2010 Football Report, Week 1

Big excitement for Ada folks this Friday night. While driving from Findlay to Ada on I-75 after dinner and shopping, my wife and I passed the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile. My wife had never heard of the vehicle, and I had only seen it on TV. Ohio may really be the Heart of It All, since we have been visited by the Wienermobile.

Other big excitement--the opening game of the 2010 football season for Ada High. I was following their game on radio when I passed the Wienermobile, and it sounded like Ada might win. By midway in the second quarter, the Ada Bulldogs led their county rivals from Hardin Northern 49-0 on the way to a 69-7 opening blowout. New quarterback Konnor Baker threw 6 touchdown passes in the victory. Go Dogs!

College football begins next weekend, so those who follow this blog for college football news must wait another week. Ohio Northern will play the first Division III game of the season next Thursday afternoon at home in Ada.

College Conference Rearrangement: After much summer speculation over whether the Big 12 would be dismantled and whether this year would mean the advent of the 16 team super-conferences, there was actually little change in the BCS conferences. Nebraska, miffed at the influence of Texas in the Big 12 and seeking greater TV revenue, will move from the Big 12 to being the 12th team in the the Big 10 in 2011. (Twelve team conferences are allowed to have divisions and to offer the TV networks a championship football game between the two division winners. The Pac 10 (or 12) and the Big Ten become big winners here at the expense of the Big 12.) I found it interesting that the Big Ten chose Nebraska rather than Missouri or its other candidates--Texas, Pitt, Rutgers, etc. In choosing Nebraska, the Big Ten has chosen to remain faithful to its midwest roots, skipping the opportunity to try to penetrate Texas or the New York TV market via Rutgers and/or Syracuse. In choosing Nebraska, the Big Ten also showed that football power and economics are more important than other sports or academics, because Missouri is probably stronger in basketball than Nebraska and is also probably a stronger academic institution.

Texas is an interesting player in all of this. Both to keep its rivalry with Texas A & M and for in-state political reasons, it will be difficult for Texas to move to another conference without taking A & M, at minimum, with it. Apparently, the Pac 10 was interesting in allying with Texas, but Texas legislators were allegedly trying to force whatever conference that took Texas to also take Texas A & M, Texas Tech, and Baylor. The Pac 10 wanted Colorado rather than Baylor, so a deal with Texas was not possible. So the Pac 10 will become a 12-team league by 2012 by picking up Utah from the Mountain West Conference in 2011 and Colorado from the Big 12 in 2012. (Numerical conundrums are rampant because of these changes. The Big Ten will continue to be called the Big Ten despite having 12 teams. Perhaps the Big 12 will continue to be the Big 12 despite having only ten teams.)

The conference that has seen the most change, and the most serious threat, has been the Mountain West Conference. The Mountain West, not more than 20 years old, includes Air Force, Colorado State, Wyoming, San Diego State, Texas Christian, New Mexico, and Nevada (Las Vegas). Until this year, its consistently prominent members were Utah and Brigham Young. When Utah announced that it would move to the Pac 10, BYU began to consider its options, since Utah has been BYU's big rival for many years. After Utah's announcement, the Mountain West need to act to ensure its own survival, and so it added Boise State. Boise State (the school with the blue football turf) has been phenomenally successful in football in the relatively weak Western Athletic Conference, and so the Mountain West will be a step up for Boise State. When BYU began to look at leaving the MWC to be independent in football and joining the WAC for other sports, the conference acted again, adding two more WAC schools, Fresno State and Nevada (Reno). The Mountain West's strategy seemed both to strengthen itself and to limit BYU's options by nearly destroying the WAC, the conference to which BYU would move. BYU's plan had to change. BYU ultimately decided to become independent for football and to join the West Coast Conference, a league primarily known for basketball whose best known sports school is basketball power Gonzaga. The Mountain West has lost two of its most prominent schools, but has emerged intact and strong through its additions. The big loser in all of this has been the Western Athletic Conference, which will be left with only six schools (Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana Tech, Utah State, New Mexico State, and San Jose State) and with long and expensive trips required for competition. It will be interesting to see if the WAC can survive at all.

Bad banners: One of our neighbors has taken to flying a University of Nebraska flag on the front of her home. Ada does not have strong land use laws, or I'm sure that this eyesore would probably have been removed by now. Since Nebraska will be joining the Big Ten, this banner will also be an eyesore not just to me but also to the fans of Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, and the schools that most people around her root for. I have tried to find some positive value to this flag, and I may have succeeded. Since Colorado is on its way to the Pac 10 (12?), it does serve as a reminder that in the future, Colorado (Pac 12) could face Nebraska (Big 10) in the Rose Bowl.

Big 10 Expansion

There have been a lot of reports in the media about the Big Ten possibly expanding by including Notre Dame, Rutgers, Pitt, Missouri, Nebraska, or others. The Southeastern Conference will almost certainly respond by expanding, probably at the expense of the Big 12 or ACC. Colorado, my alma mater, has been linked to the Pac 10, and the Pac 10, if it decides to significantly expand, will probably raid the Mountain West or WAC. One of my friends, a Pitt alum, is certain that the Big Ten will pursue Pitt. Pitt adds no major TV markets to those the Big Ten already reaches by way of Penn State. I think that the Big Ten will much more likely pursue Rutgers, Syracuse, and Missouri to add the TV markets of New York, St. Louis, and Kansas City.

It seems to me that the biggest prize for an expanding conference, and both the Big Ten and the SEC will probably be interested, is Texas. In size and academic pedigree, Texas would fit with the Big Ten. Geographically, Texas shifting from the Big 12 to the SEC probably makes the most sense. Texas would probably strengthen the desirability of either conference to the big networks. It will be fascinating to see if changes actually occur. If the Big Ten and the SEC expand, it will probably happen at the expense of the Big 12, Mountain West, Big East, and WAC. It will be interesting to see of those leagues survive and in what form.

Of course, it could be that all of this is just summer fancy to keep media types occupied until football starts again next season. If you are interested, probably the best analysis of all of these schools has been in this column by Andy Staples at Sports Illustrated. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/andy_staples/05/12/expansion-candidates/index.html . His follow up column on lessons from the collapse of the sixteen team WAC is also interesting. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/andy_staples/05/20/16-team/index.html

Enjoy!

December 5 Football Report

Today's memorable sight from Ada--a few flakes of snow falling gently, and the mail carrier walking by, wearing shorts.

This weekend was the time for conference championship games and some special trophies:

This year's Civil War was much closer than the 1861-1865 model. #7 Oregon overcame #13 Oregon State in a thriller 37-33 to take the Pac 10 championship, a Rose Bowl bid, and, most important, the Platypus Trophy.

Big East: This year's River City rivalry game between #5 Cincinnati and #14 Pittsburgh was a thriller, by a Cincinnati touchdown in the last two minutes. Cincinnati squeaked by Pitt 45-44. Cincy had to come from behind and avoided overtime because Pittsburgh's holder failed to handle the snap on the conversion after a fourth quarter touchdown. Cincinnati preserved an undefeated season, a Big East championship, and clinched a BCS bowl bid. They also grabbed the Paddlewheel Trophy. Will Cincinnati's Brian Kelly be the new king of South Bend?

Big 12: The defenses ruled the night when undefeated and #3 ranked Texas met Nebraska. Texas finally won by kicking a field goal as time expired to edge Nebraska 13-12. Texas will meet Alabama in the BCS Championship game.

SEC: The most anticipated game of the weekend was the matchup of #1 Florida and #2 Alabama for the SEC championship. The occasion was a sad one for Tim Tebow and other Gators, as the Tide drowned the Gators 32-13. Alabama ran the ball very effectively, and Florida could neither run the ball nor stop the run.

ACC: CJ Spiller put on a show for Clemson, scoring four touchdowns and rushing for over 230 yards, but Georgia Tech wrecked Clemson with a fourth quarter touchdown to take the ACC championship and to claim a BCS bid. Final score, 39-34 Georgia Tech.

Conference USA: East Carolina, playing at home, upset #18 Houston 38-32 to take their second consecutive conference title. Is Skip Holtz headed for greater things that East Carolina?

MAC: Central Michigan quarterback Brian Le Fevour set an NCAA record for career touchdowns en route to leading his team to a 20-10 victory over Ohio U to take the MAC crown in a championship game sponsored by Marathon Oil.

Division IAA Playoffs: William and Mary routed Southern Illinois 24-3. Appalachian State staged a big fourth quarter comeback against Richmond, and App. State scored a touchdown in the last few seconds to creep past the Spiders, 35-31.

Our Teams in Non-Rivalry Games: #24 West Virginia defeated Rutgers 24-21. In a game in which both teams were apparently defenseless, Fresno State squeaked past Illinois 53-52. (I had to check to make sure that this was not a basketball score.)

Say What? #20 Southern Cal finished an unsatisfactory season with an upset loss to Arizona 21-17. Washington astonished #20 Cal 42-10.

Next week is the United Methodist choir cantata--the Vivaldi Gloria and Army vs. Navy.

Football Report, November 28, 2009

The weekends before and after Thanksgiving Day are the weekends for traditional rivalry games, and lots of those odd trophies that make college football such fun. A selection of trophy games are listed by their trophy:

Peace Pipe: Bowling Green turned the Rockets of Toledo into duds 38-24 in the I-75 Rivalry.

Lone Star Showdown Trophy: #3 Texas took over their battle with Texas A & M late 49-39. As a result, Texas earned a point toward the Lone Star Showdown Trophy, awarded annually on the basis of all sporting contests between the two schools.

Commonwealth Cup: The Virginia vs. Virginia Tech matchup was close at halftime, but Virginia Tech gradually pulled away in the second half to triumph 42-13.

Indian War Drum and Lamar Hunt Trophy: The Border War turned out to be a real barn burner this year. Mizzou trailed by 3 late in the fourth quarter, but a late punt to Kansas to the 3 yard line turned into a safety for Missouri. Mizzou then took the ensuing kickoff and moved the ball into position for a last second chip shot field goal to beat Kansas 41-39.

Territorial Cup: In the Duel in the Desert, Arizona dominated the first half, and Arizona State had tied the game in the fourth quarter before Arizona won with a last second field goal, 20-17.

Beehive Boot: #19 BYU had to go to overtime to overcome #21 Utah 26-23 in the Holy War. This should make BYU the best college football team in Utah and the winners of the Boot.

Bedlam Bell: Oklahoma dominated #12 Oklahoma State 27-0 in the Bedlam game.

Legends Trophy: Notre Dame vs. Stanford

Bronze Boot: Wyoming edged Colorado State 17-16 to win the Border War.

Our Teams in Rivalry Games that Lack a Trophy: #1 Florida started fast against Florida State in Sunshine Showdown and never looked back to win 37-10. Florida's victory made them the winners of the Florida Cup. Colorado was clearly outmanned against Nebraska, but the Buffs gave the Huskers a good game in Boulder before succumbing 28-20.

Our Teams in Non-Rivalry Games: Illinois ran into a buzzsaw at #5 U of Cincinnati, losing 49-36 to the Bearcats. Maryland fought hard but finished a disappointing season with a loss to Boston College, 19-17.

Upsets: West Virginia kicked a last minute field goal to beat #8 Pitt 19-16 in the Backyard Brawl. South Carolina quieted rumors of the demise of head coach Steve Spurrier and upended #15 Clemson 34-17. North Carolina State, who will not be going to a bowl game, blocked a last second field goal to edge #24 North Carolina 28-27. Mississippi State claimed the Golden Egg laid in the Egg Bowl by #25 Ole Miss 41-27.

Ranked Biggies Not Mentioned Above: In the Iron Bowl, #2 Alabama came back to narrowly beat Auburn 26-20 take the Foy ODK Trophy game. #6 Boise State remained undefeated 44-33 over Nevada. #4 TCU blew past New Mexico 30-10 to remain undefeated and take the Mountain West championship.

Playoff News: In the first round of the Division I Football Championship Series Playoffs, William and Mary clobbered Weber State 38-0. Richmond edged Elon 16-13. All four of the teams from the Colonial Athletic Association won their games in the first round of the playoffs.

Dept. of Defense: Navy vs. Hawaii way too late for me.

Undefeated and Untied This Week: Ohio Northern, Army, Emory, Peabody Conservatory.

A Reason to Give Thanks: Denver Broncos 26, New York Giants 6 on Thanksgiving night.

Football Report, November 23, 2009

Today is complicated in Ada. Ada High's show choir, the Varsity Singers, is hosting their annual competition, the Music Feast. Also, Ada High's football team is in the third round of the playoffs in Findlay, Ohio, and it is, of course, the day of the Big Game--Ohio State vs. Michigan.

High School: Tonight, the Ada Bulldogs took on the #1 Blue Jays of Delphos St. John, last year's state champions in Division VI. Ada never trailed in regulation time, but Delphos scored a touchdown in overtime to overcome Ada's OT field goal and take the game 34-31. The loss to St. John was the only Ada loss for the season.

Division III: #18 Hampden Sydney ended the season for Randolph Macon College by swatting the Yellow Jackets 34-27 in a game that decided the conference championship.

Division IAA: Richmond, playing at home, scored a late field goal to take the first Capital Cup game over William and Mary, 13-10.

The Game: #9 Ohio State overcame a stubborn Michigan team in Ann Arbor to take the outright Big 10 championship and the Rose Bowl bid 21-10. Harvard beat Yale 14-10.

Trophy Games: It's a big weekend for trophy games, particularly in the Big 10. Purdue whipped Indiana 38-21 for Old Oaken Bucket. #13 Penn State ripped Michigan State 42-14 for Land Grant Trophy. #15 Iowa shut out Minnesota 12-0 to take Floyd of Rosedale, a statue of a pig. Sacramento State edged UC Davis 31-28 to claim the Causeway Carriage. Appalachian State took a close game from Western Carolina, 19-14, to retain the Old Mountain Jug. New Hampshire rallied to defeat Maine 27-24 and take the Brice-Cowell Musket. Cal chopped #14 Stanford 34-28 to claim the Stanford Axe.

Eating Cupcakes: #1 Florida 62, Florida International 3. #2 Alabama 45, Tennessee Chattanooga 0.

Great Wins: Missouri ended a three-game home losing streak by overcoming Iowa State 34-24. #16 Virginia Tech thrashed N.C. State 38-10.

Our Teams, Sadly: Colorado gave #12 Oklahoma State a game, taking the ball away four times, but Oklahoma State came back in the second half to edge Colorado 31-28. Florida State tried to give their game to Maryland, but the Seminoles drove for the winning touchdown in the last two minutes to pull out a 29-26 victory. Connecticut's touchdown overmatched Notre Dame's field goal in the second overtime to take their match 33-30. Is it the end for Charlie Weis? #18 Clemson clinched a spot in the ACC championship game by whipping Virginia 34-21. Clemson will face Georgia Tech in the ACC championship game. Arizona State turned the ball over 6 times in a 23-13 loss to UCLA. Tennessee became bowl eligible as Vandy ended an unsuccessful season with a 31-16 loss on Rocky Top.

Aren't You Upset: Syracuse upended #25 Rutgers 35-13. Northwestern built an early lead against #17 Wisconsin and then held on to win 33-31. Ole Miss resurrected their season when #10 LSU ran out of time in Oxford 25-23. Texas Tech could run the ball and Oklahoma could not, explaining the 41-13 margin of the Red Raiders over the Sooners.

Big XII News: Nebraska grabbed the Northern championship by beating Kansas State 17-3. #3 Texas is rolling over Kansas, so Texas will face Nebraska in the Big XII championship game.

Dept. of Defense: #19 BYU ambushed Air Force 38-21. Army edged North Texas 17-13. Army can even its record at 6-6 if it can beat Navy.

Undefeated and Untied This Week (In Some Cases Because Season Over): Navy, West Virginia, Northern Colorado, Ohio Northern, Washington U, Peabody Conservatory, Emory, Smith College.

Football Report, November 14, 2009

If you checked the blog last weekend, or if you discovered the blank entry for last week, I'm sorry. We returned from dinner Saturday evening to discover that our home had been burglarized. There was no time, or interest, in blogging last weekend.

High School Playoff report. Ada won their first round game last weekend over Columbus Grove 34-0. Today's opponent was Carey High, and Ada won again, this time 14-7 in Findlay.

Division III: The Wilmington Quakers provided only passive resistance to the #13 Ohio Northern Polar Bears, losing to ONU 52-14. ONU finished their season 8-2 and has an outside chance to make the Division III playoffs. Washington U. finished their season with a 28-8 loss to #9 Case Western Reserve. Randolph-Macon whipped Bridgewater 33-23 and will finish their season next weekend vs. Hampden-Sydney. The winner of Randy Mac vs. H-S wins their conference and a spot in the Division III playoffs.

Division I-AA. #5 William and Mary edged #8 New Hampshire 20-17 with a late field goal to run their record to 9-1 for the first time since 1947. William and Mary plays #4 Richmond next weekend for the (newly named) Capital Cup and, perhaps, the Colonial Athletic Conference Championship. William and Mary has already clinched a spot in the playoffs. #4 Richmond clobbered helpless (0-10) Georgetown 49-10. The undefeated Montana Grizzlies clawed Northern Colorado 38-10.

Our Teams Triumphant: #10 Ohio State secured a trip to the Rose Bowl and clinched a share of the Big Ten title with a 27-24 overtime victory over #15 Iowa. Ohio State has won or shared the last 5 Big Ten titles. #1 Florida overcame a tough South Carolina defense to beat their old coach 24-14. Danario Alexander caught 10 passes for 200 yards and 3 TDs to lead Mizzou to a 38-12 defeat of Kansas State. With their victory, Mizzou became bowl eligible and severely damaged Kansas State's chances to win the Big 12 Northern division. #20 Virginia Tech drowned Maryland 36-9. #24 Clemson knocked off NC State 43-23.

Our Teams in Mourning: #5 Cincinnati edged West Virginia 24-21 to keep their undefeated season going. Kentucky scored late to put their game with Vandy out of reach 24-13. Colorado helped Iowa State to become bowl-eligible by losing their matchup 17-10. Boston College came from behind with a 70-yard touchdown drive to overcome Virginia 14-10 in a defensive struggle.

Trophy Games: Northwestern claimed the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk by beating Illinois 21-16.

Decided in the Bottom of the Ninth? Louisville 10, Syracuse 9.

The Unexpected: #14 Miami lost to North Carolina 33-24. #25 Stanford clobbered #11 Southern Cal 55-21. (Troy really fell this time!) Central Florida held off a comeback by #13 Houston to defeat the Cougars 37-32. Rutgers stomped #23 South Florida 31-0. Cal stunned #18 Arizona 24-16.

Department of Defense: The Cadets of Army beat the Keydets of VMI 22-17. Navy fried the Delaware Blue Hens 35-18. Air Force put down the Rebels of UNLV 45-17.

Too Late For Me: Arizona State vs. #14 Oregon. Notre Dame is trailing #8 Pitt 27-9 in the 4th quarter. #4 TCU is thumping #21 Utah 48-21 in the 4th quarter. If TCU remains undefeated, it will be interesting to see if they are selected to play for the national championship. Certainly they deserve to play in a BCS game.

Football Report, November 7, 2009