OverThePylon

Moving Day...

2009-07-13T09:11:00.005-04:00

Life... it's absolutely full of transitions. From one to the next, this life is in perpetual motion from one stopping point to the next. And for OTP, it's time we take that leap to a different sort of interface, and a different sort of experience for you... the reader.

Blogger and this site allowed us to sort of test our wings a bit, and see if this blogging thing was really for us. Turns out, it was. A blog that will celebrate our one-year anniversary in just a couple weeks, that follows a relatively small market small following team has turned a couple heads in the sports blogosphere, and that's truthfully more than any of us thought possible.

As we sat and took stock of where we were at, where we were going, and what we wanted to achieve, it became increasingly clear that blogger was not the format we needed or that would provide the most beneficial set up for us. Hence, we've decided to move to a better looking, better running, better experience for you guys.

Our new address: http://www.overthepylon.net. Update your bookmarks, update your feeds, tell 2 friends, have them tell 2 friends, etc. OTP has some killer stuff in the pipeline for the remainder of the offseason, not to mention our Prelude to a Season pieces and Homer Previews similar to last year. It's going to be a whirlwind sort of season and next few weeks, and I hope each of you who normally reads us or those of you who have simply stumbled on this page can check out the new digs. Go Cardinals, Go Cats, Go OTP!

http://www.overthepylon.net

South Carolina Following in Kiffin's Footsteps

2009-07-07T15:16:00.004-04:00

There is a major, major, seismic, major announcement coming from OTP in the next week. That is the reason for the somewhat odd post scheduling and lack of any real substantive information. Well... that and the fact that it's July and there's virtually nothing of note in the college football universe.

Until today, at least, when South Carolina announced they had been following in Lane Kiffin's footsteps...

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina has reported 14 NCAA secondary violations from the past six months, including one for an improper text message to a recruit and another for "impermissible snacks."

Five of the violations were from the first-year program of men's basketball coach Darrin Horn.

The school's athletic department released the violations this week. It discloses secondary violations twice a year because of open records requests made by The Associated Press and other media outlets.

The NCAA rulebook defines secondary violations as "isolated or inadvertent by nature," that give only a minimal recruiting or competitive advantage and that don't involve significant inducements or extra benefits. For instance, South Carolina was cited because "student-athletes were provided impermissible snacks during away-from-home contests."

Just one of the five men's basketball citations rose to Level I, the more serious classification where infractions are reported directly to the NCAA enforcement staff. The school reported on Feb. 13 that a basketball player and a recruit were provided entertainment not allowed under NCAA rules during an official visit.

The other basketball violations were classified as Level II, infractions processed by the Southeastern Conference office and sent to the NCAA after the academic year. Those included a basketball prospect interviewed by the media during an official visit; free tickets not issued according to procedure; impermissible free tickets to South Carolina's NIT loss to Davidson at the Colonial Life Arena in March; and a prospect was given improper hotel accommodations during an official visit.

The names of any coaches, staff, players or recruits were not included in the infractions report. The school said all eligibility restoration requests involving the infractions were granted.

South Carolina's football program was cited for three infractions, two of which were the more severe variety.

The school said an assistant coach wrongly texted a prospect and football recruits watched a display that simulated a game-day experience against NCAA rules.

Also, an ineligible player was provided transportation to an away game.

The track program committed two Level I secondary violations. One occurred when coaches attended voluntary athletic related activities, the school said, while the other involved the women's track coaching staff allowing two prospects an official visit before getting proper approval.

The remaining three infractions involved men's soccer players given an impermissible nutritional supplement; a men's swimmer competing before he was certified as eligible; and an athlete practicing past the two-week period allowed before they were added to the team list.

No sport was not indicated in the final violation.

South Carolina also released its drug-testing results from Jan. 1 through June 30. The athletic department said it found seven positives for marijuana use and 12 for approved prescription medications among the 530 tests given. There were no positives for drugs of abuse or alcohol, according to the results.

Every Poll's Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning's End

2009-07-01T09:24:00.005-04:00

The first Poll of the Week here at OTP is in the books, and the populace has spoken regarding the wins for the Ball State Cardinals next season. Our results were highly unscientific as well as exceptionally pessimistic, so I hope beyond hope that these are way undershooting the victory runway.

Question: How many wins for the Cardinals in the Fall?
Results:

7 or less - 42%
8 - 27%
9 - 15%
10 or more - 14%

Apparently the 114 or so folks who voted in this puppy see things differently than I do, as 7 wins is a virtual guarantee for the Cardinals in my opinion.

With the close of PotW #1, we open PotW#2, this time Kentucky themed. Your mission, should you choose to accept it is the number of victories for the Wildcats this fall. Things to consider... a wickedly brutal schedule in conference, a relative unknown QB situation, key losses on the defensive line. Have at it, ladies and gents. Right hand side.

An Interview with Zane Fakes

2009-07-01T08:28:00.003-04:00

OverThePylon has been fortunate this offseason to sit down with some of the best and brightest new recruits for the Cardinals. And frankly, with recruits like these in the earliest of stages of their Cardinal career, the future looks excessively bright for the Cardinal and White.

Today's guest is Zane Fakes. The 6'3" 235lb. tight end, formerly of Plainfield High School, now finds himself in an offense that made Darius Hill a household name and an NFL free agent signee. This will be a small transition for Fakes, as he spent his high school career dominating the opposition from the tailback position, amassing over 2200 yards on the ground. Expect this young man to find a home on the field in very short time, and once that happens, watch out.

From OTP...

OverThePylon: Can you sort of recap your experience getting recruited to play Division 1 college football and which BSU coaches were your chief recruiters? What were some of the schools that showed major interest? What were the schools you considered heading to?
ZaneFakes: Overall my experiences were very fun. I enjoyed the attention I got from all schools. Although it was not very much. I got the standard letters that all players get. I would say out of the D1 programs Ball State, IU, and Purdue gave me the most attention. Coach Faulkner was my main recruiter. He is a great guy and always had faith in me. I really only considered going to BSU or University of Indianapolis, a D2 program that my older brother plays for.

OTP: You've been mentioned as potentially moving to the tight-end position, but you were a stellar halfback in high school. What are you hearing from the coaching staff in terms of where you'll be playing next fall?
ZF: I will be playing at the tight end spot. They will use me as a guy that moves behind the line of scrimmage more than a hand in the dirt kind of guy.

OTP: As a player, how does it motivate you to hear the MAC and BSU generally disrespected by every major national service?
ZF: It gives me and the whole team motivation to prove them wrong. This team is going in the right direction to do that.

OTP: The offseason has been a transitional period for BSU, with a coaching change, a ton of talent leaving, etc. How did that sit with you as a future Cardinal? Any worries or thoughts about not coming?
ZF: I was just happy to earn a scholarship from a school. The ball was not really in my court to decide to stay committed or leave. I was offered in the winter after the coaching change was made. It had no effect on my decision. Coach Parrish is a great coach and an even better guy.

OTP: This incoming recruiting class has been widely heralded as the best class in years at BSU. Have you had any contact with other incoming recruits? Is the class going to gel?
ZF: I've had contact with a few of them before this summer, but now that the whole class is at BSU working out I am getting to know many of them. I think this class will gel very nicely. We all like to win and work hard.

OTP: What things are you considering majoring in at Ball State? Looking forward to the academic side of the house?
ZF: I am majoring in exercise science. I am looking forward to academics. It is the most important thing because it will get me on my way to a good career and life.

OTP: Most of our readers know quite a bit about your football prowess on the field. Any hobbies or talents off the field that would surprise some folks?
ZF: I really do not have any unusual hobbies or talents. I just stick to school and football.

From our readers...

Readers: Can you tell us what you think will be the hardest thing adjusting to in playing in the MAC and for BSU?
ZF: The hardest thing will definitely be adjusting to the speed and strength of the players. Also learning that I won't be one of the best on the field this year. Hopefully that changes in the next few years.

Readers: Can you compare you high school coach Brian Woodard to your new head coach in Stan Parrish?
ZF: Brian Woodard is one of my favorite people I know. He is a great coach. His intensity and ability to joke around with his players while getting things done are the best things about him. I have not really had a chance to interact with Coach Parrish as a football coach. I am sure he is one of the best!

Readers: Are you on campus and practicing yet? What has been the biggest change in terms of working out or practice?
ZF: I am on campus lifting, running, and doing 7 on 7 workouts. The biggest change is how hard everyone works. I thought I worked hard in high school, then I came to BSU and it was a whole different world. I am getting used to the level of intensity. It is becoming fun.

Finally, one last one from OTP...

OTP: Anything to say to the Cardinals fans who will have the privilege of watching you over the next few years, Zane?
ZF: Enjoy the show that the entire team is going to put on in my next four years!

Big thanks to Zane for taking some time out to field some questions from us and our readers. Like those before him his answers revealed not only football insight regarding himself and the Cardinals, but truly show a student athlete that is committed to winning, academics, and doing it better than most every other major college football player. Best of luck, Zane!!

An Interview With Kitt O'Brien

2009-06-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

OTP is fortunate to continue our interview series with new recruits for the Cardinal and White with today's guest... Kitt O'Brien. Kitt comes to Muncie after a ridiculously successful career at Lewis-Cass high school in Walton, IN. The 6-6 300lb. guard was totally dominant in his high school career, and for someone his size, is remarkably quick and agile.

As most BSU fans will tell you, the offensive line over the next season or two will be the linchpin for continuing the success of the last several years. A dominant line that replaces the starters lost with players capable of opening holes for MiQuale Lewis and protecting Kelly Page will be almost a necessity for the Cardinals to continue Bowling, and competing for the MAC. Kitt O'Brien certainly plans to figure into that equation...

From OTP...

OverThePylon:Can you sort of recap your experience getting recruited to play Division 1 college football and which BSU coaches were your chief recruiters? What were some of the schools that showed major interest? What were the schools you considered heading to?
KittO'Brien: The recruiting process for me was like a roller coaster ride, with the majority of Ball States coaches leaving. as for other schools I was considering Purdue, and Miami(OH). Coach Faulkner was my main recruiting coach and Coach Parrish was the one who actually offered me my scholarship.

OTP: As a former guard, and a massive one at that, do you anticipate moving to any other positions or being able to fill in any other holes in the o line?
KO: Right now I am going to play wherever I can get to the field fastest. At this point that is looking like the right guard position, but in future years I would love to move out to tackle.

OTP: The offseason has been a transitional period for BSU, with a coaching change, a ton of talent leaving, etc. How did that sit with you as a future Cardinal? Any worries or thoughts about not coming?
KO: There was a point after Coach Hoke Left when I got worried, but the only time I had a second thought about coming was when Coach Funk left. He was a big reason for my scholarship offer and when he left I had some second thoughts, but I was confident Coach Parrish would make a good hire to fill the position.

OTP: This incoming recruiting class has been widely heralded as the best class in years at BSU. Have you had any contact with other incoming recruits? Is the class going to gel?
KO: I moved into a house at Ball State the day after I graduated and I have gotten to know everybody really well. All of us freshman are figuring out exactly what is expected of us and we are all working really hard.

OTP: The offensive line positions are some of the most important in football. What are your favorite things about playing such a vital role?
KO: Just the fact that the offense runs through me. If one of us messes up it can cause the whole offense to fail. Having that much pressure on you to succeed makes me love my position that much more.

OTP: What things are you considering majoring in at Ball State? Looking forward to the academic side of the house?
KO: I'm keeping my options open, but I am really considering Business or Natural Resource Management.

OTP: Most of our readers know quite a bit about your football prowess on the field. Any hobbies or talents off the field that would surprise some folks?
KO: I used to raise sheep and show them at the county fair. Most people are shocked to hear that when I tell them. I also was a Basketball player in high school.

From our readers...

Readers: What does he anticipate his biggest challenge will be stepping up to D1 from a smaller school? Speed? Level of talent?
KO: In high school my team would throw the ball about 14 times a game. So learning the pass blocking technique isn't going to be the biggest challenge but it will be the most important thing for me to learn. And of course the speed is going to take some getting used to.

Readers: What sort of weight has the coaching staff asked you to gain? How do you plan on doing that?
KO: I weigh 312 right now and that is where the coaching staff is wanting me to stay. I plan on maintaining my weight through our training program.

Readers: Are you training on campus right now? If not, when will you be training?
KO: Yes. I have been training here since June 1st.

Finally, one last one from OTP...

OTP: Anything to say to the Cardinals fans who will have the privilege of watching you over the next few years, Kitt?
KO: I plan on living up to high expectations, and hopefully starting all four years.

Big thanks to Kitt for taking the time out of his schedule, training, and field work to answer some questions from us and the readership. Like those that came before him, and hopefully those that come after, Kitt is further proving that regardless of on-field results, this program is stocked full of high character young men that we, as fans, should all be proud of. Good luck, big fella!

Virtual Commonwealth Stadium

2009-06-29T10:26:00.003-04:00

Like virtual Scheumann Stadium we talked about earlier, EA Sports' newest version of NCAA Football's take on Commonwealth Stadium has hit the interwebs. The curious thing about this particular photo shows a visiting section decked out in red. This must mean Alabama is there, as clearly, if it were a Louisville game, most of those seats would either be empty or filled with blue.

No clue about whether or not the virtual coffee and hot chocolate runs out by halftime, whether or not you can smuggle in virtual bourbon, or whether the virtual band is as virtually dull as in real life. But it's only a few short weeks away until you can answer all those things for yourself.

Virtual Scheumann Stadium

2009-06-29T08:37:00.003-04:00

For anyone like me who's anxiously awaiting the release of NCAA 2010 on July 14th, this comes as yet another dose of awesome to sort of get you through the shakes until it hits the shelves. Virtual Scheumann Stadium. No word yet on what virtual Charlie looks like, whether or not the Pride of MidAmerica is accurately represented, or whether or not virtual Sean Baker actually eats virtual souls in the game. Supposedly, if it's in the game, it's in the game, so virtual souls should be collectively soiling their virtual pants.

Everything looks fairly good, though the visitors section is in the wrong area of the stadum, and I'm not sure how the hill is going to look. But, hey, at least the stadium looks good.

BSU Marketing Caught Napping

2009-06-26T15:04:00.003-04:00

Well, the word around the Muncie Campfire is that Ball State Football will once again sport the "Game On" slogan this year. So while we earlier lauded Coach Eck for his proactive approach to embrace technology, the ol' sports marketing department has sputtered and come up with a rehash of 2008 material. Lame, guys. Hella lame.

RV and I decided to bounce some additions to "Game On" in an effort to jazz it up a bit. Have a look:

Game On 2.0
Game On. And On.
Game On. Like Donkey Kong
Game On. RIP MJ!!!!11
Game On. Don't Fumble
Game On. No More ShitShows
Game On. Parrish in the Hizzy
Game Off. We Takin A Break
Game On. Pwning MAC West Since 2008
Game On. Pwning IU Since 2008
Game On. Can't Stop, Won't Stop. Unless You're Buffalo or Tulsa
Game On. Where'd Nate Go?
Game On. Even When You Paralyze Our Best Player We Still Pwned You. Leet
Game On. Our RB Is 5'6" and Makes You Look Like Teh Suxxor
Game On. Eck on the Twit, Hit Me Up
Game On. Other MAC Blogs Is Bullshit. Rich Brooks Says So
Game On. Wait, We Didn't Practice That. Game Off.
Game On. Cocaine's a Helluva Drug
Game On. They Peed On Dude's Rug
Game On. Mooncrotch
Game Fucking On

Ok, that's enough Friday silliness. Got some other suggestions for BSU's high-speed sports marketing department?

Offseason Roundtable #13

2009-06-26T08:23:00.004-04:00

In an effort to not only increase our chatter about the Cards, but to also increase some reader participation, Edge, RV, and Alan will be doing these roundtables every week. Love the answers? Want to post your own thoughts? Of course you do. And you can do so in the Comments section. Because remember, dear readers, a smarmy sarcastic blog about Ball State athletics is only as good as its small yet powerful reader base. Have at it, boys and girls...

1.) Ball State coach Jason Eck has fired up a Twitter account. Surprising? Expect more coaches to do this?
Alan: I think it's great news but a little surprising that BSU or a coach there would be even close to the cutting edge or at least on the normal side of the scale in terms of college football. Considering the athletics department has always been sort of lagging or sorely lacking in terms of cool little tech stuff, website stuff, information for fans, etc. If this is the last step, it's a yawn. If this is the first step, it's great and sorely overdue. Now, we just need to get Coach Parrish on there.

RV: It'll start spreading with each school that has a good or young SID. There's no reason to not take advantage of every corner of the Internet, and while Twitter might not be around in a few years, it's here for now. It's a great way to touch recruits and your fanbase alike and as long as you follow the rules (you know who you are) there shouldn't be any problems.

Edge: More coaches will join up, absolutely. And if they don't do it soon, they'll miss the opportunity. As I said yesterday, the NCAA has yet to act on Twitter like it has MySpace, Facebook, etc. Coaches might as well mine that gold vein while they can because it'll be tapped before too long.

2.) The big news out of Alabama is that the Tide are appealing their 21 vacated wins punishment. Any chance the NCAA lets the Tide keep those victories?
Alan: God, I hope not. At some point or another, the NCAA needs to stop giving out these slap on the wrist punishments, or reducing something with actual teeth down to nothing on appeal. Here's their chance to hold someone to the fire a little, thought a better punishment would be loss of scholarships, probation, etc.

RV: No. Alabama should take their dose of shut the hell up and be glad they didn't have to forfeit their wins or lose a SINGLE god damn scholarship. Talk about getting off light...sorry, but just be glad the NCAA is just growing it's baby teeth and hasn't decided to fully operate as an association. *insert joke about Alabama claiming a national championship here*

Edge: I don't see the NCAA changing a thing. It's a formality for Alabama to proceed with an appeal. It's not like they'll get a worse punishment for appealing anyway, so what's the harm?

3.) Former Hoosier Kellen Lewis has ended up at Valdosta State for his final year of eligibility. Does this kid have any kind of future whatsoever in football?
Alan: I wish there was a happy ending in store for Lewis, but I simply cannot say there is. This young man had a ton of talent, a ton of opportunity, and at least the ability to get a great education. It's a shame anytime someone doesn't take advantages of the things in their life that can advance them, and I think Lewis is one of those textbook examples of someone who just didn't take advantage of everything he had in front of him. Best wishes as he goes to Valdosta State, but I feel like this is probably going to be a sad ending to a fairly sad book.

RV: Depends on your definition of football. If by football you mean not involved in any kind of football whatsoever, then yes. He has a future in football.

Edge: Valdosta State is his future... how's that for a dose of reality? He'll play, but he's done after this. Finishing at IU, he may have had an outside chance at the NFL, but that's left him for good. Kids, pay attention to this scenario. This is what drugs gets you. Valdosta State football.

4.) There's talk of Northwestern heading to play a game at Wrigley Field. What are your thoughts about these games housed in a different sort of locale or place than what is normal for athletic teams?
Alan: I think it's a good idea if done properly. ND in Yankee Stadium, USC at Dodger Stadium, something cool like that. But the games have to be two really excellent teams. And unfortunately, Northwestern wouldn't be one of those 2 really excellent teams. However, I would love to see Wrigley play host to an ND game.

RV: Unless they're playing Illinois/OSU/Michigan it probably wouldn't sell out. The whole barnstorming idea is near and dear to my heart, but Northwestern doesn't deserve to have a game like this. When you can only fill 60.6% of your own stadium, you can continue to try and sell out at home. I think it's great for teams that are trying to expand their academic and athletic base, but traveling down the purple line to get off at Addison is just a joke.

Edge: I think it's more a media play than anything. It's exciting for the players in one aspect, but it really doesn't mean anything other than to say, "I played at Wrigley". Put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig. Play football at Wrigley, it's still a football game.

5.) Unsurprisingly, the BCS has rejected the proposal of the Mountain West Conference to redo the BCS Championship formula. Is the BCS ever going to change or are we going to see this structure for the near future?
Alan: For the near future, we have the BCS. It's not perfect, there's probably some room for improvement, but it sure as hell is better than a playoff. Kudos to the Mountain West for at least trying to be part of the solution instead of just sitting back and bitching, but a playoff isn't the answer.

RV: The BCS will change as soon as someone figures out how the powers-that-be can make more money. Changing to a +1 is probably more likely, with the BCS adding an additional game to their format and creating a new bowl for to the highest bidder. I don't see any reason for them to change the current format until football is ready to rip its foundations out and start fresh. I vote no.

Edge: I expect to see an increase in these types of proposals from the mid-majors. The MWC didn't really front a revolution here, but this type of talk and action has the potential to snowball. Certainly other conferences feel the same way but don't want to rock the boat just yet. Every year we hear it anyway: playoff this, playoff that... that's never going to stop. I do see something happening in the future, but it's going to be a long time coming. There are way too many factors to adopt a playoff system at this point, but you can be assured the talk will continue and the mid-major efforts for change will increase.

Readers: what do you have to say? Comment away!

Enough Financial Data to Make Your Head Spin

2009-06-25T15:30:00.000-04:00

OTP's co-editor, RV, stumbled across this website when surfing the interwebs for whatever he normally looks at and realized the virtual gold mine he had just uncovered. Provided by that site are the operating expenses, revenues, etc. for almost every team under the sun as they've reported to the NCAA. For BSU and UK, the teams we cover, the difference was in fact, staggering. Rather than try and compare the BSU apples to the UK oranges, we'll handle them separately, but equally, despite the whole kerfuffle that "separate but equal" has caused in the past...

Ball State University
The Cardinals reported an overall financial break even for athletics, at $17,427,728. Now, those numbers include every single sport at BSU, including the non-money makers, and that difference is mighty. For example, the football team clocked in with $5,436,482 in revenue for last fall. The basketball programs (men's and women's) generated $2,589,547. The sports not named football and basketball generated $5,293,108.

In terms of expenses, football clearly had the highest expenses at $5,436,482... the same as their revenue. The same is true for the basketball programs, where the revenue and expenses were equal. Creative accounting? Result of zero-based budgeting? Probably, but at least there's a revenue figure to sort of compare ourselves to.

Let's look at the rest of the MAC in terms of football revenue ranking...
1. Temple: $9,184,112***
2. Kent State: $6,040,915
3. Central Michigan: $5,712,638
4. Ball State: $5,436,482
5. Northern Illinois: $5,341,447**
6. Miami: $5,321,463
7. Ohio: $4,986,723
8. Akron: $4,707,537
9. Eastern Michigan: $4,655,860
10. Toledo: $4,441,368
11. Bowling Green: $4,127,434
12. Western Michigan: $2,522,901***
13. Buffalo: $1,882,475****
*-Temple University contributed $18,631,923 in terms of institutional support to the total revenue of the athletic department. Disclosure of amounts to teams not included.
**- Northern Illinois adjusted revenue for institutional support to individual teams without disclosing which teams, and how much
***- Western Michigan includes $14,680,397 of revenue not allocated by gender or sport
****- Buffalo does not include any sort of student fees or state allocation in their revenue. That was nearly $16 million in revenue for the entire department

The MAC is clearly tightly grouped, but I have no earthly explanation for Temple's eye-popping first place aside from the institutional support piece, which tells me they had to offset a ton of expenses by providing a boatload of institutional support. The adage says it takes money to make money, and it takes making money to be successful, so at this rate, Temple is due for a National Championship within the next several years.

For the Cardinals that's a ton of revenue, but it is my hope that with the recent success on the field, the Cardinals can continue to see that revenue increase. How? Good question. We seem to have things pretty well right now, and are sometimes unable to fill the Scheu despite having the best team in the state. But for that number to get any higher, seats will need to be expanded and filled on a routine basis. Then, and only then, will that number climb into the stratosphere needed for continual long-term success.

University of Kentucky
For the Wildcats, it's certainly an exercise that leads to some surprising conclusions and facts about the moneymakers on the campus. For the .edu crowds that see no purpose in athletics, Big Blue turned a $4 million profit for the overall athletic department. Let's see the chemistry school make that sort of change having people watch test tubes and bunson burners.

The football program turned a profit as well, clocking in with $12,018,188 in expenses to $25,861,744 in revenues. In comparison, the basketball program, the measuring stick for most Kentucky fans, clocked in with $8,584,145 of expenses, along with a $14,867,027 revenue pool. The overall athletic budget also clocked in with a total of $28,644,802 of revenue not allocated to any particular sport. That may come from television contracts, apparel deals, etc.

The rest of the SEC's football revenue in rank order...
1. Georgia: $67,053,051
2. Florida: $66,124,945
3. Auburn: $59,671,354
4. Alabama: $57,370,617
5. LSU: $52,687,713
6. South Carolina: $50,433,037
7. Tennessee: $40,264,212
8. Arkansas: $40,135,364
9. Kentucky: $25,861,744
10. Ole Miss: $17,768,432
11. Vandy: $16,924,277
12. Mississippi State: $15,994,121

Holy cow, standard deviation. To see a $50 million difference between top to bottom sort of further proves that there are clearly a group of haves and a group of have nots in terms of revenue. That would certainly explain why the elite programs in the SEC continue to be elite. Entities that make money hand over fist are usually the best at any given task, and football and athletics are no different. The only redeeming factor is that most of Alabama's revenue is eaten up by Nick Saban's astronomical contract and Tennessee's revenues will soon be pissed away on assistant coaches salaries or letterhead to send secondary violation notices to the NCAA.

In a nice little comparison, the University of Louisville's overall athletic budget featured around a $1.4 million profit. The football program contributed $16,082,457 of revenue, along with $11,601,884 of expenses. Little brother indeed.

BSU Releases Portion of Scheduled Game Times

2009-06-25T13:00:00.003-04:00

Ball State has announced its football game times for the 2009 season, and the Cardinals will have six games televised on the ESPN family of networks. Below is the complete 2009 football schedule with game times which have been announced.

Sept.
3 (Thurs.) NORTH TEXAS (7:30) - ESPNU
CARDINAL VARSITY CLUB DAY Presented by ProLiance Energy

12 (Sat.) NEW HAMPSHIRE (7:00)
Presented by Central Indiana Orthopedics

19 (Sat.) at Army (Noon) - ESPN Classic or ESPNU

26 (Sat.) at Auburn (TBA)

Oct.
3 (Sat.) TOLEDO * (Noon) - ESPN Plus/GamePlan
HOMECOMING Presented by Ball State Federal Credit Union

10 (Sat.) at Temple * (1:00)

17 (Sat.) BOWLING GREEN * (Noon)
FAMILY WEEKEND Presented by Marsh Supermarkets

24 (Sat.) at Eastern Michigan * (1:00)

31 (Sat.) OHIO * (Noon)
YOUTH DAY Presented by Mutual Bank

Nov.
12 (Thurs.)at Northern Illinois * (6 p.m.) - ESPNU

18 (Wed.) CENTRAL MICHIGAN * (6 or 8 p.m.) - ESPN2 or ESPNU
SENIOR DAY Presented by Lifetouch National School Studios

24 (Tues.)at Western Michigan * (7 p.m.) - ESPN2

Dec.
4 (Fri.) Marathon Mid-American Conference Championship Game
(MAC East Division Winner vs. MAC West Division Winner)(8 p.m.) ESPN

Welcome to Twitter, Coach Eck

2009-06-25T08:27:00.006-04:00

The Ball State Daily News is reporting o-line coach Jason Eck has joined six other MAC coaches on the Twitter. You can check out his page here.

Although it's been around since 2006, Twitter has lately become one of the top go-to social networking tools available. I finally submitted to its awesomeness over the past month to follow real-time setlists from concerts, so I have to now admit that it can be a pretty useful tool - but there's a lot of bullshit to wade through.

In case you don't understand how it works, it's all pretty much SMS-based (i.e., text message) with messages uploaded via phone or computer. So, we can assume Eck will whip out the ol' Blackberry and Tweet all the BSU fluff we could ever want.

We've covered this time and time again, and all I can say at this point to Coach Eck is: BE CAREFUL. Our favorite whipping boy Lane Kiffin has already gotten himself in trouble with the Twitter by posting a recruit's name. Of course, it wasn't Lane that posted it, but an assistant who knew no better. Whatever.

The NCAA has yet to advance to the year 2008 in terms of technology and its role in recruiting, so you can bet sometime this season or during the spring of 2010 we will see some amendments to the recruiting bylaws.

It's great to have a potentially strong marketing tool at your disposal, especially since nearly all electronic-based communications are banned by the NCAA. Twitter will eventually join this list, but for now it's fair game. That is, until someone pulls a Kelvin Sampson (Lane, I'm looking at you).

So, while you still can, follow Coach Eck on Twitter this season. I doubt anything will be too insightful, but it's yet another outlet for all things Ball State. Begin shameless plug. And don't forget OTP is also a part of the Twitter clan. Follow us here. End shameless plug.

The MAC on National Television in the Fall

2009-06-24T12:15:00.004-04:00

The MAC has released it's nationally televised games for the fall football season. Fire up those TIVO's...

Thursday, Sept. 3
North Texas at Ball State, 7:30 PM (ESPNU)

Saturday, Sept. 5
Kentucky vs. Miami (Cincinnati, Ohio), 12 Noon (ESPNU)
Akron at Penn State, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)
Toledo at Purdue, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)
Western Michigan at Michigan, 3:30 pm (ABC & ESPN2)
Northern Illinois at Wisconsin, 7 pm (Big Ten Network)

Friday, Sept. 11
Colorado at Toledo, 9 pm (ESPN)

Saturday, Sept. 12
Central Michigan at Michigan State, 12 Noon (ESPN or ESPN2)
Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)
Eastern Michigan at Northwestern, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)
Western Michigan at Indiana, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)
Kent State at Boston College, 2 pm (ESPN360.com)

Saturday, Sept. 19
Ohio State vs. Toledo (Cleveland, Ohio), 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)
Eastern Michigan at Michigan, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)
Temple at Penn State, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)
Northern Illinois at Purdue, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)
Indiana at Akron, 3:30 pm (ESPNU)

Saturday, Sept. 26
Buffalo at Temple, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)

Saturday, Oct. 3
Toledo at Ball State, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)

Saturday, Oct. 10
Eastern Michigan at Central Michigan, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)
Miami at Northwestern, 12 Noon (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN Classic or Big Ten Network)

Saturday, Oct. 24
Central Michigan at Bowling Green, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)

Saturday, Oct. 31
Akron at Northern Illinois, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)

Tuesday, Nov. 3
Bowling Green at Buffalo, 7 pm (ESPN2)

Thursday, Nov. 5
Miami at Temple or Eastern Michigan at NIU, 7:30 pm (ESPNU)

Tuesday, Nov. 10
Ohio at Buffalo, 7 pm (ESPN2)

Wednesday, Nov. 11
Toledo at Central Michigan, 8 pm (ESPN2)

Thursday, Nov. 12
Ball State at NIU or BGSU at Miami, 6 pm (ESPNU)

Friday, Nov. 13
Temple at Akron, 8 pm (ESPNU)

Wednesday, Nov. 18
CMU at Ball State or Buffalo at Miami, 6 pm (ESPNU)
CMU at Ball State or Buffalo at Miami, 8 pm (ESPN2)

Friday, Nov. 20
Akron at Bowling Green, 5:30 pm (ESPNU)

Tuesday, Nov. 24
Ball State at Western Michigan, 7 pm (ESPN2)

Friday, Nov. 27
ESPNU (11 am)/ESPN360.com multiple selection date
EMU at Akron, Buffalo at Kent State, Temple at Ohio, NIU at CMU, Toledo at BGSU

Friday, Dec. 4
Marathon MAC Football Championship Game
Ford Field, Detroit, MI, 8 pm (ESPN2)

Saturday, Dec. 26
Motor City Bowl (vs. Big Ten)
Detroit, MI, 1 pm (ESPN)

Saturday, Jan. 2
International Bowl (vs. Big East)
Toronto, ON, Canada, 12 Noon (ESPN2)

Wednesday, Jan. 6
GMAC Bowl (vs. ACC)
Mobile, AL, 7 pm (ESPN)

An Interview with Jason Pinkston

2009-06-24T11:15:00.000-04:00

In terms of incoming recruits, one of the most celebrated, heralded, and most excited for prospect is Jason Pinkston. From Glenville, OH, where the Cards have built a pretty formidable pipeline to one of the best schools in football-rich Ohio, Pinkston was clearly a high visibility high reward target for BSU to land this past season.

Defensive backs are by nature difficult to find when it comes to recruiting. It is without question one of the most difficult positions to play, but also one where the adjustment from high school to college is a significant leap. Thankfully, Pinkston comes to Muncie with a great set of physical skills, at 6-0 and 185, Pinkston brings impressive size for division 1, and even more so for the MidAmerican Conference.

Pinkston's most recent success came as he was invited to be part of the Big 33 football game, an All-Star contest featuring prep stars from Pennsylvania and Ohio. Talent overloads those rosters, and Pinkston was still able to distinguish himself as a player that would excel at the next level. We are exceptionally grateful to have the opportunity to touch base with him.

From OTP...

OverThePylon: Can you sort of recap your experience getting recruited to play Division 1 college football and which BSU coaches were your chief recruiters? What were some of the schools that showed major interest? What were the schools you considered heading to?
JasonPinkston: Coach Parrish was the first to recruit me. He came to my school and offered me a scholarship. Cinci showed major interest as well as Michigan also. Them two were the only other colleges I was considering.

OTP: As a tall as well as fast corner, you're a highly coveted prospect, especially for the MAC. Would you consider yourself more of a coverage guy or a physical corner?
JP: I would consider myself a little bit of both. My coaches say I'm a great cover corner but I also like to jam receivers and mix it up in the run support also. I want to be a complete cornerback not just a cover corner.

OTP: The corner position at BSU looks like an area with immediate need and opportunity. How much of a contribution are you looking to make immediately? Planning on starting? Any position shifts?
JP: I plan to go down there and do my best. Yes I do expect to compete for a starting spot but if it doesn't play out that way I'm going to make sure I play my role and do what the coaches ask me to do.

OTP: The offseason has been a transitional period for BSU, with a coaching change, a ton of talent leaving, etc. How did that sit with you as a future Cardinal? Any worries or thoughts about not coming?
JP: Coach Parrish told me he wasn't going anywhere so I never worried. He told me that he will be here for me and he is. I respect him for keeping his word. I like to compete so when the corners graduated I thought I would have a chance at competing for one of the corner spots.

OTP: This incoming recruiting class has been widely heralded as the best class in years at BSU. Have you had any contact with other incoming recruits? Is the class going to gel?
JP: Yes I talk to Connor Ryan everyday almost so we keep in touch. I also talk to Armand Dehaney the other cornerback we brought in so we're all just excited for the season and ready to get started. As long as we play as a team and not individuals we will gel.

OTP: What things are you considering majoring in at Ball State? Looking forward to the academic side of the house?
JP: I plan on majoring in education. I know that everything starts with the academics first because I'm a student-athlete.

OTP: Most of our readers know quite a bit about your football prowess on the field. Any hobbies or talents off the field that would surprise some folks?
JP: I run track during the school year so I can keep my speed up for football.

From our readers...

Readers: What was the Big 33 experience like?
JP: The Big 33 was really fun. I like comparing myself to the other D1 players out there so I could see how I rank. I did really well in practice and also in the game. I liked the Big 33 game because it's all man to man and that's what I love to play.

Readers: What was it like playing for Glenville and such a well known and respected head coach?
JP: Playing for Glenville... it's fun and high expectations. Each and every week all the eyes are on you so you have to bring your A game. We play good teams and we're one of the top teams in the country. It was great because [Coach Ted Ginn, Sr.] teaches us about more than football. He teaches us how to be a better person and become successful in life.

Readers: When is Jason heading to campus to start working out?
JP: The coaches told me to call them after the Big 33 game and we will work something out but I'm trying to get down there ASAP.

Readers: How exciting is it to be able to play with so many of your former prep teammates?
JP: It's great cause we all play defense and we can be on the field together again at the same time just like in high school... dominating.

Finally, one last one from OTP...

OTP: Anything to say to the Cardinals fans who will have the privilege of watching you over the next few years, Jason?
JP: It's going to be an exciting year and we look forward to getting better each year.We had a great 09 recruiting class so now it's time to go to work.

Big thanks to Jason for fielding these questions and giving a great set of answers. The corner position at BSU has the opportunity to really provide the right player a ton of playing time and a great opportunity to succeed from the get-go. Jason certainly has the talent and skills, and from this, it looks like he's got a great head on his shoulders to go along with athletic skills like whoa. Good luck, Jason!

Introducing the Poll of the Week

2009-06-23T16:31:00.003-04:00

OTP wanted to sort of test some things out before the season got rolling as to their viability, usability, and reader response, so new things born will see their infancy over the next month or so. Today's new feature is the Poll of the Week.

If you were in Paris Hilton's home, Poll of the Week would take on a very different meaning, but here at OTP, it's a week long question for readers to vote on, cast their opinion on, etc. without having to wade through posts, other comments, etc. While sort of rudimentary, and somewhat limited, it is a nice way to take the pulse of the readership without too much trouble, effort, or work by either us or them.

This week's question? How many wins for the Cardinals in the fall. Choices range all over the place, and the early voting seems to do the same. Check it out over on the right hand side of your page, and vote away. P Diddy has made no promises you'll die if you don't.

A Sad Day for a BSU Alum

2009-06-22T13:41:00.002-04:00

Some may remember Brian Collins as a budding journalist, who was seen on NewsCenter 43 on campus at Ball State. The program itself is a great opportunity for those seeking to become journalists the opportunity to get on camera and get their proverbial feet wet reading the prompter, getting a news feed, and listening to a producer in your ear telling you what to cover next or which camera to look at.

For the majority of those anchors, there isn't anything newsworthy or notable about their experiences there, as student news shows aren't much to write home about. But on rare occasions, lightning strikes in a bottle. And when that happens, it will be forever compared to Brian Collins, famous for this:

In reports today, first brought out by Busted Coverage, Collins has apparently been given the old heave-ho from his gig in Waco, TX. Yes, that man above actually parlayed this clip into a career in television news broadcasting. His catch phrase is used on Sportscenter, and random things like the Oscars, when Will Smith referenced it after some technical difficulties. A sad day for Collins, not only because he is now unemployed, but because that clip above just became relevant again. Boom goes the dynamite indeed.

OTP Back to Normal...

2009-06-22T10:04:00.003-04:00

Like in the old grade school days, eventually the actual teacher had to return to reality and the classroom, and the fun style and change of pace brought about by the substitute went the way of the dodo. Today at OTP marks another moment sort of like that as Edge is relieved of his Yankee hating and management duties here to retreat once again to the Statcave. Big thanks to the resident rocker of OTP for his leadership and witty writing while I ventured back to the Hoosier state for a week of needed R-and-R.

As we begin the backslide out of June, another record setting month for OTP, it's time to transition the site from offseason mode to preseason mode. Shortly you'll be seeing us releasing our preseason Top 25 picks, our predictions for the order of finish for the random conferences, and who we're looking to for success, failure, and everything in between as 2009 begins to get closer. We'll be comparing our picks (Alan, Edge, and RV) to the national pundits and such to prove at the close of the year that they, along with us, don't really have a crystal ball. However, our mythical non-existant fortune predictor is just as accurate as they are.

In the coming weeks you'll see RV setting up a new NCAA Online Dynasty and Edge rocking out even more stat work. The recruit pieces will continue and we're hoping to unveil something exceptionally special over the next couple weeks, but details and that sort of thing is exceptionally secretive until we get the go ahead and the green light. Homer Previews will be back in the fall after we unveil our preseason Top 25, and we're already nearly triple what we had for last year, this year ranging from the Big 10 to an FCS school. It's going to be awesome. If you have suggestions for the coming preseason festivities, or an idea for something, drop us a line. Get ready all... this season, and OTP, are ready to rock.

An Interview with Connor Ryan

2009-06-19T11:20:00.001-04:00

OverThePylon is proud as can be to bring you the next installment of chatting with our future Cardinal rockstars. Off the heels of interviews with Ethan Buckles and Eric Williams, OTP was able to touch base with Connor Ryan, incoming freshman and soon to be household name as a wide receiver for the Cardinals.

Ryan hails from St. Ignatius outside of Cleveland, where he was a member of the most recent state championship team. Ryan has all the physical attributes, at 6'2", 185lbs, while running a 4.59 40-yard dash. The fact that this young man is one of the top wide receivers in a football rich state while playing for a football powerhouse, bodes exceptionally well for future success...

OverThePylon: Can you sort of recap your experience getting recruited to play Division 1 college football and which BSU coaches were your
chief recruiters? What were some of the schools that showed major interest? What were the schools you considered heading to?
ConnorRyan:Getting recruited to play football at a Division 1 college was a dream come true. I love football and playing in college has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. My chief recruiters were coach Parrish and when coach Hoke left coach Lynch stepped in. Both recruited me very well. The schools that showed major interest were mostly all the MAC's, Virginia, and Northwestern.

OTP: With the wide receiver position sort of a crowded place, do you anticipate being able to play and contribute right away? Is redshirting something that's being considered?
CR: I was recruited for a reason and that was to contribute right away. I fully anticipate to work hard on the off season and become a major factor in the offense this year. I was always told that they needed me to step up and become a player along the lines of Briggs. As of now I have not been told anything along the lines of red shirting. But I am going to work hard enough to where I don't have to.

OTP: Give us a well known wide receiver that you would compare yourself to. Additionally, what sort of wide receiver do you admire or idolize?
CR: I would compare myself to Wes Welker because he is a very polished receiver. He is a great route runner, he can also be a possession receiver, and the next play he could beat the DB deep with his speed. I idolize patriots wide receiver Anthony Gonzales. He went to my high school and coached me at a few practices and games. My goal is to work as hard as he did and become just as successful.

OTP: When Coach Hoke was transitioning out of that role in Ball State, what was it like as a recruit? Were you concerned about the direction of the program or the ability to maintain success?
CR: When coach Hoke left I was shocked and confused on what to do. I was worried he would take the whole coaching staff. So I waited a few days. When coach Parrish was announced as the next head coach I was thrilled. I was the first one he called right after his press conference and I knew right then that Ball State's success would be maintained.

OTP: This incoming recruiting class has been widely heralded as the best class in years at BSU. Have you had any contact with other incoming recruits? Is the class going to gel?
CR: I have met many of the recruits and I think that this class with definitely mesh. This class has a chance to be something special, but at the same time for us to be successful we are going to have to work just as hard as the classes before us.

OTP: Most of our readers know quite a bit about your football prowess on the field. Any hobbies or talents off the field that would surprise some folks?
CR: I like to fish.

From the readers...

Readers: Are you training on campus right now? If not, when will you be training?
CR: I am on campus right now. I arrived Friday, June 12th. I am living with Kelly Page, Briggs Orsbon, Kyle Hoke, Steve Schott, and Scott Kovanda.

Readers: Has there been any discussion as to what receiver you'll be playing?
CR: As of now X and Z have been mentioned to me.

Readers: What are you looking forward to the most about BSU?
CR: I'm looking forward to playing with the older guys on the team that have put so much work and effort towards this football team making it so successful.

Readers: What was his experience like playing for one of the best high school programs in the country at St. Iggy? What is his favorite memory from that experience?
CR: Playing for Saint Ignatius was a dream of mine as a kid. Every year at Ignatius we are expected to win a state championship. It was really nice to win one my senior year and end a seven year drought. My favorite memory was probably winning the state championship and holding the trophy up with my teammates and having my brother on the team made it that much better.

Readers: What lead him to choose Ball State over his other offers?
CR: I chose Ball State over my other offers because there is a chance for immediate impact as a freshman, which I wanted to take advantage of. Also, coach Parrish has been with me the whole time and he has been honest with me and I feel that he reminds me a lot of my high school coach, which made me feel a lot more comfortable with my decision.

Readers: Where does he see himself fitting in next season on a team with a lot of young WR's?
CR: There are so many good receivers on the team that I look up to. I am trying to learn from these guys each day. I think I would fit in as a deep threat and a deeper possession guy, which has been hinted towards me already.

And finally, one last one from OTP...

OTP: Anything to say to the Cardinals fans who will have the privilege of watching you over the next few years, Connor?
CR: I want to tell the fans that Ball State football needs their support and with their support there is no reason that we can't win a MAC championship within the next few years.

Big, big, big major league thanks to Connor for taking the time to chat a bit with us and let the readers see what a great young man he is. This recruiting class will be something extremely special if their on field successes and personalities are even half of what they are off. Good luck, Connor!

Offseason Roundtable #12

2009-06-19T07:30:00.001-04:00

In an effort to not only increase our chatter about the Cards, but to also increase some reader participation, Edge, RV, and Alan will be doing these roundtables every week. Love the answers? Want to post your own thoughts? Of course you do. And you can do so in the Comments section. Because remember, dear readers, a smarmy sarcastic blog about Ball State athletics is only as good as its small yet powerful reader base. Have at it, boys and girls...

1) We never did discuss everyone's thoughts on the Rose Bowl coming to ESPN in 2011, this placing all BCS games on ESPN for at least three years. How does that sit with you?
RV: I don't have a problem with it, the BCS already has an unfair advantage in the CFB world. ESPN might as well botch all of the BCS games rather than let Fox have an opportunity to botch it up. What's the worst that could happen?

Alan: The game itself moving to ESPN isn't nearly as disturbing as the entire BCS moving over to the Worldwide Leader. Not that ESPN ever really championed the conversation about how to improve the BCS or an alternative sort of method to picking a national champion, but you can assume that ESPN will now be lauding the BCS as the greatest thing since the forward pass. It's a real shame, and though I am not a playoff fan, there is probably a better way to facilitate who plays for the championship than the way we currently have. But ESPN won't be engaging in such a discussion now, or ever, and that's a disservice to those of us who watch Gameday, ESPN, or any other major network that has some ties to the current structure.

Edge: I'd be more concerned with viewership than anything. Sure, 95%+ have ESPN, but some still don't. I also totally agree with what Alan said about ESPN not being in the fight for change in the system. Whether or not it needs it, at least one of the biggest voices in sports would have covered it (relatively) unbiased. Not going to happen that way now.

2) Brett Favre. Had enough or can't wait to see how this unfolds?
RV: I still think Kiffin is going to find a way to get him at Tennessee, regardless of how illegal it is. Beyond that, I hope he gets mauled by a hay baler.

Alan: Way done. I always liked Brett Favre. Thought he was fun to watch, a model of someone who wasn't blessed with prototypical talent or physique, yet managed to achieve success like few others in the NFL. He could have retired a Packer, been a God to those fans and that city, and sort of rode off into the sunset of retirement without a sour thought about him anywhere. Over the last year or so, Favre has managed to completely tank all that good will and actually build up some sizeable hatred. Last summer was sort of like a car accident that you didn't want to watch but couldn't look away. This summer is just painful and aggravating, and at some point an athlete needs to know when it's time to walk away.

Edge: Know what would suck? Planning a vacation with Brett Favre. You'd never settle on a destination, and in the end you'd just end up in some mediocre place. He needs to let it go because in the end, it's a no-win for everyone. I felt bad for Jets fans last year, and I feel bad for Vikings fans now. They're put in a bad spot, along with everyone else on the team. Brett, take Mike Tyson's advice and just fade away to Bolivian.

3) Settle a long-standing dispute. The best subs for tailgating: Subway, Blimpie's, or Jimmy John's?
RV: Blimpie's. Good lord, they put Subway to shame. Plus the guy who runs the Blimpie's by work is hysterical.

Alan: Quality or price? Quality? Jimmy John's. Price? Subway. However, their formerly rotund spokesman Jared was a Bloomington guy and IU student. Therefore, I have to go with Jimmy John's. The only good thing about Bloomington is that they are keeping Bill Lynch away from any other school. That's an incredibly generous thing for the Hoosiers to do, and I, for one, am thankful for that sort of kindness.

Edge: Oh come on guys, what's better than showing up and saying, "Hey, I got the five! Five dollar! Five dollar footlongs!" I'll go with Subway since I can't get a Blimpie's anywhere close to the stadium (no, I will not go all the way to Memorial Drive to get Blimpie's), and I'm not Mikey Moneybags like Alan to get JJ's.

4) The release of NCAA Football 2010 is approaching rapidly. What feature has you most excited with this year's installment?
RV: I'm interested to see where they took the online dynasty. I hope they gave it enough attention even though Madden is being updated like gangbusters. Hopefully they've improved the robo-QB and the cyber-LB and made it a bit more realistic.

Alan: Oh sweet jeebus, I simply cannot wait for this game to come out, and will apologize in advance to my girlfriend, employer, friends, and the like, because I can virtually promise you I will be a ghost for a couple of days. The fact that you can run the Wishbone, the fact that you can gain points through achievements for your favorite school, the fact that you can simply play football all week long. What isn't to love? What am I most excited about? Everything.

Edge: I may be requesting a vacation day in July. I am most excited for better adaptive opponents. Just last week I was playing on Heisman difficulty in '09 as Ball State. In two consecutive games, MiQuale had a total of over 1,200 yards. Yes, you read that right. When I can run 3 running plays all game and not get sniffed out after the third one, there's a problem. So, I'm looking forward to the challenge.

5) This summer marks the 15th anniversary of the beginning of the O.J. Simpson murder case. Looking back and reflecting on this, what athlete would not surprise you by "pulling an O.J."?
RV: I'll go outside the box and say Houston Nutt. After the fiasco in Arkansas, it seems that his insanity knows no boundaries and Ole Miss got just enough of a taste of success to turn up the craziness.

Alan: Let's see... to recreate the OJ fiasco, you'd need an athlete who's been in movies, who's past their career, and married to a white chick. Not being specific enough, you'd also need to have someone who clearly isn't well put together, who can't make good decisions, and demands to be noticed, known, and part of the national conversation long after anyone cares about them or thinks they're relevant. So, Brett, when this Vikings thing doesn't work out so well for you, there's always double murder if you're just looking to grab some headlines. Not sure if you have an Al Cowlings to drive you around, but I'm sure someone in southern Mississippi has an SUV you could chill in.

Edge: There's simply too many nutjob athletes out there, and at this point no one would surprise me. I'll have to say that I can see someone like T.O. going O.J. in the future. Especially with Keyshawn at the wheel of the white Ford Bronco (or Escalade, whatever). "This is Keyshawn, you know who this is, damnit!" But who would I like to see this happen to? Jimmy Fallon. He just needs to go to jail. Forever.

Readers... comments... go!

2008, By The Numbers, Part 5

2009-06-17T10:14:00.004-04:00

You know, sometimes it's fun to just play with the numbers from last year and try to make comparisons, whether it be between teams or between conferences. You can learn a lot that way... or you can confuse the hell out of yourself and your readers. There's always a risk to everything, isn't there?

Today, let's talk a little more on scoring, but let's look at it from a conference standpoint. All of us watch games for different reasons. I'm talking about those non-personal games, like for instance, Oklahoma State and Missouri. Now, neither one of those teams mean anything to me, but I'm an offense guy. I like seeing how each side fares against the defense. Inevitably, the enjoyable offensive game for me is a high scoring game on both sides.

That's not to say those 3-0 games aren't enjoyable, but like I said, I'm an offense guy. I like to see some points in the air and on the ground (and inevitably some defensive scoring). Those who like the defensive side of the game watch for other reasons. And then there's those that just take a game where they can get it. Perfectly fine with us.

Now, I'll try to put aside the opinion aspect of this and get to the facts. What I did was look at each conference's total points scored and points allowed in conference games only. From there, it was pretty simple to see what conference games net the most points per game. As it has been recently, there's very few surprises here. Let's look at the top three scoring conferences:

1) Big 12: Average of 67.59 points in a conference game
2) Conference USA: Average of 60.35 points in a conference game
3) Sun Belt: Average of 58.32 points in a conference game

This isn't too surprising, and it doesn't really tell us much. Was it good offense, or was it just shitty defense that allowed this to happen? My impression is it's a lot of both. I can say that Oklahoma seemed to bolster that Big 12 number.

So, who was at the other end? Well, I have to actually throw out the independents here. They only played a total of four "conference games", and their average was 41 points. So, discarding them, here's the three lowest:

1) ACC: Average of 42.92 points in a conference game
2) SEC: Average of 45.53 points in a conference game
3) Big East: Average of 46.54 points in a conference game

Again, not too surprising or revealing. Unless you look at geography. What's the deal with that? If you're east of the Mississippi, your conference game doesn't net a lot of points? Maybe there's something to this. We will have to investigate further, once we secure more research funding (yes, you may contribute; we accept donations).

But you know what's cool? If you're sitting at the bar and someone starts talking about college football, you can drop this bit of knowledge on them, right? Then, the discussion can go in all directions, could become heated, possibly getting you into a fist fight... you know what... best to keep this info to yourself.

Brady Hoke - Ladies Man?

2009-06-16T08:07:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I mentioned a story about how the Ball State football camp is underway and is drawing some pretty good numbers. Well, our old friend Brady Hoke is in the football camp mode in San Diego. His participants? More than 80... ladies! Look out Leon Phelps, you've got competition now!

I really can't joke too much about this at the risk of sounding extremely sexist. And, all the proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation for breast cancer research. So, it's all fun and noble at the same time. But I have to think that Hoke may have his eye out for some talent given the horrid season the Aztecs had last year. Or maybe the west coast has tamed and gotten the HokeManBeast in touch with its feminine side.

Again, in all seriousness, kudos to Hoke and the San Diego State staff. In other news...

Media outlets are suing Florida State and the NCAA concerning public records laws. Ugh... why won't this end? Poor Bobby Bowden. He's probably seriously considering a life of bass fishing about now. What I find odd is that two hours after this story broke, Florida State University president T. K. Wetherell announced his intention to retire. So clearly someone's had enough of this debacle.

There's not much else going on this morning, but rest assured we will be back if something does break today. And gear up for another stat post coming tomorrow. I'll leave you with this:

Joba Chamberlain is retarded.

OTP Under New Management (For the Week)

2009-06-15T08:31:00.003-04:00

For the next week, I will be your fearless leader in the wonderful world of OTP. I received a cryptic text message Friday that said "You're in charge for the next week" from Alan. That's all it said, and I haven't been able to reach him. I can only assume one of three things:

1) Alan is shut inside in the dark lamenting the third sweep of his beloved Yankees by the Red Sox this year, only leaving his recliner for bathroom breaks and nuking Hot Pockets.

2) Alan is having a very rough time with this analog-to-digital television transition and is at home waiting for the cable guy.

3) Alan is on vacation.

Whatever the case may be, the blog must go on.

So what's going on with our Cardinals? Not much really. I did receive an email that this year's football camps run by coaches has brought in about 500 participants, about 10 times as many kids as it brought five years ago. So, in all aspects, things really are looking up for our Cards.

What else is going on... let's see... Alabama may appeal the recent decision by the NCAA to vacate 21 wins. Other than just going through the motions of this decision, there really is no point in this for Alabama, especially if it requires a bunch of work on their end or the NCAA's. What's done is done, the guilt was already admitted, the punishment was a joke, so let's move on guys.

Oh, I almost forgot! Mark Schlabach wrote another article too. If anyone needs a summer vacation, it's this guy. He should only be contracted to write when it's necessary, not when he's bored and has to fulfill a quota. The subtitle of his column: "Questions would be answered with a conference challenge." No shit, really? It's a good thing you're here to tell me this, Mark.

Perhaps the biggest news of the past few days is that the Rose Bowl will now be broadcast on ESPN beginning in 2011. This means the Worldwide Leader will air every BCS game from 2011 to at least 2014. This should stir up the ol' comment pot, so how do you readers feel about this BCS monopoly?

We'll have more in store for you this week, so check back daily (or hourly if you're really bored).

Offseason Roundtable #11

2009-06-12T08:46:00.006-04:00

In an effort to not only increase our chatter about the Cards, but to also increase some reader participation, Edge, RV, and Alan will be doing these roundtables every week. Love the answers? Want to post your own thoughts? Of course you do. And you can do so in the Comments section. Because remember, dear readers, a smarmy sarcastic blog about Ball State athletics is only as good as its small yet powerful reader base. Have at it, boys and girls...

1.) Lane Kiffin has quite possibly committed yet another minor NCAA violation by letting ESPN film an "Outside the Lines" program while he was meeting with a recruit. When and how will this all end?
Alan: It won't end until either Kiffin is run out of town, or the NCAA drops the proverbial banhammer on Tennessee thanks to his transgressions. The bottom line in all of Kiffin's theatrics and problems is that now he absolutely MUST win. Where as before all of this, fans wanted wins, now they expect wins. They are the only things that will make the rabid UT fanbase sit back and forget about all these little problems.

Edge: It's tough saying how it will end, but I can bet on how it will begin to end. At some point, the money-makers and boosters are going to start calling for heads to roll. Some poor guy (or gal) will lose their job simply because of an association with these problems - we'll say an assistant compliance officer or something. It's a shame really, but it happens all the time. Kiffin will not be held accountable for any of this. That is until he starts losing, which almost seems inevitable at this point. I predict turbulence for the next couple years, and in the end, the Kiffin era will be a black eye to the Tennessee program. It's got to put fans in the worst possible situation, and I really do feel bad for Vols fans at this point. Just not the way you want to start 2009 at all.

RV: This is all just fluff, even when major violations are committed, the NCAA hands down a quick pat on the back and whispers "Please don't do that again or we'll have to do something that won't affect you". This won't end until Myles Brand is replaced by someone who decides that our beloved sport deserves to be treated with more respect. I'd have to imagine Tressel, Kiffin, Saban and Carroll all laugh at the idle threats the NCAA has put forward. Someone will finally piss off someone connected and they'll lose a few scholarships, at that point all these idiotic violations will slow down to a slow crawl, reminiscent of the Irish running game.

2.) We've covered the Mark Schlabach article as it related to Ball State and Kentucky, but was there anything else in his toughest/easiest 2009 schedule column that surprised you?
Alan: Surprising? No. It's not a secret that some of the big boys in the SEC schedule pretty weak opponents. It's also no secret that the Big 10 does the same. There are few examples of major conference teams that actually schedule tough quality opponents, and that's a real shame. I long for the days when major college teams played other major college teams instead of Directional State A&M Tech.

Edge: No, I honestly don't think anything else in there was surprising. But I will say that I was surprised to see Ball State even in that article. I think Mark lost some money betting against the Cards during their 12-0 run, then put money on them to win the MAC championship and GMAC. Basically, the Cards shit in his cereal and he's taking it out on them now.

RV: I'm surprised that they don't go after bigger programs. At this point in the season, nobody knows how each schedule will look, so if you're creating a fluff article why not go after the big boys? Every schedule can be scrutinized to some degree and if it doesn't, just make it up like the rest of the sports journalism world. Integrity? Don't worry about that.

3) Breaking news today is that due to players giving other students their own textbooks for free, Alabama must vacate wins from 2005 to 2007. Your thoughts?
Alan: My initial thought was, "Way to go Alabama, and welcome to BSU from like 5 years ago." At least in the grand scheme of things, BSU set the standard. In all seriousness, this is nothing new for the SEC. Most every school save for a small number have been on probation at some point or another during my lifetime, and honestly, vacating wins is the worst punishment around. It's a slap on the wrist and a light slap at that.

Edge: Stupid, and this "textbook scam" thing has been done many times before. Tip: you're going to get caught! But what can you do? Alabama got lucky in that the penalty didn't affect anything from the present to the future. So they get knocked around a bit in the media, but then they can move on. I agree with the way Saban put it when talking to reporters after the ruling. His team isn't going to be affected now, and his recruits won't suffer for it. Time to move on.

RV: Lame. Vacate wins? What the hell does that mean? I'm pretty sure any AD/Head Coach will trade potentially vacated wins (which equate to a slightly above average wrist massage) for a chance to skate the rules. As already established, until scholarships start going out the window, these rules will continue to be massaged, avoided and outright broken. I realize that there has to be a certain level of flexibility when dealing with student-athletes, but does anyone really think that being on double secret probation with the NCAA means anything? Toothless kitten.

4.) Now that we've had a chance to digest a lot of the preseason polls from some of the major names in the business, what teams do you think will surprise everyone with a better-than-anticipated showing in 2009?
Alan: I think Georgia will turn some heads, and I think Notre Dame will be a dark horse contender for the national title, but for very different reasons. Georgia for the reason that their schedule is so tough and their conference so regarded that if the Bulldogs win the SEC, they're a shoe-in for the national title game and not many people are looking past Florida. As for the Irish, they play a reduced strength schedule and are staring 11-1 in the face. With a record like that and an outside shot at 12-0, the Irish are national title contenders for certain.

Edge: I fully expect to see some improvement from Oklahoma State and LSU. I think Oklahoma State will be the wedge between Oklahoma and Texas on who will be conference champs, much like Tech last year. As for LSU, I would be very surprised if they are not the next best team in the SEC in 2009. I also agree with Alan - Notre Dame could do some serious damage, and I also think Ball State will be a bit better than the bottom 20%. I hope that's not wishful thinking...

RV: Insert Homer Pick Here. I am an unabashed Notre Dame fan, and it's time for this team to come to fruition. If someone told me that an OL had 100+ starts, a top 3 WR crew, top 3 TE crew, a QB who can make every throw (and better stats than Stafford through their first two years), talent all over the backfield, a Tenuta-blitzkrieg defense, a soph terror at DE, one of the best defensive backfields in the country and lost very little on either side of the ball...I'd say you're describing a top 10 team. Throw in that schedule and it's almost a lock that they'll be top 10. The only problem is that everyone loves to hate on the Irish, so any slip up will be deemed a death to the Weis era (and rightfully so). But beyond the Fighting Irish, I feel like Miami is going to get their swagger back. There's too much pride and talent to have them continually suck balls and Randy Shannon can't be that bad of a coach. They need to get the ball rolling, and quickly.

5.) It's still a long way to kickoff... what's on your to-do list this summer before the fun begins?
Alan: Lots of barbecuing, getting ready for kickoff, and trying to figure out how in the world I'm going to prepare for the fall. Hopefully my Yankees will get their collective asses in gear, so as not to give me an ulcer.

Edge: Red Sox. 8-0 against the Yanks this year. Alan, I'll send you a bottle of Tums and some Prilosec. But more importantly, the Phish concert at Deer Creek. Definitely the top priority of the summer. And if any of you are in Muncie, check out the local "festivals". Your rock & roll reporter will be making some musical appearances this summer.

RV: Well, my main goal is to get the transition to our wordpress OTP page finished, but that's a hell of a project in a busy summer. Hopefully I can continue to drop my handicap near single digits, find a rich, mute ex-gymnast to marry and find a way to visit friends on both coasts. I submit that none of this will happen, but without goals in life, what do we have?

Readers... Comment section... Go!

ESPN Takes a Potshot at Kentucky, Ball State

2009-06-10T18:31:00.003-04:00

You know, this time of the summer is usually reserved for media coverage of the major programs. Most all of your ESPN headlines will be about the Notre Dames, the Floridas, the Texases of the college football world, with an occasional Lane Kiffin violation sprinkled in for good measure and a routine breaker. So imagine my surprise when I opened Mark Schlabach's newest column on ESPN and both Kentucky and Ball State were actually mentioned.

Schlabach's piece chooses to highlight the best and worst non-conference schedules in FBS for the 09 season, and while neither BSU or UK will set the world on fire or the pundits aflutter with their scheduling, I find it challenging to believe that either team would be in their bottom 10. Au contraire, mon frère. What is most disappointing is not that Kentucky is ranked 9th worst in the country and BSU 10th, it is the sort of catch-22 hypocrisy that the WorldWideLeader perpetuates with this sort of drivel. Says Schlabach...

9. Kentucky Wildcats
I'm guessing new Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari can't wait to watch the Wildcats play football this season. UK's football schedule looks a lot like the ones Calipari's basketball teams played at Memphis every season. The Wildcats open the season Sept. 5 at Miami (Ohio) and then play rival Louisville at home two weeks later. After opening SEC play, Kentucky plays Louisiana-Monroe at home on Oct. 24 and FCS opponent Eastern Kentucky at home Nov. 7.

10. Ball State Cardinals
Want to finish the regular season with an unblemished record? Call Ball State. The Cardinals have the scheduling formula down to an exact science. A year after the Cardinals rode a soft schedule to a 12-0 record during the regular season, they'll once again play one of the country's weaker nonconference slates. Give Ball State credit for playing at Auburn on Sept. 26. But they could have done a little better than North Texas (home), FCS opponent New Hampshire (home) and Army (road).

As the SNL Church Lady says, "Isn't that special!" Schlabach makes some good points, and I would argue that Kentucky and Ball State's schedules aren't exceptionally strong, but for an accurate picture to be given, one has to look at the context. The why's behind the schedule. And you, or Schlabach, or whomever else chooses to look past the "truth" of ESPN, will find some context.

For Kentucky, it's a simple explanation really. Not only do the Wildcats play in the toughest conference in football in the SEC, they play in the toughest division of the toughest conference. Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, Vandy, and Kentucky. That's tough stuff, brother. Also in conference the Cats get Mississippi State, Alabama, and Auburn. Show me a non-SEC team with a schedule like that from top to bottom. As for their out of conference opponents, the Cats have two pillow fights with Eastern Kentucky and Louisiana Monroe. Miami of Ohio is a game specifically designed for the Cats to make the trip to the Bengals stadium, and will be a good series. As for the Louisville Cardinals, don't blame Kentucky for their recent struggles. The fact that Steve Kragthorpe has driven the Cardinals into the dark abyss faster than if Ted Kennedy was behind the wheel shouldn't reflect poorly on Kentucky.

For the Ball State Cardinals, it's much more infuriating. This is the same ESPN that used to bag on Ball State left and right and go so far as to making them a punchline in their bottom 10 when the Cardinals scheduled their rear ends off in the late 90's and early 00's. So if you schedule hard and lose, you're a joke. If you schedule easy and win, you're a coward. What exactly is the middle ground? And more importantly, that's even under the assumption that there is anyone who would voluntarily play the Cardinals. Last I checked, finding games for mid-majors who were 12-2 the previous year and ranked in the Top 15 were fairly hard to find.

To be completely truthful, I'm not sure how to take this. Is this Schlabach simply looking for some commentary amidst the summer doldrums? Is this Schlabach not doing his homework? Is this Schlabach simply taking a few swipes at programs who in recent memory has seen their share of jokes? It's hard to say, really, but Schlabach is quickly putting himself in the OTP doghouse, and should definitely be a Take-With-A-Grain-Of-Salt columnists for Cardinals and Cats fans.

Some Mid-Week Housekeeping, Linking, and Fundraising

2009-06-09T15:24:00.005-04:00

It's summer. You know that. You also know that news from the world of college football trickles out of the information spigot exceptionally slow, as we wait for fall practice to kick up and the preseason polls to be released. We're only a couple months away from all that happening, but until it does, it's slow going. Alas, today is more of a housekeeping day here at OTP and the day where we ask your help for the Cardinals.

With the recent ability of OTP to land top-level interviews, commentary, and expertise about the Cardinals, we feel some sense of responsibility to give back in some ways for the program we love and the University that allowed all of us to get somewhat educated, some more than others. In some ways, BSU is really the defining thing for a lot us who write this site, contribute to this site, and read this site. And frankly, BSU is doing a hell of a job raising its profile in terms of victories, but none of that really matters if the dollars being raised don't increase. It's because of that that OTP is asking our readership to help the Cardinals out, while helping OTP out at the same time.

This summer is a summer of potentially great transition for us, as we move to a new site interface, increase and better the nuts and bolts that run the place, and hopefully move away from Blogger. Unfortunately, that means moving away from free software and actually paying for site maintenance, creation, and hosting fees. So the need for OTP to move upward coupled with the need for BSU to receive some much needed funding has brought about the OTP Fund Drive 09. Over on the right hand side of this page, you'll see a little "Donate" button that will link you to Paypal. What we're asking for is donations that will go toward OTP's improvement and also the Cardinal Varsity Club. 50% of all donations will go to CVC, and your contribution can help increase the profile of this site and our school. There isn't any amount too small, as BSU needs all the help that it can get. We'll have a running scoreboard over the next month as to who donates the most, and the Top 3 donators will receive some cool BSU prizes for their collection. Thanks in advance if you decide to help out!

And now for the linkage!

For the Cardinals:

The New York Times profiles Ball State in their preseason countdown. The Cardinals clock in at #85, and truthfully, this is one of the more accurate preseason pieces on the Cardinals, and I've read (and shared) almost all of them. Of special note to us is the mention of this here OTP wonderment in terms of coverage of the Cardinals. Giggity.
In the Bleachers is counting down their top 50 players not in the BCS, and one Briggs Orsbon makes their list at #47. Something tells me he will not be the last Cardinal in this list, as MiQuale Lewis has got to be up there. If he isn't, then shame on them.
In alum news, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee responds to questions regarding Nate Davis and how the 49ers intend to use him. Quite frankly, Davis appears to be a project for the 9ers, and one they believe is worthy of spending time on. Time will of course prove me right or wrong, but I believe the 49ers got an absolute steal when they were able to pick Nate.

For the Wildcats:

CNNSI profiles Rich Brooks and insists he is ending the basketball monopoly in Lexington. This season will ultimately be the marker of Brooks' success with Big Blue.
A Sea of Blue continues to be the one stop shop for Kentucky coolness, as former WR Dicky Lyons Jr. begins to blog for them. Great pick up for Glenn, Ken, and the gang over at ASoB.
Chip Cosby points to the news that incoming recruit Morgan Newton has been named the suburban athlete of the year for Indianapolis by the Indy Star. In reality, that's not all that impressive an award, but knowing The Star, I'm sure they hated being positive about anyone affiliated with Kentucky.

By The Numbers, Part 4

2009-06-08T10:27:00.008-04:00

So far we've looked at quite a few stats in our "By The Numbers" columns. We've covered stat rankings, mismatched schedules in terms of rankings, and one cupcake conference. Today I think we’ll discuss some statistics about scoring.

It’s no secret that some of the elite teams this year had some pretty high scoring offenses. They’d kind of have to, right? Oklahoma, Florida, Texas… those were some pretty productive offenses. But as any relatively intelligent person will tell you, the defense has to hold their own. USC, TCU, and (gasp) Iowa weren't too shabby last year in that department.

Now, we could give you a rundown of who scored the most points or who held their opponents to the fewest points, but that would be boring. And that’s not how we do things here at OTP. So, let’s look at who had the biggest discrepancy between points scored and points allowed. Then, we can look at those with the biggest discrepancy on the other end.

First, we present the five teams that scored the most versus points allowed:

5) Penn State. Scored: 506. Allowed: 187. Difference: 319 points.
4) Boise State. Scored:489. Allowed: 164. Difference: 325 points.
3) USC. Scored: 488. Allowed: 117. Difference: 371 points.
2) Oklahoma. Scored: 716. Allowed: 343. Difference: 373 points.
1) Florida. Scored: 611. Allowed: 181. Difference: 430 points.

Now, the not-so-top five teams that scored the least versus points allowed:

5) San Diego State. Scored: 231. Allowed: 446. Difference: -215 points.
4) Idaho. Scored: 235. Allowed: 513. Difference: -278 points.
3) Washington. Scored: 159. Allowed: 463. Difference: -304 points.
2) North Texas. Scored: 240. Allowed: 571. Difference: -331 points.
1) Washington State. Scored: 165. Allowed: 570. Difference: -405 points.

All in all, most of this expected, isn't it? To give this some numbers on the teams we cover, Ball State was 14th in this list with a scoring difference of 202 points. Kentucky appears nearly in the middle of all teams at 58th with a scoring difference of 15 points.

Now, here’s something that I do find interesting: the top 45 teams on this list all went bowling in 2008. But, six bowl teams in 2008 actually had a negative difference in points scored versus points allowed: Colorado State, Hawaii, FIU, Maryland, Minnesota, and Fresno State. Of those, two played in the New Mexico Bowl – Colorado State and Fresno State. What does this mean? Well, 1) even inefficient offenses and defenses can go bowling, and 2) watch the New Mexico Bowl only if there is nothing else on.

Two more interesting facts: Memphis both scored and allowed 353 points this season. Way to go Tigers! (Note: Derrick Rose's SAT score was 353. Consistency is key and this is why Memphis is who we thought they were. -RV, ed.) And, of the bottom 30 teams, 12 of them now have new head coaches. That seems about right.

I’ll have more stats for you soon, but how do these numbers sit with you readers? The comment section is now open for business.

Offseason Roundtable #10

2009-06-05T07:30:00.002-04:00

In an effort to not only increase our chatter about the Cards, but to also increase some reader participation, Edge, RV, and Alan will be doing these roundtables every week. Love the answers? Want to post your own thoughts? Of course you do. And you can do so in the Comments section. Because remember, dear readers, a smarmy sarcastic blog about Ball State athletics is only as good as its small yet powerful reader base. Have at it, boys and girls...

1) The NCAA has given Florida State two weeks to respond to major violations that could cost Coach Bowden 14 wins. How appropriate would the decision to wipe 14 wins be, and how will that impact the history when we have a chance to look back at all this?
Edge: This really is idiotic. This reminds me of all those people that want to scratch home runs and pitching wins in baseball due to steroids. Yeah, it sucks, but you can't change the past. In 50 years we'll look at the record books, and it is still going to show Florida State won those games, asterisk be damned. You want to punish the school? Take away 14 scholarships. Or how about no bowl eligibility for 2 years? There's other ways to go without stupidly taking wins away from a legend.

RV: The problem that I have with this is two-fold. First, 14 games? That is the amount of wins that Bowden has cheated for over the years? Come on, that's just petty. The man is a legend, just let it go if you're only going to after him this one time. Secondly, the man is a God in the coaching world. He deserves better than some slap on the wrist that will put him behind Paterno in the race to most wins before dying on the field. Neither Paterno or Bowden really care about the total wins record nearly as much as the fans do, so do the right thing and let him keep it. In the end, true historians and CFB fans will put the prerequisite asterisk next to his name but it won't hold the value in the history books that Bonds' asterisk does.

Alan: Ultimately, it's all a wash. Vacating wins does virtually nothing other than officially removing them from the record books, but college football fans will have a hard time with this and Florida State fans will still claim they were victories. If the violations are sufficiently major enough to cause this kind of an uproar, then maybe 14 games and letting him keep his job is rather light. If the violations aren't sufficiently major enough to cause this kind of an uproar, then the NCAA is out to ruin a legend simply for the news of it all. Either way, that's not good.

2) Ball State wasn't painted in a good light this week as the preseason magazines all but predict a rather dismal season for the Cards. Your thoughts?
Edge: I didn't believe what they all said last year, so why would I this year? So they think BSU is borderline going to suck... big deal. Look, if these preseason mags were right all the time, what point would there be to play the season (or have a site like this!). They have a load of great statistical information and some very important analysis, but in terms of rankings, it's a crapshoot.

RV: Preseason mags are notorious for glossing over details and overlooking the things that make teams successful. And what point do we take them at their face value and stop overvaluing the preseason crap. If you want a good indicator of a team's potential, talk to someone who follows them regularly. OTP might have a somewhat slanted view, but we certainly know more than the preview magazines will pretend to know. Personally, I use these magazines to get general information about a team and help support any thoughts I might have about the makeup of their team. Anything more than that, and I know I'm being foolish.

Alan: In reality, it's not surprising in the least. Regardless of what happened last year, BSU is hardly a football school, we lost a lot, and we still play in the MAC. To the casual observer, that says that BSU isn't very good. Additionally, there isn't enough of a national following or presence to really necessitate them doing their homework or looking past the obvious, because their time is better spent building up schools like USC, Texas, Florida, and Notre Dame, who's fans will buy any magazine that features them. It's like asking me about soccer. I don't know enough to even offer any sort of relevant opinion.

3) News reports came out that Lee Corso had suffered a small stroke recently. God forbid something should happen to him, but if he was unable to be a part of College GameDay with Herbie and Fowler, who would you like to see fill that spot?
Edge: Stephen A. Smith is unemployed now, right? There ya go. Ok, seriously... I think I'd like to see Dr. Lou in there. I think he'd provide just as much crazy old man-ness as Corso, so it would be a good fit.

RV: Depends on what role we're trying to fill. If the goal is to find a zany character who pretends to know what he's talking about but just truly be a caricature of college football fans, it has to be Coach Lou. Truly entertaining with a whole lot of eye rolling mixed in. If we're trying to round out the awesome twosome of Herb-dawg and Fowler, my vote would be Jesse Palmer. He always seems to err on the side of straight forward analysis but still adds enough controversial commentary to keep people interested in what he's saying. Plus, he hasn't turned all SPEEEEEED like Herbstreit has.

Alan: Well, if we're going for former coaches who didn't have great records and who sort of sucked at the game of football, I'm sure Bill Lynch will be looking for some work after this season. ZING! In all reality, you can't replace Corso. And the show would suffer immensely if he wasn't a part of it. And if they brought in someone like Mark May, I would drive to Bristol and burn down ESPN.

4) You can attend one regular season game this year. What game and why?
Edge: Oklahoma - Texas, hands down. Huge rivalry, and it's destined to be one of the biggest games ever for these two teams. There's going to be a lot of Heisman talk centered around this one game, just watch.

RV: I'll leave out the ND/USC game, because I know I'm going...but my vote goes for the Red River Shootout (I refuse to say replace Shootout with Rivalry). My lord, that game is going to have a plethora of draft picks, gigantic men, Heisman hopefuls, finger gestures and beautiful women to require any football fan to do anything to be there. Hopefully it'll avoid the 3:30pm slot that the USC/ND game currently has...please make this a night game.

Alan: Florida-Georgia. The winner of this game has the inside track to winning the SEC East and getting the berth in the SEC title game that comes with it. By default, if you win the SEC odds are you're playing for a national title, so one of these two will probably win it all this year.

5) College football fans unfortunately have to endure a relatively long offseason. But that time gives us a chance to do other things - like watching sports movies. What's the worst sports movie ever?
Edge: Ready for this? "Necessary Roughness". Quantum Leap guy playing the QB, Kathy Ireland the kicker, Robert Loggia, and... wait for it... SINBAD. Can't go wrong, right? Bleh... On another note, the best terrible movie with a significant portion of the plot involving sports has to be "The Last Boy Scout" with Damon Wayans as a drug addict former QB and Bruce Willis playing a guy playing John McClane. Terrible acting, horrific plot, worse one-liners than a Bond movie, but still immensely enjoyable over a few beers.

RV: Whatever that movie was with Orlando Bloom about tennis. In-air flight movies, I hate you.

Alan: I'll go with two, neither about Football. "The Fan" with Robert Deniro and Wesley Snipes was simply awful. Was it Barry Bonds? Was it not? Deniro as a knife salesman who loves an uppity scumbag baseball player. It was crap. Second, I'll go with Rocky V. After the epic cinematic masterpiece that was Rocky IV, we get this turd. I'm still mad. Mad enough that I never saw Rocky VI, as I pretend the series ultimately ended after he beat some Russian ass.

Readers... Comment section... Go!

An Interview With Ethan Buckles

2009-06-04T14:15:00.000-04:00

OverThePylon is proud to present our next installment of catching up with the new recruits for Ball State as they make their way to Muncie to begin their freshman season next fall. Today's guest is Ethan Buckles, offensive and defensive star from Indianapolis' Cardinal Ritter High School who was kind enough to answer not only our questions, but questions from some of our readership as well.

Ethan comes to the Cards with experience as both a defensive end and a tight end, with a 6'7" height, 225lb. weight, and a verified 4.9 40 yard dash time. Big, strong, experienced, and fast, but most importantly, an incredibly nice young man and a great representative for the program, University, and football team.

Buckles looks to learn from either a defensive front 7 that will rival nearly any team on the Cardinals' schedule this year, or from tight ends like Madaris Grant as they help him adjust to the rigors of division 1 FBS football.

OverThePylon: Can you sort of recap your experience getting recruited to play Division 1 college football? What were some of the schools that showed major interest?
EthanBuckles: Coming from such a small school it was mostly about marketing myself as a player to try and get some recognition from colleges. I went to a lot of junior days and camps for the schools that were interested in me. I filled out all the requests for information for any school who asked me too. I had interest from the University of Virginia, Purdue, IU, Cincinnati, Northern Illinois, and some other schools, as well as Ball State. Ball State was the first to offer and I committed the next day, so I'm not sure if more offers would have come or not.

OTP: You're certainly unique in the fact that your skills translate to both sides of the football. What do you like best about playing offense? How about playing defense?
EB: I like offense because I love scoring. Not me personally but as a unit. I'm a football junkie and I love the strategies and so I love it when a play works perfectly and we score. And I love defense because you always have to be attacking.

OTP: With the tight end positions and defensive front unit sort of crowded places, do you anticipate being able to play and contribute right away? Is redshirting something that's being considered?
EB: I have not actually talked about redshirting at all with the coaches but that could possibly be in their plans. I'm going to go in with the mindset that I'm ready to play and work hard this summer. Hopefully they'll think I'll be ready to help the team at the end of the summer.

OTP: When Coach Hoke was transitioning out of that role in Ball State, what was it like as a recruit? Were you concerned about the direction of the program or the ability to maintain success?
EB: I was a little down for a bit because I knew Coach Hoke. He worked me out and he offered me a scholarship. But once I learned that my scholarship would be honored and that Coach Parrish was going to take the job, I was fine. He's a great coach with a great history.

OTP: This incoming recruiting class has been widely heralded as the best class in years at BSU. Have you had any contact with other incoming recruits? Is the class going to gel?
EB: I'm very excited to come in with a class this talented. The reputations of all these guys speak for themselves. I've met a lot of them at games and on my official visit and other things. They seem like cool guys. I think we'll be able to do a lot over these next four years.

OTP: Most of our readers know quite a bit about your football prowess on the field. Any hobbies or talents off the field that would surprise some folks?
EB: I'm a very competitive person so I like mostly any games like golfing, bowling, and things like that. I am also a very accomplished opener and eater of crab legs.

From the readers...

Readers: Where are you expecting to play this season? DE or TE?
EB: I was recruited by Ball State as a defensive end, and they haven't told me anything different. But I also know they've had some injury issues at tight end so we'll see. I'll do anything really... long snap, special teams, anything.

Readers: How big of a leap is it from Class AA football to Div 1 College Football?
EB: We were actually only class A my senior season. But we played a lot of bigger schools. In the regular season we were undefeated and that included a team who would wind up winning the 2A championship also a team ranked 6 in 3A. That being said it will still be a huge transition. For me, the biggest difference will be simply not being the biggest on the field anymore.

Readers: What attracted you to Ball State?
EB: Ball State is very close to my home so all my family can come see me play and I can go home and visit. Also many family members have gone there. My mom, dad, two uncles and a brother are alumni. They are a program on the rise and I wanted to be a part of that.

Readers: How do you use your height to your advantage when playing DE?
EB: My height gives me great length so that I can get into a blocker before they can get to me. Also I can get into the passing lanes and I'm hard to throw over.

One last one from OTP...

OTP: Anything to say to the Cardinals fans who will have the privilege of watching you over the next few years, Ethan?
EB: This is definitely a program on the rise. That much has been evident over the past two years. Over the next few years me and my class will continue that trend and do bigger and better things.

Big ups to Ethan for talking a bit with OTP and our readership. Ethan is just another example of quality young men who wear the Cardinal and White, and who represent simply the best sort of student athlete around. Whether or not he is successful on the field is not even a question, it is only a question as to how soon the rest of the MAC and the country begin to remember the name, "Ethan Buckles".

What the "Experts" Say About the Wildcats

2009-06-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

Most fans of major college football programs wait with bated breath as the supposed gurus and preseason publications prognosticate their lot in the college football universe for the coming season. Prognosticating in early summer for the season about to unfold is wildly speculative and usually wrong, but we, as fans, continue to support these endeavors with flashy covers, pages of stats, and usually a page or two of cheerleaders thrown in to make sure the blood doesn't all pool in our brains.

This year's crop of preseason magazines found their way into my hot little hands over the weekend, and OTP is proud to share what these augurs of the college football world had to say about our beloved Kentucky Wildcats.

The Sporting News College Football 09 Preview Magazine
The Sporting News has put out preview magazines for years, but for whatever reason is not considered to be one of the premier publications of the season. The information contained within is good enough, and it makes for at least something to fill the days before August, but for the most part, as one would expect with such a large national following like SN, the focus is on the top-tier teams and not on the ins and outs of the lower-tier BCS schools, the midmajors, or really any school that is not competing to win a national title or a BCS conference crown.

For Kentucky, they don't get near the sort of evaluation or examination that a team like Oklahoma or Florida receives, but the Cats do get a write up that is borderline infuriating. Despite picking the Cats as potential participants in the Papajohns.com Bowl, SN makes it a point to really pick apart the Cats potential offensively, lack of what they believe to be impact players, and relying instead on the approach that Kentucky must simply avoid mistakes and not beat themselves.

SN takes special care with Trevard Lindley, certainly making no hidden evaluations of his talent. They even suggest that Lindley should get the ball on offense since they believe he is the only true special playmaker on the roster. Overall, the future looks borderline mediocre to grim for the Wildcats if you believe what SN has to say.

Predicted UK Final Standing: 5th in SEC East
Predicted SEC East Champion: Florida
Predicted SEC West Champion: Mississipppi
UK Players on SN All-SEC Team: Trevard Lindley
UK Players on SN All-American 2nd Team: Trevard Lindley
Of note: Given a grade of "C"... Kentucky rated 11th in SEC for recruiting... Uga named conference's best mascot, Alabama the best fans, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium the best stadium, and LSU the best home-field advantage... Kentucky projected to go to Papajohns.com Bowl... Lists the "Game to Watch" as Alabama, saying that confidence gained by competing admirably will translate well for road games at SC and Auburn... names Alfonso Smith "The Next Big Thing"... only Mississippi State and Vanderbilt not projected to be Bowling in the conference.

Lindy's Football 2009 College Preview
Lindy's is actually a decent option for anyone looking for a national publication with adequate coverage of the midmajor programs throughout the land in addition to the national power BCS conferences. Unlike the Sporting News, Lindy's prides itself on being insightful and detailed, while still prognosticating and opining page after page.

Being a member of the SEC is advantageous for UK in this publication, as the lower tier conferences and midmajor schools don't get nearly the same sort of coverage.

For the Wildcats, Lindy's dedicates an entire paragraph in the conference overview regarding the Wildcats. They admit that this may be Rich Brooks' most talented team from top to bottom since his arrival in Lexington, but point to the lack of talent surrounding an "average quarterback" to make their 4th consecutive Bowl appearance a probability. Additionally, Lindy's points to Kentucky's early schedule as potential disaster for Bowl eligibility.

Overall, Lindy's points to the obvious, focusing on Kentucky's defense over their offense, and recognizing the need for the Wildcats to find some sort of identity on offense to match their stout defense. According to Lindy's they have evaluated UK's defense as capable of playing with any team in the SEC, but for the defense to be consistent and game changing, the offense must keep them off the field to avoid tired stretches at the conclusions of games.

UK National Ranking: 50
Predicted UK Final Standing: 5th in SEC East
Predicted SEC East Champion: Florida
Predicted SEC West Champion: LSU
UK Players on Lindy's All-SEC 1st Team: Trevard Lindley
UK Players on Lindy's All-SEC 2nd Team: Ineligible Jeremy Jarmon, Michah Johnson
UK Players on Lindy's All-American 1st Team: Trevard Lindley
Of note: Trevard Lindley named the conference's best cover corner and best corner in nation... Michah Johnson named 7th best inside linebacker in country... Kentucky ranked #6 in the country for their QB unit recruiting... Trevard Lindley named #4 in the conference for NFL talent... Kentucky ranks 11th for recruiting in the SEC.

Athlon Sports College Football Preview
Athlon Sports is consistently one of the well-written, well-researched, and well-thought out preview publications in all of college football. They provide fantastic coverage of national, regional, and local storylines, and do so without the glaring oversights and mistakes of other national publications.

Athlon, much like the two other aforementioned preview magazines focuses on Kentucky's defense as the stand out unit and the offense as the proverbial question mark for the coming season. Athlon makes the point of Ryan Mossakowski and Morgan Newton able to challenge Mike Hartline for the starting QB job come fall.

Special attention is paid by Athlon to the Randall Cobb situation and making him a full-time receiver. There is an anonymous quote from an SEC assistant coach that says, "Randall Cobb is not a bad passer, but if you want a guy who makes his living passing the football, you would probably put Cobb somewhere else."

Attention is also paid to the special teams of the Wildcats, where they make mention of the need for a reliable punter to replace Tim Masthay and a kicker who can deliver consistently. Also getting a mention is the "atrocious" protection schemes in the Florida game last year where two punts and a field goal was blocked.

The unit rankings for the Wildcats in relation to the conference: QB-8, RB-10, WR/TE-12, OL-9, DL-8, LB-11, DB-8

UK National Ranking: 56
Predicted UK Final Standing: 6th in SEC East
Predicted SEC East Champion: Florida
Predicted SEC West Champion: Alabama
UK Players on Athlon All-SEC 1st Team: Trevard Lindley
UK Players on Athlon All-SEC 2nd Team: Ineligible Jeremy Jarmon, Micah Johnson
UK Players on Athlon All-American 1st Team: Trevard Lindley
Of note: Kentucky ranked 11th in the SEC and 44th nationally for recruiting... Kentucky cheerleader Randi Bishop gets a page dedicated to her in the Spirit section.

Phil Steele's College Football Preview 2009
By and large, there is no better preview magazine available than Phil Steele's Football Preview. Most who cover college ball in some capacity call it simply "The Bible" and truthfully, even that is putting it mildly. Steele focuses on statistical analysis and simply loading the most information possible in a preview magazine. If you're a casual fan or just looking for college football reading material, this is the ONE magazine to purchase.

Steele takes special care and time to point out just how overwhelmingly unbelievable the SEC will be this year. Steele believes teams like Florida and Ole Miss will compete for the SEC Title, and with that, a shot at the National Title.

For Kentucky, Steele takes the standard stance of an offense that needs improvement if the Cats are to be successful, and a defense that may be the best under the Brooks regime at Kentucky, most notably led by two players on Steele's 1st and 3rd team All-American selections (Trevard Lindley and Micah Johnson).

Overall, the tone of the article is positive while tempered with the sheer talent that will line up against Kentucky in their conference. Steele does make note that it is not out of the question that Kentucky will be Bowling again, this time, he predicts, in the Liberty Bowl against UNC. The number of other SEC teams going Bowling according to Steele? 10. Impressive if true.

UK National Ranking: 58
Predicted UK Final Standing: Tied for 5th in SEC East
Predicted SEC East Champion: Florida
Predicted SEC West Champion: Mississippi
UK Players on Steele All-SEC 1st Team: Trevard Lindley
UK Players on Steele All-SEC 2nd Team: Micah Johnson, and the now ineligible Jeremy Jarmon
UK Players on Steele All-SEC 3rd Team: Zipp Duncan
UK Players on Steele All-SEC 4th Team: Corey Peters
UK Players on Steele All-American 1st Team: Trevard Lindley
UK Players on Steele All-American 3rd Team: Micah Johnson
Of Note: Kentucky predicted to be Bowling against UNC in the Liberty Bowl... Derrick Locke #38 draft eligible Running Back nationally... TC Drake #28 draft eligible Tight End nationally... Kentucky has 30th best defensive back unit in the country... SEC rated #1 toughest conference... Kentucky the 23rd highest average attendance last season... Kentucky's Unit Rankings for 09 (out of 12) QB-5, RB-10, REC-9, OL-7 , DL-10, LB-12, DB-8, ST-7, Coach-6

So what does all this tell us about the upcoming year for the Wildcats? If the preseason magazines tell an accurate story of the Wildcats, the offense simply needs to play well enough to not cost their team games and allow the defense enough time to remain rested and well-performing. With the assumption, and it is a sizable one, that Kentucky wins its out of conference games and the offense matures and finds itself, then Kentucky is poised to go to its 4th consecutive Bowl game, a feat that is impressive considering the way the Brooks tenure at UK began.

What the "Experts" Say About the Cardinals

2009-06-03T06:30:00.002-04:00

Most fans of major college football programs wait with bated breath as the supposed gurus and preseason publications prognosticate their lot in the college football universe for the coming season. Prognosticating in early summer for the season about to unfold is wildly speculative and usually wrong, but we, as fans, continue to support these endeavors with flashy covers, pages of stats, and usually a page or two of cheerleaders thrown in to make sure the blood doesn't all pool in our brains.

This year's crop of preseason magazines found their way into my hot little hands over the weekend, and OTP is proud to share what these augurs of the college football world had to say about our beloved Ball State Cardinals.

The Sporting News College Football 09 Preview Magazine
The Sporting News has put out preview magazines for years, but for whatever reason is not considered to be one of the premier previews of the season. The information contained within is good enough, and it makes for at least something to fill the days before August, but for the most part, as one would expect with such a large national following like SN, the focus is on the top-tier teams and not on the ins and outs of the MAC and the teams within it.

An example of this sort of "non-factor" status in the college football universe is the fact that SN loads one page with 3 different MAC teams. One column a piece isn't much to get across any insightful commentary or in-depth analysis. Instead, the BSU column space is reserved for commentary on what we've lost (11 starters on offense and defense, 7 of them All-MAC selections), and commenting on the fact that while last year's 12-2 campaign was good, it was nowhere near as good as it should have been.

SN pegs the November 24th contest at Western Michigan as the "Game to Watch" for the Cardinals, as they opine that this is the closer of a 3-game stretch that BSU must go at least 2-1 through to have any shot at a Bowl Game.

Overall, it's an accurate but fairly rudimentary preview of BSU. In fact, it sort of feels like this entire piece was sort of rushed through and simply to fill column space for the MAC, as nothing really worthwhile comes across or through other than Nate Davis left and Brady Hoke did too.

Predicted BSU Final Standing: 4th in MAC West
Predicted MAC West Champion: Western Michigan
Predicted MAC East Champion: Buffalo
BSU Players on SN All-MAC Team: MiQuale Lewis, Brandon Crawford
BSU Players on SN All-American Team: None
Of note: SN ranks BSU 10th in the MAC in terms of recruiting because "a coaching change lost Ball State its mojo late in the recruiting process"... Charlie Cardinal ranked best mascot in the MAC... The best fans were given to Central Michigan, best stadium to Toledo, and best home-field advantage to NIU... Buffalo, Bowling Green, Western Michigan all projected to go Bowling.

Lindy's Football 2009 College Preview
Lindy's is actually a decent option for anyone looking for a national publication with adequate coverage of the midmajor programs throughout the land. Unlike the Sporting News, Lindy's prides itself on being insightful and detailed, while still prognosticating and opining page after page. Lindy's, for the most part, handles the MAC with at least some semblance of dignity and respect, and donates more than three or four pages to the entire conference.

For Ball State, they were the focus of the MAC lead in, as Lindy's mentions how the Cardinals went from "heavyweight to lightweight contender in a matter of months." The overarching theme of the conference coverage as an entire entity revolves around transition and change, and special attention is given to the new faces on MAC sidelines.

As it stands with Lindy's, BSU is the 5th-best team in the conference, according to ranking, clocking in at #94 nationally. The team-specific write up focuses of course on the loss of Davis and Hoke, as well as the offensive line. Lindy's lists the change in atmosphere around the program as a result of the recent success as a strength, and lists the new responsibilities of Faulkner and Parrish as potential problems.

BSU National Ranking: 94
Predicted BSU Final Standing: 3rd in MAC West
Predicted MAC West Champion: Central Michigan
Predicted MAC East Champion: Buffalo
BSU Players on Lindy's All-MAC 1st Team: MiQuale Lewis, Madaris Grant, Brandon Crawford, Sean Baker
BSU Players on Lindy's All-American Team: None
Of note: Lindy's says BSU should still be "one of the best in the league" despite the losses... Lists MiQuale Lewis as the #12 RB in the country... Lists MiQuale Lewis as #3 in the league on the Top 10 NFL Talent list... Lists the BSU-CMU game as one of "The Big Ones", or the most important games in the league. CMU appears on the list 8 times... Lists MiQuale Lewis as the 6th most valuable running back in Fantasy College Football

Athlon Sports College Football Preview
Athlon Sports is consistently one of the well-written, well-researched, and well-thought out preview publications in all of college football. However, the write up on the Cardinals in this year's publication had best be slanted incorrectly if Cardinals fans want any semblance of success come fall. The overarching theme is that the Cardinals lost simply too much talent and coaching off last year's dream season to have any shot at success. When coupled with the apparent love affair with Central Michigan and Buffalo, that doesn't spell good things for Ball State in terms of prognostication.

Athlon's magazine is chock full of unit rankings, national coverage, etc. and it is clear that the MAC doesn't generate a lot of interest on the national scene, nor does it demand respect from those that cover college football for magazines like Athlon. Out of 120 FBS teams, BSU is ranked 109. However, 4 MAC teams and one BSU non-conference opponent (North Texas) is ranked below the Cardinals. So that's good news.

The unit rankings by Athlon show either a blatant disrespect for the Cardinals or a major overvaluing by Cardinals fans. Out of 12, BSU ranks the following in terms of units, according to Athlon: QB-11, RB-2, WR/TE-10, OL-11, DL-3, LB-9, DB-3.

As for the final jab at the Cardinals, Athlon says BSU would be competitive in the MAC East, but it will be difficult "to be much of a factor in the MAC West".

BSU National Ranking: 109
Predicted BSU Final Standing: 5th in MAC West
Predicted MAC West Champion: Central Michigan
Predicted MAC East Champion: Buffalo
BSU Players on Athlon All-MAC 2nd Team: MiQuale Lewis, Madaris Grant, Sean Baker, Brandon Crawford, Davyd Jones
BSU Players on Athlon All-American Team: None
Of note: MiQuale Lewis ranked as the 11th best RB and 22nd best overall for Fantasy College Football... BSU ranked 4th in MAC for recruiting this offseason... Central Michigan the top-ranked MAC team at #69... Large piece on new coaches in the FBS. Lists Parrish's pros as his experience as a QB coach, and his cons as a lack of success as a head coach and his age. Calls his hire "strange."

Phil Steele's College Football Preview 2009
By and large, there is no better preview magazine available than Phil Steele's Football Preview. Most who cover college ball in some capacity call it simply "The Bible" and truthfully, even that is putting it mildly. Steele focuses on statistical analysis and simply loading the most information possible in a preview magazine. If you're a casual fan or just looking for college football reading material, this is the ONE magazine to purchase.

Steele dedicates pages and pages to the MAC and its members, and even goes so far as to break down the MAC stats from last year, filtered down to only taking into account statistics accrued against other MAC teams. It's impressive, it's fair, and it's packed.

As for the MAC in general, Steele falls in line with most other major publications by picking Central Michigan to win the West, but shocks many by picking Ohio to win the East, and Buffalo finishing 4th in the East. Buffalo seems to be the belle of the ball on the national scene, probably more so because of their coach than their potential, but Steele bucks the national trend and goes with the Bobcats over the Bulls.

As for Ball State, Steele touches on the losses of personnel and coaching (following the obvious) and indicates that he expects the Cards to take a few steps back from last year's dream season. Steele gives a shout to Kelly Page, and says he expects him to be "solid", but states that Page has nowhere near the supporting cast that Davis did and teams will now be gunning for the Cardinals. According to Steele, a simple winning season would be an accomplishment for this Ball State team.

BSU National Ranking: 108
Predicted BSU Final Standing: 5th in MAC West
Predicted MAC West Champion: Central Michigan
Predicted MAC East Champion: Ohio
BSU Players on Steele All-MAC 1st Team: MiQuale Lewis, Madaris Grant
BSU Players on Steele All-MAC 2nd Team: Brandon Crawford
BSU Players on Steele All-MAC 3rd Team: Michael Switzer, Davyd Jones
BSU Players on Steele All-MAC 4th Team: Sean Baker, Ian McGarvey
BSU Players on Steele All-MAC Honorable Mention: Briggs Orsbon
BSU Players on Steele All-American 4th Team: MiQuale Lewis
Of Note: BSU ranked 25th in the country for their RB unit... Ohio, CMU, Akron the MAC members going Bowling... MAC ranked 11th out of 12 for toughest conference of 2009... Ohio, Toledo, Temple, Akron all in the Most Improved Teams for 2009... Ball State's unit rankings for 09: QB-11, RB-1, REC-9, OL-11, DL-5 , LB-9 , DB-6 , ST-7 , COACH-9

So what does all this tell us about the upcoming year for the Cardinals? That no one expects much of anything from these men. And truthfully, that's when a team is the absolute most dangerous, pundits, critics, and prognosticators be damned.

2008, By The Numbers Part 3

2009-06-02T10:15:00.000-04:00

Welcome back to the Stat Department at OTP.

Last week we discussed 20 teams that were grossly mismatched against all their opponents, whether it be for the better (Boise State) or the worse (Washington). Today, let's take a step back and look at a larger chunk of teams. I promised that we would let some numbers destroy a conference, and I think we've found it. By "destroy" I do of course mean "humiliate them in front of the rest of the class".

We throw around the term "cupcake" around here, but I think we're about to find out what that means. Ladies and gentlemen, let me pull back the curtains and reveal to you a conference that lives up to the "cupcake". In fact, their logo should look something like this:That's right. I have just called the ACC (Atlantic Cupcake Conference) a bunch of cupcakes. Wanna throw down? Well, let's look at the figures first. Then if you still want to fight about it, we'll meet at the jungle gym at three today where I'll bust your ass.

I'm sure you're aware the ACC has 12 teams. But, did you know out of all the games they played, a whopping 9.62% of them were against FCS schools? Four of the 12 teams had two FCS opponents apiece. Only one didn't have an FCS opponent, so Wake Forest, you are free to leave from this discussion. The rest of you, sit down a minute. Now that we took away Wake's schedule, the rest of the ACC played 10.49% of their games against an FCS school. For shame.

I suppose this brings forth some interesting questions. Why would a team really need two FCS opponents? Does any team really need one for that matter? Most programs dole out some nice cash to play an FCS school to just make sure all the practice will translate to game situations. Nearly three-fourths of all FBS school had at least one FCS opponent in 2008. But check this out: in the ACC, Florida State had two FCS opponents to start the season, Clemson had its second and fourth games against FCS opponents, GA Tech had one at the start and another at the sixth game, and VA Tech had games two and six against FCS schools. Does this make sense to anyone, really? Also, does it even make sense when you can only use one FCS game to count toward your bowl eligibility? I'm sure it looks great in Clemson's media guide that last year "the Tigers chalked up a winning season at 7-6...", but are they really going to put that two of those wins were against FCS opponents? How would they have looked had they played all FBS schools? 6-7? 5-8? Finally, consider this: ten of the 12 ACC schools went to a bowl last year. I'm not sure I'm okay with that.

It might be time to take a look at scheduling on a national level. If most teams want an FCS school to bang around, go for it. But when you look at how lopsided the ACC scheduling was compared to other conferences, it starts to look a bit fishy. So, could a possible solution be to make FBS/FCS games exhibition only and not count toward the regular season? Hmm, now there's a thought.

In the near future, we'll get into a heavier FCS debate and also detail which conference was the anti-cupcake. But now that you have a bit of knowledge on this, what's your impression of the ACC and it's cupcakery? How would you feel about scheduling FCS opponents only in an exhibition format? Comment away!

An Interview with Eric Williams

2009-06-01T10:38:00.003-04:00

OverThePylon was exceptionally fortunate in getting a chance to touch base with incoming BSU recruit Eric Williams. Williams, a 5'11" Warren Central running back who also happens to be the cousin of one MiQuale Lewis, runs a 4.6 40 and looks to carry on the great excellence at tailback that his distant gene pool has created. Williams turned heads left and right over the winter as he selected BSU over BCS conference schools, and did so in the midst of a coaching change and the high level of uncertainty and doubt that most recruits feel amidst the change over.

OverThePylon: Much has been made about the fact that you chose Ball State over major BCS conference schools. Aside from your cousin, Miquale, what were some of the reasons that led you to BSU?
Eric Williams: The main reason I chose Ball State is the atmosphere. Its close to home and it was a top 25 school which presented itself to me as an opportunity to play as a true freshman. Also, to better myself around the person who I really learned every thing i know from and that's Quale.

OTP: Speaking of MiQuale, the backfield for the Cardinals is going to be quite a crowded spot next year. Are you hoping to compete for a spot in the rotation? Is redshirting something that's being considered?
EW: There are a lot of backs at Ball State. Some have attributes I don't but I have attributes that most of them don't have. I'm more of a slot receiver type running back. I like to bail out the quarterback, keep him safe, and make his completion number go sky high. As for me in the rotation, it has been talked about but I have to prove myself first and that's what I intend to do is prove why I deserve to be on the field as a freshman.

OTP: When Coach Hoke was transitioning out of that role in Ball State, what was it like as a recruit? Were you concerned about the direction of the program or the ability to maintain success?
EW: When coach hoke left my respect for him never changed but his word became nothing more but an open statement to me. The day before he left he had gave me his word that he would be staying, then the next morning he left. At that point I was gonna decommit and take my offer at the University of Louisville, but I realized that Coach Hoke didn't recruit me and make my feelings for Ball State what they were. It was Coach Stan Parrish, and most of all, Coach Eddie Faulkner.

OTP: This incoming recruiting class has been widely heralded as the best class in years at BSU. Have you had any contact with other incoming recruits? Is the class going to gel?
EW: I haven't really gotten to know any of the other recruits but when i get to school I'm hoping to have a nice relationship with my teammates to make this class what it is expected to be... the best class.

OTP: Most of our readers know quite a bit about your football prowess on the field. Any hobbies or talents off the field that would surprise some folks?
EW: I'm not really a video game type guy. I enjoy playing and reading and playing with my niece and nephew. Also I coach my siblings and keep my head on straight in order to show them that they can do it too.

OTP: Be honest, now... who's a better running back? You or your cousin?
EW: All kidding aside, Quale is the better running back. He is more experienced and I'm still catching up, but i think my break away speed and will to hit is more up than his.

OTP: Anything to say to the Cardinals fans who will have the privilege of watching you over the next few years, Eric?
EW: To all the Cardinals out there who know me and who don't, I'm here to improve Ball State football and before I leave I will have a MAC Championship and hopefully a Heisman trophy!

A big shout out and many thanks to Eric, and here's to watching this young man run roughshod over the MAC! And you can bet that OTP will be championing his cause when it comes time to fire up the hype wagon.

2008, By The Numbers Part 2 Revisited

2009-05-29T14:00:00.004-04:00

The numbers are in, and we have finally had a chance to review some fairly interesting things from the 2008 season. A few weeks back, I took you through the top 25 most statistically balanced teams. What we found was quite expected in some cases, but in others the results were a little more surprising - maybe a bit disturbing.

Today we discuss the other end of the spectrum from what we discussed Thursday. These teams were horribly mismatched when we looked at their entire 2008 schedule - FCS, non-conference, and conference games alike. But unlike the ones Thursday, these teams had absolutely no chance of success based on the quality of the opponents they played. We'd like to just say up front that we respect the fact that they showed up for their games, but all the Hollywood scripting in the world couldn't have gotten these teams into "Rocky" or "Mighty Duck" status. Let's put it this way - these teams were a combined 22-99. Ouch.

The top ten in descending order of rough schedule to ridiculously insanely impossible schedule are:

10) Mississippi St. (24.51 ranking differential) Clearly the worst in the SEC. It's gotta be rough against all those juggernauts.

9) Utah St. (25.88 ranking differential) What's funny is that as bad as they were, they still weren't the worst in the WAC. I guess that's something...

8) Texas A&M (28.51 ranking differential) Aside from the SEC, the Big 12 is arguable the toughest conference. A&M just didn't have it this year, especially losing to non-conference Arkansas St. and Miami.

7) SMU (29.78 ranking differential) One win. That's all we got? One goddamn win?

6) San Diego St. (30.40 ranking differential) Congratulations! The only FBS team with a loss to an FCS team.

5) Idaho (31.24 ranking differential) There's more than potatoes in Idaho. There's also a college that had 2 wins in 2008 and got blanked 70-0 by Arizona. Yes, this happened.

4) North Texas (33.72 ranking differential) Again, only one win, but at least it was a semi-FBS program (Western Ky.). Ball State should be ok in 2009 against these guys.

3) Syracuse (34.87 ranking differential) Charlie Weis sings, "I fought the Orange, and the Orange won." What a dismal year.

2) Washington St. (42.07 ranking differential) Their claim to 2008? Hey, at least we're not Washington!

1) Washington (58.40 ranking differential) Ever laugh really hard when you see someone hurt themselves - like bang their head on a shelf or rack their sack on a fence post? You feel bad, but you just can't help it? Yeah, that's Washington. Check this out: outscored 159-463 last year. Holy hell! But they nearly took BYU and were within 7 against Stanford. If that counted for anything, maybe Ty would still have a job... probably not, but maybe.

Ok readers, how do you feel about this list? Coming up soon: be prepared for the numbers to destroy your favorite conference.

Offseason Roundtable #9

2009-05-29T06:00:00.001-04:00

In an effort to not only increase our chatter about the Cards, but to also increase some reader participation, Edge, RV, and Alan will be doing these roundtables every week. Love the answers? Want to post your own thoughts? Of course you do. And you can do so in the Comments section. Because remember, dear readers, a smarmy sarcastic blog about Ball State athletics is only as good as its small yet powerful reader base. Have at it, boys and girls...

1.) The American Football Coaches Association announced this week they would be moving to a secret final ballot and consider reducing the number of teams in preseason polls to 10 or 15 rather than 25. Will these changes make the poll more usable or better? Or is this another example of the NCAA doing the opposite of what makes sense?
Edge: None of that makes sense to me... why a secret ballot? What the hell do they have to be secretive about? I hope someone out there can shed some light on this because it's just so... backwards. As it pertains to preseason polls being only 10 or 15 teams, I suppose I can see that. Most of the time 16-25 are a wild shot in the dark anyway. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. Whatever. But yeah, this whole "secret ballot" thing is fishy. And it sucks. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has a secret ballot for inductions, and it's considered a huge joke in the music business. So, I hope the people in charge pay attention to this.

Alan: I have no problem with the Coach's Poll doing whatever it would like to do. However, if they continue with the secrecy and cloak and dagger methods, then it needs to be nowhere near a part of the BCS. The simple fact of the matter is that the poll is inherently flawed, it's membership incapable of being non-biased, and teams are already at a disadvantage because of or lack of preseason "hype" from networks, magazines, and the media. Want to know what would be awesome? Don't do any sort of rankings until week 6 or so. At least then you can evaluate a team's total body of work.

RV: The coaches poll is about as big of a joke as it comes because there is no reason for the coaches to take it seriously. The amount of politicking and bullshit that happens in its previous iteration is already a joke, making it completely secret just makes it even worse. There is no value in reducing the number of teams in the polls because it'll just make the top 10 or 15 even more difficult to vote for, not that they do the voting anyways. This makes as much sense as reducing the amount of recruiting that the head coach can do during the offseason. Hopefully they'll just abolish the coaches poll.

2.) The other dramatics this week were provided by Kiffin and Spurrier at the SEC Spring Meetings and their small scale confrontation. Buy or sell Kiffin ever being considered one of the boys amongst SEC Coaches?
Edge: Sell. Kiffin is a joke, and he's got no business being considered "one of the guys." How about this? Win some games, maybe win the SEC, and then talk some shit. But you can't be a first year coach and defecate all over your chance at some good PR. I've heard it said that even bad publicity is still publicity. Well, this type of bad publicity is something you don't want. I'd be appalled if I were a Tennessee booster or donor. But getting back to the main point, no, Kiffin should be once and for all the leper of the SEC. He's pretty much Rodney Dangerfield in "Caddyshack", only he's not even remotely funny, appealing, enjoyable, and he doesn't even have a radio in his golf bag. He sucks.

Alan: I'm going to neither buy nor sell at this point. Unfortunately, in the SEC, it's all about victories. If Kiffin can win a conference title, then he'll be the lovable loudmouth, aka Steve Spurrier. However, I don't see that happening anytime soon, so ultimately, young Mr. Kiffin has no future except as the spoiled petulant child that's been rearing it's ugly head all over the offseason. Time will tell...

RV: Sell. No way anyone is going to respect Kiffin. He won't do anything to deserve their respect and will only be noticed for his flame-outs. I'm bored with him already.

3.) When asked about the potential of the Big 10 taking on another member, Joe Paterno focused on Rutgers, Pitt, or Syracuse. When asked specifically about Notre Dame, Paterno said, "There’s some pressure, I would suppose, to maybe go back to Notre Dame and ask again, which I would not be happy with. I think they’ve had their chance." Your thoughts?
Edge: Crotchety old JoePa. Let him have his say, he's earned the right. If he doesn't like ND, fine. Their feud goes back the the 19th century anyway. My thinking is that JoePa will be gone before a 12th team is added anyway. So, just sit back and nod and say, "ok, ok" then let him go take a nap. We've got better things to talk about.

Alan: Kudos to Joe Pa for being lucid enough to even formulate an opinion on the matter. However, if Joe Pa or anyone else for that matter, believes the Big Ten wouldn't love to have the Irish as part of the conference they're fooling themselves. ND will never go for that, and now the Big Ten coaches have to save face by acting like they didn't want them in the first place.

RV: Paterno does realize this isn't 1993, right? The Big 10 would take Notre Dame and drop Penn State if they could, so...yeah, about that.

4.) Percy Harvin this week insinuated that he watched Tim Tebow turn down celebs and sports reporters who basically threw themselves at him. If you were St. Tebow, and assuming you were ready to beat some cheeks, who would you be unable to resist in the sports world? (QUALIFIER: Erin Andrews boning not allowed, largely because of the "No shit, sherlock" principle)
Edge: I plead the fifth. My wife reads this.

Alan: Aww... that's sweet Edge. As for me, I think I would have to go with Heidi Watney from New England Sports Network. If for no other reason than to slip on a Yankees jersey when she wasn't looking and slam her head in the headboard.

RV: If I was Tebow, I would obviously be happy with Kirk Herbstreit. But if I was me, with the advantages of Tim Tebow, I'd have a hard time saying no to anyone, because I'm a big slut. And if you're curious why I'm a huge slut, I learned it from every one of my exgirlfriends.

5.) Apparently they are beginning a little thing known as the Stanley Cup Finals this weekend. Give the readers your prediction about which team dominated by Canadians and Europeans will win an American Sports Trophy. Bonus... What would you do with the Stanley Cup if you had it for a day?
Edge: I'd say the Red Wings, but I know nothing about hockey anymore. But I'll mentally root for Detroit because I think that town needs some good news. Ok, if I had the Cup for a day... man that's a tough one. I'd definitely drink a cold O'Shannon's draft from it first. Then I'd go get some glamour shots at the mall with it. Next I'd take to a hockey-loving buddy of mine and not let him touch it. Then, before i gave it back, I'd turn it upside down and carve "Brooks Was Here" in it. Bonus to those who get the reference.

Alan: Get busy livin' or get busy dyin', Edge. As for the series, I'll say Pittsburgh in 6, but only because I have to. I've been forced to watch all of this year's Pens playoff game by my substitute Heidi Watney, and I do like them, though Sidney Crosby's playoff beard looks sketched on by a sharpie. As for the Cup, I wonder what Cash 4 Gold would give me for it...

RV: Wings-Pens, rematch of last year's finals. Pens are a year older and the Wings have been playing out of their mind. I think it all will come down to the team that plays better together and has the most heart will come out victorious. It'll be a hard fought, closely contested series with the victors probably edging out the series in 7. Generic enough for you? I'd take it tailgating and keep enough ranch dressing in the cup for all of the tailgate to enjoy.

Readers... comment section... go.

2008, By The Numbers Part 2

2009-05-28T07:30:00.008-04:00

9) Mississippi (30.15 ranking differential) Heard of Samford? Yeah, they have a team apparently. And Mississippi State didn't do Ole Miss any favors here.

8) Utah (33.13 ranking differential) Pretty sad when you think they wanted to be #1 because of their 13-0 record. That Mountain West conference must be a bitch, huh Utah?

7) Florida (35.34 ranking differential) Can't really dog Florida too much because of their superior rankings, but those Hawaii, Arkansas, and Citadel games weren't really fair at all, were they?

6) USC (35.40 ranking differential) Good stats, but Washington and Washington St. are kinda close to FCS anyway.

5) Ball State (41.78 ranking differential) Wouldn't be an OTP post without a little Cards action. Statistically the best in the MAC, but maybe we should only schedule one cupcake instead of two from now on.

4) TCU (42.66 ranking differential) You played Stephen F. Austin. I hope to God that wasn't just one guy.

3) Troy (42.89 ranking differential) Alcorn State, and the two Louisiana stepchildren. That Sun Belt, I tell ya...

2) Penn State (43.48 ranking differential) Quite a bit above the rest in the Big Ten really, so they are a bit like Florida. Too bad they had to murder half of Coastal Carolina's team.

1) Boise State (46.07 ranking differential) Man, if only the WAC was a tougher conference. Then we could see just how good this team really is. But until then, Boise State is just the 13 year old in the home run derby against 8 year-olds. 8 year-olds, dude. For shame.

Ok readers, how do you feel about this list? Coming up soon: the top 10 teams that played out of their league on the other side of the coin.

SEC Spring Meetings... Circus and a Half

2009-05-27T08:30:00.002-04:00

It's not a surprise to anyone following the SEC that this year's edition of the Spring Meetings had a real possibility of fireworks. There was Urban Meyer and Lane Kiffin, who were publicly feuding over remarks made by Kiffin regarding Meyer and the Gators. There was Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin, who have seen assistants switch sides, and public remarks made about their new allegiance. There was Les Miles, fiery, feisty, coming off a disappointing season. Houston Nutt, always good for a batshit soundbite. Bobby Petrino, he of always looking for a new job fame. Rich Brooks coming off his third straight bowl win and a player just ruled ineligible for a failed drug test. Bobby Johnson coming off his most successful season at Vandy. New coaches like Gene Chizik and Dan Mullen. And of course, there was Steve Spurrier, who seems to relish the opportunity to make snarky smarmy comments about the opposition. Suffice to say this Spring Meeting had all the potential needed to make it deliciously awesome.

However, most thought like everything else in college football, this was all hype with no substance. Clearly no head coach would address another head coach directly. I mean, that simply can't happen. Right? No? Oh...

Earlier in the day Kiffin was asked whether he intended to apologize again to Urban Meyer for accusing the Florida coach of breaking NCAA recruiting rules. The 34-year-old Kiffin responded by pointed out he never heard from Spurrier after Spurrier questioned whether Kiffin had taken the NCAA recruiting test before calling prospects at Tennessee.

“I’m still waiting for coach Spurrier’s apology for calling me out on the first day I was there, saying I didn’t take my test,” Kiffin said. “I haven’t gotten that yet, either.”

Told of Kiffin’s comments, Spurrier shook his head, paused and spun around and faced Kiffin, who was waiting to get on an elevator.

“I didn’t accuse you of cheating,” Spurrier said, pointing toward Kiffin. “I said, ‘Is it permissible to call recruits before he’s announced as head coach, before you take the test?’ ”

As Kiffin turned red in the face, Spurrier told reporters he did not realize coaches could take the test online before arriving at their new school, as Kiffin did.

After Kiffin, Kentucky’s Rich Brooks, Auburn’s Gene Chizik and Arkansas’ Bobby Petrino filed into the elevator, Spurrier stepped on and again said: “I didn’t say he broke the rules.”

All the while, Kiffin remained silent — for one of the few times in his six months as the Vols’ coach.

My God in heaven above. Yes, this was simply a conversation outside an elevator. But in the world of college football, in the sports industry larger than life known as the SEC, this is rare. Sure, coaches take jabs at opposition, fans, and rival schools in the media or press junkets. But rare is the instance when a coach actually squares off with another coach. And even rarer is the person who wants to challenge the master of coach smackage, Steve Spurrier.

This has gotten so out of hand that even conference commissioner Mike Slive stepped in and addressed the coaches. He spoke of the general idea that what's good for one is good for all, and what makes one look amateurish and immature makes everyone look like a jaded 6-year old. The key component of Slive's pleading and commissioner edict was professionalism:

"The final analysis, what's good for one institution in this league is good for all institutions in this league, and what's not good for one institution is not good for everybody in the league. We're all in this together," Slive said.

Slive addressed the SEC football coaches and told them to end the smack talk. He talked to the coaches about "principles" the league adopted several years ago concerning coaches' behavior. He said coaches should remember "what's in the best interest in the league long-term."

I would argue just the opposite. Love him or hate him, think he's unethical or not, Kiffin stirring the pot and spouting off has kept SEC football on the national stove for months past normal now. It's the doldrums of May, soon to be June, and folks are still talking about the upcoming SEC football season, even more so than normal. Kiffin has his problems, but the man is sheer entertaining. Sort of reminds me of a visor clad coach back at Florida in the mid-90's, who apparently has forgot this little part of his own past.

Jarmon Ruled Ineligible, Cats Career Over

2009-05-26T09:47:00.003-04:00

In what may be the most shocking bit of offseason news out of the Kentucky program, defensive tackle Jeremy Jarmon has been ruled ineligible for the 2009 season, after failing a drug test, appealing the results, and losing out on said appeal with the NCAA. Since Jarmon was entering his senior season, and already redshirted, it means his career in blue and white is over.

Jarmon and the staff at UK were quick to address the large elephant in the room, that it was neither illegal drugs or steroid related, and simply a diet aid that is banned by the NCAA. Jarmon took it without the knowledge or support of the Kentucky training staff, and is paying a mighty hefty price for his self dabbling in nutritional arts.

For Jarmon, it is the end of the road in terms of college football, but perhaps the beginning of a comeback story, since America loves those.

Jarmon's statement:

“Today I am here to announce that I will no longer participate in athletics at the University of Kentucky. Ever since I was six years old I knew that I wanted to attend the University of Kentucky and that dream has come true for me. I knew I wanted to graduate from high school and attend the University of Kentucky. This has also come true for me. This is something that I will never forget. This dream has come true for me and I have attended and graduated from my dream college. I will never forget Coach Brooks and Coach Ortmayer sitting down in my home and offering me an opportunity to come to the University of Kentucky and help turn around a program that has been struggling. On that day when Coach Brooks offered me a scholarship to the University of Kentucky, I accepted his offer to be a part of his program. With an extremely dedicated coaching staff and strong-willed guys that were alongside myself, we turned around a program that has seen three consecutive bowl game wins and this is something that I am proud of and will never forget. Today I am not here to discuss the name of the substance that I took nor the place that I got it from. Instead I am here to discuss the choice that I made to live a healthier life, how I attempted to do this, and the decisions that I made to reach this point. However, one poor decision has cost me my collegiate eligibility. An NCAA appeals panel consisting of representatives from member institutions decided my fate on Thursday May 21, 2009 at approximately 6:00 p.m. During an NCAA drug test given on February 24, 2009, I tested positive for a banned substance. Based on precedence, the appeals panel found that I was responsible for testing positive. Had they ruled that I did not have significant fault then I would have received a half year suspension or been restored my complete eligibility. The information that I am telling you today is the truth, documentation supports the claims that we made to the NCAA Appeals Panel and personnel from the university will concur that this is case as well.

I officially started my diet as a New Year’s resolution to myself. My goal was to drop from 286 pounds to around 275 pounds by losing body fat and becoming leaner. I have not yet reached my goal but I am a mere two pounds away. My mom was the first person to help me with my new decision. She began by cooking meals while I was home during the offseason that were low in fat and more healthy than what I had been eating back at college. After consulting with the strength and conditioning department, I asked my mom to buy me Omega-3 and fish oil pills and she did. I began this in December and have continued to the present.

The most difficult goal that I faced was to continue to eat healthy while at college. For the past four months I have purchased turkey burgers, turkey sausage and turkey bacon as a healthier alternative to beef. Receipts from the past several months clearly show this. Since I have started my diet I have lost nine pounds. I have reduced my body fat percentage from 14 percent last year to 11 percent this year. This is something that I am very proud of. I have worked hard to become a healthier person, overall.

In January, I walked into a vitamin/supplement store to find a vitamin supplement containing amino acids. I purchased this vitamin supplement but I also purchased another supplement that was suggested to me by the salesperson. It was a dietary supplement that could help make you lean and I purchased both of them. However, my only purpose that day was to buy a vitamin not any other supplement. I became aware over the process that we can be provided with only basic vitamins because of NCAA rules.

Also in January, as part of my new diet, I purchased a different protein shake because the one UK is allowed to provide us - is a good shake - but contains a high concentration of sugar and calories. I wanted to improve my health by putting high quality foods and supplements in my body. I decided to purchase an alternate protein shake other than what is allowed to be given to us by university per NCAA rules. The shakes given to us contain 32 grams of sugar and around 300 calories. The shake that I take now contains approximately 130 calories, 20 grams of protein, and less than one gram of sugar. I made a great effort to consume the best overall products that I could under NCAA rules.

On February 2, I implemented the supplement suggested to me by the salesperson into my diet. I made the decision to purchase this supplement. I made the decision to use this supplement.

Over the past four years I have established a great relationship with the athletic staff here at the University of Kentucky. I have always kept the staff informed with details of what I was considering taking. I always had full intentions of telling the staff exactly what I was taking at an earlier date, but I was occupied with rehabbing and when I finally decided to inform the staff of my decision to take this supplement it was too late.

From the last week in January until right before March 16, I had been rehabbing my shoulder from the previous season. This is thoroughly documented. With the worry of surgery and a busy schedule leading up to graduation, I had not spoken with our strength and conditioning staff about taking this supplement. This is something that I had always done previously. I had been taking the supplement approximately 15 days before I finally did go to our head trainer and tell him that I had been taking this supplement and had forgotten to talk to our strength and conditioning staff about it. I eventually did get around to telling someone what I was taking but it was too late.

On February 20, I received a cortisone shot in my left shoulder and I discussed later with our trainer if anything that I was taking would interfere with my cortisone shot. We discussed what I was taking and where I purchased everything. He recommended that I immediately stop taking it. Four days later the NCAA came into Lexington and did a random drug test and I was selected. I would find out after coming back from spring break that I had tested positive. My strength and conditioning coach knew I was taking an alternate protein drink, the fish oil, and the Omega-3.

In late January I was informed by our training staff that I would be restricted from activity. Our head trainer decided to take me out of normal activity for two to three weeks to monitor how my shoulder would respond. My shoulder did not respond accordingly. I went to the doctor on February 20th and he injected me with a cortisone shot in my shoulder. He informed me that I was not to engage in activity that would bother my shoulder. I was diagnosed with rotator cuff tendinitis. From January 29 to March 22, I did not exercise or lift weights. This time period for me was very upsetting because I was hurt and restricted from activity. Our strength coach is the person I confide in and use to gain information about supplements. Because of the injury, I was not in the weight room to have those normal conversations with our strength coach.

Injuries alienate athletes from the team and change the times that a person is even at the facilities. January 21 to March 22 was a setback for me as a person and as an athlete. I have everything to lose by taking a banned substance. That is the reason why I have been so careful up until this point. My thought process during this period was to be even more conscious of how much I was eating because I was restricted from most activities. I continued to take the vitamins and other supplements because they are all dietary supplements.

My 1st test results showed that I tested positive for a banned substance from the dietary supplement that I purchased along with the vitamins. I did not know that this supplement contained a banned substance. However, it was my responsibility to research this before I bought it or have it looked at by someone in our athletic facilities. All athletes at the University of Kentucky are well informed about the consequences of purchasing a supplement like I did. Every year we go through programs that outline and explain the rules. Clearly, I did not follow those rules on this one occasion. Every citizen in the United States faces a risk of taking an unknown substance when they walk into any store that sells vitamins, minerals, etc. Every athlete in the world faces the risk of suspension for taking a substance that has not been approved.

My goal of dieting was to prove to myself that I can control my eating habits and live a healthier life. I never intended to take a banned substance or gain any improper type of competitive advantage. I could not gain a competitive advantage if I was not even healthy to do so. The NCAA randomly tested me again six weeks after the positive test and my results were negative. The substance was no longer in my system. This shows that I had not been taking the substance long and most importantly that this was not the type of banned substance that remains in your system for a long period of time.

I do not need to cheat to be successful. I am a very self confident person. I have worked so hard my last year to finish up strong and be a representative for our senior class to show the younger guys that with hard work and pride anyone can reach their goals. Now, I feel better physically because I have made sacrifices that are hard for others to make and it will pay off for me whether it is on the football field or off the football field next season.

This dietary plan will carry over for me when I leave college. My family has a history of diabetes and high blood pressure. Injuries are a part of football and I have opened my eyes to the fact that the way I live my life is very important. I am a person who is extremely motivated and extremely strong willed. I had an opportunity to graduate early in December and leave college. However, I decided I would stretch out my classes and announce a second major. I come from a family with two parents who are military veterans and they have worked hard to become successful individuals in society. My desire is to become a successful individual in society as well. So far, I have shown people that I am a dedicated person.

This situation has cost me my eligibility as an athlete. I accept full responsibility for my decision to purchase this supplement. I am a young person that has made mistakes in my life but I have learned from them. I am going to make more mistakes in my life and I will learn from those too. I am certain that UK will ask me to come in and speak on different occasions about the problems with taking supplements. Hopefully, this will catch the attention of not only collegiate athletes, high school athletes, professional athletes, but just ordinary hard working people as well. This is not a situation that I want to forget about or run away from. I want to learn from this mistake and I want others to learn from my mistake as well. I have not spoken to the team, but I plan to do so when everyone is required to report back in June.

I will be leaving the country next Friday to further pursue my French studies. Coach Brooks and I have discussed several possibilities about my future. I may pursue a career with the NFL or come back to school and finish my second major. I am going to take some time to consider what I will do. At this time, I would like to thank the University of Kentucky for everything they have done for me since I have been here. I have memories over the past four years that I will cherish forever. Mr. Barnhart and Ms. Bell have been working with me through this process and they have done an excellent job. They have both been part of my family. They have represented me throughout this process. Coach Brooks is an absolutely amazing person. Our relationship has evolved so much over the past few years.

My fans and teammates will be disappointed when the news of this spreads. However, no one can be more disappointed than me. I was a leader on the team and I participated in the community. I will continue to be a part of the UK athletic department and volunteer in the community. The memories that I have gotten from my fans and my teammates will never be forgotten. I owe the state of Kentucky, the city of Lexington, and my fans everything that I have to offer. You truly have made me a successful person and I feel loved. I was born a Kentucky fan and I will die a Kentucky fan. I will be a Wildcat for life.”

Coach Brooks' statement regarding the Jarmon situation:

“My first concern is with Jeremy and his family and what a devastating blow this is for them. There was no intent by Jeremy to do anything improper, it was an error in judgment in not checking with our staff (before taking the supplement). Jeremy has been an outstanding individual on and off the football field, and I hope that people understand the class act he has has been.”

Regardless of where the story goes from here, kudos to Jarmon on a great career, and in its last moments, stepping up to the plate and handling things like a man.

There is no indication as yet, as to the exact product or details surrounding it, and those sorts of things may never come to light. What is assured, though, is that this is yet another example of a stringent NCAA rulebook not allowing for any sort of exception or mitigating circumstances to be considered.

From all indications, this was a diet pill and not a steroid. It was during the offseason when the young man was not only injured, but had little contact with his team. If there ever was a chance for the NCAA to prove that it exists for the betterment of its student athletes instead of simply being an immovable stringent bureaucracy, this was it. And like usual, the NCAA has failed.

Matthew Page Hates the Metric System

2009-05-22T14:21:00.005-04:00

Some of you may remember this piece, where new Ball State recruit Matthew Page, he of gargantuan offensive line fame in East Chicago, was named to the US Junior National Team. Page, he of intimidating looks, and ripe target for satire is a true patriot, countryman, and representer of freedom, liberty, and justice, hates all those who oppose the idea that all men are created equal. He hates those that oppose that every person is entitled to their God given right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. He hates vegetables. But today....

Matthew Page Hates the Metric System

What up world! This your boy, Matthew Page. My friends call me MP and my enemies call me nothin'... cause they dead.

It dawned on me today while I was perusing some old science texts that frankly, this metric system is some bullshit. Liters? Centimeters? Kilograms? What the hell is wrong with ounces, pounds, gallons, and inches? Those are some American measurements baby, and ain't nothin' wrong with that. 4th and centimeters? Doubtful. It's like bringing hummus to a 4th of July barbecue. That shit has no place at my table.

I know you crazy Europeans walk around with your tight pants and your striped shirts thinking you're better than the rest of us. Drinking your cappuccinos and watching soccer. So let me break this down for you all metric-like. I'm about to tap a 3-liter bottle of whoop ass on the next person who tries to shove this metric shit down my throat.

Meter stick? Think again, bitches. That's a yard stick. And don't make me show you into what orifices of yours I can jam it when I'm truly upset. I know, I know, John Wilkins went to all this trouble to invent a system of metric measurement. Frankly, I couldn't give a shit less. Wilkins would be a dead man if he hadn't already kicked over in 1672. Kidney stones! What an appropriate bitchassed death for such a man reeking of bitchassedness.

So you crazy Europeans, keep that metric system bullshit on your side of the ocean, otherwise big MP gonna go batshit on your metric loving asses. Because frankly, there's 143,000 grams of pissed off dude bout to run wild. After I'm through with the MAC, your candy metric asses are next.

MP... USA... WE OUT! DEEP FRIED!

Offseason Roundtable #8

2009-05-22T07:00:00.004-04:00

In an effort to not only increase our chatter about the Cards, but to also increase some reader participation, Edge, RV, and Alan will be doing these roundtables every week. Love the answers? Want to post your own thoughts? Of course you do. And you can do so in the Comments section. Because remember, dear readers, a smarmy sarcastic blog about Ball State athletics is only as good as its small yet powerful reader base. Have at it, boys and girls...

1.) The big news recently has been the reporting of another secondary violation from Tennessee for Lane Kiffin. Buy or sell this as another isolated incident or yet another troubling piece of a disturbing pattern?
RV: This is a very troubling piece, IMO. This shows a massive lack of institutional control, regardless of how you place the blame. I find it ridiculous that this keeps happening in such a public manner, and it's maddening that Kiffin even gets a shot at being a head coach after being such an ass. It's insulting to the countless other candidates that would treat this job with the proper respect it deserves. If I'm a Volunteer fan, I'm pretty damn upset that such a loose cannon has followed in Fulmer's deep footsteps.

Edge: Very disturbing. He has stated that he'd never post anything on a recruit on Twitter because he knows that's against the rules. Ok Lane, let's say I do believe you. What I do not believe is that you or your AD would let someone who obviously doesn't know the rules run your Twitter page. But that's bullshit. Lane does not know the rules very well, and these infractions, the 11 players who left, the signing of a rapist, and the Florida high school incident really should be grounds for forced retirement. But what do I know...

Alan: You can read what I think about this particular violation in a couple of posts below. Ultimately, it's either Kiffin being brazenly stupid and/or a complete asshole by giving a virtual middle finger to his compliance office and the NCAA. Or... he and the athletic department are borderline incompetent putting something as public as this in the hands of someone who can't do it. Regardless of the reasons behind it, it's yet another little pain in the ass for Kiffin and the Vols. In and of themselves, these are minor minuscule type things. Collectively, they paint a pretty significant picture of Kiffin as a coach in way over his head who has no want, desire, or ability to improve.

2.) With the recent addition of ESPN U to more homes via a deal with Comcast, is this a good or bad thing for the Cardinals, the MAC, and the rest of the midmajor programs?
RV: I'm not sure I follow, how can this be a bad thing? Exposure is always good, and I know that I'm not the only one who will watch football on any channel at any time, so if it gets more MAC games on TV it's a fantastic situation. Comcast is a fuck, so they don't deserve any of your money, so that's the only bad thing. Fucking Comcast.

Edge: Terrible news. No one wants to see a MAC game. No one. Ever. (Ok, it's actually great news).

Alan: Well, I will take the opposite stance, and not for the simple sake of going against the proverbial grain. The reason why the MAC was allowed to exist and flourish on ESPNU is because it was a secondary type market that wasn't a flagship network in the ESPN family because it wasn't in very many homes. However, now that it is, it's simply an additional station with a large national reach. If ESPN leaves the MAC on it, then yes, it's great. However, and what I think is highly probable, is that ESPN begins to load their newly minted SEC rights onto the U, or some other BCS league game. Then that's bad, because frankly, the MAC is running out of networks and week nights. What's next? Tuesday afternoons?

3.) The Big Ten has had talks about expanding out to a 12th team. Is that good for the Big 10? Who would fit the bill the best?
RV: Depends on who you're asking. I think it'd be good for the Big 10 because their scheduling makes no sense when a team can avoid PSU/OSU/UM all in the same year. I feel that it'd add to the competitiveness of the Big 10 if they had a similar setup to the SEC (SPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!!!!111) but they need another team to accomplish that. The obvious answer is Notre Dame, which is not going to happen and I won't discuss it. You're an idiot if you think that will happen in your lifetime. Let me flip the script real quick, how about you just get rid of Indiana? Now you can actually be the Big 10 and have a conference full of non-Lynch football teams. If you really want to add someone, I vote for TCU. Sure, it makes no sense but they need a real fucking conference at some point and the Big 12 isn't letting them in anytime soon.

Edge: Meh... it's all dependent on who would be the 12th team whether or not it's good for the Big Ten. Really, any team in a mid-major conference that is consistently powerful and that's geographically close to other Big Ten schools would work. Or, as RV says, they could drop one. I'd like it to be Purdue please.

Alan: Here's the thing. The Big 10 is about a lot more than simple football. You have to be a solid academic school. The easy answer, as V said, is Notre Dame, but that will never happen, largely because of ND's massive television contract that they have no intention of sharing. That leaves a couple of other options. When I look at the geography of the Big 10, there's two schools that they should be looking at. Pittsburgh and Mizzou. Pittsburgh for the great academics, a built in rivalry with Penn State, and a school already in their footprint. That screws the Big East, but so be it. The other more interesting alternative is Mizzou. You allow the Tigers in, draft TCU to fill the hole in the Big 12, and everyone wins. Additionally, it pushes the Big Ten brand into a whole new segment of the country.

4.) There was quite the kerfuffle when it appeared that Notre Dame had selectively included certain seasons and not others in head coach Charlie Weis' biography. Certainly ADs and administrators put positive spin on things all the time. Is expungement good for the greater advancement of the program or just simply whitewashing a problem?
RV: I think it should be done more often than it currently is, but it's on the SID to be creative. Everything about the CFB game has become slick and why shouldn't coaches' bios be included in that category? Any casual fan knows that Notre Dame had a dismal season in 07 and a disappointing one in 08, I don't think it needs to be put into his bio. Wikipedia will take care of the rest of the details.

Edge: Omitting what everyone should already know isn't a huge deal. But it does at least need to be mentioned. Unfortunately when you go 3-9 you can't just sweep that under the rug and pretend like it didn't happen. If you want to have integrity, you have to give a whole picture, or maybe at least a half-sentence about a dismal season. It's not like ND is the only one to do this, but any time Weis is associated with something remotely controversial, you can bet it'll need to be covered. Poor Charlie.

Alan: As it turns out, this whole "story" was simply a misunderstanding. The records from the poor seasons were in there, just not bolded, underlined, and attention grabbing. I am not a proponent at all of omitting things or whitewashing anything. A coach's record is a coach's record, and with Wikipedia and the internet, it's best to get in front of any potentially damning empirical evidence of incompetence or failure.

5.) The story dominating the sports landscape is Michael Vick's release from prison. If you're an owner of an NFL team, do you give him a shot? Will Vick be on a roster come opening day?
RV: Rich Brooks thinks the sports landscape is bullshit. Who cares that Vick has been released from prison, besides pit bull breeders across the country? I'm tired of hearing about stories that aren't even close to news. Greg Paulus maybe, might have, sort of gotten a try-out according to John Clayton's merkin. Who cares? Vick might end up on an NFL team. Who cares? Favre fell down a well and hasn't responded to Peter King's advances in weeks. Who cares? If you're going to make up a story and run with it, can we pick something that contains a little bit of substance? If Vick makes it on a roster for opening day, it'll be a huge black mark on the NFL. The NFL seems to be run by sheep (Jamarcus Russell? Really?) and if ESPN pushes the Vick angle enough, he'll end up on a team. But if I'm in charge, Vick doesn't even come up in conversation.

Edge: Tough call... I wouldn't let him dog-sit while I was away, that's for sure. He won't be on a roster in 09, but he may get his shot in 2010. I'd honestly have to feel out the situation as an owner. Is he truly repentant? What has he done to better himself? What can he bring to my team other than baggage? He doesn't deserve a second chance if I were in charge, but I don't think he'll be out of the league forever. Just a hunch.

Alan: As an owner, no. For me, I'd rather lose with character and integrity than win with a bunch of thugs and felons. However, I'm quite positive that someone will be willing to take a flier on Mike Vick. The more troubling thing is whether or not he's even worth the risk, dog fighting aside. Granted, I'm not an NFL aficionado, but Vick never struck me as a successful QB. He was flashy and very media blitzy but ultimately, he seemed all fluff and no feathers.

Readers... comments... go.

Notre Dame Potentially Heading to Yankee Stadium

2009-05-21T14:08:00.004-04:00

There has been no inanimate object or structure take as much of a beating as Yankee Stadium has in its short three month or so lifespan. Balls are flying faster than the last Peter North movie, seats are ridiculously over priced, and if you end up just short of the restaurant in center field, you're watching the game on a tv screen instead of the 40% of the field you can actually see.

And, as if having one marquee sports dynasty play there wasn't enough, there is initial talks between the New York Yankees and Notre Dame for the Fighting Irish to play a football game there. Details are still in the extremely early stages, but Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick has this to say...

"We've been in contact with Yankee Stadium and asked and inquired," Swarbrick said, according to the Times. "We will be discussing games with them, but we haven't entered into any substantive discussions."

Ideally, Swarbrick said, Notre Dame would love to play Army at the stadium in 2013 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1913 game, according to the report. In that landmark game, the Irish utilized the forward pass to great success to beat the Black Knights, popularizing what had been, up to that point, a little-used strategy. The results influenced other teams to adopt the forward pass, in effect changing the game.

If there's football at the new stadium before 2013, Notre Dame would still like to be involved, Swarbrick said. But playing the 100th anniversary of the 1913 game in New York would have great meaning for the Irish, he added, according to the report.

Oh fantastic! Let's all jump on board as probably the premier major league baseball stadium plays host to a shell-of-its-former-self Notre Dame program and Army. Yes... that Army. The same Army who isn't even expected to beat Ball State this coming season. Simply fabulous.

I, for one, am all in favor of college teams playing a game in a venue not traditionally known for football, or in areas where some of their fans may not get to watch them play. For example, a Notre Dame-Texas game at Soldier Field... clutch. Kentucky and Miami (OH) at the Bengals stadium? Perfect. Notre Dame playing a scrub ass Army team in a baseball stadium just so they can say they did? Awful. Celebrating the anniversary of the forward pass? Spare me. Let's just call it what it is... another excuse for Notre Dame to get a win.

If they want something cool, then rock out a game with national interest. Notre Dame-USC at Yankee Stadium would be tremendous. Notre Dame-Oklahoma at Wrigley. For me to look at this any other way than the Irish simply whoring about their team against a helplessly overmatched also ran, Swarbrick and co. need to bring it. A major venue deserves a major game. And Notre Dame-Army isn't it.

Lane Kiffin... Habitual Line Stepper

2009-05-21T09:11:00.003-04:00

For anyone who has either went to or worked in a higher education setting, there is simply no busier time than the close of the academic year. Commencements, closings, and moving the next class of alums on and out the door becomes the dominating thing on everyone's calendar and such. Unfortunately, commencement here at Maryland backs itself up to Memorial Day Weekend, and as such, work, life, and the like just met in a jumbled mess of priorities, needs, and work. As Edge makes his way to an undisclosed campsite with Mrs. Edge, and little Edge, and as RV continues to do whatever RV does in the Windy City, our posting may dwindle, if appear at all, over the next few days. We'll have a new Matthew Page piece, and potentially a roundtable, but for the most part, we're coasting, like hopefully all of you, toward an extended weekend.

However, before our little jaunt to Memorial Day, Kiffin strikes again, this time on the Twitter.

Tennessee is preparing to report a secondary violation by football coach Lane Kiffin although the first-year college coach was not at fault, according to UT athletic director Mike Hamilton.

The issue arose when a post was made to Kiffin’s Twitter and Facebook accounts after high school prospect J.C. Copeland committed to UT on Tuesday.

The post, which was on the social Web sites for approximately 45 minutes before it was removed, read: “It’s a beautiful day in Knoxville, Tennessee today. I was so exited to hear that J.C. Copeland committed to play for the Vols today!”

Hamilton said Wednesday the post was made by a newly hired assistant to Kiffin who didn’t consult UT’s compliance office before making the post. The assistant was apparently unaware that university employees cannot comment on prospects by name.

Dear Lord. That has got to be record for not only the lamest way to piss off the NCAA infractions committee, but also a sheer volume bonus for little trivial rules infractions.

Do I think Kiffin is the devil incarnate within the SEC? Of course not. His "violations" to this point have all been relatively minor and virtually all could be written off as a simple mistake or things taken out of context. The ease of explanation with this one, is as simple as, "Someone else made the Tweet."

I've said it here on OTP before. All of these infractions, in and of themselves, are nothing more than minor simple things. However, minor simple things rarely stay simple and minor. If I'm a Tennessee fan, I'm concerned. Usually monsters whom you give cookies too then ask for a glass of milk. Then some more cookies. Then your teenage daughter is pregnant and there's money missing off the nightstand. What?

At any rate, Kiffin strikes again, this time lamer than before, and most certainly not the last time we'll hear "self report", "violation", and "Kiffin" in the same sentence before the close of the offseason.

OTP Mailbag: May 19th Edition

2009-05-19T13:50:00.005-04:00

Ask any dedicated blogger and they will tell you that the key to any successful site, regardless of the quality of the information, analysis, or writing, is the interaction of a fanbase, a readership, and those who waste their days here trolling for news, nuggets, and sheer awesomeness. It is for that interaction that we have the Mailbag! The chance for you, our readers, to ask the guys who run this place their take on various things. Football, life, etc. The mailbag has bounced around a bit, but hopefully has found its home here on Tuesdays. Take it away, Mr. McFeely!

OTP Mailbag 5/12/09
Special delivery, bitches

Do you guys think we'll see a different offensive approach now that Nate is gone? Or will it be the same sort of style?

Alan: I think we'll see a similar style eventually, but I think initially you'll see a very vanilla Ball State team. If I recall, BSU certainly sort of went through the motions in their early season games last year. And certainly, game 10 was much different than game 2 in terms of approach. The interesting thing this year is the offensive side of the football for the Cardinals will need some time for experience, meshing, and just getting used to the rigors of D1 football, so expect a heavy dose of MiQuale early and often against the New Hampshires, North Texases, and the Armys. Then once Kelly Page and the o-line get used to things, I think you'll see Stan open it up a bit. The first true test of whether or not BSU can function on Stan's system will be at Auburn.

Edge: Like Alan said, plenty of Quale-Time. This o-line will need to just get some reps in and make sure their assignments are second nature. I think we'll see a substantial amount of carries for Quale, and I'm not expecting anything over 150 yards passing from Page.

(RV conspicuously absent from this week's mailbag. Blame it on that thing called "real life" and subsequent non-blogtacular work - Ed.)

Why does Ball State feel the need to schedule such rinky dink opponents to start the season? Doesn't this hurt us in the long run?

Alan: For the same reason Kansas State, Michigan, and Florida used to schedule Ball State. The simple reality is you have 8 conference games with equally matched talent. Therefore, to get to the magic wins needed for Bowl eligibility, you have to get in where you fit in and part of that is scheduling a couple of teams, on paper, that you can easily handle. I think the current structure (this year's) of two fairly easy games, one road game you should win, and one road game against a tough "name" opponent is perfect for the Cardinals, and I hope that sort of scheduling continues.

Edge: This seems like a bigger deal than it actually is. All but 32 FBS teams had at least one FCS opponent in 2008. And, up until recently, Ball State has been viewed as such against BCS schools. Alan said it best when you have to try to get in where you fit in. Ball State has to play the North Texases, the New Hampshires, and the Armys. Without it, we may never get a chance to play that #9 team in the ACC in January.

Alan: And really, nothing says "success" like a date with NC State during the second to last game of the season in Mobile, AL.

For college football in general, who do you feel is the best coach in the country? Barring Stan of course!

Alan: I think it's hard to argue with results, and to me, there are two coaches who bring title experience, recruiting excellence, and flash to the equation. Those two? Urban Meyer of Florida and Pete Carrol of USC. Now, this opinion may change once Meyer no longer has St. Tebowchild on the sidelines, and Carrol's legacy may be tarnished pending the results of the NCAA investigation into the Reggie Bush fiasco, but I have to believe at this juncture, those two are the best. Guys like Mack Brown, Bob Stoops, Jim Tressel, and Charlie Weis are close behind.

Edge: Am I the only guy that thinks Charlie Weis should never be even honorably mentioned as a "best coach"? Anyway... Urban Meyer is my pick. I also think that Chris Peterson at Boise has some serious talent (even though he plays some pretty cupcake teams). Honorable mention goes to Stoops, Leach, Carroll, Tressel, and the Sabanator - the man knows defense.

Alan: Charlie had a ton of success his first couple of years at ND and admittedly a lak of success the last couple. And largely because of his own attitude and where he coaches, the haters come out of the woodwork. I think the guys a quality individual and a good coach, and I think ultimately, this coming season will be the barometer for the Weis experiment in South Bend. This year will tell us whether the early Weis years were the norm or the anomaly.

Edge: I like Notre Dame. My grandfather is a ND fanatic. I have no problem with where he coaches. He just isn't that great of a coach. I'd feel the same way about him if he coached Michigan or Middle Tennessee State. And, I know I'm opening a can of worms here, but my feeling is that true success in CFB can't be measured until you're coaching the talent you and your staff recruited. Refer to the Bill Lynch Experience, circa 1996-2000. Bowl to cellar in no time. ND is expected to have a very good year this year. I wouldn't be surprised at 10-3. But that wouldn't change my mind about Weis until he did it a few years in a row. As it stands now, I couldn't honestly compare Weis to Brown, Stoops, Leach, Tressel, etc. It wouldn't be right.

In your guys' opinion, is BSU destined to be a midmajor? Can we ever really become a national power?

Alan: I personally think it will be exceptionally difficult for BSU to elevate itself as anything other than a midmajor given the circumstances beyond their control. They are a somewhat younger institution, they play in a non-BCS conference, and they don't have a large national alumni base which demands television appearances, good ticket sales, etc. Now having said that, there is no reason why they can't take the Utah or Boise State route and simply be an elite mid-major. As we've seen recently, elite midmajors have just as good a credibility as many BCS conference schools.

Edge: Funny because I just read a book that dealt with predestination in a class society... Ball State is groomed to be a mid-major and always will be. It would be nice in a perfect world that we could have a shot at joining a BCS conference, but it's just not going to happen. We received a lot of notoriety this past year, but I fear that it's a short-lived thing. We could be the best mid-major school, but we'll always be just that - a mid-major school.

You have the chance to have lunch with anyone associated with college football in any capacity. Who do you choose and where do you go?

Alan: If this were IFC's Party of Five or whatever that show is where they sit people down, I would have a long list to choose from. I think I'd like to pull from all facets of the game, and as such, will limit my list to simply people alive. For the media coverage of college football, I'd reserve a place for Kirk Herbstreit. Knowledgeable, energetic, loves the game. For the coaching perspective, I'd take Mike Leach. To me, there is no coach that is more free speaking, entertaining, or insightful than Leach. For the player perspective, I'd go with Tim Tebow. Love him or hate him, the man is an enigma. And frankly, I'd like to see if privately he's different. For the final spot, I'd go with someone for sheer entertainment... Jared Lorenzen. And the virtual guarantee that we won't have to worry about pesky things like leftovers. As for a restaurant of choice, I think I'd have to rock my favorite Muncie destination... Scotty's Brewhouse. The one place I actually make a "must visit" on my trips back to BSU. God help the servers who don't bring Lorenzen his Dill Chips fast enough.

Edge: Well, since Alan picked half of college football, I guess there's little left. Ok, for the media, I'd like to eat with Lee Corso. He'd be a riot, much less annoying than someone like Dick Vitale, and could you imagine him on a beer buzz? Hide the waitresses. For a head coach, I'm going to have to resurrect the dead and call on Bear Bryant. Not only do I dig that hat, but the man was a coaching God. Who wouldn't want to hear what he had to say? If my voodoo magic failed and I couldn't resurrect him, I'd have to go with Kevin Smith of the University of Houston. I'd only have to ask him when he's going to make another decent movie... did he shoot his wad with Clerks? As for a player, I'd like to have lunch with Sam Bradford. I feel he'd be less annoying than Tebow and would probably spend a considerably less amount of time talking about religion and how wonderful he is. Where would we eat? The best place on Earth: Maggie's Galley Oyster Bar in Waynesville, NC.

Alan: Sam Bradford, huh? Make sure there isn't any portly journalists hiding under the table.

What say you, dear reader? Comment section....

Delaware State... Football Whore

2009-05-18T10:27:00.003-04:00

The news of this Monday is actually a story from the tail end of last week, as Delaware State announced it will forfeit a game against North Carolina A&T in order to accommodate a game against Michigan. Basically, the gist of the story is Michigan and Delaware State had come to an agreement for DSU to come to Ann Arbor and take their whipping on October 17. The only problem was that that day's game was already assigned to conference foe North Carolina A&T.

It's an interesting case study of the sheer reality of college football. You have a team in Delaware State who is forfeiting a winnable conference game in exchange for a game they will most certainly lose. The payday is expected to be around $500,000 but the actual number isn't public knowledge and most guesses are simply speculation. The almighty dollar, proving once again that it is the end all for administrators.

Delaware State will start the season 0-1 and 0-1 in conference play, but will have a cool half mil burning a hole in their pocket. A cool half mil to offset athletic operating expenses, fund other sports, and perhaps bring the DSU Hornets to new levels of athletic fiduciary responsibility. Certainly, the dollars and cents make sense, but it just leaves me with a queasy feeling about the whole thing.

The defenders of athletics would say that participation in sport teaches young men and women about overcoming challenges. It teaches about life. It teaches about competitiveness, sportsmanship, and leadership. When defending athletics' place in the academe, it was always said that you really can't look at the profits or near across the board losses, because you simply cannot put a dollar amount on competition. Well, Delaware State certainly has. And it's going for about 500k.

Matthew Page Hates Bailouts

2009-05-15T13:45:00.004-04:00

Matthew Page Hates Bailouts

What up world! This your boy, Matthew Page. My friends call me MP and my enemies call me nothin'... cause they dead.

There's lots of talk going on in the capital about bailouts. Every time I turn on the news it's bailout this, bailout that. Whatever happened to financial responsibility, America? Where the fuck is yo fiduciary diligence? Ben Bernanke? Blow me. If Thomsas Jefferson were alive, he'd beat you with his cane.

You want to talk bailouts? Bailout the MAC from the enormous amount of pain and colossal ass whoopings I'm about to put on people. Them shits is right for a bailout. Ford? GM? Bank of America? Hardly. Toledo, BG, and Miami about to get freight trained. And there ain't no flashing lights or traffic bars. Just a large man wearing Cardinal red about to knock the piss out of you. Believe that.

TARP funds? Shiiiiiiit. The only tarp I want to see is the tarp across the carcasses of the defense. Because I'm about blow up. You can centralize the banking industry, boy, but I'm 'bout to centralize some pain. All over the MidAmerican conference.

Now, listen here, Mr. Commerce Secretary, this is real simple like. You take those CEOs, those auto honchos and the bigwigs at Wall Street and you put me in a room with 'em for about 10 minutes, and we'll sort this out. Those balance sheets gonna match up like my fist and an NIU defensive tackle.

I mean, frankly, it's distracting. How am I supposed to know the blocking schemes for Coach Stan's offense if I've got to keep track of Senate Finance Committee meetings and rereading documents for the federal reserve. I can't do it all. Now fix this pigfuck before I get really angry.

You got 4 years Geithner. And then I'm coming to DC for some answers.

MP... USA... WE OUT! MAYONNAISE!

Offseason Roundtable #7

2009-05-15T10:30:00.000-04:00

In an effort to not only increase our chatter about the Cards, but to also increase some reader participation, Edge, RV, and Alan will be doing these roundtables every other week or so? Love the answers? Want to post your own thoughts? Of course you do. And you can do so in the Comments section. Because remember, dear readers, a smarmy sarcastic blog about Ball State athletics is only as good as its small yet powerful reader base. Have at it, boys and girls...

1. College Football Live is traveling the country spending weeks at a time at various campuses. If those guys ever came to Ball State, what would you recommend they take in?
Alan: I would say for entertainment options, head on down I-69 to Indianapolis. However, if they are dead set on having a Muncie week, then there are a few things that are absolute musts. When visiting Muncie, you must have some dill chips and a Blue Moon or three at Scotty's Brewhouse. Preferably on the patio. You must roll through campus and check out the architecture (Bracken as a stack of books, the Arch building as an easel, etc.). You probably should go to QL's and get some barbecue. Assuming you can find it and it's open. You'll definitely want to close the night with a Carter's hot dog. Your best bet is one of his Chicago dogs, but a chili cheese with mustard and onion is acceptable. If you're looking for skanks, head down to Dill Street, assuming the place is even still open and the various strands of herpes that subsist there haven't demolished it from the inside out. Yet.

Edge: Ah, so many sights to see, so little time. For the food aspect, I'd say get some grub from Scotty's or maybe Pete's Duck Inn. Have a beer (or root beer) at the Heorot. Bowl a couple frames at Clancy's. Campus tour? Why not. And just for the postgame off-camera time, head down to Joker's and take bets on who vomits first (or make fun of your sound guy next week when he mysteriously has a prescription for Valtrex).

RV: College Football Live spent a week at Florida and Notre Dame (which was a poorly researched week). As gigantic of an Irish fan as I am, I don't see the need for a full week at any campus when fall practice hasn't even started. Let's hope that we don't have to fill a full week in Muncie...but if they did the first stop would be the facilities. BSU's facilities are better than quite a few in the MAC which is like having less herpes than Paris Hilton. With enough alumni watching, maybe we could turn some ESPN spin into a helpful venture. You guys can cover the obvious stops on the trip, but if ESPN is coming to town I'm pushing to get something that'll either get our AD a swift kick in the ass or the boot.

2. With the recent "attention" being paid to USC and their alleged indiscretions, is cheating the norm or the exception at major programs? How can college football combat this?
Alan: The answer to this question bothers me because there simply is no good answer. If you assume it goes on, and that isn't a huge leap to make, then you're a cynic, someone who has no faith in humanity, etc. If you assume it doesn't happen, then you're woefully unrealistic and have no real grasp on truth and fact. Do I think a large majority of FBS schools are dropping thousands of dollars to players left and right? No. But I think it does happen far more frequently than any of us want to admit or think. Minor schools stand to make millions of dollars in revenue from an increase in bowl payouts, merchandising, etc. so tossing a few thousand dollars at a recruit seems like good business. Illegal. But good business. Major school infractions like this are probably fewer and far between, but I'm sure it happens. Either through over active boosters, friends of the program, or coaches and administrators under immense pressure to win and soon, it's a powder keg ripe for cheat-tacular explosions. The only solution is the heavy hand of justice and not the subjective unequal slap on the wrists. Coaches who are found responsible for directly cheating should have a lifetime ban. Schools found responsible for lack of institutional control should have to not participate in athletics (all athletics) for two years. That will curb the cheating pretty damn quick I think.

Edge: Cheating is one thing... I won't say USC isn't, but outright cheating isn't something that happens a lot. What does happen a lot is rule-bending. This will never stop, and the haves will always try to outwit the have-nots. It's nothing new here... it's going to happen every year, and every year the NCAA sends me a thicker Division I manual because of it. You can't combat this. It's like combating performance enhancing drugs. You get a test that works, some guy in a lab coat figures out a way to bypass this. Circle of life guys.

RV: Cheating, unfortunately, is close to the norm. It's tough for anyone to convince me that recruiting isn't dirty, when there have been fantastic books written about that very fact and stories pop up all the time of potential infractions. I don't think all schools are as bad as USC seems to be, but to think that other schools aren't massaging their recruits with money and coeds is awfully ignorant. The easiest way to combat this would be to blow up the whole idea of college football. There's no easy way to cut out the cheating, period, it just needs to be better policed. If you get caught, you get slapped. If you can get away with it, good job, we'll catch you as soon as you slip up.

3. So Greg Paulus finally lands at Syracuse. Buy or sell him ending up with the Orangemen as a good fit for Paulus? Buy or sell him ending up there for Syracuse as a good fit for them?
Alan: I mean, when your only other option is being an assistant coach or something somewhere or working at a Tire Barn, I guess Syracuse is an upgrade. Maybe? In all reality, it's a tremendous buy for Paulus. Whether or not he's successful or not or even sees the field, he gets some more free education from a top notch university and continues to be an athlete. Not a bad way to spend a fall. For the Cuse, it's certainly not ideal to have a competitor for the most important position on the field who hasn't taken a snap in over 4 years. But it's Syracuse, and really, it can't get much worse.

Edge: He's not going to get much PT, but he's back in his home state and gets a chance to be a BMOC somewhere else. Hooray for him. He probably sees this as a win-win, but it's more of a buy for Paulus than for the Orange. The team seems to be in a confused state with this, and it's really not impressive to see them going this route. If I were the starting QB and we signed a guy who hasn't played in 4 years and only has 1 year left? Yeah, all of the sudden I understand Cutler. Just kidding.

RV: Sell. Paulus is 180lbs and is expecting to stand up to the rigors of a full season? What exactly is Syracuse gaining from this besides publicity? Penn State in game two? He'll get snapped in half. Syracuse is in a rebuidling mode, they aren't in a position to surround Paulus with talent that will overcome his lack of football snaps over the past four years and they certainly can't keep his jersey clean. This just puts Syracuse another year behind schedule, but luckily Notre Dame doesn't play them this year. I wish them nothing but losses this year.

4. The GMAC Bowl has shifted ties away from CUSA and instead the MAC will get to play the ACC #9. Is this really a better option? Isn't there just a wee bit too many Bowl Games?
Alan: I mean, I guess. At least it will register a bit on the national radar when a MAC School plays a team from a BCS conference, assuming the ACC fills all their spots. What is more likely is the MAC representative will end up playing an at large school from one of the other mid major conferences. So really, this is either no change or a change to playing a crappy team who barely qualified for a bowl in the first place. The bottom line is that there is WAY too many Bowl Games. Teams that are 7th or 8th in their conference, coasting in at .500 with a win over a 1-AA school is not Bowl worthy in my mind. Keep it to the teams, both BCS and non-BCS, that are worthy of being rewarded. Then you'll have a bowl season worth a damn.

Edge: I will never complain about football in December and January. It's a rough time for me since I know it's over so soon after it just began. But, I'm going to go the Rich Brooks route here. Some of these bowls are bullshit. In reality, they don't mean anything, and the fact that a MAC team will play the #9 team in the ACC...THE #9 TEAM!...just solidifies this position. So you're telling me that out of 12 teams in the ACC, nine will go to bowls. What the hell is this? Tee-ball? Everyone gets a chance to hit? There's no outs? We don't keep score? Come on, people. I'm not opposed to these games, but let's be realistic and admit they don't mean a damn thing in the long run. Again, it gives the BCS conferences a hell of a lot more than it gives us peon mid-majors. But keep playing 'em... I wouldn't want to have to watch Grey's Anatomy instead of a game.

RV: I think it's a much better option. If this gives a MAC team a crack at a better recognizable name than I am all for it. If Ball State could've played North Carolina or Wake Forest, it would have given them the opportunity to put the MAC on the national radar. I've said this before, but a loss to a top BCS team is better than a win over Northeastern. Bowl games are a reward for everyone, it's a great opportunity for the fans to see their team play someone they wouldn't have the opportunity to play otherwise. The players really benefit from the extra practice time and the opportunity to end the season on a positive note (Utah, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Maryland, Oregon, LSU, etc). While the number of games might be getting higher, it isn't upsetting the balance of what we know to be as college football like a playoff would.

5. Delaware has just legalized sports gaming. Give our readers some bets to make for next year should they find themselves traveling through the First State.
Alan: If you're looking for easy money, bet on either Oklahoma, Florida, or Texas winning the national title. The payouts will be shit, but you can at least cash a winner. For long shot title hopefuls, look to the power conferences whose champion, by design, will likely have a place at the national championship table. So look to the SEC or the Big 12. Outside shots in the SEC? LSU, Ole Miss, or Alabama. In the Big 12? Oklahoma State. And as much as I hate to say it, betting a few bucks on Notre Dame to win might not be a bad idea. There... you're welcome.

Edge: Imagine being magically whisked away to... Delaware. Hi. I'm in... Delaware. Bet on Florida next year. Anything else is up for grabs. But always put a couple bucks on the longshot in the Derby. Ya never know.

RV: 9/19 - USC vs Washington - With a healthy Jake Locker, expect Sark to figure out a way to give Petey his yearly let down. Put some money on Ole Miss, it'll be an interesting year in the SEC and they were playing out of their minds near the end of the year and have a lot coming back. Beyond that, let's get through fall practice and things will begin to clear up.

Have at it, dear readers. Comment Section. Go...

The More You Know...

2009-05-14T14:00:00.004-04:00

In an effort to both educate our readers, stump trivia buffs, and help Lane Kiffin remain gainfully employed, we at OTP will periodically select a few NCAA Division I Athletics compliance bylaws for our knowledge-seeking readers. I'm emerging from the Statcave (think Batcave, only 1,500 times less likely to impress the ladies) to bring you some rules on recruiting:

Bylaw 13.6.4 An official visit to an institution shall not exceed 48 hours.

So, Lane, when you're done pissing off principals in Florida, keep in mind that you only have 48 hours during a student-athlete's visit to Tennessee.

Bylaw 13.6.7.7.1 A luncheon, dinner, or brunch at the home of an institutional staff member (e.g., the athletics director, a coach, a faculty member, or the institution's president) may be held for a prospective student-athlete on an official visit, provided the entertainment is on a scale comparable to that of normal student life, is not excessive in nature and occurs on only one occasion.

Anyone else see the gray area here? Would you consider the bi-monthly orgy brunch at the AD's house "excessive in nature"? Neither would I. (By the way, I've been to one. The food is generally bland and stale, and it's mostly finger-foods...)

Bylaw 13.5.2.2.2 The institution or representatives of its athletics interests shall not provide an automobile for use during the official visit by the prospective student-athlete or student host.

No joyriding during my visit? No thanks, Kiffin.

Well, that's it for another "The More You Know...". I'll be back next week.

Edge. Out.

Masthay Picks Up VanMeter Award

2009-05-13T16:35:00.002-04:00

From the release...

Former Kentucky football player Tim Masthay has received the 2008-09 Darrell A. VanMeter Service Award from the university for his remarkable commitment to community service.

The award, which is in its 18th year at the University of Kentucky, honors the outstanding volunteer service achievements of Darrell A. VanMeter. The award was named in his honor to recognize the far-reaching and lasting impact of his “Good Samaritan” approach to life.

From the moment Masthay set foot on UK’s campus, he has epitomized what it means to be a Good Samaritan. Despite the strenuous and often long hours of fulfilling his role as a student-athlete, Masthay, a former punter and kicker on the UK football team, has found time to give back countless hours to the community.

For the past two summers, Masthay has provided transportation for the American Cancer of Society Hope Lodge residents to the hospital for treatments. He has volunteered hundreds of hours for various activities at the Hope Lodge, including bingo night, cookouts and participating in a night out at a Lexington Legends baseball game.

“Tim is always willing to help in any event or activity we coordinate,” said Sheldon Kozee, director of the Hope Lodge. “I admire him so much for being so giving of his time to help others. It is not often you find such an outstanding young individual who is aware of the importance of helping others in their time of need. He has been a blessing to not only us, but to dozens of cancer patients who are fighting the hardest battle of their lives. It is because of people like Tim that so many patients continue to fight and are among the millions of cancer survivors today.”

Masthay’s dedication at the Hope Lodge is just one example of his outstanding community service. Among his many other contributions, Masthay has participated in Habitat for Humanity, worked with the football team’s outreach projects that include speaking engagements at locals schools and churches, and he’s served abroad by participating in a service project at a school and orphanage in Ghana.

In addition to those countless hours of generosity, he has participated in numerous food drives, served with the Salvation Army and put in several service visits at local hospitals. For his dedication to service and leadership in the community, Masthay was named to the Frank Ham Society of Character by UK Athletics and the was one of just 11 football players in the nation to be chosen to the 2008 Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team.

Masthay has achieved all that while excelling on the football field and in the classroom. While leading the Wildcats a third straight bowl victory for the first time in school history, the Murray, Ky., native was awarded All-America honorable mention honors by CollegeFootballNews.com. He led the Southeastern Conference in punting and was named All-SEC by multiple selectors. He was also tabbed a first-team Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors Association and ESPN The Magazine.

So how does one find time to excel in the classroom, on the field and in the community?

“For me it all came down to having a great support staff around me,” Masthay said. “My teammates are great, the administration is great, the coaches are great, and then on an individual level it just came down to prioritizing.”

And nobody’s priorities are more in place in Masthay. He recently signed a free-agent contract with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, but that won’t stop him from his ultimate goal of joining the Peace Corps in Africa in the next five years.

“I know it sounds cheesy, but I want to serve my country and make a difference in the world,” he said.

Masthay graduated this past weekend with a degree in economics. He is the son of Mark and Jean Masthay, who now live in Lebanon, Ohio.

Kudos and congrats to a great athlete and greater human being.

Ian McGarvey Out of the Doghouse

2009-05-13T09:26:00.002-04:00

When last we heard from young Mr. McGarvey, he of placekicking fame at Ball State University, he was getting tossed off the team in one of Stan Parrish's fist official acts as Cardinal head coach for a DUI citation and subsequent arrest on campus in February.

News filtered out of Muncie quietly and discreetly on Tuesday that McGarvey has been reinstated to the team and will participate in all team activities, trainings, etc. going forward. For McGarvey, his indiscretion netted him a suspension which amounted to around 3 months.

Terms of Ian's punishment, what he had to do, or what hoops he presumably had to jump through are mere speculation, but suffice to say that I'm sure it wasn't pleasant. So Ian McGarvey happy trails on your way out of Stan's dog house and welcome back to the team.

OTP Mailbag: May 12th Edition

2009-05-12T14:30:00.012-04:00

Ask any dedicated blogger and they will tell you that the key to any successful site, regardless of the quality of the information, analysis, or writing, is the interaction of a fanbase, a readership, and those who waste their days here trolling for news, nuggets, and sheer awesomeness. It is for that interaction that we are proud to introduce our newest feature here at OTP... the Mailbag! The chance for you, our readers, to ask the guys who run this place their take on various things. Football, life, etc. The mailbag has bounced around a bit, but hopefully has found its home here on Tuesday mornings. Take it away, Mr. McFeely!

OTP Mailbag 5/12/09
Special delivery, bitches

What's the possibility that Kelly Page isn't the starter next year? Any chance for some of the new guys to have a shot?

Alan: I think the odds of Page not being the starter vary between slim and none, and slim is packing up and getting ready to head out of town. Anything is possible, though, and sometimes a competitive talented group of skill players to create some battles in practice for space on the depth chart makes everyone better. Having said that, Page gets the nod unless something drastic happens. It's the year that will build for the future and set us up well similar to when Davis was a freshman.

Edge: Tough to say. Any team can have a Virginia Tech-like situation happen to them, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that Page could be replaced if he starts defecating all over the field. I don't expect it, but this game is about as unpredictable as any.

RV: There's always a chance and it should be a possibility. While Page might have the skill set to win more games than anyone else, if his youth is going to impede the team's overall ability to win I have to side with the experience of Tanner Justice. A .500 or below season would be devastating to the momentum building from last year, so let's avoid that if at all possible.

Talk a little about Kentucky's season. What do you expect from the Cats?

Alan: As the resident (read: only) UK fan on OTP, I'm very excited for the Cats season this year. They have a talented group of youngsters coming in, a defense that should be filled with playmakers and athletes, and I believe have the potential to do something really special. The interesting thing about this Kentucky team is that they got significantly better in the offseason through the solidifying of the QB position with either Hartline or one of the freshmen, and remember, this was a team that went to a Bowl last year. Their 3rd straight. I'm fully aware that they play in the SEC. I'm also fully aware they play in the brutal SEC East. I'm also aware that Florida and Alabama all appear on the Cats schedule. Still, even with all that factored in, I think this will be a fantastic year to be a Kentucky fan.

Edge: I've actually been building a computer program that predicts, given 1,513 different scenarios on and off the field, when Rich Brooks will utter the word "bullshit". I'm very excited to test this out, so obviously I am pumped for the Kentucky season.

RV: I think Brooks is going to find out who his QB is early on and find a way to upset teams. Don't expect anything spectacular, but Kentucky has enough talent to beat anyone on any given day. *Insert wildly generic prediction here*. *Follow up with boring assumption that can be made about any team*. *Say something about Rich Brooks using "bullshit"*. Done.

Which of the recent draftees from Ball State do you expect to have the most successful NFL career?

Alan: I think the answer to this question hinges on what exactly "successful" means. Is it longevity? Is it impact? Is it name recognition? Robert Brewster will probably have the most immediate impact, as gargantuan offensive linemen are simply hard to find. Especially gargantuan offensive linemen with Brewster's ability and skills. Having said that, Nate Davis seems to be the likely choice. Everyone knows the QB, and even if Nate never really makes it as a starter, teams are always looking for serviceable backups. Ask Jim Sorgi, it's not a bad way to make a living.

Edge: Who knows. Let's get back to college questions... I'll leave these guys to the NFL bloggers now.

RV: I feel like Darius Hill has the best skill set to have an immediate impact, although his drop off in production is troubling. So much of the NFL is taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves, whoever steps up when asked will be the most successful.

Philosophical Question... Should BSU stay in the MAC?

Alan: Wow. Can of worms, open now. I think the MAC serves a purpose for BSU. It doesn't serve it ideally. The argument could be made that it doesn't serve it even adequately, but having a conference tie in is important for lots of reasons, most notably the Bowls and the auto bid to the NCAA tournament. Like all, I wish we were in a "power conference". I wish we didn't have to play our games on Tuesday nights to get exposure. I wish the conference really made a push to promote its championship teams and players. I wish there was a recommitment to the wasteland of MAC basketball. Having said all of that, we aren't going anywhere. Geographically it makes sense, and that's just the way it is. We aren't going independent, we aren't wanted by the Big 10, and the OVC or Sun Belt isn't a better option.

Edge: Should stay? No, they should try to move on. But will that happen? Not for a loooong time, if ever. We're not rooting on a team that attracts 75k+ to the stands or 250k+ on television on Saturday. It is what it is, and that's not a bad thing really, if that's what you expect. I liken it to being perfect on medium level on every song in Rock Band. If that's what you strive for, you're happy. But it doesn't mean shit to those who play at a higher level. So, until BSU can master "medium" (and not just dominating the opposition - I'm talking state-of-the-art facilities too), there's no point in talking about moving on.

RV: Absolutely not. What purpose would it do to move into a new conference? Unless they are building a conference based on flash-in-the-pan seasons without any lengthy history of success with awesome bloggers...The MAC serves perfectly for what Ball State can accomplish. A better question is if the powers in the WAC and Mountain West should be moving to a new conference. Remember when Fresno State was good? NOTHING changed at that program to determine their drop off other than they caught fire with the perfect situation. I believe that TCU might have an argument to change conferences, they'd certainly do better in the Big XII than Iowa State does. But Ball State? No, stay in the MAC until the AD is really ready to address all the major issues.

What other Sports Blogs do you guys read? Any recommendations?

Alan: There are a few that I never miss. EverydayShouldBeSaturday brings it. Orson and company consistently write the absolute best coverage on college football with a side of humor and a roundhouse punch of intelligence. It is simply must read. For Kentucky news and note, ASeaOfBlue is without question one of the best sites on the internet. Well written, fantastic fan interaction, and really what a sports blog should be. KentuckySportsRadio is similar, if not a little more off the cuff but they make up for it with tone and sheer volume of UK news. It's impressive. Of final note is RockyTopTalk. Joel at RTT has been one of our best friends in the blogosphere. He was the first to link to us, the first to welcome us, and still is quick with a friendly email or note. Great blog despite its Tennessee slant, and an even better guy. If you look over to the right of the main page here at OTP, there's a link to some of our blog friends, so check those out. Some of the other sites I never miss: BlackHeartGoldPants, RedCupRebellion, and the JoeCribbsCarWash.

RV: Umm, if you're here I'd imagine you read all the blogs that we read. I'll add BlueGraySky to the list, especially for great gameday analysis (also Brian over at mgoblog does amazing work). Mike Frank and staff at Irish Sports Daily is the only place for ND recruiting news, but if you're at a Ball State/Kentucky blog I doubt you'll be heading over there for anything. There are so many talented writers that use their passion for the game to create some quality reading, it's getting difficult to stay up on everyone's work.

Alan: I forgot Brian. MGoBlog is simply the benchmark for sports blogs. It's great writing, great opinion, a great community. Quite simply, if the sports blogosphere were an episode of Full House, Brian would be Uncle Jesse.

Morry Mannies... Hall of Famer

2009-05-12T11:09:00.004-04:00

From a release from BSU...

Morry Mannies, who has served as the radio “Voice of the Cardinals” for the past 53 years, will be inducted into the Indiana Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame Oct. 1 at The Fountains in Carmel, Ind.

Mannies, who serves as Ball State’s play-by-play announcer for both football and men’s basketball, has broadcast over 5,300 Ball State and high school games and logged over 35,000 hours behind the microphone. He began broadcasting Ball State games while a freshman at the university. He received his bachelor’s degree from Ball State in 1960 and his master’s from the university in 1964.

In addition, the Mannies family established the Morry E. Mannies Sportscasting Scholarship in the summer of 2007. The scholarship, which was established by Mannies and his children Julie and Jeff, benefits Ball State juniors or seniors majoring in telecommunications who have a declared interest in sportscasting, have acquired sportscasting experience at Ball State and have high academic achievements as a student.

Mannies is a three-time winner of the Indiana Sportscaster of the Year Award and is a three-time recipient of the Mid-American Conference Sportscaster of the Year honor. He has been inducted into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame, the MAC Hall of Fame, the Delaware County Hall of Fame and the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame. Mannies was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame as its Silver Medal Award recipient in 2002.

A recipient of the Ball State University Alumni Association Beneficence Award in 1985, Mannies was awarded the Alumni Association’s highest honor when he received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005.

Mannies will be inducted into the Hall of Fame along with 1968 Ball State alum Tom Cochrun, who served as the main anchor at WTHR-TV in Indianapolis from 1986-95, and was news director at WISH-TV in Indianapolis from 2003-06. Also being inducted in October are Dick Baldwin, David Goodnow, Jimmy Mack and Anne Ryder.

Mannies has closed every Ball State broadcast for the past 53 years with his patented saying, “Good Night and Good Sports”.

Love him or hate him, the guy IS Ball State sports. Instantly recognizable, by sweater or voice, Mannies was cut from the same cloth as many of the best sportscasters of his day and time.

I've been fortunate enough to follow two programs with absolute legends at the microphone. For Kentucky, it was Cawood Ledford. And Ball State's Ledford is Morry Mannies. Two men who were both simply outstanding at what they did and let their passion for their respective games and schools bleed through the speakers one syllable at a time.

In a time when the sports media landscape is dominated by those who simply talk longer or louder than everyone else, who fling opinion and vitriol until something resonates, it's nice to see broadcasting bodies honor those who simply did exactly what they were called to do without going overboard and doing it better than most anyone else. Congrats to Morry!

Some Love for Nate

2009-05-12T08:13:00.003-04:00

While it was a bit of a surprise who he went to and when, Nate Davis continues to bring it with the San Francisco 49ers. Despite sitting on a depth chart staring at the backsides of Shaun Hill and Alex Smith, Davis is impressing those that matter and some that don't with his arm strength, accuracy, and general awesomeness. Says Samuel Lam of MVN...

Even though this off-season's quarterback battle will mainly feature Alex Smith and Shaun Hill, would you believe that the quarterback that will benefit most from this could be Nate Davis?

The rookie quarterback out of Ball State was drafted in the fifth round and could be projected to be the team's third string quarterback. He even could end up as the fourth stringer behind veteran Damon Huard.

But how can he benefit from a battle that doesn't even involve him?

Now, the 49ers would be fools to not name Shaun Hill their starter for the 2009 season. Everything that has gone right for Hill has gone accordingly and he should be rewarded with the starting role. With an impressive 7-2 record as a starter, Hill does give the 49ers the best shot to win.

But let's say that Hill does get the #1 spot on the depth chart. Who would be #2? You would think Alex Smith will take that spot, but Davis could be a solid challenge to Smith.

Smith is the pet project of the Mike Nolan era. With that #1 overall pick status looming over Smith, the "bust" word starts to creep closer and closer around 49ers camp. The 49ers surprised some by restructuring Smith's contract to keep him around. But if he does not perform well, he should not be rewarded the #2 spot. If Davis does play better, Smith's career in San Francisco might as well be over.

Smith says that he has fully recovered from off-season shoulder surgery and would be ready to handle the upcoming battle for the starting job. But with a lot of uncertainty behind Smith, Davis would probably benefit from the battle for the #2 spot on the depth chart.

Davis has been criticized for having an unorthodox way of gripping the football. But that shouldn't take away his ability to throw the ball deep and accurately. In fact, those are the skills that I have yet to see from Smith at the pro level.

Davis looks to have more upside (and more potential) at this point than Smith does. If Davis outperforms Smith this off-season, the 49ers should not hold onto Smith as the future of the franchise. They need to let it go and move on.

Dyslexia, the learning disability that Davis has, should not be a problem for Davis as he learns the playbook. He has said that he is a great visual learner and as long as he is able to visualize the play and picture it, he will be just fine on the field.

And as Davis continues to battle for a position on the roster, he might just be good enough to make it to #2. He probably won't win the top spot, but could very well set himself for a bright future if he can show his goods in training camp. And over recent years, backup quarterbacks have excelled when the team's starter is unable to perform. In recent memory, we can find a Tony Romo or a Matt Cassel quietly taking notes as a backup. When their time came, they never looked back.

While Nate himself has said it isn't dyslexia, the point is noted. From all evidence available, Alex Smith simply isn't a serviceable starter in the NFL. Bust or not, a term which is thrown around far too frequently, it's simply a matter of economics.

Davis, as the piece suggests, brings something Smith doesn't. He brings hope. He brings optimism. He brings an unknown. Because the Alex Smith known, isn't very good. Keep it up, Nate.

Mailbag... Engage

2009-05-11T15:00:00.003-04:00

It's that time, once again, for happy fun mail time here at OTP. Get your queries, questions, and conundrums in about the Cardinals, the Wildcats, sports, or life in general. Because really, it's cheaper than therapy, more entertaining, and Edge and RV like to help people. Drop your questions, serious and otherwise for Tuesday's mailbag to OverThePylon @ gmail.com or leave it as a comment on this post. Do it for the bunda below. She needs your mail...

Rich Brooks' Offseason

2009-05-11T14:21:00.004-04:00

It must be exceptionally difficult for a football guy like Kentucky head coach Rich Brooks in these trying dull offseason months. Here's a man who was inches away from getting run out of town by an angry mob just a few years ago. So I would imagine part of him would rather it be quiet as opposed to not. And "quiet" from all accounts is exactly what Brooks' offseason has been.

UK released a statement this weekend that Rich Brooks took some time out of his day to visit with Wildcat Superfan Jim Brown, who turned 90 years young and seen in the photo above, and who also hasn't missed a Wildcat home game since 1938, save for when he was in World War II. From the release...

University of Kentucky football superfan Jim Brown turned 90 years old recently. Brown’s family held a surprise party for him, and Wildcat Coach Rich Brooks was one of the guests who congratulated the dedicated UK fan on his milestone.

“That was a complete surprise,” Brown said. “I thought we were just going out to dinner. Mary Anne (Brown’s wife) said my children and their spouses would be there and when we arrived there were 90 people, including Coach Brooks! He stopped by on his way to his radio show and was so accommodating.”

Chalk another moment up where Brooks just does something good. Love him or hate him, and I suspect that many who were in the latter camp at one point or another are now in the former, the guy is simply a class act. Wins and losses aside, and there have been plenty of both, the football program will be losing a good coach and better man whenever Brooks decides it's time to hang it up.

And you may ask yourself, aside from birthday parties and liquor bottle signings at Keeneland, how Brooks is spending his time. Let's check out his Twitter page...

2:16pm 5/11/09: Just gave Jeremy Jarmon a fly casting lesson. He got a fly rod for his graduation this weekend. He actually did pretty well with it.

11:10 am 5/8/09: Planted some tomatos yesterday and can't wait for them to start. I love fresh tomatos.

Tomatoes and fly casting. Awesome. Rich Brooks... decidedly not bullshit.

GMAC Bowl Drops CUSA, Adds ACC

2009-05-11T08:32:00.004-04:00

From all accounts and reports, the quickest way to find financial ruin is to receive an invite and play in Boise, ID at the Humanitarian Bowl. When Ball State was debating whether or not it would be wise to play in that game, the main reason I opposed it was the money involved. For the ACC, that won't be a trouble spot any longer.

On Friday, the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, where Ball State met Tulsa last season, announced that the ACC #9 will be the participant against a MAC foe, meaning get your popcorn ready for Buffalo-Maryland! Huzzah! And yes, that's sarcasm. The Humanitarian Bowl will no longer be a pre-determined destination for an ACC Bowl eligible team.

The GMAC Bowl, along with the other lower tier Bowl Games, all sort of fall into the same bucket of who cares. It's great for the program, great for the players, and certainly great for those of us who need our football fix in the winter. However, in much the same way that they give trophies in Little League to everyone, this is a much larger problem with having too many Bowl Games to begin with.

Name me any other sport where over 50% of the teams in competition go to post season play. For the NCAA Basketball tournament, it's 64 out of roughly 300. Last year, we wrote in this space of Kentucky's trip to the Liberty Bowl. A Kentucky team that finished 6-6 with a win over a 1-AA school. That's Bowl worthy? Hardly.

This is good news in some respects, though, as the MAC now has an opportunity to at least play and potentially beat a BCS conference opponent. So congrats, I guess, to the GMAC Bowl and the ACC.

Sam Keller... Entry #1 for Sports Douche of the Year

2009-05-08T15:30:00.001-04:00

It may come as a surprise to some of the OTP faithful that gaming in the ancient times of Sega Genesis or worse, the original Nintendo didn't come with any sort of fancy appointments. In fact, looking back, most of us were suckers to continue to waste valuable allowance or precious real estate on our Christmas Lists for sports titles that would force you to play as QB8 or WR88.

It was a slow transition to the names showing up in professional sports, and even then there were a few random holdouts. Randall Cunningham springs immediately to mind as someone who was always not included. You sort of knew who it was, but it was still minorly frustrating. As next-generation consoles, titles, and franchises like Madden, or the NCAA series began to really become a major player in the gaming world, the need for authenticity and realism grew with it.

What began as someone spending a couple hours doing the team they were playing with (guilty as charged) blossomed into full fledged roster creators who would spend days editing depth charts, appearances, equipment, and ratings for all 100 or so Division 1-A teams. A roster community quickly flourished and now it's as easy as downloading something via XBOX Live or PlayStation's network. All ridiculously simple, all made that way because of the developers (EA Sports) wish to have the game be as realistic as possible.

The reason EA cannot simply do it themselves is because of amateur athletes and their inability to receive likeness rights, etc. It would violate their ability to play the sport for which they are being featured. An interesting twist of irony, and apparently a real point of contention for former Arizona State and Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller, who in true American fashion, is suing EA Sports.

I am no legal mind, and as such, will leave the legal merits or lack thereof to one Clay Travis...

But here's a legal dilemma for you, the NCAA doesn't allow athletes to make money off their sport. That's why the fig-leaf of not using the player's names exists in the first place. Earlier this week I wrote about how ludicrous the jersey issue was. Namely that the universities and their sponsors make so much money off the players by not putting their names on the back. So procedurally how could a player ever collect and retain his eligibility?

Think about this, say EA pays out $20 million to settle the lawsuit. There are 4k or so players on every game. Each of them is entitled to payment for the appropriation of their likeness. Only the NCAA forbids the use of their images for commercial gain. So they've won a settlement (a judgment could happen too but there's no way a case like this ever goes to trial), but they can't collect if they want to keep playing college football.

How ridiculous would that be? Even if the payments went to the players after they graduated, they'd be retroactively rewarded for their payment. Which is still illegal, because they're being paid for something they did while playing the sport. So the entire NCAA record book would have to be wiped clean because every player accepted improper benefits.

Yeah... he's good.

The alternative solution would be to randomize rosters. DO NOT WANT. Granted, the roster community would fix it all, but it's wasted effort and a fix for something that isn't really a problem. Keller's attorney says, "[Keller is] not interested in getting compensated for himself. He just didn't think it appropriate that, given that the NCAA says you can't profit from your likeness ... they do the wink and the nod when EA Sports presents them with the game, which has the likeness of the player."

My, my, Sam... how altruistic of you. I'm sure the fact that no one can get paid for this lest they vacate their eligibility, record books would become moot, etc. matters not to you. You're fighting the good fight. The fight that no one was complaining about before you sauntered into the video game world and proceeded to piss all over our parade. Am I right in thinking that should EA Sports decide to compensate you that you would give it all back? No? Ok... didn't think so.

I mean, while we're fighting the altruistic good fight, let's ignore some things, shall we, and just focus on those pesky video games. Nevermind the fact that colleges, universities, and conferences make millions of dollars hand over fist on the work, sweat, and injuries of NCAA athletes. Pay no mind to the glaringly obvious problem with a tournament that generates billions of dollars of revenue to schools that the kids who play in don't see a dime of. Having never played division one athletics, I can only assume how it would feel to see a likeness of me in a video game. And the answer is more "Totally kick ass" than "Sue those greedy bastards". Besides, the argument could be made, albeit flimsily, that players already receive compensation... in terms of a zero balance tuition and room and board, but let's not open up that giant can of worms.

So consider Keller, in all his douchetacular wonderment, entrant #1 for the 2009 Sports Douche of the Year.

Matthew Page Hates Somali Pirates

2009-05-08T14:00:00.001-04:00

Matthew Page Hates Somali Pirates

What up world! This your boy, Matthew Page. My friends call me MP and my enemies call me nothin'... cause they dead.

I think it's a damn shame that people can't even cruise the world's oceans without some ignorant pirates messin' shit up for all of us. That shit isn't even remotely copacetic. Driving around in your little rowboat, climbin' on ships, makin' a mess of the international aquatic laws of justice. Didn't your pirate mothers teach you all any better?

I mean really... who the fuck carries a rocket launcher around? Overkill, much? No one takes a machete and trims their pubes. Life, like terrorism, is about finesse, gents. And more importantly, what do you do with it when you aren't being a raging bowl of dicks to pretty much the rest of the entire universe. That shit's not cool, man.

I know one thing. Those pirates on the news sure didn't look like any pirates I've ever seen. Big ass rifles, nappy ass clothes, and a real shit attitude. If those guys were on the Disney ride I went on, I would have jumped out the boat and beat their bitch asses with their bandanas. Book that. And I was only 7. Granted, I was 6-5 and weighed 327, but still...

I hate those Somali pirates, man. They're trying to hijack cruise ships, now. Cruise ships!!! Do you know what a bad thing that is? One minute you're chillin' on the deck, looking at a big pair of MILF bags, eyeing the buffet or the towel swan placed on your pillow, and the next thing you know some raging asshole drops a turd in your ocean party punch bowl. Have some respect for the ice sculptures you insensitive bitches.

And what's worse is you give these douches air time. These dickbags are on the news demanding this, saying that. 4 Navy Seals, four loud pops, and now you ain't sayin' shit. USA... we shoot like we mean it.

So while the SEALs keep all of you pirates busy, know this. 4 years goes by quick. And it won't be long till Matthew Page brings the pain train straight to Somalia. Express, bitches.

MP... USA... WE OUT! BACON!!!

Ball State's Acadmic Progress Report

2009-05-08T10:00:00.001-04:00

In the latest Academic Progress Rate Report issued by the NCAA, Ball State University student-athletes in 18 of the school’s 19 intercollegiate athletic programs graded out better than the necessary 925 score, and 11 of the sports programs were at or above the national average for all NCAA Division I institutions.

The APR data submitted by schools across the country is for the 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 academic years. The data is a four-year average, and any score below 925 is subject to penalties from the NCAA.

Ball State’s men’s basketball program scored an 873 on the APR and as a result will be limited to awarding 11 athletic scholarship renewals for the 2009-10 academic year.

“The Ball State athletics program has a rich tradition in excelling in academics and athletics,” Ball State athletics director Tom Collins says. “We have consistently been among the highest rated institutions in the Mid-American Conference in regards to APR and graduation rates. Our men’s basketball program from the 2004 to 2007 seasons underwent some coaching changes and a number of student-athletes transferred for a variety of reasons, causing the team’s APR to fall below the required 925 score. Our current coaching staff has stabilized the program, and as always, academics is a top priority. We are excited about the academic success of our student-athletes and look forward to improvement among the men’s basketball team as we move forward in 2009-10.”

In 2007-08, Ball State’s 420 student-athletes tallied a 3.024 cumulative grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale and finished second among the Mid-American Conference’s 13 schools for the league’s Academic Achievement Award. Since the 1973-74 season, Ball State student-athletes have garnered ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors 93 times, which ranks 23rd in the nation among all schools in the history of the Academic All-America program, which is conducted by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

“Our coaching staff has laid a strong foundation for our program over the past two years rooted in four traits – character, commitment, mental toughness and dedication,” Ball State head men’s basketball coach Billy Taylor says. “We have made great strides both on and off the court having graduated all four seniors this year and having all five freshmen honored at the President’s 3.0 Scholar-Athlete Luncheon. We are focused on our future and will continue to develop quality young men throughout our program.”

Below are the scores of all 19 of Ball State’s intercollegiate athletics programs along with the national average for all NCAA Division I institutions:

BSU Team - (Nat. Avg.) - Team APR Score
Women’s Gymnastics - (983)- * 995
Men’s Golf - (963) - * 994
Women’s Basketball - (962) - * 990
Women’s Swimming - (979) - * 990
Men’s Tennis - (964) - * 987
Men’s Swimming - (967) - * 987
Women’s Soccer - (973) - * 986
Women’s Indoor Track - (965) - * 982
Women’s Outdoor Track - (966) - * 982
Field Hockey - (985) - 978
Women’s Golf - (976) - * 976
Women’s Cross Country - (971) - * 975
Women’s Volleyball - (972) - * 974
Men’s Volleyball - (971) - * 972
Softball - (968) - 962
Women’s Tennis - (974) - 961
Football - (939) - * 944
Baseball - (946) - 939
Men’s Basketball - (933) - 873
* Denotes team score higher than the national average

So what's this all tell us? For starters, it tells us that Ronnie Thompson continues to give little parting gifts to the Cardinals, this time in the form of two lost scholarships. Ones that can be returned pending improvement in the basketball APR. Thankfully, mercifully, this appears to be the last little remnant of the Thompson administration, and thankfully, it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Offseason Roundtable #6

2009-05-08T07:30:00.001-04:00

Coaches Poll Contemplates Doing Exact Opposite of Sensible

2009-05-07T12:30:00.003-04:00

Disclaimer... This is not another BCS rant. That lifeboat in the blogosphere, the S.S. Hate, long set sail from this port. OTP is against the "playoff" conversations, because it's just another half assed attempt to fix an unfixable inherently flawed situation. Ranting about the BCS is ridiculous, a waste of time and keystrokes, and is akin to bitching about the clouds. Complain all you want, it isn't going anywhere.

However, the components of that BCS are at bare minimum open for discussion, especially given what's at stake beyond a berth in the national title game. When Texas loses out on an opportunity to play for the Big 12, because computers and polls rank a team with an equal record, who Texas beat, ahead of the Longhorns, someone, somewhere has to look at how those numbers are computed. If staying within the current system is a given, and to me, it is, then the only viable solution is to ensure as much transparency, accountability, and reasonable thought/logic goes into the various components of said less-than-ideal current situation.

What doesn't even remotely compute within this conversation is the proposed shift in the Coaches Poll. The poll itself has undergone myriad changes over it's 59 year life span to get to its current spot in the football universe. The identities of those voting is not a secret, their votes are (with the exception of the final regular season ballot), and the participating coaches are required to put the BCS Championship Game winner #1 in their final ballot of the year.

On the table for the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), based upon a recommendation from Gallup, is a total shroud of mystery draped over the entire thing. Identities would be concealed, votes remain secret, and transparency would go from its current "sort of" to a marked "absolutely none". How can this be good for the sport? The simple answer is that it cannot.

The Coach's Poll, in and of itself, is a bit ridiculous to me. For one, you are asking a group of professionals who are totally focused only on their own team and their opponents in one week bursts to evaluate the play and performance of 119 others over the course of an entire season. That's asking a lot, unless you want them to pawn it off to an SID or an intern, which I wouldn't be surprised to see happen far more often than not.

Second, you're asking coaches to be non-biased. A great theory, but nearly impossible, given that these polls play into the BCS rankings, and therefore BCS selections, and therefore BCS paydays which are split amongst fellow conference schools. If I'm a head coach who can let my school potentially have another million bucks for voting conference mates ahead of others, you can bet your ass I'll do it. Anyone would. It's human nature.

So for the coaches poll to have any "credibility" to begin with, we, as fans, are asked to assume that coaches will be informed, participatory, and non-biased. And the only way to ensure that's happening is to ensure that the public can see exactly how these non-biased informed voters are voting. More transparency is the answer. More mystery, more cloak and dagger, more smoke and mirrors does nothing. It only serves as yet another way for the major conference powers to be territorial, possessive, and discriminatory while playing in their BCS sandbox.

But perhaps what is most troubling, and this to me is the crux of the argument against these proposed changes, is that this is just another little roadblock thrown up to prevent fans from getting too close. Watch, but not too close. Support, but not too close. Come, but not too close. Because when it all boils down to it, athletics in general, and specifically college football, it's the haves and the have nots. And this, like most decisions made, show all of us fans exactly where we are and where we're expected to stay.

Hill, Gerberry Sign Contracts, Brewster profiled

2009-05-07T08:21:00.002-04:00

Marking the fourth and fifth Cardinals from the 2008 departing class to sign NFL contracts, Dan Gerberry and Darius Hill both signed with a pro squad earlier this week. Hill, whom we reported a Bengals signee on Monday, a senior tight end for the Cardinals last year, was a 2008 All-MAC First Team selection after catching 40 passes for 670 yards and seven touchdowns. He also earned 2007 all-conference first team honors after receiving honorable mention in 2006. A 2007 John Mackey Award Semifinalist, Hill registered 65 catches for 926 yards with 11 TDs as a junior. He set the Ball State career record with 31 touchdown receptions and ranked third with 2,544 career pass receiving yards. Hill's 157 career receptions ranks third on the Cardinals charts, while his four games of 100 or more yards receiving ties for sixth on Ball State's career chart.

Dan Gerberry has signed with the Detroit Lions after a rookie tryout last weekend. He will attend the Lions next mini-camp May 18. A senior center for the Cardinals in 2008, Gerberry was an All-Mid-American Conference First Team selection as a senior. He started all 14 games in 2008, and started all 50 games in his four year career. He was part of an offensive line which ranked first in the MAC and fourth in the nation for fewest sacks allowed at 1.0 per game. A 2008 team co-captain, Gerberry blocked for an offense which ranked 24th in the nation in passing with 258.0 yards per game and helped H-back MiQuale Lewi set a single-season rushing record with 1,736 yards. Gerberry also protected junior quarterback Nate Davis, who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League Draft, after passing for 9,233 yards and 74 touchdowns in his collegiate career.

Gerberry and Hill join Nate Davis (49ers), Robert Brewster (Cowboys), and Andre Ramsey (Seahawks) as Cardinals on a squad at least for now. It is expected that punter Chris Miller will make #6 once opening day hits. Miller hasn't signed a contract yet, though he has auditioned for at least one squad.

The aforementioned Robert Brewster was profiled yesterday in the Dallas Morning News, and you can check that out here. Some cool video of Robert, as well as his strengths, weaknesses, fit for the Cowboys, and some quotes about him from the Cowboys OL coach.

2008 - By the Numbers

2009-05-06T07:30:00.016-04:00

Numbers don't lie. They can deceive, but they sure as hell don't lie. We started a project a few weeks ago to analyze all 119 FBS teams' performances. What we found was both expected and, frankly, surprising in some cases. We checked and rechecked the work, and we've finally come up with the most statistically balanced teams of 2008.

Before we get into the big reveal, we should establish some parameters. All teams were analyzed based on 17 statistical categories (all based on season-end stats from the NCAA). These 17 categories range from offensive rankings to defensive rankings to special teams rankings. We set each ranking equal in weight to all the other rankings for each team. Thus, "Total Offense" means as much as "Net Punting".

Now, you'll probably notice that "Strength of Schedule" isn't included in this analysis. We volleyed this back and forth for some time and decided it wasn't needed in this case. Rankings are rankings, like it or not. For example, Navy would still have probably had the best rushing statistics ranking if they had a slightly tougher schedule. Plus, most "Strength of Schedule" indices aren't 100% objective. Again, our analysis is what it is - there's no subjectivity in the stats used to determine these rankings.

The ultimate goal of this research was to establish the best statistically balanced teams. It's obvious that these top teams were the best-coached all around, and their performances were consistent week in and week out. Oddly enough, some top teams lost as much as five games, but statistically, they were a sound team against their given competition. Basically, "on paper", these teams were the best of 2008.

The OTP Top 25 Statistically-Ranked Teams:

1) Penn State (11-2, average stat rank - 19.0588). Note: In only two categories were they ranked below 27th out of 119 (passing offense and punt returns). Impressive and obviously a well-balanced team.
2) Boise State (12-1, average stat rank - 19.2353). Note: While mediocre in rushing offense (54th) and kickoff returns (47th), they excelled in defensive passing efficiency (2nd) and scoring defense (3rd).
3) Florida (13-1, average stat rank - 20.7059). Note: Surprisingly a mediocre passing offense (61st) and a near-abysmal tackles for loss rank (88th). Excellent in defensive passing efficiency (3rd) and turnover margin(2nd).
4) USC (12-1, average stat rank - 21.2353). Note: Killer defensive passing efficiency, scoring defense, and passing defense (1st). Net punting (98th) and punt return (73rd) hurt.
5) TCU (11-2, average stat rank - 21.7059). Note: Great rush defense and total defense (2nd), mediocre passing offense (72nd) and poor net punting (87th).
6) Oklahoma (12-2, average stat rank - 29.0588). Note: The most Top 3 rankings of any team in 2008 with 6 categories in the top three. Net punting (85th) and passing defense (99th) need some work in 2009.
7) Troy (8-5, average stat rank - 29.9412) . Note: Yes, we're surprised by this one too. Sacks (3rd), tackles for loss (4th), and sacks allowed (4th) saved Troy from being a 30-40th ranked team in our analysis.
8) Texas (12-1, average stat rank - 31.7647). Note: Great numbers offensively with five top ten rankings. But rushing offense (41st), punt returns (75th) and passing defense (104th) were surprisingly bad for Texas.
9) Utah (13-0, average stat rank - 32.6471) . Note: Broke the top ten in one category: turnover margin (10th). Still a statistically-sound team with a lot of numbers ranging from 11-35. Punt returns (96th) knocked the average down.
10) Mississippi (9-4, average stat rank - 32.7647) . Note: Great rushing defense stats along with sacks and tackles for loss, but poor passing defense. Offensively, a high-20s team.
11) Ball State (12-2, average stat rank - 33.1176) . Note: Offensive line was great - 4th in sacks allowed. Total offense rank of 17 and punt return ranking of 5 helped quite a bit. But the rush defense (84th) and total defense (69th) kept Ball State from the top ten.
12) Oregon State (9-4, average stat rank - 36.1765). Note: Great sacks rank and tackles for loss (4th). Better-than-average offense with rankings in the mid-30s.
13) California (9-4, average stat rank - 36.5882). Note: Terrible passing offense (83rd), but defensive passing efficiency (6th) and turnover margin (7th) worked in their favor.
14) Florida State (9-4, average stat rank - 37.3529). Note: #1 in tackles for loss and 4th in sacks, offset by an 82 in passing offense and 86 in passing efficiency.
15) Georgia (10-3, average stat rank - 37.4706). Note: Pretty bland all around, but a good passing offense (16th) and punt returns (4th).
16) Arizona (8-5, average stat rank - 39.4118). Note: Needs some help with kickoff returns (105th), but other than that, most stats fell into the top 50.
17) Ohio State (10-3, average stat rank - 39.7647). Note: Conference champion aside, this team blew when it came to passing offense (105th) and kickoff returns (108th). Mayday, mayday!
18) Oregon (10-3, average stat rank - 40.4118). Note: Stellar offense led by rushing (2nd). Secondary may need some help with a 111 for pass defense. Top ten in sacks (8th) and tackles for loss (4th).
19) Cincinnati (11-3, average stat rank - 40.5294). Note: Net punting? Yes, they were the best. But a turnover margin of 93, and a rushing offense of 95 weighed down most of the better rankings like sacks (9th) and rushing defense (19th).
20) Alabama (12-2, average stat rank - 41.2353). Note: Saban did his job with the defense with a rushing defense of 2 and a total defense of 3. But that offense needs a spark, especially the passing (97th).
21) Rutgers (8-5, average stat rank - 42.2353). Note: A wholesomely bland showing, but a passing offense of 18 and scoring defense of 19 show promise.
22) South Florida (8-5, average stat rank - 43.1765). Note: Top 10 in rushing defense and total defense, but working on th turnover margin (97th) will help South Florida crack that top 15 for sure.
23) Iowa (9-4, average stat rank - 43.4706). Note: Mostly respectable defensive ranks only hurt by sacks (96th) and passing offense (90th).
24) Oklahoma State (9-4, average stat rank - 43.6471). Note: Their offense played like men (see what I did there?). Offensively a top ten team in all but passing offense (38th), but get that defensive coordinator a hot seat - 93rd in total defense, 109th in passing defense, and 107th in sacks. Goo.
25) Missouri (10-4, average stat rank - 43.7647). Note: Great offensive numbers aside from rushing offense (52nd), but being the 3rd worst team in passing defense and 98th in total defense didn't do Missouri many favors.

Notable teams: Tulsa 29, Texas Tech 31, Northern Illinois 38, Kentucky 40, Tennessee 46, Notre Dame 48, Eastern Michigan 55, Central Michigan 56, Rice 79, Buffalo 86, Michigan 90, Louisville 96, Indiana 100, Syracuse 113, Washington 119

RV: Ahh, statistical analysis, my favorite. I have to say, this should be one of the more discussed posts in the offseason. While Troy being anywhere near this analysis is interesting, I feel that it makes sense if you try and break down why they would be up so high. Without looking at their roster or coaches, I'd say they had a ton of upperclassmen on both lines with coaches that have tons of experience. Now, this won't be true with everything but it is something we can use as the basis of conversation in a slow offseason. We don't mind distributing this list amongst friends, but please just ask. Edge put in a crapload of work and it'd be a shame for one of you heathens to steal it. And we fully expect you to try.

But seriously, I'm excited to sit down and see how the MAC teams all look in regards to their schedules and each other. Does anyone else agree that this is a great indicator of experience + coaching? I plan on using this analysis, along with The CFB Bible, to do a lot of preseason and in-season work. How else do you guys think we could use this?

OTP Mailbag: May 5th Edition

2009-05-05T07:00:00.006-04:00

Ask any dedicated blogger and they will tell you that the key to any successful site, regardless of the quality of the information, analysis, or writing, is the interaction of a fanbase, a readership, and those who waste their days here trolling for news, nuggets, and sheer awesomeness. It is for that interaction that we are proud to introduce our newest feature here at OTP... the Mailbag! The chance for you, our readers, to ask the guys who run this place their take on various things. Football, life, etc. The mailbag has bounced around a bit, but hopefully has found its home here on Tuesday mornings. Take it away, Mr. McFeely!

OTP Mailbag 5/5/09
Special delivery, bitches

Michigan is taking a ton of heat for opening with UMASS and Minnesota is getting applauded for playing teams like Texas and USC. What would you like to see Ball State do different with their scheduling?

Alan: Scheduling is one of those frustrating Catch 22's of the football world. You can't really get a lot of good teams on your schedule unless you are a hopelessly overmatched pushover or someone who themselves are equally good. The "mid-majors" or teams that have a good potential to knock someone off don't get those sort of offers. And you only get national attention and deemed "good" by the footballniks of the ESPNs if you get those games. Problem.

In my opinion, you should win the maximum amount of games possible. Every year. Whether those games were USC, Notre Dame, and Florida or Tennessee Martin, Northeast Maine Tech A & M, or Mexico Tantra College. What we're doing now is a solid play. One major opponent, two smaller opponents. The more important thing for BSU to do is start DOMINATING the MAC. I mean unmerciless asspoundings that leave people not only on the field but in the stands emotionally traumatized.

Edge: I'd personally like to see a Ball State team play at least 3 BCS schools every year. Not just IU either... some good schools. I think if we maintain the momentum we established last year, by 2012 it may be time to take some tougher teams to task. There's no reason we couldn't be thought of in the same light as a team like Boise State. We need to dominate the MAC, we need to win some big games, and we need more BCS teams in our schedule.

RV: Remember when Marshall was somewhat feared from the MAC? That happened because they played teams that didn't belong on their schedule. Playing Auburn is great for the team, regardless of the outcome, and we should continue to ramp up the schedule. The question here is would you rather be looking down the barrel at top 15 teams every year (very difficult to schedule, if even at all) to be able to test the mettle of your team or would you rather be Utah last year. I'll take the former. Nobody in the MAC scares you if you have a OOC schedule that includes Oklahoma, Oregon and Ohio State. But when you only play Army, Auburn and Alabama A&M you've done little to take a step in the right direction.

Alan: No one is going to remember the details of the awful weakened schedule BSU played last year. They are, however, going to remember we were 12-2. I would rather that they just remember the 12-0 part, but I'm sort of a dreamer.
Edge: Maybe not in 5 years, but I'm reminded of Northeastern quite frequently when talking about the 2008 season. And it's no secret the MAC is... well, using the term loosely, a mid-major conference.

How many games are we going to get BSU playing on tv next year?

Alan: The heart of the MAC schedule will be on ESPN or at least ESPN2 pending we don't shit the bed somewhere before. Central, Western, and Northern Illinois all might make the cut. The Auburn game will probably be available for ESPN Gameplan or on 360.c0m, but it's really hard to say. If you're hoping to catch New Hampshire or Auburn, I'd plunk down the 14 or so bucks a month for the All Access pass via the BSUSports webpage. Well worth the money.

Edge: It all comes down to the season we have. If we are running the table, I think by 6-0 or 7-0 we'll be regularly on TV for our weeknight games. Saturday games televised? Fuggitaboutit. Unless we're gunning for our 11th or 12th in a row.

RV: Who knows? We could end up getting regularly scheduled weeknight games because there aren't many other options. BSU will still be a story next year, albeit not as big of a story, and ESPN will try and sell anything to get viewers. We'll see how good the marketing department is this year.

Can Kelly Page really be as good as Nate Davis?

Alan: With time, perhaps. They always say you want to be the guy following the guy following a legend. But let's not forget that while good, Davis was far from amazing his first few starts. In fact, if I remember correctly there was a pretty large Facebook page bitching and moaning that Davis took the job over mid-season. That worked out fairly well for us, and it tells me that the coaching staff can work with youth and talent and mold them into something usable. And youth and talent pretty much sums up Kelly Page in a nutshell.

Edge: Maybe? We'll have to wait and see, it's way too early. Technically, he "can". But I don't know if he "will". Two very different things. Let's watch the spring and summer and see what develops.

RV: I think he can be better. It's impossible to try and predict how a player is going to react to his surroundings until you throw him out there. Page also has the distinction of knowing where the bar has been set. If he wants to be better than Nate, he knows exactly what to do.

How do you balance watching all of this football and still maintain a relationship? (if in fact, you do)

Alan: I'm fortunate enough to have found someone who can not only watch football and understand it, but is comfortable enough to sit and knit while I sit and yell. That helps. In fairness, we have a group of friends that enjoy football, and that makes it easier as well, in terms of planning events and such around the games of the week, which we would all be watching anyway. Having support in your passions helps, as I'm sure if I was dating someone that was all .edu with the "Football is stupid... let's go to this wine and cheese tasting party" I'd either break up with her, kill her, or cheat on her. Maybe not in that order.

Edge: A very patient Mrs. Edge helps a lot. Plus a little Miss Edge that can get her cartoons in before College Gameday. The key is the tradeoffs... for example, I did have to see "Twilight" recently, so I'm saving up all those types of experiences during the offseason to cash in for my football time this fall. I think I'm only up to week 5, so I have a lot of work to do yet.

RV: I'll let my girlfriend answer this for me. Becky? You still there? Oh no, I forgot. She's gone. I have a serious rule with relationships during football seasons, I am not to be bothered. If there is a game on, you're more than welcome to be involved. If I get nary a raised eyebrow at the excitement shown during a Tuesday night WAC matchup, you can find something else to do on the days that football is my life. If you find someone understanding enough, you can even spin it in the direction of 'this is my passion'. Some women actually fall for that.

Alan: Well, I can tell you that telling someone your passion is college football is a lot easier to sell than the fact that your passion is jerking off to weird anime midget porn. Not that I do that or know anyone who does. Much. Anymore.
Edge: Ladies - in case you missed it, RV is single. If you can all just line up on the left side of the room for your interview, that would be great... um, hello? Where are you going?
RV: Thanks for throwing me under the bus with the anime midget porn comment. Wait...what? No, I meant to say with the. I just meant that the...whatever, my exgirlfriend was smoking hot. I know how to out-kick my punt coverage when I want to.

Too early national championship picks?

Alan: Florida. And by how much, Paris? "Huuuuuuuuuge". As for the other team, a resounding who cares, as the SEC lays the justice down to whomever dares challenge it for its crystally football awesomeness.

Edge: If I had to pick today, it would be Florida. That can all change though if a key player gets hurt, gets busted with the ganj, or leaves it all for a celibate life in the Philippines performing circumcisions. So... I guess if all that happened, Florida may not win it all. Texas and Oklahoma will be the other contenders. And sorry Charlie, it's not the year of the Irish.

RV: It's never too early for national championship picks. This is why we do what we do, so we can make lavish claims that we will be scorned for throughout the year. My obvious pick is Texas. Colt McCoy goes fishing in his spare time and does other Texas-y things, so you have to root for him. Right? But truth be told, they return a ton of experience on the OL and Colt doesn't even need an offensive line in front of him with those twinkletoes of his. I'd like to plug the Fighting Irish as having a great chance at improving greatly, but unless they can get past USC in ridiculous fashion (see 38-3 pantsing or similar results in the past few years) they have no chance. Charlie has a few monkeys that he needs to get off his back, and this is the year for that to happen. There's no excuse with the amount of talent returning, but we all know how much that talent means when you get on the field. Is it August yet?

Alan: Just give in to it, Valle. It's ok to like the SEC. It's ok to admit that I'm right. And sexy. But mostly right. Though sexy as well.

Some Monday Morning Randomness

2009-05-04T09:50:00.002-04:00

Sports weekends like the last one don't come along very often. You had the NBA Playoffs, the Stanley Cup Playoffs, NASCAR, a championship boxing match, Tiger staging a Sunday come back, baseball season, and of course, the Kentucky Derby.

It's weekends like this where I long for fall more than ever before. The sort of Saturday ritual of College Gameday, some barbecuing, and watching football until my eyes bleed through the wee hours of the morning. It's routine. It's tradition. It's my autumn weekends, without fail. So as Sunday drew to a close and Monday morning dawned, there were quite a few nuggets to marinate on.

In perhaps the most tragic news of the weekend, the practice facility of the Dallas Cowboys collapsed amidst high winds and weather disturbances in the Dallas area. Important to readers of this blog, simply because it's a major sports happening, but former Ball Stater Robert Brewster was attending a minicamp for rookies when the accident happened. Doug Zaleski of the Star Press chatted with Brewster after the incident, and all is fine with Robert. The same cannot be said for Rich Behm, a scout, who ESPN has confirmed is paralyzed permanently from the waist down. Tragedy all around, though no one lost a life, and you can bet that the legal battle about who or what was responsible is nowhere close to ending.
In Nate Davis news, the young QB went through some work this weekend with the 49ers, and while he had some cramping issues on Friday, the weekend from all accounts went well for Davis. Matt Maiocco of the San Francisco Press Democrat had this recap from the minicamp action:
Rookie Nate Davis, recovered from his hamstring cramps of Friday, showed some nice zip on his passes. Niners outside linebacker Jay Moore made an incredible play when coming off the left side he jumped in the air to intercept Davis' pass at point-blank range. Davis hit a wide-open Spurlock in the middle of the field. He rifled a pass to Dobson Collins that Reggie Smith broke up nicely. He threw slightly behind Zeigler, who reached back to make the catch across the middle.
49ers head coach Mike Singletary had this to say in an interview with the 49ers website regarding the potential QB play of the 2009 season...
“It matters every day. Absolutely. And, no, I’m not leaving it to Jimmy and Mike [Johnson]. We’re on the same page. Every day we talk about, ‘What do you see? What’s happening? What were the conversations?’ Because for me, it’s that quarterback that when he steps in that huddle, magic happens. There’s something that wakes up everybody. Even the young kid who’s coming in: this is what the quarterback has to do. This is what the quarterback has to be. And Nate [Davis] understands that. It’s going to be very interesting, very exciting. I’m excited for Alex [Smith]. I’m excited for Shaun [Hill]. And that competition will continue to go forward but we’re on it everyday. Because as soon as we can, we do want to announce the starter so we can move forward.”
Darius Hill has finally landed somewhere, signing a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. Hill's agent alluded to the possibility of this happening, given that Darius was impressive in his minicamp tryout for the Bengals.
The Daily News profiled former Ball Stater BJ Hill before the draft. As it stands now, Hill has not signed any sort of free agent deal or attended minicamp for any team. His best shot appears to be the CFL, and there have been stranger trips to the league than going the CFL route. Trey Lewis also appears headed to the CFL, as he's been working out all over the place, with mutual reported interest from the Hamilton TigerCats.

Around the Blogosphere...

For the Derby buffs, or for people who I've incessantly bothered with the "You have to go to the Derby at least once" spiel, Spencer has a great piece on Sporting News that sort of captures the feelings of the day.
Rich Brooks has a Twitter now. Fabulous.
Herr Swindle at EDSBS covers the ridiculous congressional ~~circle jerk~~ hearing about the BCS.
The good Doctor shows us how Jimmy Buffett and the Miami Hurricanes may be heading for a marriage of sheer convenience.
Most Kentucky fans will tell you that the QB position this fall at Kentucky will dictate the amount of success on the field the Wildcats have. Good thing Ken at A Sea of Blue gives us this preview, then!
A long, but good read on the state of sports "media" mainstream and otherwise from the Joe Cribbs Car Wash... incidentally one of the best blogs around.

And a little music to sate your Monday thirst for all things awesome...

The More You Know...

2009-05-01T15:30:00.006-04:00

In an effort to both educate our readers, stump trivia buffs, and help Lane Kiffin remain gainfully employed, we at OTP will periodically select a few NCAA Division I Athletics compliance bylaws for our knowledge-seeking readers. Today's first lesson? High school all-star football games.

Bylaw 14.6 A student athlete shall be denied the first year of intercollegiate athletics competition if, following completion of high school eligibility in the student-athlete's sport and prior to the student-athlete's high school graduation, the student-athlete competes in more than two all-star football contests or two all-star basketball contests.

Interesting, huh? Show of hands... how many knew that? Today's second lesson concerns recruiting (some refer to this as "Chapter 4: Kelvin Samson Ruined This for Everyone"):

Bylaw 13.4.1.2 Electronically transmitted correspondence that may be sent to a prospective student-athlete (or the prospective student-athlete's parents or legal guardians) is limited to electronic email and facsimiles. All other forms of electronically transmitted correspondence (e.g., Instant Messenger, text messaging) are prohibited...

So, Lane, be very careful about Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Use those to show off pics of your new dog, your mood today, what you ate for dinner, or to express your feelings through someone's song lyrics. If I was your compliance officer I'd advise you avoid speaking one-on-one with anyone. Our last lesson: Utah - your proposed "championship" game against Florida wouldn't have been entirely legal.

Bylaw 17.11.8.2 A member institution shall not participate in any noncollegiate or nonconference-sponsored postseason football game unless it has been licensed by the Championships/Sports Management Cabinet...

There you have it. A nice hot injection of knowledge into your brain. Now, have a nice weekend, and be ready for more next week.

Matthew Page Hates Osama Bin Laden

2009-05-01T14:00:00.002-04:00

Matthew Page Hates Osama Bin Laden

What up world! This your boy, Matthew Page. My friends call me MP and my enemies call me nothin'... cause they dead.

Well, well, well. Looky what we have here. Osama bin Laden done come out his cave. First off all, you need a shower. That pubic beard of yours is RIPE, son. Seriously, bro. Like all jokes aside, it smells like a camel shit in your little hat there. Wooo... that is foul.

Oh and nice, watch, hombre. Is that a Casio? Sweet. I won't bag on you too much for wearing it on the inside of your wrist, though. I had a buddy that did that in high school. It always reminded him he was late for ballet practice. You know... cause I think he might have... oh hell... nevermind.

And the camo? Come on man. That shit ain't stylin'. Shit was hot when The U rocked it back in the 80s, but Luther Campbell and a white stretch limo of Cuban hos ain't anywhere close to that bombed out shithole you've been living in. And speaking of, why isn't the camo all grey like a rock? Ain't no trees or bushes in a cave, dumbshit.

This is the US, man. We talkin' bout life. We talkin' bout liberty. We talkin' bout the 99 cent value menu at McDonalds, man. You know what you could have fucked up by all that bullshit you pulled? You take away my dollar menu and you are a fuckin' dead man. No questions asked.

Seriously, though, man. I'm sure you think life is easy over in them caves. Rollin' around living the high life... stonin' bitches, blowin' up villages, raining down destruction on the Afghans, the Pakistans, the whateverstans. All the while releasing your little videos to the internet. Weak, dogg. First off all, get a better camera. As grainy and poorly lit as it was, I expected to see R. Kelly straight drenching some ho in the corner. Second, videos are so 1995, man. Drop that shit on the YouTubes!!!

Anyway, Osama, I want you to look into that picture above and realize in 4 years when I'm done pancaking my way through the MAC, I'm coming for you boy. Shit's about to get real, son!

MP... USA... WE OUT! GRAVY!