Archive for the ‘Need to Know’ Category
Checking In, A Few Thoughts, Etc.
By Paul Myerberg // Oct 5, 2012
Hey, miss you guys. Just wanted to say hello, how’s it going, how’s everything, how’s your team doing, how’s your coach, how’s your quarterback, etc. It’s been a wild year so far, right? Alabama is what we thought it’d be. Not so much with L.S.U., however. But count me among those folks who think that the Tigers will be fine; from my vantage point, I think that L.S.U. is keeping a ton under wraps, and that come November, you’re going to see a few wrinkles appear with a national title berth on the line. Florida should scare Les Miles and pals, on the other hand – the Gators can play a little defense, it seems.
Tags: Air Force, Al Groh, Alabama, Big Ten, Bo Pelini, Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, Florida, Georgia Tech, Jackson Jeffcoat, Kenny Vaccaro, L.S.U., Louisiana Tech, Navy, Nebraska, Ohio State, Texas, Urban Meyer, USA Today
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This Must Be Rock Bottom, Houston Hopes
By Paul Myerberg // Sep 19, 2012
This is the bottom, I think – and Houston hopes. The most damning factoid that could be used to define a team is that it forced five turnovers yet lost the turnover battle, as the Cougars did on Saturday night. U.C.L.A. had five turnovers; Houston had six. What the heck is going on here? Through three weeks, there has be no more disappointing team in college football. No team has suffered a more inexplicable loss, with all due to respect to Pittsburgh, Arkansas and Wyoming, among others. Of the 27 teams that notched double-digit wins last fall, how many seem assured of not reaching that mark in 2012? I’ll say three: Arkansas State, Arkansas… and Houston.
Tags: Colorado, Conference USA, David Piland, Houston, Jason Phillips, Jon Embree, Kevin Sumlin, Kliff Kingsbury, Louisiana Tech, Mike Nesbitt, Tony Levine, Travis Bush, U.C.L.A.
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U.S.C.’s Flaws Cut Title Hopes Down to Size
By Paul Myerberg // Sep 19, 2012
Let’s run down the issues, because they’re numerous, they’re vital and they’ve suddenly risen to the surface, thanks to U.S.C.’s 21-14 loss to Stanford on Saturday night. There’s the Trojans’ offensive line, which fell apart without Khaled Holmes as its anchor at center. Tied into the line play is Matt Barkley’s inability to handle the pass rush – and this reflects more so on U.S.C.’s front than the team’s Heisman contender under center. There’s the offense’s inefficiency on third down, which went overlooked against Hawaii and Syracuse but stood front and center against the Cardinal. There’s the defensive line, an issue today just as it was in August.
Tags: Cyrus Hobbi, George Oku, Khaled Holmes, Matt Barkley, Oregon, Stanford, U.S.C., Wes Horton
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Notre Dame Pushes Back Against M.S.U.
By Paul Myerberg // Sep 16, 2012
Earlier this summer, I wrote of Notre Dame’s ability to “push back” against more physical opponents – in the widescreen view, I wrote of Notre Dame’s quest for a tougher mentality, a sort of rediscovery of the bullying, confident mindset that propelled the program for generations. I thought that the Irish were close; I thought that under the surface, behind the negativity, the program had made clear and steady progress in nearly every facet of the game. No one game can possibly encapsulate this idea more so than Notre Dame’s dominating victory over Michigan State.
Tags: Andrew Maxwell, Brian Kelly, Cierre Wood, Everett Golson, John Goodman, Le'Veon Bell, Manti Te'o, Mark Dantonio, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Pat Narduzzi, Robby Toma, T.J. Jones
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Pick 10, F.B.S. Notebook: Week 3 (Sept. 15)
By Paul Myerberg // Sep 15, 2012
Do you remember the last time Notre Dame took a trip to East Lansing? You might not remember the game’s first 60 minutes and change, but that’s fine: things didn’t get wild until overtime, when Michigan State answered a Notre Dame field goal with the most audacious coaching decision of the 2010 season. Now you remember, right? Dan Conroy is lined up for the potentially game-tying 46-yard field goal; Aaron Bates, the punter and team captain, was the holder; tight end Charlie Gantt was lined up one spot inside from the edge to Conroy’s right. The call: “Little Giants.” The snap went to Bates, as expected – and then came the unexpected. You’ll see the rest of the play later tonight, when the Irish and Spartans meet in one of the day’s marquee games. Let’s run down the entire weekend’s action.
Tags: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, B.Y.U., Big Ten, Bill O'Brien, Bo Pelini, Bo Wallace, Bobby Petrino, Boise State, Boston College, Brady Hoke, Braxton Miller, Bret Bielema, Brian Johnson, California, Clancy Pendergast, Cody Fajardo, Connecticut, Danny O'Brien, Eastern Michigan, Everett Golson, Florida, Florida State, Gene Chizik, Georgia Tech, Hugh Freeze, Illinois, Jimbo Fisher, Jon Hays, Kevin Parks, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Mark Hudspeth, Maryland, Massachusetts, Memphis, Michigan, Michigan State, Middle Tennessee State, Mississippi, Montee Ball, Navy, Nebraska, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Paul Chryst, Penn State, Perry Jones, Pittsburgh, Randy Edsall, Ron English, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Travis Wilson, Tyler Bray, Tyler Wilson, U.S.C., Urban Meyer, Utah, Utah State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Will Muschamp, Wisconsin
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U.S.C. Error Shows Need for Injury Reports
By Paul Myerberg // Sep 14, 2012
Earlier this week, U.S.C. announced that Scott Wolf, who covers Trojans’ athletics for the L.A. Daily News, was barred from attending two weeks of practice and would not be credentialed for U.S.C.’s home game against California on Sept. 22. Why? Because Wolf, doing his job, reported on an injury: Andre Hedari, per Wolf, will miss about three weeks to repair a torn meniscus in his knee. U.S.C. didn’t like that; U.S.C., like many others, has a policy that forbids media members from reporting “on strategy or injuries that are observed during the course of watching that practice or result from that practice.”
Tags: Arkansas, John L. Smith, Lane Kiffin, N.C.A.A., Pat Haden, Scott Wolf, Tyler Wilson, U.S.C., Western Kentucky
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SEC: “Dangerous Act” Earned Suspension
By Paul Myerberg // Sep 14, 2012
Watch the above video. UTEP is in white, Mississippi in red. The Miners’ quarterback, Nick Lamaison, throws a deep post to Jordan Leslie, the team’s second-leading receiver. The throw is high and outside – a receiver’s worst nightmare. Based on the video, Leslie knows the hit is coming: he tenses, pulling his arms back into his body, growing smaller as he peeks up towards Mississippi’s Trae Elston, covering the deep middle of the field. While the hit did not draw a flag, it did draw a response from the SEC: Elston has been suspended for the Rebels’ game against Texas on Saturday.
Tags: Jordan Leslie, Mississippi, Nick Lamaison, SEC, Trae Elston, UTEP
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Conference USA Nosedives to Rock Bottom
By Paul Myerberg // Sep 13, 2012
Rewind eight months. Houston capped one of the finest seasons in program history by decimating Penn State, 30-14, during bowl play. Southern Mississippi won its program-record 12th game against Nevada in the Hawaii Bowl – and in their last time out, the Golden Eagles had harassed Case Keenum and the Cougars out of the B.C.S. conversation. Tulsa, S.M.U. and Marshall acquitted themselves well in the postseason, with the Mustangs beating Pittsburgh, Marshall beating Florida International and the Golden Hurricane leading B.Y.U. for 59 minutes before a late collapse. Was last season the finest in the history of Conference USA? It’s not hard to make that case.
Tags: Conference USA, Curtis Johnson, Dana Holgorsen, David Bailiff, Devon Walker, Ellis Johnson, Houston, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Memphis, Mike Nesbitt, Rice, S.M.U., Sonny Dykes, Southern Mississippi, Texas State, Tony Levine, Travis Bush, Tulane, Tulsa, U.A.B., UTEP
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