SB Nation - Cincinnati Bearcats

Good Riddance

ibleedscarlet — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:35:15 -0000

As the rumors continue to swirl, and the sources start to come forward, it appears that Brian Kelly is going to be the next Notre Dame head coach. Rutgers went down this road with Greg Schiano a few years ago, and the constant "will-he or won't-he" between Michigan/Miami and Rutgers was maddening. Sorry Bearcats fans, our coach stayed, but yours is all but gone.

Let me be the first to say goodbye to Kelly. Hell, if he needs help packing his suitcase, or needs a ride to the airport, no sweat off my back. Cincinnati's loss is Rutgers gain.

First off, Cincinnati is a good team, that Kelly has somehow found a way to make great. With 1 returning starter from last year's defense, BK has pulled off a magic act in guiding the Bearcats to an undefeated season. He's lost quaterbacks and running backs over the last two seasons, but no matter how he throws in to replace them, they succeed.

Secondly, and more importantly for Rutgers fans is that Kelly simply owned Greg Schiano and the Scarlet Knights. If you need any more evidence than the 1st game of this season on Labor Day when Kelly out-smarted and out-classed Schiano in all phases of the game, then your crazy. But I'll give you more: Kelly is 3-0 against the Scarlet Knights, knocking them from the Top 10 in 2007, and costing them a chance at the Big East title with a tight victory last year. Kelly and the UC program have a hex over Rutgers ever since that 44-9 drubbing that Rutgers laid on UC in 2005.

Now with Kelly and Tony Pike gone, there is a clear path to the top of the Big East for Rutgers. West Virginia will be a mid-pack team next year, and UC will drop from the perch atop the division. Pitt and UConn will be a tough test as well. But the door is open for Rutgers. Let's stop and thank Brian Kelly for that.

Poll

If Brian Kelly becomes the Notre Dame head coach, will the Irish head to a BCS bowl next season?

Notre Dame Coach Watch 2009: Ignorance Is Not Bliss, Silence Certainly Not Golden

CW — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:47:13 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

Browse more photos »

I think there are two ways to look at what is going on in the Irish coaching search. Number one, and the most likely candidate, is that this is just your typical Notre Dame football cluster. The favorite candidates turned it down early and somehow we're screwing things up with the perfectly acceptable* back-up so that your next Irish coach is going to be CJ Keeler because he's available, a winner, and wears sunglasses at night.

*Unless you are a crazy person, at which point this search failed the minute Bob Stoops and Urban Meyer didn't leave their four million dollar salaries, happy families and comfortable homes to move to a place where the high is 13 degrees today. If you feel that way, please head on over here and meet with your support group.

The other candidate for what is going on is that save for the Brian Kelly tweets - which were hacked, then not hacked, then not on Twitter because seriously, Brian, pull yourself together -Swarbrick is actually doing a great job of keeping things locked down, and the desperate journalists, message boarders and bloggers are just creating their own echo chamber of news to drown out the voices in their heads. Pete Thamel wrongly reports Harbaugh is interviewing. ESPN is pushing Edsall, perhaps just because he's the nearest somewhat believable hire to Bristol and a fun story to tell with the win at Notre Dame and how he rallied the team following some very tragic circumstances. All the while the "program insiders" just wildly speculate about time tables, and when you couple that with ESPNews mentioning Edsall every half hour, everyone online just loses their damn mind. There have been multiple times over the last couple days where a friend or I would step away for work or class for an hour or two and return to sheer chaos across the entire Irish internet. The people - they are desperate.

Now, we do know one thing for absolute certain, and that's that Swarbrick is talking to Kelly. Kelly tweeted it, and for that reason alone, we're going to assume it's true. There's no point in saying that the New York Times or ESPN also reported it, because they'll report anything at this point for clicks and eyeballs. (I don't blame them, but don't take anything they say seriously, either.) I wouldn't be totally surprised to find out that Swarbrick was using this as a teaching opportunity for the Notre Dame fanbase and for Brian Kelly. For the crazier segment of Irish fans complaining about Kelly, this is Captain Jack reminding them that it could get a whole, whole lot worse. For Kelly, it's just a reminder that there are other options and that if he's asking for too much, he can kindly spend another year with the robust facilities in the Queen City. Does Kelly call Swarbrick's bluff on Edsall, or the so-called mystery candidates (Tuberville? Urban again? Riley? Ferentz? Leach? Charlie Strong, who now has head coaching experience?)? Or is Kelly just waiting the Bearcats' end of season banquet tonight to say his goodbyes and then moving on to South Bend, bringing his old coordinator from Grand Valley with him?

Hopefully this is cleaned up by the end of the week, but honestly, anyone who claims to say that for certain probably said this would be locked up by last weekend, so let's just hold on for the ride. The next time someone gives you a nice piece of rumor that seems legitimate, just remember that the same person was telling you Stoops name was on a contract a week ago and that Kelly was going to be announced in an afternoon presser earlier in the week. No one knows anything, and that's okay, but keep that in mind at 12:37pm today when everyone freaks out because a very legit-sounding Mark Mangino rumor pops up.

On a more pleasant note, Golden Tate should be receiving a shiny new Biletnikoff Award this evening in New York City, honoring him as the best receiver in college football. Now there's a chance that Jordan Shipley wins it, meaning two things: 1) I will curse very loudly and 2) Colt McCoy is most definitely your Heisman winner. When McCoy and Shipley start stealing awards, just remember they deserve it their great performance against Central Florida (Shipley had 11 catches for 273 and a touchdown, McCoy threw for 470). Just give them the courtesy of not looking at their combined numbers against Oklahoma and Nebraska, otherwise known as the only two good defenses they played all year.

(In case you're curious, McCoy had 311 yards passing, one touchdown and four picks combined in those two games, while Shipley lit up the stat sheet for 11 catches and 93 yards.)

If Freddie Barnes wins it, I'll be confused but accept it. Barnes had 138 catches and 16 TDs this season, which is patently absurd. He still, however, does not deserve it over Golden. Good luck tonight, #23.

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Thursday (12/10/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:46:59 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and a few distractions from the daily grind. Today we're being brought to you by Skol, in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

The men rolled last night and Huggs wasn't happy. Raise your hand if you're surprised. They've got one more game, Saturday, before finals break and then the schedule takes off. This is gonna be a fun ride this year, so enjoy it. Keep the tips, suggestions and requests coming. It all starts here...

What's On Tap:

Miami (OH) RedHawks vs. Cincinnati Bearcats - ESPN
Tonight on the Deuce at 8:30. Cinci is giving 14.5.

Syracuse Orange vs. Florida Gators -ESPN
Tonight on ESPN at 9. Syracuse is giving 2.5.

Around the League (and Beyond):

Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly seeking demands from Notre Dame? - Cincinnati Enquirer

Louisville football can soar again, Charlie Strong declares - Courier-Journal

Wall leads No. 4 Kentucky over No. 14 UConn 64-61 - SI.com

Villanova 97, Saint Joseph's 89 - SI.com

Rutgers men overcome loss of Greg Echenique, slow start to beat Monmouth, 66-52 - Star Ledger

Orange Scouting Report: Syracuse vs. Florida - syracuse.com

Dixon's slow return from injury still boosts undermanned Panthers - PPG

Video of Interest:

Soccer Gallery of the Week Part II:

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is another gorgeous supermodel from Brazil. She's done work for Vicky's and the SI Swimsuit Edition. Here's Ana Beatriz Barros.

via www.thelifeofluxury.com

Skol image via thesmartgirls.files.wordpress.com

A Head-Scratching Snub.

Acid Reign — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:00:21 -0000

More photos » by Butch Dill - AP

Auburn wide receiver Darvin Adams (89) frequently abused defensive backs! (AP Photo/ Butch Dill)

Browse more photos »

War Eagle, everybody. The post-season All-SEC teams are out now, and there aren't too many surprises. It looks like some reporters and sports information directors simply copied their preseason list over again. I guess they DID pay enough attention that Jevan Snead didn't get any votes.

I'd say the biggest surprise of the All-SEC voting was the complete absence of Auburn wide receiver Darvin Adams in the voting. The media voters select 5 wide receivers. Statistically, Darvin Adams was 5^th in receptions, 4^th in receiving yards per game, 3^rd in receiving yards, 2^nd in yards per catch, and tied for the lead in receiving touchdowns. In fact, there's not a single statistical category that Adams WASN'T in the top five. Somehow, Joe Adams of Arkansas made it in ahead of Adams, despite catching TWENTY fewer balls! Adams also finished behind Florida's Riley Cooper, despite having more catches, more yards per catch, and more touchdowns. A similar argument could be made against LSU's Brandon LaFell: fewer yards, and fewer yards per catch. Even compared to the starting All-SEC unit, Darvin Adams had a better yards per catch stat and more touchdowns than Shay Hodge of Ole Miss. When comparing Adams to Georgia's A. J. Green, Adams had more yards, more catches, a better yards per catch average, and more touchdowns. HOW does Adams not get AT LEAST honorable mention notice?

On the season, Darvin Adams finished with 48 catches for 855 yards and 10 touchdowns. War Eagle, Darvin Adams!

In another predictable but irritating snub, kicker Wes Byrum was left out of the all-star balloting. Byrum hit on 14 of 15 field goal attempts, and made all 49 of his extra point attempts. Byrum connected on 93.3 percent of his field goals. The selected All-SEC starter Leigh Tiffin was only good on 87.9 percent of his field goals, and missed THREE extra points. Second-team selection Blair Walsh only hit 90.5 percent of his field goals. What makes Byrum's snub easier to take is that he essentially lost because Auburn was scoring touchdowns in the red zone, rather than settling for 3. The Tigers converted 76% of their red-zone appearances into touchdowns, and got points 94% of the time overall.

There isn't an official offensive lineman stat page on the SEC website. But I'd take Auburn's Lee Ziemba over most of the 2^nd team offensive linemen, and a couple of the starters. Ziemba finished in the "honorable mention" category, surely a result of false starts. The sad fact is that Ziemba earned his reputation for jumping off in previous years. This year, he's actually been penalized less than you think! On false starts, Lee had 1 against La Tech, 1 against WVa, 1 against Furman, 1 against Georgia, and one against Alabama. That's a total of 5 false starts in a 12 game season, which is not many for a starting left tackle. Ziemba had no holding calls against him, all year. And the only other penalty was on his ineligible catch in the Georgia game. How many sacks did Ziemba give up? I don't remember but one, and it was when Ziemba was trying to get over on a corner blitz that was probably not even his responsibility. All in all, Lee Ziemba was the best lineman on a pretty tough Auburn unit.

Let's hear it for the left-out Tigers that led our team! War Eagle!

Other Musings from Championship Week, after the jump.

Once again, we see the need in the Football Bowl Subdivision for a post-season playoff. The argument against undefeated TCU and Boise State for playing in weak, non-BCS leagues is somewhat legit. Big East Champ Cincinnati plays in a BCS conference, went undefeated, and got left out. Rather than play for a national title, Cincy will be taking on a frustrated Gator group. Coach Brian Kelly appears to be headed for Notre Dame, and the Bearcats will be facing a fired up Gator group without their leader. It's a bitter end to a great Cincy season.

As to the Texas Longhorns, has there ever been a more disrespected number two team in the national title game? Oh, yes! I remember about 17 years ago the national press was moaning over a team that had a whole schedule full of single-digit wins, that would NEVER be able to challenge the top-ranked Hurricanes. I think we all remember how that 1993 Sugar Bowl turned out, with the Tide stomping Miami into goo. I'd suggest that the Tide not take Texas lightly. The book on the Longhorns is to contain McCoy and cover Shipley. However, the overlooked part of the 'horn team is their run defense. Alabama will have a tough time replicating their SEC Championship Game effort on offense, I think.

Fellow track'em writer War Eagle Atlanta posted an excellent question earlier this week: Will Auburn fans cheer for the Tide, or the Longhorns? If Alabama loses, I'll snicker and try to get glimpses of Nick Saban's face on the sideline. But there is no hairy way I really want the SEC to lose the BCS title game. We'll never hear the end of it, from the national media, if the SEC loses that game. Yes, I want Alabama to win. No, I absolutely will NOT be screaming "Roll Tide" at my TV that night. Hopefully, I'll be sitting quietly in my chair with a Klondike and a stinger, enjoying a good football game.

It's a difficult time to be a Florida Gator. One of the prices for success is that your assistant coaches become hot commodities. Florida's loss of Tim Tebow pales compared to the amount of talent and experience that has left the Florida coaching staff in the past two seasons. How Urban Meyer rebuilds his staff will be key. It could be a tough transition period ahead.

What a difference a year makes! This time last season, we were jeering the Auburn coaching search. This year, we're cheering a promising foundation, and lauding Jay Jacobs' pitch to the Outback Bowl. Well done, sir, well done!

Arthur Jones, Rob Long Make Big East 1st-Team

Sean Keeley — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:48:41 -0000

via media.syracuse.com

View full size photo »

Guess we should just be happy someone was paying attention.

The Big East Conference announced its list of postseason honors for 2009 on Wednesday. Syracuse senior nose tackle Arthur Jones and junior punter Rob Long earned first-team All-Big East honors. Orange senior offensive guard Ryan Bartholomew and linebacker Derrell Smith were named to the second team.

Then again, how closely were they watching? All due respect to Art Jones but Smith put up better numbers and became The Bone-carrying leader of the defense before his injury.

Pitt's Dion Lewis is your Big East Rookie and Offensive Player of the Year (first to do so since Michael Vick) while Pitt's Greg Romeus and Mick Williams are co-Defensive Players of the Year. Brian Kelly won his third-straight Big East Coach of the Year award, which as one tweeter put it, will look great on his mantle in South Bend.

Full details and 1st and 2nd-teams here. Did you ever think before this season started that Mike Williams wouldn't end up on one of those lists?

After the Fiesta Bowl, where will the Boise State Broncos be ranked?

Kevan Lee — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:40:09 -0000

Perhaps the Fiesta Bowl's greatest redeeming quality is that it pits the No. 4 and No. 6 teams against each other, which should result in one team finishing well into the Top Five with a win and maybe as high as No. 2.

After the jump, discuss how high you think the Broncos can land with a win and how far they will fall with a loss. Share your thoughts in the comments. How important will this game be for next year's Boise State team?

Below is a list of the BCS Top 15 with records and bowl opponents.

Rank	Team	Record	Opponent	Bowl
1	Alabama	13-0	Texas	NC game
2	Texas	13-0	Alabama	NC game
3	Cincinnati	12-0	Florida	Sugar
4	TCU	12-0	Boise State	Fiesta
5	Florida	12-1	Cincinnati	Sugar
6	Boise State	13-0	TCU	Fiesta
7	Oregon	10-2	Ohio State	Rose
8	Ohio State	10-2	Oregon	Rose
9	Georgia Tech	11-2	Iowa	Orange
10	Iowa	10-2	Georgia Tech	Orange
11	Virginia Tech	9-3	Tennessee	Chick-fil-A
12	LSU	9-3	Penn State	Capital One
13	Penn State	10-2	LSU	Capital One
14	BYU	10-2	Oregon State	Las Vegas
15	Miami (FL)	9-3	Wisconsin	Champs Sports

How high will Boise State be ranked with a win in the Fiesta Bowl?

First, some history. Boise State entered the 2007 Fiesta Bowl ranked No. 9 in the country, and they left the Fiesta Bowl ranked No. 5 in the country. They were the only undefeated team in the country, much like last year's Utah team, which finished No. 2.

How likely is Boise State to pull off a 2008 Utah? One big difference is that the Broncos would not be the only undefeated team in the country. The winner of Texas-Alabama will also be undefeated, and Cincinnati has a shot if they beat Florida. One comforting bit of information: Utah was ranked No. 6 entering the Sugar Bowl last year.

The question of No. 2 comes down to what happens in the 2010 Sugar Bowl between Cincy and Florida. If the Bearcats win, it should give them enough of a push to stay ahead of the Broncos, no matter how big BSU wins over TCU. I would assume that the Bearcats can assure themselves a No. 2 finish with a win over the Gators, and they could even garner some first place votes if the National Championship is an ugly, ugly game.

Let's assume that Florida beats Cincinnati. Would the pollsters keep the Gators above the Broncos? For me, this would come down to quality wins. I think if both the Broncos and Gators win evenly, then Florida will stay above BSU. But if the Broncos blow out TCU and Florida squeaks by Cincinnati, I think that Boise State would have a chance of passing UF.

The loser of Texas-Alabama might mess up the Broncos' rise to the top, too. If the NC is a close game, the loser might not fall very far. In that case, Boise State might have trouble getting ahead of either Texas or Alabama, much like the Broncos were unable to jump Florida when the Gators lost the SEC championship.

Then there's this: Can Oregon or Ohio State jump a 14-0 Broncos team? I would certainly hope not, but I'm not putting anything past Craig James and Co.

via assets.espn.go.com

My final verdict: No. 3. There are a lot of possibilities in the polls following these BCS games. If Boise State wins the Fiesta, I think the winner of Florida-Cincinnati will get the No. 2 spot, and the Broncos will be fighting the Alabama-Texas loser for No. 3.

How high do you think the Broncos can get?

(Sidenote: How high will TCU be ranked with a win? They would appear destined for a No. 2. The only thing keeping them from runner-up would be a dominating Cincinnati win over Florida. I think that even a narrow win over the Gators would put Cincinnati below a 13-0 TCU. Agree/disagree?)

How far will Boise State fall with a loss in the Fiesta Bowl?

The Broncos have a little bit of breathing room in the polls as there is only one one-loss team in the country prior to bowl season. After all the bowls have been played, there can be at most four one-loss teams (and in this scenario, there would be two undefeated teams), so you would think Boise State's No. 6 ranking might be secured.

Ah, but thinking that way would be giving college football too much credit. Despite what the records might say, do you think that voters will keep Boise State at No. 6 even after a loss to TCU in the Fiesta Bowl? I have a hard time believing it unless the Broncos and Horned Frogs play an epic game that comes down to the final minutes.

Otherwise, I think the possibilities are very good that the Rose Bowl winner and maybe Georgia Tech pass the Broncos. How disappointing would it be for a two-loss Oregon to finish ahead of a one-loss Boise State in the final poll? Don't answer that. I'm already regretting bringing up the topic.

Are there any teams outside of the Top 9 that could finish ahead of the Bronco? It doesn't seem likely. Perception of Iowa is such that the Broncos would have to really lay an egg for a two-loss Hawkeyes team to jump BSU. The next two schools, Virginia Tech and LSU, each have three losses, and there would be apocalypse now if a three-loss team passed a one-loss. Penn State could get pretty high with a win, but they are seven full spots behind the Broncos entering bowl season. That's a mighty tall hill to climb.

Here's a thought: Would any teams above the Broncos fall behind Boise State with a loss? For example, say Florida gets absolutely demolished by Cincinnati and BSU barely loses to TCU. Would the Gators fall behind the Broncos? What if Cincinnati were the team losing big?

I refuse to entertain the idea of BYU passing the Broncos. If that happens, I will light myself on fire in perpetuity.

via www.ctdol.state.ct.us

My final verdict: No. 7. A big portion of the voting will depend on how close the Fiesta Bowl is. If Boise State plays really well, they will not tumble too far. If it is a blowout, they could end up a couple spots lower. I see the Broncos putting in a good effort and only being passed by one team currently below them. I just really hope that team isn't Oregon.

(Sidebar: How far will TCU fall with a loss? I could see the Horned Frogs tumbling to at least No. 6 or No. 7 as Boise State, the Rose Bowl winner, and Florida pass them. The Sugar Bowl loser and TCU would probably be the two schools battling for the ranking at that point. Agree/disagree?)

Your turn

Where do you think Boise State will end up in the rankings? Can they go as high as No. 2? Can they fall as far as No. 8? How do you think their final ranking will impact next season? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Wednesday (12/9/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:00:42 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and some fun distractions. Today we're being brought to you by Pilsner Urquell, in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

There's plenty to get caught up with. The Gator Bowl is a sell out already and Huggs leads the men back into action tonight against the Dukes from Duquesne. Keep your eyes open for tips and suggestions. See you after the jump...

What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Report for Wednesday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

09-10 NCAA Bowl Game Helmet Schedule - SimonOnSports
Retro Helmet style bmp's and a downloadable spreadsheet.

Your Full 2009-2010 College Football Bowl Announcing Schedule - Awful Announcing

2009 Bowl gifts to participants - Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal

ESPN.com's All-Big East team - ESPN

Ranking the bowls from best to worst - ESPN

BCS matchups the highlight of ho-hum college bowl season - SI.com
Mandel ranks 'em too.

Though not as good as a playoff, BCS gets matchups right - SI.com
Staples' Power Rankings

Mountaineers in the NFL - WVIllustrated.com

News of Note (FB):

Sold Out - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Florida State fans snatching up Gator Bowl tickets, but local travel packages remain - Charleston Gazette

Some options available for tickets to Gator Bowl - Charleston Daily Mail

Steele honors WVU, Marshall players - Charleston Daily Mail

Football Notebook - MSNsportsNET.Com

Hall of Fame humbling to Major, Warner - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

LB Williams named a scholar-athlete finalist - Register-Herald

Seeing both sides of Gator - Parkersburg News and Sentinel

DL Joe Rhein - WVIllustrated
"When the rest of West Virginia’s football team was celebrating their victory over Rutgers late Saturday night, one of their brothers was being rushed to Ruby Memorial Hospital after being involved in a serious car accident in Morgantown. "

MU's search, Big East rankings and celebrating good times - Charleston Gazette

News of Note (BB):

Duquesne Preview - MSNsportsNET.Com

Preview: Duquesne - BlueGoldNews.com

Bob Huggins: Back On The Court - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Video link

Mountaineers set for Duquesne challenge - Charleston Daily Mail

WVU hosts Everhart, Duquesne tonight - Times West Virginian

Duquesne's Everhart has history with West Virginia's Huggins - PPG

Huggins, Everhart share West Virginia roots - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

WVU looks for better defense vs. Dukes - Charleston Gazette

Junior guard getting his opportunity to contribute early in 2009-10 season - WVIllustrated

WVU women cruise past EKU [ed.] - Charleston Daily Mail

West Virginia Too Much for Colonels - MSNsportsNET.Com

WVU women cruise by Eastern Kentucky - Times West Virginian

Women's Basketball Notebook - MSNsportsNET.Com

What's On Tap:

Duquesne Dukes vs. West Virginia Mountaineers - ESPN
Tonight from the Coliseum at 7 p.m. If you can't be there it's on ESPN 360 and MASN. WVU is giving 16.5.

Villanova Wildcats vs. Saint Joseph's Hawks - ESPN
On the Duece tonight at 9. Villanova is giving 13.5.

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Connecticut Huskies - ESPN
This appears to be the big one for tonight, from MSG, 9:30 on ESPN. Connecticut is getting 1.

Around the League (and Beyond):

Report: Kelly met with Irish last week - ESPN

Source: Likelihood of Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly bolting to Notre Dame 'heating up' - ESPN

Brian Kelly and Notre Dame close on deal -- chicagotribune.com

Source: Louisville board to be asked to approve Charlie Strong as coach - ESPN

Bulls still a work in progress - Tampa Tribune

Monroe's Double-Double Leads No. 15 Georgetown Past No. 20 Butler, 72-65 - GUHoyas

Wannstedt: Pitt has advanced since his arrival - PPG

Pitt falls to Indiana, 74-64 - PPG

Billy Donovan has had few setbacks en route to his throne, but SU has been one of them - Syracuse.com

Notre Dame head coach is the weirdest job in sports, so why would University of Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly want it? - ESPN

N.C.A.A. Is Said to Inquire Widely of Tennessee’s Recruiting - NYTimes.com
"Interviews with multiple football recruits revealed that the N.C.A.A. has strong interest in the University of Tennessee’s use of recruiting hostesses."

Politi: BCS system is a mess, but complaints go unheeded - Star Ledger

Item of Interest:

I'm behind on this, I know, but....there was a guy who set out to visit 15 campuses for 15 football games throughout the season and document his experiences. He's not a journalist or a professional photographer. The picture leads to a gallery he took while he visited us for the Backyard Brawl and I've included the link to his blog entry too. Pretty cool stuff. He was at Heinz last week, as well, and will finish up the season watching the Army/Navy game this weekend.

Backyard Nailbiter: WVU Beats Pitt On Final Play - One Great Season

[photo courtesy of John P. Wise @ onegreatseason.com]

Video of (Dis)Interest:

Evidently this is becoming an epidemic. I'm almost ashamed to admit...but, it's happened to me too. (Warning: Video contains strong language)

'Tis The Season Gallery of the Week:

Here are 25 sexy celebrities in Santa outfits.

via www.manofest.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is another Eastern European beauty. Hailing from the Czech Republic, I proudly present...Shannon Czyz.

via farm4.static.flickr.com

Pilsner Urquell image via www.123mycodes.com

Regular Season Finale of the Blogpoll Draft Edition

Jeremy Mauss — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:50:52 -0000

The Blogpoll is set up by MGoBlog and is a collection of bloggers who actually watch the games, which is more then what the coaches, AP, or Harris poll voters can say. The poll is so respected that CBS Sports is behind the poll and it is posted along side the polls that actually count. Here is an explanation of the Blog poll from Brian himself.

As expected Alabama moves to number one after their beat down of the Florida Tim Tebow's who fell to six. Then TCU comes in at second and then Boise State third, because Texas showed that against a really good defense they are very vulnerable. Plus, the bone head play of Colt McCoy on that casual roll out and throw out of bounds nearly cost the Horns a shot at the title, but what he did lose was his Heisman on that play.

Let me know what you all think and if any changes should be made before the final ballot is released tomorrow moring.

Rank	Team	Delta

1	Alabama	3
2	TCU	1
3	Boise State	2
4	Texas	1
5	Cincinnati	1
6	Florida	4
7	Oregon
8	Georgia Tech	4
9	Ohio State	1
10	Virginia Tech	1
11	Iowa	1
12	Penn State	1
13	LSU
14	Brigham Young
15	Pittsburgh	2
16	Oregon State	1
17	Miami (Florida)	2
18	Stanford	2
19	West Virginia	2
20	Nebraska
21	Central Michigan	2
22	Arizona
23	Utah	1
24	Oklahoma State	1
25	Wisconsin
Last week's ballot

Dropped Out: Houston (#16), California (#18), Southern Cal (#22).

Live From the Windy City: Brian Kelly to ND?

grahamfiller10 — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:33:50 -0000

I am sitting on Michigan Avenue at something called the Corner Bakery and I'm thinking about Brian Kelly. Such is the power of the Notre Dame job search. I have this vague feeling that Kelly is gone, toast, off to the Dome for upwards of 5 million per year. Law Buck thinks he should go, reasoning that this is still a marquee college football head coaching job. Even if Kelly fails Weis-style, LB reasons, he still gets to put on his tombstone "College Football Coach for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish." ...Yeah.

Brian Kelly fits the Notre Dame profile.

So wipe the vomit off your sweater caused by that last sentence and look at a couple facts at play here. First, Cinci's stadium is low-grade, the facilities are low-grade, and no matter how high he takes Cinci, it's still JUST Cincinnati to a national audience. But on the other hand, if Notre Dame and Cinci played next year or in 2011, I would wager all of my money on the Bearcats. 2010 Notre Dame is going 5-7 or 6-6, depending on the schedule. Plus, we all saw the national skewering of Chuck Weis, does BK really want to go through that?

If he stays, Kelly runs the risk of turning down oodles of money and the opportunity to resurrect a storied program. If he goes, Kelly takes a daunting job that has lost some of its luster in the last 20 years. Either way, we're going to learn a hell of a lot about BK in the next week. Law Buck and I decided the odds were 80-20 that he goes to South Bend. We'll see.

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Tuesday (12/8/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:08:10 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and a bit of fun. Today we're being brought to you by Lamar St. Pale Ale in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

I had a bit of a browser snafu earlier (sorry for the delay). Today seems a bit quiet, but things should pick up again tomorrow as Huggs and Co. get back to business. Suggestions and requests are always welcome. Here we go...