Ah, Carl...

Language warning (because of potential profanity, not because it's not in English)

Coaching Carousel, Update 1

And here we go... Mike Sherman loses the "fastest hire" title to Houston Nutt. No word on whether minority candidates were interviewed, or even considered. In fact, the only schools that we know who have done this are Nebraska (Turner Gill) and Mich1gAAn (Ron English). And we're not the only ones who've noticed.

Here's the list:

Mich1gAAn
Nebraska
Mississippi- Hire: Houston Nutt (no)
Texas A&M- Hire: Mike Sherman (no)
Colorado State
Duke
Georgia Tech
Southern Methodist
Baylor- Hire: Art Briles (no)
Southern Mississippi
Arkansas
Washington State
Northern Illinois

Wrapping Up

Well, three weeks later and it's all finished! Congratulations to our double winner, Terry Shike, who took both the points and the picks brackets:

Given that the overall ESPN winner only had 555 points (77% accuracy), 71% is pretty impressive.

Michael gets the most for his money (least picks, most points), and Dan is the opposite. I win the "Strawn" bracket, while Emily and Aaron sweep their households. I'm not sure what happened to Brian on the last week of the season... Must have a case of triskaidekaphobia.

A couple of highlights from the season:

• Steve had the only perfect game of the season... Last year, it seemed like we had about 10 of these.
• Cat managed to pick the Illinois upset of tOSU, but still finish last during the week.
• On the off chance (waaaay off- see below) that tOSU wins the National Championship, Mich1gAAn has the chance to lose to two champions in the same year.
  
• Picks of the year: Aaron choosing Iowa over MSU, Janie knowing that UCLA would beat Cal, Dan choosing Iowa's upset of the Zooks, Cat knowing that tooOSU would beat Cal, Jake's twofer of GaTech and KSU over Clemson and Texas, Dan choosing Big Blue over Louisville, USC helping Jake over Georgia
• Lowlights of the year: Jake scoring 19 points in week 5, Janie's 17 points in week 7, my 16 (!) points in week 6, and Carrie's 15 points in week 6. Heck, in week 6, our apartment combined didn't outscore the top 6.

In a couple of weeks, we'll be back with the "Bowl Challenge" (not to be confused with the Bowel Challenge, which my daughter is currently undergoing). One sad "Bowl" note- this will be the last year that Lloyd will lose his post season game. Also, we won't have the automatic pick of whoever is playing Notre Lame, since they aren't eligible (but will still make $1.3 million, or $433,000 per win this season).

We all know that the BCS is crap- Even the BCS knows it, since they had do monkey with their rules to even get enough participants. You know, there's a real possibility that if Tennessee beats LSU, Georgia would get a BCS bid- the same Georgia that didn't win their division OR their conference. Ah, well...

So, with that in mind, here's my idea for the Bowls Chuck wants to See:

Zook Bowl- Illinois and Florida
"Defense? We don't need no stinking defense..." Bowl- Hawaii and West Virginia
Settling the Score Bowl- LSU and USC (not exactly best buddies, perhaps because of the exaggeration)
Defense and Special Teams Clinic Bowl- Ohio State and Virginia Tech
Mangino Bowl- Oklahoma and Kansas
Maybe we can beat Division 3? Bowl- Michigan and Mount Union

At any rate, stay tuned to this space for info about the Bowl picks game, and for the randomness that you've come to appreciated.

Officials I love

There are only two. (Well, three, but that's out of genetics)

Ed Hochuli, he of the mammoth arms and the no-nonsense calls "There is no penalty, the offensive man was merely overpowered".

The second is this guy:

Coaching Carousel

Well, it's that time of year again... College football's other recruitment process is well underway. Like last year, we'll be watching closely to see if any of the openings are filled by minority candidates. Given all the pressure that has been discussed, you'd hope to see some changes. But, I'm not holding my breath.

Here's the list:

Mich1gAAn
Nebraska
Mississippi
Texas A&M- Hire: Mike Sherman (no)
Colorado State
Duke
Georgia Tech
Southern Methodist
Baylor
Southern Mississippi
Arkansas
Washington State
Northern Illinois

And so, it continues...

Last year, I was pleased to post a photo from "enemy territory" to celebrate an Ohio State win.

This year's photo is from further away, but these folks are not enemies by any stretch of the imagination.
If you don't know what that's about... look here.

And guess who else is happy about the 14-3 victory?

Proud Parent

As you're reading this, I'm picking up my daughter. As a parent, I wanted to share this story from an Ohio State fan forum with you:

A Dad's Buckeye Story

This morning, I’m pouring myself a cup of coffee to try and wake up and clear the cob webs out of my head. Suddenly, I hear some fast footsteps charging down the stairs towards the kitchen and realize it has to be one of my four kids. Around the corner comes Cade, my inquisitive seven year old and he has this excited, breathless look about him. In his hand, he’s waving a BrainQuest flash card. It’s one of those “educational” games that we gave him for his birthday that asks all sorts of fun, crazy trivia questions. He loves trying to stump me with some of them and I’m just happy he’s not playing one the mindless video games he’s always after.

Well today he had an all-time stumper. Cade runs over and gives a few tugs on my t-shits and yells, “Dad! Dad! You’re never going to get this one!” I respond by saying - “And good morning to you too Cade, now what have you got?” He looks up at me as I finish pouring my coffee and asks, “What kind of animal is a wolverine? Is it A) a wolf, B) a cat or C) a weasel?” Now being a true Buckeye myself, I of course know this one but I want to have some fun. So I take a long pause and roll my eyes towards the ceiling - like I’m really pondering the answer. Then I say, well it must be part of the wolf family being that it’s a wolverine. As soon as I say this, Cade gets this great big grin on his face and he exclaims, “Nope! It’s a WEASEL!” And just for reinforcement, he holds the card up to me and announces, “Dad, a wolverine is a weasel!”

It’s in that moment, that I see it. I look into his blue eyes, and it’s apparent that something has clicked - he’s only seven but he now gets it. He studies the card one more time, looks back up at me, shakes his head a few times and utters to me in amazement, “Dad, they’re weasels. They’re just weasels.” As he finishes, I could feel a lump growing in my throat. My eyes begin to well up and I realize my little boy is growing up - he’s becoming a Buckeye. I reach down, put my arms around him and whisper - “I know son, they’re just weasels. They’re just weasels.”

I"m looking forward to that proud day with Mihret, and with helping her understand why this Saturday is a special tradition for tOSU fans:

You ain't got no alibi...

Reggie. Reggie, Reggie, Reggie....

Come clean, man.

Seriously. It's going to get ugly, and nothing is worse than denial and oblivion with scandal. Just own up, 'Kay? We'll forgive you (as long as U$C gets penalized).

Today's news is not good-

Audio recordings that allegedly establish an improper financial relationship between former USC running back Reggie Bush and a would-be sports marketing agent were played for NCAA investigators this week, sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Yahoo! Sports also has learned that the NCAA requested and has been given phone records of USC officials, including coaches, as part of the investigation.

Just say you cheated, dude. We'll still love you (if you run for touchdowns).

Final Exams...

I've joked a bit with my students that I've forgotten more about football than they know. Not that I'm an expert, it's just that having played (even if poorly) and coached (only a bit better), and being raised in a state where football (and sports) matters, there's a better chance to be well versed in the game. This is especially true given that many of our students only get their info from ESPN... a good start, but nowhere near the wealth of information that I have access to.

In that last statement, I totally include the folks in this group as sources of information. When you think about it, we really are a group of people who know their college ball. Whether you played D1 football (Aaron, Doug), coached at the D2/3 level (Joe), went to a Division 1 school where football mattered (Todd, Emily, Jake, Amanda, Steve, Michael, Terry, Paula), officiate (Scott), went to a D1 school where other teams mattered (Cat, Dan), or are related to a crucial part of football history (Janie, Carrie) our group is pretty impressive. In fact, it makes me wonder how Dan Common and Brian got in. :)

So, with all that wisdom, this week we're approaching the recap in the form of a quiz. Let's get started:

Question 1: It's fourth and 8, and you're on the 24 yard line going in to score. There's 45 seconds left, and you're tied. You've only won one game this year. What do you do?

Well, if you're Charlie Weis (Offensive Sooper Geenius), you attempt to pass and pick up the first down. And, you create the video highlight of the week:

That's the difference between "normal" college athletes and members of the Armed Forces- "sacrificing" means something completely different.

Yup, another great piece of the Weis legacy at Notre Lame; a triple overtime loss to a team that hadn't beaten them in 40 plus years. Good work, Charlie. You not only ended the streak, but made your former coach's pep talk that inferred potential involuntary manslaughter look freaking prophetic by nature.

Oh, and I'm not sure that Notre Dame wins more than one of their next three games. Not that it will matter... They'll still get $1.3 million from the BCS. Seriously.

Question 2: You're a coach who likes the "razzle dazzle" offense, and you talk mess on occasion. In your previous life, you had a tendency to run the score up on folks. If you believe in karma, what should happen to you?

If you guessed "my defense would give up 541 yards rushing", you'd be right- 'cause that's what happened to the Gamecocks, including 323 yards to the next #1 draft pick.

Question 3: Sticking with defensive questions- You're winning 35-14 in the 4th quarter, but you know that your opponent's tailback went for over 200 and three scores in the fourth the week before. What defense should you play?

If you answered "Anything but prevent", you're not TBPU's Tim Beckman, who allowed Lorenzo Charles to put the Longhorns on his back and carry them to a 38-35 win. Wouldn't want to be in the locker room afterwards...

Question 4: You're a football coach at a basketball school. What do you do to give your team the credibility that it deserves for it's (currently) undefeated season?

Obviously, you go out and try to replicate a basketball score, of course. Wow. There were those of us around here that wouldn't have been surprised if AD Osborne met the team in the tunnel after the game with the words, "All of the Huskers, into the locker room. Not so fast, Bill." But he's too classy for that. Plus, perhaps he understands karma.

Not classy was the weekend commenter on Deadspin who said,

In the grand motivational tradition of Jackie Sherrill castrating a bull before playing Texas, during practice the other day, Mark Mangino ate an entire silo of corn to fire up the Jayhawks for their game against Nebraska. Some would call it a great motivational tactic. Mangino called it "lunch"

This has been your Mark Mangino joke of the week.

Question 5: You've replaced a coach who won a National Championship and left for the NFL. Now he's back, and coaching another team in your conference. How do you respond?

Of course Les Miles led his Tigers into Tuscaloosa for a 41-34 victory over "The Great Saban" (or something like that). Of course, it did help that Alabama's QB fumbled away the game toward the end.

Question 6: Your team is behind 17-10 in the fourth quarter. You decided to give the ball to your sophomore tailback on offense, and to "release the hounds" on defense. What color sweatervest are you wearing?

Trick question- It's gray, but no one will be able to see it.

Question 7: Your team is undefeated. How do you feel?

If you answered anything other than "Nervous as all get out", you're not paying attention. This week, two more teams took on their first losses, with BC dropping one to FSU (and nature); and ASU losing to one of the top teams in the nation (see below).

Question 8: What would make Anderson coach Joe Williams happy?

Well, other than a trip to King Gyros, a final win at home would be nice. So he's got that going for him...

Question 9: What happened in our other games?

Vandy lost, aTm lost, Kentucky was idle, Peru State beat SAGU.

Question 10: Do you think this quiz thing has gotten a bit old?

Yup- Let's move onto the picks league.

See what happens when you get your picks in, Doug? And wow... have Carrie and Jake started to skid. That's never a good thing.
This is why you take Amanda to Vegas- Even when she misses her bets, she ends up with top money.Terry made up some ground on Aaron, and Michael is still creeping. As always, Dan and I are deadlocked.Cat and Dan are still holding out hope that they'll be able to win one of these things.

This week's Boy, Chuck's Savvy Top 5 and commentary (and yes, I know there are other "S" words to use there):

1. tOSU- In three years, they're 32-3. Losses only to #1 Texas, #1 Florida, and #3 Penn State. And they've got 20 players scheduled to return next year.
2. LSU- Quality wins, close wins. They know how to get it done, and would be the favorite in the NCG, since it would be in New Orleans.
   
3. Oklahoma- Still think there's a hole or two. But, Stoops = Good Coaching (well, almost always)
   
4. Oregon- Would like to see them play a good defense. Their QB/Running Back combo, though, are amazing.... They are a fumbled touchdown away from being #1.
   
5. Kansas- Talk to me in a couple of weeks.
   

Here's my overall thoughts- If LSU makes the game, as I mentioned, they will be huge favorites. But I'm not sure they make it there... Should everyone win out, the team that has the most to gain is Kansas- they'll have beaten TBPU, Mizzou, and Oklahoma. LSU will only have beaten Arkansas and the SEC East Champ (Tennessee). Oklahoma only beats TBPU and the North Champ, and Oregon has only UCLA and tooOSU left. tOSU just has Michigan; should they win out, there's nothing that would keep them from being leapfrogged by folks with quality wins (just fine by me- the Rose Bowl is 5 miles from my church).

The season is winding down, so that means it time for ridiculous trophies: Manchester and Anderson squabble over the Bronze Ball, Ohio State and Illinois meet for the IlliBuck, as well as Auburn at Georgia, Mich1gAAn at Wisconsin, Notre Dame against Air Force, Kansas traveling to Stillwater, U$C and Cal, Huskies and Beavers, Lots of letters when BYU and TCU meet, Arkansas travels to Tennessee (presumably on McFadden's back) and Nebraska tries to rebound in their game against Kansas State.

This week's small schools game is the Musing's favorite "Monon Bell Game", again broadcast on HDNet for national watch parties. The Wabash "Little Giants" (and you thought "Buckeyes" was stupid) enter the game at 9-0, while Depauw's Tigers are 7-2 (5-0 at home). Wabash won the last two games by three points each, and has won 5 of the past 6.

This post marks the last update of the regular season, since I'll be busy for the next couple of weeks.
This means that I'll miss talking about these classic match-ups: The Iron Bowl (Alabama and Auburn), The Irony Bowl (Illinois and Northwestern), The Kissing Cousins game (Vandy and Tennessee), The Old Oaken Bucket (Indiana and Purdue), The God and Guns game (Notre Dame and Army), The Border Clash (Kansas/Missouri), The Apple Cup (Wazzoo and UWillingham), and "The BAND" (Cal/Stanford), and the "Please let it stop" game (Nebraska at Colorado- I'm sure that will go well).

And, we'll be flying with our daughter on Football-calypse Saturday. I'd hate for her to know a world where "Lloyd" isn't spelled "Lllllloyd". We may have a special post from Addis Ababa to commemorate the event.

Since Thanksgiving week is spent at my folks (read: "dial-up internet"), we'll be back at the end of the season with a group wrap up, a link to the bowl challenge, and photos of our trip to Ethiopia. Feel free to see if Michael is clever enough to try his hand at this college football stuff.