Is excessive celebration based on race?

Is Celebration Penalties based on race?

I wrote a blog last year about the celebration penalties in college football, and how they really take a huge part of the pageantry of college football out based on the judgment of an official. Last week during the LSU/Georgia game, we see this rear it’s ugly head:

As many of you know, the big battle between LSU and Georgia was a major game to decide the superior teams of the SEC. But in a crucial part of the game, Georgia scores a touchdown and in the midst of the exuberance, one of the officials threw a flag for “excessive celebration”.

The penalty gave LSU an extra 15 yards and helped immensely in them making the final drive to score…and win the game.

A couple of days later, the SEC reviews the penalty and finds out that there was no penalty at all…oops. Sorry about losing that game Georgia, but we made a boo-boo.

Yesterday while I am watching “Around the Horn” on ESPN, they raised the question about whether this was a big deal or not. And folks, pay close attention to what I am about to say…

The question of excessive celebration was asked to three members of the media, two was Caucasian, one was African American. The African American journalist said that it DID make a difference because it cost a team a game and the entire idea of excessive celebration was a punishment to students who work hard and want to enjoy as much of their hard work as the fans do in watching it.

The two Caucasian journalists said that it did NOT make a difference, because Georgia was know (LAST YEAR!) to be excessive, and that these players need to learn how to be more calm and professional when they are on the field of play.

This was split right down race lines.

The issue of “excessive celebrations” has been in issue for years, which is ironic because some of the most memorable clips of NCAA football are those where there is celebration…how many of you remember the Desmond Howard pose…

Yeah, thought so.

But in the years I have been watching college football, I have noticed a kinda disturbing trend when it comes to these penalties…it does seem to be race related. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to pick apart the LSU win, folks, I have a LSU hat here in my house that I wear because I was born in New Orleans…I am a Saints fan for life and anything out of Louisiana. So I LIKE LSU, but the game of college football has seemed to have gotten more about “taming” rather than playing.

Is celebration penalties based on race or discrimination? I think so, but before I get into that, let’s be clear about what I mean about “excessive celebration”.

The word “excessive” by my dictionary, means, “greater than what is normal or necessary”. So in some form we can say that an excessive celebration penalty is based on a player that celebrates above what is normal or necessary. But now let’s also define “celebration”:

“To do something to show that a day or event is important; to honor with festivities; to make merry on such an occasion”

That’s from my Oxford American Dictionary, I didn’t make that up.

So in some essence, we can say that an excessive celebration is when an athlete is too merry, or giving too much honor for a certain event….but folks what this ALSO says is that they ARE in fact allowed to do so.

The penalty isn’t for ANY celebration, it’s for EXCESSIVE. But this is where the problem lies…who determines what is excessive? Who determines that what a player does is greater than normal or necessary? What is the norm of celebrations, and who decides that?

What is normal to you might not be normal to me, what you do to celebrate or show honor or make merry might not be what I do. It might be more, it might be less. It is purely based on personal judgment. This is the same that can be said for referees in college football. They are not necessarily making the RIGHT call, they are making a personal call…there is a major difference.

Yet having said that, we can come so some conclusion to what could be excessive. If I run in the end zone and did a back flip, THAT can be considered excessive. If I ran in the end zone and then tried to do a Thriller video, then THAT can be considered excessive.

(R.I.P MJ)

Any knowledgeable fan in college football can have a decent idea of what is celebratory, and what is too much. But often times the officials are there to punish these players for scoring for their team.

What really irks me off is when a guy runs into the end zone, scores a touchdown, and even before his teammates get to him, the ref is all in his face trying to get him off the field. I personally think that is unfair because remember folks, the penalty is for EXCESSIVE celebration… not simply celebration. Players are allowed to show joy and enthusiasm on the field, especially when they do something good. For a ref to get all in his grill is an attempt to prevent him from even celebrating… that is NOT their job.

So there has to be some even ground where a player can do something to show his joy and honor for what has been done. I mean, how can a referee sit there, at a Georgia home game, with THOUSANDS of Georgia fans rooting for their team, and a guy managed to get in the end zone during a crucial time of a major game, and get flagged for what?

Nothing.

And the fact that there is no review of such a judgment call, it has cost Georgia the game, and likely a shot at the BCS Championship. Don’t tell me that LSU would have scored anyway, we don’t know that, but what we DO know is that they were given an extra 15 yards to work with.

To me, the refs threw that flag in a prejudiced motion, pre-judging the actions of the players, and were to damned quick to flag something that never happened. This is based purely on the beliefs of those refs which were Caucasian.

It comes back to race.

Even now in 2009, we as Americans try to live together and our cultures have mixed with one another. Music, entertainment, sports, religion, all these things we can enjoy and participate with in unison. But in our personal lives, there are still things we separate as what we deem is “right” and what is not right.

And one of the most controversial subjects in sports is the celebration penalties, because it is based squarely on race. For the most part, we see African American receivers and backs scoring touchdowns, and for the most part, the refs are Caucasian.

So what we have happening is older Caucasian “judges” making a judgment on whether an African American is celebrating too much. And because the cultures of an older white guy and a younger black guy are light years apart, it seems easier for the ref to create the illusion that the younger guy is being too riotous.

But that’s ONLY an opinion, one the NCAA sadly sides with. Look where it got Georgia…an unfair loss that the SEC can only hide behind a cheap apology like a coward.

Oh by the way, this from a conference that in their history has only had ONE African American head coach, and I personally believe they only did that to get the…excuse the saying, monkey off their back.

Get with the 21st century SEC!

And let us also add that Georgia last year had not one, but two separate celebration penalties called for a touchdown and had all the players run on the field. Ok, I get that, and the penalty was partly justified, but was there any attempt to punish the team this year for what happened last year?

Woody Paige on “Around The Horn” tried to validate it because it was something Georgia did last year…what the hell is that about? That is a stupid argument based on what happened LAST YEAR. Why is Woody Paige implying that Georgia somehow deserved a penalty for what happened a year ago? That had nothing to do with last week’s game, and it makes it even more wicked that somebody felt that Georgia deserved more punishment, even after they got two penalties stacked on one another from that game.

It is absolutely amazing what people say about the excessive celebration penalties, because to me there often times is no validation. Again, there are many reasons to throw the penalty, like if a guy takes off his helmet, or if he dances in the end zone. Ok, I get that, but where do you draw the line on what is acceptable and what is not?

You notice that no player ever got flagged for kneeling down to pray after a score… hey, that is celebration. I guarantee you if an ref that does not believe in God threw a flag, THEN everybody would start talking about what is excessive.

I said before in another blog that even guys who call the games show their true colors. One of the guys I don’t like listening to is Mike Patrick of ESPN. I noticed that when such celebration penalties come out during a game he is calling, he makes it a point to say that the player is “stupid”. He likes to say, “it’s just plain stupid”. I have never once heard him defend the possibility that the refs might have prejudged the athlete.

Mark Jones is the opposite. I love listening to him on the games on ESPN because he is very quick to point out that this is a GAME, and these are KIDS and they have every right to enjoy the fruits of their works. He has criticized the officials at times when they make a excessive celebration penalty that is overboard. I am not saying that he argues every call, but he had a good idea of what is excessive and what is not.

Mike Patrick, does not.

And folks, this isn’t just along race lines either. It’s not like every African American commentator criticizes these penalties, while every Caucasian supports it. There are many exceptions, but more times than not, it seems that there is a clear generation and racial gap between older non-athletic Caucasians and younger African American college football players.

And it kills me when I hear them talk about how more athletes ought to act like Barry Sanders. I mean, when he scored, all he did was give the ball to the official and go back to his sideline. He is professional and does what he is expected to do.

But when you take one person and try to make everybody be like him, you are falsely applying a prejudice to every person, when you know no two people are alike. Barry Sanders is one of the best running backs of all time, to be sure….but Emmitt Smith IS the greatest of all time, and we have seen him do some celebrations when he scored.

How many of you remember the 49ers/Cowboys game when Terrell Owens mocked the Cowboys by putting the ball on the center star…what did Emmitt Smith do when HE scored….

The game of football is filled with a lot of aggression, and it takes superior talent going through hard core training to be the best. Those students have to manage an academic profile while playing at the highest level. They go through practices that no ref or media member could endure. The do it for the love for the sport, and for the glory and honor of their team and university.

So when they get on that field, with anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 in that stadium, and millions watching on tv, they are dead set to give it their all… against a team dead set to stop them in their tracks. But IF that person is able to get in that end zone, especially in the 4th quarter of a home game, with the fans going nuts in a score that could give them a win, it is absolutely natural to celebrate, because that is part of college football.

But when some idiot ref tosses a flag based on what he THINKS he knows, it destroys all the celebration for the player, team, and fans, and cheats the tv audience out of a valid game. There is no two ways about this folks, the refs destroyed Georgia’s game, and the SEC won’t do anything about it…cowards.

All this on the foundation that many of these calls are indeed racially based. I say again, there are times where a guy can go overboard, and when he does, then you flag him. But to make a snap decision from an older Caucasian ref to decide if an African American is “hamming it up” is too judgmental, and usually results in a bad call. But sadly the NCAA says that these opinions by the refs are not reviewed for change…cowards.

It reminds me of the Hawaii team, and how their culture has been virtually eliminated from college sports because the NCAA does not like the way they celebrate. The Hawaiian culture is a very celebratory culture, and you see that in how they play. I absolutely LOVED watching them play, because you get to see the true nature of sports and all the pageantry that goes with it. But because it is a culture that the Caucasian refs and the NCAA does not understand, they feel that it is not good “sportsmanship”.

Last year I made a blog about a Duke game where one of their players dove in the end zone and was flagged for excessive celebration. I saw that game and I agreed that yes, it was excessive. But I also saw how not one, but two of the Duke coaches lit into that guy as if he stole their mother’s Christmas gift. To me, that was foolish for the coaches because come on, when was the LAST time Duke fans had a chance to celebrate? Yeah the kid made a mistake, but don’t crucify him for that, you need every edge you can get to inspire your team. Perhaps that’s why Duke football is where is it now…on the bottom.

And I remember joking with my brother about it last year and I said, “I bet you, if Duke is on tv, I guarantee you that one of the highlights they will show in the commercial will be that guy diving in the end zone”. And sure enough, it was.

The irony of how the NCAA tries to condemn celebrations, but corporate America such as CBS, ESPN, FOX and all the other media will use that very penalty to sell the college football product.

To me, all those commercials the NCAA show about “Sportmanship” is garbage. There is a level of honor that is supposed to be shown by players and fans, but the way the NCAA tries to sell it is that celebrations are not allowed. Ironic because it is the pageantry and celebrations of college football that make it a BILLION dollar business, and why businesses can’t stop creating new bowls to jump in….Yankee Bowl? What’s up with that?

All this plays on these decisions that out-of touch refs make when a young student makes a touchdown. I say again, there are times where a flag needs to be thrown, I get that, but there are also times when these guys make foolish snap judgments based on what they don’t like. How much longer before they outlaw the chest thump? How much longer before they outlaw the “hi-five”? I mean, that’s a coordinated move, isn’t it? It takes two to do it, right?

Sadly I think it may be years, or even decades, before there is any real change in the excessive celebration penalty. If you ever get the chance, watch these games and look at the factors that seem to imply that this could be a race issue. Most times the refs making these calls are indeed Caucasian. I said MOST, not all. Most times these calls are on African American athletes. I said MOST, not all, there are exceptions.

If you ever watch some of the historical black college games (which are great too), notice how they make such calls. Yes, they DO make excessive celebration calls, but when they make them, there is no question about it. You KNOW that the player was out of line when he did it. But in other college games, sometimes you have to wonder.

So sadly, Georgia loses a game because the refs made a stupid call, one likely racially based, certainly one based on pre-judgement…or prejudice. And it does not surprise me that the SEC, which are at the back of equal opportunity, would hid behind their desks and say “sorry for that bad call, but we can’t do anything about it”…

Sounds like some other bad apologies our country has made in the past…

Mississippi vs South Carolina: One minute left

Mississippi vs. South Carolina: One minute left

Ok, so I am blogging this on the idea that South Carolina wins this game 16-10, and a game that exposes a few things about both teams….

Wait, it’s official, the #4 team, Mississippi, loses to South Carolina 16-10.

So what have we learned? Several things.

First, we see that neither team has a really potent offense, but both have some pretty good defenses. For awhile we wondered if anybody was going to score a touchdown.

For South Carolina, the win is HUGE, but there are some very glaring problems with the offensive. The score should have been more like 28-10 instead of 16-10 because of their inability to get in the end zone. Folks, when you are first and goal, you simply MUST punch that in and cash in.

South Carolina failed to do that many times, either because they can’t run the ball or because Mississippi is good on defense. I think it’s a little of both, because last year South Carolina showed that they don’t run the ball all that well.

We also saw how Mississippi plays, and it seems that the hype about their quarterback seems to be just that…hype. Not that he did a terrible job, because every college quarterback is going to have off days, but the great ones have to be able to take the team on his shoulder and move forward…something the Rebels just were not able to do.

What we also saw was that South Carolina does not have the offense to finish an opponent, while Mississippi refused to give up, credit given to their defense. At one point the score was 16-3 and I remember saying to somebody that if South Carolina could get one more touchdown, they would ice the game…this was in the third quarter.

But was it me, or did it seem like South Carolina seemed to put it on “cruise control” after they scored 16 points? This is very unlike a Steve Spurrier coached team, who was well known for running up the scores while at Florida. It just seemed that this Gamecock team had just enough to win the game…no more than that.

Yet this also speaks of Mississippi, which some questioned the ranking at #4. To be sure, they benefited from other teams losing, allowing them to slide up the rankings, but in the end, they proved that they were not the 4th best team in the nation…not playing like that.

So Mississippi will drop in the polls, losing to an unranked team, one I feel they will see a few more times before the year is out. Let’s not forget that they did lose to South Carolina last year, and although they won a host of games late last year, the jury is still out on their greatness. As one guy on ESPN said, the last game Miss played against Texas Tech seemed to be one that was given to them. Some say that Texas Tech gave up on the game because they felt they should have gone to a bigger bowl…maybe there was some truth to it.

In any case, Mississippi is now off the ranks of the unbeaten, making room for other teams to take their place….could this be the beginning of a weekend of upsets? Or was it that South Carolina beating Mississippi was never an upset to begin with…

Time will tell. But for now, the final score rests at 16-10, South Carolina Gamecocks.

Mississippi vs South Carolina 2009

Mississippi vs. South Carolina 2009

Looks like we got us a SEC matchup tonight….

Tonight on ESPN there will be a pretty interesting matchup between two SEC foes, as South Carolina will host the Mississippi Rebels. This is a game to watch, because for a lot of folks like myself, we are waiting to see if this Miss team is really the real deal.

I think the jury is still out on it.

Now Mississippi is ranked #5 on one poll, and #4 on the other, so we’re talking about a top 5 team in the nation. I can’t argue that. Mississippi has two wins already, while South Carolina is 2-1. By numbers alone, one might assume that South Carolina is doomed to lose…I mean, even under Steve Spurrier the Gamecocks have not really kicked open the door to the SEC Championship, have they?

But let’s look a little further, and see if we can find out what may happen tonight, shall we?

South Carolina, as mentioned, is 2-1, but came off a 7-6 record last year. Since they are playing home, let’s look at their home games from 2008. The Gamecocks beat NC State 34-0 to start the season, lost to Georgia 14-7 and barely beat Wofford 23-13...

Only ten points? What’s up with that Spurrier?

South Carolina beats UAB 26-13, loses to LSU 24-17, beats Tennessee 27-6 and stops Arkansas 34-21. So the home record for South Carolina is 5-2...not bad. When you consider that they lost to Georgia and LSU, that’s nothing to get too upset about. It might appear that South Carolina has a strong home field advantage.

Add to this that they beat Mississippi away last year 34-21, and one could guess that a little home cooking might make things better. This year they started out with Wolfpack, sweaking by 7-3, then lost at Georgia 41-37 before beating Florida Atlantic 38-16. I think the Gamecocks are a tad better this year than last year. Consider last year about this time they had about 58 points, this year they have scored over 80. If they can improve their defense just a little, it might make the difference in winning 7 games, or winning 9. To be sure, they have a chance tonight.

But Mississippi is a top 5 ranked team, with a quarterback that has been mentioned as a Heisman hopeful. With a 9-4 record last year, their losses were to Wake Forest on the road, Vanderbilt at home, South Carolina at home and Alabama away…hmmm.

The strength of Mississippi rests on the fact that they beat Florida, LSU and Texas Tech last year…not a bad trio to hang your hat on. So the Rebels get a nice big ranking early this year, and with upsets already abound, it was easy for them to move up the BCS ladder.

Question…are they REALLY a top 5 team?

That’s hard to answer right now, because even at 2-0 they have no conference games yet…until tonight. Beating Memphis isn’t saying a lot, crushing the Tigers 45-14, and beating Southeastern Louisiana 52-6 does not really make a real mark either. Granted, two wins is two wins, but who have you beat so far?

But you can’t ignore a quarterback that has thrown only 50 times this year, and has 5 touchdowns. With a high powered offense, this could be a team that will give South Carolina fits. We know the Rebels love to score, whether home or away, so the South Carolina fans better be ready for scoring galore.

Can Mississippi win on the road against Steve Spurrier? Can the Gamecocks beat a top 5 team, which would give an incredible boost to the university and the team? I think Mississippi can beat South Carolina in their house, after all they beat Florida AND LSU last year in their houses…why would this be any different?

It’s different because South Carolina beat them last year.

But folks, I am going to drink a little bit of that Rebel Gatorade, and think that this team can…and will pull out a victory. This will be their first real test of the year, and I do wonder if they are mentally ready for that. Whipping up on lesser foes can make you dull, but I think this South Carolina team is average at best, and may put up a good fight, but it won’t be enough.

I see Mississippi winning by about 7 points, maybe as much as 10.

Can Tennessee Volunteers make a bowl this year?

Can Tennessee Volunteers make a bowl?

Well, did they LAST year?

The answer might require a little more thought, I mean, teams can get better from one year to the next…and they can also go backwards too….

So the question for the Volunteer fans is this: can Tennessee qualify for a bowl?

To get a good answer, we have to look at a few elements, including how they fared last year, who they play this year, and how they have done so far.

For any college football program in Division I, the number one objective is to first win the minimum number of games to qualify for a bowl. So the question first is, can Tennessee win six games?

To answer that, we have to first jump back a year. This is a team that won 5 games last year in the very tough SEC conference. The season started out with a loss to UCLA in California before a win over UAB to even the record to 1-1. A “respectable” loss to Florida at Rocky Top dropped them to 1-2, but with the hopes that maybe this team could compete in the SEC.

But losing to Auburn away sunk them further, and it didn’t help that Tennessee barely escaped Northern Illinois at home, 13-9. This once mighty team had a 2-3 record, and not very impressive.

Another road loss to Georgia and a home win over hapless Miss State ran the record to 3-4 before losing two conference games back-to-back, dropping games to Alabama and South Carolina, and not even scoring more than 10 points in either game.

Ugh.

A loss to Wyoming put Tennessee at 3-6, and no chance for post season. But oddly enough, THAT is when they put together a few wins, beating Vanderbilt away and Kentucky at home.

So…how does that change this year?

Beating Western Kentucky 63-10 proves nothing and almost smells like a first time coach trying to impose his will on the weak. Anybody can be a bully for a weekend….

So then the chance comes to put up or shut up against UCLA, a team that beat Tennessee on the West Coast last year…and as it turns out, nothing changed but the date on the calendar. The Volunteers lost by 3 last year to UCLA…lost by 4 this year in their own home.

So now this weekend they have to go to see about a Gator…and to eat some crow. There is no doubt that nobody is picking Tennessee to win, it would be a moral victory if they lose by less than 3 touchdowns, but with Lane Kiffin popping his chops, this might be more about taming a shrew than just a game.

So we can go ahead and put Tennessee at 1-2, right?

The Volunteers then have three straight home games against Ohio, who was 4-8 last year, then Auburn, who was 5-7 but beat Tennessee last year, and Georgia, who was 10-3, and spanked Tennessee last year.

I am willing to believe Tennessee can split the SEC home games, and win over Ohio, so I can see them coming out of this with a 3-3 record.

They then travel TO Alabama, then home for two more games (South Carolina and Memphis). I can’t see them beating Alabama, and I have doubts about South Carolina too, but it’s not impossible. So the Volunteers can come out of this either 5-4, or 4-5.

But playing Mississippi could be a problem, if they are as good as people think they are…personally I am not fully convinced, but I do think they are better than Tennessee. So with two games left in the season, Tennessee would, by my guesses, be struggling to qualify for a bowl, at either 5-5 or 4-6. If the latter, then the last two games are of HUGE importance.

As it turns out, it is a repeat of last year, playing Vanderbilt and Kentucky, the only difference is the location. Vandy at home, Kentucky away. Tennessee handily beat both teams last year…they might NEED to do so this year to get to a bowl.

So if the question is whether Tennessee can make it to a bowl, my answer is yes they can…but the margin for error is razor thin. If I give Tennessee the last two games, they would either finish 7-5 or 6-6...that is cutting it close.

Still, either way it is a step in the right direction since last year they were 5-7. But losing 4 out of 5 road games ain’t cool, perhaps that’s why they figured out how to give them only FOUR this year. With eight scheduled home games, you BETTER qualify for a bowl game, I can’t imagine how much money will be spent filling up Neyland Stadium.

We’ll get a true measure AFTER the Florida game, I think the Auburn game will tell us much more…heaven forbid if they lose BIG to Florida and then lose to Ohio…oh the agony.

We shall see…..

Will Florida CRUSH Tennessee?

Should Florida CRUSH Tennessee?

This is a hard question for me, because I have some biases about this game. First off, I live in ACC country, so to talk about SEC matchups is kinda odd to begin with. But there is no question that the SEC is better, it has been proven several times in the last few years.

But this Tennessee vs. Florida game is pretty big because there is a promise of a major beat down. But my problem is that Lane Kiffin, the head coach of Tennessee, is a former Oakland Raider coach…and I am a HEAVY Raider fan.

And I felt sorry for how Monty Burns….er….Al Davis, ran him out of the NFL. At that time he looked like the guy that was stepped on by the mean ole grumpy businessman, and had a lot of sympathy votes. So when Tennessee called him up, it just seemed like the great fit.

And I was a very big fan of Tennessee, I have always admired their very strong fan base and they have been a great team up until recently. But I personally felt that the alumni of Tennessee was too hasty in getting rid of their former head coach because they wanted to be in the National Title hunt every single year. It lends to the phrase, “what have you done for me lately”…of which Janet Jackson made famous years ago.

I lost respect for Tennessee for getting rid of a good coach, and hiring one with virtually NO experience…this just didn’t really add up unless they were hoping that Lane Kiffin’s NFL aura could recruit more talent to Tennessee.

So I have mixed feelings for the Volunteers. I have admired the school for a long time, but lately I kinda feel like they listened to rich alumni rather than being patient. But it didn’t help one bit when Kiffin stepped into the college spotlight by opening his big mouth about what Tennessee was going to do.

What is his pedigree in winning…mind you, not his dad’s but Lane himself? How can a guy that had a bad record with the Raiders can come across the country and pop his chops as if he won the Superbowl? Come on now, being confident is one thing…being arrogant is quite another.

So now Lane Kiffin has written a check that is bigger than the stadium he coaches in…not very wise. Sometimes when coaches get God-like egos, it is nice to see it popped. When Steve Spurrier was the head coach at Florida, he used to run up the score a lot. When he got the head coach’s job for the Washington Redskins, he thought he could do the same thing during preseason, but learned a HUGE lesson about doing that. His coaching career didn’t last so long in the NFL…

So now Lane Kiffin has called the thunder, of the best team in the country, and playing in the “Swamp”, with a team that was 5-7 last year, already lost their first game of the season, and playing Florida, who beat them handily last year in their own house. Does this smell like a legendary beat down to you?

It ought to.

And I gotta tell you, I am not the biggest Florida fan, since I like Florida State more, but I have no problem cheering for Florida this year. Tim Tebow has been like the ray of sunshine to the sport, and all I ever hear is good things about him. I have to give major props to the coach, because Urban Meyer is trying to prepare his quarterback for the NFL, rather than just running the same system. This is a man that is trying to help his player, who helped them win a National Championship. I see nothing but honor in that.

I remember years ago when Emmitt Smith was playing for Florida, when Steve Spurrier took over. It was said that the “ole ball coach” told Smith that if he was going to play on the Gator team, he had to play it HIS way…so Emmitt Smith decided to go pro a little earlier…and the rest as they say…is history for Emmitt Smith, but for Steve Spurrier as well, both having legendary careers.

For a long time I didn’t like Florida, not really hate them (come on folks, it’s just a game) but up until recently I have set a place in my heart for Florida. I like the way they play and they seem to be as professional as students can be.

So, if you asked me who I am pulling for, I would say Florida…BIG. I think beating Tennessee by 35 points would be an understatement. If they were playing at Tennessee, the score would be less, but at home, you don’t have to show any mercy to anybody. Lane Kiffin will go 1-2 and start to eat those words he spit out when he took to that podium. I see this game possibly ending up maybe 45-10, maybe even higher…

And somewhere in California, Al Davis is laughing and saying… “excellent”, as only Monty Burns could say.

Good luck on qualifying for a bowl this year Tennessee.

Why is Alabama #4?

Why is Alabama #4

Speedblog

Now of the previous debates, this one is more questionable.

Last year Alabama shocked the world by going 12-2, losing to Florida and Utah… back to back. This year they were ranked in the top 10 and won over fellow-top ten ranked foe Virginia Tech. With the Hokies losing and Oklahoma losing, the Crimson Tide rolls (pardon the pun) to #4.

So….is this legit?

Both polls have Alabama as #4, and one poll gave them two first place votes. Is this legit?

If you are asking me if there are more deserving teams, I think I can argue, but after one week of football, it really does not mean a thing. You can put Duke as the #1 team in college football, because we all know they ain’t going undefeated, so it will solve itself….

(we kid because we love…UNC)

But seriously, is Alabama the fourth best team in the nation?

I kinda wonder, because as I said a moment ago, this team lost their last two games. Yeah, granted it was against Florida and Utah, two very good teams, but it is still two losses in a row. Losing a starting quarterback and a great running back does not help either.

And I gotta tell you, I wasn’t really impressed by the strength of schedule of Alabama, in the so-called powerful SEC. I mean, beating a collapsed Clemson, Tulane and Western Kentucky wasn’t that impressive for a top 10 team. Arkansas finished 5-7, and Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas State was not scaring many people. Mississippi State and Auburn were similar, so one truly wonders about those 8 games.

But credit must be given to beating Georgia and Mississippi and LSU. Those are indeed credible wins. But still, is this enough to give a team a top 5 ranking, at #4? Without playing Georgia or Florida in the regular season, I fear this could be a team that could be 5-0 before they see Mississippi. To me, their schedule just isn’t strong enough to warrant them this high, but nobody can argue the strength of the SEC. I do believe they are a top 10 team, but because it is early, I won’t argue them being #4...

I just don’t see them staying there.

Is Mississippi worth a top 10 ranking?

Why is Mississippi ranked in the top 10?

Hmm, this is interesting to think about on the day that all college football breaks out and makes that dash for the BCS Championship. It kinda struck me as odd that Ole Miss would be ranked in the top ten, at #8. This means that people think that this team is one of the best teams in the nation.

The AP Poll has them #8, better than California, LSU, Penn State and Oklahoma State…hmm. The USA Today Poll has them #10, above teams like Oklahoma State, California and Georgia.

Is this a legit ranking? Let’s look into this by first going to last year.

It’s important that a team that is ranked high this year has to have had something to springboard off from last year. You don’t go 1-11 and get ranked in the top 25 the next year. So to see why the pollsters put Mississippi in the top 10, we have to see how they finished last year.

In 2008 the Mississippi Rebels finished 9-4, a pretty strong record for any team, but particularly strong for the state of Mississippi. I mean, let’s face it, no team out of that state is scaring anybody, whether Ole Miss, Miss State or Southern Miss. But how did the Rebels get to this record?

The season started with a huge win over Memphis, a Conference USA foe, but lost the next game to Wake Forest. A cupcake win over Samford followed by a conference loss to Vanderbilt evened the Rebels to 2-2.

But Mississippi shook the world by beating Florida 31-30...in the Gator’s own house. Now people were taking some notice, but the very next week, they lost at home to South Carolina 31-24. It just seemed that the Rebels could not string together back-to-back wins. A close loss to Alabama moved the Rebels to 3-4 and in danger of MISSing… post season.

There must have been some magic in that old Mississippi hat they found, for when they placed it on their heads….oh wait, that’s something else….

But it was at this point that Mississippi began to separate themselves from the “average pack” in the conference, winning at Arkansas by 2, beating Auburn by 10, crushing LA Monroe 59-0 and even beating LSU 31-13. They capped off the regular season beating state rival, Miss State 45-0. All of a sudden, this team has made some serious noise.

They capped off the season by beating high-scoring Texas Tech 47-34, sending a message that next year (2009) people had better recognize the Rebels.

So, are they legit?

Consider last year they actually finished the season ranked #14 or #15, depending on which poll you trust more (AP or USA Today), so one can’t argue them moving up a few spots to begin the season. But the secondary question has to be, were the wins last year strong enough to validate that?

Examine their 9 wins, and more importantly the conference ones. We know Memphis last year was 6-7, and well, Samford does not really count. Vanderbilt was a 7-6 team, both Arkansas and Auburn was 5-7. LSU was 8-5, Mississippi State was 4-8. To me this is a legit schedule of foes to beat, granted there was some under .500 but you get that in every conference. Oh by the way, they also BEAT Florida and Texas Tech.

This year, they don’t have to see Florida in the regular season, and some say their schedule might be a little weaker than you’d like. But they still have to go through the SEC, meaning games against Alabama, LSU for key notes. In looking at their schedule, and if they play like last year, they COULD be the sleeper team. Many people say they have an excellent quarterback, and they don’t lose a lot of weapons from last year.

I gotta tell you, I was skeptical when I first saw them in the top 10, but after looking at some things, I think maybe they were properly placed. I might have had them maybe #10 or #11, but that’s about where they are now. If they play like they did the second half of last year, they will shake the conference up. But if they rest on the deeds of last year, they might find themselves back in the midst of the SEC bottom. The thing about teams that find lightning in a bottle is that all the other teams get a special bead out for them next year. Any team can have one good year…but the great teams keep it going.

We’ll learn more about these Rebels as the season progresses.

South Carolina vs NC State

South Carolina vs. NC State

In about 5hours the college football season will…well…kick off, and one of the first games for the college football championship series is a neighborhood brawl between South Carolina and NC State. A good ole’ clash between the ACC and the SEC.

Now if this battle was based on conferences, then the ACC would be severely lacking in power, meaning NC State would be in for a world of hurt, but South Carolina wasn’t exactly on the top ten list last year either. This is a key game, even though the first of the year. Lets look at both and see what they’re about:

The South Carolina Gamecocks finished last year 7-6, just a sliver above the .500 mark, which is indeed an accomplishment in the SEC. Let’s face it folks this was one of the two toughest conferences in the nation, and Steve Spurrier did a good job to come out with a winning record. They won conference games against Arkansas and Tennessee, but some may argue that those were home games…you are supposed to win those. But they also had away games vs. Mississippi and Kentucky.

And oh by the way, they beat NC State last year, 34-0.

The knock on the Gamecocks was that they were one of the worst rushing teams in Division I and was near the bottom in scoring, averaging about 20 points a game. In fact they seemed to be doing pretty well, beating Tennessee by 21, then followed it up with a win over Arkansas by 13, but the bottom fell out when they lost big to Florida 56-6, then to Clemson 31-14, and ended the season in a bowl, losing to Iowa 31-10. The fans down in South Carolina expect a better record from the old ball coach.

The NC State Wolfpack comes off a rough season, winning only 6 games last year and losing 7. This is a team that has been trying to “turn that corner” for years, and has not had a lot of success doing so. What’s interesting is that they won’t be playing ECU, as it has always been a huge matchup in the state. But you look at they schedule they had last year and you wonder if they can turn the corner this year as well.

They lost the first game last year to South Carolina in a shutout, 34-0, then ran into some problems after beating William & Mary. But they salvaged the season by winning 4 straight games. Beating Duke, Wake Forest, UNC and Miami in good form helped them to a bowl, where they lost to Rutgers in a close game. Some say the Wolfpack just might be the team to watch. With their schedule including Murray State and Gardner-Webb after the South Carolina game, it’s quite possible they could be 2-1 before they see Pittsburgh. With a lot of home games, and games inside North Carolina, this could be in interesting team to watch.

So having said all this, who has the advantage?

All things being equal, to me the edge still stands with South Carolina, but I won’t put that much on that. True, South Carolina crushed the Wolfpack last year, and I will not argue the strength of the SEC to the ACC. But the Gamecocks had one of the weakest offensive units in Division I, not that the Wolfpack was so much better. It’s going to come down to coaching power, and Steve Spurrier is one of the best. Granted Tom O’Brien is good, having coached at Boston College, but NC State still has some work to do in order to be considered a legit top 25.

I think this will be an interesting game to watch (and I will be watching) but I see South Carolina winning this by 10 points. I have to imagine that SC knows they need to work on offense because it will make or break their season. Both teams would love to see the post season, and tonight is the first step in seeing that.

Hope you guys enjoy the game!

SEC is BETTER than Big 12

SEC is BETTER than Big 12!

Part 2

If you are reading this from Blogster or Wordpress, this is the second part of the argument. I realize some Big 12 fans are reading this with blood in their eyes, but this is the flip side of the argument. On my other blog on Blogspot.com, I make the identical argument that the Big 12 is better than the SEC…you might wanna check that out.

I have both sides posted on blogspot because that is my main site for my blogs, so if you want to read the reverse of this argument, check that one out.

This is based on the temporary argument of whether the Big 12 Conference is better than the SEC. Currently right now, the number 1 team in the nation is Texas, in virtually every poll from here to Neptune. The #2 team is Alabama, on as many planets. Earlier this football season there were as many as 6 or 7 SEC teams ranked in the top 25 at the same time, sparking the idea that the SEC is by far the best in the nation. But lately, many of the Big 12 teams are on the top 25, and most of the Heisman candidates are from this conference, creating the debate that the Big 12 is better.

So which is it?

Let’s argue this from the end that the SEC is better.

First off when it comes to the Heisman, remind me who won last year? And which Conference he came from? And WHO has won the last TWO BCS Championships and three of the last 5?

SEC!

But even this year there is proof of the SEC’s greatness over the Big 12. The SEC has 4 very qualified teams that could easily end up in the National Championship. Everybody knows about Alabama being #2, but the SEC also has Florida at #5, Georgia at #9 and LSU at #11. Any of these teams can be in the BCS Championship at season’s end.

The SEC has 53 wins in the conference at this very moment, and 30 losses. Of those 30 losses, at least 23 came from teams that are either currently ranked, or have been ranked. This is proof of the quality of SEC football, from top to bottom. And the SEC has defeated at least 13 teams that were ranked or had been ranked during the course of the season…almost twice as many as the Big 12!

Take a look at the losses and how it proves that the SEC is a very strong conference. Georgia’s only loss came to currently #2 Alabama. Vanderbilt lost recently to ranked Georgia. All three of South Carolina’s losses came to ranked teams. Kentucky’s two losses came to Alabama and South Carolina, who was ranked earlier this year. Even in a tough season, Tennessee lost 3 of their 4 games to Florida, Auburn and Georgia. We know LSU lost to Florida, and Auburn lost to LSU and Vanderbilt, both being ranked. Arkansas lost 4 games this year so far, but look at who they lost to: then #9 Auburn, then #7 Texas and then ranked #12 Florida, all in a stretch of 3 straight games! They lost to Kentucky as well, which was ranked for a moment.

Why even the Mississippi teams faced tough competition! Mississippi is 3-4, but lost to Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Alabama. Don’t tell me that isn’t a tough schedule. And Mississippi State…well, they can’t all be steaks, but the did lose to Auburn and LSU.

Need more proof of SEC’s greatness?

Even though Texas is #2 overall in rushing defense, the SEC has FIVE teams in the top 20 and in scoring defense. You’re just not getting a lot of points in THIS conference.

Florida, Kentucky and Vanderbilt are in the top 20 in turnover margin, NONE of the Big 12 are in this category. And even though Oklahoma is #2 in red zone scoring, the SEC has two teams in the top 5 (Florida, Vanderbilt).

Florida is the best team in turnovers lost in both SEC and Big 12 and Two SEC teams are in the top 20 in turnovers gained (Kentucky and Vanderbilt). And when it comes to interceptions, Florida is the best with only 1.

If the Big 12 likes to throw the ball, prepare to have it taken away by the SEC. There are FIVE SEC teams in the top 30 in interceptions…only 1 team in the Big 12 (Texas Tech).

So when it comes down to it, the SEC is the tougher conference, and if placed head to head, the SEC’s defense and ability to get the ball will make the difference. The Big 12 might score 10,000 points against their opponents, but when you play the SEC, you’ll be lucky to get 10 points.

How then can anyone say the Big 12 is better, when it’s the SEC that is supreme?

(oh well, there goes my Big 12 donations…)

(Note: This is two part of a two-part discussion where I am intentionally playing devil’s advocate. I am a fan of both so this is not intended to discourage any fans of either conference. It’s all in fun)

Big 12 is better than SEC!

Big 12 is BETTER than SEC!

Now, if you are reading this on Blogspot, then you will see both sides of this, because I will flip this argument over on the next blog. Some of you may have come over from Blogster and Wordpress because I will share the flip side on all three of my blogs, but it should be in interesting debate.

This is based on the temporary argument of whether the Big 12 Conference is better than the SEC. Currently right now, the number 1 team in the nation is Texas, in virtually every poll from here to Neptune. The #2 team is Alabama, on as many planets. Earlier this football season there were as many as 6 or 7 SEC teams ranked in the top 25 at the same time, sparking the idea that the SEC is by far the best in the nation. But lately, many of the Big 12 teams are on the top 25, and most of the Heisman candidates are from this conference, creating the debate that the Big 12 is better.

So which is it?

I’m splitting this in two parts, this being the first, and on this blog, I am gonna argue why the Big 12 is the best. So pardon the bias for the next few minutes.

The Big 12 Conference is THE best football conference in the country, better than SEC simply because the #1 team is Texas. If representation is a key part of greatness, then you cannot deny that the best team comes from the best conference.

Second case, there are currently 9 teams left in the Division I that have yet to lose… THREE of those come from the Big 12. The BCS recognizes SIX teams from the Big 12 on the top 25: Texas #1, Oklahoma #4, Oklahoma State #6, and Texas Tech #8 round out the top 10.

And the conference is still tough, of the 12 teams, only 3 currently have a losing record. The Big 12 has 56 wins and 28 losses…a very tough record to beat.

But examine this further and see the greatness of the Big 12. Of those 28 losses, at least 15 of those came from ranked teams. This shows that the Big 12 plays very competitive football, and whether from conference or out of conference, it usually takes a top 25 team to take them down.

For example, Kansas is 5-2, but those two losses came from then #19 South Florida and #4 Oklahoma. Missouri is also 5-2, but their last two games were against top ranked Oklahoma State and Texas, both being losses. Nebraska has three losses, but look who they lost to: Missouri and Texas Tech, both ranked, and Virginia Tech, who was ranked earlier (and likely again before the season is over).

Need more proof?

Colorado lost 3 games, two to ranked foes Texas and Kansas, but also lost to Florida State, which just made the top 25 recently. Everybody knows about Oklahoma losing to Texas, but did you know that even with Baylor’s record, they have played a very tough schedule? They lost to Wake Forest, which was ranked for several weeks, lost to Uconn, who was ranked, and lost to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Folks that is a very TOUGH schedule.

Of Texas A&M’s 5 losses, one was to Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. I think Miami was ranked for a week. Kansas State had a loss to Texas Tech and I think Louisville was ranked earlier this year…not quite sure. And Iowa State…well, they can’t all be steaks….

If you took all 28 losses and factored out the ranked teams and teams that have been ranked this year, that would make up about 20 of those losses. This is a very strong case for the Big 12 being the best conference in the nation…bar none.

Need more proof?

If it comes to scoring, there are 6 Big 12 teams that score better than Alabama, the SEC’s best team. Seven teams in the Big 12 have higher yards per game average than the SEC’s best team, that being Georgia. If it’s gonna be a shootout, then the Big 12 has this covered.

Even on defense there is credibility. Two of the top 5 teams in sacks come from the Big 12, being Oklahoma and Texas. In lost fumbles, Oklahoma is the best with 0 lost fumbles, so they don’t make many mistakes, and the Big 12 protects the quarterback better than the SEC, with 4 of the top 20 teams of fewest sacks allowed.

Even in the redzone the Big 12 is better, with Oklahoma being second best in the nation. Why, even head to head, the Big 12 is better this year. Earlier this year, Texas crushed Arkansas 52-10.

How then can anyone say the SEC is better, when it’s the Big 12 that is supreme?

(oh well, there goes my SEC donations…)

(Note: This is one part of a two-part discussion where I am intentionally playing devil’s advocate. I am a fan of both so this is not intended to discourage any fans of either conference. It’s all in fun)