SB Nation - West Virginia Mountaineers

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?

A Mountaineer Rorschach Test

5th Year Senior — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:54:41 -0000

I know some of us have been out of school for longer than we would like to admit but just relax. The test is not hard at all. This test is not pass/fail, in fact there are no grades at all.

All you need to do is, tell me what you see...

Do you see...

A. A team ranked 16th in the nation?

B. A stain left on the stage after a boisterous performance by a Morgantown stripper?

C. Jeff Mullen’s newest offensive play that develops well behind the line of scrimmage and gets stuffed for a 2 yard loss? OR

D. Two Pitt "fans" playing tummy swords to determine which Steelers jersey they will wear to the bowl game?

Maybe this test is tougher than I made it out to be...

I see a team that is ranked 16th in the nation and playing in the Gator Bowl. Nine wins is certainly not the best season ever but I’ll take it this year.

I also see a bit of disappointment. I think back to our two close losses and realize, it could’ve been so much better. Then I remember our coach is only in his second year and is about to bring in more top recruits to fit his system. Things could are looking up!

Of course, I also see a stain. You may think it is nasty but Hummer’s has a great breakfast buffet. Don’t tell my girlfriend and NEVER try the "house" syrup.

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

WVU vs. Duquesne: Can We Beat A Team Whose Name We Can Not Pronounce

5th Year Senior — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:25:29 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

Browse more photos »

Du-quez-ney? Duke-e-ness? Donatello? Du-cane? Du-cane? How the fuck, do you get Du-cane from, Duquesne? That makes absolutely no sense, unless you are French and everyone knows I hate French people.

Now that we can correctly pronounce Duquesne, let's see if we have a chance (wink, wink) to win.

As will be the case for almost every game this year, WVU will only need to play its game to win. With our talent, size, and strength, we should not be forced to do anything out of the ordinary to win.

Of course, nothing is out of ordinary for us because Bob Huggins coaches for all possible scenarios. We need a quick run? He will throw a full court press or 1-3-1 at a team to force pressure. We need to maintain a lead? No worries, we just run our offense and let our play-makers go to work.

Thinking I'm speaking too generally (ed. - or too rhetorically?)? Well you are right -- let's get to the specifics.

Rebounding: If WVU dominates the glass, this game should be a blowout but that is easier said than done. For a smaller team, the Dukes rebound fairly well, averaging 35.1 boards per game. That is more than WVU's 31 board average. This discrepancy is likely due to the fact that WVU has actually played teams with a pulse so far this year. The one quality opponent The Dukes have played, Pitt, out rebounded Duquesne by 10.
Defense: Huggins loves to play tough defense but so far this season, teams have been shooting an abnormally high 45% against us. We have been able to overcome that stat, by forcing almost 18 turnovers a game. WVU needs to do a better job of closing out on shooters, while continuing to force turnovers to control this game.
Offense: The Dukes are holding opponents to an extremely low 37% from the field. They also force 17 turnovers a game. While it would appear that Duquesne could be tough on defense, I have no worries. WVU's assist to turnover ratio is at 1.5 right now, and we are shooting 47% from the field. Expect those numbers to go up after this game.
Depth: No comparison, especially with The Dukes loss of Melquan Bolding. Duquesne's starters average over 32 minutes a game. Our pressure defense and the constant motion on offense, will equal tired legs and bad decisions. Huggs will run 10 - 11 guys in and out all night. I almost feel bad for them.
Prediction: WVU 83 - Duquesne 63
Remainder of the season: I hope to do a little breakdown before every game. However, we all know I can be extremely lazy 99% of the time. If you like it, let me know. If you hate it, let me know, so I don't waste my time.

TSM Coaching Approval Meter (Post-Rutgers, 2009)

Dr. Charley West — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:45:21 -0000

Big end to the season, as a possible 7-5 disaster was replaced with a 9-3 gift for the holiday season.

Over the past few weeks, we have hashed out this team and coaching staff ad naseum with no real definitive conclusion, so I won't try to give talking points here. I will say, however, that the bandwagon seems to be getting more full. Why? Well, just beating Pitt on a last second FG lifted HCBS's approval rating 33 points, which is easily the biggest one-game jump in meter history. And it should rise again -- but how much?

Remember, after you vote, please explain your reason(s) for that vote in the comments.

Poll

Do you approve of the job currently being done by Coach Bill Stewart and staff?

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

To Rodriguez Or Not: A Seemingly Difficult Question With An Easy Answer

Dr. Charley West — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:35:26 -0000

CFN's Matthew Zemek attempted to lay a great quandary at the feet of all Mountaineer fans earlier today in his Monday Morning QB article (note, I said attempted). Here is his question to us:

Listen up, Old Gold and Blue backers: Would you rather be winning 11 games with Rich Rodriguez, or maintaining your dignity and winning nine games with Bill Stewart? Integrity and humanity are supposed to matter more than results, at least within certain parameters. Keep that in mind as you continue along the path with Mr. Stewart.

Now, don't get me wrong, I had to think about this for a little bit. But the answer was actually pretty easy...

It's 11 games with Rich Rodriguez, hands-down. Here's why.

Rich Rodriguez wasn't "The Product" or "Fraudriguez" until he left for Michigan. He was Rich Rodriguez, head coach of West Virginia University. Our school. Our coach. Sure, he had flirted with plenty of other schools, but we still loved in 2007, almost regardless of what he did the winter before with Alabama. He was still our coach. What came to light after the Michigan move didn't change how we felt about him until after he had left. As far as we knew, he wasn't cheating or breaking any major rules. He was just getting results. That's fine by me.
The difference between winning 11 games and 9 games is pretty significant. With 9 games, you're sneaking into a New Year's Day bowl game every few years, but mostly, you're confined to the third tier of bowl games. You're certainly not going to be playing in many (if any) BCS games. With 11 games, you're a perennial BCS player and a national championship contender. You're a player on the national scene. When you win 9 games, even though its still a decent accomplishment, you're just not on everyone's radar.
I don't think integrity and humanity really matter more than results. Sure, you have to have some of the aforementioned traits, but you also have to win. Bill Stewart is winning so far, but in Zemek's example, winning 9 games and being a great guy will always trump 11 games and being an asshole. I don't agree. It's not like Rodriguez was out killing hobos and street walkers on the weekends. He may not have been the greatest guy in the world, but when he's your coach, you don't quite see that big picture. You see him, on the sidelines, winning games for your university. I have used this example before, but to us at WVU, we see Lane Kiffin as "Lane Kiffin, douchebag." At Tennessee, they seem him as, "Lane Kiffin, head coach of the Volunteers." There's a big difference in perception when the jerk is on your sideline.

Now, before anyone takes this in another direction, let me clarify: I don't want Rich Rodriguez back at WVU under any circumstances. Once he left for Michigan, the metaphorical ship sailed on my perceptions of Rodriguez. He is forever "The Product" and "Fraudriguez" to me. But while he was still here, the situation was different. He was our coach.

So what is your answer to Zemek's question. Am I right, or just a heartless dick who doesn't care about the importance of "humanity and integrity?"

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...

What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Report for Tuesday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

WVU's Williams named Big East defensive player of the week - PPG

Gator Bowl, Bowden's finale, sells out in 2 hours - Tampa Tribune

WVU Varsity Sports Report - BlueGoldNews.com

NCAA College Football Power Rankings Week 14 - ESPN

News of Note (FB):

WVU's Mullen[ed.], Brown have a special bond - Charleston Daily Mail

Big East Football notebook: Stock up, stock down, power rankings - Star Ledger

No sure thing - Times West Virginian

Excited to face Bowden - Register-Herald

News of Note (BB):

NCAA College Basketball Polls - ESPN
We've moved up a bit.

Men's Basketball: Four Games Sold Out - MSNsportsNET.Com

Carey wants more from WVU, even after win - Times West Virginian

SBJ: NCAA, TV talk about expanding hoops tourney - Sporting News

What's On Tap:

Women's Basketball: WVU Takes on E. Kentucky - MSNsportsNET.Com
Tonight, 7 p.m. at the Coliseum.

Around the League (and Beyond):

Cincinnati's Brian Kelly to meet with Notre Dame - SI.com (AP)

Cincinnati Bearcats running back: We understand Brian Kelly's position - Cincinnati Enquirer

Florida football players value relationship with Louisville coaching candidate Charlie Strong - Courier-Journal

Rutgers wide receiver Tim Brown is iffy for St. Petersburg Bowl because of ankle injury - Star Ledger

Pitt Basketball: Guard Dixon's return should boost offense - PPG

Report: USF says it has no record of NCAA investigation - ESPN

BAMA 32:13 Tebow Cried t-shirts - Red Label Sports
You have to check out the first T-Shirt on this page!!

Random Link of Awesomeness:

Shorter And Sweeter: The Greatest Christmas Decoration Ever!

Video of Interest:

Thanks, once again, to WVIllustrated.

Video of (Dis)Interest:

Michael Bay directed a Vicky's commercial. Surprisingly, there are no robots ~~or explosions~~ and only one explosion[ed.] and sadly, no Megan Fox.

Soccer Gallery of the Week:

The World Cup draw was held a few days ago. Here is the Group breakdown in hotness form.

via www.djmick.co.uk

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is the sexy actress who plays the maid, Catalina, on the tv show My Name Is Earl. Here's Chicago native, Nadine Velazquez.

via gallery.celebritypro.com

Lamar St. Pale Ale image via www.bruguru.com

Week Fourteen BlogPoll Ballot Draft

T Kyle King — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:52:12 -0000

The time has come to cast my final regular-season BlogPoll ballot---or, at least, I think it has; I’m assuming we’re not submitting new top 25s after next weekend’s Army-Navy game---and here is what I came up with after starting with a blank piece of paper:

Rank	Team	Delta

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

Dropped Out: Houston (#18), Central Michigan (#25).

The Alabama Crimson Tide (13-0) are No. 1. Duh! Of the dozen Division I-A opponents beaten by Nick Saban’s squad, nine finished with winning records, including the sixth-ranked Florida Gators, the twelfth-ranked LSU Tigers, and the 16th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies. The Tide’s only close calls came in rivalry games against teams who will be playing on New Year’s Eve or later.

In spite of their close call against the Pittsburgh Panthers in a game played in the snow featuring two botched extra point attempts, the Cincinnati Bearcats (12-0) captured the No. 2 spot on my ballot by virtue of seven regular-season wins over teams that finished above .500, among them the 11th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers, the 14th-ranked Oregon St. Beavers, and 19th-ranked Pitt. Also, Cincy gets credit for having a logo reminiscent of Chick-fil-A's.

While I understand and respect C&F’s argument, I awarded the No. 3 ranking to the Texas Longhorns (13-0) because Mack Brown’s outfit went undefeated against a slate that included no Division I-AA schedule fodder and only four teams that posted losing ledgers. Wins over the No. 21 Oklahoma St. Cowboys and the No. 23 Nebraska Cornhuskers provided heft to the Big 12 standard-bearer’s resume.

I ranked the Boise St. Broncos (13-0) ahead of the TCU Horned Frogs (12-0) for a variety of reasons. Both took advantage of a Division I-AA victim and each faced five Division I-A teams with winning records, but Boise State has an additional win and Texas Christian has two close shaves (at Air Force and at Clemson) as opposed to the Broncos’ one (at Tulsa). Boise State’s second- and third-best wins (over Nevada and Fresno State) are comparable to the Frogs’ (over Utah and Clemson), but the Broncos’ marquee victory over the seven-ranked Oregon Ducks far outshines TCU’s best pelt, that of the 22nd-ranked BYU Cougars.

The Sunshine State Saurians (12-1) slipped to sixth after their less than competitive neutral site outing against ‘Bama, as befits the nation’s lone once-beaten team, and Oregon (10-2) led the parade of two-loss teams because the Ducks fell to two quality teams on the road and made up for those setbacks with wins over three teams ranked in my top 20 (Arizona, Oregon State, and Cal).

The Ohio St. Buckeyes (10-2) earned a No. 8 ranking on the strength of wins over the tenth-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, the 24th-ranked Penn St. Nittany Lions, and the 25th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (11-2) rode their ~~fourth-place finish in the SEC East~~ ACC championship to the No. 9 ranking, although the Ramblin’ Wreck’s loss to the Georgia Bulldogs at home serves as a drag on a resume that includes five close calls in the Golden Tornado’s ten Division I-A wins. Only two of the Engineers’ victims finished with fewer than five losses, but one of those triumphs came over No. 16 VPI.

Iowa (10-2) carded quality victories over a trio of top 25 teams (Arizona, Penn State, and Wisconsin, all by double-digit margins) to overcome respectable losses to Ohio State and Northwestern, both of whom will be playing on New Year’s Day. (For whatever it might be worth, I would point out that the five BCS bowls pit No. 9 v. No. 10, No. 7 v. No. 8, No. 4 v. No. 5, No. 2 v. No. 6, and No. 1 v. No. 3 on my ballot. This ought to be a pretty good bowl season.)

West Virginia narrowly edged out Louisiana State in my estimation. Both teams boasted similar resumes: both finished 9-3; both won three games by a touchdown or less; both lost one game by a touchdown or less. However, as ashamed as I am to admit it, the Mountain Men’s win over Pitt counts for more this season than the Bayou Bengals’ win over Georgia. I know, it hurts me to admit that, too; visions of Tony Dorsett and Dan Marino will haunt my dreams tonight.

A glut of 8-4 clubs out of the Pac-10 proved difficult to untangle, but I declared the Arizona Wildcats first among equals by awarding Mike Stoops’s troops the No. 13 ranking. Three of Arizona’s four losses came on the road, two of them were nailbiters, and only one of them was the handiwork of a team with fewer than eight wins. The Wildcats carded victories over No. 14 Oregon State, the 15th-ranked USC Trojans, and the 17th-ranked Stanford Cardinal, with Central Michigan thrown in for good measure.

The Beavers landed right behind Arizona, partly because of wins over Cal and Stanford but mostly because of a quartet of quality losses. Oregon State’s four setbacks all came against opponents sporting eight or more wins, and, of the four, only the one against the No. 2 team in the country wasn’t a close call.

I will grant that it appears somewhat strange that I placed Stanford at No. 17, two spots behind Southern California (a club the Cardinal beat handily in Los Angeles) and three spots ahead of the California Golden Bears (a squad that defeated Jim Harbaugh’s outfit at the Farm), but Stanford had no legitimate third-best victory after the Cardinal’s wins over Oregon and USC to overcome the trio of triumphs notched by the Men of Troy over Ohio State, Oregon State, and Cal. Likewise, the Bears of Berkeley had trouble overcoming the fact that all four of their losses came by margins of 17 points or more. Oddly enough, Southern California, Stanford, and California each lost to a 5-7 team on the road, but the Trojans’ loss to the Washington Huskies and the Cardinal’s loss to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at least had the virtue of being close.

Sandwiched amid those West Coast outfits were No. 16 Virginia Tech (9-3), which beat top 25 teams Miami and Nebraska while sustaining three respectable defeats (including two to top ten squads); the 18th-ranked Miami Hurricanes (9-3), who are able to boast of a marquee win over Georgia Tech; and 19th-ranked Pittsburgh (9-3), which sneaked ahead of California by virtue of a more forgivable set of losses. The Panthers’ three setbacks all came by close margins, with two of those coming in down-to-the-wire clashes with top eleven opponents Cincinnati and West Virginia. Pitt’s loss to N.C. State was comparable to Cal’s loss to Washington---both came on the road against 5-7 squads---but the Wolfpack won by seven and the Huskies won by 32.

The inclusion of Oklahoma State (9-3) attested to the fact that next year’s BlogPoll should rank only 20 teams instead of 25---which the Associated Press poll did prior to 1989, by the way---but somebody had to be No. 21, so the Pokes were as qualified as anyone. Why was Les Miles’s old team ranked nine spots behind Les Miles’s current team when both have identical records and both count a win over the ‘Dawgs among their most impressive conquests? Simple: LSU lost to three teams with a combined 33-5 record by a combined 62-41 margin, while OSU lost to three teams with a combined 30-8 record by a combined 113-49 margin.

BYU (10-2) had absolutely no business being ranked after getting positively smoked by TCU and the hapless Florida St. Seminoles, but Brigham Young beat the Oklahoma Sooners and the Utah Utes, which counts for something. Nebraska (9-4) did little to impress me in the win column---the ‘Huskers beat only two teams with winning records---but, since all of the Big Red Machine’s losses were to teams that finished .500 or better and three of those were by razor-thin margins, I gave Bo Pelini’s team the benefit of the doubt.

The fact that Penn State (10-2) and Wisconsin (9-3) made the grade proves that I was scraping the bottom of the barrel; both the Nittany Lions and the Badgers lost convincingly to the Big Ten’s two top ten teams and neither beat more than two Division I-A teams that finished above .500, but the dearth of quality squads at the bottom of my ballot allowed a PSU team whose best win was against Temple and a Wiscy unit whose best win was against Fresno State to sneak undeservedly into the top 25.

Consideration was also given to the Boston College Eagles and the Mississippi Rebels. I’d like to tell you that I took a look at the Central Michigan Chippewas, East Carolina Pirates, Houston Cougars, Missouri Tigers, Navy Midshipmen, North Carolina Tar Heels, Northwestern Wildcats, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, and Texas Tech Red Raiders, but, if I said so, I’d be lying.

I watched the Oregon-Oregon State game on Thursday, the Central Michigan-Ohio (Ohio) game on Friday, and a Saturday slate consisting primarily of the Cincinnati-Pittsburgh, Alabama-Florida, and Clemson-Georgia Tech games, with bits of the Nebraska-Texas and Hawaii-Wisconsin tilts sprinkled in for variety.

As always, I actively solicit your input with respect to what is, after all, a draft ballot. Feel free to register your disagreement or lobby for or against particular teams in the comments below.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Rutgers Headed to St. Petersburg

ibleedscarlet — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:26:46 -0000

Rutgers is headed to it's 5th straight bowl....

Rutgers is headed to it's 5th consecutive bowl game, but for the Knights, that's about all the good news there is. Despite the rumors that the Meineke Car Care Bowl was extremely interested in Rutgers, the Charlotte-based bowl passed on Rutgers in favor and Pitt, and the Scarlet Knights have been relegated to the St. Petersburg Bowl at Tropicana Field. The Scarlet Knights will look to win their 4th consecutive bowl game by defeating the University of Central Florida, a member of Conference USA.

Rutgers fans aren't the only people who are disappointed in the bowl bid. In a rare occurence, Schiano could not hide his disappointment. The bowl game, which will be played on Saturday, December 19th will provide relatively no additional practice time for the team (the biggest benefit of making a bowl game), compared with games like the International Bowl and PapaJohns.com bowl which will be played on January 2nd. The game will also be played right around the time of final exams for Rutgers, which makes for an overall unique and difficult situation:

"It is, quite frankly, very disappointing," Schiano told reporters on Sunday evening. "I cherish that time with the underclassmen to really bring them along. This date doesn't work very well for that."

Obviously it is disappointing for Rutgers, but they have no one to blame but themselves. We can complain all we want about how the Big East bowl tie-ins suck, and how Rutgers gets screwed every year, but the fact of the matter remains: if this team had beat West Virginia they would be playing in Charlotte. Rutgers isn't owed anything after an 8-4 season in which their best wins were against 7-5 USF and UConn. Rutgers, especially the seniors should enjoy their trip to Florida and reflect on their 4/5 years of success. The freshmen and younger players on the other hand should treat this game as business. A chance to get themselves off to a good start for next season, and to show everyone that this Rutgers team will be a team to contend with for 2010.