Fill In The Blank....

Jim Brandstatter, Michigan Football Play-by-Play Announcer, re-tweeted a question last week from someone that said, “This Bowl Season has been (fill in the blank).   The first word that came to mind:

Disappointment

I thought of a few other words as I let my mind work through a myriad of images and came up with:

Lousy

Useless

Wasteful

Meaningless

Mundane

Boring

Tasteless

Sucky

The first bowl game I watched more or less start to finish was Minnesota vs. Washington State.  The Gophers managed to hang on for the victory, but other than that, the B1G has been getting rightly bashed for dismal performances across the board.

Michigan didn’t show up till the 4^th quarter against FSU (due mostly to the lack of an offensive line – that are still Hoke’s recruits) and when they did finally show up, they showed up big.  But then they forgot to finish the game and gave up that damn kick-off return.  That has to be one of the biggest Whiskey – Tango –Foxtrot moments of the Bowl season.

The BIGGEST WTF moment has to be the inexplicable performance out of the suckeyes against Clemson.  If you had told me the final score of 31-0 without saying which team was attached to which number, I wouldn’t have picked it that way.  Even if you gave me 10 chances to change my mind, I would have still picked the suckeyes over Clemson.  But, perhaps Instant Karma for winning a game you should have lost (to Michigan) is one of the reasons for that lack of execution.  Urban is claiming that the suckeyes will be back, but I’m not so sure…Sparty said the same thing after they were dismantled by Bama last season 38-0.  That’s a total score of 69-0 that the B1G has in two CFP games so far.  Not a good look.  Not a good look at all…

Am I believing Clemson and all the hype they’re receiving right now for beating a team that Michigan technically beat?  No.  Bama will repeat and we’re all simply living in a Bama world….

To round out a “Top 3” of WTF Moments, somehow Iowa, the team that managed to put together a game against Michigan, went into the Citrus Bowl and totally laid an egg to a very overrated Gatorland Team.  30-3?   Florida hasn’t put 30 points on the board all season.  And in many cases, Florida didn’t have 30 points for two games COMBINED!!!  Again, someone please explain to me how Michigan lost to Iowa?  Oh yes, couldn’t get a first down in the last seconds of the game, Coach Jimmy.  If Kirk Ferentz coached every game against Michigan, it would be interesting to see what his record would be.  Otherwise, if I’m an Iowa fan, I’m hating life….At least Wiscy beat the Boat Rowing Broncos from Western, albeit it was interesting late into the 4^th quarter.   And I wouldn’t have been that upset with Western pulling off the Dream Season, frankly. 

Monday at least provided some entertaining football, especially the Rose.  What started out looking like an utter disaster for the Nittany Lions turned into an incredible comeback against a USC defense that smothered Washington and everyone else in the Pac 12.  I didn’t see that coming – The Nittany Lions ability to move the ball at will in the 2^nd half against USC.  The 3^rd quarter should be something that PSU fans put on a loop tape and watch over and over.  And then the 4^th quarter happened and the Nittany Lion fans ended up sick to their stomachs.  Of course, when you look at where these two “franchises” were a mere 3-4 seasons ago, I guess they can both be pretty happy that they got to play on “New Year’s Day in the Granddaddy of them All!”

Brent Musburger, play by play guy for the Sugar Bowl, then single handedly tried to make Twitter and Facebook EXPLODE by praising Mixon in the 3^rd quarter (the Sooner running back that sucker-punched/blasted his girlfriend in a restaurant that resulted in a broken jaw and other injuries.  WARNING – if you haven’t seen it, it’ll make you mad).  I was initially a little appalled at what Brent said, but I kind of think I understand what he was “TRYING” to say.  But he should have just left the entire thing alone and kept his mouth shut.    

But He Didn’t. 

 

And then Brent got word that he had pissed off the entire world and had melted down the internet.  Brent tried to re-explain his position for making it sound like he was supporting the criminal act.  And as only Brent can do, just to throw a little gas onto an already out of control social media blaze, he stated this:



“Some people were upset when I wished this young man well at the next level,” Musburger said. “Let me make something perfectly clear: What he did with that young lady was brutal, uncalled for, he’s apologized, he was tearful. He got a second chance. He got a second chance from (Oklahoma head coach) Bob Stoops. I happen to pull for people with second chances, okay? Let me make it absolutely clear that I hope he has a wonderful career and he teaches people with that brutal, violent video, okay?”

Uh….Brent, What EXACTLY are you hoping he teaches people with that video?  Keep your right in tight and swing from the waist?  Because I’m not sure what else there is to be gleaned from that…..

Unfortunately, I cannot locate the clip showing Mixon being carried off the field after the Sugar with his teammates taking “swings” at him.  I can only assume they were trying to be humorous. 

 

They weren’t. IT wasn’t funny.  It was disrespectful and tasteless…. This NYPost article has the Twitter Feed that you can link to and watch…

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/brent-musburger-joe-mixon-cringeworthy-sugar-bowl-article-1.2932851

Oklahoma should be punished and forfeit any money they get from the Sugar via the NCAA.  Go Get ‘Em Mark!!!

Like that’ll ever happen….

Back to Musburger:  Sorry Brent. I said at the time that the Kid should have been out of Football forever and probably should have done a little time for breaking that woman’s jaw.  2^nd chances are for violating team rules or going on a bender after a big win.  And I have a feeling that before everything is said and done you may have just called your last game, but don’t know it yet.  Much like the comments an aging and “not getting it or not all mentally there” Jimmy the Greek made that resulted in the abrupt end to his career, ESPN will get called out HARD on this one in the days, weeks, and months to come.

Brent - It was nice knowing you….

But back to the games that mattered:  Would things have been different with Michigan or PSU instead of the Suckeyes at the Peach Bowl?  Hard to say.  Basing this strictly on Michigan’s Orange Bowl Performance, I’m thinking that no, Michigan probably would have lost to that particular Clemson team.  But I and everyone reading has seen Clemson play a lot worse…PSU on the other hand, might have had a better shot, assuming they played like they played in the 3^rd quarter. 

Would there have been a difference with 6 teams in the play-off and Michigan playing Washington in the first round?  Again, hard to say.  Washington looked mighty small and outmatched against a far larger and faster Bama squad….

With 1 Game left with meaning, maybe it’s the post bowl and holiday season blues and depression I’m feeling.

Here’s another problem with the bowl games:  They are really too damn long.  The Rose Bowl kicked off around 5:15 or so.  The last play came at about 9:20.  That’s over 4 hours.  And it was looking like OT!!!

I sat down one evening last week and tuned into one of the bowls just in time for a replay review that I swear to god lasted almost 10 minutes.  I flipped the channel a couple of times and the same play was still being reviewed. Actually -  Lemme look this up...

Yep – the Belk Bowl which was Arkansas vs. VaTech.  Here’s part of the re-cap that was an Arkansas punt :

An Arkansas player landed on it but didn’t retain possession, and a Virginia Tech player proceeded to pick it up. Somewhere in there, a whistle blew. When the Hogs ended up with the ball, many assumed it was because of that whistle.

But there was one problem — Virginia Tech was called for holding on the punt. That ended up being the deciding factor, though most of the discussion focused on when the whistle blew.

When the officials finally came out from their 12-minute review, the official said there had been an inadvertent whistle and a penalty during the kick. The latter matters more than the former.

“By rule,” the official stated, the penalty was assessed from the spot of the kick and it was still Arkansas’ ball.

A 12 Minute REVIEW????  That has to STOP.  Either fire the officials who cannot come to quick decisions (which were Big Xii officials, BTW) or do something to speed up the process. 

Another reason for my melancholy is perhaps that fact that I LIKE to think I know what I’m doing when I make my Picks.  I LIKE to think that I know more than the other guy…However, as of right now, I have only picked 15 out of 41 BOWLS correctly (against the spread).  That’s really, REALLY Bad….I would have been better off going completely opposite instead of studying and finding out little facts that I thought gave me a betting edge.  And with PSU’s loss to USC, that makes the B1G East a great B1G 0-5 in the Bowls!!!  Yep, PSU, suckeyes, Michigan, Maryland and Indiana all lose….Didn’t see that one coming…..

Anyway, trying to save the season by letting all the remaining bank ride on Bama next Monday.  I’m not buying the fact that Clemson is that much better and is in a “better” place this year to beat the Tide. 

Bama just keeps coming at you.  And there’s nothing you can do. 

Or should I do the opposite?  Based on the Bowl Season’s results up to this point?

The MMPG

And Michigan’s lousy game ending at Iowa City on Sunday was also a disaster that could have been avoided.  The Men’s Basketball team needs to learn how to set a play up better at the end of a game vs. what they did Sunday.  I was going to try to find a clip, but there’s nothing out there available.  Suffice it to say, there was no clean look or clean shot with the 20 seconds they had left to tie the game.  That was the worst play calling and execution of this team to date. 

Michigan needs to start playing B1G Ball and making shots when it counts.   Kind of in a slump right now.  I’m not saying they’re out of the Dance yet, but they need to focus and win games like that in the B1G, even when they’re on the road. 

PSU in the House that Cazzie built tonight so looking for a much needed W to get to 0.500 in the B1G!!!

The Hot Seat!

Don’t forget to Vote!!!!

And This Just IN:

Tracy Claeys is OUT at Minnesota. (I was thinking this would happen sooner and was part of the reason for not posting yesterday).  I guess you could also call this the most un-surprising firing of the season based on my blog entry about two posts ago before the holidays.  I really didn’t see how Tracy could survive that Title IX report and the “Reckless, Sexual Behavior” by his team and women on campus. (Go back to that post for a link to the report). Whether it was consenting or not, gang bang and multiple male/single female sex situations are simply not tolerated and have to be frowned upon by people in charge of things.  Regardless of how you live YOUR sex life or what you think is appropriate behavior.  If you read the report, you knew heads were gonna’ roll…. 

But as I’ve told the Gopher readers of the blog, it’s always darkest before the dawn.  And that’s experience talking.

Anyone on the list of available candidates would be a great hire for Minnesota.  And get this:  Chip Kelly could work the next 3 seasons for free as he’s getting paid $24.5M (with an M) from the Eagles and 49er’s for NOT coaching in the NFL!!!

So, an update:

ZAPPED List

We’ll keep track of who’s gone as the season progresses….

1. Miles and Cameron – LSU Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator. 
2. VanGorder – Domer D-Coordinator. 
3. Ron Turner – FIU. 
4. Hazell – PURDUE!
5. Tim DeRuyter – Fresno State. 
6. Charlie STRONG- Texas. 
7. Helfrich – Oregon.  Saw it coming….
8. Kevin Wilson – Indiana.   Yes – this one surprised me but related to Player Safety and other issues.  I know, not on the Hot Seat List…..
9. Tracy Claeys – Minnesota.  This was a must fire situation after the Title IX report was made public.
    
   Electric Chair of Death Seat!

1. Kelly and $warbuck$ - Till Next Season!!!

The Hot Seat – Beginning Next Season!!!

1. Rich Rod – Arizona. 
2. Todd Graham – ASU
3. Malzhan – Auburn
4. Butch Jones – Cremesicles. 
5. Sumlin  Texas A&M
6. Muschamp – South Carolina 
7. Mike Riley – Nebraska
8. Kirby Smart – Georgia.
9. ANTONIO, MARK – Sparty

Short List of Available or Desirable Head Coaches

1. PJ Fleck –Rowing the Boat….
2. Chip Kelly – You can BET that he’ll be back in college, just like Pete Carrol and Nick Satan!!!  Will be a great hire for someone.
3. Les Miles – AVAILABLE FOR HIRE.  No one is beating his door down, however.
4. Mike Leach – The Pac 12 is taking notice!!!  I just see Leach at a bigger program eventually.
    
    
   And all the latest HIRED Coaches of HOPE and CHANGE!!
    

1.  LSU – Ogeron!  Aleva figures as long as he’s paying Miles, he can’t afford another $5M Coach.  He’ll stumble along with Coach O, but if Coach O falters in 2 seasons, he’ll be out of a job!
2. Texas – HERMANN!  Did anyone not see this one coming?  Than you haven’t been reading the MMQ!
3. Jeff Brohm – Purdue.  Didn’t see this one coming. 
4. Matt Ruhle – Baylor.  Former Temple Head Coach
5. Willie Taggart – Oregon!  AS the MMQ predicted!!!!
6. Charlie Strong – USF.  Replaces Taggart
7. Indiana – Tom Allen – Never heard of him…..
8. Cincinnati – Luke Fickell.  Goodbye suckeyes….
9. Houston – Major Applewhite.  Not a surprising hire, but can he be a head coach?
10. Temple – Geoff Collins.   Gators Defensive Coordinator…
11. UConn – Randy Edsall.  Whatever…it’s Uconn…
12. FAU – Lane Kiffin.  Good Luck with that….
13. FIU – Butch Davis.  Guess he was tired of his gig on Sirius XM
14. Fresno State – Jeff Tedord.  Step down from California Bears….
15. WKU – Mike Sanford
16. San Jose State – Brent Brennan
17. Nevada  - Jay Norvell
18. Georgia State – Shawn Elliot