Michigan Falls from Top 25 – Biggest Drop Ever

The Michigan Wolverines set a record Saturday, becoming the first ranked Division I-A team to lose to a Division I-AA team. Now, they’ve set another one: The biggest drop ever in the AP poll.

Thud! The final fallout from a disastrous opening weekend for Michigan came Tuesday, when the Wolverines dropped all the way out of The Associated Press Top 25, an unprecedented fall from No. 5 to unranked. Since the AP poll expanded to 25 teams in 1989, no team has taken a bigger tumble in one week.

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As for Michigan, the Wolverines became the first ranked team from Division I-A, now known as the Bowl Subdivision, to lose to a team from I-AA, now known as the Championship Subdivision.

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Michigan received 39 points from the media voters in the Top 25, including a 16th place vote by Wayne Phillips from The Greenville (Tenn.) Sun. “I still think Michigan has a good football team,” he said. “I think they’re worthy of being ranked. They may prove me wrong.” Phillips said he gave Michigan some leeway because he’s very familiar with Appalachian State, the two-time defending I-AA champions. “They’re a pretty darn good football team,” he said. “If Michigan had lost to some of the other patsies some of the big teams played I could see dropping them out.”

Appalachian State is not eligible for the AP Top 25, which only ranks Bowl Subdivision teams. The Wolverines host Oregon on Saturday.

Before Michigan’s fall, Notre Dame held the ignominious record for largest drop in the rankings in the Top 25-era. The Fighting Irish dropped 16 spots — from No. 9 to No. 25 — after losing to Northwestern 17-15 on Sept. 3, 1995. Texas dropped 15 spots in 1997, going from ninth to 24th after a 66-3 loss to UCLA in September 1997. Louisville also fell 15 spots — 11th to unranked — in September 2005 after losing to South Florida.

The highest ranked team to fall from the poll after one loss was No. 2 Oklahoma in 1959, when the AP was ranking the top 20 teams. Later that season Army went from No. 4 to unranked. In 1950, Tennessee went from No. 4 to unranked in October and in 1960 Illinois fall out of the ranking from No. 4.

I don’t see how they could have been ranked after this, frankly. But it just goes to show the silliness of having teams ranked by the media before the first games are played and then have everyone jockeying from those spots. Most teams have no chance at a (mythical) national championship because even going 12-0 would not put them into the top two if they start the season unranked.

Yanks drop opener to M’s, 7-1

Yanks wildcard lead wittled to one after Labor Day loss to Seattle.

It had been more than 13 years since two opposing starting pitchers had a greater age difference than the Yankees’ Roger Clemens and the Seattle Mariners’ Félix Hernández. The Mariners, a foil for some of Clemens’s greatest moments, made him look his age today in a 7-1 victory at Yankee Stadium…

The Yankees scored once in seven innings off Hernández (11-7), who allowed five hits to help the Mariners snap a nine-game losing streak. The loss whittled the Yankees’ lead in the American League wild card race to one game over Seattle and two and a half over the idle Detroit Tigers. The Yankees have lost three of four.

Clemens and Hernández were born 23 years and 247 days apart; according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last match-up with a wider gap came in 1994, when Charlie Hough of Florida opposed Salomon Torres of San Francisco.

Clemens was helped by two double plays, but so was Hernández, who got sparkling defense from Yuniesky Betancourt, his Gold Glove-caliber shortstop. Betancourt also had two doubles and three runs batted in.

After the Yankees scored in the first on a bloop single by Alex Rodriguez, the Mariners broke through in the second. After a single and a walk, Clemens tried to field an infield dribbler by Jose Lopez. But the ball was perfectly placed, and Clemens slipped on the grass with his right foot, nearly doing a split and getting up gingerly.

He retired Betancourt for the third out, but Suzuki lined a leadoff homer to right in the third, after Clemens fell behind 2-0 and tried an 89-mile-an-hour fastball. Seattle battered Clemens for three runs on three hits and a hit batsman in the fourth, with Betancourt’s two-run double to left the key blow.

Clemens was removed after the fourth inning, and the mound essentially turned into a laboratory. Mussina was seeking a remedy for his recent slump, which caused him to lose his place in the rotation.

The Yanks are really counting on Wang tomorrow, who nearly pitched a perfecto against Seattle back in May.

Pats Cut Reche Caldwell

In a surprise move (to me, anyway) the Pats have cut Reche Caldwell, their best 2006 receiver.

The New England Patriots released receiver Reche Caldwell on Monday, according to a league source cited by the Boston Globe. Caldwell was New England’s leading receiver last season, and was one of six receivers on the Patriots’ 53-man roster submitted on Saturday.

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Also Monday, the Patriots re-signed tight end Marcellus Rivers and claimed rookie linebacker David Herron off waivers.

He won’t be available for long unless there are some off-the-field issues not being reported.

Stephen Jones Profile

Mac Engel has a longish piece on Stephen Jones, son of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who has emerged as one of the most respected executives in the league.

For 18 years, since his father bought the Dallas Cowboys, Stephen has been the son off to the side. At 43, he’s the chief operating officer, executive vice president and director of player personnel, and he does more than people realize. Seldom craving credit, Jones has earned a respect that was slow to come and has established himself as something more than Jerry’s oldest child.

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Because his father is so visible and his own role is by nature mostly peripheral, Stephen is seldom seen. His achievements are infrequently documented, cherished or criticized.

When the Cowboys signed Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith to good but not “great” contracts in a pre-salary cap world, Stephen orchestrated the deals. “People would tell you this, but the one you want to negotiate with is Jerry, not Stephen,” said Rich Dalrymple, longtime Cowboys director of public relations. “Jerry may get sentimental about things, whereas Stephen will drive the hard bargain.”

Stephen does contracts. He manages the salary cap. He brokers sponsorship deals and trades, and handles player personnel decisions and Texas Stadium issues. When the Cowboys decided to push for a new stadium, Stephen was instrumental in working with Dallas city officials before he moved on to Arlington. The same with the Super Bowl bid.

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“Do I want credit? Sure, sometimes. That’s natural,” Stephen said. “I think you have to work harder and I think it takes longer to get that respect being in my position. But I have a peace of mind that a lot of [respect] is there.”

The team will be in good hands when Jerry hands the reins over.

CB Glenn Cut

Via the FST: Cornerback Glenn doesn’t make cut

Cornerback Aaron Glenn, 35, was among 22 players released as the team trimmed its roster to the mandatory 53-player limit.

A mild surprise. Given his age and the fact that reports from camp were that he had lost a step or two, I suppose it shouldn’t be a surprise at all. Still, the assumption was that he could play nickel, and given the questions about Newman’s foot, one would have thought the Boys would need all the help at DB it could get.

O’s woe is me

Ever wonder how much that 30 – 3 loss affected the Orioles?

Hardball times gives the Pythagorean effect for both teams.

Hardball Times also finds a reason that Erik Bedard has been more effective this year. Alas he’s now out indefinitely.

Allowing the other team 30 runs was historic. Now less than two weeks later the O’s are in the history books again. A pitcher no-hit them in only his second start. Who was the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in only his second start? Wilson Alvarez. In 1991. Against the Orioles.
(BTW that’s a great pun – Clay-nation!)

It’s quite often that baseball writers write about the importance good clubhouse chemistry. Well guess what, apparently the Orioles have it. Even after firing a manager and losing 9 straight.

Trachsel said. “I’ll keep all my doors open. You never say no to anything. I certainly enjoyed it and liked this clubhouse.”

That’s on a fourth place club fading fast.

Peter Schmuck is glad that Andy MacPhail got to see the real Orioles.

The Orioles’ record under Trembley at the time of his extension was 29-25, which was quite in contrast to the club’s 29-40 mark when Sam Perlozzo was fired. The difference also was apparent in the team’s demeanor between June 18 (when Trembley took over) and Aug. 22 (when the extension was announced). That’s all well and good, but the only fundamental change was the new manager’s increased emphasis on fundamentals.

That 54-game span of modestly winning baseball is not some dynamic statistical anomaly. Over the course of a 162-game season, almost every team – no matter how hapless – has an extended run of respectability.

Want proof? The Kansas City Royals, the yardstick by which baseball measures pain, went 29-24 from June 1 through Aug. 1. The Washington Nationals, the other MASN partner that entered the weekend mired in a long losing streak, went 29-26 from June 6 through Aug. 7.

In other words, it happens. Don’t get carried away.

I’d write more but this is just getting depressing. There’s always next year. Or 2010.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

Kennedy shines in debut

I will not be able to watch today’s game until it’s archived on MLB.tv, but having ‘watched’ on Gameday, Kennedy pitched better than anyone could have expected: 7 ip, 5 h, 3 r, 1 er, 2 bb, 6 k, 96 pitches, 66 strikes. As of 5:50 pm, I’ve only watched highlights and Gameday, but what I saw was impressive. Kennedy’s fastball was consistently at 91, even hitting 93 a couple times (whereas scouting reports had him sitting 88-92 mph). The vertical movement looked like a four-seamer, but it moved in (a lot) to righties, so perhaps it was a two-seamer. If it was a two-seamer, it’s even more impressive because he threw it in the low 90s.

The hitters jumped on Edwin Jackson for seven runs (six earned) in 3.1 innings. Arod provided most of the offense, going 3-4 with a HR and double.

Since Seattle lost to Toronto, 2-1, the Yanks now have a two game lead in the wildcard. Nice!

Appalachian State Upsets Michican!

The Mountaineers bested the Wolverines 34 to 32, which means that Michigan’s season is largely over before it started.

Wow.

HGH and the NFL

Are we on the cusp of a big story about HGH and the NFL? First Tim Couch admitted to using the substance in the past and now these two stories today:

• Cowboys’ QB Coach Suspended for Illegal Substance Usage.
• Pats’ Rodney Harrison Suspended for HGH Use

It makes one wonder what is coming next.