With the advent of high-level television productions in college football, it's awfully easy to be an armchair ref these days. Heck, even the absence of such luxuries doesn't stop fans from pretending to be experts; just go to any football game where the referee has to do anything at all ever and watch the crowd for proof.
So CBS's Dennis Dodd, on a whim, got a hold of the NCAA's official, um, Official Exam. It's 100 questions, none of them obvious, and most of them downright ruthless. Dodd scored a 46.
But Dodd's just a journalist, which is somewhere lower than "blogger" and higher than "poodle" in terms of intellect. Certainly Blogfrica's preeminent authority on all things pigskin, Sunday Morning Quarterback, would do far better, yes? No, not really. 55.
Naturally, I couldn't resist the temptation. How hard can it be, right?
First it was Al Afalava, the hard-hitting senior safety who ran afoul of the law. Afalava was involved in a weird story a few months ago, where he was charged with a DUI, criminal mischief and hit-and-run charges for destroying a city bus shelter with his car and then fleeing the scene on foot. Afalava is also the guy Washington fans officially hate after his helmet-to-helmet hit on QB Jake Locker last year that could have been a disaster. Afalava's punishment for his off-the-field incident is that he will miss the upcoming season opener vs. Stanford.
The details are still hazy as to why Payton left. The Oregonian reports that he wasn't exactly kicked off the team, and that it wasn't a football issue. The speculation appears to be a mutual parting of the ways, with a few comments insinuating that Payton was a bit of a headache to the coaching staff. He had some past issues, including being sent home from the 2004 Insight.com bowl and reportedly had some academic problems over his career.
Losing Afalava as a starter is bad enough for a defense that is only projected to return three total starters from last year. But at least Afalava's loss is only for one game. Payton was one of the few members of the defense who has actually started a game in the past, but it will certainly be Laybourn's job now.
Few things in life are as heartwarming as a lifelong bond between father and son. Playing catch in the backyard. Going fishing. Hell, getting a little homework help. But then young men eventually grow up and gain independence and make decisions that take them away from their fathers.
Nowhere is that more public than in the recruiting game. Many times a player will stick with his father (see Luke Bellotti playing at Oregon for his father Mike Bellotti or quarterback Cody Hawkins heading to Colorado to play for his old man). But while blood may be thicker than water, sometimes blood doesn't have the pull it should.
Last year, Georgia coach Mark Richt's son Jon Richt pledged to play quarterback for Clemson over his fathers' Dawgs. No doubt a tough decision for a closeknit family like that. The separation continues this year as it is rumored UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker's son Kevan, a receiver prospect, will not stick with dear old dad at UCLA but instead play for the Oregon State Beavers.
The upshot to all of this is that while recruiting is a competitive, sometimes nasty business, coaches recruiting a fellow coaches' son must tone down his pitch which can only help but improve relations between coaches.
Considering that the ACC is considered the be the weakest of the BCS conferences, I would say that any bowl game played outside of Kabul is a sweet reward for going 6-6 (3-5). And to think- they weren't even the last choice from the conference!
Granted, they were only one of four teams that managed to beat two Top-Ten teams this season, although the win against #10 Rutgers feels like it was from an era where women weren't allowed to vote and mass air travel was done via zeppelin. Let's also remember that they claim Villanova and Florida International as two other scalps. Then again, they were at least competitive in most of their losses and this could just be an evening out of karma for last season where they were often outplayed statistically but also often victorious.
Come Here Often?
This is the Terrapins' first trip to the Emerald Bowl, although they have been to bowls the previous three seasons and won them by a combined 95-17.
"Our review of the game included study of the game tape by Coordinator of Football Officiating Dave Cutaia, Director of Instant Replay Verle Sorgen, football administrator Jim Muldoon and me, review of game reports from the officiating crew and instant replay officials, communications with the two institutions and follow-up communications with the referee of the game.
"We regret that there was flagrant misconduct on the part of some players which led to four ejections from the game, that there was an injury to Washington quarterback Jake Locker which increased the emotions of the players and that the instant replay crew failed to stop the game to review the play at the goal line with just under three minutes to play. On the play, it was ruled Oregon State's Yvenson Bernard fumbled. However, it appeared his knee had touched the ground before he lost the ball...
"We do believe the instant replay officials did not perform properly on the Bernard fumble play. There was human error in that while reviewing the available replays the crew failed to notify the game officials to stop play before the ball was snapped for the next play. It was not the fault of the equipment. The game should have been stopped and the play reviewed. The members of the IR crew have been reprimanded."
All year I've had a running conversation with my colleague Charles Rich about what conference has the worst officials. He's made good points about certain situations in the ACC and I can name plenty of Pac-10 situations beyond the obvious Oregon/Oklahoma fiasco.
Tonight's performance may top that.
I didn't immediately see it, but a friend did and what follows is a piecing together (along with what I'm reading on various message boards) of the play in dispute between Oregon State and Washington.
Jake Locker was carted off the field late in the 1st half of the Washington-Oregon State game. The Washington QB took a helmet-to-helmet hit while running with the ball and went down hard.
The reports are spotty, but his head was immobilized and there was concern about an injury to the neck and spine. He was being taken to a local hospital for x-rays and possibly a cat scan.
The later reports are saying that Locker is feeling pain in his neck. Something that is actually a good thing. Just an absolutely scary hit and injury. Hopefully it isn't anything long term.
I see you Kentucky over LSU, and I raise you Oregon State over California.
A linear, predictable season is just not in the cards for college football v. 2007. I'm all for an upset now and then but this is getting to be ri-gosh-darn-diculous.
If you've ever coached football, you don't even want to know how Cal's otherwise heroic backup quarterback ended his team's hope late in the game. Let's just say it was a Chris Webber-like moment. With 14 seconds left, trailing by three with no timeouts and ball inside the 20, Cal lined up to attempt one last pass before they planned to line up for a tying field goal.
That all went bust when quarterback Kevin Riley scrambled instead of attempting a pass or throwing the ball away. The clock then ticked down as he randomly ran off the field with the ball instead of attempting to spike it.
The collection of geniuses (well, mostly, in theory, maybe?) that comprise the Cal student body refuses to leave the stands they're that stunned at the stupidity of the moment. Coach Jeff Tedford's reaction was agonizing and horrible and sad all at the same time.
The long, strange trip for Sammie Stroughter has come to an end for 2007. The talented WR, who had an odd leave of absence from the team during fall camp and the first game of the season, only to return to the team, is now out for the year with a bruised kidney. Stroughter got hurt in the loss to Arizona State on 9/22 and hasn't been on the field since.
Head coach Mike Riley actually expects Stroughter to take a medical redshirt this year and return in 2008, but it's hard to know what to expect from Sammie. He's set to earn his degree before camp next year, and as he's shown already, anything can happen with Strougther.
This is a huge loss for the offense and return game. OSU beat Arizona without too much trouble last week, but Sean Canfield continues to make too many mistakes in the passing game with more interceptions. Canfield now has 13 picks in six games, by far the leader in the Pac-10 in that dubious category. Canfield is ahead of only UW's frosh QB Jake Locker in terms of passing efficiency. To lose the top deep threat and the guy considered the top returning receiver from 2006 is a big blow to a struggling passing game. With the Cal Bears up next, it doesn't figure to get any easier this Saturday.
After last week's mistake filled, come-from-ahead loss to ASU in which the Beavers blew a 19-0 lead, there is a real sense of urgency around Corvallis. This week UCLA is on the docket, and the intensity for Oregon State is on the rise this week. The team sits at 2-2 after the disappointment last Saturday where the Beavs' turned it over six times, including five Sean Canfield INT's in a frustrating night in Tempe.
Obviously the turnovers cannot continue at a pace like this. The Beavers have the most interceptions of any Pac-10 team, and, for that matter, any program in division-I football. That's right, they currently lead the nation in giveaways through the air with 13. 13 INT's in only four games? Yikes. Some teams won't even have that many in an entire season, and we're only 1/3rd of the way into the 2007 schedule. Plus, their 16 total turnovers places them almost dead-last in the country.
The seriously frustrating part is that the Beaver D is playing well against the run. They are tops in the Pac-10, giving up a measly 29 yards and change per game rushing. That's good for number two in the nation behind only LSU. And they also lead the conference in sacks. So the defense is doing it's part, but oh, those turnovers. Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. Almost like Jan Brady and the "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" tag-line, they just can't escape the reality for how turnovers can change entire games.
First it was Al Afalava, the hard-hitting senior safety who ran afoul of the law. 
Few things in life are as heartwarming as a lifelong bond between father and son. Playing catch in the backyard. Going fishing. Hell, getting a little homework help. But then young men eventually grow up and gain independence and make decisions that take them away from their fathers.
Happy To Be Here?
All year I've had a running conversation with my colleague 
Jake Locker was carted off the field late in the 1st half of the Washington-Oregon State game. The Washington QB took a helmet-to-helmet hit while running with the ball and went down hard.
I see you Kentucky over LSU, and I raise you Oregon State over California.
The long, strange trip for 
After last week's mistake filled, come-from-ahead loss to ASU in which the Beavers blew a 19-0 lead, there is a real sense of urgency around Corvallis. This week UCLA is on the docket, and the intensity for Oregon State is on the rise this week. The team sits at 2-2 after the disappointment last Saturday where the Beavs' turned it over six times, including five 
