Archives for September 2006

Blogpoll Week #3

September 11, 2006 by 5 Comments

Rank Team Delta
1 Ohio State —
2 Southern Cal 2
3 Auburn —
4 West Virginia 1
5 Louisiana State 1
6 Notre Dame 3
7 Florida —
8 Texas 6
9 Michigan 3
10 Iowa 2
11 Virginia Tech 7
12 Georgia 1
13 Louisville 2
14 Oklahoma 3
15 Oregon 1
16 Tennessee 3
17 Florida State 7
18 Nebraska 2
19 TCU 2
20 Miami (Florida) 2
21 Penn State 2
22 Cal 3
23 Texas Tech —
24 Rutgers 2
25 Alabama 1

Dropped Out: Clemson (#16).

A couple thoughts:

I don’t know how Va. Tech bubbled so up so high, but this is a collaborative poll and a couple of the voters think highly of them. None of us are sold on Notre Dame yet, but their victory over Penn State was still impressive.

It’s obvious that things are still a big mess for the spots 5 to 25. A lot of great football this weekend will be clearing the picture a little. Enigmas abound.

Filed Under: Blogpoll, College Football

A day to remember

September 11, 2006 by Leave a Comment

RedsRoseSeptember 11th, 1985. Pete Rose breaks Ty Cobb’s base hits record.

Back when baseball was still the national pasttime, and before he became a pariah, Rose spent a humid summer chasing the ghost of Cobb across the green fields of America.

If you grew up in Ohio, then you probably remember where you were when it happened. Some of you may even have Red Machine caps hidden in a dusty chest up in the attic.

It’s worth taking the time to revisit history.

Or, feel free to follow the sportsMonkey on a stroll down memory lane.

Filed Under: Baseball

MotSaG Roundtable (post-Texas Shellacking)

September 10, 2006 by 3 Comments

MotSaG’ers Zeke and Sylvester-Yon Rambo were both over at Casa del Kaiser for the Texas game, so as we watched the press conference and College Gameday, we discussed some of our impressions after the big Texas win.

Zeke – Lauranaitis played well, but the entire defense came together in a big way. Jay Richardson almost murdered McCoy (which resulted in bad call, judgement or not). McCoy looked lost, there was no urgency by Texas in the fourth quarter.

SYR – Lauranaitis really impressed me, forced fumble, INT, a load of tackles. Tressel pretty much out-coached Mack Brown. I was surprised how little confidence Texas showed in Colt McCoy. Knowing our defensive backs were so unexperienced, I thought they’d go after them but it took Texas a long time to just throw the ball down the field. Gonzo was huge.

el Kaiser – Before the game, we each picked a player who we thought would be the difference maker. I went with Anthony Gonzalez, and he played huge. He benefitted greatly from the attention paid to Ted Ginn Jr. He made #28 look silly all night long. Another big difference was how well OSU was getting fresh legs in the whole game. Tressel said his goal was to get 57 (out of 70) players in the game in the first half, and I think that made a difference.

Another thought I had was how this Texas team looked like a classic Mack Brown-coached team – no intensity, no fight after they were down. It really looked like they gave up after Pittman scored the last touchdown.

We all decided that even though we really, really, really hate the new time-keeping rules, we had no problems with them tonight.

This feels good, we’ll all be sleeping well tonight in Columbus (if we can ever fall asleep).

sportsMonkey
(Tooting my horn again here…) but like I figured, Texas was going to need about 30 points out of McCoy to beat the Buckeyes. I was surprised he didn’t get close, though. What shocked me most was that we were just one bad ref’s call away from a shutout! How can you have Charles and Young pile up almost 170 yards, and only come away with one TD?

OSU’s “bend but don’t break” defense did what they were supposed to do. Everyone’s high on Smith today, but to me, Laurinitis deserves the game ball. He did more than any other player to break the spirits and take the fighting spirit away from the ‘Horns. He caused a pivotal fumble, got an INT, broke up several passes, made a couple tackles for loss, and (if my memory serves) made a sack. No doubt Hawk was proud.

Finally, as opposed as I am to violence of any sort, will someone please take Matthew McConaghey away and place him in the nearest trash compactor?

Filed Under: College Football

OSU vs. Texas, Troy’s Smith coming out party

September 9, 2006 by 1 Comment

OSU FootballUpdate (post-Game): Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to your 2006 Heisman Trophy winner, Troy Smith. We here at MotSaG tip our hat to Troy, who played a flawless game. Almost all incompletions were drops, he stood in the pocket and was in complete control. Troy had made a bad throw or two, but looked amazing.

Troy Smith

Some semi-live blogging:

The first quarter just came to an end with Gonzo carrying the Buckeyes all the way down the field, capping off the drive with a catch in the Endzone.

Buckeyes 7, Texas 0

Half just came to an end, but Ohio State got completely jobbed on the roughing the passer call. Everyone watching this game knew that was a bad call, but Texas had a nice drive to punch the ball to tie the game. But Texas can not stop Troy Smith, he is absolutely shredding Texas’ secondary. The 29 yard TD to Ted Ginn Jr. with 11 seconds left in the half was a thing of beauty. Ohio State goes in at the half winning.

Buckeyes 14, Texas 7

Some half time thoughts:

I’m a little nervous that we’re having trouble stopping the run. Charles has been better than Young, but they’re both playing well. McCoy has only thrown a couple passes downfield, but he’s playing well. Our Defense has been better than I thought we’d be, but stopping the running game needs to be a priority.

Troy Smith is looking great, laser accurate and patient as heck. Gonzalez has completely owned Texas’ defensive backs and Ginn is playing well. We haven’t been running the ball well, but we haven’t had to. Here’s to a great second half.

McCoy made his first mistake, throwing over the middle right to Lauranatais, setting up the only 3rd quarter score.

Buckeyes 17, Texas 7

With two minutes left in the fourth quarter, I think it’s safe to say that Ohio State validated their top ranking. It seemed like Texas threw in the towel around the five minute mark, with Colt McCoy running an option play on third and long. That was a little disappointing to seem them so deflated, but they got absolutely worked.

Congratulations, Ohio State, the #1 team in the nation.

Ohio State 24
Texas 7
Final

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Official Tarell Brown opinion post

September 8, 2006 by Leave a Comment

FootballYes, we briefly spoke about it earlier this week… but perhaps an event as dramatic as this (drugs, weapons, cops, and tasers) deserves a few paragraphs of commentary, especially because of its potentially significant consequences.

We know that most Texas blogs are defending Brown (and Gatewood) as being guilty of “bad judgment.” I don’t agree. I’m not saying that he’s guilty of a bigger crime – that’s not my point at all. Let the legal system handle that stuff. My opinion is from a college football fan’s point of view.

His biggest (non-judicial) offense was the disdain he displayed for his teammates, and his disrespect for his coaches.

Tarell Brown is a starter on a team that is preparing for the biggest game of its season. All the players and coaches are working hard, practicing hard, preparing schemes, doing drills, etc. His coaches and teammates are depending on him for one of the team’s most important jobs – covering the best WR in college football. No doubt he worked hard to get to that point, to earn that trust, to earn that starting job.

So, just a few days before the game, he decides to violate team rules by breaking curfew to go out in the wee hours of the morning and drive around with people who were doing drugs, while holding a loaded weapon in his lap?

This isn’t “bad judgment.” What it shows was that the team’s best interests were not in his mind at all. Team rules, like curfews, didn’t matter at all to him. And now that he’s not playing on Saturday, he’s let his team down, forced other players to step up to do the job that he was supposed to do, forced his coaches to adjust game plans and schemes, distracted the entire team, and embarrassed his fans.

It’s not about whether he’s a good football player, or if he was using the dope or just selling it, or if he really was just holding a loaded weapon inches from his nads while in a deep sleep. It’s about whether he cares at all about his teammates.

The next question is this: If the starting CB on a defending national championship team feels like he can get away with being this undisciplined, does that say anything about the control Mack Brown has on his team? Just wondering.

Filed Under: College Football

Week #2 – Texas – Open Thread

September 8, 2006 by 3 Comments

OSU FootballWow, I can’t believe it’s actually here – the day before the Texas game. Buckeye fans have been looking forward to this day for quite some time, and now we’re just a day away. This game has been dissected, turned inside out, analyzed and then reanalyzed. Then the analysis has been put through a strainer, reducing this game to the essence of pure, unadulterated College Football. #1 versus #2. Two heavy-weights, slugging away at each other, one looking for revenge, the other, validation. For one, the path to the BCS Title Game becomes easier. The other stumbles but certainly doesn’t fall. For 3+ hours on Saturday Night, all eyes will be on Austin.

And we can’t wait!

So for your reading pleasure, allow us to present some of that analysis. We’ve got you previews from:

The O-Zone’s Preview
CBS SportsLine’s preview
The 614’s Texas Preview
Pfef looks at the keys to the game
Buckeye Commentary has a bunch of links more previews
A little pregame voting on ESPN (When I voted, 41.2% had picked OSU to win in a close finish and 38% voting Texas to win in a close finish. Only 4.8% had picked Texas to easily win.)

BuckeyeXtra has a recap of the defensive… shortcomings in the NIU game. It also has the best quote from Selvin Young describing Garrett Wolfe: “Those guys were getting their feet wet against a scatback who can make anyone miss in a phone booth.”

Word is that tens of thousands of Buckeye Fans will be descending on Austin this weekend. This seems to rub this Dallas columnist the wrong way. (He does redeem himself here, though)

Lots of bloggers were talking to each other this week. I find this is funny, because I thought this was war, but whatever. You’ve got the guys at Burnt Orange Nation interviewing Keith from Buckeye Commentary. Then, Keith returns the favor.

Pfef also joins the fray, interviewing one of the guys at Bevo Sports.

Are you a college football fan but you don’t have a dog in this fight? BaggyPantsDevil at the MZone looks at this dilemma and decides he’ll be rooting for Texas.

So what about the game? Currently, the Longhorns are favored by 2.5. So what’s your prediction?

Last week, we kept track of how long it was before the specter of [HE WHO SHALL NOT BE NAMED] was brought up by the commentators. It took them less than half an hour. We’re taking bets on this week. Right now, the line is at 5 minutes. Right after they mention the suspension of Brown.

Some other things we’re willing to bet on:

How many interceptions does Colt McCoy throw? (over/under at 1.5)
How many rushing yards does Troy Smith have? (over/under at 50)
How many times does Texas sack Troy? (o/u at 2.5)
How many man-hours will be lost today in Columbus and Austin as people discuss the game with friends and co-workers? (no line)
How many times do they show Kirk Herbstreit in the booth, as a favor for the lady fans (and me)? (over/under at 5)
How many times does Musberger call Ted Ginn Jr. “Teddy”? (o/u at 5.5)

MotSaG Predictions:
el Kaiser

Final score: OSU: 37 – Texas: 31
McCoy’s INTs: 1 (under)
TS rushing yards: 95 (over)
Texas sacks: 2 (under)
Man-hours: I know I’ll personally be responsible for the loss of dozens of hours in my office, especially while I chat with theMonkey.
Kirk Herbstreit shots: NOT ENOUGH
Musberger: He calls TGJ “Teddy” once and Herbstreit pushes him out of the press box.

sportsMonkey
Final score: Texas rallies in the fourth quarter to bring the score close, but the new time rules bite them in the ol’ Horns hide and they come up short. OSU: 31 – Texas: 27.
McCoy’s INTs: 1 (under). I still think he makes two turnovers, though. Either two INTs or an INT and a fumble.
TS rushing yards: 70 (over)
Texas sacks: 2 (under) One of them will be technically called a sack, but will actually be a TS rush for a loss.
Man-hours: How many hours are there in a week? Yeah, whatever that number is, plus five.
Kirk Herbstreit shots: Eleventy billion.
Musberger: 5.5. The half comes from when he catches & corrects himself. Late in the game Herbie takes the open container away from Brent as punishment.

Zeke
Final score: OSU: 27 – Texas: 23
McCoy’s INTs: 1 (under)
TS rushing yards: 42 (under)
Texas sacks: 3 (over)
Man-hours: I was stuck in the Blackwell (for those of you not from Columbus, the Blackwell is a hotel on tOSU campus) at a conference all day, so I was not able to contribute to the man hours lost yesterday.
Kirk Herbstreit shots: Definitely over 5
Musberger: I would say the o/u is exceeded after we hear welcome to Austin and before the kickoff. Can I get a “Holy Teddy”?

Predictions around the blogosphere:
I’m an ideas man: OSU: 35 Texas: 31
Burnt Orange Nation: Texas: 27 OSU: 24
Heisman Pundit: OSU: 24 Texas: 19
Blog for the Sports Gamer: OSU: 31 Texas: 17

Feel free to leave your predictions in the comments, or if you’re a blogger, send us a link or trackback to your post!

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Blogpoll Rountable #2

September 8, 2006 by Leave a Comment

A little late, but better late than never. The questions, from Ciskie:

1. What team best met your overall expectations of them in their opener?

Zeke: Not be a homer, but I think I’d think it would be the Buckeyes. I think we (MotSaG) were able to pretty much predict the how the game would unfold (except my prediction was backwards, OSU dominated the first half). Explosive offense (the score could have been a lot more lop-sided) and a defense that is still trying to shore up a few things.

2. What team jumped off the map and surprised you the most? (Bonus points to anyone who can make an argument for someone besides Tennessee.)

Zeke: In my mind anyone who attempts to make an argument against the Tennessee / Cal game is off their rocker. This was the swing game of the college football weekend. Maybe Cal is not very good, but after watching about half of that game I thought Tennessee looked much better than advertised.

3. What team best moved themselves into a position to surprisingly contend for a national title?

Sylvester-Yon Rambo: Southern California. It may not be a surprise to some, but after losing all they have to the NFL and all their off the field problems. Not many are picking them to make it back. But with a very weak Pac 10 league and even weaker non-confrence schedule (Notre Dame is way overrated) they have the easiest path now to go undefeated again.

sportsMonkey: Oklahoma. Maybe writing them off after Bomar’s troubles was premature. Their season really boils down to Texas and Texas Tech.

Filed Under: Blogging, Blogpoll

OSUTexasOSUTexasOSUTexas!!!!!

September 7, 2006 by 2 Comments

OSU FootballHoly cow, the blogosphere is buzzing with OSU/Texas overanalysis. The game really is more simple than what most people think.

Don’t believe me? Here’s OSU/Texas summed up in less than 100 words:

    This year, the OSU offense is light-years ahead of where it was last year, and playing against essentially the same Texas defense (some would argue a slightly weaker defense). Still, with all its disorganization and mistakes last year, OSU managed to put up 22 points against the best team in football. Obviously then, it’s appropriate to expect even more production and points from OSU’s offense during this year’s matchup. So the game will come down to whether or not Colt McCoy’s offense can score about 30 points against OSU.

Simple, huh? Here’s the same analysis, Haiku style:

    Why worry Texas?
    Buck’s O better than last year’s
    Texas’ D is not
Filed Under: College Football, Ohio State Football

Quick Hits

September 7, 2006 by 4 Comments

I know everyone in Buckeye Country is in Texas Game Mode, but if you’ve got a few minutes when you’re not thinking about The Longhorns, here are a few quick hits worth checking out:

Any Buckeye fan worth his salt has red-hot rage directed at ESPN’s wunderkind Mark May. Nothing makes us happier than watching him be wrong time after time. Well, the guys at markmaybewrong are positioning themselves as the Sports media watchdog. In particular, Mark May’s picks history are what we’re most interested in. The setup they’ve got is great and they’re doing really good work. Make sure you check them out.

I’ve been reading Will Collier, the Vodka Pundit, for a while and knew he was a Auburn football fan. Well, he’s launched a dedicated sports blog, From the Bleachers. I’m personally high on Auburn (I have them #2 in my personal poll) so FTB is a must read for me.

Last week, Sports Illustrated had their list of “Players who need to perform.” At number 2 was John Kerr. Unfortunately, he didn’t perform very well in the Northern Illinois (1 assist), prompting Ross Homan to pull even with him on the depth chart. Kerr’s had a tough road so far, I hope he kicks into a higher gear for Texas.

Want to know what’s it’s like to be a Cleveland sports fan? Just look at the names of a smattering of Cleveland Sports blogs:

Right. We’re not bitter.

Filed Under: Blogging, Miscellany

Belated Blogpoll #2

September 6, 2006 by 3 Comments

With the FSU/Miami game on Monday and a metric ton of Real-Life projects yesterday, I am just now getting around to submitting our Blogpoll. You can see it here, in all its glory:

Rank Team Delta
1 Ohio State —
2 Texas —
3 Auburn —
4 Southern Cal 1
5 West Virginia 1
6 Louisiana State —
7 Florida 3
8 Iowa 1
9 Notre Dame 2
10 Florida State 6
11 Georgia 2
12 Michigan 1
13 Tennessee 12
14 Oregon 6
15 Louisville 1
16 Clemson 1
17 Oklahoma 5
18 Virginia Tech 1
19 Penn State 1
20 Nebraska 3
21 TCU 1
22 Miami (Florida) 7
23 Texas Tech 3
24 Alabama 3
25 Cal 17

Dropped Out: Arizona State (#24).

We also have responses to the Blogpoll Rountable hosted by Ciskie, but I probably won’t get those posted until tonight.

Filed Under: Blogpoll, College Football
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