The NCAA Takes Fans for Idiots...Oregon RB Blount Turns Table on NCAA

In the biggest sham since Reggie Bush called himself an amateur college athlete, the NCAA implemented a new initiative this year trying to promote sportsmanship where the teams engage in a pregame handshake. The thought is that the NCAA will be able to soften its image slightly and show that these student-athletes are in fact rational humans totally in control of their emotions. The college football player isn't like those shady NFL guys getting arrested all the time and making it rain at a local establishment near you. No, these are just kids having fun and playing for the love of the game! They're not crazy! Look...they even shake hands BEFORE the game.


This would seem like a good plan on its surface and might in fact somehow work if only...you know...the college football players weren't crazy athletic people with a penchant for violence. NCAA meet LeGarrette Blount, Oregon starting running back. You may remember him for such quotes in the newspaper as "We owe (Boise State) an ass-whuppin'." And LeGarrette Blount may be eight kinds of crazy...but he ain't no liar! And when he says he'll whoop some ass...he's gonna whoop some ass. Game or no game.

After Boise State completely shut down the vaunted Ducks offense, making Blount look slow and ineffective all night (8 carries for -5 yards), things got a little wild in the postgame. A Broncos D-lineman said a few things...Blount took offense...and then did what any rational person would do. He sucker-punched the dude. Obvi!



LeGarrette Blount is taking a beating for his actions, as he should, and ESPN is having a field day with this one (they conveniently used this to put Dr. Phil on their College Football Live show to talk about anger management or something), but Blount is merely a fraction of the issue here. And really, there are two big ones that I see:


1) Despite forcing the players to shake hands PRIOR to a game, the NCAA can't really tell us what to think about their student-athletes without the student-athletes telling us themselves. Coaches spend all week building up a hatred for an opponent, and you're telling me that these kids want to shake hands BEFORE they try to beat up the other team on the field? Give me a break. We're fans. Short for fanatic. We waste a decent portion of our lives working up a hatred for an opponent that we hope some 18-22 year old kids will act upon for us once a year. You really think we can't see through some half-hearted handshake that you forced sometime to take part in? Please, this postgame handshake was one of the things I liked about college football, and it is good enough sportsmanship as it is. Players have the choice to show a geniune respect for their opponent by seeking them out after the game. At least it's genuine.


2) Some of these "student"-athletes never cease to amaze us with their total loss of perspective. Did Blount really think any of the 10 ESPN cameras wouldn't catch him hitting the Boise State guy? Did he really think he could punch his teammate and not have him be pissed? And what about someone getting ready to "allegedly" throw a chair at you (as Blount alleged was his reason for going after the fans) makes you want to jump into the stands towards that person? Jeff Pearlman has an excellent article up on SI.com about Brandon Marshall and his loss of perspective on the reality that 1,000 yard receivers are a dime a dozen. And few are remembered famously after their career. Well, the list of great college running backs who get forgotten is 10x as long, and apparently LeGarrette Blount hasn't learned that yet, or wasn't taught it at JUCO. Some of these athletes think they're destined for the NFL no matter what, and don't quite care for the details of the rest of their life. And details like "not punching a teammate or opponent on national television" can directly affect their status in the League. You think teams won't throw up some HUGE red flags on Blount after this? HE PUNCHED HIS TEAMMATE!! And in an instant, boom...there goes a senior year's worth of highlights due to suspension.

This whole sequence reminded me of former Wisconsin running back Booker Stanley. Stanley was a decent running back, who provided some production despite being 3rd string. Yet he had incredible off the field problems, including beating the crap out of a dude at the Mifflin Street Block Party in Madison. I was there; I saw the fight; Booker destroyed the dude. And he got arrested. You might think that he would cool it a little bit, maybe take it easy for a while and...oh, I don't know...worry about his status on the team. Nope, not Booker. There I was standing in line at the KK that very same night, when some big dude behind me starts talking loudly...."I'm not a fighter, but I hit like a Mack truck. I'm serious, I will hit you like a Mack truck." Yep, Booker Stanley. Any perspective and he might not have been so surprised when Bielema threw his ass off the team.

Ruminations on Week 10

Another week, another Badger game that I don't want to talk about. It's becoming a theme this year...let's just move on. Although I will say, this was my favorite day of college football so far this season. You know it's going to be a good day when your team's game ends on a last second field goal at 1pm...and it's the 3rd best finish of the day so far. And to cap it off, Michael Crabtree went all superman on Texas' secondary with only a few seconds left. Was that not ridiculous? Not only were the idiot students running onto the field about 4 times, but the sheer enormity of the moment blew my mind. Against the #1 team in the country...at home...night game...lead all game and give it up with just over a minute left. As a Big Ten fan, it's hard for me to get real excited watching other games. But there I was, sitting in Lil' Bro #1's girlfriend's house, screaming at the TV..."NO F#*%ING WAY! NO F#*%ING WAY HE JUST DID THAT!" Yes. Yes he did. Props Mr. Crabtree. Here are some other ruminations on week 10:

1) I'd say that turned out "disastrous" to "quite disastrous". Tied at 17, under 30 seconds left in your own territory in a home game. Most coaches take the home crowd into overtime and use their stadium to their advantage. 25 yards in OT is a lot shorter to go than 55 yards in the last 30 seconds. But Timmay! couldn't resist. Go for the score, push the envelope, energize the fans in the stadium with a dramatic Homecoming win. Well, plan backfired. Backfired in a huge way. Backfired in probably the worst way possible. This had to be worse than the blocked-punt-for-a-touchdown-in-the-last-minute loss to Wisconsin back in 2005. This one will sting for ol' Timmay! and the Gophers for a while. Happy homecoming folks!

2) Joe Tiller has massive balls of steel. Looking toward his future home (almost, Idaho is close to Montana) for inspiration, Tiller channeled the Fiesta Bowl miracle and pulled off the ol' Hook n' Ladder to beat Michigan this weekend. The Wolverines never saw it coming, and why would they? No one has enough balls to call that play. Except Joe Tiller. Major, MAJOR props to Joe and the Boilermakers for pulling that off. It made me wish I was a Purdue fan. Alright I won't get that crazy, but it made me wish I was watching that game on television and rooting against Michigan.

3) Not the same old Sparty? I'm definitely biased in this case, because I was cheering against them, but how did Michigan State's performance not suggest that it was not the same old Sparty? Ringer never got on track. Yeah, he had two touchdowns, but they were gifts once the Spartans got inside the 2 yard line. Otherwise, he was held under 55 yards. The defense gave up over 200 yards rushing. The receivers had numerous drops. In fact, the only player that really seemed to be playing well for Sparty was Brian Hoyer. Had his receivers not dropped about 7 passes, his stats would look even better. Nothing about MSU screamed different to me. The only difference was the W. And that was a gift, courtesy of UW and it's overmatched coach Brett Bielema.

4) Bad week for a bye. Penn State got jumped in the BCS standings by Texas Tech after that ridiculous finish in Lubbock on Saturday. Penn State wasn't so much punished as Tech was rewarded, but it's hard to not think that voters easily forgot about Penn State while they Nittany Lions sat at home this week. Style points certainly went in Tech's favor, anti-Big Ten sentiment probably played a factor, but not having any highlights probably hurt PSU the most. Had the Spread HD been putting up 40 some points on an opponent last Saturday, I have to believe that PSU stays ahead of Tech. Either way, they're still in a good spot with a relatively easier schedule than the Red Raiders or Alabama the rest of the way.

Another Reason I Love College Football: "We're Still Pretty Good!"

So WildHawks had 3 posts yesterday...count 'em...Uno, Dos, 3. Are you kidding me? This guy hasn't posted in weeks, and all of a sudden...Boom! I won't lie that he was about to get fired next week if he didn't post. I didn't want to have to do it, but my inner Donald Trump had been tugging at me for a while. And then there he was, with three posts in one day. Ladies and Gentlemen, he's back.



"Just when I thought you couldn't get any dumber, you go and do something like this....and TOTALLY redeem yourself!"




One of WildHawks' posts made me chuckle at first, and then I realized that he was right, and it was one of the reasons I love college football. His post about Iowa football, and that he thinks they're still pretty good. I mean think about that, they're still pretty good?! They're 3-3 overall and 0-2 in a mediocre conference and their biggest win is against...Iowa State?


Yet there goes WildHawks, proclaiming that they're still pretty good. And you know what? He's right. And that's what I love about college football. As a diehard fan, don't you find yourself rooting for your team no matter what? Don't you continue to see the great plays and block the bad ones from your memories? Every time your team takes that field, there's no chance they don't live up to their potential and probably dominate that game right? I know that's how I feel. I know that's how a lot of college football fans feel. We're blinded by our love for our team, and for better or worse, we're going to always view them through those team-color tinted glasses. It's a beautiful sight.


That's the thing about college football, every team is dangerous on any given week. Sure, throughout the course of the season, talent will most likely rise to the top. But for 3 hours on a Saturday, Oregon State is better than USC. Michigan is better than Wisconsin. Duke is better than anybody. Vanderbilt can beat Auburn (and get their O-coordinator fired after 6 games). Even at 3-3, Iowa is a scary football team. I know I'm not looking forward to playing them. They run the ball well, they have a great D-Line, and they are built schematically to stop teams like my Badgers. As terrible as their record is, Iowa will always be a tough game for Wisconsin, because their styles are so similar.


And that's why I love college football. A mediocre team can be a terrible matchup for a great team, and that great team may well come crumbling down. People thought last year and all the upsets was crazy and once in a lifetime. I thought it was awesome and expect it to happen again this year.

Why? Because at 3-2 and 0-2 in the Big Ten, my Badgers should be done for the season, but I also think we're still pretty good! And through these Cardinal Red glasses I'm wearing...their game against Penn State this week is going to be a beautiful sight.

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

An Oddysey: The Big Ten's Climb Back To Respectability

Newsflash: The Big Ten is down. Way down. And in case you didn't know it, an SEC fan is always there to remind you.

As I wrote earlier this week, the Big Ten's demise started in the fall of 2006 when Ohio State and Michigan were overhyped by ESPN for an entire year. Think about it...how long was the build up to "The Game of the Century" in 2006? Five weeks? Six weeks? ESPN built that game up for a long time in order to bump their ratings. And you know what, they should have. It was two good teams, and they had the rights to the game. The problem I have with it, is immediately after the game, when Michigan lost...ESPN kept hyping them. Because they put up a good game on the road, the voters kept them at #2. And the downfall of the Big Ten began.

Florida jumped Michigan in the polls. Florida destroyed Ohio State in the National Championship game. USC destroyed Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Those two teams from the "Game of the Century"...they got embarrassed. And so did their conference. All it took was a top 5 ranking for Michigan the following year, an historic upset by The Little Football Team That Could (App St.), a few more losses in games that should've been won...and there you have it. The Big Ten is down.

But fear not F&BT fans, the Big Ten is not down for the count. It is a long, steep climb back to respectability, but foundered by the hope of a season anew, the Big Ten can make the oddysey by following these few steps:

1) Win the Game You Should ABSOLUTELY Win. Big Ten teams play 9 FCS (1-AA) opponents this year. We all learned last year not to take those for granted, but on this climb up the BCS ladder of respectability...these are must wins. No more Appalachian State. No more North Dakota State. Win these games. Period.

2) Win the Game You Are Supposed To Win. Big Ten teams play some weak non-conference teams this year, and believe me...they are supposed to win these games. MAC teams included. Western Kentucky. Ball State. Central Michigan. FIU. Northern Illinois. Bowling Green. Florida Atlantic. Ohio. Syracuse. Duke. Temple. Miami Ohio. Toledo. Akron. Marshall. Eastern Michigan. Florida Atlantic. Louisiana-Lafayette. Western Michigan. Troy. All wins, and we're on the right pace.

3) Beat Notre Dame. Everyone hates Notre Dame anyways, and we all loved it when they sucked last year. Another sweep of the Domers doesn't necessarily help the Big Ten...but losses could hurt.

4) Win MOST of the BCS Buster Games. Wisconsin @ Fresno. Iowa @ Pitt. Iowa vs Iowa St. Michigan vs Utah. Penn St vs Oregon St. These are games versus "name" teams in college football that are either in, or close to, the Top 25. Solid BCS teams or WAC upset artists...taking three or four out of these 5 games is a solid foundation.

5) Be Competitive in the Marquis Matchups. OSU @ USC. Purdue vs. Oregon. Michigan State @ Cal. Illinois vs Missouri. These are the nationally televised games that the entire country will be watching. A split would be excellent, but a competitive game in all four is a must for the Big Ten.

6) Represent in the Bowls. This is where Big Ten fans need to drop their rivalry biases and cheer for their conference brethen. At no other point in the season will the nation be focusing on conference affiliation. The Big Ten needs some key bowl wins to capitalize on the momentum from their season-long climb up the respectability ladder.

If the Big Ten follows these six steps back to respectability, the season will be fun, exciting, and fulfilling. But SSSHHHHHH!!! Any chest-puffing, bragging, and big win crowing will decimate any respect the Big Ten earned throughout the season. And we all know what happened the last time our teams were too hyped...