Tuesday, September 30, 2008

F&BT College Pick'Em Challenge Update


It was an absolutely brutal week for just about everybody in the league last week. The schedule of games was much tougher and the results showed. WildHawk stayed atop the leaderboard with another winning week based on some gutsy, but accurate calls. Alabama over Georgia, WildHawk? That is corrrreeect!
Whets1 made another strong move as well this week and got himself into second place behind WildHawk. There's still plenty of time to get yourself back into this race...so if you haven't picked in a few weeks, you're not out of it completely!
Get your picks in this week!

Ruminations on Week 5

Well, as you can tell from my immediate reaction post on Saturday, I had a rough weekend. I'm still not over it, and don't think I will be unless UW can upset OSU this weekend. Either way, there was at least one inexcusable loss this weekend...and that tops the list of my Ruminations on Week 5:

1) Michigan did something this weekend. Let's just move on...what? You think this blog is biased? You're right, but fine. Michigan did something great this weekend. Greater than any other time in the history of football games at the Big House, they came back from a 19 point 1st half deficit against a supposedly 9th ranked Wisconsin team. They won after giving up 5 turnovers in the 1st half. Their highly talked about conditioning program came through as they were clearly in better shape than the Badgers.

2) Did this game really tell us anything? Penn State pulled away from Illinois to win by 2 touchdowns. Are you surpirsed? I had a feeling this was coming, considering the dropoff in Illinois' tackling and defensive communication this year and the improvement of the Nittany Lion attack. Derrick Williams came through on his recruiting hype finally, and even though it took a while (4 years), it was as timely as could be. In the end, this game told us that Penn State may be the class of the league this year...and that the Illini aren't where they were as a team a year ago. So, did this game really tell us anything?

3) Better with Beanie. Is there any doubt than Beanie Wells would have had an impact in the USC game? Wells came out on a limited basis and ran all over the Gophers this weekend, at the same time rejuvenating the Buckeyes for their Big Televen title run. Wells did his best Knowshon Moreno impression...err Matt Bernstein impression...and hopped over a Gopher defender in the secondary. OSU is a decidedly more potent team with Beanie in the backfield.

4) We're almost bowling...and it's only Week 5. Northwestern and Michigan State both improved to 5-0 this weekend. Historically two teams plagued by disappointing early season losses, both squads have taken care of business in 2008. The Spartans have hopped on the back of Javon Ringer and his "money makers", and he has delivered in a big way. The durable tailback is running his way to the Heisman ceremony if he keeps this pace up. Northwestern has taken an opposite route and ridden the success of their defense in 2008. New coordinator Mike Hankwitz has the Wildcats playing with a passion that true fans haven't seen since the days of Pat Fitzgerald the linebacker.

5) More of the same. Indiana, Iowa Minnesota, Purdue...welcome to more of the same. 2008 is sure looking like a lot of previous years for these four teams. Actually, it's not for Minnesota. Nothing could look as bad as 1-11, but they didn't play with much emotion in Columbus last week...and that should look familiar. Indiana's defense is nowhere to be found. Iowa couldn't get passed Northwestern again, and stalled deep in Wildcat territory with a 1st and Goal at the end of the game. Purdon't lost to ND...almost as inexcusable as the Badgers loss to Michigan.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

The Absolute Worst Way to Lose....Ever

A forewarning that this post is not going to be family friendly or acceptible at most work places. I thought about saving it for tomorrow when I may be more rational or have some perspective. Nope.

Fuck.

I mean....Fuck. It can't possibly be worse than this. There's no worse way to lose...we've set a new record. Michigan's upset of my Wisconsin Badgers is absolutely to worst way to lose in the history of sports.

Blowout...I'll take it. It's a slow, painful death. Late touchdown to seal it...fine. We didn't deserve to win. Going for the endzone down 7 and failing...it's ok. We probably should have won, but we didn't. I can live with all of those....but I don't know if I can live with this. This was brutal.

As a preface, I woke up this morning and watched the NU @ Iowa game. Iowa was driving with just over a minute to go in the 4th quarter and failed to get a touchdown from 1st and goal from the 8. The 4th down pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage, and Iowa lost. Knowing WildHawk was at the game, and that he hadn't decided who to cheer for, I texted him looking for his first reaction to the 4th down stop..."Happy or Disappointed?"

"Disappointed"

Well, that sucks. I felt bad for him, as it was homecoming and all. But it was a great game to watch, and I knew that Iowa fans probably felt horrible as they were so close having 1st and Goal. Little did I know that they would get off easy. Little did I know that I was about to watch the worst Wisconsin loss of my life.

The first half couldn't have gone better. Sure, we missed an easy field goal early, but Michigan was fumbling everytime that I looked up. Short fields, crazy momentum, a silent 109,000 fans. Life was good. The offense wasn't converting too many touchdowns, but 19 points is 19 points. And the way our defense was playing...19 should have been enough. 3 should have been enough.

The second half was a different story. Michigan dominated the TOP, as the Wisconsin defense wasn't able to get off the field. Offensively, Wisconsin got complacent. Conservative playcalling and the offensive line disappearing led to only 1 drive in the entire 3rd quarter. You think the defense may have gotten tired? They were on the field the entire 2nd half. Most of that is their fault for not stopping 3rd downs (paging Matt Schaunessy...please don't rough the passer on 3rd down...thanks). Part of it though was the offense. This is when Wisconsin is supposed to be at it's best. With a lead in the 3rd and 4th quarter, the big ugly's up front and our pounding running backs should dominate the game. Turns out Gabe Carimi decided to have arguably his worst game as a Badger. Nice timing.

But none of this should have mattered. The reason this was the absolute worst way to lose was the last Wisconsin drive. After Allan Evridge's fourth (FOURTH!!) turnover, Wisconsin drove down the field. My Boy! #85 David Gilreath made a fantastic catch to get the TD, and UW was going for the 2-point conversion. Easy pass to an open Travis Beckum in the endzone...hello overtime. Ace's Bar in San Francisco was going nuts...beer being sprayed, the entire place jumping up and down...flag on the field. Beckum lined up in the wrong spot and covered the TE when he should've been off the line of scrimmage. Fuck.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Can I be mad at Beckum? A guy who has won so many games for us? A player that has done nothing but give his all? A player who put himself into the game when the coaches were holding him out because, like Superman, he knew his team needed him? I can't. I can't do it. I can't be mad at Travis Beckum.

But he is the reason that this was the absolute worst way to lose ever. Think about it...your favorite team in your life has given up the biggest comeback in your opponent's storied history; they drove down the field to score a TD with a chance to tie; they tie the game on a 2-point conversion. Only, it doesn't count. The play is called back by a penalty and you lose the game. The reason this is the absolute worst way to lose it that we thought we had it tied...it was basically overtime already...only we were about to lose. The exhilaration of winning turns to the deep depression of losing with one stupid penalty. Fuck.

Bill Simmons on EPSN.com has already developed some levels of losing...and this is at a minimum "The Stomach Punch Game"...if not it's own new category. We had overtime...stomach punch...we lose. Fuck.

I knew Wisconsin wasn't a BCS championship caliber team this year, but this is unexcusable. For the love of Lloyd Carr even Notre Dame was able to beat Michigan. They gave us 5 turnovers in the first half...THE FIRST HALF!! And we couldn't capitalize. While there is plenty of blame to go around...Evridge's 4 turnovers, Evridge's ability to repeatedly throw behind receivers, dropped passes, defense couldn't get off the field, our O-line disappeared, stupid penalties, failure to capitalize on turnovers...it really comes down to one thing. Coaching.

Brett Bielema needs to find a way to keep his team into the game for 60 minutes. Two games in a row now, the Badgers have come out fired up and dominated the first half, only to struggle in the second half of football games. The offense gets stale. The defense can't get off the field. The sideline gets quiet and loses energy. That's coaching....plain and simple. Now, I like Bielema. He's kind of an asshole (dancing across the field at Fresno when we won), but being a Badger fan I love that about him. But he has some coaching deficiencies that he needs to recognize, accept, and improve...similar to the way he expects his players to improve on their deficiencies. Keep the players fired up all game. Make the necessary halftime adjustments even if you're winning. Manage the team to not get too high and not get too low.

But for now...fuck. That was awful. My mom even called me to see if I would talk to my Dad because he was having a hard time getting words out. I was too. I couldn't even begin to describe the feelings of thinking that you had overtime...and then having a loss. Terrible. Absolutely terrible.

At least we get Beanie Wells and Terrelle Pryor next week.

Fuck.

Friday, September 26, 2008

F&BT Conversations: WildHawk and the Dual Fan Phenomenon

I was at a wedding this past weekend with a bunch of college buddies (sidenote: congrats Heff & your new ball n' chain), when a pretty good fandom question was posed...who do you cheer for when both your teams are playing each other?

At first, this thought was preposterous to me. You have one team, you follow that team, you base your mood off their successes/failures, and your life is complete. Well, through this conversation, I realized how rare my situation really was. I grew up a Wisconsin fan. I went to UW for college. I'm still a Wisconsin fan. But I'm rare, and I'm realizing it. Fuzz grew up an Auburn fan because his Grandpa played football there. He also grew up a Mizzou fan because both his parents went there. He's a Wisconsin grad and loyal Badger fan. Kenny G grew up a Minnesota fan and went to Wisconsin. Our very own WildHawk grew up a Northwestern fan and graduated from Iowa.

As I've realized, the dual fan phenomenon is growing and these dual fans are everywhere...and they need a voice. Welcome to the second installment of F&BT Conversations. This week we interview supposed blogger (only two posts and counting) on this very site WildHawk, on all things Northwestern and Iowa, and being a fan of both teams.
So, this is awkward...how have you been while you've not been blogging on our website?
Well, I've been okay. As you know, I haven't been blogging much, instead trying to figure out my life. Hating my job is probably the biggest issue, considering I spend a lot of my time there.

Explain for our readers how you became a Northwestern fan?
Both of my parents went to Northwestern for graduate school. Having said that, they weren't really good fans (let's be honest, up until the mid '90s, it was tough. I went to grade school with another big fan (in fact, I believe he was already interviewed for this very site). His dad took us to a lot of games, and I got hooked. Plus, 1995 helped a lot, especially having witnessed the majority of the games.

Was it hard always rooting for a team that sucked more than the movie Click?
I guess everyone's aware of my deep hated for that movie. I only had to endure a couple of years of sucking before the Cats became competitive. I consider myself extremely lucky to not be older.

When you made the decision to go to Iowa, did you feel like Brutus stabbing Ceasar (aka NU fan brethren) in the back?
Nah. The simple answer is I couldn't get into NU. Plus, it's really close to home (sidenote: it's not like Iowa was my #1 school either. Go RedHawks! - kidding). (admission: I forgot WildHawk went to Miami Ohio first...my bad)

What was people in Iowa's reaction when they found out you were a NU fan? Were you ridiculed?
People in Iowa have very little respect for Northwestern, but then again, I think that sentiment is shared by all the other ten schools. People in Iowa City are pretty liberal and accepting, even of me. Plus, the fact the the two teams are almost dead even in football and basketball over the last 10-15 years seriously hurts their ability to gloat.


Head-to-head games...who do you cheer for?
I still don't know. My first idea was to root for the team that had more on the line, the team that needs the win more. I've also considered just rooting for the home team.

What are the pros and cons of having 2 teams to root for?
Pros: More chances to win any given week, more games to watch, more research to doCons: Playing each other, tough when both suck, more time necessary for research

You're going to be back in Iowa City for the game this weekend, how do you see the game playing out? Bold prediction?
Both defenses have been strong this year. CJ Bacher is really slumping for the Cats, and Jake Christensen just plain sucks-ass. Given the fact that Stanzi is starting for the Hawks and it's at Kinnick, I'm thinking 20-13 Hawkeyes. Who knows though, if CJ finally has his breakout game of the year, he and Sutton could lead to a lot of points for the Wildcats.

Quick Hitters:
Best Northwestern game you ever attended?
3-way tie: NU/Notre Dame '95, NU/Penn State '95, and NU/Michigan '96
Best Iowa game you ever attended?
Toss Up: Iowa/Michigan '03 or Iowa/Ohio State '04
Who has hotter girls?
Iowa....more talent than an outsider would expect
Who has a better campus?
Tie. Northwestern is better aesthetically, but Iowa has better town (bars).
Who has better gameday experience?
Iowa, no question.
Rate this blog on a scale of 1-10. How much better would your writing make it?
Hahah, I'd give it an 8 - it's good, but needs a consistent fan base. Who says I'd make it better? (I do...please start writing WildHawk...please)
Favorite tv show?
Californication/House/Entourage/The Office/Colbert Report
Favorite fast food chain?
Popeye's or Wendy's (Panchero's in Iowa City, but too local)
Is this the Cubs year?
Yes.
Finally, both Rashidi Wheeler and Randy Walker died while you were an NU fan...and Iowa city has had 2 natural disasters (tornado and flood) hit since you became a fan...do you want to take any blame for these and maybe admit that you're bad luck?
I won't take any blame, but it has sucked. Still, there's been a lot of good times too. That tornado senior year really was unbelievable, at est until I had to pull a tree out of my car window and saw a dumpster fly. Also, looking around my room now, I still can't believe a Wildcat was on the SI cover, and it's been 13 years.

Thanks for the input WildHawk...it's about time you had some input into this blog! Kidding buddy, but your writing would be appreciated as often as possible (once a week?)! F&BT fans have a fever WildHawk...and the only prescription...is more blogging!

Alright, that was lame. Have fun this weekend in your old stomping grounds and go Iowa...or Northwestern...whichever you choose.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

MY BOY! 2 Simple Rules for Picking a Favorite New Player

A little over a year ago, I was sitting in a Badger bar in Chicago, IL with my roommate Fuzz getting mentally prepared for the second UW football game of the 2007 season. We had already seen one week's worth of game film on the Badgers and had some sort of idea what the team would look like. But that wasn't enough, we needed someone to cheer for more than the star players. We both hated PJ Hill, so he was out. Tyler Donovan didn't inspire tons of confidence. We needed a player to call our own, to ride out the highs and lows with, and to cheer for with unbridled obnoxiousness. We created...MY BOY!

MY BOY! isn't a new concept. People have been doing it for a while, we just happened to give it a name and take it to a new level. There are rules for choosing your boy are simple, and have been developed over many a fine drink:

1) MY BOY! has to be a new contributor. Youth is served with your boy. Pick them as a young contributor and watch as they grow into a great player. Your boy can't be a proven player. Anyone expected to be an all-american, or a returning team leader is not to be considered. He has to play some, offense, defense or special teams, and he can be a starter. But he has to be a freshman or a new contributor.

2) MY BOY! sticks as your boy for as long as he is with the team. Highs and lows...he's your boy. If you picked him young, and he happens to become a heisman candidate...congratulations. Rub it in everyone's face. If he fumbles in the big game or misses a tackle that goes for a touchdown...he's your boy. Defend him to no end.

So there we were, sitting in Redmond's...picking our boy. Fuzz went with Aaron Henry. Freshman DB out of Florida, good wheels, solid recruiting buzz, and big enough to hold his own as a freshman. Myself, I went with David Gilreath #85. Freshman WR from MN, short, quick, and a dangerous return man. Neither figured to start at the beginning of the season, but both figured to see some PT. This turned out to be a fantastic idea! Right off the bat it started paying dividends. MY BOY! Gilreath was returning the opening kickoff...

"MY BOY #85 TO THE HOUSE!"

This turned out to be an every game phrase for me...numerous times per game.

So there you go, the rules for creating MY BOY! Rules are obviously subject to change, and all recommendations are welcome. But these first two should get you started. As we enter into Big Ten play this week, F&BT highly encourages you to gather with your friends...indulge in a few libations...and pick your boy! Cheer him on with unabashed passion. Scream for him at quiet times during the game. Make ridiculous predictions about the great play he is about to make.

Use the comments...and tell us who's MY BOY! for you.

F&BT College Pick'Em Challenge Update!

It's been a rough couple of weeks for a few of us in the F&BT inaugural College Pick'Em Challenge. The schedule was decidedly tougher two weeks ago, and a few strategies were followed. Most people played it straight and put the harder games as lower confidence levels. But some of you, including my current roommate Kenny G, chose the interesting strategy of not picking games at all. Many of you followed that same strategy, but looks like it worked about as well as the Emmy's having 5 reality show hosts run the show. Dis-as-ter. Also, for the record, I will usually not make fun of any of you by name or your picks on the blog, but Kenny G is an exception. He is fully aware that I write this blog, and knowingly refuses to read it. "I'm not really a blog guy," he says, "...plus, I know when you're writing it and I can just ask you what you're posting and get everything that you're going to write. So there's really no reason for me to read it."

Well, touche Kenny. But from now on I will be making fun of you until you start reading. Have fun playing your saxophone.

As for the F&BT College Pick'Em Challenge standings, a few bad weeks have put me out of the medals for now. Lil Bro #1 had a couple strong weeks after which he usually sent a text along the lines of "What happened in the Picks this week? I can't see the standings." Thank God this stopped and he's no longer in first. That honor goes to the always difficult to find Bobby Fischer...I mean WILDHAWK! Seriously, is anyone harder to find these days than WildHawk? He hasn't posted in a while, and has rebuffed most of my attempts to get him to write. But alas, at least he's still making picks.

Keep making your picks each week and ranking them from your most confident game (10) to your least confident game (1). There's still plenty of time to make a move for the medal stand!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Ruminations on Week 4

So after a week off from the blog...I'm back. I happened to skip probably the worst week for blogging, seeing as how there was some good comedic material after OSU's drubbing at USC, Michigan got embarrassed, Oregon hung tough, and Wisconsin won a nail-biter which I attended in Fresno. But alas, the college football schedule has moved on and so have I, here are some thoughts on the lackluster week 4 lineup of games that happened last weekend:

1) That One Guy is named Terrelle Pryor. We can call him by his name now. Two R's, Two L's, Terrelle. Get ready to hear it a lot. If you weren't sick of him from the recruiting hype...or the preseason hype...or the "he only got two series versus Ohio" questions...or the "can he start yet?" questions...well, America, get ready to be sick of Terrelle Pryor. In his first start at Ohio State he managed only four touchdown passes. I haven't confirmed it yet, but I believe ESPN has dedicated an award for him. Award Name suggestions welcome in the comments below.

2) Ringer to the Rescue. Where would Michigan State be without this guy? Seriously, it's a valid question this year. Brian Hoyer hasn't shown anything yet, and the defense is slowly improving, but Ringer is BMOC in East Lansing. After putting up over 200 yards against the Golden Domers, Ringer has many people talking Heisman for him. And you know what...this time I'm buying the hype. PJ Hill and Juice Williams I wasn't buying, but Ringer may just do it. If MSU lives up to the preseason billing and makes some noise in the Big Televen, it will be on the back of Ringer. And that could just earn him a trip to NYC for the ceremony. However, I will caution that he has to hold up the entire season. MSU is just starting the physical Big Ten play portion of the schedule, and don't expect Ringer to hold up if he rushes 39 times every game.

3) Congrats Joey T. For a guy who can't wait to get on a ranch in Wyoming, Joe Tiller sure is a heck of a coach. After winning his 85th game at Purdue, Tiller is now the winningest coach in school history. On behalf of F&BT, congratulations Joe.

4) "If you think you have two QB's, you probably don't have any". Iowa Hawkeyes...please take note. Kirk Ferentz is dying to give someone the starting job, and any time that Jake Christensen or Ricky Stanzi want to take it will be fine by him. Neither QB has been able to put together two good games in a row and Iowa will continue to struggle until one of them can. And until then, we'll say that they don't have a QB.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Sorry for the Lack of Posts

I've been noticeably absent from posting this week, and for that I apologize. But for once, it's not because I am lazy. I've been sick this week and also mourning the loss of a good friend. Look for the posting to resume soon.

Rest in peace, Brian. We'll be seeing you again.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Thursday, September 11, 2008

An Oddysey: BIG WEEK in the Big Ten

In case you didn't hear...there's a couple big games in the Big Ten this weekend. It was almost a tough choice for the Most Important Game in the Big Ten This Week (seen on the right), but alas, THE GAME OF THE CENTURY 2008 Edition! is happening this weekend. There has never been a better week for the Big Televen to stake their claim as a respectable conference. This is the week to turn around the "down" label that has plagued the conference since the infamous National Championship Game Suck-Job #1. Ohio State learned the hard way this week just how negative the rest of the country feels about the Big Ten. After a poor performance against Ohio last weekend, the buckeyes dropped from 2nd to 5th in the polls. After a Win! Rarely do teams drop after a win, no matter how ugly. Sadly, that is the state of the Big Ten's national perception. But fear not, 3 big time games provide an opportunity for the Big Ten to earn their way back into the nation's good graces:

Ohio State @ USC
This game has been hyped, talked about, disected, and predicted like no other game this year. And the crazy thing is, the circumstances keep changing. Tuesday we heard that Beanie Wells would be playing, and that he wanted 45 carries. Wednesday he practiced well. Thursday...he's doubtful. President Bush just declared the state of Ohio a disaster zone due to massive flooding from all the tears. USC on the other hand comes in with the full arsenal of talented skill players and an experienced defense. Call me stupid, but I don't expect a ton of points in this game. Ohio State will struggle without Beanie to pound the rock. Boeckman will show his big game struggles again, and the USC defense will be flying all over the field. On the other side of the ball, USC looked unstoppable against Virginia. But the OSU defense is better than Virginia's, and the USC O-line is young/inexperienced. Expect the Buckeyes to blitz early and often and try to throw the Trojans off their game. Ultimately, the Trojans will pull away, but not until a late touchdown seals it. USC over OSU 24-10.

Oregon at Purdue
Yards, Points. Yards, Points. That's pretty much how this game should go on Saturday. Both offenses are wide open and capable of putting lots of yards and points on the board. Both defenses leave much to be desired. Purdue will come out fired up, as they will for most games this being Joe Tiller's final year, and it will be on Oregon to match their intensity. After a long trip from Eugene, I don't think the Ducks will have it in them early. Expect Purdue to take a first half lead behind the arm of Curtis Painter, but the Ducks to come storming back. Don't be surprised at the final score. Oregon over Purdue 45-37.

Wisconsin at Fresno State
Pat Hill has been building this game as the biggest game in Bulldog Stadium history. Fresno State is known for their motto of "anyone, anytime, anywhere". Well, the Bulldogs are finally getting a big-name program to come into their house. The fans will come from all over the Valley to support the Bulldogs, and Wisconsin fans may show up too. (sidenote: yours truly will be there, and judging by the booster event in San Fran tonight, there will be tons of badger fans). I fully expect the Badgers to come out just as fired up as the Bulldogs. Look for the Badgers to go on offense first if they can, and use their big O-lineman and a punishing tailback trio to beat up the Fresno D right off the bat. Fresno will look for the big play early to get their fans into the game right away...and don't be surprised if the trick plays come out of the bag. Eventually though, the Badgers will pull away. Allan Evridge will start throwing on first down to soften the D, and after four quarters of pounding, the Wisconsin O-line and running backs will take control in the fourth. Badgers over Bulldogs, 31-21.

Other Games:
Michigan over the Domers 17-7
Penn State over Syracuse 56-10
Minnesota over Montana State 34-21
Michigan State over FAU 35-14
Illinois over Lousiana Lafayette 42-21
Iowa over Iowa State 21-17
Northwestern over SIU 27-10

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

F&BT Conversations: Former USC WR John Zilka

There aren't many things that we do well here at F&BT, and interviewing famous people or college football insiders is definitely not one of them...but we are good at knowing people. And I just happen to know someone who played a little college football. Granted it was at the opponent of Ohio State this weekend, but it's college football none-the-less. In the very first edition of F&BT Conversations, I bring you my conversation with former USC wide receiver and LFHS Scouts alumni...John Zilka.


JZ, thanks for your time. First, some background info, how did you end up playing at USC?
During the summer going into my senior year of high school, I had briefly met the Director of Football Operations on a visit to USC, and inquired about the potential of walking on. He seemed refreshed that I wasn’t asking about a scholarship and was from Chicago, so that might have helped me stand out in his mind. It was a short meeting, basically a meet and greet. I went back home, played my senior year of football, and then kind of forgot about playing football. However, in May, after finally deciding to attend USC, I talked with former LFHS coach Willie Snead about potentially walking on at USC. I was skeptical at first (since I missed 4 games due to injury my senior year, and let’s be honest it was USC), but he told me so many high school players think they can’t play D1 football because they can’t get a scholarship, however they forget that most schools will take a look at you to walk on because there is no risk to them. Since I had already been accepted to the school, they would not have to pull any strings, and it was worth a shot. So we put together some gamefilm and sent it out there, Willie talked to some of the staff, and then I got a call in mid-June to show up at training camp in August. Honestly, that is the story. No tryouts, no nothing. I’m sure USC being 6-6 the year before and me being from Chicago helped me stand out. It still amazes me how it happened.

SC was 6-6 the year before you showed up on campus, and 48-4 while you were there...what did your presence do and how do you explain your obvious impact on SC football? The numbers don't lie, why don't you personally get more credit?
That amazes me everyday. Just like the film don’t lie, the numbers don’t lie. I can’t quite figure it out. You mean to tell me Palmer, Leinart, Bush, White, Williams, Tatupu, Polamalu, and Jarrett had more impact then me? You’d be kidding yourself to think that way.

You grew up a Northwestern fan, how do the conferences compare? How do the fan bases compare?
The Big Ten has bigger fan bases, bigger stadiums, and bigger TV audiences than the Pac-10 without a doubt. With the popularity of spread offenses and more teams throwing the ball, the conferences scheme-wise are not much different anymore. However, the Pac-10 has supremely better skill players, with better overall talent and speed, which is why the Pac-10 generates such high offensive numbers. Much of that has to do with better weather, and being able to groom skill players in high schools. If the Big Ten wants to get back to competing nationally, they need to find more talented skill players. The talent level between the Big Ten and other conferences is widening every off-season.

Favorite part about playing college football at USC?
Two things: scout team period during practice and pre-warmups on gamedays. With the scout team, I got the chance to run 30 plays a day at WR, and make plays against our #1 defense. That’s really what made me a better player by the time I was a senior. It was my chance to play football and get passes thrown to me. Secondly, I loved going out to the field on gamedays before the official warmups (with just pants and cleats, no shoulder pads/jersey) and playing catch with teammates. We just fooled around on the field throwing the ball, Coach Carroll did it, it was awesome. I’ll never forget doing that before the game at the Orange Bowl vs. Oklahoma, there was so much buzz in the stadium.


OSU receiver Ray Small had some harsh comments about the atmosphere around the USC program, what was your reaction?
I think it has been blow out of proportion. OSU players will say their program is superior, USC players will say their program is superior. LSU will say their program is better than both. It’s pointless since everyone is biased. And the culture clashes of Midwest Ohio vs. SoCal vs. the Deep South changes everything as well. All I can say is that I enjoyed my experience at USC, and how Coach Carroll ran his program. He made it fun and loose, but also focused. His record speaks for itself, so I think it works.


What do you expect SC to try and do against OSU this weekend? What do you expect OSU to try and do against SC? Any bold predictions?
First off, it doesn’t matter what OSU does, because it’s not about them. If SC plays to its gameplan, they will win. Offensively, SC will spread the ball to all its playmakers, and use their speed to their advantage. I expect SC to focus on stopping the run defensively, and forcing the OSU QB to throw the ball, turning them one-dimensional. If SC gets ahead early and forces OSU to pass the ball, it will be a long day for the Buckeyes. I expect OSU to play better than they have shown the first 2 weeks, but SC in LA will prevail, 27-13.

Quick Hitters:
Are the song girls really that hot in person?
Some are, some aren’t, just like anything else.
Did you ever hang out with them?
No, but I was in classes with them if that counts. (F&BT Judges....count it!)
True or False: you have held the Heisman Trophy?
Yes, but not the one for Carson, Matt, or Reggie. I held Mike Garrett’s (first SC Heismen, current SC Athletic Director), and I held it in his dining room at his house in Pasadena. I went to a barbeque party hosted by his daughter there, who was dating someone in my fraternity during the summer after my freshman year. I walked into the dining room, where people were playing the drinking game “asshole” and there it was. It’s pretty heavy. And I have held the championship Crystal Ball. And kissed it. And held it like a running back. Pretty sweet.
If you saw Reggie Bush at a party tonight, would you say hello? Matt Leinert? Carson Palmer?
Carson wouldn’t remember me, so no. Reggie and Matt? If they were in front of me getting a drink at the bar, then yes. If they were in the VIP section and I had to fight security, then no. I’m not gonna be “that guy.”
Is Pete Carroll really that awesome or is it an act?
He’s that awesome and then some, 100% real. Has such an amazing philosophy on everything, and carries it out daily. So much of his outlook on football translates to life and business. He’s been a great role model.
True or False: your senior year of high school was your most fun season of football because your fellow receivers were the coolest people on earth?
Very true, without a doubt the coolest I’ve ever met, especially #80. He was so great I had to steal his number when I could at USC. They’ve all gone on to do great things.
Do you read college football blogs often? How much does this one suck?
I read USC football blogs, www.insidesocal.com/usc and http://www.uscripsit.com/. My blog of choice is SportsbyBrooks. By far, the best funny sports blog, better than Deadspin by a mile now. I really don’t read opinionated sports blogs because people are so biased to their cause they can’t think straight. It’s worthless. (F&BT Note: Zilka did not actually say we suck...we'll take that as a compliment)
Favorite TV show?
In terms of current shows: Reality- The Hills, Drama-Brothers & Sisters, Comedy-The Office, Crime-CSIs. And I’m now getting into Gossip Girls, good stuff.
Best fast-food chain?
In-N-Out Burger. I’m a homer for SoCal, always have been. And I’ve been wearing In-N-Out t-shirts since 3rd grade.
Best Ed Orgeron story? (crazy former Ole Miss head coach/USC d-line coach, notoriously intense and prone to taking his shirt off in meetings while yelling)
Coach O ran the scout team plays, making sure we ran the correct plays vs. the defense. One play I screwed up a route, and he unleashed some expletives my way, “Who the F (he used the full word) ran that route? Zilka? F-ing Zilka? Get him out of there! I don’t want another horse shit walk-on at WR anymore!” I was on a knee for the rest of scout ream period, trying not to look at Coach O as he gave me stern looks periodically.
And finally, do you remember that time when you got into the game during the Orange Bowl your freshman year against Iowa and we T.P.'d your Mom's house and threw oranges at the front of the house?
I do, that was quite the compliment. But then it rained and all the TP stuck to the ground, and I had to clean it all up. By myself.
That was awesome.
Thanks guys.


No, thank you JZ. Have fun on your trip back to the "Best Coast" this weekend, run a few "fade" routes for us, and Go Big Ten!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

The Journey: J Leman Refuses to Give It Up

Am I wrong? Is it not weird that he's all over this show? The guy was a great player last year, and certainly deserved to be honored as one of the school's 10 best linebackers on Saturday...but what in the name of Glenn Mason is he doing on this TV show again? (sidenote: Glenn Mason is an announcer for the BTN now. Do you think he rubs it in people's faces in Minnesota when he eventually goes there for a game? Do you think the BTN ever assigns him to a Gopher game? I would definitely watch Mason talk about how far Minny has fallen since he left and Timmay! took over.) Anyway, the interview with Leman wouldn't have been bad at the alumni luncheon...if that was the first time we saw him. But good ol' J managed to make his own uninvited, incredibly awkward entrance in the scene where the equipment manager was comparing the old-school helmets to the current ones. Leman just sort of walked into the picture, out of nowhere, stood there, smiled, and gave his qualified approval of the old-school uniforms. All this after showing up in the intro of the first episode to talk about the 2007 season and what he expects from the 2008 Illini. My big thing is, why?

This isn't 2007. I feel bad for Leman that he's not on an NFL roster right now, but showing up on a BTN program at your old school on a weekly basis is like going on The Surreal Life to revive your acting career...it's nothing but downhill. Just like the Surreal Life cast members are pretty much doomed to only appearances on other terrible VH1 shows (Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, anyone?), J Leman may be doomed to nothing more than a college legend that couldn't let go. This guy should be working to shape the next phase of his career or life, not hanging on to a team and program that is clearly moving on without him. And that's what it seems like Leman is doing, hanging on. It's fine if he is there to work out while waiting for another shot at the NFL, or if he's getting enough credits for his degree. But J, please...please!...try to avoid the cameras that are following the team. It makes you look a little sad, and takes some of the luster off your great college career.

On the other hand, I almost would love the show even more if the BTN kept showing him every week...kind of in the way that you cheer for crashes in NASCAR.

Other quick-hit thoughts from this weeks show:
1) Juice Williams is a dad? I legitimately did not know this. Also, did anyone else get the feeling that his girlfriend let him get away with not doing many of the chores just because she knows a payday is coming sometime soon?
2)The Zooker says "dad-gum" quite often. Pretty much in every speech he gave, it was "dad-gum this" or "dad-gum that". Does he never swear in general or is he simply just aware of the cameras?
3) Those throwback unis were sweet. I feel like this is true for a lot of teams, and makes you wonder why some teams ever upgraded in the first place?
4) The Zooker was dead-on in his speeches at halftime and after the game. The guy is a great motivator and certainly knew exactly how to handle those situations. Props.

Ruminations on Week 2

Frankly, Week 2 in the Big Televen wasn't exactly the most dificult slate of games. Considering the upsets that have happened in the last two years across college football, anytime a conference can go 11-0 on a Saturday, it's a good day. And it was a good day for most teams, here's a few things that stood out to me:

1) The "Spread HD" is legit. I thought Jay Paterno had jinxed his self-named offense when he came up with Spread HD. Yet after two weeks and 111 points, I'm a believer. Daryll Clark is Michael Robinson V2.0, the receivers have clearly established themselves as the best in the Big10, and Even Royster has been running untouched quite often. The Big Ten is on notice, JoePa has himself a team, and a great shot at being the lone all-time wins leader.


2) Minnesota has DOUBLED it's 2007 win total. Pop the sparkling wine Gophers, you have double the joy...and it's only week 2. This was no pushover either, Bowling Green had just upset ESPN darling Pittsburgh the week before and the game was on the road. I picked it for the Most Important Big10 Game last week, and Minny came through for the conference. I definitely don't like Minnesota to win many games inside the conference, but it's looking good for a non-conference sweep. Congrats Timmay! Let's see how you handle this unparralled success that two wins has brought you.

3) Indiana has bowl chances. Not bad Kellen, not bad at all good sir. But the Hoosiers haven't played anyone yet, and like many teams in the Big Televen, I still don't know what to make of them. Lewis does look like a stud, and I can't help but get the feeling that Indiana could be capable of pulling off some crazy offensive outputs like they did with a certain superhero named Randle El. Wait and see.

4) Fan bases are too quick to hype. Stop it people. Please, just stop it. P.J. Hill for Heisman? Try 18 carries for 57 yards against Marshall. Not a Heisman candidate, please shut up now. Martez Wilson on the Butkis Award Watchlist? He's not there yet, and hadn't started a game when he was put on that list. That's absurd. Stop it. That One Guy at Ohio State? Didn't play when the game was in doubt, and no, that is not a news story. He's a true freshman who isn't ready yet, that's not news. Please stop trying to make it news.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Wisconsin v. Marshall: Finishing with a Flourish

Fifty-one unanswered points. Usually, this is the sign of a ridiculous game that everyone should stop paying attention to before it's over. But when you're favored by at least 2 touchdowns, we should all expect this kind of offensive output, and a team shouldn't be down by 14 when the output starts.

But that is exactly where Wisconsin found themselves on Saturday, down 14-0 to a lowly Marshall football team that clearly didn't belong on the same field. If there was ever a team that looked ahead to the next week, Wisconsin was it on Saturday. Actually, Ohio State was it on Saturday, but Wisconsin did their best impression of that team. It took a long pass down the sideline to much-hyped but seldom-used Lance Kendricks to ignite the Badgers into a second quarter/rest of game run that would lead to 51 unanswered points. Generally, I still don't know what to make of this team, or how they will finish the season. But based on two weaks of terrible scheduling, these are my thoughts:

1) Travis Who? Travis Beckum sat out for the second week in a row against Marshall, and the Badgers didn't miss a beat. Garrett Graham proved once again that he needs to be guarded...period. Lance Kendricks proved that the Badger coaches know what they're talking about when they switch positions for certain players. On the other hand, Beckum's injury worries me...a lot. Brett Bieliema is notoriously coy with injuries, and this situation screams of deception. Last year it was Andy Crooks as a TE with a hamstring problem, this year it is Beckum. Crooks was supposed to be ready "next week" for about the first 6 weeks of the year...until you never heard about him again. It's only been 2 weeks for Beckum, but I considered myself legimately worried. Here's to hoping that he's 100% for the trip to Fresno.

2) There's a reason our CB's are always 10 yds deep. Except that no one knows why. Mario Goins seemed to take a few pages out of Allen Langford's DB manual and allow numerous 6-10 yard gains be completed right in front of him. Niles Brinkley replaced him and fared a little better with 2 INT's...but only the first one was a great play. The second one was a gift, and he should thank Marshall for that gift. Look for Goins to keep getting significant time, but don't think that allowing 6-10 yard gains on 1st and 2nd down will be acceptable in conference play.

3) 51 Unanswered Points is ALWAYS Impressive. I will never underestimate the fact that UW can put up a lot of points. Ever since Paul Christ returned to campus, the offense has been flowing like the salmon of capestrano (Dumb & Dumber reference for ya'll). Points and yards aren't as hard to come by as they used to be, but 51 unanswered cannot be underestimated. It will always be impressive. Yet it reminds me that UW games this year will always be close in the first half. The strength of the team is the O-line and 3 talented backs, and that combination leads to perceived slow starts and blowouts at the end of the day. Slowly but surely, UW will put up points...and PJ Hill will give way to Zach Brown and John Clay's fresh legs in the second half. Defenses will not be able to keep up with that level of depth, however the first half will always be closer than you'd think. It won't be until the second half that you will see the results of the pounding Badger running game.

4) John Clay is 240 lbs of Man Crush. There's no other way to put it, he's a beast, and every Badger fan cannot help but love him. Watching him dish out forearm shivers in teh 4th quarter gave me nothing but joy on Saturday. Bowling over DE's for 2 TD's, dominating linebackers, and doing it all with fresh legs. What don't you like? Man-crush is the only way to describe my feelings for him. I texted my friend Fuzz after the game to express my man-crush on J. Clay, and his response...."Andy Roddick...move over". Anyone who has seen Roddick at the US Open this week knows how incredible this statement is, and should know that John Clay is the real deal. Beware the Man-Crush in the 4th Quarter.

Friday, September 5, 2008

The Journey: Zooker is a TV Star!

So I watched The Journey: Illinois Football this week, and I have to say...what the hell was J Leman doing in the intro? Seriously, shouldn't he be in an NFL camp somewhere? Yet there he was, talking up Illinois and their magical season from 2007. It shocked me to be honest. In a TV show that is supposed to highlight Illinois' 2008 football season, why would they show someone no longer on the team?

That wasn't the only thing that caught me a little off guard about the show; in fact, most of the show itself caught me off guard. Granted, I never watched an episode of the Minnesota Basketball version of The Journey, but here are a few surprising tidbits from my viewing:

1)That they went straight up to the Mizzou game in episode 1. Maybe I was expecting something more along the lines of HBO's Hard Knocks, but I expected the BTN to highlight more of the preseason camp portion of the season. Show me more practice time. The Oklahoma Drill was excellent, but I wanted more. Show me the annual trip to the waterpark...even ESPN picked up on that one!

2)That they didn't highlight the coaches more. Zook works out non-stop, but we only get one shot of him on a stair-stepper!?! (sidenote: a stair-stepper, really? I pictured Zook as more of a weightlifter/stationary bike guy. The stair-stepping really dropped him down a notch or two in my book.) Why did we only get one shot of the coaches watching film? I wanted some practice film breakdown, some team meeting film teaching...something!

3)Player Profiles. Or lack thereof. I guess I was expecting there to be 3-4 players highlighted, their stories told and characters somewhat developed in the first episode. Then we would follow those players throughout the season. One would be the star (Juice), one would have overcome an injury/adversity, one would have been outgoing (Brit Miller), and one would have been an up-and-coming freshman stud who had to earn playing time but broke through by the end of the season. I didn't get it. Sure, they interviewed the center, Juice, Rejus, and Will Davis...but we didn't get any character development. And they followed some freshman to class (a B.S. football player only type class), but I didn't even pick up his name. If they want us to fall in love with these players, they need to tell us more about them.

As it turns out, J Leman was cut by the Vikings, thus had some time on his hands (which goes further to prove how Illinois' sum was greater than its parts last year). But that doesn't mean I wanted him on The Journey. I think my wants are simple. I want to watch this show; I want to like this show; and I want to love the subject of the show. But I need more BTN, I need more. I want the drama to unfold in front of me. I want clever editing that makes awkward silences in places that you can tell there weren't akward silences. I want position battles, coaches yelling, and obligatory shots of sorority girls at the pre-game Block. Basically, I want a full contact version of The Hills with football pads. Is that too much to ask?

Thursday, September 4, 2008

F&BT College Pick'Em Challenge: Week 1 Results

It certainly wasn't a good week for the participants in the Inaugural F&BT College Pick'Em Challenge. The top scorer was none other than good friend Sober, who reigns king with a total of 37 points out of 55. Yours truly tied for second, so I'll only allow Sober to give me crap this week.

Make your week 2 picks and be sure to check the rules for how to score correctly. A refresher for those of you unfamiliar (*cough* Lil Bro #1 *cough*):
1)Pick the winner of all ten games listed.
2) Rank the games in order of your confidence level in the team you picked winning. 10 being your most confident game. 1 being your least confident game.
3)Scoring: You get points equal to the confidence level of every game you correctly pick. For example, in week 1 if you picked Alabama over Clemson, and assigned a confidence level of 1o....you will receive 10 points.

You can still sign up for the league if you haven't yet. It's ok if you're lazy, you'll fit right into this group.

ESPN.com College Football Pick'Em
Group Name: First and Big Ten
Password: bigtenfootball

Good luck...

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Ruminations on Week 1

Christmas in August has come and gone, and week 1 wasn't too nice to the Big Televen. The conference's oddysey back to respectability will be covered in a later post. Instead, here are a few things that caught my eye over a glorious weekend of college football:

*Note: This past weekend was an anomaly in that it was a holiday weekend and I had a guest visiting for the weekend. WildHawk has been out of commission for a few days preparing for some "real life" stuff, but will be back tomorrow. Anyways, in the future we will have detailed reviews of some Big Ten games of the week/games we attended/our favorite games. Unfortunately, week 1 didn't give us the chance to do that, but we promise to have it in the future. And if not, well, we already reserved the right to be lazy...

1) Does Illinois call that defense? Granted, Missouri has a very talented offense and will put up a lot of points this season. But I just don't see them keeping their #6 ranking throughout the year. That Mizzou defense didn't scream #6 to me, and in fact, I think both teams will go in opposite directions this year. Last year's game featured two underrated teams that went on to have magical seasons...this year's game could be the opposite. I have a feeling that this loss to Mizzou won't look nearly as good as it did last year. As mentioned in the Illinois preview, Illinois lost a lot through the middle of their defense, and it showed in the Mizzou game as they gave up numerous big plays. It will be a long year if the defense can't pick it up a bit.

2) Bye Bye Beanie. Well, at least that's what the Heisman Trophy was saying to Wells as he hopped off the field with the help of coaches. Granted it's only week 1, but Wells
will undoubtedly be held out next week, and his yardage total will suffer without two cupcake teams on the schedule. Also, and this is totally speculative, but I think he will be out for the USC game...or at least be severely limited. USC has a habit of taking advantage of severely limited players.

3) Bruising Badger Backs. Sixty three carries. 404 yards rushing. Welcome to the good ol' days of Wisconsin football. P.J. Hill, a player that I have thought was overrated for two years (fat, soft, and unathletic may or may not have come out of my mouth when describing him in the past), was nearly unstoppable. Zach Brown showed he can be a change of pace back. And John Clay, well, according to my buddy Fuzz, "If I had to develop a prototypical physical specimen of a running back...it'd be John Clay." Obviously, this was against a weak Akron team, but the Badgers showed a glimpse of what other Big Ten (11) teams can expect this year.

4) We're Not on YouTube Anymore Toto. Michigan rolled out a bunch of freshman at the skill positions on offense, including YouTube legend Sam McGuffie. Mission Backfired. The Wolverines offense was anemic and the running game was the reason. McGuffie and Co. couldn't run for more than 1.3 ypc and certainly had a hard time leaping over people. Granted they had an almost entirely new offensive line starting, but Michigan has been recruiting well for years...this much of a drop off was not expected. However, Michigan's defense didn't show up until the second half, juuuussst a little late to help the Wolverines cause. Coach DickRod should hope that someone learns his offense, anyone learns his offense, and learns it soon.

5) Optimism in Iowa. No Hawkeyes were arrested on Saturday, which itself should have promoted optimism. But Hawkeye fans had other reasons to celebrate...they beat someone. It was only an FCS (1-AA) team, but beat them they did. In true Iowa fashion, Lil' Bro #2 texted me following the win: "Remember the name Jewel Hampton, he's gonna run circles around you guys for the next 4 years." I tried my hardest to let him enjoy his win and newfound RB prodigy, but I couldn't help remember a similar text from two years back: "Jake Christensen is gonna tear you up once he becomes our starter." Good luck with that.