FB: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference

[70_dc_alum]

bengals have cashed it in.  they are horrid.  how many first time starters will they make look all-pro.  deon sanders said it best, "Marshall this guy is not that good, Trent and Alex was never playing the Bengals!!"  Bryant Gumbel sucks as an announcer.

[Adam Sayer]

Do you ever notice how whenever a team plays the Bengals, talk about the other teams offensive players goes something along the lines of: "where was this all season" "This is what they have been waiting to see from this guy" "This is what he's capable of" "He's worth taking a look at next year" etc, etc, etc. Yet, I find it absolutely hilarious, that these 'All Pro' players go back to being Average Joes the following weeks. Has no one figured out that these guys arnt good. It's just that they are playing the worst defense in NFL history. Seriously, San Francisco, according to NFL stats, had the worst offense in the NFL. They looked like the 49ers from the late 80's and early 90's.

How about Deon ripping on Marvin Lewis stating that if his wife went to the hair stylist, and the hair stylist's hair was all crazy and jacked up, he would send her sopmewhere else. He said in their interview with Marvin, he refused to take ownership of the defense. They couldn't understand that because he made his name as a Defensive Coordinator. I think 2 things will happen this year. He will leave or Mike Brown will give him more "ownership" of the team (who he drafts, regulations, etc.). Considering the way Mike Brown has been over the years, I think the Bengals will have a new coach.

[Adam Sayer]

Kehres went for it on 4th down from his own 20-30 a couple times too including the goal line. You're right that 'normally' 99/100 they get it, but wern't they 1-4 or something on 4th down last night? If I had a team like that, I probably would have went for it too, but there is a conservative side to me that says you play to win, not gamble to win. Kick the field goals, get your points. There is a time and a place for gambles, but 4th down at the 25 or so on your first drive is not the time in my opinion. If you kick and put Whitewater down after 1 drive, that sets the mentality and tempo for the rest of the game. They have to play catch up from drive number 1.

[70_dc_alum]

2 times they were on the 30 going in i think a 4 and 10 and the other was 2 yds.  that is a 47 yd FG when it is 32 degrees and pouring rain.  a punt is likely just going to buy you 10 yds after the touchback.  that is 4 down territory in my opinion.  the other 2 were on the goaline with the 2nd being the one the scored where the announcers were ripping him for going then after they scored it was the typical announcers line of that is why i am in the booth and LK has 9 rings.

the one they made was the only one that i questioned going for becuase the scenario of keeping it a 2 scor game if the got stopped.  of course that is the only one they make which is why i was sitting on the couch drinking a beer and not coaching!!

[Adam Sayer]

I know most of you have probably seen or at least heard that Andy Pettitte admitted to using HGH. Now he states that he took it twice to help him heal from an injury before it was banned by MLB. I don't have a problem with this as HGH was not illegal when he took it so he did nothing wrong. What I get out of this is there may be more truth to the Mitchell Report than some speculate. Analyst after analyst states that this report wouldn't hold up in a court of law and to count your chickens before they hatch based solely on this report is foolish, yet, Andy Pettitte comes out and admits what was in the report. This makes me think that maybe Roger Clemens isn't clean. As a nation, we strung up Barry Bonds for the same type of thing. There has never been proof that he took steroids or HGH...just speculation and 50+ pounds since his playing days in the early-mid 1990's.

[70_dc_alum]

OSU better learn to defened the spread with Richie going to that team up north.  give him a year or 2 to find a couple athletes to play QB and look out.

[victorybell_57]

i still can't believe he left WVU for the big house. I guess the program prestige of michigan was greater than WVU. can't blame him though. will he still run the spread, or use more of a pro system like he did at Tulane? if he is under center a lot, he may reincarnate the Bo power running/option attack of yesteryear.

every guy who lifts weights now is a juice head. over a 20 year career, it's fairly easy to put on 25 lbs and get a lot stronger. your head isn't supposed to grow though. i'm also not sure how many baseball players lift like LB's who have to take on maniac fullbacks.

saintsfan, i'll pray for you, although i have no idea what it is for.

[M and L]

sorry that i've been away for so long.  But who called the upset in Salem.

When does Rich offically take over for Carr in Michigain?

[Adam Sayer]

As an OSU guy, I'm not worried even though OSU has struggled in recent years with teams who have QB's who have the run/pass option and teams who spread you out. Here's what I got from the reporting yesterday on ESPN. Reporters everywhere loved the hire and instantly began saying "Michigan will....(insert whatever you want)." Rich Rodriguez doesn't have the players at Michigan to run "his" style of football. He'll need to adapt to the athletes he has until he gets his recruits in the door for 2-3 years. By that time, if Michigan is 0-2/0-3 against OSU and continues to struggle in Bowl games, will he get that final year to see his 1st recruiting class play as Seniors? I think for him to be considered a "Michigan" man and be accepted by the Maize and Blue, he needs to have success in his first year (that means beating OSU and going to a decent Bowl and winning). With the number of returning players OSU has next year, that may not happen. Plus Michigan will be young. They lose Hart, Manningham, Henne, and All-World Tackle, Jake Long on offense among others.

For the sake of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry, Michigan needs to re-establish themselves as a national power. Rich Rodriguez may not get that chance if he struggles in his first year. With the way things are set up in Ann Arbor right now, that is almost a certainty.

[victorybell_57]

robert smith made a great point: the nebraska problem. recruit all of your offense guys to fit that mold, then how long does it take and what happens to your defense?

let's face it, everybody used to fear michigan because of their imposing running game, their great passing attack, and a tough defense. offensively, they attacked you from all angles.

i have not been all that impressed with WVU's offense. The whole offense is lateral, and to get that qb who can run, gets you the qb who can't throw when you need to take advantage of your spread system. the qb at APPy St throws downfield better than WVU's guy. add that in with the fact that every year, a team shows up knowing how to play that system and they lose. i like rich, but i think it was a bad hire if you hired the offensive system. systems come and go, but michigan played football since Bo was the head coach.

if it were me hiring, i probably would have went with a USC OC, Boise St head man, Brady Hoke or current Michigan OC Mike DeBord, Frank Solich, Bill McCartney (michigan man), Gerry Dinardo, or somebody along those lines.

somebody asked me why not Glenn mason??? well, he has never got over the hump. it doesn't matter what school he was at, he always had some reason why they needed another year to get the conf crown. it'll always be the next season with guys like that.

[70_dc_alum]

Rodriguez will play the style that fits his player.  he has been known as a power I guy, a Pro guy, and the spread guy.  he only went to focusing on the spread with these last 2 QB's at WVU who could run really fast.  i heard him say this but also saw Shawn King on First Take talking about this becuase as they put it he could not run but the ran the crap out of the Pro style at Tulane and went 12-0.

Sayer - on the numbers OSU are returning so far somethign like 12 folks have petitioned the NFL for a draft position.  most at Tressels reccomendation cause he knows it may not be high so they comeback.  i think there are going to be 4 Jr's on the D go early (Animal, Big Vern, the Corner and Freeman).  the only one on the offense that might is Barton and possible Robinski but he started to drop off at the end of the year and dont remeber him catching anything other than a vertical route

[formerd3db]

vbell:

Good and interesting comments all of you guys.  Just thought I'd add a few comments to yours in regards to some of the discussion you've all been having (like we have had also on this topic over on the MIAA board).  You mentioned your own thoughts about who you might have considered if you were in control of hiring and here are my "first thought" reactions just for the fun of it! ; Hoke - good coach, however, I don't think Michigan would go to taking a MAC coach right now i.e. they wanted some "name" coach from a higher profile program; Solich - too much "baggage" from his other programs, which Michigan might consider renegade (my opinion only); Bill McCartney - I always liked him, but he is not interested in getting back into college coaching, read his books Sold Out and Sold Out II, both very good; Gerry DiNardo, similar to your assessment of Mason, DiNardo has not quite gotten over the hump; Mason, I doubt they would have taken this OSU guy (he's always wanted that job as you and Sayer know I'm sure) and especially after his "gaffe" in accepting the Georgia job then changing his mind the in less than 24 hours the next day, that was not a stellar moment! although can't blame anyone for such a touch decision to make and true change of heart in such situations like that, I guess; Mike DeBord, he couldn't do it at Central Michigan, probably a better associate head coach like he has been at Michigan and Northwestern rather than head man at a big school, although anyone deserves a second chance.

I'm sure we could all discuss others, however, we could go on ad naseum about this.  BTW, looks like Brian Kelly might just now stay somewhere for awhile as Cincy just gave him a new revised remaining 4 year deal (i.e. revised from his contract of last year).  On the other hand, with coaches jumping around for the big $ like we've seen, maybe not.  Rodriguez left his alma mater - perhaps he felt he had done all he could at WVa.  Also, I wonder now if Michigan's back-up frosh QB Mallet will transfer since Rodriguez is high on getting that top recruit QB eastern WVa or PA (can't remember right off hand which state he is from) - according to today's papers, that kid (who was probably going to go to WVa if Rodriguez stayed) has now added Michigan to his list among five big schools recruiting him.  It will be interesting to see what happens with all this.

[Knightstalker]

I was reading today that some WVU boosters said that WVU backed out of promises to Rodriquez that they would be upgrading facilities, giving his staff pay raises and such when he signed his extension.  Supposedly UCLA is speaking to Norm Chow, I don't know why Michigan did not speak to Chow, I think he would have brought a good offense to UM and been a good recruiter.  Oh well it is the Big Ten and I really don't like OSU or UM that much.

[dc_has_been]

former3db the qb I think you were talking about is Terrelle Pryor from PA.
Rodriguez will do a great job at Michigan & I like his offense a lot more than I liked Carr's.  Michigan needed to change their offense around & to leave their defense alone.  Also w/ Sam McGuffie coming in at RB & 6 offensive & 7 defensive starters returning Michigan will have a strong season next year.  I'm not saying they'll be a powerhouse, but they will be able to compete for the Big Ten championship.

[sac]

I was reading today that some WVU boosters said that WVU backed out of promises to Rodriquez that they would be upgrading facilities, giving his staff pay raises and such when he signed his extension.  Supposedly UCLA is speaking to Norm Chow, I don't know why Michigan did not speak to Chow, I think he would have brought a good offense to UM and been a good recruiter.  Oh well it is the Big Ten and I really don't like OSU or UM that much.

Chow is 61, Michigan was looking for someone who'd be there 10 years at least.  That doesn't mean he wasn't on Bill Martin's list (if it even existed) but I doubt he was ever a candidate.