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Football Thoughts, Week of Oct 2
October 4, 2011 – 9:50 am
College Football
Can you imagine how good Alabama would be with a good kick-off team? After the initial 10-3 lead by Florida, it was over. The defense is just smothering fast and Trent Richardson is a beast.
All this really means is that when LSU comes to town, the nation will be watching. After a sluggish start, LSU cranked it up and won easily against Kentucky.
Denver Broncos
I really don’t know what else to write about the Broncos. The “Tebow” package that Fox talked about this week ended up being 1 play for 1 yard. Orton who is supposed to give this team the best chance of winning looks pathetic. Underthrows a wide Lloyd one play, over throws the next. More interceptions than TD’s. A few pick 6′s. I can’t believe that Quinn and/or Tebow could do much worse.
And I’m not a pro-Tebow guy at all. He’s a Gator. I just don’t understand the mentality – if the 2012 QB is not on the roster, then play all of them to see what you’ve got in game situations. At least entertain us, right? Cue Gladiator sound bite.
The only brights spots are the 2011 rookies. Miller and Moore – they look very good given they have 4 NFL games as experience. Makes me confident for future drafts. Doesn’t take away the ridiculousness of our offense.
I thought I would dislike McDaniels less after he went. Turns out I was wrong. I can’t stand him even more than when he was here. He killed the Broncos.
Not that any of that would have mattered against the Packers. They are so good. It is clear how far the Broncos have to go to be Super Bowl contenders again. And it is a long, long, long way.
Fantasy
Mike Geer put the beat down on me this week. So 3-1, tied for 1st. Got my first win in the 12th Ave league.
Weekend Football Thoughts, September 24
October 3, 2011 – 9:51 am
Meant to post this last week — got lost in the draft folder.
College
LSU jumped Oklahoma for the #1 spot. Apparently West Virgina is a powerhouse team to be feared. Not that it matters. In a few weeks, Alabama-LSU will enter the cage match of the season in Tuscaloosa. That is going to be one crazy good game.
Alabama manhandled Arkansas. In past years, Arkansas would hang around and make every Alabama fan nervous but ‘Bama would prevail…as long as the Tide could make field goals. (I was at that game…ugggghhhh.) But this year – Alabama just beat them up. The Hogs’ offense is plenty sophisticated and will put up a lot of points this year. But Alabama just physically dominated. It was like watching the big bully prove that he wasn’t just talk but could actually kick your butt.
Alabama’s offense is another story altogether. It’s the antithesis of Arkansas. There are two guys that make that thing go – Lacey and Richardson. And it’s Bowling Ball 1 and Bowling Ball 2. But there isn’t a QB in the state of Alabama that really strikes fear in anybody. Maybe the guy playing for Hoover High. It’s a weakness that could really hurt the Tide later in the year…but then again, if offenses only score 10 points a game…
Pro Football
It’s debatable which team is more painful to watch – the Chiefs or the Broncos. I’m not sure if KC can win a game at this point. They just find ways to lose that aren’t even imaginable.
The Broncos…another day in Orton’s paradise. Play well enough to be average. The problem with this scenario is this – Broncos could lose every game on their schedule and it might not be bad enough to get Luck.
Minnesota and Seattle are taking football back decades. KC is as well but even if the Broncs split with them, where else is KC going to win? Same question for Denver – who else can they beat?
KC plays Minnesota next week, Broncs get the Packers. KC could win. Should win. Broncs will be lucky to make it to halftime.
But nobody circles the wagons like the Bills!!!! Way to go, Bills.
Pac-12 will stay 12 But Everything Is Still Fine In The Big 12
September 21, 2011 – 6:43 pm
I wrote this a couple of weeks ago how the Big 12 is toast. Not everyone agreed.
Today these 3 gems land.
Gem 1 – Pac-12 will stay at 12 because they could not get any assurances from…wait for it…TEXAS that it would agree to equal revenue sharing in the conference.
Gem 3 – Missouri is rumored to be the 14th team for the SEC. (Which would move Auburn to the SEC East…not sure what I think about that. They’d do pretty good over there.)
We’ve been down this road before with Missouri and the Big 10. That didn’t end well for the Tigers and personally, I don’t think we need another Tiger mascot in the SEC. But I digress… My hunch is that if Oklahoma gets want it wants and stays – Missouri will stay as well.
For the rest of the schools, it seems like it’s just a big game of wait and see.
Football Thoughts, Week of September 18
September 19, 2011 – 5:47 pm
College Football
OU manages to survive at FSU
Was it the defense or was the FSU offense that bad? I really think this is OU’s only real test this season. Their only real obstacle left in front of them is themselves. If they show up and play the way they are capable, they should win out with their schedule. Of course, that’s the trick with OU – showing up and playing. That’s why we play ‘em.
LSU escapes
Interesting stat that ESPN popped up during the game – Mississippi State has only defeated Ole Miss in the SEC West under Dan Mullen’s tenure. He’s gone winless against the rest of the division. Mullen is generally seen as a great coach and has MSU headed in the right direction but that just goes to show you how tough the SEC West really is. The East is another story altogether.
Alabama cruises, Arkansas sort of cruises
Both teams cruised out to huge early leads against severely overmatched opponents. Arkansas then kinda got a little sloppy but my hunch is Petrino will use that to keep the Hogs focused on Alabama this week. Alabama’s defense is allowing 2.5 yards a play this year. Arkansas’ offense will be the first real test though. Great offense against great defense in a great venue. Roll Tide. This game will be a doosey – in the words of Keith Jackson.
NFL
The Chefs (misspelled on purpose) are atrocious. 84-10. That’s how they have been manhandled by the Bills and the Lions. And it’s not just the injuries. This team looks out-coached, out-hustled, and out-everything else. Half of them look like they don’t even want to be there Is this just more evidence that Haley’s act wears thin on players? Maybe.
The Broncos won against that Bengals but not before they tried to give the game back to them a couple of times.
“Here, you win the game.”
“No, really. It’s your turn. You win.”
“No, I instist, you’re the home team. You win.”
A 2 point win against a Marvin Lewis coached, bad Bengals team is not something to get excited about. They should have won this game going away. They didn’t. And that pretty much says all we need to know. They are going to play hard under John Fox but the talent isn’t there anymore. They are all playing for other teams (thank you Josh McDaniels) and this win just delays the inevitable.
Nobody circles the wagons like the Bills. I could become a Bills fan after watching them the past two weeks. They are fun to watch. And they beat the Raiders. I like that.
Fantasy Football Update:
2 leagues this year with polar opposite results.
TABC League – been in this league for 8 or 9 years. This is my worst year because I wasn’t available for the draft. I did the auto draft. Worst. Decision. Ever. I had 9 RBs, 1 QB (Flacco…really?) and the rest WRs. It was atrocious. I’m just punting this year. Not even really going to the waiver wire because it’s just that bad. I’m 0-2 and it doesn’t look good the rest of the way. Not even been remotely close in any of the games.
WHFL – Newly formed Western Hills league. Pretty much had the draft of my life this year. I was buried at the #11 pick. So I just picked up Andre Johnson at 11, then Tom Brady at 14. Genius. So far, I have been on the right end of two big blowouts. Could be the year.
Football Thoughts, Week of September 11
September 13, 2011 – 5:14 pm
Alabama
The defense is every bit as good as advertised. The offense and special teams needs some work. Their next test will be Arkansas in a couple of weeks. The pundits are saying that the Tide is rolling towards another national championship. I’m thinking that may be premature. Every one in the stadium knows that #3 is getting the ball and that just isn’t a great recipe for a season long run to the Championship. AJ McCarron will have to develop as well as a wideout other than Maze.
Auburn
As Coop and I were watching the game wind down, I told Cooper that the right call would be to throw now with 10 seconds left that way MSU has two plays. MSU runs and Auburn’s safety makes one heck of a play. I’m not sure if MSU just choked away a win or if Auburn is that resilient. Either way, Auburn is 2-0 and while they aren’t as talented or dominant as they were last year – they still play hard, still play the WHOLE game.
Georgia & South Carolina
Uga now has a different meaning. Watching Georgia self-destruct in that game was painful even for me. Murray still makes those one or two bone-head plays a game that just makes you go – “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING??” Which should totally sound familiar for South Carolina fans as they have watched Garcia…dare I use the phrase ‘grow up?’ Shame for Mark Richt – who will probably lose his job after this season.
NFL
The Broncos…here’s the deal. I’m not anti-Orton. It’s just that we’ve seen this ineptness the last 4 years. Dink, dink, short run, turnover, field goals instead of touchdowns, penalties, and unable to finish games. It is clear that Orton is an average quarterback who at times plays awful but generally speaking will play to the level of talent around him. He isn’t going to put the team on his shoulders and take them to the next level.
What we don’t know is what we’ve got in Quinn or Tebow. And since it is apparent that the Broncos are going to be in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes, wouldn’t it be great to figure out what you’ve got with Tebow or Quinn? Maybe they do know what they’ve got and it’s so bad they are just trying to get as much as they can in trade value from the other teams. The 23-20 score is so deceptive. The game really wasn’t that close and it was a slow, ugly game. Penalty Bowl.
The cool thing? The Orange Jerseys!!! Love that look!
The only team that I thought looked worse than the Broncs this past weekend was the Chiefs. And unless there is a major attitude change in KC, they could be the worse team in the NFL. They didn’t look ready to play and completely out-coached on Sunday. Could be a long season for the Chefs.
Opening Weekend of College Football
September 6, 2011 – 7:29 pm
I didn’t have a lot of time to watch football this weekend. That is something I will correct this coming weekend. BUT here are my thoughts of what I did see…
1. Georgia – played liked they look in those hideous uniforms. Awful look…just awful. BUT not as bad as…
2. Maryland – After Saturday night I didn’t think it was possible to have an uglier uniform. Monday night, Maryland proved me wrong.
3. Georgia, part 2 – they look slow, overwhelmed, outcoached, and Murray (QB) looks lost without AJ Green. South Carolina is next on the docket for the Dawgs. Doesn’t look good.
4. LSU – the game wasn’t as close as the score. I think LSU could have stayed out on that field all night long. After halftime, they just manhandled Oregon. Here’s the bad news though – Oregon can recover. LSU must now tackle the SEC West.
5. Alabama – found their QB whether Saban makes it official or not. Simms came in after half and threw 2 picks, 1 of which led to Kent State’s only score. McCarron may not be lighting it up like Saban wants but he’s not an INT machine.
6. Baylor over TCU – shocked but happy. Baylor has a few more upsets in them.
7. USF over Notre Dame – not shocked but absolutely livid that ND got ranked in the first place. How does that happen? Kelly looked like a total jerk on sideline, not sure how he is going to manage the rest of the year. Yanking your “stud” starting QB after 15 minutes of play is either over-reacting or he really isn’t a “stud” starting QB.
8. BYU just sealed Houston Nutt’s fate at Ole Miss. This was Nutt’s MO at Arkansas as well. Play well enough to win for 3 quarters then lose it in the 4th. He just can’t seem to get his teams to finish.
9. LSU jumps Alabama in the polls. Not really surprised about this. LSU beats a #5 Oregon, which probably should not have been ranked that high but that’s not the point. The point is if LSU and Alabama didn’t play each other – it would matter. They do – it doesn’t.
10. #4 Boise State – I don’t like it but they aren’t going anywhere the rest of the season. They beat Georgia (which at the end of the season is not going to be that big of a win, I suspect) and now it’s just off to the races to see which teams knock each other out of the BCS Championship race where Boise State will be waiting for them.
11. Auburn’s flirting with disaster. Utah State hasn’t had a winning season in like 13 years. They were 4-8 last year. Was this just Auburn’s traditional slow start or are they really in deep weeds? We will know after Mississippi State comes calling.
I’m A Winner!!
September 2, 2011 – 3:06 pm
Last week I told you about Drew Litton. He was (and still is) my favorite cartoonist. I actually won the Caption of The Week Contest. Which means I got my name on the cartoon drawing!!
I might need to get this all big and in color.
The Elephant in the Big 12 Room
August 31, 2011 – 7:45 pm
A&M made it official today that they will be leaving the Big 12 which is actually only 10 teams and only a couple of them are really big but all of that is really beside the point. As I’m listening to sports radio and the local hub-bub, it’s fascinating to me some of the responses and questions I’m hearing. It’s almost as if these people are sharing a brain with Big 12 Dan Beebe.
Here is some of the ridiculousness I’ve heard today…
“Why would A&M leave the Big 12 to go get beat up in the SEC every year?”
I’ve got about 8 to 10 million reasons why. That’s how much more money a year they will make in the revenue sharing SEC than in the non-revenue sharing Big 12. Plus, a good year in the Big 12 means maybe the Cotton Bowl or Capital One Bowl. A good year in the SEC is the Sugar Bowl or potentially the BCS Championship Game.
“They will lose all of their recruits in Texas if they leave the Big 12.”
Are you serious? Your top-shelf athletes are going to stay and play in the Big 12 versus the SEC where they will play against NFL talent every week? They will choose the Big 12 – whose national champion contenders get manhandled every year – over the SEC where the last 5 national champions have come from? Don’t think so.
“It’s A&M fault that we are going through this whole re-alignment thing again.”
Are you sure about that? The “Texas” Network and the Texas greed in the Big 12 is what is killing the Big 12. Move the championship game to Dallas, move the headquarters to Texas, give Texas their own network, don’t share revenue because that would mean less money for Texas. Are you seeing a pattern? Who will stay for that?
One would think that after Nebraska and Colorado left, the lesson would be learned. It obviously hasn’t. Texas released a statement today saying they are behind the Big 12 all the way and are full supporters of the conference. Of course they are – no other conference would let them have their own network or let them be the one to stop revenue sharing.
“It’s okay, we will just get SMU, TCU, BYU, Notre Dame, Arkansas, or whoever else to take their place.”
First, let’s get this straight. Notre Dame and Arkansas are NOT coming to the Big 12. That would be a dramatic pay cut as well as a dramatic step down in prestige. Neither is TCU who just joined the Big East or some other insignificant conference like that. BYU just committed to stay in Mountain West and you can pretty much count on that school keeping its word.
That leaves really only SMU and Houston in the mix. Does anyone really believe that SMU and Houston will be better for the Big 12 than Colorado, Nebraska, and Texas A&M? Accepting those teams would basically saying to the world – we are going to be the Big 2 + the Flat 10.
Bottom line – the Big 12 is in serious trouble and Don Beebe has yet to show he can lead in the complicated world of NCAA realignment.
Personally, I’m happy for A&M. They are going to fit in great in the tradition rich SEC if they end up finding themselves there. That makes the SEC West the murder’s row in football – Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Mississippi, and Texas A&M.
It will make our personal holidays a bit more tense as Amy is from a long line of Aggies. Her brother, her father, her uncle, her grandfather, and probably a few more generations after that as well are all from Aggieland.
Looks like our family will be a bastion of War Eagle, Gig ‘Em, and Roll Tide.
The best conference in football is about to get even better.
I might just have to be a Michigan State fan this year…
August 26, 2011 – 10:30 am
Saw this on Walt Mueller’s blog. Kirk Cousins, the starting quarterback for Michigan State, was asked to speak on behalf of the players at the Big 10 Football Season kickoff.
This is a speech….
The 2011-2012 Broncos
August 24, 2011 – 5:55 pm
The Quarterback Controversy
I’m not sure why there is all this drama in Denver surrounding the QB. Orton is by far the best QB on the roster. With no rules keeping the #3 QB out of the lineup this year, whether Tebow is #2 or #3 is pretty much irrelevant.
The question during the lock-out was whether or not Elway/Fox/Xander wanted to play for the wins now (start Orton) OR play for the draft/see what we’ve got left after the McDaniels fiasco (start Tebow). They’ve made their decision – try to win now.
The pressure is when you spend a 1st round pick on a player, you want production out of them as soon as possible. But let’s face it – McDaniels Experiment was an unmitigated disaster in this area. His first round picks were atrocious. Knowshon Moreno, Robert Ayers, Demaryius Thomas, and Tim Tebow. None of them have produced like 1st round picks should produce. Maybe time will vindicate these picks but until they do, Bronco fans just need to take their medicine and chill. Tebow was an expensive draft pick but that isn’t going to make him a better QB.
Personally, I’m a little disappointed. Orton is a known commodity, would have liked to rolled the dice with Tebow. Worse case scenario is we get the first pick in the 2012 draft and HELLO, Andrew Luck!! But Orton is the guy so here we go.
Monday, Sep 12 Oakland Raiders W
I will never pick the Raiders. Never. Wear your flack jackets.
Sunday, Sep 18 Cincinnati Bengals W
How does Marvin Lewis keep his job but Shanny loses his? Mysteries of the universe. Had Bowlen not fired McDaniels, the Broncos were well on their way to becoming the Bengals.
Sunday, Sep 25 @Tennessee Titans W
Tennessee should win this one but with Chris Johnson doing his hold-out thing. Plus the whole QB situation there is not very good. I’m picking the W but that means that the Broncos would be 3-0…which I really don’t think will happen.
Sunday, Oct 2 @Green Bay Packers L
I was at the Monday night game Favre threw the dagger on the first play of overtime his last season with the Packers. Never have I heard a stadium that loud get that quiet. This one will not be that close.
Sunday, Oct 9 San Diego Chargers L
I can’t stand Philip Rivers but that offense is going to put up some points. And the Chargers have owned the Broncos lately.
Sunday, Oct 23 @Miami Dolphins W
How weird would this game have been if Orton had been traded? First of all, Miami would have won. As it stands now, Miami looks lost at the QB position. Why they didn’t get one in the off season is a mystery.
Sunday, Oct 30 Detroit Lions L
Mainly because I think Detroit is going to be one of those teams that just beats people up every week. Even without Stafford last year, they scored a lot of points. Detroit is vulnerable in the secondary but not too many teams will have time to figure that out.
Sunday, Nov 6 @Oakland Raiders W
Terrelle Pryor will be the quarterback by now. Not because he is better than Jason Campbell but because this organization has a gift in ruining a good thing before it matures into a great thing.
Sunday, Nov 13 @Kansas City Chiefs L
Broncos split this series last year. As much as I would love to sweep the Chefs this year…I don’t think the Broncos have the talent to do it. And the Chefs are better this year than last. It’s a shame their schedule is going to hose them.
Thursday, Nov 17 New York Jets L
I hate this game. Between two division rival games on a Thursday night. In the glory years, this would be a game that Denver would dominate. We are not in the glory years.
Sunday, Nov 27 @San Diego Chargers L
Road game, Chargers will be playing for something and the Broncos won’t.
Sunday, Dec 4 @Minnesota Vikings L
Dome, turf, away game, and Minnesota. Plus I think the Vikings will be decent.
Sunday, Dec 11 Chicago Bears W
This game is circled, starred, and highlighted on the fans’ calendar. And with the hideous O-line of the Bears versus the Broncos front 7, Cutler could get hit early and often in this match. Go Broncos.
Sunday, Dec 18 New England Patriots L
Remember when Hoodie, Jr ran off the field in victory? So does Hoodie, Sr. This one will be over at halftime.
Saturday, Dec 24 @Buffalo Bills W
I almost called this a tie. A winter game in Buffalo? It will be cold and one boring game. But I must pick the Broncs because I don’t want Mike Geer giving me grief.
Sunday, Jan 1 Kansas City Chiefs W
The Chiefs just don’t always put it all together at Mile High. That’s what I’m counting on.
Final record: 8-8
That’s probably to high. The Buffalo game and the Raiders games I had to pick to win regardless what I really think. 6-10 is more realistic.
Go Broncos anyway.
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