BCS bowl selections stir up annual controversy

December is here and college bowl game season is officially upon us.  Yesterday, the BCS selected its bowl games participants and like every year the controversy began.  The two big debates are over the rematch that will happen between LSU Tigers (#1) and Alabama Crimson Tide (#2) in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game and the Michigan Wolverines trip to the AllState Sugar Bowl to play Virginia Tech Hokies.  

The championship game will feature schools from the same conference for the first time.  Everyone outside of the Southeastern Conference wanted to see any one-loss team in the championship game except Alabama.  While, I understand the frustration I get the selection.  Alabama only lost one game.  That lost was to LSU and the game was really close.  Neither team scored a touchdown showing how tough their defenses are.  Their defenses got them in the national championship and it will be a good rematch.

I am a B1G TEN girl and this reminds me of 2006 when Ohio State and Michigan were #1 and  #2 respectively.  It was dubbed, the Game of the Century.  Michigan lost by one field goal and did not play Ohio State in the national championship.  Naturally, I wanted that rematch.  I am glad that Alabama will have a chance to see their rival again. 

As for the Sugar Bowl, the major dissension is Michigan representing the B1G TEN in a BCS bowl and not the Michigan State Spartans.  Both schools had two losses during the regular season, but Michigan lost to Michigan State.  The Spartans played for the conference title but lost to the Wisconsin Badgers.  In the minds of some, the Spartans should have been the obvious choice to a BCS game.  The problem is that they lost the B1G TEN title to a team that they previously beat.  Last year, I said that Michigan State got robbed because they shared the title with Ohio State and Wisconsin, but after beating Wisconsin they were not selected to play in the Rose Bowl.  This year they had a chance to be the outright B1G TEN champ and did not deliver.  It does not look favorable to the committee to lose at the end of the year.

I will not pretend that this is only football.  The BCS is not the NCAA.  They are not reserved about their desire to have good games, schools with passionate fans and great experiences for the cities.  The reality is schools like LSU, Alabama, Michigan and Virginia Tech will help the BCS achieve all of their objectives over Boise State. 

I am not in love with the BCS.  I am not even a fan of the arrangement.  I think that it is complex and at times arbitrary.  I would love to see a playoff system that allows us to truly get a college football champion by action on the gridiron.

Check out all of the BCS and non-BCS bowl games.

Ciao!

Heels & Helmets®

Spring is here and so is college football

While the NFL is still battling on labor issues with its players, college programs started spring practice.  These practices symbolize that football is in full spring on college campuses.  Most programs culminate the spring training session of 15 practices with a big intra-squad scrimmage.  They are usually dubbed by the schools colors.  For example, Florida has the “Orange and Blue” game every spring.  At The University of Michigan, it is simply, “Michigan Spring Game.”

At some universities the scrimmage is just an open practice that allows students, alumni and fans to see the team run plays.  At the larger programs, it has become just as big as the first home game with all of the fanfare, tailgating and display of school pride that you see in the fall.  Last year, the Florida Gators attracted close to 51,000 fans to their scrimmage.  Ohio State packed over 65,000 fans in the Horseshoe to see them last spring.

These scrimmages provide a good snapshot at the team’s development as they transition from last season.  How is the new coach directing the team?  Are players buying into the new coach’s message?  How does the offense or defense look after losing several players to graduation and/or the NFL draft?  Who will be the starting quarterback?  These are some of the questions that fans look to get answers for watching the spring game.

A lot has happened since the BCS Championship game.  Here are a couple of spring games that I think are noteworthy.

1.     Auburn – The Tigers lost the foundation and strength of their offense to the NFL Draft.  How they will replace the speed, rushing yards and size of Cam Newton will be interesting.

2.     Nebraska – This will be the Cornhuskers first scrimmage as a member of the Big Ten.  They were the Big 12 North Champions last year, but everyone is curious to see how they will fare in the oldest football conference.

3.     Ohio State – With Terrelle Pryor and Head Coach Jim Tressel out for the first five games of the season, fans will want to see how the backups fill in.

4.     Michigan – After three years of being embarrassed on the gridiron, the wolverines have a “Michigan Man” back at the helm of the program.  Head Coach, Brady Hoke, has one mission - restore greatness back to college’s most winningest program.  He has been clear about his expectations to win Big Ten titles and beat Ohio State.  All eyes will be on Michigan Stadium on April 16 to see the strides that he is making.

Get information on every school’s spring practice schedule.

Ciao!

 Heels & Helmets®

The NFL opened its doors, school is in session

The NFL is in full swing!  NFL Kickoff weekend is like the first day of school.  New coaches, new players, new stadiums lead fans to get new TVs, grills, NFL game packages and of course gear.  This is all necessary to start the school year.  Ask any kid; you can’t go back to school without new supplies and new gear!

The two things that always made me anxious about the first day of school were the unknown and a new beginning.  I did not know what to expect from my new teacher.  Older students may have told me about the teacher, but I had not experienced his or her class myself.   Week 1 in the NFL is the same way.  It is the only week that teams prepare for without regular season game tapes of their opponents.  Sure they read about training camp and watch some preseason games, but teams will not truly know what the other teams are made of until the first game of the regular season.

So how was the first day of school?  Let’s take a look.

Welcome Back Carroll - Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks Head Coach, enthusiastically returned to a NFL sideline after coaching the University of Southern California Trojans for 9 seasons.  He was welcomed back with smiles and the smiles got bigger after Seattle trampled on the 49ers 31 – 6.

Unfair Detention – The Detroit Lions loss to the Chicago Bears 19 – 14 at home.  Many blame this on Calvin Johnson’s “touchdown” being ruled incomplete.  For the record, according to NFL Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 1 it was incomplete.  The rule states:

Going to the ground. If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.

The rule may need to be changed, but as Lions Head Coach Jim Schwartz said, “He didn’t finish with the football.”  I really respect Coach Schwartz not blaming this loss on one call or one play.  Four quarters of football were played and the loss does not simply rest on a play that happened in the last 31 seconds of the game.  Going forward, the problem for the Lions is that their starting quarterback, Matthew Stafford, suffered a shoulder injury and may be out 4 – 6 weeks.  Just when I had them winning 4 games this year. 

Needed more summer school – The Redskins beat rival, Dallas Cowboys at home 13 – 7, but it was not because they did anything great.  Redskins quarterback, Donovan McNabb, showed hints that he can still compete at an elite level with nice completions to Santana Moss and one run of 17 yards.  However, the offensive line did not protect well and the defense was lackluster.  On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys offense just couldn’t connect and the defense seemed confused.  Both teams need some work.  It was a disappointing matchup that was supposed to be a battle between archenemies.

Bullies not so scary after all – With thousands of microphones around to catch every word that Cincinnati wide receivers, Ochocinco and T.O. say; I was expecting the dynamic duo to be a threat and… catch a lot more balls.  Despite both receivers reaching milestones, Ochocinco surpassed 10,000 passing yards and T.O. topped 15,000, the offense did not live up to the hype.

Teachers Pet – Over the weekend, Tom Brady, became the highest paid player in the NFL.  The $72 million contract makes the two-time Super Bowl MVP a Patriot for four more years.  New England Head Coach Bill Belichick summed up his feelings on the contract extension by saying, “There’s no other quarterback I’d rather have.”  Yesterday, Brady displayed why.  He had 258 yards, completed over 71% of his passes, did not throw an interception and led the Patriots to a 38 - 24 win over Cincinnati.

After school – Tonight Monday Night Football (MNF) starts the regular season with a double header.  The Baltimore Ravens head to the New Meadowlands Stadium to face the New York Jets at 7 p.m. EST and the Kansas City Chiefs will open its doors to the San Diego Chargers at 10:15 p.m. EST.  My thoughts?  The Jets and Ravens both have strong defenses and new additions to their offense, but I’m giving the edge to the Jets.  As for Kansas and San Diego, there is no competition.  Even without LaDainian Tomlinson, the Chargers will win in Arrowhead Stadium.

College men - The ACC had a bad weekend because their four ranked teams (Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech and last season’s conference champ, Georgia Tech) lost to nonconference opponents.  Miami is the only school that remains in the ranking at #17.  The Big 10 is shining.  Penn State #22 loss to Alabama, but the conferences other three ranked teams (Ohio State #2, Iowa #9 and Wisconsin #12) all pulled out victories.  Michigan entered the top 25 at #20 (AP) and #22 (USA Today) after beating Notre Dame. 

Ciao! 

Heels & Helmets

College, NFL, fantasy leagues – Are you ready for football?

College football started, the NFL kicks off its season tomorrow and fantasy leagues have completed their drafts.  With so much going on, I decided to take a quick look at all three and give you some info to prepare for this weekend.

College Football

The first weekend of college football was really exciting!  The University of Michigan opened its new stadium to a sold-out crowd by demolishing Connecticut.   Quarterback, Denard Robinson, set a school record rushing for 197 yards at that position.  (I told you that the third year would be a charm.)  Boise State traveled to the nation’s capital and legitimized its #3 ranking by defeating Virginia Tech (#13) at FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins.  Boise gets to rest this weekend.  Michigan will go on the road to play non-conference rival Notre Dame led by new coach Brian Kelly.  Both teams are trying to climb its way into the top 25.  The Fighting Irish opened its season with a win over Purdue.  But, I do not think that their defense will be able to handle the speed of Robinson. 

The game to follow will be Ohio State (#2) and Miami (#12) at the “Horseshoe” in Columbus.  Miami lost the 2003 National Championship Game (Fiesta Bowl) to Ohio State in which a controversial call was made against Miami for pass interference.  The Hurricanes will be playing for all of the former players who were on the 2002 team.  They seem good enough to beat the Buckeyes.  I know that football is a team sport, but this is going to come down to the performance of one guy – Ohio State quarterback, Terrelle Pryor.  He is good enough to contend for the Heisman, but he also makes decisions that make him look like he should be on the bench.  I have been told that your greatest strength can also be your greatest weakness.  If TP is the Buckeyes’ greatest strength they will send Miami back to South Beach with an “L.”  If he is the team’s greatest weakness, there will be a serious hurricane in Northern Ohio.

Who Dat going to New Orleans?

It’s NFL Kickoff in the Big Easy!  Drew Brees and the Saints start the road to defend their Super Bowl Title at home against Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings tomorrow.  Both teams have their quarterbacks intact, but Favre’s ankle is still questionable.  The last time the teams played was earlier this year in the NFC Championship game.  In that game, Favre took a tough hit that injured his left ankle and threw an interception that ended the game.  Favre did not come back at 41 after major surgery on his ankle to lose.  I see him willing his way to victory and avenging his performance in last season’s NFC Championship game.  OK, I need him to do well because he is my fantasy QB.  Which brings me to…

Fantasy Football

You drafted your players and selected your defense.  Don’t worry if you did not get everyone that you wanted.  You can trade and draft new players throughout the season.  If you are new to fantasy football these three easy things will help you be successful with your team:

1. Keep up with your players’ schedules and do not have them on your roster when they have a “Bye” week.

2. Check in on injury reports and make sure that you are starting players who are still healthy and able to play.

3. Have patience and don’t trade immediately.  A player may start off slow and end up with a great season.  Try benching a player before you trade.

Now turn in your rosters and kick butt!  Just don’t mess up your heels.

Ciao! 

Heels & Helmets

Nebraska Is In A Real Football Conference Now, No Whining Allowed

It’s official.  Effective July 1, 2011 The University of Nebraska – Lincoln will be in the Big 10 Conference.  I welcome the Cornhuskers to the oldest Division I-A Football Conference and I am ready to settle a debate.

It goes back to 1997.  Back then the NCAA Division I-A Football Champion was decided by the AP (Associated Press) and the ESPN/USA Today Polls or, as we called them, the writers and the coaches polls.  Until that year, I thought that the coaches got it right.  That year, they proved that they didn’t.

The University of Michigan had an unblemished record.  They replaced Nebraska as the #1 team after beating #3 Penn State the weekend that Nebraska almost lost to a Missouri team that was not ranked in the top 25.  (They saved the game in overtime with a lucky catch.)  The Wolverines headed into the bowl season undefeated and ranked #1 in both polls.  Head Coach Lloyd Carr was Coach of the Year and Charles Woodson, starting cornerback, won the Heisman.  (First defensive player to do so.)  The Wolverines only needed to win the Rose Bowl to become National Champions.  So, you would think.

The Wolverines went to Pasadena and beat #8 Washington State, 21 – 16 in the 84^th Rose Bowl.  Nebraska won the Orange Bowl in Miami by beating #3 Tennessee, 42 – 17.  After the bowl games, the writers kept Michigan at #1, but the coaches moved Nebraska to the number one spot on their poll.  This wasn’t about the action on the gridiron.  This was about the coaches recognizing the end of a career of their colleague and one of the best coaches, Nebraska Head Coach, Tom Osborne.  It was his retirement gift.

The coaches got it wrong.  They’ll say Nebraska beat the #3 team “convincingly.”  That is, as Bo Schembechler would say, hogwash!

Here are the top reasons why Michigan should have been the consensus 1997 Football Champions.

1.    Tougher schedule – 11 straight games without a bye week.

2.   Tougher opponents – Played 6 teams ranked in the top 25. (Nebraska played 3.)

3.   Beat the #3 team (Penn State) 38 – 4 during the regular season on the road and followed it up with victories against #23 Wisconsin and #4 Ohio State.

4.   They handled business on the field and left it there.  Nebraska players went whining to the media, “Don't give it to Michigan.  Our coach deserves this.”  (Champions don’t whine!)

5.   Nebraska should not have been #2 and undefeated.  The refs got the call wrong in the Missouri game.  The Tigers clearly caught the ball.

After the bowl games, everyone was debating who would have won if Michigan and Nebraska had played each other that season.  In my mind, there is no doubt that Michigan would have killed Nebraska.  The teams are different, but I am looking forward to the Cornhuskers joining the conference, visiting the Big House and experiencing a battle with the most winningest football program.

Nebraska, Welcome to a real football conference where a rival doesn’t mean beating up on someone for 25 years!  And NO WHINING ALLOWED!

Ciao!

Heels &  Helmets

Warner, Moon And Cherry: Undrafted, But Not Defeated

The 2010 NFL Draft is over.  Some players’ dreams came true and they are still pinching themselves thinking, “this is really happening.”  Other players such as LeGarrette Blount, RB, Oregon; Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia; Donovan Warren, CB, Michigan; and Stafon Johnson, RB, USC are disappointed.  These players did not hear their name called during the draft.  A couple of them have signed as undrafted free agents since the draft ended on Saturday, but this is not a guarantee that they will play this fall.  As an undrafted free agent, they will compete to earn a spot on the team’s roster. 

Undrafted does not have to equate to failure.  These guys still could become not just professional players, but super stars in the NFL.  They will have to use their frustration to fuel their motivation to work hard and prove all of the sports pundits, general managers and coaches wrong.  For people that will say that you are just an optimist looking for a happy ending, here are a couple of players who proved all of the naysayers wrong and went from being undrafted free agents to pro bowlers.

Kurt Warner, QB – Signed as an undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers, in 1994, but did not make the team.  He played a couple of years in the Arena Football League and NFL Europe before his first job on a NFL team with the St. Louis Rams whom he led to a Super Bowl Championship.  During his 12-year career, he was selected to the Pro Bowl 4 times and earned Super Bowl MVP. 

Warren Moon, QB – Went undrafted in the 1978 NFL Draft.  (Many people believe that this was because he was black quarterback and refused to switch to tight end.)  Played in the Canadian Football League for 6 years before starting in the NFL with the Houston Oilers.  He played 17 seasons and was selected to the Pro Bowl 9 times.  He is enshrined in both the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  He is the only African-American Quarterback in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Deron Cherry, FS - Signed as an undrafted free agent punter in 1981 with the Kansas City Chiefs, but was released.  Returned to the team as a free safety and went on to have an 11-year career.  He is third on the Chiefs’ list of most interceptions and tied for the team’s record of fumble recoveries.  He was selected to the Pro Bowl 6 times.

Not being drafted is not the end of a player’s dream to play professional football in the NFL.  With some perseverance and hard work, they can join this group of NFL players who were not defeated, by not being drafted.

Ciao!

Heels &  Helmets

IT'S NATIONAL SIGNING DAY AND MICHIGAN WILL BE BACK!

OK, My goal was to get you all ready for Super Bowl, so I was dedicating this week to talking about both teams playing in the Championship Game.  But, today is a really important day for College Football and my Michigan Wolverines, so I had to fill you in.  Today is the first day that a high school player can sign a binding letter of intent to play at a university.  So, it's appropriately called National Signing Day.  All of the months college coaches spend traveling, making phone calls, arranging tours of the university and scheduling attendance at games all come down to this day.  


It has been a rough couple of years since Rich Rodriguez (Coach Rod) took over as Head Coach of Michigan Football.  He has not been on the sidelines of a Michigan Bowl Game, since he watched Coach Carr coach the Wolverines to a victory over the Florida Gators in the Capital One Bowl, on January 1, 2008.  This was the day before he started his job at Michigan.  Well, I am convinced that the 2008 and 2009 seasons are in the past and Coach Rod's third year will be a charm!  I'm looking forward to see who will be added to complete the offense and strengthen our defense.  GO BLUE!


I feel so excited that I am inviting all of you to come join me for my Super Bowl Happy Hour this Friday!  Here are the details:

Join Heels & Helmets for the "Final Practice" before the big game. Come chat, have a cocktail and get key elements to the game. Yes, he'll be surprised on Sunday!

PLAYBOOK

The Reserve: 1426 L Street, NW; Washington, DC

Open Bar: 5 - 6 p.m. (Select cocktails)

$5 Rails

$5 Select Tapas

You can get information on the newest Wolverines and watch the press conference at 3 p.m. (EST) at mgoblue.com.

Ciao!
Heels & Helmets