NCAA Football FanHouse

Old School: Tim Brewster Did Actually Go to the Rose Bowl

Brian Cook — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Michigan Football, NCAA FB Video, Illinois Football

"Old School" is the College Football FanHouse's irregular look back at the rich history of college football, usually through the medium of embeddable flash video. Check out the Old School archive for more famous plays and infamous hair.

Before Tim Brewster was Minnesota's head coach, he coached tight ends in the NFL. Before that, he coached tight ends in college. And before that, he was an Illinois tight end with a killer Buckstache and coachspeak down pat:

About two minutes into the video, Thomas Rooks scores the game's only touchdown in a 16-6 Illinois win over Michigan, Illinois' first since 1966. Illinois would go to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1964.

The Illini were, naturally, cheating their asses off, though Mike White's wikipedia page completely omits mention of that.

Old School: Tim Brewster Did Actually Go to the Rose Bowl originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ron Zook Is Ready for His Closeup

Tom Fornelli — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:11:00 EST

Filed under: Big 10, NCAA FB Media Watch, Illinois Football, Big Ten Network

Now that the Big Ten Network and Comcast cable have finally come to an agreement that will actually allow the majority of Big Ten fans to see the network, it's time to figure out what exactly they're going to be showing to fill all that dead air between Iowa/Indiana lacrosse matches and Minnesota/Penn State tennis.

Last season the BTN did a series called "The Journey" in which they followed Tubby Smith and the Minnesota basketball team around during the season and chronicled the changes taking place under Smith. The series was a success, and the network will be doing it again this season, with the focus of the show being on Ron Zook and Illinois' football program.

BTN officials plan to announce Thursday the Illini will be featured in Season 2. Minnesota and its first-year basketball coach, Tubby Smith, were the series' guinea pigs.

"I talked with Tubby and he was impressed with their professionalism," Zook said. "He had the same fears in the beginning as I do."

Chief among those fears?

"This will be like having someone in your bedroom," Zook said.

Whether or not there will be any segments in which we follow the Zooker as he goes water skiing, I don't know, but I have my fingers crossed.

Illinois wasn't actually the BTN's first choice, as they also considered following Joe Tiller at Purdue as he enters his final season as head coach of the Boilers, or Rich Rodriguez as he enters his first season at Michigan. They only made the pitch to Michigan, though, and Rodriguez turned them down. I guess he has enough on his plate already.

Personally, I would have been fine if they covered Wisconsin's water polo team. I'm just happy to finally have the Big Ten Network here in Chicago. It tends to make covering the conference somewhat easier when you can actually see the games.

Ron Zook Is Ready for His Closeup originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why Does Rashard Mendenhall Hate Ron Zook?

Brian Cook — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 02:36:00 EST

Filed under: Big 10, Illinois Football

Rashard Mendenhall just finished the most productive season in the history of Illinois running backs and was drafted in the first round by the Steelers. He is, of course, rapt with ecstasy when talking about the guy who put him in this position:

"To tell you the truth, as long as Ron Zook is there it will be hard for me to support the University of Illinois football team," Mendenhall said.

Uh. Dude. In a wide-ranging interview with an Illinois newspaper named the News-Gazette that declines to mention where the hell it's located, Mendenhall drops that bomb and many others. To wit:

His brother and teammate Walter is the only reason Mendenhall didn't transfer before his breakout 2007: ""There was a point where we were at the stadium and I was ready to start walking out and my brother stopped me."
His animosity had nothing to do with "what happened to" his brother, who is going to graduate and transfer to I-AA Illinois State for his final year of eligibility: "It's so much more than that. It's so much that's going on right now, that went on with me that people don't know. It's hard for me to support how things are done."
Ron Zook eats babies.*

Like I said: dude. I think we now know why the hyper-talented Mendenhall spent his first two seasons stuck behind decent but uninspiring backs. Well... sort of. At no point in the article does Mendenhall say why he wants Ron Zook to play in traffic, just that "everything wasn't as it appeared to be."

Well, why not? Does Zook have three heads? Does he shave his legs? Did he walk over to Mendenhall's apartment every morning and take a dump on the porch? INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW.

*(Silly blogger, Ron Zook doesn't eat babies. Babies are for Maxiell.)

Why Does Rashard Mendenhall Hate Ron Zook? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 02:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ron Zook Sings

Charles Rich — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:07:00 EST

Filed under: Big 10, NCAA FB Coaching, NCAA FB Video, Chicago, Illinois Football

Illinois Head Coach Ron Zook took in a Cubs game at Wrigley and was given the honor of leading the crowd in singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" today.

Clearly Zook does not get the recruits to Illinois by serenading them.

Ron Zook Sings originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Worst Moments in Big Ten Football History #3: 1984 Rose Bowl, Illinois vs. UCLA

Mark Hasty — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:17:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA Football, Big 10, Pac 10, Bowl Games, NCAA FB History, Los Angeles, Illinois Football

FanHouse is counting down the ten best, ten worst, and ten weirdest moments in the history of Big Ten football.

Above: Rick Neuheisel (right) and Troy Aikman in Neuheisel's first coaching stint at UCLA.

Not many people remember it, but for a few years in the early 1980s, the Big Ten played a full round-robin schedule, as opposed to the current "skip the same two teams for two years in a row" format that has been in place since Penn State joined the conference. During that brief period, one team actually managed to defeat all nine of its conference opponents: Mike White's Fighting Illini, in the 1983 season. The Angry Indigenous Woodlands People dropped their first game to Missouri, then ran off ten straight wins, entering the Granddaddy of Them All 10-1 and ranked fourth in the nation.

And on the other side of the field? Terry Donahue's UCLA Bruins, a team so dazzlingly awesome they went 0-3 in their non-conference games. The doddering Bruins won the Pac-10 almost by default that season; they were 6-1-1 in conference play (ties were still allowed back then), and 6-4-1 overall. (Can you imagine the outcry today if a six-win team got a BCS berth?)

So, obviously, there was no hope for the Bruins. You'll note, however, that this game wound up on the Big Ten's "worst moments," and of course there's a reason for that.

The reason is that, apparently, the world-beating Illini team that ran the table in the Big Ten was mysteriously replaced by the football team from Cal Tech.

On offense, the usually reliable Jack Trudeau stunk it up something fierce. He threw three picks, two of them to UCLA safety Don Rogers. Trudeau did manage to toss a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but his pass on the two-point conversion attempt failed. But, in Trudeau's defense, the rushing game literally did nothing to help him. Dwight Beverly and Thomas Rooks combined for all of 43 yards rushing, but there were so many plays which went for losses that Illinois wound up with a net rushing total of zero yards.

The Illini defense, on the other hand, was nothing less than brilliant, holding the Bruins to a mere 511 yards of total offense and only 45 points. This on a day when UCLA's quarterback woke up with food poisoning, for crying out loud. But that quarterback still managed to have a career day against Cal Tech Illinois, throwing for 298 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to the same receiver. The UCLA QB was Rick Neuheisel. The receiver was Karl Dorrell. That probably means something, but I'm not sure what.

What I am sure of is that this was hands-down the worst-ever performance by any Big Ten team in a bowl game, and yes, I am aware of the 2007 BCS Title Game. This was worse. Much worse. Florida, at least, was ranked.

Worst Moments in Big Ten Football History #3: 1984 Rose Bowl, Illinois vs. UCLA originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 14 May 2008 15:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Moments in Big Ten Football History #10: Air Superiority, 1980

Mark Hasty — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:51:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa Football, Ohio State Football, Big 10, Purdue Football, NCAA FB History, Illinois Football

FanHouse is counting down the 10 best, 10 worst, and 10 weirdest moments in Big Ten football history.

The phrase "three yards and a cloud of dust" was coined to describe Big Ten football, and it's still a fairly apt description of the conference's beefy, run-first mentality. That is not to say, however, that the forward pass is still a novelty in the Big Ten. Indeed, some pretty good quarterbacks have come out of the conference. A guy in New England comes to mind, for instance.

There was one particular day, though, when everything truly went berserk. That day was November 8, 1980. On that Saturday afternoon, the Big Ten's record for the most passing yards in a single game was broken not once but twice. In fact, not only was the conference's single-game passing record broken, so was the NCAA's. Even more improbably, two other national passing records were broken that day, though not by Big Ten quarterbacks.

Was there something in the air that day? Well, duh. Footballs were in the air. Everywhere.

The story of the Big Ten's pass-wackiest day ever begins in West Lafayette, where the Purdue Boilermakers ground the Iowa Hawkeyes into McNuggets, 58-13. Purdue's signal-caller, Mark Herrmann, was brilliant, passing for 423 yards in the victory.

Now, 423 yards is a good day for any quarterback. Even today just about any team would take that performance, especially in a 45-point victory. And Herrmann did break the old Big Ten single-game passing record. Had anybody been watching SportsCenter back in 1980 (okay, I was watching), Herrmann's great day might well have been the biggest story of the day. But you should've seen what happened in Columbus that same afternoon.

The Buckeyes were hosting Illinois that day in a true defensive slugfest. OSU wound up winning 49-42, but their victory was not the real story of the game. Even in defeat, it was hard to ignore what Illini quarterback Dave Wilson did. After the Illini struggled through the first half, trailing 28-7, Wilson picked apart Ohio State's secondary like a Rottweiler chewing on a t-bone. He wound up throwing for six touchdowns and an almost impossible to imagine 621 yards in the Illini's furious rally.

Wilson's great day obviously set a conference single-game record, but also broke the NCAA record for the most passing yards in a game. Wilson's record would stand for another eight seasons, and still stands as the sixth best game of all time.

But there were other great things happening that day as well. In Washington, Tom Flick completed more than 94% of his passes (16 out of 17) in a 45-22 win over Arizona. Even that, though, wasn't the most amazing passing story of the day. For that you had to drive down I-5 to Portland, where Neil Lomax had a pretty good day. His Portland State Vikings were playing the Delaware State Hornets, or at least playing with them. PSU wound up winning 105-0. Lomax threw for eight touchdowns, which is freakish. Even more amazing is that he threw seven of those touchdowns in the first quarter.

Lomax's great day got all the attention in the press. Let's face it; it's hard to ignore a 105-0 football game. But we may never again see a day when two passers in the same conference break the single-game yardage record. November 8, 1980 was a great day for football fans (like me) who can watch a wide-open passing attack all afternoon long.

Best Moments in Big Ten Football History #10: Air Superiority, 1980 originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 06 May 2008 10:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Illini's Speedy Martez Wilson Breaks the Code: Big Ten Is Slow

Brian Grummell — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:55:00 EST

Filed under: Big 10, Big 12, Pac 10, SEC, Illinois Football, The Word

Just ... just, shush! ...

Illinois? Ok. Ohio State? Ok. Michigan? Ok.

Missouri and USC? Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaast.

"I chose not to redshirt. I told them I'd work hard and get as much playing time as possible. I got a starting spot on special teams as a gunner, and it helped me a lot to adjust to the speed. Some teams were very fast."

Such as the first and last teams the Illini played last season, he said.

"The fastest games I played were Missouri and USC," he said.

Anecdotal and oh so annoying for Big Ten fans everywhere. Those Big Ten gazelles can't outrun those Pac-10, Big- 12 and SEC cheetahs or so the claim goes. Silly stuff really, but SEC folks need fresh talking points and love to harass the Big 10.

You can send your thank you cards to:

Illinois Football Office c/o Martez 'Benedict' Wilson
1402 S. First St.
Champaign IL 61820

Illini's Speedy Martez Wilson Breaks the Code: Big Ten Is Slow originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beware Of Big 10 Backs

JJ Cooper — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Draft, Big 10, SEC, Illinois Football, Illinois

Illinois' Rashard Mendenhall may turn out to be an outstanding NFL running back, but if he does, he'll be bucking a lot of history.

Mendenhall is considered one of the top running backs in this year's draft, and he's pegged by some to be a mid to late first-rounder. But he'll have to overcome a somewhat accurate stigma that Big Ten backs are more trouble than they are worth.

Category	Big 10	Pct.	Others	Pct.
Elite	1	10%	13	31%
1,000-yards in a season	4	40%	23	55%
Busts	5	50%	7	17%
To early to rank	1	10%	7	17%

Over the past 10 years, 10 Big Ten backs have been picked in the first two rounds. Four of them rank among some of the bigger draft busts of the past decade. First-rounders Curtis Enis, Ron Dayne, Chris Perry and T.J. Duckett and second-rounder Joe Montgomery never lived up to the hype and the hopes of the teams that drafted them. Of the other five, Larry Johnson has turned into an elite back, while Ladell Betts, Michael Bennett and Anthony Thomas have each had one 1,000-yard season in careers that have largely left them on the bench. Lawrence Maroney hasn't had a 1,000-yard season yet, but he has shown promise, so it's too early to put any kind of stamp on his career yet.

I picked 10 years as a simple round number. But if you go back further it doesn't get any better for the Big Ten. The conference does get to add Eddie George's greatness, but that gets washed away by busts like Tim Biakabatuka and Ki-Jana Carter. Going back even further gives you epic busts like Blair Thomas, Darrell Thompson and Vaughn Dunbar.

If you're looking for a theme, most of the Big 10 busts have been power backs who have pounded their way between the tackles to big college careers. Dayne, Duckett and Enis were all among the biggest backs in their draft. They all proved unable to hit the hole quick enough to be a consistent every-down back in the NFL. The argument that the Big Ten is a slow-man's league seems to gain some credence from their struggles. Mendehall isn't nearly as big as Dayne or Duckett, but his scouting report mentions questions about his lack of breakaway speed, which should be a concern considering the league's past history.If you're scoring at home, that's five 1,000-yard seasons from 10 first and second-round Big Ten picks. That's one elite player and five busts in 10 picks at one of the positions that's supposed to be easiest to draft. The ineptness of Big 10 backs stands out even more when you compare them to the rest of the first and second-round backs.

There have been 42 other tailbacks taken in the top two rounds over the past decade. Those 42 tailbacks have piled up 69 1,000-yard seasons, with 13 of the backs having two or more 1,000-yard seasons. For the sake of this study, we'll call any back who had two or more 1,000-yard seasons elite. It's a low-bar, but it's safe to say that a team that drafts an early-round back is probably relatively happy if they get a couple of 1,000-yard seasons out of them. That doesn't include Adrian Peterson, who has only one 1,000-yard season right now, no matter how gaudy that one season was.

The elite backs from the rest of the college ranks include most of the best backs around the NFL over the past several years. It includes LaDainian Tomlinson, Jamal Lewis, Edgerrin James, Joseph Addai, Fred Taylor, Clinton Portis, Deuce McAllister, Steven Jackson, Willis McGahee, Thomas Jones and Ricky Williams.

Now there have been some other busts, of course. But among those 42 other tailbacks, there are only seven who stand out as clear busts (Trung Candidate, J.J. Arrington, J.J. Johnson, Eric Shelton, William Green, Mike Cloud and John Avery). Beyond the fact that this proves you should never trust a guy named J.J., it also shows that the conventional wisdom is true--it's usually a pretty safe bet to draft a tailback early, as long as they don't come from the Big Ten.

If you're looking for a safer bet, check out backs from the Southeastern Conference. Over the past 10 years, 13 SEC backs have been drafted in the first two rounds. They have combined for 29 1,000-yard seasons. Eight of them have at least one 1,000-yard season and six have had two or more 1,000-yard seasons. Only two of them (Johnson and Avery) were busts. While Kevin Faulk sits somewhere in between. He has never had a 1,000-yard rushing season, but he has been a valuable third-down back. The jury is still out on 2007 second-round pick Kenny Irons.

That's good news for Darren McFadden and Felix Jones--a pair of SEC backs who could be first-round picks.

Beware Of Big 10 Backs originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bars Aren't the Best Place to Fire a Gun

Tom Fornelli — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:58:00 EST

Filed under: Big 10, NCAA FB Campus, NCAA FB Police Blotter, Illinois Football

It's been a few years since I was making the rounds at all of Champaign's finest drinking establishments, so maybe I'm just out of the loop on how the social scene at the University of Illinois works these days. However things have changed, I don't think I'm going to be asking Illinois linebacker Erique Robertson for advice.

Earlier on Monday it was announced that Robertson had been suspended indefinitely by the team for violating team rules, but there was nothing said about what Robertson did. Well, now we know.

Robertson allegedly fired a gun he brought along with him to a Champaign bar.

The 19-year-old freshman is charged with reckless discharge of a firearm and two counts of aggravated unlawful use of weapons. Both are felonies.

Champaign police spokeswoman Rene Dunn said Robertson was arrested about 1:45 a.m. Sunday in front of Ellusions, a local bar. No one was injured.

Why Robertson felt the need to fire his gun, I don't know. Nobody's saying. Maybe that cute co-ed he bought a beer for just wasn't feeling him, and he wanted to vent his frustration. Whatever happened, I hope this is a valuable lesson for college football players everywhere. If you want a girl's attention, don't fire your gun at the bar. Just go back to your dorm room and post naked photos of yourself on the internet.

Bars Aren't the Best Place to Fire a Gun originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NFL Damage Report: Big Ten

Brian Cook — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 09:38:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Football, Michigan Football, Michigan State Football, Ohio State Football, Penn State Football, Wisconsin Football, Big 10, Illinois Football

Tuesday was the deadline for underclassmen to declare their entry into the NFL Draft. Below, a look at the damage done across the Big Ten in the NFL Damage Report. Yes, the NFL is still interested in the occasional Big Ten player.

Ohio State
Gone	DE Vernon Gholston
Back	WR Brian Robiskie, LB James Laurinaitis, LB Marcus Freeman CB Malcolm Jenkins, OT Alex Boone
Damage	Gholston will be a major loss. The Detroit junior was a terror all year long -- if OSU hadn't busted three coverages at the wrong time he would have made an enormous impact on the national title game -- and perhaps the best defensive end in the Big Ten since Simeon Rice. OSU has a lot of talent, but guys like Gholston are rare no matter how many hyped recruits you've reeled in. But the unfortunate reality for Big Ten fans is that OSU got off easier than everyone expected. Jenkins and Laurinaitis have been projected in the top half of the first round by most draft services, but elected to return. A few likely first-day picks in Robiskie, Freeman, and Boone elected to stick around, as well. Despite the loss of Gholston OSU is a big winner here.

Michigan
Gone	WR Mario Manningham, WR Adrian Arrington, QB Ryan Mallett (transfer)
Back	DT Terrance Taylor, DE Tim Jamison
Damage	Manningham's departure was assumed from last summer, but Adrian Arrington's dynamite Citrus Bowl might have been the decisive factor in his decision to enter early; both departing leaves Michigan thin and young at wideout. Third WR Greg Mathews comes back, but he seems a steady possession type in the mold of Jason Avant, not a gamebreaker like Manningham was and Arrington was developing into. Mallett's departure will mean little to Michigan fans if Rich Rodriguez can reel in uberrecruit Terrelle Pryor. Meanwhile, a couple defensive linemen who could have gone somewhere on the first day return; Michigan brings back every contributor from a pretty decent defensive line from a year ago. They'll have to make their returns count for Michigan's defense to keep what looks like a shaky-at-best offense in games.

Wisconsin
Gone	CB Jack Ikegwuonu
Back	TE Travis Beckum
Damage	Ikegwuonu was quietly a superb performer over the past couple years. Wisconsin had the aid of a soft, Ohio State-free schedule and a full blast of the Ryan Mallett Experience against Michigan, but #1 in pass efficiency D is #1 in pass efficiency D, and that was greatly aided by Ikegwuonu's shut-down capabilities. Counterpart Allen Langford, toasted frequently as a sophomore, was capable this year but isn't likely to match Ikegwuonu's contributions in his final year. Getting Beckum back is a major bonus for new QB Allan Evridge, though. Beckum is a matchup nightmare in pads who should be the slam-dunk Mackey winner unless Evridge is a complete disaster.

Penn State
Gone	CB Justin King
Back	LB Sean Lee
Damage	King seemed a superstar in the making after a superb sophomore season and was well on his way to the first round of the draft when he ran into Indiana's James Hardy -- about whom more later -- and got owned. Owned hard. He then failed to live up to admittedly lofty expectations the rest of the year. His departure leaves Penn State's secondary looking shaky. PSU blog Run Up The Score: *Scared for 2008?* Totally. Penn State's cornerbacks are now A.J. Wallace and Lydell Sargeant, neither of whom were overly impressive while fighting for the starting spot opposite King. Another possible option is moving Tony Davis back to cornerback, but that just creates another gaping hole elsewhere in the defense. For a secondary that tended to fall apart at critical times in 2007, this is bad news for 2008. Getting Sean Lee, the latest in PSU's recent string of late-first/early-second OLB/MLB hybrids, back is a nice boost for a defense that looks stout up front. The other side of the ball? Well... I'm sure JayPa will get a guy above the median in passer efficiency one of these years.

Indiana
Gone	WR James Hardy
Back	None
Damage	Weapons like James Hardy just don't come around that often when you're Indiana. Hardy's projected as a second-rounder many places; the last time IU had a second-rounder in the NFL draft it was Antwaan Randle-El six years ago. The damage here is severe, albeit to the Hoosier's chances to repeat as bowl participants and little else.

Michigan State
Gone	WR Devin Thomas
Back	RB Javon Ringer
Damage	In the richest tradition of Michigan State wide receivers, Thomas talked big about beating Michigan, did not, and fled to the NFL. He takes with him every ounce of big-play ability MSU got from its passing game a year ago, but there are a couple promising youngsters on the way in rising sophomore Mark Dell and incoming freshman Fred Smith. Either could emerge into a suitable replacement, or MSU could fish out another JUCO. The WRs for erratic (read: bad) QB Brian Hoyer will probably be substandard. However, if MSU was forced to lose one of its offensive stars they would probably have picked Thomas over RB Javon Ringer, a talented runner held back by frequent injury and pounding power back Jehuu Caulcrick the past couple years. His most notable highlight last year was a zig-zagging cutback run against Michigan that spanned 70-some yards vertically and 50 horizontally before Shawn Crable dragged him down. Ringer averaged 5.9 YPC last year in front of a meh offensive line; he's good. The Spartans moved from John L Smith's spread offense to a traditional pounding ground game under Mark Dantonio; with a full, healthy year from Ringer he will press Chris Wells for All-Big Ten and possibly All-America.

Illinois
Gone	RB Rashard Mendenhall
Back	None
Damage	Mendenhall will vie with Gholston for the title of the Big Ten's single most damaging departure. While Illinois figures to fill the gap with promising JUCO transfer Daniel Dufrene, -- get busy livin', kid -- Dufrene can't match Mendenhall's NFL combination of speed, power, and moves. For my money, he was the top running back in the Big Ten a year ago, better than Ringer or Hart or Wells, and Illinois will miss him dearly. The offensive burden now falls more heavily upon junior-to-be Juice Williams, who may have improved radically as a sophomore but mostly because there was nowhere to go but up.

No (early) departures: Northwestern, Minnesota, Iowa, Purdue.

The Upshot: Ohio State's claim as the Big Ten frontrunner just gets stronger.

NFL Damage Report: Big Ten originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 09:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pardon Me, Did You Happen to See a Good BCS Bowl Game?

Ryan Ferguson — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:47:00 EST

Filed under: Georgia Football, LSU Football, Ohio State Football, Oklahoma Football, USC Football, West Virginia Football, ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, Pac 10, SEC, BCS, Bowl Games, NCAA FB Fans, Illinois Football, Hawaii Football

This whole BCS thing has me gritting my teeth again. Some of these bowl outcomes were predetermined before the first snap, but there were a few surprises.

Rose Bowl: USC 49, Illinois 17

That's what you get for your precious Rose Bowl tie-ins, Big 10 and Pac-10 fans. A total sham of a game. The Grandaddy? Not this year.

I know everyone's in love with USC after that dominating performance, but let's not lose sight of the fact that Illinois was probably overrated due to that win over Ohio State. A fact made even more obvious after the Bucks were hammered by LSU in the BCS title game. How great would it have been to see Southern Cal vs. Georgia in this game?

Sugar Bowl: Georgia 41, Hawaii 10

I'm all for giving the little guy a chance, but the Warriors had no business being in this game. Our valued Hawaii readers here at FanHouse have pointed out Hawaii's ascendance under June Jones and that the accomplishments of their football team showcase their rich cultural heritage. True, Hawaii's a powerhouse in the WAC nowadays, and that is something to be proud of... but it is the WAC, not the Pac-10 or SEC.

Regardless, this is the game I enjoyed the least. Why? Because my interest in the outcome of the game diminished as my fear for the physical safety of Hawaii's players grew. We here at FanHouse have the highest respect and appreciation for the island's tradition (how 'bout that Haka!), and we love the underdog. Love him! Warriors fans, you have every right to be proud of your team. But on the flip side, hey... it's college football. Bring it or shut up. Mahalo.

Fiesta Bowl: West Virginia 48, Oklahoma 28

This was a reasonably fun game to watch... for a half. Certainly the overwhelming favorite, Oklahoma, was upset by a surprisingly speedy and effective Mountaineer squad. (Even despite losing head coach Rich Rodriguez to Michigan!) But blowouts do get boring. I didn't see the final quarter. I don't blame this one on the BCS. I think.

Orange Bowl: Kansas 24, Virginia Tech 21

This one surprised me, but then again you're talking about two of the weaker conferences in the country this year squaring off. In terms of glamor and appeal, the Orange Bowl was sorely lacking. It was kind of a close game, I guess. Did anyone watch it? Kansas and Virginia Tech fans don't count.

BCS Title Game: I'll admit it, I grew nervous about this game after Michigan beat the Gators in the Capital One bowl; I actually called for a 1-point win for the Bayou Bengals. LSU clearly had a more talented team going into the game, but would Les Miles be able to get his team razor-focused and ready to play? Turns out I shouldn't have worried. This game was, for all intents and purposes, over after LSU answered the Buckeyes' opening salvo with 31 unanswered points.

The BCS, Playoffs, and +1

So how do you feel about this year's bowl matchups? With the exception of the Rose Bowl, I feel as though the BCS worked more or less as advertised: we got #1 vs. #2 in New Orleans, we had an at-large opponent not named Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, and Top 10 matchups involving West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kansas and Virginia Tech.

The problem, of course, is that although it 'worked', the system simply isn't very good, so neither was the final result. Between traditional bowl tie-ins (thanks for nothing, Rose Bowl!), corporate sponsors choosing teams based on their potential ROI rather than how good they might be, bowl politics and a mad-scientist formula which determines how a team is ranked, fans are more often than not robbed of an opportunity to see great postseason matchups.

Don't think I'm clamoring for a playoff. Please: I've studied this mess long enough to understand the business interests at the heart of college football easily trump what Joe Q. Football Fan and his buddies might want. Until we're all willing to stop paying for the product to get what we're asking for -- and trust me on this, none of us are -- we're not going to see a playoff. If anything, the controversy surrounding the BCS sweetens the pot for the suits making money on the whole deal.

Those suits love the current system. Love it. They're making money hand over fist. The universities aren't necessarily making a dime directly from their efforts -- a BCS appearance is often a break-even or lose-money proposition unless you're Notre Dame -- but the corporate sponsors, the bowls, and their supporting communities want it to stay status quo forever.

And it probably will. In all honesty, I don't think we'll ever see a true college football playoff in the fashion of the FCS or the NCAA basketball tournament. I've found it's easier to accept when you just decide to let it go.

It's important to remember that the current bowl system, and the BCS, isn't an entity. You can't call up the BCS on the telephone, or storm into their office building and demand to speak to the guy in charge. This system is a loose collection of hundreds of different entities, all with their own agendas and interests to protect. And it wasn't formed overnight: it took several generations of tweaking and twisting and turning and handshakes to get the "business" to this point. Things don't easily change, and when they do, it's only to make sure that the flow of greenbacks continues in the right direction and at the best rate possible. Do you think these people care about whether the right team is crowned a national champion? Their collective product -- college football's postseason -- is more successful now than it has ever been. You say playoff and they're not even listening. They couldn't care any less because business is great.

What I do think could work, eventually -- not this year, or next year, but maybe five or ten years from now -- is a +1 system. The +1 isn't perfect either, but it nicely fills almost all of the glaring holes left open by the current incarnation of the Bowl Championship Series. A +1 answers the problem of multiple undefeated teams vying for a championship slot, or in the case of the 2007 season, multiple defeated teams who all have reasonable claims to appear in the Big Game. Will someone always be left on the outside looking in? Yes, and that's too bad, but when you're talking about a total of 13, 14, or in the case of two teams under a hypothetical scenario like this one, 15 total games in a season, it's impossible to make everyone happy.

But even a +1 is a long shot.

The biggest problem, of course, is the set of "tradtional" bowl tie-ins. The Rose Bowl, in particular, doesn't want to see the Grandaddy become an "early round" bowl and the fear is that any type of playoff structure will diminish the importance of the event.

A fair concern for the Rose Bowl and the city of Pasadena to have, in my view.

If you'll recall, professional football attempted to run playoffs with a bowl type structure but crowds just weren't showing up for the games. Eventually the league went to a home-team stadium arrangement based on seeds from the regular season, and most of the professional bowls -- with the exception of 'Super' and 'Pro' -- died. Could that happen in college football? Well, if fans are unwilling to travel to a "playoff" bowl game and then turn right back around and fly to where the championship game is being held, then the answer is yes.

For proof, have a look in the stands at the regionals for the NCAA basketball tournament. Lots and lots of empty seats, even for the regional finals.

It's just too frightening a thought for the BCS, and the extended bowl system around it to bear. That's why even a +1 is a long shot and talk of an 8 or 16-team playoff is a complete and utter waste of breath. Isn't going to happen. Doesn't matter how much you like it, it's not good for business. So you're not going to get it. Ever.

One other thing which could help is a change in the method for how teams are selected. The Rose Bowl is once again at the center of the problem: they want a Pac-10 team facing off against a Big 10 team, period, and that's how we got the USC-Illinois debacle this year. If the bowls opened themselves up to bringing in any combination of teams, we'd potentially see better matchups. Of course, the same old dragon head pops up and breathes fire on the whole shebang: bowls don't necessarily want the best matchups, they want the best teams for their corporate sponsors. That's why Clemson made it to the Chik-Fil-A bowl (a travesty that it's no longer called the Peach Bowl, really) over Boston College, an overachieving squad whose fanbase just doesn't give a rip about them. (Did you see their attendance in the ACC Championship game? I'm guessing All-Tel stadium was about 40% full. No lie.)

Again, greenbacks trump good football. That is the bowl system. I don't see a change in this department either, and frankly, I don't really blame the bowls... it's a business, and creating consistently good matchups in this case is potentially bad for business.

So. What do you think? +1? Hellbent for leather on the playoff? Leave things as they are, but change the formula? Or just keep griping about it? Here's to better bowl games next season.

Pardon Me, Did You Happen to See a Good BCS Bowl Game? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's Official: Rashard Mendenhall Is Going Pro

Tom Fornelli — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:43:00 EST

Filed under: Big 10, NFL Prospects, Illinois Football

I already said earlier this week that Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall would be skipping out on his senior season to enter the NFL draft, and now Rashard has gone and done something I haven't been able to do in 20 years or so.

He made me look smart.

Illinois junior running back Rashard Mendenhall will enter the NFL draft, a source close to him said Saturday.

Mendenhall, the Big Ten Player of the Year, made his final case as a pro prospect in the Rose Bowl, where he gained 155 yards rushing and added 59 receiving yards in the Fighting Illini's loss to Southern California.

Rashard's mother, Sibyl, says there's a press conference on Thursday at her son's old high school, Niles West.

While Mendenhall's absence is going to be a tough void to fill in Illinois' offense next season, Ron Zook actually sees his early departure as a good thing for the program.

Zook said he not only has no problem with [Rashard's departure], but also is looking forward to having more Illini leave Champaign early. Because that will mean Illinois is enjoying success as a team.

''We're going to get to a point in the program where we're going to have that issue. That's what you want. We have some other guys on this team that are going to have the opportunity possibly to do that.''

I have a feeling Ron may not feel the same way next season when he doesn't have Rashard around to bail Juice Williams out.

It's Official: Rashard Mendenhall Is Going Pro originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rashard Mendenhall Won't Be Back

Tom Fornelli — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:22:00 EST

Filed under: Big 10, BCS, Bowl Games, NFL Prospects, Illinois Football

If the Rose Bowl was the first time you've seen Illinois play this season, you're probably under the impression that the Illini suck, and that Rashard Mendenhall is the only reason they got as far as they did this season.

You'd be half right.

Illinois doesn't suck, they just ran into an opponent that is probably the best team in the country right now(no offense to LSU and Ohio State), and is just far more talented than the Illini. You're correct in assuming though that Rashard Mendenhall is the main reason the Illini were so successful this season.

Which makes it that much more painful that Rashard Mendenhall won't be coming back for his senior season, and is going to enter the NFL draft. Mendenhall hasn't made an official announcement about his future, but if anybody thinks he's going to come back after yesterday's performance, they're deep in a state of denial.

Mendenhall was already considered one of the best running backs in the country before Tuesday's Rose Bowl, and after scouts saw him play against USC, he could only have climbed higher up team's draft boards.

Anytime you can break free for a 79-yard touchdown run against the Trojans, and do so while running away from their entire defense, NFL scouts take notice of that.

Rashard's absence next season is going to create a pretty large void in Illinois' offense. One that will not be easily filled.

Rashard Mendenhall Won't Be Back originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Illinois Flirts with Comeback, but USC Buries Illini in 49-17 Rout

Adam Jacobi — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 21:08:00 EST

Filed under: USC Football, Big 10, Pac 10, BCS, Bowl Games, Illinois Football

Let there be no doubt: USC is scary-good.

The Trojans took advantage of turnovers on three consecutive Illini possessions, the first coming on a play deep in USC's red zone, to turn a somewhat close game into an unmitigated pistol-whipping, 49-17.

Illinois receiver Arrelious Benn fumbled after taking a reception inside USC's five-yard-line, and the Trojans recovered in the end zone. From there, it went touchdown, pick, touchdown, fumble, touchdown, and a USC lead that easily could have been cut to 21-17 was instead 42-10 before the Illini could catch their breath.

The real turning point, however, may not have been the fumble recovery that started the avalanche; on the ensuing drive, USC faced a 2nd and 12 at their 18 when quarterback John David Booty looped a backward pass over tailback Joe McKnight's head. As the Illini defense slowed, McKnight picked up the ball and sprinted 56 yards for a backbreaking first down deep in Illini territory, as shown at right. Six plays later, the Trojans found the end zone, and the game was effectively over.

The lone bright spot for Illinois was Rashard Mendenhall, who tallied over 200 total yards including a 79-yard touchdown run on the second play of the second half. The speedy tailback racked up seven of Illinois' 17 first downs and accounted for none of their turnovers. Still, it wasn't near enough, as the Illini were down by 39 points by the time starters started coming off the field.

The amount of credit due to the USC offensive line is inestimable; they opened gaping holes for tailbacks Chauncey Washington and McKnight all night long, and they made John David Booty look downright competent. Indeed, the Trojan offense racked up 633 yards in a well-balanced attack, and at no point did the Illinois defense look capable of slowing the Trojan attack.

As the endgame approached, the Trojan players tried to douse Pete Carroll with Gatorade. Carroll's aura is an invisible steel cocoon, however, and the man was impeccably Saharan as he accepted the championship trophy. For him, like for his team, the victory was no sweat.

Illinois Flirts with Comeback, but USC Buries Illini in 49-17 Rout originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 01 Jan 2008 21:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Both Defenses Hitting Well, but USC Is Clearly Superior to Illinois

Adam Jacobi — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:55:00 EST

Filed under: USC Football, Big 10, Pac 10, BCS, Bowl Games, Illinois Football

The first half is in the books, and USC has dominated en route to a 21-3 halftime score. It seemed plainly obvious even before the game that USC was just more talented across the board, but the level of domination the Trojans have demonstrated is surprising.

The vaunted front seven has lived up to all expectations and then some; Rey Maualuga, pictured at left, is the early frontrunner for Man of the Match. Maualuga has registered an interception and three sacks in his constant harassment of Juice Williams. Juice, for his part, is still the below-mediocre passer that Big Ten fans remember.

This game is, as they say, "all over but the shoutin'." Illinois has been neutralized on offense for the duration of the game, and USC is simply too talented to let Illinois back into the game. For all the hype that some hack writer gave Zook before the game (cough), it seems all the more evident that Zook resembles Carroll only in the way that Michael Keaton's third and fourth clones resembled him in Multiplicity: similar in appearance, but with several screws loose or missing altogether. The offense is completely disjointed, and Zook's shown no signs that he can engineer a turnaround. He's a recruiter, not a game coach.

On the plus side, there have been some wonderful moments of unintentional comedy. Nothing can top Illinois fans in their faux-indian facepaint and garb, sitting in stunned silence as the hopelessness of a three-score deficit washes over them. It's heartwarming to see that even though Chief Illiniwek has gone by the racist wayside, his legacy of gross ethnic perversion lives on, strong as ever, in Champaign-Urbana and abroad.

Both Defenses Hitting Well, but USC Is Clearly Superior to Illinois originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Granddaddy of All Game Previews: Illinois vs. USC

Adam Jacobi — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: USC Football, Bowl Games, Illinois Football

Today's Rose Bowl will have the most intriguing matchup of coaches during the entire bowl season. Pete Carroll is, well, Pete Carroll. Thounsands of words have been spent on the depth of his character and intensity, and the authors themselves would probably tell you that they've barely scratched the surface.

As Pete Carroll is Pete Carroll, though, Ron Zook is Pete Carroll Lite, himself a salt-and-pepper topped human improbability, another practitioner of the "sleep is a waste of time" school of insanity. Whereas Zook walked into this season a running gag, fired once and leading his team to three victories over the past two years, he is now a force to be reckoned with both on and off the field; his record now reflects his tireless recruiting, and no change on either front appears imminent.

Of course as much as both coaches have created their own cults of personalities, their teams' performances are mostly determined by the players themselves. Pete Carroll's USC team is typically loaded, though they lack the supermegastar status Trojans may have been accustomed to after years of Palmer, Leinart, and Bush. Still, their front seven on defense is as tenacious as ever; Rey Maualuga and Sedrick Ellis are the anchors of a relentless attack that seems capable of containing the Illini option attack.

But lots of defenses have made the mistake of assuming that sort of capability this year (most notably Ohio State) and failed regardless; the offensive triumverate of Juice Williams, Rashard Mendenhall, and spellcheck nightmare Arrelious Benn have confounded defensive coordinators all year. And while Zook may revert to Middling Coach Status by the time all three leave, that's an intellectual exercise that has its own time and place, and that's not now.

I'll call this 31-21 USC, and a coming-out party for Rashard Mendenhall as he jockeys for a high first-round draft pick. It'll be fun to watch.

The Granddaddy of All Game Previews: Illinois vs. USC originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 01 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ron Zook Named Coach of the Year

Tom Fornelli — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 19:29:00 EST

Filed under: Big 10, NCAA FB Coaching, Illinois Football

And the postseason rewards continue to roll in for the Illini. After Rashard Mendenhall won the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, and Arrelious Benn won the Big Ten Rookie of the Year, the man responsible for it all, Ron Zook, has won the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award.

Illinois coach Ron Zook won the Liberty Mutual coach of the year award Saturday for leading one of the best turnarounds in college football this season.

"It's very satisfying because we accomplished some of our goals and got the program going in the right direction," Zook said in a phone interview earlier this week as he prepared for the Rose Bowl against Southern California on Jan. 1.

It wasn't that long ago that Zook was labeled as a great recruiter and a bad coach. Now he's winning the coach of the year award.

It really has been a wonderful season for Illinois football fans in 2007. While it was expected that the team would improve this season, and maybe win enough games for bowl eligibility, nobody thought the Illini would finish the season in the Rose Bowl against USC.

Of course, nobody really expects Illinois to beat USC in the Rose Bowl, which if recent history has taught us anything, means the Illini will win in a romp.

Ron Zook Named Coach of the Year originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 29 Dec 2007 19:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Illini Appearance of Impropriety

Charles Rich — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 22:53:00 EST

Filed under: Big 10, Bowl Games, NCAA FB Scandal, Illinois Football, Illinois

My FanHouse colleague Adam Jacobi views the report from the Chicago Sun-Times on Rose Bowl ticket sales as essentially making something out of nothing. I have to at least partially disagree. This is from the point of view of someone who used to research and write on activities such as this. The sale of tickets to the well-heeled or connected parties outside of the general sales at the very least raises ethical issues that can't be ignored.

Adam rightly points out that the tickets that were being sold out of the University of Illinois President's office were being sold at face value. A fact that takes the issue of direct ethical conflicts off the table. This is vital for government employees since that means they would not have to make any declarations on disclosure forms (even if Illinois ranks in the lower half for transparency according to the Center for Public Integrity)

There are no accusations of quid pro quo. Nothing claiming that extra donations to the school or athletic department are being required. Nor are there any claims that the face value sales to potentially key political figures in Illinois are in any direct exchange for consideration to the school that receives a chunk of funding from the state.

The hard reality is that this goes on at just about any school -- public or private. A school administration will hold back a portion of their allotted tickets that they will sell directly to key donors, political and business figures with whom relationships they wish to maintain or cultivate. A reasonable view is that this is not a huge matter.

There are other issues at work, though. There is the fact that the politically connected were able to bypass the Illinois general ticket release, that are already sold out, for the Illini section and get tickets through a different avenue. While it is true that tickets throughout the stadium are available around face value, there is clearly value to Illini loyalists to being seated in the Illinois section as witnessed by the resale market.

The roughly 3,000 seats U. of I. offered to the public sold in less than an hour on Dec. 11, and tickets on StubHub were running between $99 and $883 apiece.

The issue isn't paying for the tickets, its getting to access to a scarce resource that the general fanbase or population is unable to partake. That is where being politically connected provided a clear advantage that was utilized. While not a violation of state ethics laws, it raises questions as to why access was granted to those figures and what is expected to be gained from it.

That the public institution would then choose to release "only university and public officials who bought seats from the president's office" hardly resolves the political issues. That would still exclude spouses or other family members who could purchase as a proxy without concern of having their names released.

The unreleased names of purchasers also means there is no way to confirm or deny whether there was any unofficial connection to donations to the school within a certain time frame in exchange for the access to the tickets.

These may seem like minor issues, but for a state funded institution it can quickly become a mess. Ethics disclosure requirements and political favoritism in a state where a former Governor just went to jail over gifts and favors to family members (among many other things), only make the need clearer. It would seem like the University of Illinois would have been smarter to just release all of the names and be done with the matter. Instead, they act as if they want to hide something.

Previously At FanHouse:
The Chicago Sun-Times Thinks You're Not Paying Enough Attention to the Chicago Sun-Times

The Illini Appearance of Impropriety originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 27 Dec 2007 22:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Chicago Sun-Times Thinks You're Not Paying Enough Attention to the Chicago Sun-Times

Adam Jacobi — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 17:33:00 EST

Filed under: Bowl Games, NCAA FB Media Watch, Illinois Football, The Word

The Chicago Sun-Times, a newspaper best known for 1) not being the Tribune and 2) gainfully employing Jay Mariotti for 16 years, has decided that the Rose Bowl is rather devoid of controversy, and well, they'd like to change that. At issue: the sale of a few hundred Rose Bowl tickets at face value from the University of Illinois' President's Office, and who bought them:

White's office sold about 500 Rose Bowl tickets at face value ($135 each) to politicians, government employees and others. Given that taxpayers help pay the university's bills, the Chicago Sun-Times thought you might like to know who avoided waiting in line and bought from the top.

But U. of I. leaders won't say.

Dante reserved the hottest circle of Hell for "sowers of discord and schism," and while religion never enters the conversation where the Sun-Times is concerned (except for comments like "Holy Merciful God this paper sucks"), the discord angle applies here. It's not a taxpayer issue--the tickets were sold at face value, not given away--and it's not a scarcity issue. USC fans are trying to sell their tickets at face value and being greeted with responses like "Not a great price."

No, this is an issue of misleading journalism at a newspaper that would evidently rather create the news than report it. Nice work, guys. I'm sure Mike Royko would be proud.

The Chicago Sun-Times Thinks You're Not Paying Enough Attention to the Chicago Sun-Times originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 27 Dec 2007 17:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rashard Mendenhall May Go Pro For His Brother

Tom Fornelli — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:35:00 EST

Filed under: Big 10, NFL Prospects, Illinois Football

It's generally a common perception that when a player leaves college early to join the NFL, he's doing it for the money. After all, for a few select juniors it's not like sticking around for a senior season is going to help your draft position.

Illinois' Rashard Mendenhall hasn't made a decision as to whether or not he's coming back to Champaign next season, but if he does decide to leave, money won't be the only factor. He'd also like to see his brother Walter get a chance to play.

"That would give Walt a chance," Mendenhall said of joining the NFL after his junior season. "And that's all he needs.

"Everybody talks about me, but I'm waiting to see him. As big and fast as he is, he can do things that people have never seen. That's how I've always felt. Not just because he's my brother."

Walter Mendenhall is a junior running back for Illinois and he's a year older than his little brother Rashard. Walter has only carried the ball four times for 57 yards this season thanks to his brother's dominance. All four carries came in Illinois rout of Minnesota.

As for what Rashard's final factor will be in making his decision, it's all going to depend on where he feels he's going to be drafted. Some have him projected to be a first round pick, while others don't think he'll go before the third round. According to ESPN.com's rankings, Mendenhall is the fourth best running back prospect in college right now, trailing only Darren McFadden, Jonathan Stewart and Felix Jones.

My gut says Rashard declares for the NFL after Illinois plays in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.

Rashard Mendenhall May Go Pro For His Brother originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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