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NFL Draft 2011 Round 2 #35 Cincinnati Bengals QB Andy Dalton

NFL.com-

Dalton is four-year starter and proven winner, but he might have a difficult transition to the NFL. He is undersized and will not be able to take off and run at the next level. He is generally an accurate passer, and he’s grown on scouts and coaches since the NFL Scouting Combine. He played in a very user friendly scheme where he threw to a lot of wide open receivers and it is unclear if he can fit the ball into tight windows. Still, his stock his risen, and he looks to go as early as the beginning of the second round.

 

TCU to join Big East Conference

Does anyone consider east to include places almost on Mountain Standard Time? From ESPN-

TCU has accepted a bid for full membership to become the 17th member of the Big East Conference, effective July 1, 2012.

“Having BCS automatic-qualifying status was a priority for our football program and a great reward for the success we’ve had the last decade,” TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte said in a statement.

The conference change allows TCU to play in an automatic BCS-qualifying league beginning in the 2012-13 school year.

“Access got easier, not the road,” said Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson, whose third-ranked Frogs (12-0) wrapped up their second consecutive undefeated regular season and Mountain West title with a 66-17 win at New Mexico on Saturday.

The Mountain West does not have an automatic bid to the BCS and is going through some changes of its own. BYU and Utah are leaving the conference just as Boise State enters.

Del Conte said losing BYU and Utah was a “significant blow” to the Mountain West.

It isn’t all that long ago that TCU was a member of the Southwest Conference and most of the school’s games were played in Texas. If I had to guess, the Big East will be more expensive travel expense wise for the Horned Frogs but strategically it is a wise move. The Mountain West is a dying conference.

 

NFL Draft 2010 – Round 1 #31- Indianapolis- DE Jerry Hughes

NFL.com writes- Pick Analysis: The Colts’ fortify their pass rush with the addition of Jerry Hughes. Although Indianapolis retains Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, it still needed another rusher to alleviate some of the pressure on the duo. In Hughes, the Colts get a hard-working edge rusher with outstanding quickness and burst. The Colts have the luxury of slowly integrating Hughes into the lineup, and can groom him into a starter after a year or two.

Overview

Hughes is a defensive end that has been the most disruptive defender for the Horned Frogs over the past two years. He is a tweener (size and athleticism) at the next level and may fit as an undersized end in a 4-3 scheme or an inexperienced outside backer in an odd front. Hughes is best attacking the line of scrimmage rushing the passer or penetrating to disrupt the run. He uses his hands well to control blockers on the edge. He also shows an expansive pass rush package. Hughes has dropped in zone coverage at times but is most comfortable with his hand on the ground. He is a solid tackler in the open field utilizing great balance and body positioning. Regardless of where Hughes aligns at the next level he should contribute as a rookie due to his instincts, toughness, athleticism and energy.

 

2010 NCAA Women’s Tournament Bracket

Here it is-

2010 Women's bracket

Like with the Men’s tournament, I’ll take a shot at making some guesses predictions in the women’s also.

 

Are you ready for some bowling? II

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 afternoon, here are the matchups for all the college football fanatics out there.

Note- I gave the shortened name version of all the upcoming games. Also I listed what broadcast network would be televising the game and what time they would be coming on the air. All times are Eastern Standard.

Dec 19

New Mexico- Fresno State vs. Wyoming 4:30 p.m. ESPN
St. Petersburg- Central Florida vs. Rutgers 8 p.m. ESPN

Dec 20

R+L Carriers New Orleans- Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee 8:30 p.m. ESPN

Dec 22

MAACO Las Vegas- Oregon State vs. BYU 8 p.m. ESPN

Dec 23

Poinsettia- Utah vs. Cal 8 p.m. ESPN

Dec 24

Sheraton Hawaii- Nevada vs. SMU 8 p.m. ESPN
Dec 26

Little Caesars- Marshall vs. Ohio 1 p.m. ESPN
Meineke- Pitt vs. North Carolina 4:30 p.m. ESPN
Emerald- Boston College vs. USC 8 p.m. ESPN

Dec 27

Music City- Kentucky vs. Clemson 8:30 p.m. ESPN

Dec 28

Independence- Texas A&M vs. Georgia 5 p.m. ESPN2

Dec 29

EagleBank- UCLA vs. Temple 4:30 p.m. ESPN
Champs Sports- Miami vs. Wisconsin 8 p.m. ESPN

Dec 30

Humanitarian- Bowling Green vs. Idaho 4:30 p.m. ESPN
Holiday- Arizona vs. Nebraska 8 p.m. ESPN

Dec 31

Armed Forces- Houston vs. Air Force Noon ESPN
Sun- Oklahoma vs. Stanford 2 p.m. CBS
Texas- Navy vs. Missouri 3:30 p.m. ESPN
Minnesota vs. Iowa State 6 p.m. NFL Network
Chick-fil-A- Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee 7:30 p.m. ESPN

Jan 1

Outback- Northwestern vs. Auburn 11 a.m. ESPN
Capital One- Penn State vs. LSU 1 p.m. ABC
Gator- West Virginia vs. Florida State 1 p.m. CBS
Rose Bowl- Ohio State vs. Oregon 4:30 p.m. ABC
Sugar- Cincinnati vs. Florida 8:30 p.m. FOX

Jan 2

International- South Florida vs. Northern Illinois Noon ESPN2
Papajohns.com- South Carolina vs. UConn 2 p.m. ESPN
Cotton- Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss 2 p.m. FOX
Liberty- Arkansas vs. East Carolina 5:30 p.m. ESPN
Valero Alamo- Michigan State vs. Texas Tech 9 p.m. ESPN

Jan 4

Fiesta- Boise State vs. TCU 8 p.m. FOX

Jan 5

FedEx Orange- Iowa vs. Georgia Tech 8 p.m. FOX

Jan 6th

GMAC- Central Michigan vs. Troy 7 p.m. ESPN

Jan 7th

BCS National Championship Game- Texas vs. Alabama Jan. 7 8 p.m.

Some random notes on the above 34 games

*- 19 of the 34 games are not scheduled till Dec. 31st or later. I guess college football fanatics are expected to flip channels very quickly on those 3 days(Dec 31-Jan 2) when 15 games are being aired.
*- What a downer must it be for Oregon State players and fans. A few weeks ago they were one win from a Rose Bowl trip. Instead they lost to Oregon and are playing in a minor bowl before Christmas.
*- The NFL network televises a college football game. I guess that’s the cable sports equivalent of the Sci-Fi channel showing wrestling….
*- The bowls are now set where now certain conference finishers are locked into the same bowl games every year. I understand why the current system is done, but I prefer the day when bowl games would have greater variance from year to year. The Peach bowl would usually invite a ACC or SEC school but they could be creative, like when they invited Army and Illinois. Wouldn’t a SEC team against BYU or Wyoming be nice for a change?
*- Bobby Bowden’s farewell game is against the same school(West Virginia) that he left before coming to Florida State. I do know FSU and WV have played at least twice previously in bowls during the Bowden-Florida State era.

 

NFL Draft 2009 Round 6 #197 – Dallas Cowboys – S Stephen Hodge

With the 24th pick in the 6th round, the Dallas Cowboys take another safety, another athlete who played his college ball in Texas, and another Stephen:  TCU’s Stephen Hodge.

NFL.com says he’s a “tweener.”

Overview

Earned second-team All-Mountain West honors as a junior after being a special teams coverage leader his first two seasons. Hodge followed that up with a first-team All-Mountain West performance as a senior, making 91 tackles including 10 for loss. His eight sacks led all Football Bowl Subdivision defensive backs in 2007, though he basically played linebacker in TCU’s defense and blitzed often. The question for NFL teams will be whether he’s a safety, weak-side linebacker or a special teams player.

High School

Regarded as one of the top athletes in East Texas … Played quarterback and defensive back for coach Andy Evans at Tatum High School … Led the Eagles to 28 wins in 38 varsity starts over three years … Also handled the punting chores … As a junior he rushed for more than 2,000 yards and passed for more than 1,600 yards, combining for 45 touchdowns, earning district MVP honors … As a senior he completed 105-of-160 passes for 1,471 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions and rushed for 1,561 yards and 19 touchdowns in a 12-2 campaign to earn district MVP honors for a second time … In three seasons he rushed for more than 4,000 yards and 51 touchdowns while passing for nearly 4,500 yards and 48 scores … Member of the Star-Telegram’s State 100 list … Ranked 56th on the state 100 list by Rivals.com … On the TexasPrepXtra.com’s East Texas all-Underclassmen team and on their 2004 All-East team … Ran a 4.4 40-yard dash … Also excelled in baseball and basketball … Considered Baylor, Houston, Missouri, Texas A&M and SMU before deciding on TCU.

Analysis

Strengths: Adequate height with stocky, strong safety build and long arms. … Big hitter who will lay the wood when the ballcarrier is lined up in his sights. … Finds his way through traffic inside to attack the ball. … Quick in his drop and can handle zone coverage outside at the second level. … Hustles downfield and reads screens quickly. … Could be a special teams force at the next level, like he was early in his college career, due to his secure tackling and aggressive nature.

Weaknesses: Safety-linebacker “tweener.” … Plays in the box most of the time in the 3-3-5 defense, basically as a linebacker. … Is not as physical as he should be. … Runs around blocks because he has trouble getting off them. … High and choppy in his backpedal. … Takes poor angles at times and does not have the fluid hips or lateral speed to handle man coverage responsibilities. … Statistics inflated by aggressive TCU defensive scheme that had him constantly blitzing.

Scouts, Inc. gives him a horrible grade, saying he was the 19th best OLB in the draft. Otherwise, he’s far enough down the depth chart that they don’t even have a grade for him.

In the unkindest cut of all, Tim MacMahon dubs him “a Roy Williams-type of safety” and muses “Many experts projected him to play outside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme. Not sure how he’ll fit in the Phillips 3-4.” Considering the Cowboys put the actual Roy Williams-type safety on the street during the offseason, a good question.  MacMahon adds,

This line from his NFL Draft Scout report could explain the Cowboys’ thinking behind the pick: “Could be a special teams force at the next level, like he was early in his college career, due to his secure tackling and aggressive nature.”

Rather clearly, the Cowboys are drafting for backups and niche needs in this draft rather than going with the “best available athlete” that all the experts counsel.  The Cowboys have spent an entire draft picking special teamers and backups.

Shades of 1995, indeed.

 

Hall of Fame QB Slingin’ Sammy Baugh dead at 94

Considered the best all around NFL player of his time he coached for three years in the old AFL. RIP Sammy.

 

Are you ready for some bowling?

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.

Enjoy the games.

 
 


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