SB Nation User Blog: The VD Special

Recruiting Update: 4 stars.

The VD Special — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:22:48 -0000

Note: All information from BeaverBlitz.com

Hey Guys. This will be the first recruiting update of the year, but definitely not the last. So far, we have 10 verbals, and they are all over the field. The position breakdown is like this, 1- QB, RB, TE, OL, DB, K; 2- DL, LB

The guys we have committed so far show a lot of promise, especially in areas needed. We have a 4-star Defensive Tackle commit, as well as a 4-star QB. Learn more about each commit after the jump.

First, the 4 star guys.

Sean Mannion

Quarterback 6'5", 205. Foothill HS, Pleasanton, CA

A guy with good size, he was recently bumped from a 3-star to a 4-star after being named to the Rivals Top 250 players list. He is a pro-style QB, with what sounds like good arm strength and accuracy. We are pretty deep at the position right now (Cody Vaz, Ryan Katz, and Peter Lalich), so its doubtful that he will come in and make an impact anytime soon, but there is no reason to think that Mannion won't make some fuss down the road. There is no football video that I could find, but apparently him and his buddies enjoy making videos mocking whatever. Here is a video of Mannion making fun of his dad, who is also their head coach.

VD's Take: I know we are deep, but I never think you can have too many Quarterbacks. Some pan out in the end (Moore, Canfield), sometimes they don't live up to your expectations (Ryan Gunderson, anyone?). I am super excited about his verbal, because I do think he'll be a gamer somewhere down the road. Let's hope that this recent bump in his ratings doesn't sound off alarms to other coaches, and he decides he can make an impact elsewhere quicker (i.e. Arizona State)

Happy Iona

Defensive Tackle 6'3", 285. Bethel High School, Spanaway, WA

Happy doesn't look happy at all, and that's the way we like our defense. He is quick off the ball, and is able to penetrate the offensive line with ease. Good tackler, and decent speed for a defensive tackle, this guy looks like he can make an impact right away. Here is a video of (un)Happy

VD's Take: We are definitely going to need a solid defensive tackle to step up, especially if Paea enters the draft this year (I don't know if there has been any indication to either him staying or leaving, so I guess that's a plus). Happy looks like our stereotypical defensive lineman: quick and mean. I've heard rumors of him being a possible academic issue, so let's hope he doesn't become the next Simi Kuli.

We've got five 3-star guys to look at this next week, so keep your eyes open.

Oregon State Leads First Team All Pac10 Selections

The VD Special — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:28:45 -0000

The coaches have spoken: Oregon State has the most First Team All Pac10 Selections of any team in the conference. Offensive player of the year was Toby Gerhart, Defensive Player of the Year was Brian Price, and Coach of the Year was Chip Kelly. No surprises there. What was very surprising was not only did we have seven first team all selections, Oregon, which won the conference championship outright, only had one, Ed Dickson. LaMichael James of Oregon and Vontaze Burfict of Arizona State were chosen as offensive and defensive players of the year.

So congratulations to Sean Canfield (QB), Jacquizz Rodgers (RB), James Rodgers (WR), Gregg Peat (OL), Stephen Paea (DL), Keaton Kristick (LB), and Suaesi Tuimaunei (Special Teams).

Schlabach ranks Las Vegas Bowl as 7th Best

The VD Special — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:41:39 -0000

In his annual ranking of the 33 bowl games, Mark Schlabach of ESPN has ranked the Las Vegas Bowl between Oregon State and BYU as his 7th best. It is only behind the Capital One Bowl (Penn State-LSU) and Gator Bowl (West Virginia- Florida State), as well as four of the BCS bowls. It still remains ahead of the Orange Bowl, which is #8.

Interesting to note that both BYU and Oregon State are getting some recognition for what they have accomplished this year. Had the Civil War not mattered, I think this game would probably be less than 10th. Here's what Schlabach had to say:

7. MAACO Las Vegas Bowl
No. 18 Oregon State vs. No. 14 BYU
8 p.m. ET, Dec. 22

Oddly enough, Las Vegas has become BYU's second home. The Cougars will be playing in the Las Vegas Bowl for the fifth consecutive season, and they've gone 2-2 against Pac-10 teams in the bowl. It's the first time they'll play the Beavers, who were one victory away from playing in the Rose Bowl. It's the first meeting of ranked teams in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Poll

Do you think the Las Vegas Bowl is the 7th best bowl out there?

Hate Week (and a half) Civil War Open Thread

The VD Special — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:56:31 -0000

Alright guys. Both teams won. This sets up 12 days until an epic Civil War. Congratulations to Oregon for pulling it out in the end, getting that demon off their backs. But we Beaver fans have a demon of our own, and his name is Sixtyfivethirtyeight. So this next week and a half there is a lot to talk about, so I figured this will be our Civil War Hate Week (and a half) Open Thread. The only thing I ask is that you rec this post so that is stays at the top of the fanposts. GO BEAVS!

I know I'm going to catch hell for this...

The VD Special — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:56:30 -0000

But it's true, most every Beaver fan will be rooting for the Ducks this weekend, myself included. Sure, there are other chances for Arizona to lose, but there is no counting on ASU, and who knows what USC is going to do. So, I figure the best thing to do is root for Oregon to whoop the crap out of Arizona.

But most importantly, (assuming Oregon and Oregon St take care of business of course), how awesome is it to have the Civil War determine who wins the Pac10, two years in a row no less! Although there would be no love lost if neither team was relevant, I have to admit that having the Pac10 be a nationally relevant rivalry game makes for a lot more fun. This game is likely to feature two of the best QBs in the conference, two of the best running backs, and two of the best defenses. I don't know about you, but I'm excited. (I really, REALLY hope that we don't lose to WSU. That would be bad in epic proportions).

So, without further ado, the moment you've all been waiting for, from one Beaver to you

GO DUCKS! And also, GO BEAVS!

Good luck this weekend, and see you December 3rd

Beavers Golf Ranked Top 10!

The VD Special — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:16:23 -0000

So I saw an article in The Barometer about the "#2 Ranked Men's Golf Team" and I thought, hm, if I didn't know they were ranked that high as I'm going to school here, I bet that a lot of OSU fans have no idea.

Now the only thing I could find to support this was NCAA D1 Rankings which has us ranked #8th as of October 4th. But hey, I think it's cool for a school from the north, not generally known for its golf prowess, to be ranked so high. If you look at the rest of the top 25, only Illinois (#4) and Michigan (#16) are from the north. And those schools have higher enrollment, bigger athletic budgets, and are generally regarded as better institutions for public learning (although I disagree mightily, that's an argument for another time), which are key components when recruiting in the smaller sports. Anyways, that's all for now. I'll try to learn some more about the golf team, and introduce our 2nd/8th ranked Men's Golf Team to Building the Dam! (or if anyone does follow the team and would like to take it from me, that would also be greatly appreciated!)

GO BEAVS!

Poll

Do smaller sports rankings matter to you at all?

Of Course! I'm a Beaver through and through!

10 votes

Nah. Not really. It's cool and all, but Football, Basketball and Baseball are what matter

4 votes

14 votes | Poll has closed

Blount coming back?

The VD Special — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:31:30 -0000

Just got the text from ESPN. For those who don't believe me here

Now, I know some of you don't care what I personally have to think about the Duck program. But if Kelly were to reinstate Blount after his actions, just because the backlash has calmed down, I would think even less of Kelly as a coach than I did before. This would be an absolute black mark on the Oregon program, in my honest, humble, and unbiased opinion.

Your thoughts, Duck fans?

Where do we go from here: Open Thread

The VD Special — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:09:22 -0000

The damage has been done. There will be no starting out 3-0. But 2-1 is the best start we've had in a while as well, so there is something to take away from that. This isn't my fan post saying my opinions, it's an open thread where we can discuss what the Beavers have to do from here, as well as a reflection on these last few games. While yesterday was a disappointment for sure, I don't think THE OUTCOME was unexpected. What was most disappointing for me was the manner in which we lost. We could have beaten this team. We could be in the top 20 nationally right now. But the season isn't over. 11-1 is still (technically) possible. So here we are guys, let's discuss what this team needs to do, and reflect and the season that has been so far. I especially want to hear well thought out comments from the regular.s

Ducks are the college football version of Paris Hilton…they’re famous for no reason, they look pre...

The VD Special — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:59:43 -0000

Ducks are the college football version of Paris Hilton…they’re famous for no reason, they look pretty and they got a rich daddy.

Kirk Herbstreit

Question to Cal fans. I come in peace!

The VD Special — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 19:45:32 -0000

Hello fellow Pac10ites. Or is it Pac10ians? PacToneians? I digress.

A friend and I were discussing the upcoming college football season the other day, and we ended up on a topic that we were both stumped on, and I was hoping that you Golden Bears could offer your insight:

Why doesn't Jeff Tedford receive more heat from the fans and higher ups for supposed mediocrity? And what has to happen for there to be pressure on him?

Now, before you think I am coming in here and bad mouthing Jeff Tedford, I want to clarify myself. I think Jeff Tedford is an excellent coach. The numbers support him. Taking a team that in the previous year went 1-10 to 7-5 is an outsanding job, by any measure. To take a team that went 1-10 to 10-2 in three years is incredible. He has produced NFL talent by the numbers, and to just name a few that pop into my head, include Marshawn Lynch, JJ Arrington, Aaron Rodgers, Kyle Boller, Alex Mack, Justin Forsett, DeSean Jackson, and most certainly in the future Syd'Quan Thompson and Jahvid Best.

However, given all this talent, since that 2004 season Tedford has only managed to finish in the top 3 in the Pac10 just once, in 2006, with a share of the conference title. Then its been two 4th place finishes and a 7th place finish.

For say, Oregon State, Washington State, and Arizona, this succes under Tedford would be (and should be) commended. But for UC Berkeley, a school thats renowned academically, has a spot on location, and good facilities, 8-9 wins shouldn't be the standard.

Now, I could be way out of line. I'm sure many will point to the injuries in 2007 as the demise. I'm sure some will also point to the lack of presence that Cal had in football prior to Tedford's arrival during the Holmoe years. And maybe some will say that this year, given what the team has, should be a good measuring stick. A Heisman-esque talent in Jahvid Best, an experienced, talented (yet unproven) QB in Kevin Riley, and of course Syd'God Thompson.

I would like your thoughts on Jeff Tedford, and what your expectations of Cal football is. Sure, everyone wants to be National Champions year in and year out. But as an Oregon State fan, I know that's not going to be the case. While I'm not happy with 8-9 wins a year, it certainly beats the alternative. But I feel that for a school like Cal, 10+ wins should be the norm, and I'm curious as to your take on this.

Poll

Will Jeff Tedford ever lead Cal to a BCS game?

Yes

100 votes

No

9 votes

109 votes | Poll has closed