Saturday, August 16, 2008
Hyping the Bull(dogs)
The pundits and coaches seem convinced that Georgia is the best college football has to offer this year. We'll see what the Sun Devils have to say about that on Sept. 20.
Friday, August 15, 2008
China and doping. Garn!
Ted Kim Non Football Thought:
This NYT article discusses suspicions regarding the surprise success of Chinese women in the 200-meter butterfly at the Beijing games. Zhang Yadong, the Chinese swimming team’s head coach, is quoted at the bottom of the piece as saying: “Foreigners always keep a very close eye on the Chinese swimming team for doping problems. Why do they always feel it’s ‘abnormal’ when we do well in the pool?”
It's simple, Mr. Zhang. That's what happens when 11 of your best swimmers test positive for banned substances since 1994.
This NYT article discusses suspicions regarding the surprise success of Chinese women in the 200-meter butterfly at the Beijing games. Zhang Yadong, the Chinese swimming team’s head coach, is quoted at the bottom of the piece as saying: “Foreigners always keep a very close eye on the Chinese swimming team for doping problems. Why do they always feel it’s ‘abnormal’ when we do well in the pool?”
It's simple, Mr. Zhang. That's what happens when 11 of your best swimmers test positive for banned substances since 1994.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Might as well televise practice...
How did this game get on television? It's a sign of the apocalypse, I think:
South Dakota State at Iowa State 7:00 p.m. FCS Central (cable)
South Dakota State at Iowa State 7:00 p.m. FCS Central (cable)
What I wish I could eat every day...
Remember that cubicle discussion on Michael Phelps's incredible diet? Here's an NBC article that details his meals. Incredible...
Andrew Smith, you've met your match.
Andrew Smith, you've met your match.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
On the tube
Chomping at the bit here to get this season started. But there's been time for me, between watching Michael Phelps swim for gold medals, to come up with an early list of games I will (and will not) be watching. Oh, August 28, will you ever get here?
Note: All times Central.
I'm naming Wake Forest at Baylor (7 p.m., FSN) the highlight of D-I opening night, though Oregon State-Stanford (8 p.m., ESPN2) has a smidge of upset potential. (Remember USC last year.) Against Wake, we'll be able to see what Art Briles has managed to do with the Bears over the summer.
And the next night, I'm going to beg Ted to let us come over and watch the SMU-Rice (7 p.m., ESPN) game in HD. Full disclosure: I'm a total SMU homer. But, as we all know, June Cometh. (More thoughts on SMU and a C-USA rundown will be comething over the next week or so. Hopefully Jones will have a QB chosen by then.)
That Saturday morning, if you've got ESPN Gameplan, you can see what happens when June leaveth, as Hawaii visits Florida (11:30 a.m.). Thinking it'll be pretty much a repeat of the Sugar Bowl, when neither June nor Colt Brennan could keep up against Georgia. With neither a superstar coach nor a superstar QB, I'm afraid the Warriors are headed back to mediocrity.
The others:
East Carolina-VaTech (11 a.m., ESPN): Because it's fun to watch C-USA play real teams.
USC-Virginia (2:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN2): Duh.
Appalachian State-LSU (4 p.m., ESPN): An App State upset couldn't happen two years in a row, could it?
Illinois-Missouri (7:30 p.m., ESPN): Illini play the biggest hoax on two legs.
Washington-Oregon (9 p.m., FSN): Satisfy that Pac 10 craving.
Note: All times Central.
I'm naming Wake Forest at Baylor (7 p.m., FSN) the highlight of D-I opening night, though Oregon State-Stanford (8 p.m., ESPN2) has a smidge of upset potential. (Remember USC last year.) Against Wake, we'll be able to see what Art Briles has managed to do with the Bears over the summer.
And the next night, I'm going to beg Ted to let us come over and watch the SMU-Rice (7 p.m., ESPN) game in HD. Full disclosure: I'm a total SMU homer. But, as we all know, June Cometh. (More thoughts on SMU and a C-USA rundown will be comething over the next week or so. Hopefully Jones will have a QB chosen by then.)
That Saturday morning, if you've got ESPN Gameplan, you can see what happens when June leaveth, as Hawaii visits Florida (11:30 a.m.). Thinking it'll be pretty much a repeat of the Sugar Bowl, when neither June nor Colt Brennan could keep up against Georgia. With neither a superstar coach nor a superstar QB, I'm afraid the Warriors are headed back to mediocrity.
The others:
East Carolina-VaTech (11 a.m., ESPN): Because it's fun to watch C-USA play real teams.
USC-Virginia (2:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN2): Duh.
Appalachian State-LSU (4 p.m., ESPN): An App State upset couldn't happen two years in a row, could it?
Illinois-Missouri (7:30 p.m., ESPN): Illini play the biggest hoax on two legs.
Washington-Oregon (9 p.m., FSN): Satisfy that Pac 10 craving.
While we're talking QBs ...
... how about the four Pac-10 signal-callers who have been named to the 2008 O'Brien Watch List, including ASU's Rudy Carpenter, who hopefully will take a valium or two before he hits the field this year.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Another thought on conference strength.
Mathematics whiz Jeff Sagarin, he of football computer football poll fame, has yet to post new power rankings for the 2008 season. But given the final rankings from last year, the ACC and Big Ten have a ways to go. From a power ranking standpoint, both conferences approached Mountain West Conference territory last year. Here's hoping that two of my favorite conferences bounce back this year.
Sagarin's final 2007 conference rankings can be found at http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbc07.htm
Sagarin's final 2007 conference rankings can be found at http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbc07.htm
Best conference?
Speaking of rating the conferences, Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel tries to break down the debate mathematically. Here's his article: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/stewart_mandel/08/11/conference.debate/index.html
SEC quarterbacks.
Interesting story about the SEC's slate of unproven quarterbacks today on ESPN.com, http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/preview08/news/story?id=3523333
Funny, the Big 12 is getting all kinds of props for its collection of returning quarterbacks, while things appear "uncertain" in the SEC. Yet, which conference would you pick in a dog fight?
Funny, the Big 12 is getting all kinds of props for its collection of returning quarterbacks, while things appear "uncertain" in the SEC. Yet, which conference would you pick in a dog fight?
Monday, August 11, 2008
Blogger Begins.
Okay guys. The college football season is almost upon us, which means it’s time for this blogger to get blogging. A few preseason thoughts from Ted Kim:
Ted’s Preseason Top Five (to be updated every week):
1. Ohio State --- With 18 starters returning and the burning motivation of being humiliated in the national title game in back to back years as fuel, the Buckeyes are the team to beat in my eyes. Of course, all bets are off when they play (Insert SEC team here) in the title game.
2. Florida --- As much as I hate to say it, QB Tim Tebow is really, really good (in college, at least.) This team has 16 starters back and benefits from cinching one of the nation’s best recruiting classes. And I think the play and, dare I say, experience of Tebow gives them an edge even in the competitive SEC. Unless they get beaten by…
3. Georgia --- We know Georgia can beat Florida. They did last year. But Georgia’s schedule is just so tough (at South Carolina, at Arizona State, at LSU, Florida, at Auburn) that I see them losing two games at least.
4. USC --- Very good, as usual. Stud recruits. Future NFLers everywhere. Yawn. But their quarterback, Mark Sanchez, is unproven and, now, injured. And they are so very young. Only four offensive starters return, a fact that makes this team’s first-half schedule (at Virginia, Ohio State, at Oregon State, Oregon, Arizona State) seem daunting.
5. Oklahoma --- I don’t understand how a team as talented as this --- They crushed, I mean, crushed Missouri twice last year --- can lay an egg in the Fiesta Bowl like it did. Either Mizzou is as overrated as we think or West Virginia is as good as the Patriots and Colts combined. Still, I think the Sooners remain the class of the Big 12, regardless of what Chase Daniel or Matthew Haag says.
Possible surprises: Auburn, BYU, Texas, LSU.
Most overrated teams: Pretty much everyone in the Big 12 not named Oklahoma or Texas. Yes, there are many dynamic talents returning next year. But since when does a returning quarterback guarantee success? (See: Louisville, Texas circa 2007.) Definitely Mizzou (our favorite whipping boy); Texas Tech (Once the Red Raiders play some occasional defense, maybe I’ll take notice.); Kansas (The Jayhawks open with the following schedule: Florida International, Louisiana Tech, at South Florida, Sam Houston State. Way to stick your neck out on the line Mark Mangino.) Finally, I can’t put together an “overrated” list without mentioning one of my least favorite teams, the Clemson Tigers, who have been poised for a breakout year every year since 1981 (when they won the national title).
Most underrated teams: West Virginia (All this team does is win big bowl games. Why they aren’t ranked higher than they are, especially with Pat White at QB, is beyond me.); BYU (This team has won 22 games over the past two seasons and returns 10 offensive starters.); Wake Forest (My prediction: They’ll beat Clemson and still go to the Bush League Bowl.); Michigan State (Watch out for these guys. All of the Big Ten attention seems to be on Ohio State, Illinois and Wisconsin, but the Spartans have got talent and scrappiness.)
Sports Illustrated is sooo wrong: Mizzou at No. 4, over Florida, Oklahoma and LSU. Gimme a break.
Sports Illustrated is sooo right: Arizona State at No. 16. Alas, Jake, I think that’s exactly where they belong.
That’s it for now. Keep those blog entries coming!
Ted’s Preseason Top Five (to be updated every week):
1. Ohio State --- With 18 starters returning and the burning motivation of being humiliated in the national title game in back to back years as fuel, the Buckeyes are the team to beat in my eyes. Of course, all bets are off when they play (Insert SEC team here) in the title game.
2. Florida --- As much as I hate to say it, QB Tim Tebow is really, really good (in college, at least.) This team has 16 starters back and benefits from cinching one of the nation’s best recruiting classes. And I think the play and, dare I say, experience of Tebow gives them an edge even in the competitive SEC. Unless they get beaten by…
3. Georgia --- We know Georgia can beat Florida. They did last year. But Georgia’s schedule is just so tough (at South Carolina, at Arizona State, at LSU, Florida, at Auburn) that I see them losing two games at least.
4. USC --- Very good, as usual. Stud recruits. Future NFLers everywhere. Yawn. But their quarterback, Mark Sanchez, is unproven and, now, injured. And they are so very young. Only four offensive starters return, a fact that makes this team’s first-half schedule (at Virginia, Ohio State, at Oregon State, Oregon, Arizona State) seem daunting.
5. Oklahoma --- I don’t understand how a team as talented as this --- They crushed, I mean, crushed Missouri twice last year --- can lay an egg in the Fiesta Bowl like it did. Either Mizzou is as overrated as we think or West Virginia is as good as the Patriots and Colts combined. Still, I think the Sooners remain the class of the Big 12, regardless of what Chase Daniel or Matthew Haag says.
Possible surprises: Auburn, BYU, Texas, LSU.
Most overrated teams: Pretty much everyone in the Big 12 not named Oklahoma or Texas. Yes, there are many dynamic talents returning next year. But since when does a returning quarterback guarantee success? (See: Louisville, Texas circa 2007.) Definitely Mizzou (our favorite whipping boy); Texas Tech (Once the Red Raiders play some occasional defense, maybe I’ll take notice.); Kansas (The Jayhawks open with the following schedule: Florida International, Louisiana Tech, at South Florida, Sam Houston State. Way to stick your neck out on the line Mark Mangino.) Finally, I can’t put together an “overrated” list without mentioning one of my least favorite teams, the Clemson Tigers, who have been poised for a breakout year every year since 1981 (when they won the national title).
Most underrated teams: West Virginia (All this team does is win big bowl games. Why they aren’t ranked higher than they are, especially with Pat White at QB, is beyond me.); BYU (This team has won 22 games over the past two seasons and returns 10 offensive starters.); Wake Forest (My prediction: They’ll beat Clemson and still go to the Bush League Bowl.); Michigan State (Watch out for these guys. All of the Big Ten attention seems to be on Ohio State, Illinois and Wisconsin, but the Spartans have got talent and scrappiness.)
Sports Illustrated is sooo wrong: Mizzou at No. 4, over Florida, Oklahoma and LSU. Gimme a break.
Sports Illustrated is sooo right: Arizona State at No. 16. Alas, Jake, I think that’s exactly where they belong.
That’s it for now. Keep those blog entries coming!
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