NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com NCAA Football FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Torturous Wait Ends for Ball State Coachhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/24/torturous-wait-ends-for-ball-state-coach/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/24/torturous-wait-ends-for-ball-state-coach/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/24/torturous-wait-ends-for-ball-state-coach/#commentsFiled under: ,

Stan ParrishYPSILANTI, Mich. -- Stan Parrish wins again. He won in 1986, and now he won again Saturday.

In between? Well, no. No wins as a head coach. But on Saturday, Parrish, the head coach at Ball State put an end, briefly at least, to 23 years and six days of head coaching pain.

Ball State 29, Eastern Michigan 27.

That's the last two years of Reagan, two Bushes, one Clinton and closing in on a year of Obama without leading a team to victory.

It ended Ball State's eight-game losing streak under Parrish. It ended Parrish's personal 35-game winless streak.

It's over. Stan Parrish's nearly quarter-of-a-century long nightmare.

Imagine how great it must feel.

"No question, no question," he said. "A tremendous burden has been lifted off me and the team.''

This could have been the ugliest major college football game ever played. The punter dropped the ball. A snap went over the quarterback's head. A kick-returner dropped the ball out of bounds. The quarterback, about to be sacked, inexplicably fumbled.

They even had a promotion where fans would try to catch a ball from an one of those automatic punt machines. But someone accidentally unplugged the machine. When they started it up again, they tried to fire a ball before the machine was warmed up.

It went 10 yards.

But no matter how ugly this game was, in front of 1,535 fans, it was probably the most beautiful thing Parrish has seen.

You know guys like Parrish, a great football mind, great assistant. But he's not a head coach. If that's wrong, he's going to have to prove it.

Years ago, he was hot in the industry. He took the Kansas State job, where good coaching careers were known to go to die.

He was known as Air Parrish back then. On Saturday, his team passed for 1 yard.

"In almost 40 years of coaching,'' he said, "that's a record low for me."

It took 40 years to realize that you have to run the football to win?

Well, whatever. Parrish thought: Stan Parrish is a winner.

I never would have dreamt I'd say those words in that order again. Back in 1988, I was just out of college, covering Parrish at K-State.

He went 0-11 that year, after going 0-10-1 the year before. The year before that, he had lost his last five games after beating Kansas.

"I don't remember," Parrish said this week. "I really don't. I have done a wonderful job of taking that situation and putting it in my rear-view mirror. Probably overdone it, because I don't remember some of the kids that call me from time to time.''

I would applaud him for that mental strength, but it is not remotely possible.

Two weeks ago, Ball State lost to Toledo, taking a one-point lead in the final minute only to have Toledo score on a long pass.



So Stan, that honestly didn't remind you of, say, Tulane in 1988 at the Superdome?

"I'll never forget that as long as I live," he said within one-quarter of a second of the question leaving my mouth. K-State's coaches were so happy that day that when the team scored a touchdown with roughly a minute left, they high-fived in their booth in the press box, then ran to the elevator to get on the field to celebrate with the players.

"Please," Parrish said.

Don't beg, Stan. Unfortunately, with coaches in the elevator, K-State had 12 men on the field.

"Twelve men on the field to help them along," he said.

And were there two pass interference penalties, too.

"Yeah."

Against Louisiana Tech that year, K-State took a big lead early. But then, Louisiana Tech took a lead, and K-State had one last chance.

Going on memory here, but K-State drove within scoring position for a chance to win. Just over a minute left, and K-State had timeouts left, but instead, took long, full huddles.

"(Deleted) Stan, call timeout," people yelled in the stands.

"(Deleted) Stan. Timeout. Timeout."

K-State threw a desperation pass and lost.

Follow FanHouseBack then, Big Eight (now Big 12) champs went to the Orange Bowl, and fans threw oranges on the field to celebrate when their team clinched a title. One day with a patsy on the schedule, K-State fans brought oranges as a joke. When K-State started losing, the fans pelted their own players and coaches on the sidelines. Administrators fled.

Don't ask about the Oklahoma game. I also recall going to practices every week and Parrish, the nice guy he was, always walked over and talked for 20 minutes or so.

"Uh, Stan, don't you need to coach the team?" I asked one day.

To say his name was mud in the coaching profession after K-State is to insult mud.

But he became Michigan's quarterbacks coach, and the Wolverines won the national championship. He then was the offensive coordinator there.

Then he was the quarterbacks coach at Tampa Bay when the Bucs won the Super Bowl.

The guy has a college national title ring and a Super Bowl ring.

And he was safely retired, when Ball State called. Last year, as offensive coordinator, he was one of five finalists for national assistant coach of the year. Ball State went 12-0 in the regular season, then lost the MAC title game.

What a great end to Parrish's story that could have been. But then coach Brady Hoke took the job at San Diego State, Parrish was promoted to head coach, and Ball State lost its bowl game. Then this year, with several new players on offense, but much of the defense back, the team started 0-7.

"A tremendous burden has been lifted off me and the team."
-- Stan Parrish On Saturday, MiQuale Lewis ran for 301 yards. Cory Sykes had 203. Air Parrish's quarterback, Tanner Justice, in for injured starter Kelly Page, completed two passes for 1 yard.

And Parrish was reminded about a 23-year gap between victories.

"Different time, different setting, different place, doing a different thing," he said. "The kids in our program don't associate me with losing; they associate me with winning. It's never been about me. It's about kids on this team and how happy they are."

The happiest 1-7 team in America. Parrish got a little choked up.

They did it, by the way, by running the wildcat offense. Parrish's name was ruined as coach of the K-State ... Wildcats. It's all one nice circle.

And now, Stan Parrish is a winner.

"Now," he said, "I want to win two in a row."

Let's not get carried away.

Email me at gregcouch09@aol.com

Torturous Wait Ends for Ball State Coach originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>brady hokestan parrishGreg CouchSat, 24 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST Ball State Assistant Pokes Fun at Michigan on Twitterhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/02/ball-state-assistant-pokes-fun-at-michigan-on-twitter/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/02/ball-state-assistant-pokes-fun-at-michigan-on-twitter/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/02/ball-state-assistant-pokes-fun-at-michigan-on-twitter/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez is embroiled in a controversy about whether he forced players to exceed NCAA limits on time spent on football, and many coaches from around the country have voiced their support for him. But Ball State offensive line coach Jason Eck took a shot at Michigan on Twitter.

On Sunday, Eck tweeted, "Players off today ... unlike Michigan." Eck has since deleted the tweet, but he's now learning that nothing on the Internet is ever really deleted.

The tweet can still be found on tweleted.com, which recovers deleted tweets. And it has already been picked up at ESPN.com, in the Capital Times and on College Football Talk. And so, even though Eck no longer has the shot at Michigan on his Twitter page, it's out there forever.

Although I'm sure the Ball State athletic department will give him a friendly reminder that he needs to think before he tweets, Eck's joke was harmless, and I hope he doesn't get in too much trouble over it. This is, however, yet another example of how Twitter is changing sports. For the most part, those changes are positive: Twitter has increased the information available to fans by allowing athletes and coaches to communicate directly to them, without a filter.

But some athletes and coaches wish they had a filter. Jason Eck is now one of them.

Ball State Assistant Pokes Fun at Michigan on Twitter originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 08:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Jason EckJasonEckRich RodriguezRichRodriguezMichael David SmithWed, 02 Sep 2009 08:37:00 EST Almost 33, Former Marine Brandon Crawford Ready for Final Chargehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/08/03/almost-33-former-marine-brandon-crawford-ready-for-final-charge/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/08/03/almost-33-former-marine-brandon-crawford-ready-for-final-charge/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/08/03/almost-33-former-marine-brandon-crawford-ready-for-final-charge/#commentsFiled under: ,

Brandon Crawford, former Marine, Ball State defensive endBrandon Crawford doesn't have any special plans for his 33rd birthday. It falls on a Sunday, an off day. He'll attend church, have a nice dinner, and probably listen to some music before he calls it an early night. Work cranks again on Monday.

And Crawford needs to be rested and refreshed for Ball State football practice.

Crawford, who likes to say he has taken a different path to get where he's going, is a senior defensive end for the Cardinals. The old-young fella can play, too. Crawford started all 14 games to earn this third letter last season, and the former Marine would love nothing more than to end his collegiate career with -- pardon the pun -- a bang.

"I think my age has been more of a factor to everyone else than me," Crawford told FanHouse.

"I've probably done a little more, heard a little more and seen a little more than my teammates, but I kind of blend in. I don't really stand out. When they ask me how old I am and I tell them, it's like, 'No. No way, you don't look like it.' How are you supposed to look? Am I supposed to have gray hair? I look young, I take care of my body, I can get out there and play with them. I am just taking it day-by-day and enjoying every minute."

With good reason.

Crawford, who turns 33 in less than two weeks (Aug. 16), is nearly twice as old as the team's incoming freshmen. He is older than three of the team's assistant coaches and graduated from high school the same year (1996) as the Cardinals' offensive coordinator. Looking for a different perspective? All-Pro quarterback Tom Brady of the New England Patriots turns 32 Monday.

Crawford's age, however, hasn't been an issue since he enrolled at Ball State in 2006. Good-natured nicknames of Old Man, Pops and Crawdaddy aside, Crawford brings life experience, perseverance, smarts and talent to the field.

And those qualities will be needed more than ever this season as the Cardinals, under first-year head coach Stan Parrish, will be hard-pressed to repeat their MAC West championship with Western Michigan and Central Michigan expected to have strong teams.

Additionally, new defensive coordinator Doug Graber installed a 4-3 defense during spring drills after the team ran a 3-4 the past four seasons. Graber wasn't happy with the level of fundamental play shown by his players, so the unit will need to make immediate progress when preseason practice opens.Brandon Crawford ex-maine, senior for Ball State

"We've changed a few things around with personnel and we are still tweaking it right now, but everything should be finalized by the end of camp and we'll be fine," said Crawford, a second-team All-Mid American Conference selection last season. "We are just pushing forward, going through the process where we need to get back on the field and get to work."

Crawford's certainly not afraid to work.

Crawford earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice in 2008 and is currently working on a master's degree. Since Crawford, 6-foot-3, 260 pounds, realizes that professional football is probably not an option, he's looking at possibly joining the Secret Service or another branch of government next year.

"Coming from that kind of structure, I would like to get back into that environment," said Crawford, who was recently named a nominee for the Allstate/AFAC Good Works Team, which recognizes student-athletes for their contributions off the field. "The way I was raised, I just want to be able to help the less fortunate. I believe you need to give back if you can and try to help out when you can."

Crawford, who is single, traveled a winding road to Ball State, located in Muncie, Ind., from his hometown of Fort Wayne, Ind.

Recruited out of high school by some mid-major programs in 1996, Crawford had his college career initially delayed by personal problems. He wound up spending a few years working in an automotive factory before joining the Marines in 1999.

Crawford was dispatched to boot camp in California, including combat training, but he remained stateside with administrative duties in Cherry Point, N.C. He received an honorary discharge from the Marine Corps in 2003. Crawford actually enrolled at Ball State in the summer of 2004, but returned home after one semester to help his family.

Crawford, however, couldn't shake his love for football, so he re-enrolled at Ball State and walked on the football team in the summer of 2006. He hasn't wasted his opportunities, playing in 37 career games, 27 as a starter.

Crawford's also had a knack for military-like heroics. Last season he recovered a fumble at Miami University on Veteran's Day. In 2008, he blocked a potential game-winning field goal at Navy in the final game of regulation, propelling Ball State to a 34-31 overtime victory over the Midshipmen. He was also born in 1976 -- our nation's Bicentennial.

Needless to say, the Cardinals have relied on Crawford's leadership and maturity, on and off the field. Ball State will have plenty of youth in the lineup this season, too. Redshirt freshman Kelly Page has stepped in at quarterback for Nate Davis, the 2008 starter and MAC Offensive Player of the Year.

"I am there for my teammates, kind of like a big brother," Crawford said. "I don't try to push anything on them. I am there if they need to talk about something, and they are there for me, too."

It also goes without saying that the Marines played a role in molding Crawford's personality, discipline and work ethic. Crawford says the military is more mental, football is more physical.

"In the military I knew what was expected, I knew I would be pushed hard and lives were at stake," Crawford said.

"But the loyalty, the camaraderie, and the accountability that we had in our military family carries over to football even though it's from different spectrums. In the Marines, you're dealing with people's lives. Football is just a game, but your teammates are depending on you as well. You have to be mentally tough out there, pushing yourself and pushing each other."

And, when the time comes, let's not forget about singing "Happy Birthday" to Crawford, either

Almost 33, Former Marine Brandon Crawford Ready for Final Charge originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brandon CrawfordStan ParrishJim HenryMon, 03 Aug 2009 12:10:00 EST Turkey Legs to Go: GMAC Bowl Travel Guide, Tulsa vs. Ball Statehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/17/turkey-legs-to-go-gmac-bowl-travel-guide-tulsa-vs-ball-state/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/17/turkey-legs-to-go-gmac-bowl-travel-guide-tulsa-vs-ball-state/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/17/turkey-legs-to-go-gmac-bowl-travel-guide-tulsa-vs-ball-state/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the GMAC Bowl (Mobile, Alabama), which pits Tulsa against Ball State.

Overview/Matchup: If you're Ball State, you are most likely doing your best David Byrne impression and wondering, "How did I get here?" This is not my undefeated season. This is not my BCS bowl. And so on. After Nate Davis and crew coughed up a horrid MAC Championship loss to Buffalo, they crushed any argument they had to go anywhere but Mobile. And waiting for them, in the next to last bowl of the year, is Tulsa, who just lost to East Carolina in the championship game. Third place is the second loser!

Hotels: Already one of the finest hotels in Mobile, the Renaissance Riverview Plaza is almost finished with a US$60 million overhaul that will make it one of the finest hotels in southern Alabama. Bowl travelers will also be happy with the hotel's proximity to the stadium; Ladd-Peebles Stadium is just minutes away.



On the opposite side of town from the Renaissance, there's a second clustering of hotels around I-65. The Drury Inn Mobile is a great option for travelers seeking midrange to budget accommodation. Located 10 to 15 minutes from the stadium, the Drury Inn offers excellent service and a surprising number of amenities and accommodations for the price. Just down the highway, the Ramada Inn I-65 offers even lower rates than the Drury but with fewer amenities and less consistent service.

Restaurants: If you're dining in the downtown area, try Wintzell's Oyster House. Wintzell's has been serving Mobile fresh gulf seafood for more than 70 years. For a cheap and delicious meal, head to The Dew Drop Inn Restaurant. The Mobile landmark -- where Jimmy Buffett said he learned to "love cheeseburgers" -- has been serving top-notch cheeseburgers, po-boys and hot dogs since 1924 and they're still crowded every day at lunch

Turkey Legs to Go: GMAC Bowl Travel Guide, Tulsa vs. Ball State originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>GMAC BowlGmacBowlNate DavisNateDavisturkeylegsbowlguideTurkeylegstogoWill BrinsonWed, 17 Dec 2008 17:30:00 EST Brady Hoke Likely Heading to San Diego Statehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/15/brady-hoke-likely-heading-to-san-diego-state/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/15/brady-hoke-likely-heading-to-san-diego-state/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/15/brady-hoke-likely-heading-to-san-diego-state/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Brady HokeThe MAC continues to bleed coaches -- Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Miami and Toledo have already hired, or will soon hire, new coaches for the 2009 season. Next up, it looks like Ball State will have to replace Brady Hoke. An ESPN report on Sunday claimed that Hoke will leave the Cardinals for the Pacific coast, where he will take over the San Diego State head coaching job.

Hoke was believed to be in the running for the top spot at Auburn -- which was filled by Iowa State's Gene Chizik last week -- and then a possible candidate to fill Chizik's shoes in the Big 12. He was also a rumored contender for the Michigan job last year, a fair assumption since he had served as associate head coach there.

Hoke was still a sleeper candidate at that point. Prior to the 2007 season, when Ball State went 7-6 and played in the International Bowl, the Cardinals had managed no more than five wins in any year under Hoke. The 2007 bump set the stage for 2008, though, as Ball State stormed the national scene.

The Cardinals nearly played BCS buster, running off a 12-0 start to the year before a stunning loss to Buffalo in the MAC Championship Game. Ball State plays in the GMAC Bowl on Jan. 6, 2009 versus Tulsa.

The foundation seemed to be in place for another strong season in 2009. The MAC, as discussed above, is undergoing some heavy turnover -- and, more importantly, it sounds as if Ball State's do-everything QB Nate Davis could return for his senior year.

If he does, it looks like it will be minus Hoke. The San Diego State program that Hoke would inherit is in shambles, having fired Chuck Long just weeks ago. The Aztecs are coming off a 2-10 year (their first 10-loss season ever) and have not had a winning season since 1998.

Just how close to rock bottom is SDSU? The Aztecs football team doesn't even have a Wikipedia page.

So what is Hoke doing? He's already getting attention from teams in BCS-affiliated conferences, and one would assume that heat would only crank up with another big season in 2009.

San Diego State, though, is a unique challenge -- and one that can be conquered. The California area is obviously rich with talent, and San Diego State has a bit of a local monopoly. Recruiting has not gone well lately, but it's got the potential to upgrade substantially. Throw in a great location and, probably, increase in pay, and it's not a shock that Hoke made this move.

Plus, it's worth mentioning that Urban Meyer did ... oh ... basically the same thing. Meyer trekked from Bowling Green to Utah -- which shares a MWC spot with San Diego State -- and then jumped to Florida. Should Hoke attain any measure of success at SDSU, he'll have his pick of any number of schools.

Brady Hoke Likely Heading to San Diego State originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 02:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brady HokeBradyHokeChris BurkeMon, 15 Dec 2008 02:20:00 EST Ball State Turns the Ball and the MAC Championship Over to Buffalohttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/06/ball-state-turns-the-ball-and-the-mac-championship-over-to-buffa/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/06/ball-state-turns-the-ball-and-the-mac-championship-over-to-buffa/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/06/ball-state-turns-the-ball-and-the-mac-championship-over-to-buffa/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

That crashing sound from Detroit tonight, actually had nothing to do with the American car industry. That was Ball State's perfect season, the MAC Championship and manufactured outrage at being excluded from the BCS bowls all getting the index card from David Letterman through a window sound effect. The Bulls of Buffalo took out Ball State 42-24.

From the beginning, Buffalo came right at Ball State on defense. They kept Ball State's offense off-balance and on the sidelines. Despite the low scoring game, the Cardinals held a 10-7 halftime lead.

Ball State, and there is no other way to put it, gave this game away in the third quarter. The two teams exchanged scores to start the second half and Ball State seemed to be getting the game under control. They had forced a Buffalo turnover and were poised to take a two score lead. Instead, QB Nate Davis got stood up at the 1-yard line and stripped of the ball. Buffalo DB Mike Newton picked it up at the 8 and took it all the way back for a touchdown.

On Ball State's very next possession, they turned it over again. This time when the snap bounced off of an unsuspecting Nate Davis. Another Buffalo DB picked it up and took it back 74 yards for another touchdown. Suddenly Ball State was desperate, but ineffective. It was 28-17 heading into the 4th quarter.

Buffalo was controlling the game and forced Ball State to take chances that backfired. Rather than take a 3-and-out, they went for it on 4th down. Davis was again stripped of the ball. Buffalo scored a few minutes later to bury Ball State. Ball State finally scored, but it was too late and their defense was too demoralized to make a stop.

In three short years, Buffalo coach Turner Gill took the Bulls from the worst of the 1-A teams to winning the MAC and a trip to the International Bowl Detroit in three weeks for the Motor City Bowl. The next question, though, will be whether Turner Gill will be the head coach by then.

If Gill wasn't in demand after the fantastic job he's done with Buffalo, this should remind a few ADs looking for a new head coach. The Buffalo AD knew this was coming, and seems resigned to reality.
"I'd love to be in a position to pay million-dollar-plus salaries, but it's not that time here right now," Manuel said. "It might come a day in the future where that will be possible, but not now. But we're not going to go outside of ourselves financially. We're going to be stewards of the resources that we have and at the same time make sure from a salary standpoint that Turner knows his value to the institution."
The only question is what school will move quickly to get him. If they are smart, Syracuse should just swoop in now and write him a check. Gill has shown he can recruit in the East and develop the talent at hand. Things a program like Syracuse desperately needs.

Ball State Turns the Ball and the MAC Championship Over to Buffalo originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Chas RichSat, 06 Dec 2008 00:15:00 EST Is The ACC Getting Balled Out Of The Humanitarian Bowl?http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/02/is-the-acc-getting-balled-out-of-the-humanitarian-bowl/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/02/is-the-acc-getting-balled-out-of-the-humanitarian-bowl/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/02/is-the-acc-getting-balled-out-of-the-humanitarian-bowl/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Truth be told, a lot of casual ACC fans probably didn't realize that the conference tie-in still existed. And I'm not sure if they'd miss it- usually, a bid to Boise is indicative of a season that was horribly uneven, thoroughly disappointing or, in the case of a serious rebuilding project, a half-lit beacon of hope.

Don't know what you got til it's gone, I suppose. More likely than not, Boise State is going to end up at home as the WAC representative, and rumor has it that Roady's is taking a serious look at similarly undefeated Ball State...provided the ACC's cool with that. Lord knows the casual viewer would be, as it would represent the only matchup of undefeated teams during the entirety of bowl season. In the event that we see said BSU/BSU tilt, Maryland might end up in the awkward situation of playing Navy even though they've been quick to opt out of the natural rivalry. Looks like the Congressional Bowl is willing to call Maryland's "we got exams" bluff (see also: "I'm washing my hair that night") and work around the last day of finals for the Terrapins- otherwise, the bowl could have to ask Navy to allow a rematch against Wake.

Is The ACC Getting Balled Out Of The Humanitarian Bowl? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ian CohenTue, 02 Dec 2008 19:06:00 EST Jason Whitlock Freaking Unleashes on ESPN, Calls Them an 'Enemy of Truth', Etc.http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/11/28/jason-whitlock-freaking-unleashes-on-espn-calls-them-an-enemy/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/11/28/jason-whitlock-freaking-unleashes-on-espn-calls-them-an-enemy/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/11/28/jason-whitlock-freaking-unleashes-on-espn-calls-them-an-enemy/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Jason Whitlock and ESPN are probably not friends (not that you can really be "friends" with a mouse-operated, soulless corporate entity anyway, but that's beside the point). Whitlock did, after all, take some shots at the conglomerate on his way out, and they did, after all, fire him.

So I suppose it's not a huge surprise if he throws an occasional dart at them from his column at FOX Sports. Except in his most recent column, the occasional dart suddenly df with regard to the WWL's treatment of Ball State and quarterback Nate Davis' chances to win the Heisman trophy.
Ball State's football season perfectly illustrated my problem with ESPN and why I believe the World Wide Leader is the most evil and destructive force in the sports world. It has driven and hastened the destruction of authentic, independent, democratic, courageous sports journalism.

ESPN is the enemy of the truth, and all who believe a pursuit of the truth is the lifeblood of a genuinely free society must stand against the Wal-Mart-ization of sports journalism.

I reached this conclusion when trying to figure out why Ball State quarterback Nate Davis isn't one of the top-five Heisman Trophy candidates and Ball State coach Brady Hoke isn't the front-runner for national coach of the year.
The fact of the matter is that Whitlock, while misfiring at times in this column (Ball State at 12-0 is harder to do than Oklahoma at 11-1? Really?), is dead on with this abundance of conspiracy-laden talk re: ESPN.

Anyone who followed the Barry Bonds or Brett Favre's sagas knows that the WWL has an agenda with the story it promotes, and that most often revolves around a) who is giving them interviews and b) who is the most popular.

And while the latter is technically just annoying when it comes to an obscene amount of Yankees - Red Sox coverage in baseball, it's borderline criminal when it affects the way the nation perceives the Heisman race ... which it most certainly does, because they control who the public gets to see the most.

Jason Whitlock Freaking Unleashes on ESPN, Calls Them an 'Enemy of Truth', Etc. originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 02:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>brady hokeBradyHokejason whitlockJasonWhitlocknate davisNateDavisWill BrinsonFri, 28 Nov 2008 02:30:00 EST The BCS Doomsday Clock is Tickinghttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/11/04/the-bcs-doomsday-clock-is-ticking/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/11/04/the-bcs-doomsday-clock-is-ticking/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/11/04/the-bcs-doomsday-clock-is-ticking/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Strange doings this week. It seems there are now a lot of Oklahoma State fans in central Texas, LSU fans in Florida and Los Angeles, and lots of new Iowa fans ... well, everywhere.

What you won't find too many fans of right now is the BCS. Every year college football partisans go into the season what sort of horrible outcome the BCS will produce this year, and we're seldom disappointed. We know that there are three undefeated teams left in the BCS conferences with three to four weeks left in the season. And, whichever of those teams you're a fan of, or whichever one-loss team you support that stands a chance of sneaking back in to the title chase, you've already gone to the message boards, collaborated with your posse, and cooked up what has to happen for your team to make it to Miami.

I'm an Iowa fan. All our title game scenarios involve sudden outbreaks of the Ebola virus. So, instead, I've given some thought to what the worst possible outcome could be not just for my team or my conference, but for all of college football. I came up with it. It's scary. What's even scarier is that it could actually happen.

It's pretty simple, too. Here it is: Every currently undefeated team wins out. None of them have to play each other. Some of them don't have any really tough games left.

Now, understand, there are not three undefeated teams left; there are six. You can't forget Ball State, Boise State, and Utah. None of those three schools will get a shot at the title unless there's some horrific chain of wreckage in the BCS conferences. But, see, that's the problem. We all know that the BCS has loosened the onerous burden placed on the Plain-Bellied Sneetches; what we tend to forget is that the BCS is only obligated to take one mid-major team, no matter how many qualify. And do you really think they'll start feeling generous by offering one of the at-large spots to a team they don't absolutely have to?

So we could wind up with six undefeated teams coming into the bowl season ... and five coming out of it. If Penn State gets iced out of the title game, they're going to Pasadena. If you think there's even the slightest chance that the Rose Bowl people would stage a matchup of two unbeaten teams instead of a Pac 10/Big Ten matchup, you clearly haven't been paying attention. The Rose Bowl will take the Big Ten and Pac 10 champions if they're available.

If only one mid-major gets in, it'll be Utah (should they make it) or Boise State (should they not, because there's no way the Broncos are losing any of their remaining games). That sends Ball State, who would be the champions of the MAC to ... the Motor City Bowl. Yes, your reward for an undefeated season in the MAC is a game with some piece of low-hanging fruit from the Big Ten whose fan base is wondering if they can do Detroit as a day trip. And Boise State wouldn't even go anywhere if Utah wins out, technically; the WAC champion plays in the Humanitarian Bowl against the ACC's eighth-best team, assuming there are even eight bowl-eligible teams in the ACC this season.

So here's the meltdown: Texas Tech and Bama in the title game, Penn State beats USC, whatever mid-major gets into the BCS wins, and the two snubbed teams win their hanging-curveball games ... you've got five undefeated teams after the bowls. Pass the Alka-Seltzer.

The BCS Doomsday Clock is Ticking originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Mark HastyTue, 04 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST