Ohio vs. Temple: Why Bother?
Tonight, in about 2 hours there will be a college football game, and the only one at that. Ohio University plays Temple University in a MAC Showdown…
Well, not with a bunch of fireworks and stuff, but that’s all we got.
Both teams are 2-5 and are in the same division, so at first glance you might say, who cares? Two bad teams playing, that’s all there is to it.
But I disagree.
If you’ve been following my blogs, most of the ones I share on blogspot, I try to write in a way that is appreciative of sports. I mean, I LOVE sports and I like talking about it in a way that allows me to kinda say “thanks” to every team that plays. That might sound corny, but my point is I think every game has a story, a human interest story if you look for it.
Now I realize I have my own biased opinions, but that’s no different from anybody else. I mean, who am I to talk…my Western Carolina Catamounts are doing terribly this year. So I know what it’s like to root for a team that isn’t winning.
But with these two schools, there IS something worth playing for, a lot more than first meets the eye. Let’s discuss that.
The Ohio Bobcats are 2-5, losing by 1 point to Wyoming, then losing by only 12 points to Ohio State. 0-2 isn’t good, but you haven’t been pulled through the garden. You lose by 3 to Central Michigan and by only 8 to Northwestern.
This just looks like a team that CAN do it with just a little more effort. 0-4 isn’t good, but some of those games were tough, and all were close. Beating VMI (a Southern Conference School) isn’t worth bragging, and losing to Western Michigan by 20 is a slap on the lips, but a win vs. Kent State is in the right direction.
But here’s the deal…there is a chance to salvage the season…and even a chance to play in the MAC Championships. Sounds crazy but true. Remember folks, all they have to do is win their division. They have a win over Kent State, and no losses so far. If Ohio can win this game against Temple, and IF they can sweep the division, they will be in the MAC Championships AND quite possibly in a bowl.
The season is NOT over for these guys. And even if they lose one game, they still have a chance to play in the championship with a little luck. I am saying all this on the idea that the VMI (Virginia Military Institution) does not count as a legit Division I win.
So folks, there is a LOT to play for if you are a Ohio Bobcats fan.
But what of Temple?
Well, we know they are also 2-5 as well. They actually sit beneath Ohio in the division standings because they have 3 losses in the conference. We know it has not been easy for Temple, but they sure got started pretty good with that 35-7 win over Army. Temple barely lost to soon-to-be-ranked Connecticut 12-9 and seemed to prove they have something on that team.
Losing by 2 points to Buffalo was probably hard to swallow, but that 45-3 loss to Penn State was like a 2 hour spanking…hard to sit down after something like that. The Owls dropped to 1-3 really quick before losing another very close game to Western Michigan 7-3. Temple apparently seems to have a very good defense, with exception to the current #3 team in the nation.
Temple showed some hope by defeating Miami (OH) 28-10, and then losing to Central Michigan 24-14. It’s easy to laugh at a losing team, but Temple still has a chance to redeem themselves.
First off, they didn’t play any sub-division teams, so all their wins count. That means they need 4 wins to qualify for a bowl. The Navy game will be tough, so you’re almost implying that Temple needs to win all the other games, or win 3 more and make it to the MAC Championships and win that one as well.
With losses to both Buffalo AND Miami (OH), they need some things to happen. In order for Temple to get to the MAC Championship, they need those two teams to lose again to give them a chance, because any tie between Temple and either Buffalo or Miami (OH) will be ruled against them. With the best team in this division being 2-2 in the conference, it can still be anybody’s game. Temple has a chance to still make it to a bowl, but it has to start now.
I mentioned the MAC Championships, if EITHER Temple or Ohio make it, they are likely going to see Ball State…and well…that might not be so good for them. In fact, the top 4 teams in the West Division has a combined conference record of 14-2, while the East Division’s entire lineup has 7 wins.
But regardless, there is still a chance for a bowl or a winning season. And with that, this is the human element we want to see. It’s still football, and even though it won’t determine the National Champions, it’s still worth watching.
Go Ohio University! Go Temple University! GO FOOTBALL!!!!!
(ok, that was corny….)
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Mercy for Jose Canseco?
Mercy for Jose Canseco
I was writing a blog on whether Utah should be able to play in the BCS Championship as I was listening to the television on Jose Canseco. There was a discussion on ESPN about whether we should “believe him”.
I watched the segment today on how Jose Canseco felt sorry for what he did, in writing the book which eventually opened the flood games on steroids in baseball, and ended up tarnishing the names of some big players that would have been legends in the hall of fame. Anybody who knows about this stuff know what I am talking about.
The segment on ESPN showed Jose sitting on a bed, watching past videos of himself in his prime, and other players that would soon be rejected like they had the plague after the steroids era had been blown wide open. Canseco talks about why he wrote the book, and how he was upset at Major League Baseball. He also talks about how, after it was all over, he realized what a mistake it was. He said if he had the chance to talk to some of those guys whose careers he ruined, he would apologize.
The question asked to a couple of guys on ESPN was…do you believe him?
Now, let me make this clear before I continue…I don’t like Stephen A Smith…you can imagine that that “A” stands for because he clearly seems to be full of himself. So even though I am no big time sports journalist, I am a fan of the sport, and like anybody, we have our opinions. My opinion of him…he’s a jerk.
They asked Smith and another guy (not important) if they believed Jose Canseco. Both STRONGLY agreed that Jose is not worth believing. But here is the great hypocrisy that Stephen said. He said that he believes that EVERYBODY deserves a second chance…except him.
To me, this is one of the dumbest things you can say. If this country is about second chances, the GIVE a man a chance to prove himself. It is so amazing that the man who was directly responsible for the Major Baseball League changing the steroids and doping rules can be viewed as such a dirt bag. Stephen Smith also said that Jose was motivated by greed (or money). Here’s something maybe Smith never thought of…would YOU be sitting your hindparts on that set of ESPN if you weren’t getting paid? Would YOU be doing those shows for NBA on ESPN if you weren’t getting paid?
See, it seems that it’s ok for Stephen A Smith to bankroll money from ESPN for reporting news (which is the JOB of a reporter, not creating news or judging people) but for a former baseball player to voice his opinion and be honest about the cheating in the game is criminal.
Sometimes the sports media is so crooked in what they say and do. When all these thing broke out, guys on sports television kept saying that these baseball players ought to “just tell the truth”. They kept saying that “we are a forgiving country”. Where is all that talk now? Jose Canseco exposed cheating in professional sports, and say what you want about him, it needed to be said. If he did it to pay his bills, so what? Stephen A Smith will go on some tantrum like some spoiled brat and act like he’s giving a sermon, when all he is doing is talking louder than the other person. I saw how hard it was for the lady on ESPN to get a word in. Advice to Smith: you’re not right just because your mouth is bigger, you’re just more ignorant.
But having said all this, I don’t want to make it sound like Jose is without flaw. I mean, isn’t is kinda…timely that this comes out just before the World Series? And the segment was so scripted that he just might get nominated for an award. I mean, when I looked at it the first time, the first thing that went through my head was; this looked soooo scripted.
So you really would have to question his sincerity, and then wonder, what is Jose looking for? Does he have another book due out soon? It would not surprise me if he did.
So we’re left to answer this same question that they asked on ESPN. Do you believe Jose Canseco?
I understand that we are not talking about a saint here, but last I checked, nobody in sports, or ANYWHERE is a saint anyway (unless you play FOR the Saints…). To me, there is a fine line in sports writing or conversations and then judging another person as strongly as they did on ESPN.
Just as they can call Jose a scammer or opportunistic jerk, I can equally say that Stephen A Smith is a self-centered, loud mouth idiot. The problem is that people seem to like “shock jocks” like Stephen A Smith and Skip Bayless. They go well together…like peanut butter and mud.
If you asked me if I believed him, I might say I hold reservations, but I also try to blog in away that still gives respect to people. To me, humanity ALWAYS comes first, and if a guy screws up, ok so he screwed up. No need to crucify him every week at 8pm on your favorite local station. We’re talking about a human being folks, and whether you like him or not, you still have to see that. I am no big fan of Al Davis, but he is still human. I have my sports opinions, but I try to keep it sincere. But apparently the Good Lord sent Stephen A Smith to earth to proclaim the judgment of other mortals that fall short.
Note to Stephen A…judge not, lest ye be judged….
Anyway, I may have reservations about Jose Canseco, but every man deserves a second chance…EVERY man, regardless of the bone headed things Smith says…
I was writing a blog on whether Utah should be able to play in the BCS Championship as I was listening to the television on Jose Canseco. There was a discussion on ESPN about whether we should “believe him”.
I watched the segment today on how Jose Canseco felt sorry for what he did, in writing the book which eventually opened the flood games on steroids in baseball, and ended up tarnishing the names of some big players that would have been legends in the hall of fame. Anybody who knows about this stuff know what I am talking about.
The segment on ESPN showed Jose sitting on a bed, watching past videos of himself in his prime, and other players that would soon be rejected like they had the plague after the steroids era had been blown wide open. Canseco talks about why he wrote the book, and how he was upset at Major League Baseball. He also talks about how, after it was all over, he realized what a mistake it was. He said if he had the chance to talk to some of those guys whose careers he ruined, he would apologize.
The question asked to a couple of guys on ESPN was…do you believe him?
Now, let me make this clear before I continue…I don’t like Stephen A Smith…you can imagine that that “A” stands for because he clearly seems to be full of himself. So even though I am no big time sports journalist, I am a fan of the sport, and like anybody, we have our opinions. My opinion of him…he’s a jerk.
They asked Smith and another guy (not important) if they believed Jose Canseco. Both STRONGLY agreed that Jose is not worth believing. But here is the great hypocrisy that Stephen said. He said that he believes that EVERYBODY deserves a second chance…except him.
To me, this is one of the dumbest things you can say. If this country is about second chances, the GIVE a man a chance to prove himself. It is so amazing that the man who was directly responsible for the Major Baseball League changing the steroids and doping rules can be viewed as such a dirt bag. Stephen Smith also said that Jose was motivated by greed (or money). Here’s something maybe Smith never thought of…would YOU be sitting your hindparts on that set of ESPN if you weren’t getting paid? Would YOU be doing those shows for NBA on ESPN if you weren’t getting paid?
See, it seems that it’s ok for Stephen A Smith to bankroll money from ESPN for reporting news (which is the JOB of a reporter, not creating news or judging people) but for a former baseball player to voice his opinion and be honest about the cheating in the game is criminal.
Sometimes the sports media is so crooked in what they say and do. When all these thing broke out, guys on sports television kept saying that these baseball players ought to “just tell the truth”. They kept saying that “we are a forgiving country”. Where is all that talk now? Jose Canseco exposed cheating in professional sports, and say what you want about him, it needed to be said. If he did it to pay his bills, so what? Stephen A Smith will go on some tantrum like some spoiled brat and act like he’s giving a sermon, when all he is doing is talking louder than the other person. I saw how hard it was for the lady on ESPN to get a word in. Advice to Smith: you’re not right just because your mouth is bigger, you’re just more ignorant.
But having said all this, I don’t want to make it sound like Jose is without flaw. I mean, isn’t is kinda…timely that this comes out just before the World Series? And the segment was so scripted that he just might get nominated for an award. I mean, when I looked at it the first time, the first thing that went through my head was; this looked soooo scripted.
So you really would have to question his sincerity, and then wonder, what is Jose looking for? Does he have another book due out soon? It would not surprise me if he did.
So we’re left to answer this same question that they asked on ESPN. Do you believe Jose Canseco?
I understand that we are not talking about a saint here, but last I checked, nobody in sports, or ANYWHERE is a saint anyway (unless you play FOR the Saints…). To me, there is a fine line in sports writing or conversations and then judging another person as strongly as they did on ESPN.
Just as they can call Jose a scammer or opportunistic jerk, I can equally say that Stephen A Smith is a self-centered, loud mouth idiot. The problem is that people seem to like “shock jocks” like Stephen A Smith and Skip Bayless. They go well together…like peanut butter and mud.
If you asked me if I believed him, I might say I hold reservations, but I also try to blog in away that still gives respect to people. To me, humanity ALWAYS comes first, and if a guy screws up, ok so he screwed up. No need to crucify him every week at 8pm on your favorite local station. We’re talking about a human being folks, and whether you like him or not, you still have to see that. I am no big fan of Al Davis, but he is still human. I have my sports opinions, but I try to keep it sincere. But apparently the Good Lord sent Stephen A Smith to earth to proclaim the judgment of other mortals that fall short.
Note to Stephen A…judge not, lest ye be judged….
Anyway, I may have reservations about Jose Canseco, but every man deserves a second chance…EVERY man, regardless of the bone headed things Smith says…
Utah Football in the BCS
Should Utah Play in the BCS Championship
I was watching television today and there was the question of whether Utah can play in the National Championship if they go undefeated.
Answer…no.
……………………………….................................
Well, if I don’t go any further, we won’t have much of a blog here, so let me explain.
Right now, Utah is ranked #11 in the BCS rankings with a .6345. This means there are 10 other teams that are better than Utah, so at the very moment, there is NO chance for Utah to play in the BCS Championship at the current pace. None. Any team from a power conference with either zero losses or one loss will be more favored than Utah, even if they are undefeated.
I personally believe that the Mountain West Champion SHOULD play in a BCS bowl, because I think this year there are very good, with BYU, TCU, Utah and Air Force. This is a pretty strong conference, perhaps the equal of the ACC this year (maybe better).
But the strength of schedule goes against Utah just a bit. This is what has been hurting the Utes this year, but it’s not their fault, they have to play the teams on their schedule. And with big games against BYU and TCU, they can surely make a case.
But I don’t think this is about whether they can play in the BCS Championship if they go undefeated, I think the argument should be, what conditions can play into Utah’s favor to play in the BCS Championship?
I mean, let’s be honest here. If the top 10 teams on the BCS rankings suddenly LOSE two games, then you HAVE to put Utah in the Championship, right? Know, I know that’s not likely to happen, but you have to think about situations that could get Utah into the National Championship.
What are the chances of them jumping over 9 teams to at least get in position to get a shot? Well, who’s #10? Florida.
This is going to be interesting because Florida has to play 5 teams with current winning records (not counting Citadel). Can Florida beat Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Florida State and Vanderbilt, and then play in the SEC Championship against likely Alabama? That’s a tall order, but for Utah to jump over them, Florida needs to lose at least one game…maybe even two. But another loss for Florida would knock them out anyway…is it possible?
# 9 on that list is Ohio State, and with one loss they cannot afford to lose anymore either. Even though they lost to then #1 USC, they have been at the bottom of the top 10 for several weeks. With games against Penn State, Northwestern and Illinois, we will see if they can get back in the game. All things being equal, Ohio State would look better than Utah, so the Utes need Ohio State to fall off the map…but only AFTER they beat Penn State, the team that is currently #3 on the BCS list.
#8 is Texas Tech, and while we are talking about this, we might as well add in #6 Oklahoma State, #4 Oklahoma and #1 Texas. All four of these teams are not only in the same conference, but the same division. So SOMEBODY’S got to fall. But here’s the problem, even if all these teams take one loss, they’d all be better than Utah because the strength of schedule would be so high. I mean, Texas Tech has to play #23 Kansas, then #1 Texas, then #6 Oklahoma State and then #4 Oklahoma. Even if Utah goes undefeated, I think there will be at least 2 teams in the Big 12 that will still have a better BCS ranking then them.
When I mentioned #10 Florida, I should have also mentioned #7 Georgia and #2 Alabama, because these teams will fight it out for that SEC Championship. I think it might be Florida and maybe LSU in the SEC Championship, which might clear the way for Utah, but that same spot might be snatched by whoever wins the SEC Championship, unless there is a big upset.
Finally there is USC at #5. With their schedule looking pretty light, and with no Pac-10 Championship, this team could coast to a top spot if the other teams slip. Sometimes it is good to lose early so you can build back into the top 5 or top 3. Utah just has too much ground to cover, and their perfect record will be at least equal to other teams with one loss.
It’s hard folks, very hard, to see Utah in the BCS National Championship. But nothing is impossible…they just need a lot of teams to fall on their faces. If that does not happen, there is just no room for the Utah Utes to get in the BCS Championship. But I DO believe if they go undefeated they should get a BCS bowl…the deserve at least that.
I was watching television today and there was the question of whether Utah can play in the National Championship if they go undefeated.
Answer…no.
……………………………….................................
Well, if I don’t go any further, we won’t have much of a blog here, so let me explain.
Right now, Utah is ranked #11 in the BCS rankings with a .6345. This means there are 10 other teams that are better than Utah, so at the very moment, there is NO chance for Utah to play in the BCS Championship at the current pace. None. Any team from a power conference with either zero losses or one loss will be more favored than Utah, even if they are undefeated.
I personally believe that the Mountain West Champion SHOULD play in a BCS bowl, because I think this year there are very good, with BYU, TCU, Utah and Air Force. This is a pretty strong conference, perhaps the equal of the ACC this year (maybe better).
But the strength of schedule goes against Utah just a bit. This is what has been hurting the Utes this year, but it’s not their fault, they have to play the teams on their schedule. And with big games against BYU and TCU, they can surely make a case.
But I don’t think this is about whether they can play in the BCS Championship if they go undefeated, I think the argument should be, what conditions can play into Utah’s favor to play in the BCS Championship?
I mean, let’s be honest here. If the top 10 teams on the BCS rankings suddenly LOSE two games, then you HAVE to put Utah in the Championship, right? Know, I know that’s not likely to happen, but you have to think about situations that could get Utah into the National Championship.
What are the chances of them jumping over 9 teams to at least get in position to get a shot? Well, who’s #10? Florida.
This is going to be interesting because Florida has to play 5 teams with current winning records (not counting Citadel). Can Florida beat Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Florida State and Vanderbilt, and then play in the SEC Championship against likely Alabama? That’s a tall order, but for Utah to jump over them, Florida needs to lose at least one game…maybe even two. But another loss for Florida would knock them out anyway…is it possible?
# 9 on that list is Ohio State, and with one loss they cannot afford to lose anymore either. Even though they lost to then #1 USC, they have been at the bottom of the top 10 for several weeks. With games against Penn State, Northwestern and Illinois, we will see if they can get back in the game. All things being equal, Ohio State would look better than Utah, so the Utes need Ohio State to fall off the map…but only AFTER they beat Penn State, the team that is currently #3 on the BCS list.
#8 is Texas Tech, and while we are talking about this, we might as well add in #6 Oklahoma State, #4 Oklahoma and #1 Texas. All four of these teams are not only in the same conference, but the same division. So SOMEBODY’S got to fall. But here’s the problem, even if all these teams take one loss, they’d all be better than Utah because the strength of schedule would be so high. I mean, Texas Tech has to play #23 Kansas, then #1 Texas, then #6 Oklahoma State and then #4 Oklahoma. Even if Utah goes undefeated, I think there will be at least 2 teams in the Big 12 that will still have a better BCS ranking then them.
When I mentioned #10 Florida, I should have also mentioned #7 Georgia and #2 Alabama, because these teams will fight it out for that SEC Championship. I think it might be Florida and maybe LSU in the SEC Championship, which might clear the way for Utah, but that same spot might be snatched by whoever wins the SEC Championship, unless there is a big upset.
Finally there is USC at #5. With their schedule looking pretty light, and with no Pac-10 Championship, this team could coast to a top spot if the other teams slip. Sometimes it is good to lose early so you can build back into the top 5 or top 3. Utah just has too much ground to cover, and their perfect record will be at least equal to other teams with one loss.
It’s hard folks, very hard, to see Utah in the BCS National Championship. But nothing is impossible…they just need a lot of teams to fall on their faces. If that does not happen, there is just no room for the Utah Utes to get in the BCS Championship. But I DO believe if they go undefeated they should get a BCS bowl…the deserve at least that.
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