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LSU Stunned

November 23, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

Has there been a wilder ride than the 2007 college football season? Every week there’s an upset or a thrilling finish and whether pundits like it or not, parity has made college football exciting.

This week’s upset special was Arkansas’ thrilling 50-48 triple overtime victory over LSU. It took another frenzied last minute comeback for the Tigers to even reach overtime, but once there their usually stingy defense failed them. The Razorbacks scored touchdowns on all three of their overtime possessions and even converted a fourth and 10 that if failed, would have given LSU the victory.

How much bigger does Saturday’s Kansas-Missouri game get with LSU losing? How about #3 West Virginia vs. #20 Connecticut? Ohio State just got new life as well and now they have to root for a UCONN upset of WV. Amazing how the Buckeyes could sneak back into the national title picture a mere two weeks after losing to Illinois at home.

What a season.

College Football

Media overstating hatred in “Border War”?

November 23, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

Easily the college football game of the week – if not the year – occurs Saturday when #4 Missouri takes on #2 Kansas for the chance to possibly play for a national title. With what’s at stake in this year’s “Border War”, many members of the media (including Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star) have taken the opportunity to proclaim that the game is much more than your standard college football rivarly.

However, the guys at SPORTSbyBROOKS.com say that the media has gone crazy in overstating the hatred between the two schools (and states for that matter.).

The rivalry, despite two perennially horrible teams, is remarkably intense and compares favorably with others that we’ve experienced personally (OSU-UM, UF-UGA, USC-UCLA, Clemson-USC). But some of the things we’ve been reading this week about the contemporary conflict between the schools (and states) is downright ridiculous and completely untrue.
We grew up and lived in KC, smack between the two schools. We never, EVER heard someone mention anything about slave state-this or Jayhawk-rape-that. We’re sure the folks in KSMO would like to think that this is the most important sporting event the Western Hemisphere has witnessed since the Royals absolutely trounced the Redbirds in the ’85 World Series (thank you Jack Clark!), but it isn’t. But you wouldn’t know that by following media accounts this week authored by Missouri and Kansas carpetbaggers.

The media over-hyping the magnitude of a game? Never!

College Football

The hypocritical NFL

November 23, 2007 / John Paulsen

The NFL thinks some cable companies are cheating their viewers by refusing to carry the NFL Network. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! The NFL has no problem limiting fan access by providing NFL Sunday Ticket only to DirecTV subscribers. I discuss this in more depth in my latest column.

Fantasy Football, NFL

Recruiting Update

November 23, 2007 / Coach Z

UCLA,Louisville, Florida, Kansas, Florida State recorded the top five early classes in the just completed Early Signing Period. The Bruins filled the holes in the backcourt with the addition of Malcolm Lee and JRue Holliday. They are the type of pressure guards that Ben Howland loves.

Louisville filled it’s roster with long, agile and skilled versatile forwards who will be interchangeable in their system. Rick Pitino took a page out of Denny Crum’s book with the signing of Samardo Samuels and Terrence Jennings. Both players can play more than one position. The roster is starting to look like Pitino’s Kentucky line up when the won the national championship.

Florida followed up last year’s top ranked class with immediate help in the frontcourt and backcourt. Eloy Vargas will step in at the forward position while lightning quick guard Erving Walker will be pushing the ball down the court in record speed.

Kansas got a two for one deal when they signed a pair of twins out of New Jersey. Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris will give immediate help on the backboard. However, look for junior college swing, Mario Little, to have the most impact.

Florida State pulled off the biggest upset by landing Chris Singleton and five other players. Look for Xavier Gibson out of Alabama to play a significant role down the road.

Others in my top ten were as follows:

Georgetown
Ohio State
USC
Oregon
Arizona

That is it for the hype. Now let’s see where they are two years from now. It used to be four years, but if they are as good as advertised they won’t be there longer than two.

College Basketball

Mid Majors Roll

November 23, 2007 / Coach Z

Each week it seems like another mid major team upsets a high major team…The truth of the matter is that football has skewered the basketball picture. Without a BCS label on your conference you are automatically placed in the mid major category. Financial resources may play a factor, but the dispersal of talent has made college basketball an even more entertaining product.

For example last night George Mason outplayed, outhustled and outexperienced the 20th ranked team in the country, Kansas State. A ranking that is based on the fact that they play in a BCS conference. There is no doubt with freshman sensation, Michael Beasley, the Wildcats are going to be a very good team. However, with 5 freshamn playing the majority of the minutes they were no match for a team with five seniors that included two players from a Final Four team. If you took away the name and just put up the roster of players my money would be on the Patriots of George Mason to be the ranked team.

Coach Jim Larranage was masterful in orchestrating the tempo of the game. Run when it there and grind when it’s not. Folarian Campbell and Will Thomas were too much for a youthful Kansas State team. It was the fourth straight win for the Patriots and the first time they have ever started 4-0. Look out CAA..Their back and wanting more.

For the Wildcats, Michael Beasley had 30 points (the third time in four games) and ten rebounds. Can you spell one and done. I just hope for Frank Martin’s sake he is able to lead them back to the NCAA tournament.

Speaking of Frank Martin. It was a homecoming for the Wildcats coach as he cut his teeth as a high school coach in Miami. Coach Martin is a guy who worked his way up through the ranks and will prove over time that you don’t have to be an assistant at Duke or North Carolina to do a great job…

Charlie Coles is the energizer bunny when it comes to college coaches. He just continues to win and win. Following an upset win over Xavier his Redhawks of Miami (OH) knocked off South Alabama to move to 2-0. Hard to believe he was let go as the head coach of Central Michigan back in the 80’s. I wonder if that Athletic Director caught any grief for that move?