It’s not really groundbreaking news, but at least in the article by FoxSports they note that solid seasons from the middle rung teams like Penn State, Michigan State, and Purdue could push the Big Ten up to number three in the country. Read the rest of this entry »

Jessie Palmer didn’t mince words. He came right out in an interview with Ohio State coach Jim Tressel. The transcript went as follows…

Palmer: “The Big Ten went 3-5 in bowl games last year. Ohio State obviously has lost the last two national championship games. What do you say to critics out there who say the Big Ten is a weak conference?”

Tressel: “Well, I think anyone that’s ever played against the Big Ten would refute that. The Big Ten is not a weak conference; it’s a strong conference.” Read the rest of this entry »

While the NFL continues to change the landscape of the football game as we know it by adding different wrinkles and capitalizing on diversity in coach’s philosophies, the personnel that have filled these roles have been diversified as well. While it’s a decent bet that the majority of players that are drafted in the first or second round will have a decent career in the big leagues, there’s still no guarantee that pedigree necessarily equals success. Read the rest of this entry »

Ya gotta love college football. Not even 2 weeks removed from the national championship game where LSU upended the Ohio St. Buckeyes, the fever is on to start predicting the 2008 season. Numerous teams have had their stake in why they feel that they should be the preseason number 1 team, and while I believe when it comes down to it, Ohio State will get the nod, much because of their history and also because of their fan base.

But what about Georgia? With the Bulldogs finishing with not only a huge victory over Hawaii in one of the better BCS matchups, they bring back a huge asset in Knowshon Moreno, who should be a Heisman candidate next year. His lightning quick speed, combined with Georgia’s killer defense, should have the Bulldogs humming a sweet tune next year.

But do they deserve to be preseason number 1?

Quite possibly yes. Considering they really should have been one of the teams to play for the national championship, they should definitely get several votes in the first poll. After that though is where it gets a little sticky. First of all, consider that the last two national championships have been won by SEC teams (Florida and LSU). Then consider that the Bulldogs schedule in 2008 is started off with some real patsies and then jumps into the heart of it–where they travel to Arizona St., have away games during the SEC season at LSU, Kentucky, and Auburn, and throw in a neutral site game with Florida–the scheduling gods were not kind to Mark Richt’s team.

But the beauty of it all is that even though they may not start out #1, if they can get through this kind of schedule relatively unphased, there is no reason to think they can’t end it there.

I think in order to make things more streamlined and formative, I am going to start doing some frequent posting that encapsulates different items on certain days in order for fluidity to the site. That being said, here is what my schedule will be going forward per conference:

Monday-Big Ten

Tuesday-Pac 10

Wednesday-ACC

Thursday-Big East

Friday-Big 12

Saturday-SEC

Sunday-All others

In these daily capsules, I will have different posts discussing the previous week’s events, news, and future discussions about the teams and conferences themselves (not limiting to specific sports). I will also post on news events as they transpire with my two, or three cents, maybe even a dollar’s worth. For those of you out there that would like to have a discussion on a certain topic, shoot an email my way and I’ll be happy to give it a shot.

Thanks for your support of the site and I look forward to getting started on this!

Tim AKA “The Athletic Supporter”

Lllllletttttt’s get readddddddy to rrrrrumbbllllllllllllllllleeeeeeee!

Like that hasn’t been used way too many times.

Anyways, we’re here. The day has come. The national championship game is upon us. Yet, why do we feel like it’s not? Well, I am glad you asked! For one, when the BCS bowls were announced, a proverbial groan was heard across the entire nation when Ohio State and LSU were announced. First of all, LSU jumped from #7 to #2, despite Georgia being ranked #4 previously and…they didn’t lose. USC was hoping to be in there, but their ranking from previous kept them from going any higher. Oklahoma won the Big 12 championship, but evidently the system that would make Pythagoras scratch his head, it was not good enough.

Ohio St., meanwhile, hadn’t played a game in over a month, and they just kept climbing, like some aneurysm trying to make its way to the brain. They finished at #1 due to other teams losing, and of course everyone remarked that they backslid into #1 (I was one of them).

So, here we are.

Now that everyone has been clamoring for USC and Georgia to be splitting national title games, it will be interesting how this one pans out. If Ohio St. wins, they are number 1 and should remain number 1, no questions asked. If LSU wins, welll….that’s where it gets a little tricky.

The Tigers are a 2-loss team, the only one to play for the national title–ever. Yes, they didn’t lose a game in regulation. So what? They still had an average of 49 dropped on them in the 3OT losses, so you can also say that they didn’t win any overtime games either, or that they had never lost during a solar eclipse, never lost to a team that started with the letter S, had never lost to a team that had previously beat a number one on a Saturday game with over 50,000 attending…I think you get my point.

However–I will say that I still think LSU is the best team in the country. I’ve said it all season. The SEC is the best conference out there–period. All of you haters that are Big 10 fans or Pac 10 fans, stand down. You don’t have the top to bottom that the SEC does, you don’t have the schedules these guys do, you don’t have the talent that will be playing on Sundays next year. You just don’t….

Ohio St is looking to avenge a dreadful loss in the national title game this year–folks, it ain’t gonna happen. With LSU looking very formidable in November, it was much in due part to the fact that their defense had been dinged up quite a bit. They are healthy now, and outside of Georgia, they are the best team in the country defensively. Everyone is saying “Oh, but what about Ohio State’s monumental offensive line?” Well, they are impressive, but Glenn Dorsey at 100% is something every lineman in the free world should fear–and he’s just one of the big-name players.

LSU will be able to confuse the Buckeye defense with their revolving door of QBs, and Les Miles will have the team playing aggressively from start to finish. As much I’d like to see a great game here, I anticipate a tight first half and then the Tigers pulling away in the second. I’ll take LSU 31-17.

Florida was supposed to be one of the SEC’s big locks. With heralded Heisman winner Tim Tebow, a monster offense overall, and the stylings of Mr. January Urban Meyer, facing a team that had a lame-duck coach and had looked basically pitiful in its last effort against what was supposed to be its best game against Ohio St., the gators had the game in the bag.

Not so fast, my friend.

Proving once and for all that heart plays the biggest part in the gridiron clashes, the Michigan Wolverines pulled one of the biggest coups in the postseason by defeating the Gators 41-35 behind Chad Henne’s incredible day of 373 yards. Of course, without the theatrics of Adrian Arrington making circus-like catches all day, it may have all been for naught. But Lloyd Carr does not care…he went out with a winner, after he was “offered” an associate AD job with the University, and the media for the last few weeks has been centering around shady new coach Rich Rodriguez. (well in my eyes anyways with what he pulled on West Virginia).

Was it sweet revenge for Carr, who many thought was well past his prime and would not be able to handle the fast and furious Florida and its SEC presence? Of course it was. This victory was not only a great one for himself personally, but also for all of those coaches who have had to take the fall for their teams in this “what have you done for me lately”? world of sports we live in. Perhaps people should take note of the legacy that Joe Paterno has continued in Penn St.–class, respect, and teams that continue to perform year in and year out. Sure, they may not have a bajillion national championships, but they have won enough games to still get the recruits and still make the postseason virtually every year. Shame on you, Michigan officials. You made Lloyd Carr’s resume down into one bullet point versus Ohio St.

Good thing he won this game for so many reasons. I hope they enjoy their humble pie with their egg on their face for an appetizer.

Bobby Petrino was basically the next best thing when he brought a Louisville team to national prominence. Then, he followed the path that so many coaches take and try their hand in the NFL. Normally, they take their lumps and either build a franchise or flail back into oblivion, and a lot of times, back to college programs that are not exactly, well, flourishing.

However, in Petrino’s case, it was much different. He went to the Falcons and stayed for a whopping 13 games before vaulting to Arkansas, where the Razorbacks have been extremely competitive on a national level over the past two years and have a recruiting blessing in having Darren McFadden, a two-time Heisman candidate.  Now, while people are all over Petrino for jumping ship seemingly everywhere and are making a huge deal out of his buyout clause with the Hogs within 4 years, the big question is–can he take Arkansas to the next step?

I mean, we aren’t exactly talking about what Dennis Erickson has done now with two college programs and propel them to a higher tier. We’re talking about a team that is in an absolutely brutal conference year in and year out, and who is likely to lose McFadden to the NFL along with 1000 yard rusher Felix Jones. Plus, many fans are expecting immediate results. But while the Arkansas’ boon in rushing is clearly the team’s strength, Petrino built largely pass-oriented teams in Louisville and favors a more balanced offense. What this means is that Arkansas fans should expect for it to get much darker before the dawn.

The question is, will Petrino be around for the dawn?

Simon says…I am going to be coach at LSU…Simon says…Stop asking me questions…I’m going to be coach at Michigan..OH! GOTCHA! SIMON DIDN’T SAY!!!! YOU’RE OUT.

It’s like the fallout when Anna Nicole Smith died. They suspected everyone, interviewed people who knew people who had heard about this thing that she had done or thought about doing, and by the time she was finally laid to rest, it was STILL going on about the soap opera drama.

So…doesn’t this feel like the same thing with Les Miles? Good lord, we’ve had everything under the sun seeming to happen with this Miles to Michigan drama, even though he signed a new contract last week that keeps him employed in Batawwwn Roooousssshe  until 2012.  Of course, this has meant maximum distractions with readying his team for the biggest game of the season, but of course–when the media needs answers, you better have a press conference!!

Let it go. This is beyond ridiculous. Michigan, have some class and start interviewing viable candidates to get some positive energy flowing instead of pining over the prom queen that’s already with someone.

Ok, I will give credit to anyone that rushes AND throws for more than 20 TDs apiece. Tim Tebow is, without a doubt, talented and his ability to keep teams guessing is possibly his greatest weapon. I liken him to Vince Young, because if you remember that last drive against USC, he basically had them on the ropes every play and he solidified his legacy as one of the all-time college greats.

But does it mean that I really respect the decision that Tebow wins the Heisman Trophy? Not necessarily. I’ve already been on record supporting Darren McFadden, much because I think he’s proven over a course of the year that he can carry a team against some pretty stiff odds and I just like his multi-dimensional ability much more than Tebow.

While I know that in lots of sports you can’t dictate how great a player is and will be because of the competition level previously played, I believe that while you can reward the performances of the previous season and give them the trophy based purely on that, I also believe that there should be a “The Next” trophy that is done by possibly the coaches and NFL scouts that gives a reward to those that are best suited for the NFL–not necessarily an immediate superstar, but the player that could be an immediate impact player.

If they gave such an award last year, it could have been Adrian Peterson, but it also could have been someone like Tony Ugoh who starts for the Colts and has been pivotal in their offensive line. My point is this–while Tebow may be the greatest player in college for this year, I still stand by my thought that his impact in the NFL will not be as great as McFadden or even ninth-place finisher Glenn Dorsey. What people need to get past, like myself, is that going back and looking at the Heisman Trophy winners and thinking that the media, etc. were idiots because certain players didn’t make it to the next level is purely hypocritical, because it can be applied to almost anything in people’s lives.

However, if there was something that based off of NFL qualities and what the scouts look for and rewarded it based off of those things–then there would be the accountability.

Congrats to Tim Tebow.  But I think I’ll be celebrating Darren McFadden’s NFL stats in a few years.