Recruiting Super Quarterbacks
2/6/2010 5:28:44 PM
For all of the talk about college football recruiting, the Super Bowl is a good place to see the results.
And, a quick study would tell you recruiting is probably 50 percent accurate.
Look no further than the two Super Bowl quarterbacks. Peyton Manning was the most highly-recruited player in the country when he was coming out of high school in New Orleans.
He went on to a sensational career at Tennessee and has been a four-time MVP in the NFL for Indianapolis.
He has lived up to all of the hype.
Drew Brees, by contrast, was pretty much overlooked by everyone in Texas when he was a senior.
He went off to Purdue when his hometown Longhorns and others in Texas passed on him.
He went on to become a record-setting quarterback at Purdue and is now at the controls of what may be the best offense in the NFL.
So, it goes with recruiting. You hit some and miss some.
Picking the Right School
2/3/2010 4:08:33 PM
High school football stars all over the country made their choices on Wednesday.
In many cases, they made the wrong decision.
Kids decide on a college for all kinds of reasons.
Here's a simple rule. Pick the school with thee academics that match your life's goals.
In other words, if you are being pursued by all of the major football schools, but you really want to tackle the toughest academics, then pick an Ivy League school.
Surprise everyone. Take Columbia over Texas. Put on that Harvard hat instead of USC.
So many of these young football stars think they are headed to the NFL. Here's the reality. You probably aren't.
In fact, it is a long shot even for the guys considered five-star recruits to eventually reach the NFL.
So, plan on the alternative. Face some reality. You'll probably be searching for a job with, hopefully, a degree in hand.
That's how you pick a college. Pick the college. Not the coach. Not the best recruiting weekend. Not the biggest stadium.
Plan on a future that doesn't include football. Because, that's the most likely scenario.
Federer is the King of Sports
1/31/2010 3:43:41 PM
With Tiger Woods off at a sex rehab clinic, or whatever he is doing these days, Roger Federer continues to dominate his sport like no one else.
Woods, who owned golf, had become the world's best-known athlete before he had a Thanksgiving eve meltdown with his wife at home.
Woods may still be the best-known athlete in the world.
However, Federer is the most dominant.
Federer won his 16th grand slam title on Sunday at the Australian Open.
He won in straight sets and shows no sign of slowing down or letting up as he moves into uncharted territory for a tennis player.
He has made the final in 18 of the last 19 grand slams and the way he dodminated in this final leads one to believe he is very capable of sweeping the slams this year.
No one should overlook Federer any longer. He is the most dominant athlete in the world. With or without Woods playing golf.
Eight for the Big 12
1/28/2010 5:20:39 PM
There are some projections that have as many as eight teams from the Big 12 reaching the NCAA Tournament.
At this point, that might not be out of line.
Three of the top 10 teams in the country are in the Big 12. Two teams, that would be favored to reach the Final Four, are leading the way.
Kansas and Texas would appear to be decent bets to reach March as top seeds. And, Kansas State looks to be no worse than a three seed.
After that, there's a handful of teams that should fir into the picture somewhere.
That group includes Oklahoma State. The Cowboys have already beaten Kansas State (on the road) and two other probable NCAA teams (Texas Tech and Texas A&M) at home. Baylor seems like a worthy team and Missouri has done enough to be in the conversation.
This could end up being one of the best seasons ever in the Big 12.
There's still a lot of season left. But, at this point, the Big 12 may rival the Big East as the king of college basketball this season.
Rest Not Rust
1/17/2010 9:42:09 AM
The way New Orleans and Indianapolis played on Saturday seems to conform that rest, not rust, won in the NFL playoffs.
The Saints and especially the Colts had been criticized in recent weeks for the way they finished the season.
Indy had tossed aside a shot at an unbeaten season to rest its starters.
The Saints had rested starters after losing to Dallas and that was onen of the causes of a three-game losing streak to end the season.
However, the Saints and Colts looked terrific in their opening games of the playoffs.
New Orleans was especially sharp in the rout of Arizona. The Saints, if they continue to get that kind of play from Reggie Bush and Drew Brees, are a good bet to reach the Super Bowl. They'll get another home game in the NFC Championship.
The Colts looked great in their victory over Baltimore and Peyton Manning looked the part of four-time NFL MVP.
So, through at least one playoff game, rest seems to have won out over rust.
Why McGwire is Coming Clean Now
1/12/2010 9:26:02 AM
Mcrk McGwire's admission this week that he lied about taking performance-enhancing drugs is coming a little late for most.
It is doubtful it will help him get into the hall of fame, an honor that seems as distant now as it was before his admission.
And, it is hard to give him much credit for telling the truth now when he insisted for the past five years he did nothing.
Then, when he finally did admit he used the drugs, he said it didn't make any difference. He claims he still would have hit the record number of home runs.
Well, it is easy to see that his numbers went up when he started doing the drugs. And, there's no question it helped him.
McGwire wants to eliminate all of the questions when he comes back as a St. Louis Cardinals hitting instructor this spring.
It may stop some of the questions but he needs to realize his records will forever be tainted. He would not be the home run king without those drugs. His stats show his home run production went up with his drug usage.
So, quit trying to fool the public and yourself. Admit it fully.
Yes, we appreciate the attempt to tell the truth - five years too late. But, go ahead and admit that the drugs, even against so many drug-aided pitchers, did help your performance.
Cowboys Could Roll to Super Bowl
1/10/2010 11:28:12 AM
The Dallas Cowboys became a new team on the day they won in New Orleans.
That game took the Cowboys from potential to reality.
Since then, Dallas has played as well, if not better, than any team in the NFL.
And, winning in New Orleans when the Saints were unbeaten, would seem to indicate that Dallas will be a good bet to win in Minnesota.
At this point, Dallas is a good bet to reach the Super Bowl.
The defense has been Super Bowl-level for a while but it is the level of Tony Romo's play at quarterback that lifts Dallas to potential Super Bowl winner.
The Cowboys won a playoff game for the first time since 1996 on Saturday night. There is no reason to believe they won't win a few more.
McCoy Could've Changed Outcome
1/9/2010 1:34:42 PM
There has been a lot of talk that even Colt McCoy would not have changed the outcome of the Alabama victory over Texas in the national championship game.
Wrong. McCoy would have made a huge difference. The chances of the Longhorns winning would have gone up considerably if he had played the whole game.
You think Sam Bradford would have made a difference for OU this year? You think the Sooners lose five times if Bradford plays the whole season?
What about OSU. You think the Cowboys would have lost four times if Dez Bryant and Kendall Hunter had played the whole season?
Great players make a difference.
The theory that McCoy wouldn't have made a difference makes no sense to me. Of course, he would have been a big difference and we might be talking about the national championship in Austin these days.
Ruffin and Texas Tech
1/3/2010 1:26:09 PM
The way Texas Tech played in the 41-31 victory over Michigan State in the Alamo Bowl will help make the case for Ruffin McNeill to be elevated to head coach.
It has been reported there is widespread interest by coaches to replace Mike Leach. Understandable. It is a Big 12 school that has built some tradition in the last decade under Leach.
But, McNeill, who resurrected Tech's defense and gave the Raiders a chance to be more than just an offensive giant, filled in during a wild week that saw Leach suspended and then fired leading up to the bowl game.
Many believe he would be a good choice. The way he handled the Alamo Bowl will be a bright spot when he takes his resume to the bosses.
Here's a Vote for Bad Offense
1/2/2010 6:45:37 PM
There was a debate at the Cotton Bowl over whether it was bad offense or good defense that finally made the difference in the 21-7 Ole Miss victory over Oklahoma State.
We'd vote for bad offense.
Sure, the defenses made tons of fabulous plays. There were goal line stands on both sides. There were interceptions and fumbles.
But, if either team had shown any kind of offensive consistency, these teams would have soored far more points.
Instead, it took OSU making more stupid offensive mistakes in the final five minutes to allow Ole Miss to escape with the victory.
Give OSU's defense some credit. The Cowboys have come a long ways in a year, from one of the worst in the country to a defense ranked in the top 35 of the country.
Still, you have to generate some offense, something that hasn't been a problem for OSU in recent years.
But, ever since Zac Robinson took a big hit at the end of a victory over Texas Tech, the Cowboys have been nonexistent on offense.
Everyone claims he is not injured. That's hard to believe considering how bad OSU's offense became in its last three games.
OU's Bowl Win Good Step
1/1/2010 10:12:34 AM
There doesn't seem to be much hangover from a bowl game to the next season.
Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have gone from bowl losses to better seasons in recent years.
The Sooners and Cowboys have also gone from bowl victories to downer seasons.
As coaches love to say, every season is different.
Still, winning a bowl game, as OU did on Thursday, is a good thing.
The victory over Stanford in the Sun Bowl will send the Sooners in off-season workouts in a better mood. It is easier to motivate happy players.
So, winning is a good thing, regardless of what next season holds.
And, because of OU's recent bowl woes, it was good to win one, even though it would have been more fun to beat Florida a year earlier.
Winning is always a good thing and should help the Sooners as they work toward climbing back into the national title chase in the future.
Tough to Follow Leach
12/30/2009 1:45:01 PM
The firing of Mike Leach means Texas Tech will now have one of the toughest jobs in college football.
They've got to find a coach that can keep the Red Raiders at the same level Leach got them to over the past 10 years.
That won't be easy.
The Red Raiders had become one of the most feared teams in college football over the last decade.
You never knew what to expect from Tech. They might beat you by a bunch or lose on any given day.
That's why they scared other Big 12 teams. You never knew what would happen when you played the Raiders.
Sure, Tech tired of the constant craziness of Leach. However, the Raiders will have a hard time replacing his victories.
And, his craziness.
Tiger Faces the Music
12/2/2009 10:24:00 AM
Everything about Tiger Woods has been so carefully crafted that this latest incident, and his virtual admission of some wrongdoing in his personal life, has given us a rare glimpse into the world's best golfer.
Since he arrived on the world stage as a rookie, winning his way to the PGA Tour Championship at Tulsa's Southern Hills Country Club in 1996, Woods has been careful about every public statement.
His Wednesday statement that he is going to strive to be better for his family didn't really admit anything.
However, it is easy to read between the lines.
People still wonder what exactly led to a car accident at 2:30 a.m. last week but his admission that he has things to improve with his family just proves what we already knew.
No matter how automatic and superhuman he appears on the golf course, he is still human. He makes mistakes.
The tabloids aren't likely to leave him or his family alone but Woods is so driven one can expect him to be at his best when he gets back out on tour in January.
OU's Wild Ride Dooms OSU
11/28/2009 4:18:20 PM
Oklahoma has been so great at home but has matched it with equally dismal performances on the road this season.
The Sooners were once again terrific at home and that was more than enough to doom OSU in OU's 27-0 victory on Saturday.
There didn't seem to be much OSU could do about OU's defensive dominance.
The Sooners were at their best in this game.
It leaves you wondering just how good OU could have been with any kind of offense.
Then, again, the perfect season for OU would be to play 12 home games.
It is really kind of amazing to see how much better OU is at home than it is on the road.
Sure, it is understandable that teams play better at home. But, to have such wild swings in performance is sort of strange.
Tulsa Finding Ways to Lose
11/21/2009 11:09:36 PM
The one constant in the six-game losing streak for Tulsa has been the Golden Hurricane had chances to win all of them.
TU has found ways to lose games in the second half.
A close game with East Carolina turned into a rout in the fourth quarter.
A wild offensive game with Southern Miss was won by the Golden Eagles when Tulsa started imploding near the Southern Miss end zone in the second half of Saturday night's 44-32 loss.
That's not to say Tulsa hasn't deserved to lose these games. The Hurricane played lousy defense, gave up huge chunks of yards in kick returns and had two big turnovers against the Golden Eagles.
It has been a bad second half that doomed TU against UTEP, SMU, Houston, East Carolina and Southern Miss.
Of course, some of it was lack of defense. Some of it was turnovers. Some of it was offensive mistakes.
There is no one area that is to blame for the recent slide into the off season without a bowl.
TU coach Todd Graham will have plenty of time this winter to figure out what needs work.
From this view, it would appear Tulsa could use some improvement in just about all areas.
A few things here and there and perhaps the Hurricane will be back in the Conference USA race next season.
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