Are Boise State and TCU gaining respect from coaches around the country? Texas coach Mack Brown became the latest coach to say he would not have a problem with a non-AQ team making it into the national championship game if they deserved to be there at the end of the year. When asked earlier this week whether he would be OK with that scenario, Brown said this, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: “The way the [BCS] rules are, absolutely. If you don’t like it, change the rules.” Brown went on to add that he expects his team to be in the mix should it go undefeated, and believes it would finish higher than an undefeated Boise State or TCU. He is right there. But with the rules as they are currently configured, he seems to have a more inclusive approach should either or both of the non-AQ teams be the only ones to go undefeated. “I have not been a proponent of everything in the BCS,” Brown said. “I would think strength of schedule should be a bigger part of it than it is. And it’s not. And if that’s the case, then TCU and Boise have to be considered top teams. If somebody doesn’t like it, they need to go back and change the formula.” Last month, Florida coach Urban Meyer told The Sporting News, “If Boise State is the best team in America at the end of the season, you better believe I would vote them No. 1 . If they deserve to play in the BCS championship game, they should play in it.” Boise State and TCU inched up higher in the latest coaches’ poll this week, with the Broncos moving up two spots to No. 3 and TCU moving up two spots to No. 5. No non-AQ team has played for a national championship before, and it remains to be seen whether undefeated Boise State and/or TCU would be voted into the top two spots at the end of the season. That has been a big source of debate and contention in the past week, since both teams won their openers against schools from automatic qualifying conferences. It is easy for coaches to say today that Boise State and TCU would deserve a spot in the title game, but it is another thing to say it come December, with the actual championship on the line.
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Boise State, TCU gaining cred from coaches
Filed under Football, News by on Sep 9th, 2010. Comment. 
Fifth ranked Texas Volleyball enters Dante’s Rings of Hell the Nike Big Four Volleyball Classic Friday in pursuit of its 1001th win. To earn it, the Horns will have to battle #1 Penn State, #2 Stanford, and #4 Florida. Whoever named it the “Big Four” tournament wasn’t messing around. In the first month of the season, #5 Texas will have played the top four national squads. The winner—really the survivor—of the tournament should emerge as the national favorite to start the regular season.
In a weekend of big matchups, the local story will be Texas’ shot to earn revenge against the Nittany Lions. You might remember that Texas was up two sets on Penn State in the NCAA Championship before losing three in a row. Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Penn State, the first choice for any volleyball recruit, travels to Gainesville armed with Deja McClendon and Blair Brown. The two hitters have combined for 130 kills in only eighteen sets. Brown, a 6’5’’ Senior, spent her summer training with the US National Team. Setting for the Lions will be handled by Kristen Carpenter. Alyssa D’Errico will don the opposite jersey at libero. With fifteen service aces, D’Errico is no slouch behind the line either.
Stanford ‘s Alix Klineman was a second-team All American last season. This year, her senior season, she is averaging 4.77 kills per game. Texas’ front line will have to reduce her impact to stay competitive.
Florida may be 5-0, but they haven’t exactly been dominating their opposition. They only have 26 more kills, 19 more assists, and 17.5 more blocks than their sub-par opponents.Florida has operated a spike-by –committee approach led by Kelly Murphy, Callie Rivers, and Kristy Jaeckel.
There is good and bad news going into this weekend, I’ll try to lay out the important ones.
Good News: Texas has been ranked in the top ten for sixty-one straight weeks and the top five for thirty-four weeks.
Bad News: Texas dropped from #2 to #5 this week after being swept by Illinois on Friday.
Good News: Juliann Faucette has seventy kills in 20 sets.
Bad News: Illinois’ success resulted from dealing with her normally deadly spikes.
Good News: With 208 sets on the season, Hannah Allison is playing like a veteran. Based on this interview, she seems like a down-to-earth girl too.
Bad News: This weekend will be a remarkably tough challenge for any freshman. She is about to be Gilberted, for lack of a better term.
Good News: Unlike Stanford, Texas has already been challenged this season.
Bad News: Unlike Texas’ early opponents, Stanford has four players over 6’4’’ including 6’6’’ outside hitter Hayley Spelman.
Good News: Texas will have a height advantage over Florida, the weekend’s easiest opponent.
Bad News: Easiest is relative, as the tournament will be played in always-rowdy Gainesville.
Good News: Rachel Adams, Sha’Dare McNeal, and Jennifer Doris are racking up the blocks.
Bad News: The Gators, Lions, and Cardinal are significantly more athletic than the McNeese State….. whatever those girls called themselves.
Good News: Freshman Sarah Palmer performed well in her first sets in Gregory. She will likely replace fellow Hawaiian Sydney Yogi at Libero in two seasons.
Bad News: To play their tempo, the Longhorns will need stellar play off the bench. Even Yogi eventually gets warn-out from throwing herself at the floor.
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Texas Volleyball – Big Four Volleyball Classic Preview
Filed under Lets Talk Texas, News by on Sep 9th, 2010. Comment.
1. Why is the suspension of Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green by the NCAA a huge blow? First of all, Green will miss three SEC games. Second, Green would have forced an aggressive South Carolina defense to play honestly against young quarterback Aaron Murray . Senior Kris Durham , who caught five passes for 83 yards last week after missing 2009 with a shoulder injury, is a big (6-5, 211) target. But he’s not Green. No one is. 2. We pause while Florida and Texas tear their collective hair out over their offensive problems last week to remind Gator and Longhorn fans that both offenses embarked on huge transitions this offseason. I know you heard about it. It was in all the papers all year. Each offense lost longtime starting quarterbacks and adjusted their schemes for their new personnel. Yet not until the season began and we saw the struggles of both teams did anyone understand that, yes, Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy really are gone. 3. Former Sugar Bowl executive director Mickey Holmes died Wednesday. Two decades ago, when bowl directors lured teams with cunning and salesmanship, Holmes and the late Jim Brock, who ran the Cotton Bowl, waged a friendly annual battle to outfox each other. Their search for advantage became so heated that in 1990, Holmes invited 6-0, No. 1 Virginia, in early November. The Cavaliers finished 7-4. The uproar provided the impetus for the creation in 1992 of the Bowl Coalition, the grandfather of the BCS.
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Three-point stance: Losing A.J. Green hurts
Filed under Football by on Sep 9th, 2010. Comment.
1. Why is the suspension of Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green by the NCAA a huge blow? First of all, Green will miss three SEC games. Second, Green would have forced an aggressive South Carolina defense to play honestly against young quarterback Aaron Murray . Senior Kris Durham , who caught five passes for 83 yards last week after missing 2009 with a shoulder injury, is a big (6-5, 211) target. But he’s not Green. No one is. 2. We pause while Florida and Texas tear their collective hair out over their offensive problems last week to remind Gator and Longhorn fans that both offenses embarked on huge transitions this offseason. I know you heard about it. It was in all the papers all year. Each offense lost longtime starting quarterbacks and adjusted their schemes for their new personnel. Yet not until the season began and we saw the struggles of both teams did anyone understand that, yes, Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy really are gone. 3. Former Sugar Bowl executive director Mickey Holmes died Wednesday. Two decades ago, when bowl directors lured teams with cunning and salesmanship, Holmes and the late Jim Brock, who ran the Cotton Bowl, waged a friendly annual battle to outfox each other. Their search for advantage became so heated that in 1990, Holmes invited 6-0, No. 1 Virginia, in early November. The Cavaliers finished 7-4. The uproar provided the impetus for the creation in 1992 of the Bowl Coalition, the grandfather of the BCS.
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Three-point stance: Losing A.J. Green hurts
Filed under Football by on Sep 9th, 2010. Comment.
What do you get on a week when the Big 12 goes 11-1? Not a lot of movement in the power rankings. I’m not going to penalize teams for playing cupcakes and I’m not going to reward teams for winning by 100 against an FCS team or the equivalent of one. We’re not voting on a BCS champion. We’ll get to conference play eventually, and the weekly shakeups will be pretty pronounced. That said, future big wins will be rewarded
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Big 12 power rankings: Week 1
Filed under Football by on Sep 7th, 2010. Comment.
Virginia Tech had several chances against Boise State to jump ahead of Miami in this week’s power rankings, but the Hokies made too many uncharacteristic mistakes. Yes, Virginia Tech played a much tougher opponent than the Canes did, but the special-teams miscues, the missed tackles and the inability to run the ball leave Virginia Tech with significant room for improvement before conference play begins. Here’s a look at the ACC power rankings after Week 1: 1. Miami (1-0): The Hurricanes looked sharp in their 45-0 thumping of Florida A&M, and only needed quarterback Jacory Harris for one half. There was no sign of looking ahead to Ohio State, but we’ll find out a lot more about where the program is after Saturday’s trip to the Shoe. 2. Virginia Tech (0-1): The Hokies showed their youth in a 33-30 loss to Boise State, with uncharacteristic mistakes on — gasp! — special teams, and fell behind 17-0 in the first quarter. This program plays its best ball late in the season, though, and the staff will force it to grow up quickly. 3. Florida State (1-0): The Seminoles dominated Samford 59-6 and looked like the best team in the Atlantic Division, but Saturday’s game at Oklahoma will reveal if Jimbo Fisher’s program is a contender. 4. Georgia Tech (1-0): The Jackets handled South Carolina State 41-10, but coach Paul Johnson said on his Sunday teleconference that there were plenty of areas the team needs to improve upon. They still weren’t as efficient in the passing game as he would’ve liked, and if Kansas figures a way to take out the B-back, Joshua Nesbitt will need some more help. 5. North Carolina (0-1): The question isn’t whether UNC would’ve beat LSU if it were full strength on Saturday, it’s by how much? This is a gritty team that can still contend for the Coastal Division title, even if short-handed — but only if T.J. Yates continues to lead the offense like he did Saturday. 6. Clemson (1-0): The bend-but-don’t-break defense won’t hold up once conference play rolls around, and the Tigers are still looking for a go-to receiver. Clemson was outgained by North Texas 234-228 in the first 30 minutes. The Tigers have one more tune-up — Presbyterian — before traveling to Auburn. 7. NC State (1-0): With quarterback Russell Wilson playing like he did, there’s no reason the Pack can’t be a dark horse candidate in the ACC if the defense maintains and builds upon that improved performance. The Pack never allowed Western Carolina into the red zone. 8. Boston College (1-0): The Eagles slip despite their win for one main reason — quarterback play. Dave Shinskie is still the starter after throwing two interceptions, but Mike Marscovetra is going to get more time. Until that position becomes more dependable, the Eagles have something to prove in the Atlantic. 9. Maryland (1-0): The Terps hung in for the 17-14 Labor Day win over Navy, an important step in turning around last year’s 2-10 season. They have plenty of talent and speed, but it was a sloppy game for both teams. Maryland’s defense was generous the whole game, but Kenny Tate came up with the big stop when the Terps needed it most. 10. Duke (1-0): The Blue Devils jump up because of the impressive play of quarterback Sean Renfree , who is only going to get better. He could be the difference next week when Duke takes on … 11. Wake Forest (1-0): The Deacs’ strength last week against Presbyterian was their running game. Duke’s defense will be tested, as Wake amassed 509 total yards. There was also a blocked extra point and the first defensive two-point conversion in school history.
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ACC power rankings: Week 1
Filed under Football by on Sep 7th, 2010. Comment.
http://www.kgwn.tv/story.aspx?ID=4502&Cat=2
One player reported dead, another may lose an arm. Absolutely Terrible.
BREAKING NEWS: Source Says UW Football Player Dies in Car Accident
Laramie - 9/6/2010
Sources close to the University of Wyoming say that 4 Cowboy football players were involved in a car accident on highway 287 early Monday morning and that one player has died as a result of the accident.
Sources say freshman linebacker Ruben Narcisse of Miami, Florida was killed in the accident and freshman wide receiver CJ Morgan was also one of the four passengers. The other two travelers were freshmen walk-ons and there is no word on their condition at this time.
Colorado State Patrol confirms that there was a single-car rollover at 5:26 AM Mond
ay morning at mile marker 382 south of the Wyoming-Colorado border. The vehicle was a 2005 Toyota Tundra and the Colorado State Patrol confirmed that one of the four passengers died but would not confirm any of the passengers were UW students or student athletes.
One source says no alcohol was involved and that the Wyoming football team had a team meeting with counselors early this afternoon. The source also says two of the passengers were okay, and that a third was airlifted and may lose an arm.
UW officials have not confirmed anything as of 1:55 pm Monday. However, the Wyoming Athletics department has cancelled the football team’s normal press conference scheduled every Monday at 3 pm.
We will update you with more information as soon as it becomes available.
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Four Wyoming Players in Car Accident, One Dead
Filed under Football, Lets Talk Texas, News by on Sep 6th, 2010. Comment.
The season’s first chapter is complete. Here’s the book report. Team of the week: Syracuse. Bet you didn’t think you’d see those words together after Week 1. But the Orange were the only Big East team to beat an FBS opponent in the first week, handily dispatching Akron 29-3 . Yes, the Zips are bad. But the game was on the road, and Syracuse won its opener for the first time since 2003. Best game: It was sloppy on both sides, with botched coverages and too many yellow flags. But Utah’s 27-24 overtime win over Pitt was never short on drama, especially at the end when the Panthers mounted a comeback to tie the game. Biggest play: Tino Sunseri ’s interception on the first play of that overtime game for Pitt. Mike Shanahan was open, but Sunseri waited a beat too long to deliver the ball and then put it in the wrong place. That sealed the Panthers’ fate, and started the downward Week 1 spiral for the Big East. Best call: Rich Rodriguez’s decision to go with Denard Robinson as his starting quarterback. Rodriguez had declined to officially name a starter before Saturday. Then he unleashed Robinson, who brought back Pat White nightmares for Connecticut’s torched defense. Big Man on Campus (Offense): Bilal Powell , RB, Louisville. I don’t like to give this award to players whose teams lost. I really don’t like giving it to players whose teams played FCS opponents. So, um, yeah
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Big East Week 1 review/Week 2 preview
Filed under Football by on Sep 6th, 2010. Comment.
The ESPN.com summer previewing tour continues again this week with Summer Shootaround, our exhaustive August look at key college hoops conferences. In addition to helping out with the Shootarounds — check out today’s Big 12 preview here — yours truly will be adding some related commentary on the blog. Today: a best-case/worst-case look at the Big 12. BAYLOR Best case: It’s hard to know whether the Bears’ 2009-10 Elite Eight finish was the program’s “breakthrough” year. After all, the Bears have won 20-plus games three seasons in a row. So let’s skip the semantics. Under coach Scott Drew, Baylor has become a legitimate Big 12 program, and with guard LaceDarius Dunn back for his senior year, forward Quincy Acy patrolling the middle, and future lottery pick (and likely one-and-done candidate) Perry Jones entering the fray, Baylor should have no problem maintaining last season’s success. If all goes well, the Bears could eclipse it. Worst case: For all of Baylor’s returning talent, the Bears will miss two of their more productive players from 2009-10. The first is Ekpe Udoh , an ultra-athletic big man who wreaked havoc in the middle throughout the season. The second is Tweety Carter , Baylor’s senior point guard. If Dunn draws too much backcourt pressure and the young Jones can’t replace Udoh’s production, the Bears will still be good. But when you’re shooting for “great,” good sounds awfully bad. COLORADO Best case: It looks like the Buffaloes will spend two years in realignment purgatory before moving to the Pac-10 in 2012. Even so, they shouldn’t be overlooked. Sophomore Alec Burks is an NBA-level talent, and Cory Higgins , the team’s leading scorer in 2009-10, will be alongside him. It’s not inconceivable that Colorado could be a sleeper to finish in the top half of what ought to be a top-heavy conference. Worst case: If Burks’ improvement stalls and the rest of the Buffs play about as well as they did in 2009-10 — or, for whatever reason, new coach Tad Boyle can’t get his guys together — Colorado will probably be looking at another let’s-just-not-be-last competition with Iowa State, Texas Tech, and Nebraska. IOWA STATE Best case: New coach and prodigal son Fred Hoiberg has done a decent job landing players since he returned to his former school this offseason. Those players — Minnesota’s Royce White, Michigan State’s Chris Allen — come with some baggage, but Hoiberg realizes that he has the political capital to take on those risks. Neither player will be available this season, though, and a rebuilding Iowa State team would probably be happy to stay competitive. Worst case: The stakes are low.
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Best Case/Worst Case: Big 12
Filed under Basketball by on Aug 27th, 2010. Comment.
Due to the untimely demise of the original BON Online Dynasty, I started a new one last night. I think I’ve already invited all of the original owners, but post your gamertag in here in case I forgot. FYI, my gamertag is “AP Masterplan.”
Also post your gamertag below if you’re interested in joining. We’re in the 2010 preseason, so nothing’s happened yet.
Rules: 6 minute quarters, All-American difficulty (in-game as well as recruiting). Nobody can be Texas (not now, not ever). At least two games on your schedule must be against a human opponent. The original owners will have dibs on their original teams until the season starts…teams I remember being taken in the original dynasty include Florida, Oregon, LSU, Georgia, Baylor, Ohio State, Pitt, and Michigan.
This Online Dynasty will run on a 3 to 4 day advancement schedule with weeks normally taking place Sunday-Wednesday and Thursday-Saturday. Of course, if everybody’s ready to advance earlier than the end of the time window, then we can advance early.
I would also like to have some kind of communication forum devoted to the dynasty, where players can post and figure out when to get in touch and play their user vs. user games. This fan post will eventually fall out of the BON front page and become hard to find. Facebook group? Something else?
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New XBOX360 NCAA 11 Online Dynasty
Filed under Lets Talk Texas by on Aug 25th, 2010. Comment.
