No I’m not talking about some middle aged man propelling a ball at some objects at the end of a lane, but the games that climax every college football season. Bowl season officially starts this Saturday, here are the matchups for all the college football fanatics out there.
Dec 20
Eaglebank Bowl- Wake Forest vs Navy
New Mexico Bowl- Colorado State vs Fresno St
MAGICJACK ST. PETERSBURG BOWL- Memphis vs. South Florida
PIONEER LAS VEGAS BOWL- Brigham Young vs Arizona
Dec 21
R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL- Southern Miss vs. Troy
Dec 23
SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL- Boise St vs TCU
Dec 24
SHERATON HAWAII BOWL- Hawaii vs Notre Dame
Dec 26
MOTOR CITY BOWL- Florida Atlantic vs. Central Michigan
Saturday, December 27
MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL- West Virginia vs. North Carolina
Champs Sports Bowl- Wisconsin vs. Florida State
Emerald Bowl- Miami (FL) vs. California
December 28
Independence Bowl- Northern Illinois vs. Louisiana Tech
PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL- North Carolina State vs. Rutgers
Valero Alamo Bowl- Missouri vs. No. 23 Northwestern
Tuesday, December 30
ROADY’S HUMANITARIAN BOWL- Maryland vs. Nevada
PACIFIC LIFE HOLIDAY BOWL- Oklahoma State vs. No. 17 Oregon
Texas Bowl- Western Michigan vs. Rice
Wednesday, December 31
BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL- Houston vs. Air Force
Sun Bowl- Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh
GAYLORD HOTELS MUSIC CITY BOWL- Boston College vs. Vanderbilt
Insight Bowl- Kansas vs. Minnesota
CHICK-FIL-A BOWL- LSU vs. Georgia Tech
Thursday, January 1
OUTBACK BOWL- South Carolina vs. Iowa
CAPITAL ONE BOWL- Georgia vs. Michigan State
Gator Bowl- Nebraska vs. Clemson
Rose Bowl- Penn State vs. USC
Fedex Orange Bowl- Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech
Friday, January 2
Cotton Bowl- Mississippi vs. Texas Tech
AUTOZONE LIBERTY BOWL- Kentucky vs. East Carolina
ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL- Utah vs. Alabama
January 3
INTERNATIONAL BOWL- Buffalo vs. Connecticut
January 5
TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL- Ohio State vs. Texas
January 6
GMAC Bowl- Ball State vs. Tulsa*
January 8
FEDEX BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME- Florida vs. Oklahoma
That’s 34 games, 68 schools spread over a period of 20 days for those of you keeping score at home. An ample supply of college football for any fanatics out there.
A few notes
*- There are a few bowl games remaining without corporate names in their title. Gator, Sun, Texas, Independence. Were these games unable to find sponsors?
*- Will Oklahoma St. and Oregon combine for 70 pts or more in the Holiday Bowl? This annually has been of the most high scoring affairs.
*- Oh how has the Orange Bowl dropped. A game that featured early triumphs of Joe Paterno led Penn State, Nebraska and Oklahoma in their glory days, the first major bowl appearance of Florida State, and the all time classic 84 battle between Nebraska and Miami, has Cincinnati and Virginia Tech playing this year. I’m sure they are talented football teams, but how many people are drooling to see them play in a prime-time network slot?
*- Arizona and BYU meet in a bowl 30 years after the former left the WAC conference for the higher profile Pac Eight(Now Ten, Arizona State joined also)
*- Vanderbilt makes a rare bowl appearance. Congratulations to Commodore fans, but this is a sign of how bowls are grown way out of proportion. 6-6 college teams get bids. When I was growing up I could remember Florida State going without a bowl in 1978 even though they finished the season 8-3.
It is my humble opinion that bowl season has gotten out of hand. Someone may say what’s the big deal? If someone wants to start a bowl game and there are two schools willing to play in it, does their records matter. A good football isn’t only a contest between stars at big name schools.
All true, but how much public money is spent on these affairs? Many of the teams are state universities who get funded by taxpayers. Then there is the game itself where police have to be taken from other tasks to work the day or night of the game or paid over-time.
With the economic downturn right now, you have to wonder if there will be less bowls in the near future. That would depend on how long a deal a corporate sponsor signed on for. I wonder how many fans of some schools plan to make a bowl trip. Are there 1,000 or more FAU Owls willing to journey from Florida to Michigan in December to watch the team play? Even if I were a Owl fan and had money, I’d stay home.
Strengths: A tall, somewhat lean corner with long arms (32.3 ) and big hands (9.2 ). Very instinctive and confident. Played in a blitz-heavy scheme that frequently left him on an island, but he’s better suited to play zone in the NFL. He has very good straight-line speed. Footwork is sound, plays with good balance and shows good burst coming out of cuts. Gets good knee bend in backpedal, reads routes fairly well and closes quickly. Times jumps well and is tall enough to compete for jump balls. Has quick feet and shows a second gear when tracking the ball downfield. Reads routes well, reads quarterback’s eyes and is aggressive. Locates the ball well. Displays good ball skills and flashes big-play ability after interceptions. Physical and fills hard when reads run. Active and can effectively bluff blitz. Has progressed steadily and should only continue to get better with experience. A person of high character and a hard worker on and off the field. Passionate about the game and is out to prove he’s better than people think. Very durable athlete.
Weaknesses: Though he has quick feet and good straight-line speed, he shows stiffness in his hips. Struggles to open quickly and mirror faster/quicker receivers. Press technique can improve. Hand-placement is inconsistent and he hasn’t shown great upper body strength. Will have some problems rerouting receivers at the NFL level and is more effective playing off the line than he is jamming receivers. He plays the game hard but isn’t as physical as you’d like to see, especially from a cover-2 type NFL prospect. Takes too long to shed block when gets reached and occasionally takes himself out of the play by trying to avoid blocker rather than stacking him up. Doesn’t always wrap up upon contact and is an inconsistent open field tackler that isn’t going to deliver a lot of big hits.
Overall: Cason arrived at Arizona in 2004 and went on to start all 46 games during his Wildcats career (’04-07). In his first three seasons, he compiled 182 tackles (10 for losses), three forced fumbles, 10 interceptions (one of which he returned for a touchdown) and 18 pass breakups. He turned in his finest season as a senior, recording 71 tackles (four for losses), two forced fumbles, five interceptions (two of which he returned for TDs) and 14 pass breakups. He had two more scores and averaged 10.0 yards on 27 punt returns last season. Cason also participated on Arizona’s track team in 2006, competing in the 200 meters and the sprint relays. His father Wendell played three seasons in the NFL and his cousins Aveion Cason and Ken-yon Rambo also played in the league. Aveion has played six seasons with three different teams and Ken-yon played two seasons (2001-02) for the Cowboys. Cason has some stiffness in his hips and will struggle to turn-and-run with some faster NFL receivers, which is why he’s best suited to play in a cover-2 heavy scheme. Otherwise, his combination of physical tools, mental toughness and versatility is impressive. He has the size, straight-line speed and anticipation to emerge as a solid starter in a zone-heavy NFL defense, and he also can compete for touches on punt returns. Cason should come off the board in Round 2.
TUCSON, Ariz. – Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson said Thursday night he would extend his leave of absence through the end of this season, citing undisclosed family matters that require his attention.
In a statement released by the university, the 73-year-old Hall of Famer said he plans to return to coach the Wildcats for the 2008-09 season.
“There are personal issues within my family that need to be addressed and I must devote my full energy to that,” Olson said in the statement.
Athletic director Jim Livengood said assistant coach Kevin O’Neill will continue to serve as interim coach for the rest of this season. The 22nd-ranked Wildcats (5-2) are at Illinois on Sunday.
I hope whatever the cause of Olson’s leave isn’t too serious. God bless.
Dennis Dixon will have surgery on the left knee that buckled early in second-ranked Oregon’s upset loss to Arizona, spoiling his chance to win the Heisman Trophy. The quarterback tore his anterior cruciate ligament during Oregon’s Nov. 3 victory over Arizona State, according to coach Mike Bellotti, but he had rested it and felt as if he was ready to play Thursday night against the Wildcats.
Now Dixon will miss the rest of this season.
*****
The versatile Dixon was one of the front-runners for the Heisman after he put the Ducks in line for the national title. Oregon had started the season unranked, and was picked to finish sixth in the Pacific-10 Conference.
Drawing comparisons to Vince Young, Dixon completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 2,136 yards, 20 touchdowns and four interceptions. The senior from San Leandro, Calif., also ran for 583 yards and nine scores.
Thursday night’s 34-24 loss to the unranked Wildcats knocked the Ducks (8-2, 5-2) out of the national title picture. Oregon was ranked behind LSU and ahead of Oklahoma and undefeated Kansas.
Dixon’s left knee crumbled as he tried to plant on an option carry with about 5 minutes to go in the first quarter against Arizona (5-6, 4-4).
Why should Dixon’s knee injury take him out of contention for the Heisman? It would seem rather silly if it did, for I’d be judging his credentials for the Heisman based on his play for the year, before he got hurt. That’s the way it should be.
The coach of 1997 NCAA Champs issued a statement today.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona coach Lute Olson is taking a leave of absence for unspecified personal reasons.
In a statement issued by his public relations firm on Sunday, the 73-year-old Hall of Famer said the matter was not health related.
*****
Olson said he wanted to “reassure everyone that this isn’t a health scare, but rather a personal matter that needs my undivided attention.”
The specific reason was not given.
“I want to thank everyone in advance for their support and prayers and request that the media respect my family’s privacy during this time,” he said.
Assistant coach Kevin O’Neill will assume Olson’s duties in his absence.
*****
Olson has a 780-280 record in 34 seasons as a major college coach. In 24 years at Arizona, he is 589-187 with 23 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. His Wildcats have won 11 Pac-10 championships, reached the Final Four four times and won the 1997 NCAA title.
If I were to take a guess, it is that Coash Olson or a close family of his(wife, child, grandchild) has a serious medical issue. No matter what the reason, I wish the coach well and look forward to his return.
The Dallas Cowboys have selected kicker University of Arizona kicker Nick Folk with the 4th pick in the 6th round of the 2007 NFL Draft (178th overall).
Rick Gosselin, live on The Ticket, says he was the best kicker at the combine.
The Cowboys have already re-signed Martin Gramatica and they have former Dallas Desperados kicker Carlos Martinez on the roster as well.
More importantly, in a draft that was reportedly deep in wide receivers and cornerbacks — both positions where the Cowboys could have used some youth and depth — the Cowboys have picked zero of either. Yet they took a quarterback/wide receiver project on nobody’s top 100 list and the third rated kicker in the draft.
Another head scratcher. Granted, a 6th round pick is always a reach. But this is hardly a position of need nor was Folk a can’t-pass-up kicking prospect.
I’m pretty sure that a pick is a reach if the guy isn’t even included in NFL.com’s database of draft prospects. I don’t get a kicker, period, but I really don’t understand taking one not named Mason Crosby.
UPDATE AFTER GOOGLE SEARCH: Folk is 6-1, 215 pounds, so my guess is that Jerry is looking to upgrade the blocking at kicker after Martin Gramatica’s season-destroying whiff on Seattle’s Jordan Babaineaux.
Indeed, Colorado’s Mason Crosby was the highest rated kicker this year, is still on the board.
He does provide this video of Folk kicking a longish game winner against BYU:
Mickey Spagnola notes on The Ticket that Folk was both a punter and kicker in school. Goose notes that he was by far the best kickoff guy at the combine. Still, the Cowboys have a Pro Bowl punter in Mat McBriar, who they’ve just re-signed to a long term deal in the offseason.
Strengths: Has a strong leg, can connect on long-range field goal attempts and gets good distance on kickoffs. Confident and shown the ability to come through in high-pressure situations. Has experience punting and is versatile.
Weaknesses: Though has improved in this area misses some field goal attempts inside 40 yards and accuracy is somewhat inconsistent. Kicks the ball too low at times and is vulnerable to getting blocked.
Overall: Folk arrived at Arizona in 2002 and was redshirted. In 2003, he played in 10 games, taking over as the fulltime place-kicker for the final four contests, made eight of eight extra point attempts, and missed all three field goal attempts. Folk won the starting job in 2004 for all 11 games, made 18 of 18 extra point attempts and eight of 13 field goal attempts (long; 53 yards). In 2005, he became an honorable mention All-Pac 10 performer after converting 31 of 33 extra point attempts and seven of 11 field goal attempts (long; 51 yards) in 11 contests. Folk made all 22 extra point attempts and 15 of 20 field goal attempts (long; 52 yards) in 2006 to earn first team All-Pac 10 accolades while playing in 12 games. For his career, Folk has also punted 96 times for 4,242 yards (44.2 average), with a long of 78 yards, and 36 punts downed inside the 20-yardline. Additionally, he kicked off 140 times with 83 touchbacks during the 2004, 2005, and 2006 seasons.
There is some concern about Folk’s accuracy but he missed just one field goal attempt inside 40 yards his senior year. He has excellent range and he is versatile. Folk projects as a late-round pick or rookie free agent.
Folk is on the phone with the gang on The Ticket. He says the Cowboys did express some interest in him and that he felt like he’d be drafted because he had so many good games late in his career. He was amused when confronted by the quote from an anonymous Cowboys official who had previously stated, “It’ll be a cold day in Hell before the Cowboys pick a kicker in the draft.”
He said he had several kicks blocked in college but it’s because his line really sucked. (He didn’t quite use those words and declined to throw any specific team mates under the bus. But that was the gist of it.)
Theo Bell, who played wide receiver and returned kicks for the Pittsburgh Steelers during their second two Super Bowls of the 1970s, died last week from kidney disease.
Former NFL wide receiver and return specialist Theo Bell, whose 10-year career in the league included a pair of Super Bowl victories with the Pittsburgh Steelers, died Wednesday at age 52 after a long battle with kidney disease.
Bell was diagnosed in 2000 with polycystic kidney disease, a condition in which cysts attack the kidneys. More recently he also suffered from scleroderma, a disease which causes a hardening of the skin and damage to internal organs. The scleroderma had severely damaged Bell’s lungs.
Bell, the Steelers’ fourth-round choice from Arizona in the 1976 draft, played five seasons in Pittsburgh (1976-80), then signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent in 1981, and played five seasons with the Bucs (1981-85). With the Steelers, he won Super Bowl rings for victories in Super Bowl XIII and Super Bowl XIV, playing as the team’s No. 4 wide receiver and as a punt returner and on special teams coverage units.
In 10 seasons, Bell appeared in 127 games. He caught 136 passes for 2,375 yards and eight touchdowns and returned 189 punts for an 8.0-yard average.
After his career, Bell, who had been raised in a series of foster homes in California, became involved in a number of charitable endeavors in the Tampa community. The most prominent was the GEARUP program, which originated at the University of South Florida, in which a mentor counsels a group of children from middle school and follows their progress through high school. Bell was particularly involved with Blake High School in Tampa.
At the time of his death, Bell was on waiting lists for kidney and lung transplants, but had been hospitalized for two months and was undergoing dialysis three times a week.
