FB: Liberty League

[labart96]

TGP attended USC for grad school during 02-04 and can attest it was by riding Chow's coat-tails (and play book) that got Kiffin the UT job.  With Kiff as OC, USC lost a bunch of Pac-10 games against weaker teams that ultimately killed their NC hopes (and left us SC fans watching lame Rose Bowl games against out-matched Big 10 squads instead of being in a bowl against a SEC team, but oh well) - mostly due to bad play calling by, guess who, LK. 

Lost a bunch of Pac-10 Games?

2002:  12-2  and lost to Kansas State and Washington State.  OC = Norm Chow
2003:  12-1  and lost to Cal.  OC = Norm Chow
2004:  13-0  National Champs  OC = Norm Chow
2005:  12-1  and lost to Texas in BCS Championship Game.  OC = Kiffin/Sarkisian
2006:  11-2  and lost to Oregeon St. and UCLA.  OC = Kiffin/Sarkisian

Looks like Norm Chow lost as many games as Kiffin/Sarkisian.  Now I am not defending Kiffin because I think he has made himself look like a JackA55 since coming to UT, but I don't see three losses as a "Bunch of Games" and I am a MUC fan (LOL).

I actually thought Al Davis was the villin when he fired Kiffin, but am now thinking that Davis was right.  I can't wait for the SEC to put the beat down on UT this year.

TGP overexaggerated a bit re losses but you kind of make my point re Kiffin.

Chow wouldn't have made the Lendale 4th and 1 call that basically cost SC the NC in the Rose Bowl. 

The OSU and UCLA losses in 06 by SC were huge chokes during a year when they were good enough to win the NC (even with a not-so-great QB in Booty time), but to PBR's point, TGP supposes the pay-roll must have been lighter in those year's.

[pumkinattack]

I think we can all agree (unfortunately) that Kiffin is a douchebag.  The question is will he get some professional maturity before he gets the school put on double secret (NCAA) probation and/or fired?  Will UT struggle to beat Vandy and UK during his tenure?

[SaintsFAN]

your in violation of LLPP rule# 1, 398 .....NEVER set a wedding date in the fall or allow friends or family to set wedding dates in the fall.  If they do attendance will be optional. Any violation of this rule will result in cancellation of your LLPP card.

HA... SF has a buddy who's wife is still pissy about SF's skipping their reception last year to watch ND/Michigan.  Wish more wives were cognizant of this because SF doesn't like turning his buddies' better halves into enemies..

+K to all for football season finally being here.  And to stick it to the sniper.

[labart96]

TGP knows Stims heart is in the right place, but..... 

In 08 RPI had the #1 offense in the league (and btw were ranked #17 at the time - meaning Bart was the on-the-road underdog) and Hobart's D gave up an avg of nearly 300 yds a game last year.

Hobart was not a good rushing offense either (only avg about 115 yds per game - Bart really hasn't been a good running team since Blakowski left but TGP harbors hopes the Marlier might come into his own in 09 given how he played in the play-offs against very good defenses). 

Bart makes it's living offensively on the pass, so holding Bart to 47 yards rushing on a wet upstate NY field in late Nov isn't a great feat IMO.  Not to mention our FY back-up won the game over the SR RPI all-everything QB.

Ok so TGP took the bait.  Sorry.  Will crawl back into my cave.

OK last shot by the Stim ....promise..

Robertson by his own admission (and everyone who watched!) was horrible in that game. 

Yes Hobart was not a grind it out team.  However they had 40 or so total yards of offense and negative rushing yards at the half.  They ended up with 47 yards on 28 carries.  Not sure what you would consider "great feat"  - holding them to 20 rushing yards?   

In fact that number could have been really ugly if Vella had not come into the game and added 43 yards on scrambles and designed rushes late in the game.  Remember the biggest "offensive" play by Hobart was a 32 yd blocked FG returned for a TD. Marlier was 9 carries for a net 7 yards. .  I think they still had negative yards rushing until Vella came in. in the 4th.  RPI certainly was not a rushing team either (they threw it one less time than Hobart and had two more rushes) but RPI somehow managed 150 yards rushing on a "wet upstate NY field". 

Bottom line.. Hobart won.  Robertson had his worst game, Vella provided a spark, Hobart could not run the ball at all and the Stim will not offer any further comments on what was or might have been.. again Hobart did what it had to do.

I will be interested to see how they "reload" up the middle on D losing Hager, Sanders, and Aruck.    Hager and Aruck were exceptional.  In fact the Stim thinks they may miss Aruck more than Hager.

Given the last two games RPI has played RPI winning with 12 seconds left in '07 and Hobart winning as time expired last year, they have been two of the most gut wrenching games I have watched in person.  Can't wait for the next installment.  Hope it means something for both of them.

Agree re Aruck.  It's not every day you get a 6' 3" 300+lb DT to play at the D3 level.  Even the MUC fans were kind of in awe of that kid which says a lot.

Reloading at LB won't be as tough as it may seem.  Bart has some depth there.  PA already mentioned it by team Cpt Ryan Robinson was solid during the year Sanders was out with an injury.   TGP expects #94 Arduini (played in 8 games - started 2) to take Aruck's spot with #54 Faracca coming back (started all 11 games) on the other DT position.

Agree re RPI-Bart - has turned into a great interleague rivalry (not as old as the one you have with Union, but has certainly become at least as significant in the past 8-10 seasons).

TGP is certain this year's game will be another close one with a big break/play being the difference.

[pumkinattack]

The ILB situation doesn't worry me.  I'd make the case that Sanders was better than Hager, but Hager had the tackles.  Evan Hoffman played just his senior season and excelled.  O'Laughlin will replace one spot (48tackles, 2 int, 2FF as a FR in Sanders spot when he went down with an injury).  My best guess is that Taylor Ciali or Will Schweitzer  (transferred from Mooville where he started as a FR with 44 tckls, 5 TFL) are in line for the other, but who knows with freshman as well as a lot of depth at TE and DE (reversal from last year), who could potentially move (ala Tim Obrien and Rob Gould in the past, both beasts, OB welcomed me to college football by crackbacking me practically into ODells pond).

[stimulator]

Not my LLPP card!!!

I will in the future request a comprehensive official requested attendance schedule in Jan for the upsoming year.  Any fall dates will be fully vetted and then the consequences of divorce, bodily injury, or shunning by family members will be examined against FB schedules.

Note: Pet peeve - why do these people think it is appropriate to schedule weddings on Memorial Day, 4th of July or Labor Day holiday weekends in New England? 

[pumkinattack]

I am now completely confused about the QB situation.  On top of Vella and Strang (FR) this kid just transferred in and I would assume has to be in the mix (Preston Earl):  http://www.goredbirds.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/earl_preston00.html

We had our wedding last 8/30 (Saturday of Labor Day weekend) in New England (rented a house called Eolia in Waterford, CT - Harkness Memorial St Park) because we had people travelling from all over the country for it and sent out save the dates a year in advanced.  Figured it could serve as a dual vacation and our wedding.  Some people did this, but many with kids had to shoot back because they didn't want them to miss school (which I guess is appropriate, but you could probably get away with your kid missing a day for a longer weekend holiday in the Mystic area).

[lewdogg11]

I am now completely confused about the QB situation.  On top of Vella and Strang (FR) this kid just transferred in and I would assume has to be in the mix (Preston Earl):  http://www.goredbirds.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/earl_preston00.html

We had our wedding last 8/30 (Saturday of Labor Day weekend) in New England (rented a house called Eolia in Waterford, CT - Harkness Memorial St Park) because we had people travelling from all over the country for it and sent out save the dates a year in advanced.  Figured it could serve as a dual vacation and our wedding.  Some people did this, but many with kids had to shoot back because they didn't want them to miss school (which I guess is appropriate, but you could probably get away with your kid missing a day for a longer weekend holiday in the Mystic area).

Not cool.  Whether someone tellsme a year in advance or not, those holidays are not cool.  I saw some people had scheduled weddings this past July 4th which was THE SATURDAY!!!  What are you thinking!!?!!

[pumkinattack]

In hindsight, it was probably a faux paus.  I already threw out the logic.  At the end of the day, everyone showed, our gifts (re cash) didn't suffer (that we know) so it's all good.  My wife, her mother and the wedding planner spent 18 months on it and it was a good party (we even got feature on a wedding website, though I haven't seen it yet, so it could be what not to do at a wedding for all I know).  Everyone got really drunk (thank god no one went into the sound which is a straight shot back from the bldg.), the food was good and out coctail hour feature empanadas and pisco sours (amongst a full bar and food spread).  We charterd a 54' sailboat out to Block Island for a week after that (the week before ML and Lehman blew up). 

[Regulator]

Not my LLPP card!!!

I will in the future request a comprehensive official requested attendance schedule in Jan for the upsoming year.  Any fall dates will be fully vetted and then the consequences of divorce, bodily injury, or shunning by family members will be examined against FB schedules.

Note: Pet peeve - why do these people think it is appropriate to schedule weddings on Memorial Day, 4th of July or Labor Day holiday weekends in New England?  

Stim-
Back in like 1870, it often took time to travel, thus people thought they would do family and friends a favor by giving them an extra day for "travel time"  

Fast forward 140 years, where I can get anywhere in the continental US with a 5 hr flight.

People are still under the impression that since it's their wedding, that people want to make a vacation out of it and enjoy the vacation weekend at their wedding, since there is so much to do.
BS, by the time I get there...it's friday night.  Saturday is spent all day doing stupid wedding for jerks stuff, Sunday I am recovering from my massive hangovah and the holiday monday (the vacation day all hold holy) is spent in a sweaty airport battling lines and delays.  
(Seriously, I've witnessed people talking about this and justifying it to themselves!!  Like they are doing out of town guests a favor by ruining one of the 3 actual cool holiday weekends a summer they get)


Reading PA's post- Figured it could serve as a dual vacation and our wedding.  Some people did this, but many with kids had to shoot back because they didn't want them to miss school (which I guess is appropriate, but you could probably get away with your kid missing a day for a longer weekend holiday in the Mystic area).

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!- I told you people try to justify this BS!

[pumkinattack]

Alright, we f'ed up.  I'll say this, though, on Friday night my friends and I (don't know about anyone else) got really hammered and dirty at Moehgan Sun until about 3am.  I know they all had a good time.  I think my wife and her friends scrapbooked or something.

[dlippiel]

Anybody hearing or know anything regarding the RPI QB situation? dlippiel is very curious who will attempt to run te engineers shotgun O this season.

[lewdogg11]

LLPP Fact # 1934.5 Paragraph 8 reads:  The biggest misconception in wedding history is that your guests will want to spend their Memorial Day/Labor Day/4th of July weekend on vacation where you get married. 

If you aren't married, write that down.

[Regulator]

LLPP Fact # 1934.5 Paragraph 8 reads:  The biggest misconception in wedding history is that your guests will want to spend their Memorial Day/Labor Day/4th of July weekend on vacation where you get married.  

If you aren't married, write that down.

LD11- Fully agree- "because they can <insert stupid idea no one will end up doing>" here.  IT'S SCIENCE!

PA- Minus 1k for even admitting this faux paus and then trying to tell us how great it was for everyone.

[pumkinattack]

Fair enough.  It was a money maker for us though, how about that?