Feel Good College Football Story of the Week: WAC Hires PR Firm to Help Boise State Get BCS Bid

November 5, 2009 By 2 Comments
chris-petersen

In Major League Baseball, teams in the race looking to make a late-season push will make a deadline deal to improve their roster. Case in point: the Phillies acquiring Cliff Lee.

In the NFL, teams looking to overcome longshot playoff odds get inventive with their playbook, like the Miami Dolphins did last year in using the Wildcat to power them to a playoff berth.

In college basketball, coaches will often loosen the reins on talented freshman during the second half of the season in an effort to unleash the potential of their teams, hoping it sparks a March run.

In college football, our national paragon of amateurism and integrity, schools and conferences hoping to achieve their postseason goals actually seek areas outside of their actual performance on the field to get a leg up on their competition.

Today’s example is Boise State, via the WAC, which has reportedly hired a PR firm to help the Broncos in their quest to make the BCS.

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Filed Under: CFB Tagged With: BCS, Boise State, CFB, WAC

New AP Poll Displays Obvious Bias and Disrespect

October 4, 2009 By 3 Comments
bret bielema

The new AP college football poll was released earlier today, and the top four are as expected — 1) Florida, 2) Texas, 3) Alabama, and 4) LSU.

But then it gets hairy.

Boise State won and slipped from fifth to sixth? Virginia Tech barely beat a team that lost to Richmond, and slides up a spot?

It’s the same in the coaches poll.

The bias against Boise State has begun.

They’re going to do all they can to prevent an unbeaten Broncos team from playing for a national title.

Ridiculous.

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Filed Under: CFB Tagged With: AP rankings college football, Big Ten football, Boise State, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin Badgers

I’ll Tell You This: The Meaning of Bradford’s Injury, ND’s Win, and Why the Jets and Lions are Making a Mistake

September 8, 2009 By 2 Comments

[Editor's note: This is the second installment of Big MB's weekly post entitled I'll Tell You This, in which he tells us all what in the sports world -- to quote the great Peter Griffin -- is grinding his gears. Enjoy...and stay tuned for an upcoming appearance by Big MB on the soon-to-be resume MSF podcast.]

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1. Sam Bradford

Sam BradfordThis past Saturday, Oklahoma was upset in new the Dallas Cowboys stadium by BYU. What’s worse is that last year’s Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, Sam Bradford, injured his throwing shoulder on his way to the ground. Sooner Nation stopped breathing for a moment, however with recent reports it seems that the Sooner’s Slinger will only miss 2-4 weeks.

I’ll Tell You This: For all of you skeptics of Mark Sanchez and other athletes coming to pro sports early, and for all of you haters of high schoolers jumping to NBA, this is the case against you. Bradford decided to stick around one more year when he could have been the #1 pick last year. What if this was a career ending injury? Even though it’s not at this point, what if it severely affects Bradford’s play?  Bradford would possibly never get to live his dream of playing pro football. And worse, what would be his future profession after dumping all of his time into becoming an A-level quarterback?

2. Saving Weis?

Charlie Weis and all of South Bend (and those who support the Irish) may breathe just a little easier after Notre Dame pitched a shutout against Nevada. Jimmy Clausen finally looked like the quarterback that he has been hyped to be, completing 15 of 18 passes for 315 yards and 4 touchdowns.

I’ll Tell You This: No coach in sports is under as much pressure as Charlie Weis is right now. Notre Dame MUST win, and look good in doing so. However, this was Nevada. It’s the first week of the season. The team that should have won did. Next week brings bitter rival the Big Blue of Michigan. Someone shoot Charlie a text and let him know his job is still on the line.

3. Al Davis Strikes Again

Once again, Bill Bellicheck is a genius and Al Davis is a fool. This past weekend the New England Patriots traded DE Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders for a first round pick in 2011. Seymour is getting older and has seemingly started to lose a step, but is still an upgrade to a porous Raiders D-Line. However, the question remains: is he worth a first round pick?

I’ll Tell You This: There is not a soul on the earth that can honestly tell me that Al Davis made a good move, or ever will. Seymour is a “right now” type of guy, and Oakland is FAR from a “right now” type of team. There is no doubt that the Patriots will likely be picking top 5 in the 2011 draft, and that is something that no one in the entire NFL (save for New England) wants to see (and it’s possible that Al Davis won’t even live long enough to see). Al Davis needs to let go of this historic NFL franchise or they will never succeed. It’s definitely the black hole….a place where NFL players and winning go to die.

4. The Rookies

NFL rookies take the cake this year as both Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions and Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets will both get the starting nod at quarterback for their respective teams this season.

I’ll Tell You This: Although I think both guys are talented and will be good quarterbacks in the NFL, both teams are making mistakes starting them. Yes, some quarterbacks do well when thrown right into the mix (see Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts). However, in many cases it hurls what may have been a talented superstar into the cursed pool of the draft day flops (See Ryan Leaf, Joey Harrington, and David Carr). And some never can turn it around afterwards. Both teams have respectable veteran starters in Daunte Culpepper (Detroit) and Kellen Clemens (NY).  I can only hope for the sake of these two QB’s that they follow Peyton’s path to success and not Ryan Leaf’s path to America’s Funniest Home Videos.

5. The Knockout Heard Round the World

LeGarrette Blount held back from going into standsEveryone has seen it. Most of us saw it every hour for 48 straight hours on every sport program on television. And while for a fan of MMA like myself it was somewhat exciting to watch, America was once again taken aback by another sports thug when Oregon standout running back LeGarrette Blount sucker punched Boise State’s Byron Hout after Hout spouted a little trash talk to Blount. Blount made things worse by almost going Ron Artest-style on a couple fans on his way to the locker room. It took 4 or 5 police officers and building security to keep him from broaching the stands.

I’ll Tell You This: Although it is very sad to see a player throw away his career for lack of ability to keep his attitude in control, I do find it funny that the game started with both teams meeting at midfield for a handshake in light of “Good Sportmanship Week.” What I also find funny is that Blount ran his mouth ALL week before the game and then after getting held in check and to career lows, couldn’t take what he had been dishing out. The senior received a one year suspension, thus ending his college career. What will he do with his time off? Maybe he should give the Winnepeg Blue Bombers a call. He can hang out with Pacman Jones. They would make a cute couple. Canada can have him too.

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You can follow BigMB on Twitter by going to www.twitter.com/mylesb3269.

Filed Under: CFB, Featured Column, NFL Tagged With: Al Davis, Boise State, CFB, charlie weis, detroit lions, Fighting Irish, Jimmy Clausen, LeGarrette Blount, Mark Sanchez, Matt Stafford, ncaa, New England, new york jets, NFL, Notre Dame, Oakland Raiders, Oklahoma, Oregon, Patriots, peyton manning, punch, Richard Seymour, sam bradford, Sooners

Oregon RB LeGarrette Blount Punches Boise State Player Byron Hout, Restrained From Attacking Fans

September 4, 2009 By 14 Comments

Video: Oregon RB LeGarrette Blount punches Boise State player, restrained from attacking fansGood lord.

When I used to teach at an alternative high school down in Miami, one of the most often used terms my students would say is “duck.” And being called a “duck” was not a good thing. It meant something along the lines of being cowardly and acting like a wuss. (And I know this because they gave me a vocab test one day in return for all the vocab tests I gave them.)

Well, the definition of “duck” is now crystal clear: Oregon Duck running back LeGarrette Blount.

I woke up this morning excited to hear how the college football games went last night that I didn’t get a chance to see, and all they are talking about on ESPN is the sucker punch that Oregon RB LeGarette Blount landed on Boise State’s Byron Hout.

As you’ll see in the video below, Hout appears to be talking trash and makes contact with Blount (and should be reprimanded by his coaches for it), but it certainly does not excuse what happened next.

If you haven’t seen the punch yet, and then Blount having to be restrained from going into the stands to presumably give the same treatment to fans, here is the unfortunate video:

Video: Oregon State RB LeGarette Blount Punches Boise State’s Byron Hout


 

And now what happened after the punch:

Video: LeGarrette Blount restrained from attacking fans


Video: Oregon RB LeGarrette Blount punches Boise State player, restrained from attacking fansAnd then after the game, Blount offered one of the least sincere apologies I have ever seen. Forgive me for being judgmental — and I realize he’s just a young kid who has some very obvious emotional problems whose head was probably spinning while giving the apology — but hopefully no one at Oregon is fooled by this canned, forced apology like they were fooled earlier this year.

According to the announcers, Mark Jones and Bob Davie, Blount had been suspended earlier this year. He had purportedly learned to control his emotions and was allowed back on the team, at least according to what they were saying while watching everything unfold. Clearly, however, he had learned nothing.

LaGarrette Blount needs help and shouldn’t be allowed back on a football field until he gets it. The Oregon Ducks need to do what is right for him, so he can help turn his life and attitude around, and forget about getting him back on the football field until that is accomplished.

Video: LeGarrette Blount apology after hitting Boise State player


What a terrible way for the college football season to begin.

According to the AP report of the game and Blount’s sucker punch, Blount will most likely not be arrested despite immediate post-game rumors suggesting that he might be. Here is what the two coaches had to say about the incident immediately after the game:

Oregon coach Chip Kelly said he would review the game film before making a decision on Blount’s future.

“I did not see anything. I will see it on tape and make a decision on what we need to do with him,” Kelly said. “There is no place for that. I do not condone that. I will make that decision if that is the case.”

Petersen didn’t want to comment on what happened.

“It’s just unfortunate,” he said.

For the record, Boise State won the game 19-8, their first step towards trying to crash the BCS come January.  Time will tell what the loss and Blount’s eruption will mean for Oregon.

Filed Under: CFB, Featured Column Tagged With: Boise State, CFB, LeGarrette Blount, ncaa, Oregon Ducks, video, video of LeGarrette Blount apology, video of LeGarrette Blount punch

College Football Week 1 Locks

September 3, 2009 By 2 Comments

College Football Point Spreads, Odds, Line Analysis: Boise State-Oregon, Illinois-Missouri, Oklahoma State-Georgia, Alabama-Virginia TechIf you decide to go with my picks I have a few rules, and both are equally important:

  • Rule #1 Don’t bet what you don’t have. You don’t want to spend grocery money on my picks no matter how hot I get. 
  • Rule #2 No matter how much you like a game, bet the same amount on the all games I give you. Freaky things happen in college football.

This is the time of the year when you make your money. Vegas is not sure how certain teams are going to perform, how new players are going to react to certain situations, and who will be the new stars emerge across the country.

And for the record, I only play the big games, the games you will see on TV (which you can find out at the MSF college football TV schedule).  Thus, I will not be giving picks on North Texas vs. some other cream puff.

We have a theme this week, so let’s begin.

Game #1 I love; actually, I love all four of the gems I’m going to give you, but I like this game the most.

Follow the link or click the image below to get great deals on college football tickets at StubHub.
college football Point Spreads, Odds, Line Analysis: Boise State-Oregon, Illinois-Missouri, Oklahoma State-Georgia, Alabama-Virginia Tech

Boise St vs. Oregon

  • Boise State-Oregon Point Spread: Boise State -3.5
  • Boise State -Oregon Over-Under: 64

The oddsmakers have Boise State favored in this game by 3.5 with the over-under at a whopping 64. I don’t believe either team will have many stops in this game and I expect the over to be in full effect. With that being said, Boise State is at home, it’s the first BIG game of the NCAA year, and oh by the way it’s on a Thursday night.

Folks, for starters, Boise State does not lose many home games, I can probably count on one hand how many losses they have had at home over the past five years. Boise State also has the experience, with 90% of their players having started a game last year. Oregon can’t match that experience, which is HUGE in the beginning of the season.

What does this game mean for Boise State? Well, if they win tomorrow night you might as well pencil them in to BCS Bowl, and maybe even a national championship. For Oregon, this game means a lot, but nowhere near what it means to the Broncos. Oregon did not have this game circled on their schedule as they had Cal, Oregon State, and USC.

Go with the Boise State and give the points.

Georgia at Oklahoma State

  • Georgia-Oklahoma State Point Spread: Oklahoma State -5

Game #2 is Georgia at Oklahoma State. Will Georgia be able to stop the high powered offense of the Cowboys? Oklahoma State has some key players like Zac Robinson and Dez Bryant, who just so happens to be my projected #1 wide receiver in the country.

Georgia, on the other hand, has some players, but when the game is close who are they going to turn to? No Matthew Stafford, and no Knowshon Moreno.

Like the previous game, this game means a lot to Oklahoma State. This will be on Saturday night, on ABC, and the country will be watching. Oklahoma State has added seats for this year, so this will be the largest amount of fans to attend an Oklahoma State football game.

Georgia, well they need to worry about the SEC, so this game again means a lot but nowhere near what it means to the Cowboys. Oh and by the way, when was the last time Georgia traveled outside of their time zone?

Give the 5 and count your cash.

Missouri at Illinois

  • Illinois-Missouri point spread: Illinois -7

Game #3 has Illinois giving 7 to Mizzou. I will keep this one quick, short, and to the point.

Mizzou lost everyone, Illinois has not. Gone for the Tigers are Chase Daniels, Jeremy Maclin and Chase Coffman. Mizzou had a great run, but they don’t reload like the top teams in the country do.

Illinois, on the other hand, returns quarterback Juice Williams. He had a great year last year, but still flew under the radar. He will be throwing the rock all day to up-and-coming stud Arrelious Benn. This is a home game for the fighting Illini and they have returning starters.

Give the points as Mizzou can’t stay up with the Illini like Ron Zook can stay up on his skis.

Virginia Tech vs Alabama

  • Alabama-Virginia Tech point spread: Alabama -6.5

Game #4 is Virginia Tech vs. Alabama. The line in this game is 6.5. When I first saw this I almost jumped out of my chair. My first thought was there wasn’t going to be 6.5 points scored the whole game, not that I am advocating the under over in this game, but it just seems like a lot to give Virginia Tech, team with more firepower than the Crimson Tide.

Alabama over it’s past two games has been destroyed, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Nick Saban is sweating tonight thinking about the game on Saturday. I like Tyrod Taylor, and I think he is a playmaker, something Alabama doesn’t have many of on the offensive side of the ball.

Take the Hookies and take the points.

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Keep your eye out for Rich’s next column here at MSF, and you can also follow his blog at http://www.nflandcollegefootball.com/.

* – Ron Zook skiing photo credit: Deadspin

Filed Under: CFB, Featured Column, Sports Betting Tagged With: Alabama Crimson Tide, Boise State, college football betting, college football lines, college football odds, college football picks, college football point spreads, Georgia Bulldogs, Illinois Fighting Illinois, missouri tigers, oklahoma state cowboys, Oregon Ducks, Ron Zook skiing, Virginia Tech Hokies