Setting up the 2009-10 Bowl Matchups and Conference Winners

CONFERENCE WINNERS

SEC: FLORIDA over Alabama

BIG TEN: OHIO ST.

BIG 12: TEXAS over Kansas

ACC: VIRGINIA TECH over Florida St.

PAC-10: CALIFORNIA

BIG EAST: WEST VIRGINIA

MOUNTAIN WEST: TCU

CONF. USA: HOUSTON over East Carolina

WAC: BOISE ST.

MAC: CENTRAL MICHIGAN over Buffalo

SUN BELT: TROY

 

BCS BOWLS

TITLE GAME: Texas vs. Florida

ROSE: Ohio St. vs. California

SUGAR: Alabama vs. Boise St.

FIESTA: USC vs. Oklahoma St.

ORANGE: Va. Tech vs. W. Virginia

OTHER BOWLS

HUMANITARIAN: Colorado St. vs. Nevada

NEW MEXICO: Utah vs. La. Tech

POINSETTIA: BYU vs. Arizona

LAS VEGAS: TCU vs. UCLA

NEW ORLEANS: Southern Miss vs. Fla. Atlantic

ARMED FORCES: Tulsa vs. Air Force

HAWAII: East Carolina vs. Fresno St.

LIBERTY: Houston vs. South Carolina

MOTOR CITY: Michigan vs. Central Mich.

OUTBACK: Illinois vs. Georgia

CAPITAL ONE: Penn St. vs. Ole Miss

ST. PETERSBURG: Arkansas St. vs Marshall

PAPAJOHNS.COM: Cincinnati vs. MTSU

INTERNATIONAL: S. Florida vs. Bowling Green

TEXAS: Kansas St. vs. Navy

INDEPENDENCE: Nebraska vs. Kentucky

INSIGHT: Baylor vs. Northwestern

SUN: Colorado vs. Rutgers

ALAMO: Kansas vs. Iowa

HOLIDAY: Texas Tech vs. Oregon St.

COTTON: Oklahoma vs. LSU

GMAC: Wake Forest vs. Buffalo

EAGLE BANK: NC State vs. Memphis

EMERALD: Boston Coll. vs. Oregon

MEINIKE CAR CARE: Miami vs. Pittsburgh

MUSIC CITY: North Carolina vs. Auburn

CHAMPS SPORTS: Clemson vs. Michigan St.

GATOR: Ga. Tech vs. Notre Dame

CHIK-FIL-A: Tennessee vs. Florida St.

4 Ways Charleston Southern Can Beat Florida (or at least compete with them)

I write this not as an objective fan, because anyone with knowledge of college football would know better than to even attempt what I am about to do, lest they lose any and all credibility.  However, as a proud alum of Charleston Southern University, I feel somewhat obligated to defend the little guy.  To give credence to the Davids of college football, out there with nothing more than a sling with stones, aiming to down Goliath.  In this case, that Goliath just happens to be the defending BCS National Champion Florida Gators.

The task at hand is large.  No one will doubt that.  In fact, most Buccaneers fans are excited just to say “my school played Florida!”  To stash away even a sliver of hope for a monumental upset in our hearts and souls is to defy the very logic that the world of NCAA football is built on.  However, I’ll make every effort to assuage my fears of a completely demoralizing defeat and try to, if nothing else, add a little dash of hope to those from Buc Country.  Or perhaps just a bit of water cooler conversation for the weeks left before the big September 5th game.

 

1) Does Florida Lean Too Much on Tebow?  C’mon.  You know who I’m talking about.  The absurdly talented andwell spoken quarterback who can dominate the field running with the ball just as much as he can passing.  However, Florida may be relying a bit too much on Tebow.  He can carry a large load, but if he’s pressured enough, he CAN get rattled.  Charleston Southern was tied for the lead in the Big South in interceptions last year, and finished 2nd in pass defense.  Should they get enough pressure on Tebow and force him into throws he doesn’t want to make, turnovers can happen and sway the game in CSU’s favor.

Sure, it's rare, but Tebow is human, and has made mistakes (once or twice). (Photo courtesy of nationallampoon.com)

2)  With that said, if there is one recognizable weakness in Florida’s team this year, it’s the inexperience at wide receiver.  Gone are Percy Harvin and Cornelius Ingram, among others.  A group of talented underclassmen take over at the wideout spots.  However, there is a potential for route-running miscues to take place.  Again, CSU must take every opportunity in creating turnovers.  The Buccaneer offense alone will not be enough to make things happen.  The defense MUST pressure the passing game of the Gators.

3)  Does Florida overlook “lesser” opponents?  I won’t try to compare CSU to Ole Miss.  However, we saw last year what can happen when a talented team plays down to their opponent.  Ole Miss wasn’t considered to be a giant-killer when they entered the Swamp last September.  However, they managed a 31-30 win over Florida, a game that would be the only blemish on the Gator’s resume.  CSU will play Florida in a night game in the Swamp, and while it will certainly be an intimidating environment, it won’t be what it would be if Florida were playing LSUor Georgia.  I don’t need to remind everyone of what Appalachian State managed to accomplish a few years back against Michigan.  Upsets can happen anytime, especially when the “better” team loses it’s focus.

Mills has to bring a giant-killer attitude with him to the Swamp. (Photo courtesy of daylife.com)

4) CSU is a Baptist school, and God cheers for them.  There’s a massive chapel on campus with a prayer room accessible 24/7.  All students must attend a certain number of convocations each year, mostly consisting of speakers preaching about God.  They don’t allow alcohol on campus, women in men’s dorm rooms (and vice versa), andstarting this month, no smoking is allowed on campus.  If nothing else, don’t the Bucshave the edge because the Heavenly Father is behind them?  Er…maybe not though, considering Tim Tebow is probably the most recognizable Christian athlete in the world of football.

 

So there you have it.  The Charleston Buccaneers will have their hands full on Sept. 5.  They’ll walk into Ben Griffin Stadium in Gainesville to suit up against the defending national champs.  They’ll face camera from multiple media outlets.  They hear chants of “Teeeebow!  Teeeebow!  Teeebow” until their ears go numb.  They’ll see 104,000 fans doing the “Gator Chomp”.  And, while it’s on a big stage nationally, ask any CSU fan before the game if it’s the biggest in the school’s history.  I guarantee you’ll get a “no” every time.

That game would be one with rival Coastal Carolina in 2005.  In what can only be termed a “miracle comeback”, the Bucscame back from a 14 point deficit with 2:49 left to play.  After allowing Coastal to make a quick score, the Bucs found themselves in a 24-10 hole.  A quick 4 play scoring drive got CSUwithin 7, but a failed onside kick seemed to doom any chances of a win.  With Coastal Carolina needing to just take a few snaps andrun the clock out, they foundthemselves with a tad too much time left over.  On a long 4th down play, Coastal set up in punt formation, hoping to snap the ball andrun aroundlong enough to findtriple zeros on the clock.  However, witha mass of Buccaneer defenders swarming, Coastal Carolina’s punter was forced to run out of bounds, leaving 1.5 seconds on the clock.  With that time, then QB Colin Drafts make an incredible pass to the end zone, finding Markus Murry for a game-tying score.  CSU would force OT, and eventually win 34-27.  Not only did they beat their rivals, they were Big South Co-Champs that year.

So say what you want about Charleston Southern, a no-name school from South Carolina looking for a nice payday by playing the role of the  proverbial cupcake.  But don’t tell CSU fans their team doesn’t have a chance.  They’ve seen miracles happen before.  Maybe, just maybe for one weekend in early September, Goliath will be wearing blue and orange, and David will be wearing navy and gold.

Don't tell CSU players and fans they don't have a shot at a miracle. (Photo courtesy of csusports.com)

Top Coaches of the Decade

Last week, the Sporting News released their list of the top  50 coaches of all time ( you can read their list here: http://www.sportingnews.com/college-basketball/article/2009-07-29/sporting-news-50-greatest-coaches-all-time)

A good list, but not very relevant to the young people like myself who follow sports today. Most of us have no clue as to what Toe Blake did in the NHL, or Hank Iba in college basketball, and I’m guessing a big majority of us don’t care. What we do know is what’s happened in major sports recently, and that’s what I aim to address here.

 

Below you’ll find my Top Ten Coaches of the Decade list. Love it, hate it, question it, whatever. Just read it and leave your thoughts. I know you’ve got some.

 

 

1. Pete Carroll, Football Head Coach, USC

   2 National Titles are nice. 7 straight Pac-10 titles are pretty sweet. But when you start talking about 3 Heisman winners and 25 All-American first team players, that’s impressive. Carroll consistently has the Trojans in the BCS Title hunt, not to mention constant attention on his players from NFL scouts.

   

   Haters unite: Carroll is better than your team's coach, no question. (Photo courtesy of tigerrag.com)

2. Bill Belichick, Head Coach, New England Patriots

   When you win on a regular basis in a sports league that seems to have more parity than any other, that’s the essence of high-caliber coaching. Cut off hoodies and emotionless faces be damned, Bill Belichick has been the epitome of dominance in the NFL in the 2000’s. He’s led the Pats to 3 Super Bowl wins and 4 AFC titles. He’s had only one losing season this decade (2000), but the kicker may be his playoff record: 14-3.

3. Urban Meyer, Football Head Coach, Utah/Florida

   He’s largely thought of as the man reinventing the college football wheel, making opposing defenses look downright silly with his spread offense. It’s been good enough to win 2 of the last 3 BCS titles, not to mention winning the toughest conference in the land those 2 years as well. However, we’ve got to include Meyer’s full body of work from the decade. He won the Mountain West conference as the coach at Utah, where he went on to win his first BCS game against Pitt in dominating fashion.

4. Geno Auriemma, Women’s Basketball Coach, UConn

   I’m not sure what’s more surprising: seeing a women’s basketball coach this high on the list, or seeing a women’s basketball coach NOT named Pat Summitt this high on the list. However, when you break down the numbers from this decade alone, Auriemma’s have been downright outstanding. He’s led UConn to 5 NCAA titles, 7 Final Fours, and 8 Big East titles. During the 2000’s, he’s lost only 7 Big East games.

   

   Geno cuts more nets than an over-eager fisherman. (Photo courtesy of fansonly.com)

5. Phil Jackson, Head Coach, Los Angeles Lakers

   One of the biggest (and lamest) knocks on Jackson is that his titles are based more on the players he’s coached (Jordan, Pippen, Shaq, Kobe) than his actual coaching talent. Whatever the case, the man has more hardware than Home Depot and more rings than Marks and Morgan. He’s had 4 NBA titles this decade, with 5 1^st place finishes in the Pacific Division. Not a year that he’s coached has he NOT made the playoffs, boasting a 98-50 post season record.

6. Roy Williams, Basketball Head Coach, North Carolina

   Like Urban Meyer in football, Williams has managed success at two separate schools in this decade. Starting it off at Kansas where he managed to win two Big 12 titles, to 2003 when he left for his home state of North Carolina, leading the Tarheels to 2 NCAA titles, 4 ACC titles, and 2 ACC tourney titles. Not once this decade has Roy Williams failed to make it past the first round of the NCAA tourney.

7. Billy Donovan, Basketball Head Coach, Florida

   In a day where most young talents leave college early (if they go to college at all) for the NBA, Donovan managed the near impossible: keeping together his core of players to win back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007. Donovan had 8 straight NCAA tournament appearances, winning 3 SEC titles during that span.

   

   Like his stars from 2006, Donovan resisted the lure of the NBA himself a few years ago. (Photo courtesy of projo.com)

8. Tony LaRussa, Manager, St. Louis Cardinals

   Most baseball fans don’t think LaRussa right away when they consider great baseball managers this decade. However, LaRussa has definitely proved his worth, leading the Cards to 2 World Series’, winning one of them. He’s had 8 playoff appearances, winning the NL Central 6 of those seasons.

9. Gregg Popovich, Head Coach, San Antonio Spurs

   A true model of consistency, Popovich has turned one of the lesser known NBA cities into a title town. The Spurs have won 3 NBA titles playing fundamental basketball using role players instead of a lineup of superstars. They’ve had 6 1^st place finishes in the Midwest Division, and have only made the playoffs one year where they didn’t get out of the first round.

10. Mike Krzyzewski, Basketball Head Coach, Duke

    While certainly not experiencing the splash of success this decade his rival Roy Williams has, Coach K has definitely shown he’s not about to play second fiddle to anyone. Duke has 1 NCAA title this decade, with 8 Sweet Sixteens and 6 ACC tournament titles. The key sidebar for Coach K is his success with NBA players. He led the USA’s “Redeem Team” to the 2008 Gold Medal last year in Beijing.

    

    It wasn't so much his work at Duke, but his work in the Olympics that got Coach K on this list. (Photo courtesy of butthegameison.com)

 

Honorable Mention: (Joe Torre (Yankees/Dodgers), Terry Francona (Red Sox), Nick Saban (LSU/Alabama/Dolphins), Tony Dungy (Colts), Pat Summitt (Tennessee Women’s Basketball), Larry Robinson (New Jersey Devils), Mike Babcock (Ducks/Red Wings), Jim Tressel (Ohio State), Bob Stoops (Oklahoma), Larry Brown (76ers/Pistons)