Chchchchanges

Time to face the music.

For a team bleeding red of the wrong variety, reeling from consecutive road losses to Illinois and Penn State, the latter an absolute embarrassment, the Northern Illinois Huskies are certainly a sight for sores eyes. Not that this MAC opponent should be taken for granted given close shaves against UNLV and the Citadel, but Bucky desperately needs to find its way on both sides of the ball tomorrow.

Changes on defense are looming. Aaron Henry will take snaps with the first defense in light of Langford's dismal performances, week-in, week-out. His inability to cover in week two against UNLV should have been a sign of what was to come against MSU and Penn State. Loyalty to last year's starter should be thrown out the window, especially with the talented true freshman waiting in the wings. Langford plays too far off his man, a product of his lack of speed, but also fails to close fast and make a secure tackle. Next man in.

Bucky should also take a longer look at the LB position. Levy is clearly lost in coverage. Bring him from the corner on passing downs and generate some pressure on the QB that the DL hasn't to date (Shaughnessy, what's the deal? #92 is MIA in the opponent's backfield). Hodge also lacks instincts on passing downs, and doesn't fill quickly enough against the run. St. Jean's miserable performances at Mike the last two weeks are evidence that we're better off with Hodge's growing pains nonetheless.

I'd also like to see more of DeCremer on non-passing downs. Newkirk hasn't had much of an impact at DE, so I'd gamble with DeCremer's lack of size to generate a better pass rush, more tackles for loss, and possibly better lateral pursuit on running plays. Kurt Ware, if he ever gets healthy, could also help here.

On offense, Hubbard is back at practice, and I expect to see him return to the rotation next week against IU. Coupled with Jefferson, this is a talented tandem and should give TD two solid options along with our stud TE's as teams continue to stack the box and muck it up inside for PJ. Lance Smith's availability at home should also help as PJ simply can't find the corner. I'm hoping this is the difference next month against Michigan.

We also need more consistency out of our special teams. Gilreath was quiet the last two weeks, and Melhaff's misses in both road games didn't make the going any easier when our offense was turning over the ball, and the defense opened like a gate. DeBauche also needs to rebound.

In the end, Bucky has always won by running the ball, playing tough D with a bend, but don't break philosophy, and winning the field position battle through stellar special teams. Aberrations from this formula were the teams that didn't make bowl games, or who failed to live up to pre-season expectations. Time to get the house back in order against the Huskies.

Operator, won't you help me place this call (since according to NCAA rules, I can't)

Dear Kelvin Sampson:

What the hell were you thinking?

You did an ok job at Oklahoma. Sure, you went to a Final Four, but more often than not your team flamed out in the NCAA tourney. You really never developed any superstar players. Some successful coaches might see that as a badge of honor, I see it as a sign that you only get the bare minimum out of your most talented players. And just when your Oklahoma program was about to descend into oblivion alongside the Missouri Tigers, just when Bob Huggins, Bob Knight, and Billy Gillespie were going to join KU, OSU, and Texas and supplant your team in the upper half of the Big 12, out of nowhere a big crimson parachute found you and took you to Bloomington, Indiana. Oh sure, a lot of the fans noticed the warning signs I just laid out, they saw right though your passion and your self-proclaimed ability to recruit and decided you were a mediocre hire.

But it was your job, you had a position at a top 10 program, congrats.

But not everything was going perfectly for you, the big bad NCAA was coming after you. Apparently, you cannot stay off the phone. You love phone like a junkie loves their smack. You were told to lay off the phone and you could not. You left the good folks in Oklahoma saddled with NCAA violations and your also decided to saddle your new employers with problems as well.

But those problems proved to be little more than a distraction and a punch line during most of your first year in Bloomington. You started winning. The IU fans took to your team, and best of all you pulled the wool over Bruce Weber's eyes and "stole" Indiana's own Eric Gordon from the Illini. Who cared that a bunch of orange-clad, Indian hating crybabies got their panties in a bunch- you did nothing wrong, you just basically stole the girl after she told you she loved you more than that jerk, anyways. What's wrong with that?

You beat Wisconsin, you finished 3rd in a weak Big 10 (after the top 2) and your team appeared to try hard. Then you made it to the second round of the NCAA and lost a close one to UCLA. Not a bad year.

But as we found out over the weekend, the addict inside of you was present all year long. You couldn't kick the habit. You had to make your precious phone calls. Oh, like most addicts you absolved yourself "who is it hurting?" "I'm not doing anything wrong" "I'm smart enough, I wont get caught"

You sought to bend the rules- you couldn't make outbound CALLS, so you sent text messages, you couldnt MAKE outbound calls, so you had your assistants do that and then patch you in. You cheated. And you knew the NCAA and IU would be watching.

Kelvin, I know this is a long letter and you probably want to know what my point (besides taking a swipe at Illinois fans) is? Well, my point is this: how stupid are you? Did you think you weren't going to get caught? Did you really think you were doing nothing wrong? Did you not think that once you did get caught that everyone else in the midwest who already did not like you would crucify you? Did you not expect local writers who went after Sir Robert Knight to easly go after you?

And, are you really expecting the NCAA to not throw the book at you right now?

$550,000 and a scholarship or two are going to seem like a bargin to what I am sure the pinstripes in downtown Indy want to do to you right now. Do you realize that if you do this again you'll be joining Todd Bozeman (remember him?) in the MEAC?

Kelvin, I think you are a better basketball coach than I always gave you credit for. But you're either an addict or an idiot, and you better hope that this is it, or else your next job is going to be in front of 800 fans in a gym in Eastern North Carolina.

Poll Position

I kept my mouth shut last week in regards to the Coache's Poll. I laughed it off when 2-3 Stanford received 4 votes. I ignored USC only dropping to #7 and Indiana receiving 8 more votes than Michigan.

But after another week, I can't hold back any longer.

I have two words to describe the results: in sane.

Please, look at the poll. You can find it right here

The top 5 is actually ok, I would have USF #1 or #2, but putting them at #3 is no scandal. In addition, LSU and Oklahoma are probably the two best 1 loss teams.

6-8 are ok, too. But then we have an issue.

Remember back in September when Michigan lost to App State and the reaction for the college football community was the ex-communicate any voter who dared to rank the Wolverines?

Last week USC lost to Stanford, a team that is probably worse than App State. The Trojans were favored by 41 points, they lost and they didnt even fall from the top 10. Hypocritical isn't even the right word to describe this. USC should have been ranked no higher than 20 last week and after they struggled with Arizona yesterday they should still not be any higher than 17ish.
Instead the coaches have them at #9. If they were South Florida they would be lucky to be receiving votes.

Oh, and look at #13- its Kentucky! A one-loss team who only beat LSU this week. I know, I know, a run of the mill win for them. They also crushed Louisville this year and their only loss was at #8 South Carolina.
Kentucky should not be below USC, much less 4 spots behind them.

I could talk about how 2 loss Auburn (with one of those being to South Florida) should be ahead of Texas, but aren't, but instead let's look at #20 and #22.
Georgia is 5-2 and ranked #20
Tennessee is 4-2 and ranked #22

Last week Tennessee beat Georgia by roughly 87 points. How are they ranked below them? Anyone? Anyone?

Ok, enough for the top 25, how about teams receiving votes:

Wisconsin received 82 votes. I have no idea why
The Badgers received more votes than Illinois.
And how is Illinois not ranked?
They beat PSU, they lost a 10-6 game on the road. Penn State is ranked, Illinois is not.

Oh, but we haven't even hit the most in sane part of the program yet.
Look at 3 spots below Illinois, it's PURDUE!!!!! A team that beat no one, then got crushed at home by Ohio State only to follow that up by getting crushed at Michigan.
I would have been shocked had the Boilers received a vote, much less 19. What kind of an idiot do you have to be to think Purdue is worthy of a place in the top 25???

On the plus side, at least Stanford didn't receive any votes this week...

Nowhere to go but up or down

WEll that was certainly a disaster.

Shawn, I should have left at halftime just like you did. From what I can recall...the Badgers showed no heart and no fire during the second half. Injuries and suspensions take their toll, but they take their toll on every team.
I know this team can turn things around, but have they shown us any reason to expect that?

5 games left, three are very winnable. Win those 3 and split with Michigan/OSU and 9-3 doesn't look like too bad of a season- not for this college football season, at least.

So where does that leave us in the conference? Let's check out my power rankings which will last all of a week:

1. Ohio State: The best team, the best defense, and the only one who is unblemished all season
2. Michigan: A long way back for the maize and blue. This is the team I expected to see back in September.
3. Illinois: They finally got trapped. I think they might be a little overrated, but we'll see on Saturday against the Wolverines
4. Penn State: Impressive game against an unimpressive team. If they can score 31 a game they will be tough to beat
5. Wisconsin: Awful effort yesterday. The defense is bad and now we have offensive issues. Coach B is going to have to get the train back on the track, soon. Otherwise a 7-5 season would not surprise me
6. Michigan State: Huge win yesterday. This team has been a good surprise
7. Indiana: Ouch. Hoosiers will go bowling, but they have not reached the top half of the Big 10...yet
8. Purdue: Hey, this is the Purdue team we know and love. Welcome back guys, we missed you
9. Iowa: Unlike the Badgers they can play defense. However, this team will be lucky to win 2 more conference games
10. Northwestern: I'm sorry, I am just not that impressed with a one point win at home over Minny
11. Minnesota: They'll win a game against a team they should not beat. I'm just worried it might be our team


Ok, so where does that leave us with Bowl projections? 9 teams, 9!!! Have a good chance at winning 6 games and going bowling. Right now only one team is bowl eligible, but 7 teams (7!!!!!!) are just one win away with 5 to play. Northwestern needs two wins and should get one next week against Eastern Michigan, in a game that, for reasons passing understanding, will be played at Ford Field.
Iowa needs 3 wins, but they have Western Mich at home and some other games that they can win.

For the sake of my sanity, lets say Iowa does not qualify.
Also, I am basing these projections on where things stand right now and how I think they will go the rest of the year.

Rose Bowl: Michigan (7-1)
Sugar Bowl: Ohio State (7-1)
Capitol One Bowl: Illinois (5-3)
Outback Bowl: Wisconsin (5-3)
Alamo Bowl: Penn State (4-4)
Champs Sports Bowl: Indiana (4-4)
Insight Bowl: Michigan State (3-5)
Motor City Bowl: Purdue (3-5)
MISC low-tier game: Northwestern (3-5)

Of course, if Iowa becomes bowl eligible they would probably bump everyone from Indiana on down. And, if the conference does not field 2 BCS teams (and Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan have 0 margin for error when it comes to an at-large birth) this could further muddy the waters.

If Wisconsin does go to the Outback Bowl I can see the Badgers playing Tennessee, Auburn, Kentucky, or South Carolina. Afterall, as crazy as the Big 10 has been, it is still not SEC crazy.