GMAC Bowl Drops CUSA, Adds ACC

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.

Humpday Quickies

All's quiet on the football front unless you live in Muncie, IN or Auburn, AL and your administration essentially just slipped a pinky finger fist in your backdoor when no one was looking. But at least Auburn has a coach... however craptastic he may be. I am optimistic that Ball State will be able to say the same in the next 48 hours. Off we go...

Ball State Quickies

• Stan Parrish, and to a larger extent, every Ball State fan, waits to see what will become of the head coach position at Ball State. Hoke has offered him a position at SDSU, Ball State athletic director Tom Collins seems hesitant to do the same. And now we play the waiting game.
• Nate Davis was named to Sports Illustrated's Honorable Mention All American team on Tuesday. Just think, Nate, one more year and you'll be up at the top. You should probably stay.
• Kent Sterling, ESPN Radio's Indianapolis program manager offers his perspective on the whole "Should Hoke Have Left?" debate.
• The North Carolina News & Observer names Nate Davis one of the 5 to watch for the Heisman next year. Congrats, Nate.
• The end of year honors banquet took place on Sunday. Awards, recognition, and such, can be found here.
  

Kentucky Quickies

• Like him or not, the success of this Kentucky team rests with Mike Hartline, who will be the starting QB for the Liberty Bowl.
• Nice little read about the recruits who have signed or who are still on the radar for the Kentucky staff, most recently, Dakatoh Tyler of Pike High School in Indianapolis.
• Bell County kicker Ryan Merrick was not offered a scholarship and is disappointed.
• Incoming Kentucky QB Morgan Newton, he of Carmel High School Greyhound fame, was named Indiana's Mr. Football.
• Trevard Lindley was named a third-team All-American by Phil Steele's College Football. Fantastic news for Lindley and the program.
• Interesting perspective from Braxton Kelley about the Liberty Bowl.
  

Everyone Else Quickies

• Syracuse has moved quickly and bypassed Turner Gill, Brady Hoke, and Skip Holtz for the Man-O-Awesome known as Doug Marrone, or the soon to be known as "Former Syracuse Coach". GetGrossOut, how do you feel? The answer... not pleased.
• Oklahoma stud DeMarco Murray will not be running roughshod over anyone in the BCS Title game, as he's out with a hamstring injury. Sort of ironic that Florida, who has been decimated by stupid ligaments and little pieces of flesh all year gets sweet tasty justice in the biggest game of the season.
• In more BCS Title news, Florida Blog Saurian Sagacity points out that Troy Smith won one of those little statues too and that didn't seem to matter much.
• In totally unbelievable news, more stories are surfacing about Auburn and their assistants who were canned while on recruiting trips. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in a living room when they got their calls.
• Iowa blog Black Heart Gold Pants offers some advice to Iowa State as to who they should hire. We can only hope BSU AD Tom Collins has sought out their services.
• Dan Hawkins suggests a new mantra for 2009... Ten Wins. No Excuses. I have a better one... 13 wins. 24 losses. Which is The Hawk's career record at CU.
• In The ACC Can Actually Sell Tickets department, North Carolina has sold its allotted 22,000 for its Car Care Bowl appearance against West Virginia. This was an actual increase from the original 12,500 allotted. No word if fans realize its a football game and not a basketball game.
• Joe Paterno just signed for three more years. Over/under not if he finishes, but how soon he keels over on the sideline.

Weekend Carnage Report

This was one of the more ho-hum weekends in college football, as evidenced by the lack of change in the Top 15 of the BCS. The season is winding down, and some teams are beginning to believe again while others are realizing that their season or in some cases, their career, might be over. Some good finishes were there for the finding for the truly dedicated, but this may have been a nice weekend to step outside, get some fresh air, and remind your loved ones that you do indeed care about more than an oblong ball and a set of uprights. (Of course, this isn't true, but loved ones are usually foolish, blinded by their feelings and emotions. This goodwill should last you at least through the conference championships, then you can buy enough Christmas gifts to allow you uninterrupted Bowl watching. Thank me later.) On to the weekend...

The Good

• Florida. As in really really good. I think most thought the South Carolina-Florida game would at least be fun to watch. Not so much. Florida jumped on the Gamecocks early, often, and impressively in route to a 56-6 shellacking. I said it in June, and I'll say it again here... this Florida team is the best in the country. And the National Championship is their's to lose.
• Utah. The Utes had to be hearing the whispers after an ugly win over TCU that they were a tad bit overrated. Coupled with the other non-BCS undefeateds and the Utes needed a statement win. They got it in the form of a 63-14 pounding of hapless San Diego State. Granted, SDSU is 1-10, but good teams blow bad teams out. A lesson some of the big boys and a few of the mid-majors would do well to remember.
• Maryland. In defeating 16th ranked North Carolina on Saturday, the Terps not only made their claim for the ACC Championship, but also defeated their 6th straight ranked opponent. If Ralph Friedgen could ever figure out how to beat the Middle Tennessee's of the world, the Terps would be amazing.
• Ball State. The Cards defeated Miami on Tuesday last for their first 10-0 start in school history. They drop three spots in the BCS, leapfrogged by TCU and BYU in the process as their reward. Up next for the Cardinals will be Central Michigan on Wednesday, a game that should they win, will get the Cardinals some respect in the minds of the computers and the pollsters.
  

The Bad

• Syracuse/Greg Robinson. Alas, the love affair between Greg Robinson and Syracuse has come to a bitter bloody end after a 39-14 beating by UConn in the final home game of the 08 season. Robinson was 9-36 in his career and 3-25 in the Big East. In trying to find at least a little humor in this otherwise awful situation for Syracuse fans, Robinson won 2 of his 3 games against Louisville. Proving yet again that Louisville sucks.
• Washington. Remaining the only winless team in FBS, the Huskies now close the season against 1-10 Washington State and 6-4 Cal. If Ty is going to go out with a win, he would do well to beat Wazzu. At least they kept it semi-close against UCLA.
• Tulsa. Just a few short weeks ago, Tulsa was everyone's darling with thier glitzy high powered offense and head coach Todd Graham appearing on many short lists for vacancies. Looks like the Golden Hurricanes are petering out to be a minor rain storm as they get violated by Houston 70-30.
• Michigan. One of the most storied programs in history has its first 8-loss season after the 21-14 loss to Northwestern. Deep breaths, M fans... with Coach Rod it only gets better after the first season.
  

The Ugly

• LSU. The Tigers needed a 30-point fourth quarter to defeat the Troy Trojans 40-31. If you're good at math, that means they were trailing 31-10 when the 4th quarter began. That's simply inexcusable. It was a night game in Tiger Stadium for Christ's sake. A lot of folks are talking about how overrated the SEC is, and LSU is one of the many reasons why.
• Wake Forest/Florida State/North Carolina. Apparently, no one wants to win the ACC as all of the ranked teams in the conference got beat this weekend. At least Wake and UNC were on the road. The ACC Title and the accompanying BCS Bowl and $17 million payday is like a bad penny that no one wants. Do everyone a favor and just forfeit your auto-bid.
• The BCS. I know I'm biased. But Ball State wins their game, they are undefeated, and ahead of them in the BCS standings are a bunch of two-loss teams and right behind them is LSU. They were jumped by TCU and BYU, effectively ending their hopes of a BCS game. It's complete and utter bullshit, and I for one, am pissed. The major conferences created a shitty little sandbox and refuse to let anyone else in. There will be a post forthcoming about this, but I'm not happy right now.
  

OTP Helmet Stickers
From Alan:

• Shonn Greene, RB, Iowa: Greene gashed Purdue for 211 yards and 2 scores in the Hawkeyes victory over the Boilers. Javon Ringer gets a ton of press, but Greene is just as good if not better.
• Percy Harvin, WR, Florida: In a game ripe for stat building, Harvin took advantage of the South Carolina defense for 167 rushing yards and 2 TDs.
• MiQuale Lewis, RB, Ball State: In the win over Miami, Lewis hung 165 yards and 2 TDs on the Red Hawks while helping BSU to its firsts 10-0 start in school history. Lewis has quietly amassed some impressive stats this season, moving to 7th in the nation in yards per game.
  

Humpday Quickies

It's been a couple weeks since we've thrown up our Humpday Quickies, but here we are. It's the humpiest of days. Nothing really of note on the Cardinals that wasn't already covered, so we'll move ahead to the Wildcats who face Vandy this week. Is it winnable? Sure. Will they win? Who the hell knows. This Wildcat team is anyone's guess, as is Vandy, really. We're just as likely to see a 50-40 game as we are 17-10. We'll get to all that later in the week, but for now, here's what's happening...

Kentucky Quickies:

• The Spread is coming to Kentucky! Of course, not by choice, more so because of the rampant injury bug going around.
• Mark Story says regardless of Rich Brooks' steady assertion that they need a 7th win to get to a bowl, they're in.
• Brian Rickerd from The State Journal chats a bit about the "crossroads" that this Kentucky team is facing.
• Always entertaining TeamSpeedKills provides some humor with an SEC Coaches' Poker Game. Rich Brooks thinks its bullshit.
• As expected, DeMoreo Ford's career is over. But some hope in the coaching department. Good luck, DF.
• A Sea of Blue gives great insight and evaluation about the Cats offense and season. A must read.

Other Quickies:

• In case you're ever down here in College Park, MD visiting the OTP home office, beware large football players hanging out at Cornerstone Bar. They tend to instigate bar brawls and punch cops. Don't say you weren't warned.
• Joel at RockyTopTalk, who we link to often and read even more often, has made his case for Mike Leach to be the next head coach at Tennessee. When my UT friend asked me who I would hire when the story broke, Leach was the first and only name I gave him. If UT is smart, they will throw mountains of money to get this man to Knoxville.
• The BCS might be heading to ESPN, assuming Fox can't pony up the same sort of dough. Which they won't. So enjoy Mark May douching it up during the championship game.
• Tirico Suave brings the LOLs for Notre Dame fans and haters as the Irish and Coach Weis sort of struggle to find their way.
• Mike Leach is a helluva coach, and apparently a panic-inducer at the NASDAQ. No one said winning came cheap.
• West By God Virginia opines on their offensive ineptitude this season in humorous fashion.
• What's that Ron Zook? Jealous of Indiana stealing all the press by losing to a MidAmerican conference team. Twice. Ok... you're up.
• USC and Pete Carrol? Stoked. But not about that stupid BCS mind you.
  

Weekend Carnage Report

With Monday comes clarity about the season as we take stock of the weekly shake ups and shockers in college football. We had a relatively upset-free weekend of college football save for one big Nittany Lion loss. Other than that, the outcomes were fairly predictable. Exciting, but predictable.

The Good

• Texas Tech: The knock on Mike Leach's Red Raiders was that they couldn't play defense. Critics said there was no way that this team could bounce back against a Top 10 opponent after knocking off number 1. All Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree did was pound the Oklahoma State Cowboys 56-20 in Lubbock. Tech can solidify its place in the National Title hunt with a victory in two weeks against Oklahoma, but for now, it's great to be a Tech fan.
• Iowa: Effectively ending Penn State's title hopes, the Hawkeyes rallied for a game-winning field goal with one second remaining to beat the Nittany Lions. It would have been nice to see Joe Paterno go out on top... by getting crushed by a one-loss Florida team in the National Championship.
• Cincinnati: Quietly and effectively, the Bearcats under coach Brian Kelly are right in the running for a BCS berth. Sure, it's because they play in the Big East, but after an upset of West Virginia, the Bearcats control their own destiny.
• Michigan State/Oregon State: Similar to the Bearcats, color me shocked that Sparty and the Beavers controls their own fates for a BCS berth. Could we see an Oregon State/Michigan State Rose Bowl? Yawn.

The Bad

• Indiana/Purdue: These two Hoosier state public schools would do well to take a lesson from fellow in-stater Ball State. Combined, the Boilermakers and Hoosiers are 6-14. It's Purdue head coach Joe Tiller's final season, and I would wager it might be Bill Lynch's as well.
• Illinois: A loss to MAC member Western Michigan puts a nice exclamation point on a craptacular season for the Illini. At 5-5, with Northwestern and Ohio State remaining, it will be a struggle for Illinois to even reach Bowl Eligibility.
• Notre Dame: An ugly showing for the Irish on Saturday, as they were blanked by Boston College. It was BC's 6th straight win over ND, and showed the type of sloppy play that Irish fans were hoping to avoid this season. Winning a game while committing 5 turnovers is hard to do, and with ND's somewhat stagnant offense at times this year, perfection is a must.

The Ugly:

• Alabama: A win is a win, and while playing a road game against a Top 15 team is tough, Alabama tried every way in the world to lose this game. Bama finds ways to win, and that's impressive in its own right, but I have to believe their day is coming in the SEC Championship Game. Florida wins. And wins big.
  
• Utah: Sloppy was the order of the day when Utah took on TCU on Thursday. This battle of BCS busters came down to the wire, and when the dust cleared, Utah stood victorious. Is Utah a good team? Absolutely. Is Utah the 7th best team in the country as they are now ranked in the BCS? Absolutely not. Is Utah even the best BCS buster? Probably not.
  
• Tennessee: Wyoming. A 3-6 Wyoming. In Knoxville. My goodness.

OTP Helmet Stickers
From RV:

• Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech: This kid catches everything thrown his way and continued the ride for Texas Tech, regardless of his coach's affinity for Pirates. I hope this kid gets a chance to catch the ball on a team in the NFL that knows how to use him, because he's amazing.
• Beanie Wells, RB, Ohio State: Great game against an overrated Northwestern game, if he can stay healthy...OSU will continue to bore the shit out of me when I watch them.
• Nate F*ing Davis, QB, Ball State: Straight up nasty on Wednesday against a competent NIU defense. He showed off well for the orange bowl scouts in attendance and will do it again on national TV on Tuesday.
  

From Alan:

• Chris Williams, WR, New Mexico St.: Made the most of 7 catches with 220 yards and three TDs in a loss to Hawaii.
• Darren Evans, RB, Virginia Tech: Gashed the Maryland defense in a primetime Thursday game to the tune of 253 yards and a TD. That's a school record, folks.
• Mohamed Massaquoi, WR, Georgia: Rang up the vaunted Kentucky defense for 191 yards and a score in the Bulldogs 42-38 victory.
  

Humpday Quickies

We're back pulling double duty this week as Kentucky and Ball State gear up for a Saturday matinee. The Cats head down to Gainesville for a date with Florida, and BSU gears up for a Parent's Weekend blasty blast with Eastern Michigan. We'll have full previews of both games tomorrow, and this week's Blogpoll will be along shortly, but it's Humpday, and it's time for Quickies.

Ball State Quickies:

• Sports Illustrated, yes... that Sports Illustrated, has a great feature piece on the Cardinals, readable here.
  
• The South Bend Tribune says it isn't an easy road to the BCS for the Cardinals, but it is possible.
  
• A Kansas City columnist not named Jason Whitlock is singing the praises of Nate Davis, mentioning him as a potential fix, and only viable draft option, for the Chiefs offensive woes.
• A blogger from FanIQ lists his coaches on the hotseat, and not surprisingly, Bill Lynch is on there. His replacement nominee? Among others, Brady Hoke.
• Interesting read from the Van Wert Times Bulletin about Cards receiver Briggs Orsbon.
  

Kentucky Quickies:

• Kentucky jumps to 7th in this week's SEC Power Poll at GarnetandBlackAttack.
• Rich Brooks thinks some Cat fans leaving early is bullshit. As punishment, Papaw breaks out the offense and lets the Cats win a close one, just to show these young punks he means business.
  
• Fantastic read from Tru at A Sea of Blue about the resurgence of Kentucky football.
• Derrick Locke out for the season? Come on down, Alfonso Smith.
• Florida beat writer lets everyone know just how banged up Kentucky is.

Everyone Else:

• In addition to prepping for Kentucky, Tim Tebow says Colt McCoy is his Heisman front runner.
• Interesting read about fellow MAC brethren Northern Illinois and the rebuild that Coach Kill has engineered there. Kill won't be long for the MAC, and a bigger, better program has several fantastic MAC coaches to choose from.
• BlackHeartGoldPants has a nice little piece on how SIDs occasionally distort the truth.
• Biased I'm sure because I was at their last game against the Naval Academy, but Pitt looked exceptionally good. ESPN has a nice write up on their defense, which looked exceptional in defending the triple option.
• Also at the WorldWideLeader is the latest edition of Bowl Projections. Texas is a unanimous choice to play for the title.
• Cal throws their hat in the ring for the Fulmer Cup of 09, as two players were arrested for armed robbery.
• Ralph Friedgen, he of large-waisted Maryland fame, says what I've been saying for years... that adding conference games is a terrible terrible idea.
• A UT fan screaming for the head of Phil Fulmer. Not new... or surprising.
• Orson at EDSBS offers wedding advice to Casey Dick of Arkansas who is recently engaged.
  

Weekend Carnage Report

So the weekend wasn't the normal football infused bonanza that the folks here at OTP normally have, as since most of our key teams were idle, Edge, RV, and myself decided to make the significant others happy and crawl out from our Saturday football rocks. On a scale of Hugh Grant to Jack Bauer, there were varying degrees of awesome. Edge brought up the rear with his daughter's 2nd birthday party, RV spent the weekend with his family, and Alan saw some live football action at the Naval Academy vs. Pitt. But the football world didn't stop spinning. Here's what we, and perhaps you, missed along the way...

The Good:

• Texas being Texas. After a win against Oklahoma last week, the world declared Texas as good. After completely dominating Missouri, this team looks really good. The BCS this year is Texas' to lose. There. I said it.
• Penn State. Having said that about Texas, Penn State can make the case that they are just as talented and just as ready to blow your ass away. The table is set nicely for a Penn State waltz into the BCS championship game, but there's a rather large team of angry Buckeyes standing right in the middle of that stroll.
• USC. Yes, it was Washington State (see below) but this is the one-loss team that could very easily go the distance. USC-Texas would be a fabulous way to end the season.
• TCU. Completely dominated BYU, everyone's favorite Non-BCS team, on Thursday night. The 19 people watching on Versus were impressed.
  

The Bad:

• Alabama. Another week brings a confusing final from the Crimson Tide. A 4-point victory over Ole Miss is better than a loss, and even with the Houston Nutt phenomenon of making games close that shouldn't be, this is a disturbing trend shaking out about the Tide. After a near shocker against Kentucky, and now this, it makes me wonder if Bama is ready.
• Wake Forest/Virginia Tech. Just when it looks like two teams are ready to step up and be their conference's flag bearer in the national polls, both take the L. Wake drops one at Maryland (which given the Terps this season isn't surprising) and VA Tech drops one against BC.
• More injuries. It seems like every game I watch nowadays has something major happen. The lead stories on the ticker or the recaps are the alarming injuries to players across the country. Has the game's speed surpassed the available safety?
  

The Ugly:

• Washington State's psyche. 69-0. That's a ton of points. The Cougs have been outscored 137-13 in their last two games (Oregon State/USC) and they've given up 60+ 4 times this season. Saturday marked the first time in 280 games that the Cougars failed to score. Times are tough in Pullman, and it's only getting worse.
• Indiana. Saturday's loss to Illinois marked the Hoosiers' fifth straight loss this season. A team that many thought was an absolute lock for a bowl now sit at 2-5. The Hoosiers basically have to win them all to make a bowl, which would mean an upset of Penn State at Happy Valley.
• Cal. Once again the Bears get themselves ranked, then lose to a severely undermanned opponent. Underachieving is the flavor of the day for some teams out there, and this Cal team is one of them.

Helmet Stickers:
From RV:

• Michael Smith, RB, Arkansas - You get a much deserved helmet sticker for what has been called 'shredding' or 'beating the rat piss out' of the Kentucky defense. Much appreciated. Maybe if your head coach wasn't such a raging 'doosh' than there would've been more than 20 points scored in that game. But, 'dooshiness' won out.
• LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh - You seem to be finding your groove, proving that the 149 yards against Syracuse (108th) and 142 yards against South Florida (6th??) weren't just total anomalies. 156 yards against Navy (64th) was just enough for everyone to start believing that Pitt is coached by a different team.
• Jeshua Anderson, WR, Washington State - USC's vaunted defense didn't stop you from having 57 total yards on 7 touches. Paul Wulff, why aren't you getting the ball in this kid's hands more?
• Derek Anderson, QB, Cleveland - Normally we don't talk about the NFL here at OTP, but this bastard needs to be mentioned. Derek Anderson, you sir deserve a helmet sticker, applied directly to your dome by a nail gun. How can you be this horrible at a game you are paid to play professionally? This guy makes Rex Grossman look like Peyton Manning pre-snap. It's that bad...14-37 for 136 yards, 1 TD? 56 of those yards coming with 5 minutes left in the game? Two 1st quarter three and outs from the inside the Wash 46? You sir, are the ultimate 'doosh'.
  

From Alan:

• Colt McCoy, QB, Texas - In a nationally televised game, McCoy laid his claim to the Heisman, shredding Missouri to the tune of 29-32, 337 yards, 4 total TDs.
• Brian Brunner, QB, Central Michigan - Stepping in for the injured Dan Lefevour, Brunner guided the Chips to a much-needed victory over unbeaten in MAC play Western Michigan. Brunner's line? 20-28, 346 yards, TD. With Brunner and Lefevour at their disposal, CMU is a very dangerous team.
• Randall Cobb, WR, Kentucky - The true freshman that's so gifted athletically, he created a firestorm of controversy over whether or not he should be playing QB went for 5 catches, 73 yards, and 2 scores, both with under 6 minutes to go in the game. Also wore #12 in tribute to Dicky Lyons, Jr. who's football career ended last week with a knee injury.
  

Edge's Weekend Rock Solids

Roving OTP Muncie Bureau Chief Edge checks in today with his Rock Solids of the weekend. As usual, bringing you up to speed in the world of footbaw with a rock and roll twist. - Ed.

Edge's Weekend Rock Solids

Welcome to the first edition of Edge's "Rock Solids". In this post, three teams or players will get a shout-out from OTP's resident rocker. And for more for your entertainment dollar (or to waste more time when you should be working), I'll give you some runners-up and even some of the worst of the week.

This week's Rock Solids are:

1) Sam Bradford - QB, Oklahoma. You, my friend, are a Rock Solid. You threw for an OU record 468 yards and three touchdowns. This performance was all the sweeter given the loss last weekend to Texas. You bounced back and took it out on Kansas. At least be a gentleman and call them in the morning.

2) Maryland. Um, where ya guys been? We've barely noticed you all year, and you come out to play against a top-25 team (by the way, Ball State says thanks). It wouldn't be worth a mention here except for the fact that you not only won; you rocked. And your QB's dad was in Ratt, so you're pretty much honorary Rock Solids for the year.

3) The Wannstache. No, not the man to whom you belong - I'm talking directly to you, crumb-catcher. You're like the perfect wife. You've stuck with your man for better or worse... and worse... and worse... then a little better... then worse... Now you've helped your man go 5-1 this season, and you know it's because of your lip-service. You rock, my hairy hero.

Now for some runners-up: the "Stone Toughs". You had moments of rock genius, but you can do better.

1) Kentucky. Wasn't pretty guys, but you did it. Down 10 with less than 6 to go, I decide to stop looking to watch the Red Sox-Rays. Fifteen minutes later... well, you know the story. Thank you, Hogs. I don't care about the Cats, but after this week at the OTP-Muncie bureau, that win felt personal. So, thanks Hog fans, it was fun. See you anonymous guys next year. And for the record, as an outsider looking in, Petrino really is kind of a bitch.

2) Georgia Tech. Again, not pretty. Clemson is a team on the ropes. Granted, GA Tech isn't an upper-echelon team, but I expected more.

3) Alabama. See Georgia Tech. The sad thing is that you're an upper-echelon team, and your performance comes close to:

The "Michael Boltons". You do not rock. Not one bit. You should think about hanging it up... and soon.

1) Inoke Funaki - QB, Hawaii. I don't even think words can express how much you did not rock Friday. Five interceptions. God. Damnit. Moving on...

2) Washington St. You lost 69-0. Yes, it was USC you were up against, but sweet Jesus, at least get a field goal or something. Or play some defense. Or forfeit before it gets that bad. But 69-0? Do you send your players to a shrink after that kind of loss? Rape counseling?

3) Syracuse. Get used to it. You'll be a Michael Bolton until September.

Ralph Friedgen's Extra Large Hot Seat

If you had asked Maryland alums or fans entering the 2004 season about head coach Ralph Friedgen, most would have told you what a God in fat pants the man was turning out to be. Here was lowly Maryland, the team with one winning season and no bowl appearances in nearly 14 years. We're talking Duke bad.

Enter Friedgen through the room's wall (no confirmation of a loud "Oh yeah!!"), and all of a sudden, the Terps became relevant again. Three straight 10+ win seasons and an Orange Bowl appearance, to go along with a Gator Bowl and Peach Bowl bid, had the fans thinking that the love affair between The Fridge and his alma mater was a storybook romance ready to unfold. Metaphorically, and we hope that's all, Friedgen was making slow sweet love to the boosters, students, and fans, while getting them drunk on wins, bowl games, and Top 20 rankings.

Somewhere along the way, though, When Harry Met Sally turned into A Nightmare on Elm Street. Friedgen has never been awful. He isn't posting Al Groh type of seasons. Though he is getting beat by Al Groh, and that's the problem.

Maryland has always been good for an upset or two per year. Look at this year... the pouncing of Cal. Beating Clemson at Clemson (though not nearly as impressive as it normally would have been). Last season the Terps downed two Top 10 opponents in Rutgers and Boston College. In 2004, it was a defeat of #5 Florida State. All in all, an impressive resume on the good column.

Then there's the bad column. The befuddling sort of football that no sane man would even attempt to explain. If I hadn't watched dozens of these meltdowns in person, I would never believe it. Take 2008. A shutout against Virginia. A loss to Middle Tennessee State. 2007? A 6-7 finish despite upsetting 2 Top 10 teams. 2006? The Terps were outgained by every single 1-A opponent they played.

Is Friedgen on the hotseat? According to us and MS Paint, absolutely!

Everything's better when it's crudely illustrated

In reality, Friedgen and Phil Fulmer of Tennessee have a lot in common this season, aside from needing to shop at the local Big and Tall. They both are great coaches, who had great successes, and are failing to continue succeeding. Luckily for Fridge, but unluckily for Phil, the UT fanbase is a bit louder and the seat a bit hotter. Though the pants are significantly looser.

Humpday Quickies

Truthfully, aside from Tommy Bowden getting the old heave-ho in Clemson, it's sort of been a slow news week in terms of college football. The hype wagon hit fever pitch for last weekend, the OMG! BeSt wEekEnd Evur!!!! sort of feeling heading into Saturday. There is no Tuesday/Wednesday/Monday afternoon gameage for you to enjoy, and only 3 games before the Saturday slate. Slow news or not, here's what's shakin' on the Interwebs...

Ball State Quickies:

• Dante Love is set to return to Muncie after being released from his Indianapolis rehab center and spending some time at home in Cincinnati. Great news for a great person.
• Another Michigan fan spouting off how no one really wanted Brady Hoke and what a mediocre coach he is. I can only hope every other AD in the country thinks the same thing and Hoke stays in Muncie for the foreseeable future. The Michigan fan base amazes me at times, as the populations' difference between rational thought (see: Brian at MGoBlog) and psychopathic walking dumpster fire is seemingly razor thin.
  Why pay RichRod to wreck Michigan when this man can do it far cheaper?
• In other Hoke news, Kegeratornation insists Bill Lynch is as good as fired at IU, and lists Hoke as his potential replacement. I would be shocked if Lynch was fired, and even more so if Hoke took over.
• Ryan Wood, at the BSU Daily News, bemoans BSU's lack of commitment to the run game. Normally, the DN is a great newspaper with insightful commentary. As a former DN staffer, I should know. But this just doesn't make sense. Look at the stats, Ryan. This is the best rushing attack in recent memory.
• Graham Watson, she of ESPN mid-major coverage fame, says the Cardinals are the surprise team of 2008. She also says Hoke is the non-BCS Coach of the Year.
• Kevin Paul nominates MiQuale Lewis as an FBS running back no one is talking about... but should be.
  

Kentucky Quickies:

• In consolations are bullshit news, after meeting at midfield, Brooks said something to the effect of "Streak's still alive", Spurrier says something to him, Brooks walks away muttering, "Aw... bullshit". The Cats, and Brooks, have never beaten Spurrier. And like the old saying goes, when you can't beat 'em, swear at 'em. Check the video here. (At about the 19 seconds to go mark)
  Visors, you, and consolations... all bullshit
• In raging douchebag news, Bobby Petrino still is. Petrino says about UK fans, "I think they like me there." Riiiiight. And blonde white women still are ok around OJ.
  
• ESPN SEC blogger Chris Low still lists Kentucky as a team that will get to a Bowl Game in his midseason SEC Report. Suffice to say it's possible still, but this weekend's Arkansas game becomes epic for that to happen.
• Ken at A Sea of Blue breaks down the Kentucky-South Carolina game. I didn't get a chance to watch it, and it looks like I didn't miss much.
  
• T Kyle King at DawgSports picks not only the winner in the UK-Arkansas game this weekend, but also accuses Petrino of petty theft. Giggity giggity goo.
  

Everyone Else Quickies:

• The Tennessee OMG! RumORz over the should-we, shouldn't-we, maybe, maybe not, what's for dinner, Phil Fulmer firing are hitting record numbers. What shouldn't make Fulmer feel any more secure is when your Athletic Director announces a $7 million dollar surplus and (paraphrasing) that should a coaching change be needed, finances won't stand in the way. You know, should we need it. Which we don't. But if we do. Just saying.
• In "How About Some Sour Grapes" news... Clemson QB Cullen Harper on the firing of head coach Tommy Bowden: "It's what he deserved". After that statement, Harper then went to Bowden's house, kicked his puppy, keyed his car, left a flaming bag of dog shit on the porch, and made sweet sweet love to Tommy's wife. Impressive only in the fact that a Clemson offensive player finally found paydirt this season.
• Add alum and current NFLer Braylon Edwards to the aforementioned Michigan fans who are a little less than giddy under the new regime of Rich Rodriguez.
• Orson at EDSBS again points out why Texas Tech is entertaining as well as a good football team.
• Interesting perspective from Rakes of Mallow about the Notre Dame-North Carolina game.
• It's bad at Washington State. Real bad.
• How do you celebrate becoming the first MAC team to beat Michigan, Toledo? By starting a bar brawl, of course!!!
• DR. Darryl Gross and Greg Robinson continue to struggle at Syracuse, this time a near-miss against West Virginia. Which doesn't really count since Bill Stewart has driven the team into the ground in record time. Watching Greg Robinson and Bill Stewart coach against each other is a cripple fight of the highest order.
  
• Finally, in angry old man news, for anyone who missed Lou Holtz taking an argument on ESPN a little too seriously and in true old man fashion (see Rich Brooks above), ends by muttering obscenities as the cameras are still on.
  

Weekend Carnage Report

7 days ago in this very space, I wrote about how my bloodlust wasn't quite satiated after a weekend that saw no marquee teams defecate the bed. Ask and ye shall receive from the football Gods, as the Top 3 teams in last week's OTP Blogpoll took the L. Capped off with a Ball State win, putting the Cardinals at 7-0, and aside from Kentucky's loss to South Carolina, the weekend turned out just like I hoped it would: bloody, exciting, bloody, thrilling, bloody, and bloody. Giddy up...

The Good:

• Texas has, for the moment, silenced the critics of Mack Brown. This blog pointed out in August that is was ridiculous that Brown was always mentioned as an underachieving coach, and he showed why it was ridiculous this weekend in the Red River Rivalry. Incidentally, when did it stop being called the Red River Shootout?
• Florida has, for the moment, made everyone forget about their missed extra point induced loss at the hands of Ole Miss. They took LSU to the woodshed, and the Tigers looked overmatched, outgunned, and outplayed. Big win for Florida, bigger win for Tebow's Heisman chances, as a loss would have meant near disaster.
• The midmajors just keep on keepin' on. BYU, Ball State, Boise State, Utah all got the win as they continue their surprising seasons.
  

The Bad:

• Idle seems to be the only way to get ahead. Teams like Alabama, Virginia Tech, South Florida, and Cal all were able to benefit by their idle status. The difference between winning and simply not losing is razor thin.
• The smart schools got knocked down a peg this weekend, as Northwestern and Vanderbilt both took their first losses of the season. A great storyline, still, but there is an uphill road in front of both of them for any chance at a conference title.

The Ugly:

• Notre Dame's loss at North Carolina this weekend marked the first time a UNC team has beaten Notre Dame since 1960. While part of me understands this is a rebuilding process for Charlie Weis and co. in South Bend, other programs seem to be turning it around significantly quicker. On a scale of 1-10 of worry, I'm about a 5.
  
• Clemson gets beat by Wake Forest 12-7. Though ugly on the scoreboard, uglier in the sense that Clemson's season has hit rock bottom. A team thought to have national title hopes at the beginning of the year will have to battle to get to a bowl.
• Toledo does it's best App State impression and knocks off Michigan. The one Michigan fan I know didn't return my text message, but I can only imagine the love affair with Rich Rod might be coming to an end.
  

Helmet Stickers:
From RV:

• SEC Speed - wait, what's that? SEC speed strikes again! Florida just looked that much faster than their opponent that was from...wait...the SEC? Hmm, maybe it really is mythical.
• Juice Williams - 503 total yards of offense...ridiculous. Granted, it was all in a losing effort. To Minnesota, but this Juice is loose.
• Cam Sexton - While putting up below average stats against the Irish, he put together drives when he needed to and didn't make mistakes. Big win for NC, and hopefully a little shot in the arm for Cam. If Juice can do it, anyone can
  

From Alan:

• Nick Moore, WR, Toledo: 20 catches. 20. 162 yards also in the upset over Michigan. 20.
• Jordan Shipley, WR, Texas: 112 yards on 11 catches and one gigantic 96-yard return for a score in the upset of Oklahoma.
• Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida: 2 INTs, one of which was returned 52-yards for the score in win versus LSU.
  

Weekend Carnage Report

Frankly, a weekend where several Top 10 teams don't lose leaves me feeling a bit unsatisfied. Last weekend, the bloodlust meter was satiated beyond belief, but this Monday, something's missing... namely a Top 10 team to mock and chide for shatting all over the bed. The weekend ahead gives us hope, and a hunger. For sweet tasty upset blood. As for the weekend that was...

The Good

• The Big 12. These guys are good. Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, and Missouri are 4 fine football teams who simply go out and win. Don't miss the Red River Shootout next weekend. It's gonna be a doozy.
• USC. Proving again that losses of the puzzling variety are the anomaly and not the norm in SoCal. Carrol and company came out and laid the wood to a depleted Oregon team and staked their early claim to a one-loss championship game berth.
• Notre Dame. Finally got the passing game going. Clausen cuts his hair, Irish win two straight. Coincidence? I don't think so.
• Syracuse didn't lose this weekend! They had an off week... and beat the hell out of it.
  

The Bad

• Wins without style points. Vandy, Kansas, Utah, Alabama, and to a lesser extent Ohio State. OSU and Vandy get passes simply because of playing fellow Top 25 teams, but the others were expected to win and win big.
• UConn's special teams was absolutely horrendous in their loss to North Carolina. Tar Heel Bruce Carter blocked three punts... by himself. I'm no football coach, but putting a body or two on him may have been the right course of action.
  

The Ugly

• It was good while it lasted, South Florida. I admire the progress you've made as a program, admire the passion that Jim Leavitt coaches with, I admire the fact that you're competing against FSU, Miami, and Florida for recruits and getting it done. I do not admire a loss to Pitt on national tv. That loss may have saved the Wannstache, and for that, there is no excuse.
• Fresno State. Take your place back in the mid-major pack. An overtime loss against Hawaii is nothing to be extremely upset about, but it does render any sort of BCS busting from Fresno impossible.
• Maryland. This Terps team continues to confuse everyone. Wins against Cal and Clemson, losses against MTSU and Virginia. Ralph Friedgen's extra large seat is extra hot.
  

Helmet Stickers:
From RV:

• Notre Dame's Passing Attack: Everyone gets a non-existent sticker here. The OLine had another great game, the WRs are playing amazing and Jimmy has full command of the offense.
• Juice Williams: Just for the fact that you embarrassed Rich Rodriguez. Wonder if he realizes that no one in the NFL is going to want to try the spread offense? Take that back...maybe Al Davis.
• Smart Schools: Northwestern, Duke, ND, Stanford, Vanderbilt, etc. all are performing like real student-athletes. Well done
  

From Alan:

• Glen Coffee, RB, Alabama: 25 carries, 218 yds, TD in a win over Kentucky
• LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh: 28 carries, 142 yds, 2 TDs in Pitt's Thursday night upset special over #10 South Florida.
• Chris Crane, QB, Boston College: 34-51, 428 yards, 5 total TDs in their win over NC State.
  

Humpday Quickies

First of all, a big hand to RV who managed to be creative in my absence. 100 cocktails to you.

There won't be a Hoke-O-Meter or Wildcat Wrapup this week as I failed to see either game, but suffice to say that Brady Hoke is satisfied and happy at 5-0, and Rich Brooks thinks Nick Saban and his bags of money are bullshit but also is quite pleased at being undefeated, in the way that other angry old men are pleased that the neighborhood kids didn't step on his lawn this morning.

The Fighting Football Cardinals have a challenging test this weekend at Toledo and the Wildcats travel to Tuscaloosa to face the Crimson Tide. Who absolutely looked like not only a fantastic team against Georgia, but also a merciful one, letting the Dawgs think they had a shot in the second half.

As you get set for a busy week and games on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, here's the best of the interwebs to keep you occupied and thinking about the important things...

Ball State Quickies:

• Ryan Wood from the Ball State Daily News says the Cards need better run defense. While true, I'd like for Ryan to take a deep breath and realize that BSU is 5-0. It took them 3 years to win 5 games when I was there.
• More chatter amongst the Syracuse fans that Brady Hoke will be pursued. More chatter about how much he sucks. Syracuse fans are beginning to look like a dumpster fire, and quite frankly, I think its funny. Hoke may not have an impressive resume, but he's won 5 times as many games as Greg Robinson this year.
• Brandon over at Ball U Nation does a nice little recap on the win against Kent, if looking back is your thing. Or you know, you spent all weekend moving.
• Scott at the Insider site for BSU has a nice little write up on the ESPNU lovefest of the MAC and the Cards. You can check it out, as well as a video of Mike Gottfried hyah!!
  
• A fund has been established to help out Dante Love in his rehab efforts. If you can give, give. Love was a fantastic Cardinal, and an even more fantastic human being. #86 in your programs, #1 in your hearts.
  

Kentucky Quickies:

• A Sea of Blue gives a great analysis of the pending game against Bama. Incidentally, if you don't read ASoB you're missing out. Fantastic analysis and great writing. It's what the blogosphere was created for.
• Fabulous write up from the KSR guys about what it's going to take for the Wildcats to upset the Crimson Tide. hahahaha... Crimson Tide. You know... like... period.
• John Clay from the LHL gives a nice little recap of Coach Brooks' press conference luncheon. Mmmm... luncheon.
• Injuries continue to haunt the Cats. Should stigmata start to show up, I'm outtie.
• The new SEC Power Poll at Garnet and Black Attack has the Cats at #8. A bit low if you ask me (which you didn't).
  

Everyone Else Quickies:

• Joel at Rocky Top Talk compares QB Jonathan Crompton to the feldgling market. Bailouts for everyone!
• The BlogPoll for this week is out at MGoBlog and still no Ball State or Kentucky. For shame.
• Blue Gray Sky breaks down the Domers win against Purdue.
• Fantastic stuff from The Wiz of Odds about which conference is more dominant over the last 10 years.
• Tony Barnhart blasts off on why there isn't, and shouldn't be, a playoff system in college football.
  

Humpday Quickies

We've reached another humpday and the backwards slide toward Saturday that comes with it. Games on Thursday and Friday to warm us up for a busy busy weekend on the gridiron. As you get yourself set, here's the best from the interwebs to peruse while working but thinking of college football.

• Jarred Amato brings some commentary and thought on the Kentucky season so far as well as some various links to Kentucky related news around the Interwebs.
• In Brady Hoke news, some Syracuse fans are looking to poach Ball State's head man when the inevitable reaper calls on Greg Robinson and his band of merry men. Good luck, folks. Brady's already took one struggling program to the top of their conference and the Cuse is in a tougher league (though down this year) and the Cuse is way further buried than Ball State was when he got here.
• Around the MAC you don't often see the sort of SEC insanity you get on a trip to one of any of the dozen members of the SEC's home field. It truly is a spectacle, as Central Michigan's Brian Brunner found out on the Chips' recent trip to Athens, GA for their payday game against Georgia. Interesting blog about it that Brunner keeps through the NCAA.
• Apparently there's a fairly large game this weekend featuring a Big 10 team and a Pac 10 team. Who knew? Dr. Saturday knew!
• Tony Barnhart drops knowledge like none other, as he makes his predictions about the rest of the year. TB is simply the best. Cue Tina Turner.
• The fallout from the Florida-Miami game has been immediate and rather large. First, Canes coach Randy Shannon accused Urban Meyer of running up the score when kicking a last minute field goal while up by 20. Then Gators' QB Tim Tebow defended his coach and (Freudian?) said Hawaii rather than Miami. This rivalry is heating up, and with the talent on both these rosters, that's just what we needed. Salivation... Commence.
• Orson at EDSBS gives his commentary about first-year coaches and how they're doing two games in.
  
• The misery continues from the UCLA loss for Joel at Rocky Top Talk.

It's a busy week as we continue, previews for the BSU-Akron contest and the Kentucky-MTSU contest. Additionally, we'll have another installment of Cardinal Roundtable. Should be a fun week here at OTP.

Hump Day Quickies

Mid-week here and a chance for us to catch our breath for the big push for the weekend. Full coverage, previews, predictions on Thursday for Ball State's Friday clash with Navy. Friday we'll focus also on Kentucky's cupcake feast against Norfolk State on Saturday. Sure, it's a lightweight, but a W is a W and you can bet your ass I'll take it and smile.

As the breath-catching commences, take a gander at some things around the Interwebs, namely:

• The thread on Washington's Scout board wondering about the status of Rich Brooks and the viability of him coaching at Washington. I guess stranger things have happened, but were Papaw to leave to go to UW I would be absolutely floored. There was a time when you couldn't pay teams to take coaches from UK, so this is a nice change of pace.
• Matt Jones over at Kentucky Sports Report continues the Brooks love-in with a nice piece on why Brooks is his hero. Heroes are bullshit according to Brooks, but it's a nice write up by Matt.
• Orson at EverydayShouldBeSaturday quickly reveals why Sports Illustrated sucks. It's one game, but not surprising that they go to the extreme of throwing raw meat to the rabid Alabama masses. Frothy mouths, gnashing teeth, houndstooth hats. RAHL TIDE!!!!
• Joel over at RockyTopTalk is the front runner for post of the year, albeit early. His review of the 08 edition of the Tennessee Vols is summed up by, "It's just pants". Priceless stuff as always from Joel.
• Frank Beamer, ever the measured, non-reactionary coach that he is has decided to not redshirt QB Tyrod Taylor as previously planned after one game. Silly for multiple reasons, most notably the fact that the Hokies looked so awful, I'm not sure anyone helps, much less an unproven sophomore.
• The guys at GetGrossOut have markedly announced their hatred for the Syracuse AD. Surprising not that a website was created, but that Syracuse had an AD at all what with the giant Chinese Fire Drill of a football program they have.
• The hatred between UM and OSU is getting a bit ridiculous, as DottingTheI.com bags on the Wolverines for instituting a pre-game walk amidst the fans and accusing them of stealing it from Indiana. Newsflash, OSU... a lot of teams do this, IU probably wasn't the first, and even if they were who cares?
  
• In Ball State doesn't suck anymore news, BJ Hill was named MAC Special Teams Player of the Week. Bully for you!

In OTP news, we did something quite cool last night that will hopefully be great exposure for the site, Ball State, and Kentucky. More on that later. Happy hump day.

Weekend Carnage Report

The short-week has us a bit behind schedule, but those three-day booze soaked football overdoses will do that to you. Week One has come and gone, and while there were no Game Of The Century hype wagons rolling around prior to this slate since most are being saved for USC-Ohio State, there were some interesting games on the docket. Epic bed-shittings abounded, and several teams just earned themselves a swift attaboy from OTP. Welcome home, college football. Good to have you back.

The Good:

• USC: Questions were swirling about USC traveling east, their walking wounded, was the defense truly this good, and the answers were all positive. USC looked strong to the infinitely strong power... or at least as well as one can look playing UVa. Carrol and co. look like a special ball club.
• UCLA: Staying in Los Angeles, UCLA announced that perhaps the newspaper is not always wrong. The first half Bruins and the second half Bruins looked like completely different teams, and this was more so an example of Tennessee losing as opposed to UCLA actually winning, but a W is a W, and UCLA should enjoy it while it lasts.
• Oregon and Kentucky Defenses: There are loads of stout defenses across the country, but no two units put up a more impressive debut considering their expectations than these two. The Ducks held Washington and Jake Locker to 242 total yards while the Wildcats shutout arch-rival Louisville to the tune of 205 yards, 53 through the air
  

The Bad:

• Michigan: Temperance aside, this Michigan team looks rough. It's a work in progress to be sure, but I think most people (while realistically expecting the possibility of a loss) expected to see a bit better showing from the Wolverines. At times they played with passion and excitement, but on the whole this Michigan team looked overmatched, outhustled, and flat. Against Utah who isn't a bad team, but there is no way this game should be competitive in the normal universe of college football. It's year one though, and it's a marathon to get M back to normal, not a sprint.
  
• Louisville: In the days leading up to this game, Louisville fans did what Louisville fans do. Talk exceptionally loud to no one in particular about how mighty an asswhooping they were going to lay on Kentucky. After the 27-2 game which was nowhere that close, Louisville has problems. Mighty, numerous, significant problems.
  
• Texas A&M: This is not a good way for the Mike Sherman era to begin in College Station. When Big 12 play begins wins for these Aggies may be few and far between, so winning the games you should becomes quite important. And Arkansas State is a definite "should win" for A&M.
  
• Tennessee: UT certainly lands in the bad category, and they're close to the ugly side of the scale. At the end of the season, this loss won't nearly look as bad, as UCLA is severely undervalued. All things considered, the playcalling was suspect, the execution fairly sloppy, and the Vols still came within a missed fieldgoal of forcing overtime number two.
  

The Ugly:

• Clemson: The good news for Tigers fans is that when they shit the bed early, they come on strong. Either Bama is real fantastic or Clemson is remarkably overrated, or possibly a nice mixture of the two. Either way, Saban and the Tide bent Clemson over and gave it to them. Hard. Rough. Just the way Saban likes it.
  
• Pittsburgh: A Pitt team starts the season well-respected, people talk about the Wannstache being a great coach, they say this is the year. Pitt goes out and drops a home game to a MAC school. Bully for Bowling Green, yawn for Pitt as this was so predictable it was funny.
  
• Virginia Tech: Beaten at their own game. The Football Gods giveth special teams TDs, and the Football Gods taketh away. But seriously, this team is bad. Exceptionally bad beyond even our wildest ideas about the possibility of them being bad.
  

Helmet Stickers:
Kellen Lewis, QB, Indiana: 17-27, 144 yds, 2 TD and 185 yds and 2 TD on 9 rushing attempts in a 31-13 W versus Western Kentucky

Mark Sanchez, QB, USC: 26-35, 338 yds, 3 TD in a 52-7 W versus Virginia

Shun White, RB, Naval Academy: 19 carries, 348 yards, 3 TD in a W versus Towson

Homer Preview: The Terrapin Edition

In an effort to provide coverage of teams outside of the OTP Preseason Top 25, we've asked some of our friends and fellow college football aficionados to follow our preview format for their own team. This edition of The Homer Preview, featuring the Maryland Terps is courtesy of James Bond (yes, his real name), a proud Maryland alum, attorney extraordinaire, and the "lawya" we refer to when we refer to "lawya".

Homer Preview: Maryland Terrapins

What You Need to Know:The Terps are returning 46 players who saw action on the field last season, where they finished 6-6, which includes a loss in the Emerald Bowl to the Oregon State Beavers. Maryland made a Terrapin out of one of those Beavers, new Wide Receivers Coach Lee Hull. Another new old face on the Maryland sideline is Offensive Coordinator James Franklin, who coached with the Ralph “The Fridge” Friedgen during his first 4 years at Maryland. They also added a new special teams coach in Danny Pearman, making this the third team he’s coached with in the ACC, including perennial ACC powerhouse VTU.

Returning players on offense include 4 out of 5 starting linemen, Chris Turner at starting QB who was third best in passing efficiency last year, and All-American Darrius Heyward-Bey at WR. Another threat the Fridge is excited about is senior TE Dan Gronkowski, having both blocking and catching abilities.

Defensive veterans Jeremy Navarre and Trey Covington have each played at least 30 games. The LB corps has proven to be an NFL factory of late, and this year should prove no different with Dave Philistin and Adrian Moten. Philistin was the fourth leading tackler in the ACC, and Moten was the jack-of-all trades last year at linebacker.

Who You Need to Know and Their 07 Stats:
QB Chris Turner: 1958 yds, 7 TD
WR Darius Heyward-Bey: 51 rec., 786 yds, 3 TD
LB Dave Philistin: 124 tkls, 6.5 TFL

Game To Watch: Biggest game for the Terps will be against Clemson on the road. The Terps open up against Delaware, MTSU, California and EMU, so if they start strong, they’ll go strong into the Tiger cage, where they won two years ago. If they do poorly, then more losses will follow, not because of skill, but because of confidence. They could rebound against UVA the following week, beating Clemson and starting 5-0 will be a motivational boost as the ACC just might start to Fear the Turtle.

They'll Do Well If...: Chris Turner has time to throw the ball! The O-line has the experience of playing together, and Turner has proven effective in passing the rock, defeating two top-ten teams last season (Rutgers and BCU). There is no doubt the passing game is the primary weapon for this team, especially since the running back tandem of Da’Rell Scott and Morgan Green saw little time on the field last year. Luckily junior stud FB Cory Johnson will be blocking for them. The Terps have an experienced back up in Jordan Steffy, who has started a number of games for the Terps, but went down early last year, giving Chris “Sunshine” Turner an opportunity to display his skills. There has been stiff competition between these two, but Turner will start.

The secondary is also young, returning only one starter in Kevin Barnes, so the veterans in the front seven will have to pressure the quarterback and stuff the run. Staying healthy is key for this team, as there is little depth in the o-line, d-line, and defensive secondary.

Finally, if the Terps protect their house, then that will be 7 wins and they’ll be bowl bound for the second year in a row. The toughest game at home will be FSU, although, MD gave up a heart breaker to Wake Forest last year.

Season Outlook: The Terps will have to win tough games on the road: Boston College, Clemson (#9), Virginia and Virginia Tech (#15). These four teams finished in the top of their respective divisions last year. Maryland could start the season 4-0 before they go to Clemson and Charlottesville. Even if they lose those four road games, they could still end up with 8 wins but in the bottom half of the division.

VT Knows How To Grip and Sip

Frank Beamer has suspended sophomore wide-out Zach Luckett. Luckett, who comprised 50% of the Hokie returning WRs with actual game catches, racked up his second DUI since coming to campus. In stellar "Go Big" fashion, Luckett, of course being only 20 years old, was also operating on a revoked license. Because, you know, when you get a DUI at 19, they usually take that privilege away.

In Luckett's defense, it is Blacksburg, VA, and speaking from experience there really isn't anything to do other than grip and sip. When reached for comment, Phil Fulmer remarked, "Jesus, Beamer... it was only his second DUI. What the hell kind of Gestapo camp you runnin' down there.... Has anyone seen my snack?"


VT's season was already hanging by a fairly thin thread with the loss of key players in key offensive positions. The loss of Luckett will be felt, assuming he stays suspended. Beamer doesn't strike me as one to be played with, so farethewell, Zach Luckett, we hardly knew ye.

Prelude to a Season... #9

#9.) Clemson

What You Need to Know: It's been a hard 17 years for the Clemson Tigers. They are perpetually loaded with talent. This year is no different as the Tigers return the 07 conference leaders in passing, rushing, and receiving. They play in the strong, but not overwhelmingly so, ACC and have finished short of the conference title game three years running. Though they play in the stronger Coastal Division, the Tigers have had opportunities to win the division only to watch it slip away through their own mistakes and errors. Head coach Tommy Bowden is a strong recruiter, always ranking in the top 20 classes, and this years class of 26, which may be his strongest, includes the consensus top prospect in DE Da'Quan Bowers. So the pieces are there.

What is troubling for Tigers fans is we've all seen this before. Each season the Tigers come to the table with talks of a conference championship and perhaps contending for a national title. Each season the chatter amps up until Clemson loses an ACC game (usually at home) to a team they either should beat, or are beating until they let it slip away. Last season was a critical loss to Boston College, the year before a loss to Maryland, the year before that BC again.

The Tigers have senior leadership on the field with returners in key skill positions, such as QB Cullen Harper, RBs James Davis and CJ Spiller, and WR Aaron Kelly. They also had no turnover in the coaching staff. But there are glaring holes in Clemson's armor. Their offensive line returns exactly 1 starter. Skill positions don't matter much if you don't have time to throw or blocks to run behind. Defensively, the Tigers have three brand new linebackers. Where they are weakest, they are thinnest, so depth is a factor. An injury to the LBs or OL will be devastating and felt immediately.

Who You Need to Know and Their 07 Stats:
QB Cullen Harper: 2991 yds, 27 TD
RB James Davis: 1064 yds, 10 TD
WR Aaron Kelly: 88 rec., 1081 yds, 11 TD
DE Ricky Sapp: 10 TFL, 5 sacks, 22 QB pressures

Game To Watch: The season-opener for August 30 will either quiet the critics of Bowden and the Tigers or amp them up to fever pitch one game in. Even with a loss, it's early enough in the season that the Tigers can rebound for the BCS. Two conference tilts will be challenging for the Tigers, and they are back-to-back: September 27 vs. Maryland and October 9 at Wake Forest, with the latter being the more challenging of the two.

They'll Do Well If...: The offensive line performs even moderately well. The linebacking unit gets past the steep learning curve. Key returners provide leadership on and off the field. The Tiger faithful don't increase the pressure with their usual "Fire Bowden" rhetoric after one loss.

Season Outlook: Bowden signed an extension to coach the Tigers at roughly $1.8 million per year through the 2014 season. Ideally, this will not only squelch future flirting Bowden would do for other jobs like he did with the Arkansas vacancy this offseason, but it should also quiet the rabid Tiger fans who call for his job after the first loss of the season. Usually to a team they should defeat. This year, their patience may get tested early. The Tigers open the season August 30 in Atlanta versus Alabama. The rest of the games are winnable for the Tigers and they will be favored in all. Anything short of an ACC title will disappoint the fans, and truthfully, the college football world. It's time for Clemson to be the team they should be rather than the team they always have been. Expect no worse than a 1-loss season and an ACC title.

Prelude to a Season... #15

#15.) Virginia Tech

What You Need to Know: Virginia Tech for years longed to be in the ACC. Four years ago, the Hokies got their wish and haven't looked back since. Going to three ACC title games, winning two of them, compiling at least ten wins each of the four seasons, and finishing those seasons ranked no lower than 16th means bad news to the rest of the league. When coupled with a severe shortage of marquee teams to boost up computer rankings and league power, the Hokies always seem to be a good team, but not a great team.

This year's edition of the football squad looks to be more of the same for Beamer and company... a really good football team. But there are issues which make me hesitant to dub VT a really great team or consider them a contender for the national championship. What concerns most people, the 2-QB system that they operate with Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor doesn't bother me. They managed it last year and the offense has had a full spring to work out the kinks. My main concern is replacing RB Branden Ore, who has been dismissed. Backup Kenny Lewis Jr. underwent surgery in the spring on his shoulder, and will miss all of fall practice and perhaps the first two games. In the bruising ACC, having a consistent running game is a must, and the Hokies are unproven and thin in the backfield as well as wide receiver, graduating all their starters.

Defensively, only 4 starters return, but Frank Beamer is known for a vaunted stingy defense that relies on making the big plays. The defense itself will reload rather than rebuild. Finally, the schedule is not a tough one for VT, and the ACC opponents do not include Clemson. Efficient ball-moving offense, stingy defense, and a soft schedule all are good things for Virginia Tech as 2008's season dawns.

Who You Need to Know and Their 07 Stats:
QB Sean Glennon: 1,796 yds, 12 TD
QB Tyrod Taylor: 927 pass yds, 5 pass TD, 429 rush yds, 6 rush TD
LB Cam Martin: 78 tkls, 4.5 sacks

Game To Watch: Three games could cause problems... @ Florida State (10/25), Maryland (11/6), and @ Miami (11/13).

They'll Do Well If...: If the Hokies simply win the games they'll be favored in, they'll do extremely well. The offense must continue to improve under the current system and the defense must replace some hefty shoes.

Season Outlook: Most schools returning only 10 starters, with a 2 QB system, using a third-string RB to start the season would be hard pressed to win, but this Hokie team capitalizes on what it does well: creating chaos defensively and winning the games they should. Fortunately for VT, there are quite a few of those on the schedule this year. Barring a significant upset, the Hokies will start 6-0 before hitting the tough part of their schedule. There's no reason to believe the Hokies won't be shoe-ins for another ACC Coastal crown, but winning the overall ACC will be a tall order, as that road goes through a loaded Clemson team. Allowing for hiccup somewhere along the way, it's not unreasonable to expect a two-loss season and a Chic-Fil-A Bowl bid, with an outside shot at one of the at-large BCS games.