NCAA Football '11-'12

[MadBurgerMaker]

The pass was meant for DJ Grant but it was juuuuust a bit high.  The funniest part was the authority with which he threw it.  "Watch this bullet bitch!  Oh crap."

Oh is that who sort of flashed by on the bottom of the screen in the replay?     The pass was almost too high for the safety (or whoever that was) that picked it off and he was way back there.

"Where the fu...GODDAMMIT ASH"

[MadBurgerMaker]

RichRod to Arizona, according to "sources."

http://bruce-feldman.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/31626208/33443866

[Ed Anger]

RichRod to Arizona, according to "sources."

http://bruce-feldman.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/31626208/33443866

Sorry, Berk.

[grumbler]

Quote of the day.  As most of you probably know, part of Brady Hoke's little psywar game is to refer to Ohio State as "Ohio."  He got asked about it again in today's presser:

Why do you call them "Ohio" rather than "Ohio State"?

"Always have."

Always have?

"Yeah."

Since when?

"Always. So whenever always is."

Love this guy.  I was one of his biggest doubters when he got the job, but I can't imagine a better fit for this team.  Who needs Harbaugh?

[grumbler]

RichRod to Arizona, according to "sources."

http://bruce-feldman.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/31626208/33443866

I think that's a great move for the team and for RichRod (whom I have always respected, though he was a crappy fit at Michigan).  I think he will understand the need for defenses now, and he is playing in a conference with only a few traditionally great defensive teams.  It's not like taking over a program that had the nation's longest bowl streak and dumping it in the crapper for a long rebuilding period.

If this happens, I will wish the team and RichRod all success, except against the Big Ten.

[Berkut]

ichRod trending on twitter right now

NOTSportsCenter NOT SportsCenter
SOURCE: Arizona picked Rich Rodriguez because they felt he was a perfect fit for a team used to not winning conference titles or bowl games

I am not sure how I feel about this. Feels kind of like a re-tread.

[grumbler]

The RichRod hiring is official according to the Arizona AD's twitter: http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7266532/arizona-wildcats-rich-rodriguez-hired-announcement-made-twitter

As I have said, I think this a good hire, especially compared to Leach.  RR can deliver. I don't think 'Zona has a "never gotten an NCAA violation" tradition to preserve, does it?

[MadBurgerMaker]

As I have said, I think this a good hire, especially compared to Leach.  RR can deliver. I don't think 'Zona has a "never gotten an NCAA violation" tradition to preserve, does it?

Nah, I see two football infraction cases, with one of them (from '83) having an "institutional control" tag. 

Date: May 20, 1983

Violation Sumary: Improper employment, entertainment, financial aid, lodging and transportation; extra benefits; improper recruiting contacts, entertainment, inducements, lodging and transportation; unethical conduct; outside fund; coaching staff limitations, institutional control; certification of compliance.

https://web1.ncaa.org/LSDBi/exec/miSearch  <- the site is kind of wonky so this link might not work.  Just search for University of Arizona and highlight the football thing down at the bottom.  There are pdfs and all that.  Interesting site.

Michigan:

Date: November 4, 2010

Violation Sumary: Exceeding coaching staff limitations, playing and practice season violations, unethical conduct and failure to monitor

Three years probation, eh?  I didn't know it was that long.

[grumbler]

Here is the thread on this at MGoBlog: http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/if-rr-learned-anything-his-time-michigan-he-will

All in all, it sounds good for both AZ and RR.  As I predicted, natch. 

[MadBurgerMaker]

Well they figured out what happened to the Arkansas player:

A University of Arkansas football player died over the weekend of a condition that caused an irregular heartbeat, a coroner said Tuesday.

Washington County coroner Roger Morris said that, to the best of his knowledge, Garrett Uekman's condition was not previously detected. He said the condition, which thickens the walls of the heart, affects a lot of young men.

"It's one of those kind of undetected silent killers," Morris said.

Uekman, a 19-year-old redshirt freshman tight end, was last seen playing video games Sunday morning. He was found unresponsive in his dorm room an hour later and was in cardiac arrest by the time emergency services personnel arrived. He was pronounced dead shortly after noon.

Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long has said the university wasn't aware of any pre-existing medical condition for Uekman.

Uekman's toxicology report came back with no indications of improper drug use, Morris said. University police have said there were no suspicious circumstances about Uekman's death.

Several thousand mourners gathered in Fayetteville on Monday for a candlelight vigil to remember Uekman. His picture remained on the videoboard at the Bud Walton Arena throughout the ceremony, and those in attendance wore stickers that had black ribbons wrapped in red with a white "88" on them, in honor of Uekman's number.

The No. 3 Razorbacks (10-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) face No. 1 LSU (11-0, 7-0) in Baton Rouge on Friday.

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2011/nov/22/uekman-died-heart-condition/

[CountDeMoney]

I'm sorry about RR, Berkut.

[Ed Anger]

I'm offically sick of the Urban Meyer wirblewind.

[Valmy]

I'm sorry about RR, Berkut.

I have to say it seems frighteningly similar to hiring John Mackovic after he failed at Texas.  Fortunately I do not think RR is nearly as big of a douchebag as Mackovic.

[OttoVonBismarck]

RichRod has the potential to do well at Arizona.

I predicted Rodriguez would do badly at Michigan, and I was right, and I was right for essentially the exact reasons that he wasn't successful.

I predicted two things would happen with him at UM:

1. He would do the same thing he did at WV, in which he completely destroys/uproots an existing offensive system and drives out tons of players who were recruited to play in that system. Resulting in a disastrous first season (he only won 3 games his first year at West Virginia and at Michigan.) The reason this was going to be fatal for him at Michigan is because of UM fans like grumbler who live in the past and don't realize SEC schools that are allowed to recruit 1.5 HS GPA blacks who can't read or write and/or pay for players have made the B1G and its antiquated ways irrelevant and Michigan will never be the sort of power it once was. Those fans are unwilling to accept any degree of bad season, Rodriguez did not recognize that (or most of UM's retarded traditions) and it cost him a huge amount of good will in his very first season.

2. Just like at WV he wouldn't care about defense, by and large I was right on this. In the Big East his offense so outclassed the rest of the conference that his defensive woes often did not really matter. Plus, when RichRod's offense is really clicking it emphasizes long, clock eating drives. He uses a no-huddle but most of his plays don't snap until a few seconds are left on the play clock (so it isn't a lightning-speed offense ala Mike Leach or his disciples.) In a more competitive league, you have to have at least a decent defense who can keep the opponent in check in situations where your offense isn't gelling or when the other team is legitimately good and has a defense that can stop you. When West Virginia beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl it's essentially because Georgia's defense was caught unprepared for the speed of Pat White and Steve Slaton and gave up 28 unanswered points. The game ended 38-35 once Georgia's defense tightened up and their offense woke up--once they woke up Georgia essentially scored at will on West Virginia and WVU's defense looked weak and incapable.

I think since Arizona is a mid-tier or lower Pac-12 team they will probably be willing to put up with a few rough seasons while Rodriguez fine tunes his system. However I think that he will need to change his fundamental philosophy on defense in order to keep his job there long term and win an acceptable number of games.

[Valmy]

Wait so you make fun of the grumblers in your first point and then make it sound like they were perfectly justified in your second point.