Post-ND, Week 3 in CFB
- Utah destroying UCLA was a bit of a surprise, but one that I’m happy about. I was getting a bit tired of Mark May’s UCLA love fest.
- The Big East isn’t that bad, but they still aren’t that good. I have to give them some credit, because I’m always the first to criticize them. USF’s win at Auburn 2 weeks ago doesn’t look as impressive after Auburn lost at home to Mississippi State, but a win at Auburn, at night, is always a tough task. Cincinnati looks solid, too. Their offense gets lots of hype, and Brian Kelly is “the next hot young offensive-minded coach,” but their defense is pretty good, too. Still, WVU and Rutgers haven’t really played anybody yet, and Louisville clearly isn’t that great, losing to Kentucky on Saturday (although Kentucky isn’t the Kentucky of old this year).
- Brandon Graham finally played a full game, and played well. He was credited with 3.5 of our 8 sacks, and he was all over the field. He made a great run-down/sack on Jimmy Clausen near the sideline – probably his best play, of many.
- Attention Michigan big shots: Don’t hire Kirk Ferentz. One game doesn’t make or break a coach, but Saturday’s 15-13 loss at Iowa State was a BAD loss that brought to light some disturbing info about Ferentz that I wasn't aware of: he is 3-6 against Iowa State. In a year in which you don’t play Michigan or Ohio State, and you could sneak your way into a Big Ten championship, you have to win your non-conference games, because that most likely will be the tiebreaker that separates your team from the Wolverines and Buckeyes. Apparently Ferentz didn’t learn his lesson in 2002, when the Hawkeyes lost to the Cyclones and watched OSU “Krenzel” its way to an undefeated season. Iowa State actually had a pulse back then, but this year, we’re talking about a team that lost to Kent State by 9 and Northern Iowa by 11, both at home and both at night. I understand that Iowa-ISU is a big rivalry game, but come on! This is not the type of guy we need going up against Tressel, or even Mark Dantonio... Or even Charlie Weis (zing!). I was ambivalent about Ferentz before, but after reading about that game and realizing how bad he has been against his in-state rival (who is usually mediocre, at best, and was horrible when Ferentz took over a fairly healthy Iowa program), I only want Ferentz in Ann Arbor if he’s coaching against Michigan.
- Tommy Bowden has no class.
- The over/under on USC sacks against Notre Dame should be 11. When you combine horrible pass protection, a center who is unreliable on shotgun snaps, and a general lack of “push,” you get one of the worst offensive lines I’ve ever seen. At one point in the 4th Quarter against Michigan, ND had -52 yards rushing. So how long does the Charlie Weis honeymoon last? For a guy who is supposed to be an offensive “genius,” his team has looked pathetic. For what it’s worth, ND is a 14 point underdog at home against Michigan State this weekend. Wow.
- I’m pretty sure that Lloyd is telling Bryan Wright to aim his kicks to his left from time to time, in an attempt to get them as close to the sideline as possible. This backfired against ND when his kick went out of bounds. The same thing almost happened against Oregon, but a good bounce kept the ball inside the pylon in the end zone. Speaking of Wright, he appeared to have some sort of injury, as he went into the locker room with a trainer early in the game. He later returned to the sidelines but not to the game. Some people missed that, I think.
- The PSU game is unbelievably important. If we want a shot at the Big Ten title, we have to win. And if we lose, a January 1st bowl might be out of reach. This is one of the rare September Big Ten games where the outcome will go a long way in determining the championship. If Michigan can pull out a victory, the schedule sets up nicely for the rest of the season. Henne can take his time and heal properly, and the defense can (hopefully) fix some things and gain some much-needed experience. I really wish I was going to this game. If you’ll be there, make sure to bring your “yelling voice.”
- R.I.P. Shaky Jake.
- The Big East isn’t that bad, but they still aren’t that good. I have to give them some credit, because I’m always the first to criticize them. USF’s win at Auburn 2 weeks ago doesn’t look as impressive after Auburn lost at home to Mississippi State, but a win at Auburn, at night, is always a tough task. Cincinnati looks solid, too. Their offense gets lots of hype, and Brian Kelly is “the next hot young offensive-minded coach,” but their defense is pretty good, too. Still, WVU and Rutgers haven’t really played anybody yet, and Louisville clearly isn’t that great, losing to Kentucky on Saturday (although Kentucky isn’t the Kentucky of old this year).
- Brandon Graham finally played a full game, and played well. He was credited with 3.5 of our 8 sacks, and he was all over the field. He made a great run-down/sack on Jimmy Clausen near the sideline – probably his best play, of many.
- Attention Michigan big shots: Don’t hire Kirk Ferentz. One game doesn’t make or break a coach, but Saturday’s 15-13 loss at Iowa State was a BAD loss that brought to light some disturbing info about Ferentz that I wasn't aware of: he is 3-6 against Iowa State. In a year in which you don’t play Michigan or Ohio State, and you could sneak your way into a Big Ten championship, you have to win your non-conference games, because that most likely will be the tiebreaker that separates your team from the Wolverines and Buckeyes. Apparently Ferentz didn’t learn his lesson in 2002, when the Hawkeyes lost to the Cyclones and watched OSU “Krenzel” its way to an undefeated season. Iowa State actually had a pulse back then, but this year, we’re talking about a team that lost to Kent State by 9 and Northern Iowa by 11, both at home and both at night. I understand that Iowa-ISU is a big rivalry game, but come on! This is not the type of guy we need going up against Tressel, or even Mark Dantonio... Or even Charlie Weis (zing!). I was ambivalent about Ferentz before, but after reading about that game and realizing how bad he has been against his in-state rival (who is usually mediocre, at best, and was horrible when Ferentz took over a fairly healthy Iowa program), I only want Ferentz in Ann Arbor if he’s coaching against Michigan.
- Tommy Bowden has no class.
- The over/under on USC sacks against Notre Dame should be 11. When you combine horrible pass protection, a center who is unreliable on shotgun snaps, and a general lack of “push,” you get one of the worst offensive lines I’ve ever seen. At one point in the 4th Quarter against Michigan, ND had -52 yards rushing. So how long does the Charlie Weis honeymoon last? For a guy who is supposed to be an offensive “genius,” his team has looked pathetic. For what it’s worth, ND is a 14 point underdog at home against Michigan State this weekend. Wow.
- I’m pretty sure that Lloyd is telling Bryan Wright to aim his kicks to his left from time to time, in an attempt to get them as close to the sideline as possible. This backfired against ND when his kick went out of bounds. The same thing almost happened against Oregon, but a good bounce kept the ball inside the pylon in the end zone. Speaking of Wright, he appeared to have some sort of injury, as he went into the locker room with a trainer early in the game. He later returned to the sidelines but not to the game. Some people missed that, I think.
- The PSU game is unbelievably important. If we want a shot at the Big Ten title, we have to win. And if we lose, a January 1st bowl might be out of reach. This is one of the rare September Big Ten games where the outcome will go a long way in determining the championship. If Michigan can pull out a victory, the schedule sets up nicely for the rest of the season. Henne can take his time and heal properly, and the defense can (hopefully) fix some things and gain some much-needed experience. I really wish I was going to this game. If you’ll be there, make sure to bring your “yelling voice.”
- R.I.P. Shaky Jake.
Permanent Link Here - posted by Nick at 4:39 PM
1 Comments:
You know I don't know anything about sports, but I AM sad about Shakey Jake! He was the man!
- e
Post a Comment
<< Home