2012 College Football Preview

With less than a week until the mid-week games kick off, this is most definitely one of my favorite times of year.  I'm a "would rather have my cake than eat it" guy.  The excitement of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams (plus 4 provisional), all have a chance to win the title.  Well, maybe not, but all have a chance to make an impact on the season, pull off upsets, win their conference (should they be in a conference), or have their player win the Heisman.  But I digress.  I thought I'd run through My Top 25.  Then as an engineer by trade, put some sort of metric on whether I think each team will exceed or falter vs. the AP/Coaches (see "higher/lower" below), then rate my picks at the end of the season.  Sounds like fun?  Here we go!

Bold teams win the conference, Italics make the conference title game. 

My Top 25
1) Alabama (higher)
2) Oregon (higher)
3) Texas (higher)
4) USC (lower)
5) Wisconsin (higher)
6) Oklahoma (lower)
7) LSU (lower)
8) West Virginia (higher)
9) Florida State (lower)
10) Michigan (lower)
11) South Carolina (lower)
12) Arkansas (lower)
13) Georgia (lower)
14) Boise State (higher)
15) Notre Dame (higher)
16) Michigan State (lower)
17) Clemson (lower)
18) Nebraska (lower)
19) Florida (higher)
20) Ohio State (lower)
21) Virginia Tech (lower)
22) TCU (lower)
23) Louisiana Tech (higher)
24) Georgia Tech (higher)
25) Kansas State (lower)


Non ranked Conference winners:
Big East: Cincinnati
Conference USA: Southern Methodist
MAC: Northern Illinois
Sun Belt: Arkansas State

Top 5 Questions answered:
1) What the hell are you thinking with Texas #3
A: I am biased, but I think the team has the running game and defense that can keep them in all the games they play.  The Big 12 gauntlet will be tough, won't get out unscathed, but I think this is a year where 1 loss or 2 will still make the title game.  If the QB situation implodes and injuries at RB take a toll, then this team drops to .500 quick.

2) Louisiana Tech at #23.  Really?
Other than an odd loss at Hawaii last year, all losses were close (to teams like Houston by 1 point, Southerm Miss by 2 points, TCU by 7 points).  Lost only 1 game after October 1st, this team gets Sonny Dykes system.  Early schedule is the most intriguing, with Texas A&M at home, then on the road with Houston, trips to Illinois and Virginia loom (good team can win those games).  Then it's easy sailing (no trips to Oahu).

3) Why Alabama #1?
They lost a lot on defense, but are so, so deep.  LSU isn't as much a threat as people think, only 3 ranked teams on the schedule (2 in the first 3 weeks, then LSU).  Every week you're going to watch this team play and expect them to win by 10 points.

4) Okay, Notre Dame at #15.  You're smoking something!
Kelly has this team playing the right way.  They've got some depth for the first time in a while.  Brutal schedule (give them credit), but all their opponents I think are slightly over slot.  They should have beat Michigan last year at the Big House (now everyone thinks Michigan is Top 10).  If this team gels by the 2nd half of the season, watch out!

5) Boise State ain't that good.
A trip to Michigan State early, then there's nothing stopping them. Neutral site, I think they'd give the teams behind them fits, and the teams in front of them good games.  I'm gambling they'll beat an overrated Michigan State team, then end up 12-0 like they usually do, crashing the BCS.

Other random picks:
Heisman: Matt Barkley
Coach of the Year: Sonny Dykes
Teams that are WAY overrated: Stanford, Oklahoma State (notice a theme here with QB's leaving), Georgia, Michigan State

Team outside the Top 10 that could run the table: West Virginia - we don't know how good this team is in a tougher conference, they might explode against an average Big 12.

Team in the Top 10 most likely to end up out: Georgia - has the benefit of a good schedule, but if the team gives up after early losses, there's a lot of games they may not win.

Things to bet your house on: Wisconsin representing the Leaders division in the Big 10 title game - two teams aren't eligible, the others are Illinois, Indiana, and Purdue.

BCS Games (winner in bold) plus Cotton and Peach (the next best two)
Championship: Alabama (12-1) vs. Oregon (12-1)
Rose: Wisconsin (11-2) vs. USC (11-2)
Fiesta: Texas (10-2) vs. Boise State (12-0)
Sugar: LSU (10-2) vs. Oklahoma (10-2)
Orange: Florida State (10-3) vs. Cincinnati (9-3)
Cotton: West Virginia (9-3) vs. Arkansas (9-3)
Peach*: South Carolina (10-3) vs. Virginia Tech (10-3)

*Peach goes by Chick Fil'a these days.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/19/2012

This week, there was definitely one athlete that distinguished himself, the THIRD person to throw a perfect game since I started this feature.  Didn't think I'd have that much business on that front.  But Felix Hernandez dominated the Rays.  27 up, 27 down, and a boat load of strikeouts. A personal side bar, got to see Felix pitch in the 2004 MLB Futures Game as an 18 year old (youngest player there).  But he is a great sportsman, so much so, he's the one of the week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/12/2012

Really tough week to pick with a golf major plus all the Olympic action, but going to lean toward another Olympic legend this week.  The fastest man alive. Ever.  Three gold medals, one World Record, one Olympic Record, didn't even seem like he was really trying. First athlete ever to win the 100m/200m in back to back Olympics.  He's simply one of the best athlete of our era, strong enough to win the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Best Two-Sport Athletes - Football and Basketball

This is the first of a four part series examining the best two-sport athletes of the "modern" era.  "Modern" is defined in that I had to see them play (so no Jim Thorpe, Wilt Chamberlain, Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, Bob Hayes, etc.).  Each of the "big three" American sports (Basketball, Baseball, Football) will be paired with the others with best listed, then one "other" category which will consist of one of those 3, and another sport (like olympic sports for example).

Criteria are as follows:
1) Playing a high level at both.  Not included are going to be people who were good as prepsters but chose one sports over the other and never competed in college or beyond.
2) Accolades at the higher levels: Halls of Fame, All Stars, playing on title teams, big games, achievement over just playing

These were all off the top of my head (little research done, except after the candidates were identified) so I might have missed someone.  Feel free to set me straight!

So without further ado, the Top 5 two-sport athletes in Football and Basketball are below.  Tends toward big men, tight ends for sure, with one major exception.

#1 - Charlie Ward
College: Florida State
Highest Football: College (Quarterback)
Highest Basketball: NBA (Point Guard, 11 seasons)
All Star season (Pro): None
Honors: Heisman (1993), Davey O'Brien (1993), All American (football, 1993), College Football Hall of Fame (2006), 1st round NBA pick, 2 time ACC athlete of the year (1993, 1994).
Records: Career and single game steals for FSU (basketball),
Championships: College Football National Championship (1993), Played in one NBA Finals (1999)
Comments: Best player in college football AND 1st round NBA selection goes a long way.  His FSU basketball teams made deep NCAA tournament runs. NBA career was nondescript, but played for over 10 years. Was also drafted in baseball twice (despite not having played since high school) and was a noted prepster tennis player.

#2 - Tony Gonzalez
College: California
Highest Football: NFL (Tight End, 16 seasons, still active)
Highest Basketball: College (Forward, 3 seasons)
All Star season (Pro): 12x Pro Bowl, 9x All Pro (both football) 
Honors: All American (college football, 1996), NFL All Decade team (2000's), NFL Hall of Fame (5 years from retirement), 1st round NFL pick
Records: Career receptions, TDs, and yards for a TE (NFL), single season receptions for a TE (NFL), consecutive starts for a TE (NFL)
Championships: None
Comments: If his college basketball career had been a bit more than just normal, he's by far the best pro on this list.  One of his Cal hoops teams made a Sweet 16 run.  By most counts, the consensus best Tight End of all time in the NFL.

#3 - Julius Peppers 
College: North Carolina
Highest Football: NFL (Defensive End, 10 seasons, still active)
Highest Basketball: College (Forward, 2 seasons) 
All Star season (Pro): 7x Pro Bowl, 5x All Pro (both football)
Honors: All American (college football, 2001), Defensive Player of the Year (2004), Defensive Rookie of the Year (2002), NFL All Decade team (2000's), 1st round NFL pick (2nd overall)
Records: Most Career Sacks (Panthers), Longest INT return for a Defensive Lineman (NFL, 97 yards), 2nd most blocked kicks (NFL, 12)
Championships: Played in one Super Bowl (2003)
Comments: Similar to Gonzalez, just not quite enough on the basketball side, although he played in a Final 4 and was heavily recruited by Coach K at Duke, but wanted a football path that UNC offered him.

#4 - Antonio Gates
College: Kent State
Highest Football: NFL (Tight End, 9 seasons, still active)
Highest Basketball: College (Forward, 4 seasons at 4 schools)
All Star season (Pro): 8x Pro Bowl, 5x All Pro (both football)
Honors: Mr. Basketball Michigan (runner up 1999), NFL All Decade team (2000's), Honorable Mention All-American Honors (Kent State basketball, 2003), Kent State basketball jersey retired (44)
Records: None (has the unfortunate position same as Kellen Winslow for franchise records).
Championships: None
Comments: Originally enrolled at Michigan State to play hoops for Izzo and pigskin for Saban, but Saban demanded his full attention for football.  Transferred to Eastern Michigan and some JuCo until landing at Kent State his last 2 years. His Senior Kent State hoops team reached the Elite 8, upsetting Oklahoma and Alabama in its wake.  Did not play football in college.

#5 - Jimmy Graham
College: Miami (FL)
Highest Football: NFL (Tight End, 2 seasons, still active)
Highest Basketball: College (Forward, 4 seasons)
All Star season (Pro): 1x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro (both football)
Honors: None
Records: Briefly held record for single season receiving yards by a TE (broken later that day).
Championships: None
Comments: His career still young, yet to get many accolades, was not a star in college at either sport.  Played 4 years of hoops at Miami, then played one last year of football after graduating with two degrees (marketing and management).

#5 Donovan McNabb (addendum)
College: Syracuse
Highest Football: NFL (Quarterback, 13 seasons, not yet retired)
Highest Basketball: College (Guard, 2 seasons)
All Star season (Pro): 6x Pro Bowl
Honors: 3x Big East Offensive Player of the Year (1996-8), Big East Offensive Player of the Decade (1990's) Syracuse All Century Team (20th), 5th in 1998 Heisman voting, 2nd overall NFL Draft pick (1999), NFC Offensive Player of the Year (2004),
Records: Eagles' leader career wins/attempts/completions/yards/touchdowns
Championships: NFC Champions (2004)
Comments: Also ran track and field and played volleyball in high school.  Was high school hoops teammate with Antoine Walker (Kentucky). Played for NCAA Runner Up basketball team in 1996 (team lost to Kentucky and the aforementioned Walker), did not play in Final Four (Boeheim kept a 7-8 man rotation).  McNabb did log time in the Sweet 16 round.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/5/2012

A very busy week in the Olympics with a year's worth of potential sportspersons of the week, but a final tip of the hat to who is probably the best Olympian ever.  There, I said it.  22 Olympic medals, 18 gold.  Eighteen!  He only competed in two events in which he didn't medal, so 75% gold in anything he tries.  So all in a week's work this week, 4 golds and 2 silver medals.  A tip of the hat to an American legend, Michael Phelps, you are the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

What is competitiveness?

Okay, so I haven't watched that much Olympics, but I'm intrigued by the "scandal" in which eight badminton players (4 pairs) were disqualified from the Olympics for not giving their best effort.  Let me say, I wholeheartedly agree that the display that took place was against everything the Olympics represent and needed to be dealt with.  Not to mention pound paying fans who saw a farce.  I watched it replayed, at least a couple of minutes of it.  But this is no different than a NUMBER of other examples across all sports.  And I less blame them than the pool play system.  And believe me, I'm no sympathizer to China, South Korea, or Indonesia, I'm pretty much a disinterested 3rd party sports fan.

So the background is that these teams had already qualified for the elimination (knockout) round, and these games only meant seeding.  Under normal circumstances, a higher seed means something.  In US sports, it means a bye, or home field advantage, or an inferior opponent.  In this case, it really only meant the latter at least in the first round.

So I present the following scenarios as evidence this is no different than a number of other sports and we tolerate it:

1) I paid my money and deserve the real deal.

How many people paid good money today to see the US basketball team today?  Each team should give its max effort every game.  So why did the US only play LeBron and Kobe for a total of 22 minutes? They have the obligation to compete at their highest level, right? Not really. When you win by 83 points.  The real obligation is to have a well rested team for the next round.  Damn the fans.

2) It's the Olympics, you're supposed to at least try hard enough to win for sure.

Do the swimming relays use their best swimmers in the preliminary rounds?  Why not, they're supposed to try their best, right?  No?  But fans are there to see them? Why not? Because they're saving their energy for the critical rounds.  Not that MLB All Star Home Run Derby is a real sport, but we've seen many a contestant flame out with a 10+ HR first round and tire.

3) Yeah, but in individual sports, everyone gives their best effort every match.

I'm a HUGE fan of the Tour De France, and let me tell you, that every rider doesn't give his best effort every day.  Why not? Because winning that stage is not the goal.  Winning the GC or Sprint points or Climb points, or even tomorrow's stage is the goal.  So do I get mad if Bradley Wiggins doesn't challenge every rider on every stage for 1st? Uh, no. He lets them have their moment, then takes his cred in Paris. What about track sprinters, they go ALL OUT in the first few rounds? Not really.  And with individual swimmers. Michael Phelps barely skated into the 400 IM by making sure he put forth the least effort possible.

4) But their team won, it only matters if you win.

Tell that to NFL fans who watch their teams bench all their key players in Week 17 (and sometimes Week 16) as their playoff spot is secure.  Doesn't even matter if the other team is in the mix.  The goal is the Super Bowl.  Best example is 2009, the Indianapolis Colts with a shot at the Miami Dolphins immortality of undefeated season at 14-0.  Except they'd already clinched home field in the AFC.  So no reason to play their starters in the 2nd half.  Why would they risk injury?  They didn't. And lost to the Jets.  Then lost to the Bills. The fans of neither of those games got the best effort of the teams.

So if all this sounds familiar it should.  Why should those four badminton teams put forth their best effort if they're guaranteed a berth to the next round?  Like all the above examples, at a minimum they were saving their energy for the next round.  There was some conjecture that the throwing of matches was to seed themselves opposite their countrywomen.  Great, why didn't Badminton organizers make it so teams of the same country were always opposite (via committee seeding or community rule)?

It's a shame these athletes were disqualified.  They should have known better so shame on them for that. But this is the equivalent of the NFL commissioner removing the top seed in the NFL playoffs for throwing a game, fining an MLB team for not throwing their best pitcher on the last day of the season to save him for the playoffs, or every NHL team not playing their best goalie every game in an effort to reach the postseason in best form.  All involved a team sacrificing a chance to win for the sake of the long term goal. Only the badminton teams were just too obvious about it.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/29/2012

Didn't think this week's Sportsman of the Week would be Olympics related, but couldn't resist.  I love the wider world of sports, this gentleman represents the spirit of sports for sure.  Im Dong-hyun (South Korea) is legally blind. And he set the Olympic record on the day of the Opening Ceremonies. He has 20% or less vision in both eyes. "The 26-year-old Im does not wear glasses in competition, saying he relies on distinguishing between the bright colors of the target."  In any event, great sportsman, deserving winner of this week's Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/22/2012

A fair bit of foreshadowing took place last week, but there is no question in this blogger's mind who the Sportsman of the Week is.  Bradley Wiggins made history in the Tour De France, becoming the first British rider to win the General Classification (i.e. Yellow Jersey) in 99 years of the race and doing it with style.  He dominated the final Time Trial, led his teammate Mark Cavendish out for a win on two stages, had another third place finish, and gave up no time to any main rival all week.  He clearly was the class of the 2012 field and looked like he was in an armchair all week in doing it. A deserved Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/15/2012

Tough call this week, with MLB taking an All Star break, I had to lean toward Tour De France for best athlete, but don't want to name an athlete that is likely to be next week's athlete.  With that as a backdrop, this week's Sportsman is American, and making a huge impact on Le Tour both individually and for the team.  Tejay Van Garderen has absolutely shocked analysts with his performance thus far, particularly in the time trials (4th in both the Prologue and Stage 9, only yellow jersey possessor Bradley Wiggins of current tour participants has finished higher) and in an awkward scenario, Tejay tried to lead Cadel Evans on an attack in Stage 11 but Evans couldn't keep up. And he is the current holder of the White jersey for best young rider.  Tejay is grinding, he struggled a bit in the first week late in climbs, but his form has kept him with the leaders every stage since, he's a deserving Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Why the Tour De France is the best sport in, well, sports

This blog loves the wider world of sports, and the Tour De France (and competitive cycling in general) certainly tickles that fancy.  Seriously, it's amazing to watch on so many levels, I'll try to break it down in a Top 10 reasons that you should be watching the Tour De France:

10. Fan Access - Where else can fans literally participate in sports?  No, seriously, fans will pass out newspapers to cyclists at the summit of climbs (which are stuffed under the jerseys as wind protection), and if your lucky enough (or really unlucky) to be near a cyclist that falls, it's perfectly acceptable to help him up, give him a push to start, etc.  Unfortunately, fans are also so close, they've been known to cause crashes.

9. Scenery - I dare you to watch 3 hours of the Tour De France and not want to travel there.  The TV coverage (more on that in a minute) spoils us with helicopter views of chateaus, coastline, beautiful hills/mountains/valleys.

8. Peloton party - What happens in the peleton stays in the peleton.  Okay, maybe not that much of a party, but there's a camaraderie there that is matched by few situations in sports.  Teams/individuals work together, there's banter, perhaps political discussions, it's just the place to be.

7. Drinking during the contest - Yes, on the final stage, tradition dictates that the yellow jersey sips champagne as the peloton reaches Paris.  What other sport can you literally drink while you compete and win a three week event!

6., Variety of athlete - Like American football, these guys are stocky, slim, tall, short, lanky.  They all do something a little different than the other guy.  Andre Greipel's legs are tree trunks.  So are Mark Cavendish.  The brothers Schleck have twigs for legs.  Cadel Evans is 5'8".  Chris Froome is 6'1".  These guys are #4 and #2 in the GC at this point.

5. International representation - No country dominates, Europe has the most representatives, but North America, Russia/East Europe/Asia, and increasingly South America are represented.  And no one country dominates, teams are from countries, riders on those teams are not necessarily born in those countries, and on any stage, you have someone to cheer for.

4. Team Strategy - It took me a while to appreciate this, but team composition and strategy define the winners of stages, jerseys, and overall races.  To watch the subtle teamwork of who is driving the peloton, who is best protecting their GC riders, and who is dominating the lead out train makes each day worth watching.

3. TV Coverage - Talk about a challenge, each course being 150 miles give or take, how do you bring the images to the fans?  France has it figured out, motorcycles, helicopters, etc., you never feel like you're missing anything.  Sure enough, there are crashes or events that don't have a camera on it (there are 200 riders, not always together, spread out over miles).  But when you watch, you see the race.  There are a lot of commercials early, not as many late, great interviews, etc.  They set the benchmark for sports coverage in my opinion.

2. Athlete toughness - These guys, with little protective gear, fly at up to 60 MPH, sometimes within inches of other cyclists, with turns, rain, road obstructions, etc.  And 20% of them will break a bone by the end of the race.  Not to mention the scrapes and scratches.  And those guys continue to carry themselves over thousands of kilometers and still finish.  I can't imagine a professional cyclist not suffering a broken collarbone at some point in their career, it just goes without saying. The ultimate being Johnny Hoogerland's car bump into barbed wire. Here's a laundry list of crashes, the riders just get up and ride: http://deadspin.com/5586138/top-15-cringeworthy-tour-de-france-crashes.  See the following images, not the for the squeamish (Hoogerland's the third photo).

1. Pure athleticism.  Le Tour is 23 days (21 racing), these guys go 5 hours a day, over mountains, through the plains, into the wind, sometimes rain, by the end, over 2000 miles and as I said, many won't finish.  5 hours is essentially the time of two marathons for elite times, per day, every day, etc.  Over two major mountain ranges.  These guys are athletes in every sense of the word, I can't imagine any discipline requiring more work.

I can actually imagine myself playing football and holding my own, same with basketball.  This is one sport, I literally could not come close to competing.  Wouldn't finish the first day!