man?? 

What’s next, the Kotex Challenge? The Victoria’s Secret Bowl?

Since when did we start playing in bowls named after FLOWERS, for cripes’ sake??

Anyways, back to the game…Utah, a largely favored team against the upstart Navy Midshipmen, eeeeeeeeeeeeked by the hair of their chinny-chin-chin past the Naval Academy by 35-32. While the first half was boring as hell, if you went to the bathroom for any extended time in the second half, you probably missed points being scored, as the two teams combined for 50–yes, you read that right–50 points in the second half.

Knute Rockne, eat your heart out.

The win was the seventh in a row for Utah in bowl games (this is over a span of 9 years). Of course, when you are playing in bowls named after flowers, winning seven in a row is kind of like winning the Powerball the day after it already was won.  It also ruined the debut of Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo after their head coach bolted (seems to be a trend,ya think?).

Nonetheless, it turned out to be a great game, and congrats to the Utes…Here’s your trophy: everyone gets Poinsettias. YEY!

Riding the wave of paranoia the Yahoo investigation on Stephen Pamon, Big 10 commish Jim Delany said in a statement that “Some of this latest information was available in public records while other details were based on anonymous sources and hearsay statements. The conference office intends to follow-up on the veracity and accuracy of the new information and will also provide an opportunity for Pamon to respond as required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.”

I love this answer–no, really I do–it totally goes to what I said in my last post. Why are we trying to do the muckraking reporting and investigative work that is really nothing short of McCarthyism? I know the Big 10 would obviously like to have someone representing them that they can trust and it would perhaps be a good thing that ALL conferences start to protect their integrity a little more, but do these individuals need to be beat down before they even have a chance to speak?

This goes to the sentiment “Man Arrested page 1, Acquitted Page 6″.

Meanwhile, the scandal at Florida State where over 20 players have been caught cheating just seems to be another “ho-hum” story. What the hell??????

The bottom line–do we as a sports society, and especially in college sports, need to be more careful about those that we “let in” (and I am including boosters in this sentiment). Yes. But do we break out the pitchforks and torches based on assumptions?

This is starting to sound like a modern-day version of “War of the Worlds”. Are we truly that gullible and cynical??

We all have sat with bated breath (not sure what that means, but it sounds icky) through all of the sports scandals of the year–the Mitchell Report for baseball, the Tim Donaghy betting scandal in the NBA, Kobe Bryant getting to shoot off his mouth and still is playing for the Lakers (Ok, maybe not a wide-level scandal but a scandal in my eyes nonetheless), and now we are reaching into the depths of college football.

Again, officiating. For decades, fans have yelled out things to referees in jest (well, sometimes) about them fixing the games (NICE CALL! YOU GOT MONEY ON OLE MISS?) or basically being crooked. And now, although we’ve all had our nasty thoughts, it may be something that is more to blink at.

Yahoo! Sports did an investigation on referee Stephen Pamon, whose crew was widely criticized for 2 games this year in which questionable calls were made–and after doing some dirty work, they discovered that Pamon has a checkered past that even most thugs would say “Damn!”.

It’s goooood! Wait….is it?

Undercovering casino gambling habits, bankruptcies, violent crimes, etc., the fix is on–at least with Pamon. The vultures are closing in for more info, feasting on this apparent misguided person who may have misguided some games.

Note the words–apparent and may have.

There’s been nothing to implicate Pamon in terms of raw evidence. The fact is that the crew made some bad calls, and Pamon was in charge of them–to me, a coincidence until proven otherwise. Of course, the biggest apparent (there’s that word again) snafu was during the Illinois-Ohio St. game, where Illinois ended up giving the Buckeyes their only L of the year. (Regardless, Ohio State was playing at home and was #1. Don’t take anything away from a good Illinois team).

One thing is for sure–we are again a society that basically drools over seeing someone fall on their face (see Britney Spears). These witch hunts will continue to be raised until we have such a sophisticated system of background checks (by the way, how did the Big 10 let this slip past anyways? It’s not like Donaghy who had a good background prior to going south).  Perhaps that is the biggest question–institutional control. But again–how many times could you scrutinize game after game and not see where mistakes were made, either large or small? It’s called “the human element”. Why aren’t the same questions being asked of coaches that make questionable calls for their team’s play? Are they to be implicated as well for betting on their own teams or having some evil, malicious undertone to it?

Either way, the fingers will be pointed until the cows come home. Stay tuned, it’s sure to get ugly(er).