2013 NCAA Football Season Thread

Discussion in 'Football' started by Sebsasour, Aug 5, 2013.

  1. Billy South Philly

    Jan 28, 2013
    Newtown Square, PA
    Club:
    Atlanta
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think it is more likely that Red McCombs is pissed off that he wasn't part of the blue ribbon rubber stamping committee that the Texas Board of Regents put together for this hiring process and thought he donated enough money that he is entitled to rubber stamp things in Texas. He is coming off sounding like a racist carmudgeon on top of it. All know is there are potential complications with a sizable faction of the Texas donors that do not like this hiring and Charlie Strong better realize the pitfalls going forward. This is not Louisville where he is second fiddle to the basketball coach.
     
  2. DynamoEAR

    DynamoEAR Member+

    May 30, 2011
    HoustAtlantaDMV
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    http://www.forbes.com/profile/jeffery-hildebrand/
     
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  3. taosjohn

    taosjohn Member+

    Dec 23, 2004
    taos,nm
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  4. ElJefe

    ElJefe Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 16, 1999
    Colorful Colorado
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Red McCombs is hilarious. How else do you describe someone who says that he'd hire a coach as a position coach or coordinator when that coach already has a national championship as a defensive coordinator at Florida and a BCS bowl win as a head coach? And Gruden? C'mon now. The guy hasn't coached anywhere in years and hasn't coached in college in decades. The thing that he has going for him these days seems to be "He's on TV."

    Honestly, I don't know if McCombs is a cracker or what, but I do know that he and his fellow Big Cigars got used to having the old athletic director and the old head coach at their beck and call for decades and he is having a hard time dealing with the fact that the new athletic director is (rightfully) freezing him and the other Big Cigars out and not letting them treat the athletic department as their plaything, often to the detriment of said athletic department.

    What the conventional wisdom says about what a Texas head coach must be is a byproduct of 32 years of an athletic director who would do anything to scrape up a few more bucks and 16 years of a football head coach who was a consummate people-pleaser and didn't establish proper boundaries with respect to his job, which is first, second, and third to win football games. So you had a situation in which the athletic department was accommodating to its big donors to a fault, which has resulted in the former head football coach spending time backslapping said donors who are on the sidelines at practice, has resulted in a big donor's being the personal attorney for the former head football coach (Can you say "conflict of interest"?), and has resulted in Red McCombs' thinking that anyone should care about his stupid opinion about who the next football coach should be.

    All of this has also helped make Texas the wealthiest athletic department in the nation, and one of the few that sends money to the academic side of the University, but it shouldn't be this way. The fact that anyone knows the names of these guys probably says more that things are out of whack than anything else. If Steve Patterson does nothing else but help restore a bit of sanity to the relationship between the University of Texas athletic department and its large donors, he will have been tremendously valuable as an AD.

    But fortunately, Red McCombs and Joe Jamail and the other Big Cigars aren't as influential as they used to be. The newest and biggest Big Cigar lives in Bristol, Connecticut and doesn't care about being best buddies with the head football coach. It just cares about showing compelling football games three times a season on a TV channel that it's trying to sell to cable and satellite systems. Mack Brown wasn't getting that done, so it didn't matter how swell of a guy he might've been, and if Charlie Strong gets it done, they'll love him mightily for it.

    tl;dr: ******** Red McCombs.

    Oh, and BTW, Red McCombs may have a zillion dollars. He may have his name on the softball stadium and on the business school. But there's one thing that I've got that he doesn't: a degree from the University of Texas at Austin. No, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't amount to much, but I enjoy it.

    As for Charlie Strong's media presence, I love it. He's certainly better answering questions off the cuff than he is with prepared statements. No, he's not as polished as his predecessor, but the overwhelming opinion that I'm seeing from Texas fans is that that's not a bad thing. Mack Brown might be the consummate politician, but after 16 years of all the slickness, the folksiness, and the media savvy, it just seemed that much more hollow when we were getting our teeth kicked in by OU again, when we're not winning the conference again, and when somehow our best option at QB is a noodle-armed legacy.

    Coach Strong might be unpolished, reserved, and a bit country, but if he turns Texas into a finely-honed killing machine that imposes its will on its opponents, nobody will care about how good he is with the media. ESPN isn't paying Texas $300 million over 20 years for really great coach's shows.
     
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  5. ElJefe

    ElJefe Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 16, 1999
    Colorful Colorado
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Oh, and one more thing: Red McCombs is north of 85 years old. I don't think I'm being excessively morbid when I say that he may not get to see how wrong he is about this hire.
     
  6. Auriaprottu

    Auriaprottu Member+

    Atlanta Damn United
    Apr 1, 2002
    The back of the bus
    Club:
    Atlanta
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Petrino back at Louisville...
     
  7. Alberto

    Alberto Member+

    Feb 28, 2000
    Northern, New Jersey
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Circular tape loop in Louisville. Petrino is in my view damaged goods and he is over 60. How long will he coach? Head coaching is a tough job. It's not a old man's game.
     
  8. Auriaprottu

    Auriaprottu Member+

    Atlanta Damn United
    Apr 1, 2002
    The back of the bus
    Club:
    Atlanta
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    He's actually only 52, per wiki. I thought he was older myself, but apparently it's just a lack of melanin. They could have gone after John L. Smith, but he's 65.
     
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  9. Alberto

    Alberto Member+

    Feb 28, 2000
    Northern, New Jersey
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    As we say in Spanish con yo!!!! Damn I'm three years older than this MF'r and he looks like he's in his 60's! Pasty old skin!
     
  10. taosjohn

    taosjohn Member+

    Dec 23, 2004
    taos,nm
    Maybe they figure they still have the support group that kept him in line and productive before. Come to think of it maybe he does too.
     
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  11. taosjohn

    taosjohn Member+

    Dec 23, 2004
    taos,nm
    On further review, the above is about as wrong as anything I ever wrote about a football game. The Clemson O-line controlled the line of scrimmage because OSU didn't so anything to try to prevent them from doing so-- they just lined up their four down guys in their normal slots and said sic'em, and didn't stunt, didn't bring anybody from elsewhere much. On a couple of passing downs they went to three down and rushed a standing guy, and early on they flip flopped a lineman in response to specific formations, but basically they gave the Clemson blockers an anxiety free game; everybody always knew when they came to the line who they were responsible for, so the only issue was handling Bosa, who did make a couple of plays.

    And far from committing a safety, OSU rarely used more than six against the run, sometimes only five (even four once, on a running down) and lined up with the edges so soft that there was 4-6 yards available on both strong and weak sides most of the time.

    The overall look is as though OSU thought they could anticipate Clemson's plays from their formations, and left all those people back to read and react to the edges. Even on third and goal from inside the one, with Clemson in a power formation with power I and no wides, they only had seven on the LOS, apparently thinking they'd have time to react...If so, they were wrong.

    In addition I'm guessing they expected Clemson to run a lot of misdirection, and kept a safety, #4, dedicated to that. If not he had a really, really terrible game and should have been substituted... He was hesitant, his first move was away from the point of attack on almost every play, he was late on plays where he was clearly intended to provide help over the top, and on one of the four times he got into good position at the point of attack, he just stuck an arm out and cried "Ole" as the ball carrier ran past. (One time he made a good stop on the sideline, one time a good stop but too late to prevent a first down and one other time he made a downfield stop after arriving too late.)

    In general he was late into the picture over and over, and arrived with his arms up, dancing his ankles back from the pile, looking for all the world like a guy whose primary concern was to avoid getting hurt. I don't believe anyone can look so ineffectual play after play and be left in the game, so I think he must have been asked to hold himself back for some reason, and just not been any good at executing such an instruction.

    Still, since Clemson really only ran one misdirection play in the first three quarters, if I'm reading the intent correctly they really should have turned him loose-- they were getting beat on the straightforward plays as it was. It was all the blown coverages by Clemson that kept OSU in the game. (He did make a decisive and effective tackle on Boyd on second and goal from the one, a situation where presumably he was turned loose, and he made the interception, but by then the horse was almost out of the barn..)

    So apologies to Billy S P-- they had the guy available, and they didn't use him (except that he did do what you suggested on the first play of the winning drive-- only tentatively, with a bad angle, and wound up with a good look at a teammate's tackle well downfield...) And I wasn't really paying attention, and saw what I expected to see.
     
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  12. Billy South Philly

    Jan 28, 2013
    Newtown Square, PA
    Club:
    Atlanta
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Nice write up. That was pretty much my observation from watching the game. They totally worried about the wrong thing, the misdirection, when they should have worried about blowing up the speed screen. Also, I am not a fan of the read and react defensive stance, unless it is 3rd and long. At least bring in the house every once in a while and get the QB rattled. Taj Boyd had the world to himself most of the game.
     
  13. stanger

    stanger BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 29, 2008
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Considering OSU had three top defensive players not playing for various reasons, were you overly surprised? I certainly wasn't.
     
  14. taosjohn

    taosjohn Member+

    Dec 23, 2004
    taos,nm
    I wrote that a bit ambiguously...

    Iit looked to me that they thought when Clemson went set, the formation would tell them the initial flow, and they could go get it from that far off the line-- not a true read and react. If they intended a true read and react would they have lined so many up so deep? No point if you are going to give up four or five yards before you can get there...
     
  15. Alberto

    Alberto Member+

    Feb 28, 2000
    Northern, New Jersey
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Meyer is a fine coach, but he :was hampered with a defense that lacked depth and experience. Even if Ohio State had those injured players. They still lacked quality and experience.

    I believe Ohio State will be a much more complete team for the coming season. Particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
     
  16. Auriaprottu

    Auriaprottu Member+

    Atlanta Damn United
    Apr 1, 2002
    The back of the bus
    Club:
    Atlanta
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Franklin to Penn State. Kiffin to be the new OC at Bama.
     
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  17. Dr. Wankler

    Dr. Wankler Member+

    May 2, 2001
    The Electric City
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Interesting choice for Penn State. Not a lot of experience, but he seems to be a fast learner. From the outer environs of Happy Valley.
     
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  18. stanger

    stanger BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 29, 2008
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He is also making $100,000 grand less than Meyer according to reports. Second highest paid coach in the BIG 10.

    PSU will have to overpay for coaches until they are out from under the cancer that is the Paterno supporters.
     
  19. Dr. Wankler

    Dr. Wankler Member+

    May 2, 2001
    The Electric City
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    For that to happen, their fanbase will have to contract to somewhere around that of East Stroudsburg's and Slippery Rock's.
     
  20. Auriaprottu

    Auriaprottu Member+

    Atlanta Damn United
    Apr 1, 2002
    The back of the bus
    Club:
    Atlanta
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    #645 Auriaprottu, Jan 11, 2014
    Last edited: Jan 11, 2014
    If you consider OSU as the flagship tradition program of the Big Ten, Penn state's going to be a 1A (or 2A with Michigan). And turning Vanderbilt into a halfway decent team is a lot harder than molding Florida's talent into B(C)S champs (how Meyer got to tOSU to begin with).

    Florida and Alabama put Meyer and Nick Saban --who are neither fools nor klutzes-- into a situation where only a klutz or a fool could fail and now the media speak of them (well, Saban, anyhow) in hushed tones. The paymasters, OTOH, understand that Saban and Meyer (and Muschamp) ended up at a glamour program before Franklin did.

    He strikes me more as a fast teacher. If the Happy Vals are willing to learn, they'll be fine.
     
  21. Catracho_Azul

    Catracho_Azul Member+

    Jun 16, 2008
    New Orleans
    Club:
    Corinthians Sao Paulo
    Nat'l Team:
    Honduras
    Pete Carroll winning the NFC Championship today once again compels me to say he's light years ahead of Saban and Meyer as an all-time coach.

    Harbaugh too.. dude is one hell of a coach.. great USC vs Stanford duel, probably brings back some memories in more ways than one.
     
  22. Auriaprottu

    Auriaprottu Member+

    Atlanta Damn United
    Apr 1, 2002
    The back of the bus
    Club:
    Atlanta
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    I don't know what kind of coach Meyer would have been in this position. No way to tell, so I'll say he would have done fine. Truth told, I see Carroll as a fair/middlin' NFL man who stepped down and made big, returned and has done much better this trip.

    I've never said Saban was a poor coach, just that he was put in a perfect position to succeed, and only then because Bama failed to get so many other guys before they tried Saban.

    In my head, Harbaugh still plays for the Colts. Don't know why.
     
  23. stanger

    stanger BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 29, 2008
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    And in my mind, it's Michigan.
     
  24. ElJefe

    ElJefe Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 16, 1999
    Colorful Colorado
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This is where I snarkily point out that he never won a national championship, unlike Saban and Meyer.
     
  25. stanger

    stanger BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 29, 2008
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Except for 2003, 2004. As a Buckeye, I know that just because a game was vacated doesn't mean it didn't happen.:)
     

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