Thoughts From The Valley
November 12, 2007
The Hangover
How I am feeling: Exhausted, worn down, tired. And to be clear, this is for reasons other than Saturday's college football action. It's just been a busy, stress-inducing month, folks. And I'm not out of the woods yet. But hey, Penn State won. Ohio State lost. Michigan lost. Notre Dame lost. Even Florida State lost, bringing Joseph Vincent Paterno within just one game of Bobby Bowden on the all-time coaching wins list. So yeah, I'm exhausted/worn down/tired. But also happy with the events of the weekend.
What I am drinking: Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA. The brewer describes this beer as "raisiney and citrusy" with hints of "brandied fruitcake." Which makes it sound pretty wimpy. But I assure it is not. If you like hops, and you like a beer that pours like maple syrup, you'l like this.
What I am listening to: Pandora Radio. This site was recommended to me by TCFA Friend Derrek Seif. And what a recommendation. Here's the deal, folks: You go to the site, type in a song or artist that you enjoy, and then Pandora goes to work, playing a steady stream of songs that they believe you might like, based on your entry. It's incredibly accurate and endlessly entertaining.
My thoughts on the weekend: As I mentioned above, folks, it's been a fairly stressy day/weekend/month here in The Beautiful Wissahickon Valley, so I cannot spend too much time with y'all today. There's just too much other--and there is no other word to use here, folks--crap to deal with. So I'll write this real quick and then try to deal with the crap.
Here are my quick thoughts on the weekend. Or, at least, the quick thoughts that I don't address more fully below.
1. What on earth happened to Cal?
2. What on earth happened to Boston College?
3. The Most Confounding Team of the Year Award goes to: Wisconsin. Hammered by Penn State. Dismantled by Ohio State. Then they beat Michigan? And not just beat them, but dominate them?
4. Why is nobody giving Kansas any respect? They are undefeated. They don't play Hawaii's schedule. They're just a good team that nobody wants to believe in.
5. Penn State quarterback Anthony Morelli is never going to be great. He's got a great arm. He can throw it a mile. Occasionally, he'll "thread the needle." But my God, does this guy make mistakes. Against Temple, he fumbled, while scrambling (again), on the 1-inch line. And then threw one of the worst interceptions I've ever seen.
6. James Laurinitis is a fine linebacker. But his chances of winning the Butkus Award took a serious hit on Saturday. On Illinois' last drive, Juice Williams and gang ran right at Laurinitis. The entire drive. And he didn't stop them.
7. It is no coincidence, I don't think, that Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford is playing the best football of his career now that he has a lethal tailback lining up behind him. Knowshon Moreno, folks, is going to be an SEC nightmare for the next two seasons.
Three Yards and a Cloud of Dust
Three ...: I am now fully convinced that, in the college game, at least, a running quarterback can help your team more than a "traditional drop-back passer." For evidence, I submit Illinois quarterback Juice Williams--and the stunning, time-eating drive he engineered, in the fourth quarter, on the road, to beat the previously No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes. That drive wasn't about Juice's arm. It was about his running ability. And it cost Ohio State the national championship. Why any coach would recruit a "traditional dropback passer" over a true athlete at the quarterback position is beyond me. Which reminds me: The nation's top recruit, Pittsburgh-area quarterback Terrelle Pryor, is a running quarterback. His final choices are Ohio State, Penn State and West Virginia. Wherever he goes, he will be a superstar. And I'm sad to report that I'm 70 percent certain he's Ohio-bound.
Two ...: OK, so it turns out that Notre Dame's home loss to Navy wasn't "rock bottom" after all. Yes, losing at home to Navy for the first time in 43 years was bad. But you know what's worse? Getting absolutely blown out at home by Air Force. Folks, do you realize that Notre Dame is now so bad that they aren't even capable of winning the Commander-In-Chief Trophy? The headline in Sunday's South Bend Tribune was as follows: "Driven Deeper Into Infamy."
One ...: The popular sentiment for some time now in college football has been that there are "too many bowls." Well, that may be true, but you know what, folks? This year, they may not be enough bowls. That's because, according to my quick review of the conference standings, the Big Ten currently has 10 bowl-eligible teams. the SEC has 9 bowl-eligble teams, the ACC has 7 bowl-eligible teams and the Big XII has 6 bowl-eligible teams. So the question in, folks: Where do they all go? Answer: Quite a few of them (sorry Indiana) might be going nowhere.
Touchdown ...: The game of the year is on Saturday. No, I am not talking Ohio State-Michigan (which suddenly looks pretty sad). I am talking, of course, about Notre Dame (1-9) vs. Duke (1-9). Folks, there is no guarantee that Notre Dame can win this game. And if they don't--and I say this knowing full well the details of Charlie "The Myth" Weis' contract--there is no gaurantee that The Myth returns next year. I mean, how could he?