Well Ohio State fans, the time has come to enjoy some crow. LSU 38 - OSU 24...sigh.
It has been said that revenge is a dish best served cold. Some have said the same about crow, but I disagree. So...just because I care - I have provided you with some recipes that may help you stand the bitter bird just a bit easier.
Having been a life-long Dallas Cowboy fan, I have had several long stretches in which I have had time to perfect some of these recipes.
In skillet brown the crow breasts, then place them on a 1 1/2" layer of sauerkraut in bottom of a casserole. Cover each piece of meat with a strip of bacon and sprinkle the onion over them. Cover the breast with another layer of sauerkraut and pour sauerkraut juice over it. Bake two hours in oven heated to 350 degrees.
*Tip: Since your tears are naturally salty, crying a bit over the casserole, after removing from the stove, can add just that extra bit of needed seasoning that makes the dish special.
Crow and Mushroom Stew (Button and Buckeye Stew)
3 crows 2 Tbsp cream 1 Tbsp lard/shortening 1/2 cup mushrooms 1 pint stock or gravy salt and pepper cayenne pepper (this should be easy to find in Lousianna - may even be on the table)
Clean and cut crows into small portions and let them cook a short time in the lard/shortening in a saucepan, being careful not to brown them. Next, add to the contents of the pan, the stock or gravy, and salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. Simmer 1 hour, or until tender, add mushrooms, simmer 10 minutes more and then stir in cream. Arrange the mushrooms around the crows on a hot platter.
*Note: The pieces are big for a reason - it is supposed to be hard to ####. For some reason it is easier to pallete when eating it with friends and making excuses about the referees costing us the game - so be sure to invite your entire National Championship party entourage over for some.
Potted Crow: (BCS Buckeye Surprise)
6 crows 1 diced onion 3 bacon slices 1 diced carrot stuffing of your choice chopped parsley hot water or stock 1/4 cup flour 1/4 cup shortening buttered toast
Clean and dress crows; stuff and place them upright in stew-pan on the slices of bacon. Add the carrot, onion and a little parsley, and cover with boiling water or stock. Cover the pot and let simmer for 2-3 hours, or until tender, adding boiling water or stock when necessary. Make a sauce of the shortening and flour and 2 cups of the stock remaining in the pan. Serve each crow on a thin slice of moistened toast, and pour gravy over all.
*Tip: if you soak buckeyes in water for about a week, you can get this great bitter horse-chestnut sauce, pictured below, to pour over your dish. This reason is that you don't want to actually enjoy this dish - or you could be in danger of being the next Notre Dame.
TAKE HEART BUCKEYE FANS
On the upside, you can see that Ohio State will probably be better next year than they were this year. The 2006 recruiting class is starting to come into its own and may be good enough to win it all in spite of idiotic defensive coaching decisions made on their behalf. Only time will tell.
This is the time that I am supposed to say "better luck next year." - But I won't - because I don't mean it.
One last thing. This is for a few special people - YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE - SEC is 7-2 in bowl games this year. The Big Ten? 3-5.
That has to be what every blogger who has defended the SEC conference against the claims of being "overated" wants to stand on his pick-up truck and shout. In one of the craziest years in recent history in which ranked teams were falling as fast as Britney Spears inhibitions, the SEC beat each other up in their conference schedule. But the teams have come through when it comes to matchups against their non-conference foes in the bowl games.
The SEC had nine teams earn a place in bowl games which is more the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC. Of those nine games, eight have been played with the SEC member team coming out on top in six of those contests.
The only two losses being Arkansas - to a Missouri team playing with a huge chip on their shoulder after being snubbed by the BCS for one of their bowl games and Florida who was beaten by an inspired Michigan team wanting to send their coach, Lloyd Carr, out into retirement on a winning note.
Neither loss was that huge of a surprise. Missouri plays in the Big 12, who historically has handled SEC teams pretty well and Arkansas has never regained their early-seaon defensive intensity since their big loss to Tennessee in their 10th game.
Lloyd Carr is 5-2 in his career at Michigan against SEC teams, but this was still a bit more surprising, with Florida having the ultra-mobile Tebow at quarterback and several good targets for him ot throw to. Michigan used their size and ability to get off on the snap to put major pressure on Tebow causing him to have to take his eyes off of his receivers to salvage yardage and protect the ball. They negated Florida's speed advantage on offense with a good zone scheme in the backfield and constant pressure at the line. Lloyd Carr did a masterful job of coaching this game - Michigan WILL be sorry they dismissed him the way they did.
So here is a breakdown of how the conferences have shaped up in the Bowl Games with one game left to play on Monday Night. No matter how that game turns out {LSU Wins}, the SEC will still hold a decided edge {OSU loses} in the bowl matchups from this year.
Conference-by-conference bowl records How each has fared during the 32 postseason games:
ConferenceSchoolsRecordPercentage Sun Belt (1) Fla. Atlantic 1-0 1.000 MWC (5) AF,BYU,NM,TCU,Utah 4-1 .800 SEC (9) Ala,Ark,Aub,Fla,Ga,Ky,LSU,MissSt,Ten 6-2 .750 Pac-10 (6) ASU,Cal,Ore,OSU,UCLA,USC 4-2 .667 Big East (5) Cin,Rut,UConn,USF,WV 3-2 .600 Big 12 (8) CU,KU,Mis,OU,OSU,Tex,TexA&M,TT 5-3 .625 Big Ten (8) Ill,Ind,Mich,MichSt,OSU,PSU,Pur,Wis 3-4 .429 ACC (8) BC,Clem,FSU,GT,Mary,UVa.,VT,WF 2-6 .250 WAC (4) BSU,FresSt,Haw,Nev 1-3 .250 C-USA (6) EC,Hou,Mem,SMiss,Tul,UCF 1-4 .200 Independents (1) Navy 0-1 .000 MAC (3) BallSt,BG,CMich 0-2 .000
January 8, 2008: Ohio State loses to LSU 24-21. Now 0-9 vs. SEC teams.
It happened...again! Taking cues from Lloyd Carr's game plan against Florida, Jim Tressel's Buckeyes had this game in hand well into the 4th quarter. Having a lead against an SEC team this late in the game was uncharted waters for the otherwise very successful coach and those waters proved to be treacherous.
Hungry to finally score a win, Tressel didn't want to make a mistake. He decided to go conservative, so he pulled back and started reverting to the style of football Ohio State has played all year against its Big Ten brethren. In a play that will be known in infamy for years to come, he sent his linebackers to the line in their vaunted 6-1 defensive position and put the DB's in a three deep zone. When the ball was snapped, an all out blitz was sent towards the LSU quarterback who quickly threw the ball downfield to a streaking receiver who had easily gotten behind the zone for what turned out to be the game-winning 65-yard touchdown pass with only 23 seconds left on the clock.
When asked why he chose to change his gameplan when he seemingly had the game won, Jim Tressel replied, "I believe in dancing with the one who brought you. I wanted to beat them by playing the same way that got us to this championship game - with some good, hard Big Ten style football. In hindsight, maybe it was the wrong decision."
Somewhere in heaven, the famous, late Ohio State supporter Jimmy Neutron cries once again today.
January 15, 2008: Ohio State Applies for Membership in the SEC.
It's just been a week and already the fallout from Ohio State's 4th quarter collapse against the LSU Tigers has started. In a surprise move, in the spirit of "if you can't beat them - join them", the Athletic Director of Ohio State University has formally applied to become a member of the SEC. The Big Ten had initially filed a protest until the SEC reciprocated by offering a two-for-one deal packaging Mississippi and South Carolina.
Hesitant at first, the Big Ten director accepted because he reasoned that now the Big Ten will now have 12 teams and can earn some much needed respect among its conference peers by adding a conference championship game. The SEC officials were giggling as they left the room saying, "I can't believe they fell for it. We traded two cellar-dwellers for a team that will be average in the SEC. Now we only have 11 teams. [{chuckle-chuckle} - no more curs-ed championship game - now we can back a team into the National Championship game every year. The situation was explained delicately to South Carolina and Mississippi, but neither team minded because now they will both have a shot at winning seasons and bowl games.
Sensing the end of his gravy train, Jim Tressel pleaded his case to the Big Ten admin saying "really, we're gonna beat them this time", but was told "we've trusted you for seven years now, just as we had the coaches before you, and we just can't take your word for it anymore. We hope you can understand."
January 16, 2008: Jeff Foxworthy takes to the airwaves to taunt Buckeye fans.
The young comedian and recognized authority on red-necks, Jeff Foxworthy, caused quite a stir in the Columbus community today when he visited a local radio station to promote his Blue Collar Comedy tour. What was supposed to be a short preview of what you might hear at the concert with his "You might be a red-neck" shtick, morphed into an outright taunting o####roup of people who's psyches still have not mended from the events of the past couple of weeks.
Calls immediately began pouring into the station with enraged and outraged Buckeye fans. The OSU Athletic director issued a statement characterizing the statements as being "in poor taste", to which Mr. Foxworthy responded, "hey, y'all - I just call 'em like I see 'em".
The following is a short excerpt of some of the heinous things Mr. Foxworthy said:
"If your team hasn't beaten a SEC team in a bowl game - EVER...you might be a Buckeye." He then adds, "heck, even Vandy wins one in the SEC every once in a while."
"If your Alma Mater was written in 1902 on the train ride home, after the worst loss your team has ever suffered, to your most bitter rival Michigan 86-0...you might be a Buckeye." {mutters under his breath} "memorializing a butt-whipping - wow, that's pathetic."
"If you consider a 33-14 win against a 4-9 Washington team even remotely comparable to a 48-7 LSU whipping of an 11-2 Virginia Tech team...you might be a Buckeye."
"If you have to resort to rubbing necklaces made of barely-edible chestnuts because you "think it will help"...you might be a Buckeye."
"If you consider flipping off the winning team's bus as they leave the stadium, your state bird...you might be a Buckeye."
"If every time you get a Woody, it makes you briefly reminisce about college football...you might be a Buckeye."
and finally, "If the conference you constantly label as being "overrated" went 7-2 in bowl games and whipped your butt again this year...you just might be a Buckeye."
This reporter is, frankly, appalled.
January 21, 2008: In a surprise move, OSU Chancellor decides Ohio State coaching position to be decided by popular vote.
The Chancellor at Ohio State University announced a controversial decision today that the coaching position at Ohio State University would no longer be a hired position decided upon by school officials, but rather an elected position decided upon by the students, boosters and fans of the University every two years.
When asked why he made this decision, he explained that all of the correspondence he has received from boosters and fans in the last couple of weeks were chocked full of advice about how to better prepare for next year and what kind of players Jim Tressel needs to recruit in order to compete with our friends from the South. He reasoned that since the fans seemed to have all the answers that OSU has been searching for all these years, they should be involved in the decision making process of who should lead their team. Off the record, he also noted that if the fans decided on the coach, then if they lose to the SEC again, he couldn't be blamed.
When contacted, Jim Tressel said, "I am confident that I will be re-elected as coach. I stand by my moves and my record speaks for itself", but then conceded that he has tried to convince newly retired Michigan coach, Lloyd Carr, to be his running mate to boost his chances noting that Lloyd's 5-2 record against SEC teams also speaks for itself.
Remember...I was ASKED to do this by an Ohio State Fan. He said take your best shot...so I did.
Please keep your comments above board and intelligent. If you can't do that...at least keep them clean. Enjoy!
Oh, and Buckeye fans...Don't forget to cast your vote!
A cfd37Buckeye is trying to conjure the "Lou Holtz" curse on LSU. Click HERE to read his Pep Talk to the LSU Tigers:
EXTRA---EXTRA---READ ALL ABOUT IT! EXTRA---EXTRA---READ ALL ABOUT IT!
COLUMBUS DISPATCH HEADLINES:
January 8, 2008: Ohio State loses to LSU 24-21. Now 0-9 vs. SEC teams.
It happened...again. Taking cues from Lloyd Carr's game plan against Florida, Jim Tressel's Buckeyes had this game in hand well into the 4th quarter. Having a lead against an SEC team this late in the game was uncharted waters for the otherwise very successful coach and those waters proved to be treacherous. Hungry to finally score a win, Tressel didn't want to make a mistake. He decided to go conservative, so he pulled back and started reverting to the style of football Ohio State has played all year against its Big Ten brethren. In a play that will be known in infamy for years to come, he sent his linebackers to the line in their vaunted 6-1 defensive position and put the DB's in a three deep zone. When the ball was snapped, an all out blitz was sent towards the LSU quarterback who quickly threw the ball downfield to a streaking receiver who had easily gotten behind the zone for what turned out to be the game-winning 65-yard touchdown pass with only 23 seconds left on the clock. When asked why he chose to change his gameplan when he seemingly had the game won, Jim Tressel replied, "I believe in dancing with the one who brought you. I wanted to beat them by playing the same way that got us to this championship game - with some good, hard Big Ten style football. In hindsight, maybe it was the wrong decision." Somewhere in heaven, the famous, late Ohio State supporter Jimmy Neutron cries once again today.
January 15, 2008: Ohio State Applies for Membership in the SEC It's just been a week and already the fallout from Ohio State's 4th quarter collapse against the LSU Tigers has started. In a surprise move, in the spirit of "if you can't beat them - join them", the Athletic Director of Ohio State University has formally applied to become a member of the SEC. The Big Ten had initially filed a protest until the SEC reciprocated by offering a two-for-one deal packaging Mississippi and South Carolina. Hesitant at first, the Big Ten director accepted because he reasoned that now the Big Ten will now have 12 teams and can earn some much needed respect among its conference peers by adding a conference championship game. The SEC officials were giggling as they left the room saying, "I can't believe they fell for it. We traded two cellar-dwellers for a team that will be average in the SEC. Now we only have 11 teams. [{chuckle-chuckle} - no more curs-ed championship game - now we can back a team into the National Championship game every year. The situation was explained delicately to South Carolina and Mississippi, but neither team minded because now they will both have a shot at winning seasons and bowl games. Sensing the end of his gravy train, Jim Tressel pleaded his case to the Big Ten admin saying "really, we're gonna beat them this time", but was told "we've trusted you for seven years now, just as we had the coaches before you, and we just can't take your word for it anymore. We hope you can understand."
January 16, 2008: Jeff Foxworthy takes to the airwaves to taunt Buckeye fans
The young comedian and recognized authority on red-necks, Jeff Foxworthy, caused quite a stir in the Columbus community today when he visited a local radio station to promote his Blue Collar Comedy tour. What was supposed to be a short preview of what you might hear at the concert with his "You might be a red-neck" shtick, morphed into an outright taunting o####roup of people who's psyches still have not mended from the events of the past couple of weeks. Calls immediately began pouring into the station with enraged and outraged Buckeye fans. The OSU Athletic director issued a statement characterizing the statements as being "in poor taste", to which Mr. Foxworthy responded, "hey, y'all - I just call 'em like I see 'em".
The following is a short excerpt of some of the heinous things Mr. Foxworthy said:
"If your team hasn't beaten a SEC team in a bowl game - EVER...you might be a Buckeye." He then adds, "heck, even Vandy wins one in the SEC every once in a while."
"If your Alma Mater was written in 1902 on the train ride home, after the worst loss your team has ever suffered, to your most bitter rival Michigan 86-0...you might be a Buckeye." {mutters under his breath} "memorializing a butt-whipping - wow, that's pathetic."
"If you consider a 33-14 win against a 4-9 Washington team even remotely comparable to a 48-7 LSU whipping of an 11-2 Virginia Tech team...you might be a Buckeye."
"If you have to resort to rubbing necklaces made of barely-edible chestnuts because you "think it will help"...you might be a Buckeye."
"If you consider flipping off the winning team's bus as they leave the stadium, your state bird...you might be a Buckeye."
"If every time you get a Woody, it makes you briefly reminisce about college football...you might be a Buckeye."
and finally, "If the conference you constantly label as being "overrated" went 7-2 in bowl games and whipped your butt again this year...you just might be a Buckeye."
This reporter is, frankly, appalled.
January 21, 2008: In a surprise move, OSU Chancellor decides Ohio State coaching position to be decided by popular vote
The Chancellor at Ohio State University announced a controversial decision today that the coaching position at Ohio State University would no longer be a hired position decided upon by school officials, but rather an elected position decided upon by the students, boosters and fans of the University every two years. When asked why he made this decision, he explained that all of the correspondence he has received from boosters and fans in the last couple of weeks were chocked full of advice about how to better prepare for next year and what kind of players Jim Tressel needs to recruit in order to compete with our friends from the South. He reasoned that since the fans seemed to have all the answers that OSU has been searching for all these years, they should be involved in the decision making process of who should lead their team. Off the record, he also noted that if the fans decided on the coach, then if they lose to the SEC again, he couldn't be blamed. When contacted, Jim Tressel said, "I am confident that I will be re-elected as coach. I stand by my moves and my record speaks for itself", but then conceded that he has tried to convince newly retired Michigan coach, Lloyd Carr, to be his running mate to boost his chances noting that Lloyd's 5-2 record against SEC teams also speaks for itself.
Remember...I was ASKED to do this by an Ohio State Fan. He said take your best shot...so I did.
Please keep your comments above board and intelligent. If you can't do that...at least keep them clean. Enjoy!
Oh, and Buckeye fans...Don't forget to cast your vote!
It all started in 2000, his rookie season. I don’t know if he had a chip on his shoulder because Cleveland passed on him and took Courtney Brown out of Penn State with the first pick in the draft. I don’t know if he liked the history of a town who named their team after Joe Lewis, the Brown Bomber, or he just liked the new-car smell in the freshly-christened Cleveland Browns Stadium. What I do know is the moment that Jamal Lewis stepped onto the field in that stadium rising from the banks of Lake Erie, something clicked.
The young man, drafted fifth overall from the University of Tennessee, who had managed just 215 yards on 44 carries up to that point in the season, torched the Browns for 86 yards rushing and caught a 7-yard pass to setup a score to seal the 12-0 shutout. In the same year, he rushed against them for 170 yards and 2 TDs while helping Baltimore dismantle Cleveland 44-7. Not since the original Browns were moved to Baltimore under the cover of darkness had the City of Cleveland hated Art Modell so much. They had passed on the very player that could have helped their newly re-formed team back into NFL prominence; and worse, Modell got him.
In 2003, Lewis became just of one of 5 backs in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season and fell just 39 yards shy of the all time record held by Eric Dickerson with 2,105. This was also the year that he would break Corey Dillon’s single game rushing mark of 279 by running for 295 yards and 2 touchdowns against …you guessed it…the Browns (a record broken this year by Adrian Peterson, 296). In week 16 of 2003, he again showed his dominance against the Browns, rushing for 205 yards and 2 TDs and catching 2 passes for 21 more yards. In his 12 career games against the Browns, Lewis has averaged 23 carries for 127 yards and a TD. He also has his career longest run (82 yds) and longest TD run (72 yds) against them.
Cleveland had once again squandered an immense opportunity, by overlooking a potential star and picking an also-ran. Then, the “Angel of Brown” stepped in and stirred the pot of fate. In 2006, the sound of Coach Brian Billick and Jamal Lewis bickering at each other through the press had to carry the melody of seraphim's singing to the Brown faithful. Might they actually get a chance to hire the player they spurned and who had been returning the favor to them for the last 6 seasons? And - would he be able to play at the same level in Cleveland Brown Stadium FOR the Browns as he had against them all these years?
The answer to both questions is a resounding yes. In just his second game with the Browns, he turned in one of the best performances of his career; rushing 216 yards against Cincinnati and helping his team win a close game between the inter-state rivals. In home games this season he has averaged 93 yards on 20 carries and a TD. Cleveland has also been able to twice defeat the Ravens this year with him registering 156 yards rushing yards, 30 receiving and 2 TDs against them. While he has not returned to his early career form, he is still on pace this season to rush for over 1,400 yards with 14 TD’s. Suddenly, the world seems alright again in the land of “Brown.”
So, am I surprised Jamal Lewis has done this well in Cleveland? NO. The way this guy delivers in brown, they should make him the poster-boy for UPS. I should file a claim with his agent; if he gets this endorsement, I want a cut.
Just what is a buckeye anyway? Do they have any redeeming qualities at all? Why can't we seem to get rid of them? What causes otherwise sensible people to like them so much?
According to Websters the buckeye is 1. "A tree (Aesculus glabra) that is a relative of the chestnut and horse-chestnut tree. 2. "The nut from said tree is the same rich, mellow warm-brown as a chestnut, but it is less readily edible, due to its high tannic acid content."
So it is a tree and a nut.
The OSU website states the actual nickname for the school, buckeye, is named after the buckeye tree. However, the mascot for the sports teams and the most recognizable symbol of the athletic teams seems to be the nut, also known as a buckeye, that comes from the buckeye tree.
Upon further investigation I also found the following on the Ohio State University website: "In general, the trees and their nuts are of little practical use: the wood does not burn well, the bark has an unpleasant odor, and the bitter nut meat is mildly toxic. Still, the tree has grit. It grows where others cannot, is difficult to kill, and adapts to its circumstances. The nuts, although inedible, are attractive and folk wisdom had it that carrying one in a pocket brings good luck and wards off rheumatism. Maybe that's why they play in a horseshoe - they think it brings them good luck?!?
So for the purpose of our discussion, we'll focus on the nut.
Are the buckeyes valuable? I found I found a bag of 175 of them for sale on eBay for only $4.99 - well that answers that question.
So, to sum it all up: A Buckeye is a worthless, bitter, lucky nut!
They say a picture says a thousand words. So, here are a few thousand words for you:
The Annual OSU Cheerleader "Cop-a-Feel" day. Even the cheer-guy on the right gets some of the action.
Jim Tressel's Christmas wish list.
The Incredible REVERSIBLE Ohio State Buckeye Fan - If this guy with the H had one on his back too; he could turn around and we wouldn't know the difference.
In a classy move...the Buckeye fans wish Lloyd Carr a happy retirement
Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6
Welcome to another episode of "Former OSU Stars - Where are they now?"
Ohio State's Homecoming is steeped with tradition - The Band, the Parade and the selection of the Homecoming King and Queen.
I didn't realize that Count von Count from Sesame Street followed College Football.
A Note to the Ohio State Football Team- YOU $UCK
Ohio State YOU $UCK. The problem is you don't know you $uck. You played in the Big Ten which this year $uck$. All of the non-conference teams you played really $uck. Akron (4-8) is really $ucky even in the really $ucky MAC conference. The only team that really $ucks worse than Akron in the MAC is Kent State (3-9), another juggernaut on your schedule. Youngstown State (7-6) is even really $ucky in one of the $uckiest conferences in 1AA, but you still scheduled them. The only team that you played that just somewhat $ucked was Illinois (9-3), who beat you...thus proving that you Buckeyes do indeed $uck!
Buckeye fans will never forget ... The Official 2006 BCS Championship Game Logo and Crest
And, of course, you all recognize - The Ohio State vs. Any SEC Team in a Bowl Game "Postgame Ritual". ...sigh
**PLEASE NOTE** This is all in fun. A Buckeye fan asked me to "take my best shot" and post it for fun - so I did. Those commenting should keep this in mind. Obscene and/or vulgar comments will be deleted.
The bottom is about to fall out in Atlanta and the SEC is about to become an even tougher conference.
After just 13 games, Bobby Petrino, who was brought to Atlanta as head coach because it was thought that he would be able to help Michael Vick raise the bar and truly realize his potential, resigned as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and took the vacant position as the head coach of Arkansas.
The Falcon players are livid because he did not and still has not addressed the Atlanta players of coaches directly. Most are calling it a classless move.
The University of Arkansas is ecstatic because they just landed what is thought to be one of the brightest offensive minds in football.
There is no word yet on who will take over as Atlanta's head coach for the remainder of the season.
I don't know how to feel about this one. On one side I don't blame him "gettin' out while the gettin' is good"; on the other hand I think it showed a lack of class and respect for him to not address his team about his decision.
When sportscasters try to be the story instead of report the story, their 15-minutes of fame needs to be over. Kirk Herbstreit needs to go away.
Kirk was Ohio player of the year in high school and was a quarterback and team captain at Ohio State like his father before him. He started only his senior year in 1992 and set a team record against their rival Michigan, passing for 271 yards to earn a 13-13 tie. There was little interest in him from the NFL after his college career. He eventually landed with ESPN as a color commentator on their Thursday night games and wrote a season column for "The Sporting News". Enough with the Bio.
Kirk has never liked life out of the spotlight. The problem is...he is now a commentator. He is supposed to report the story, not try to be the story himself.
The day of the SEC Championship game he bragged about his "sources" and proclaimed that Les Miles is leaving LSU and going to Michigan. This forced Les Miles to proclaim his support for LSU and make a job decision in front of the nation and his players (who are about to play for an SEC title) during a pre-game press conference. At the same time, he is influencing the coaching prospects of his college rival, Michigan, and using a National sports network, of which he is an employee, to do it.
The validity of Herbstreit's sources are questionable, his using ESPN as his unwitting ally to screw with his college rival is questionable and his timing of coming out with this just before the SEC championship game was nothing more than an attempt to try to divert attention from the kids on the teams playing the game that deserve it - onto himself.
He's too biased in his reporting, he obviously has a personal agenda when reporting the games and has very questionable journalistic integrity. ESPN need to knock him down a few rungs on the ladder and back to the Thursday broadcast until he can learn how a broadcaster is supposed to act.
Once when Steve Spurrier was questioned about the inability of Phil Fulmer's UT Vols to beat Florida during a 4 year stretch he quipped "You can't spell Citrus without UT" , referring to the Bowl that usually hosted the SEC #2 team, and added about former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning "I know why Peyton came back for his senior year: he wanted to be a three-time Citrus Bowl MVP". The irony, of course, is that it was Florida playing Penn State in the Citrus Bowl that year while UT got plastered by Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.
Now the old Citrus Bowl is the new Capital One Bowl, Spurrier has long since left Florida and gone to a South Carolina team who is not bowling this year and TN has found a new bowl that also cannot be spelled without UT...the Outback Bowl.
Starting the season with an ugly loss to Cal, allowing them to score 45 points and an even uglier loss to Florida 59-20, Tennessee looked to be heading into a very bleak season. Many fans, still angry about the 2005 campaign, were calling for the firing of coach Fulmer and the general mood of the program wasn't good.
TN headed back to Neyland to face the then #12 Georgia Bulldogs with a 2-2 record and no one gave them much of a chance to win against the vaunted Georgia team. I'm not sure what it was that the coaches said or did differently (if anything), but things started to click in the Georgia game and UT pummeled them 35-14 and followed it with another conference win against Miss St. Suddenly, there was a flicker of hope in Vol nation...that was quickly snuffed. A Vol team that was looking forward to a meeting with then #16 South Carolina coached by the source of their angst for so many years at Florida, Steve Spurrier, overlooked a struggling Alabama team who tattooed them with a 41-17 whipping that won't be soon forgotten by either side. Once again, the doubters, complainers and conspirators to have Fulmer fired were given fuel to add to their fire.
There was a palpable sense of dread on the campus as the South Carolina game approached. Spurrier had the 7-1 #16 Gamecocks playing great and he had always pulled just the right ropes and pushed just the right buttons to beat Fulmer's team in the past. The is the same Spurrier that after the 2005 season rubbed salt in the wound by responded to a question of; "Coach, how did we beat Tennessee this year?” at a South Carolina alumni meeting with; "The same way Vanderbilt did."
It seemed that TN was about to be 4-4, on their way to another campaign like 2005 and Fulmer's tenure at UT was as good as over. This time though, Fulmer's team had just the right plays at the right time against 7-1 South Carolina to pull off an improbable win by sending the game to OT with a 48 yd field goal with five seconds on the clock and winning it by a field goal in overtime. This started a streak of five wins for the Vols to end their regular season 9-3 and a share of the SEC Eastern Division title with Georgia. This also started South Carolina on a 5-game losing skid to end their season 7-6 and out of the bowl picture; much to the delight of Spurrier detractors everywhere.
Because UT beat GA head-to-head, they would be representing the east in the SEC Championship game against LSU.
The SEC Championship game was heart-breaking for UT fans. TN was one fourth-quarter interception from winning the SEC with a 10-3 record and going to the Sugar Bowl to face Hawaii's Heisman hopeful Colt Brennan. Both teams played sloppy in a game where the defenses shined. But it was LSU's defense that showed why it is one of the top units in the country by making the plays to cap a 14-point swing and win the game in the end.
By nature of the Vols finishing 9-4 and in the Championship game, it seems for now that Fulmer’s job is safe and he was given another one year extension and a raise. It shouldn't surprise anyone as Fulmer has been the consummate survivor in a conference that goes through coaches like Charles Barkley does Snicker bars.
So...#16 Tennessee will head to the Outback Bowl (Formerly known as the Hall of Fame Bowl) to play a very good #18 Wisconsin team which also has 9 wins this season. Fulmer has history here, as it is the site of his first win as head coach in 1993 against Boston College 38-23 behind the arm of quarterback Heath Shuler.
Tennessee fans now are disappointed that we aren't in the Sugar bowl, but would have been surprised at midseason that we would have made it to a Bowl like the Outback at all. Were a bunch that's hard to please, huh?
All-in-all, with the bad start at the beginning and gritty resolve and performance of the players down the stretch, it has been a good year. It would be fitting to end it with a win at the Outback bowl to secure Fulmer's eighth 10-win season out of 15 at UT.
Oh, and to Steve Spurrier: “How did UT beat South Carolina”? The same way Vanderbilt did. –And- You can't spell "Watching the Bowls from your sectional sofa" without S-O-U-T-H C-A-R-O-L-I-N-A!
Ohio State vs USC, LSU vs Oklahoma, Virginia Tech vs Georgia, West Virginia vs Hawaii or Kansas. Who wouldn't want to watch THESE bowl games and then decide a National Champion on the field?
If these were the match-ups, then try to convince me that television ratings for these bowls wouldn't go through the roof. I would get carpel-tunnel from clicking back and forth on my remote so often to try to catch them all.
If one of the college presidents are concerned that adding an additional two games to their team's schedule in order to claim a national title is too much, he can withdraw their name from the Tournament and someone else can be chosen to take their place in the Championship game (yeah, right?!?)
This plan is fair to everyone and makes perfect sense...which, of course, is why it will be totally ignored by those making decisions about such things. AFTER READING...LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.
What this would accomplish: 1. The bowls still retain their history and as well as regain classic matchups (Big Ten vs Pac 10 in the Rose , etc) 2. The Bowls become even more pertinent because each of them has two teams with a legitimate National Title shot playing each other. 3. The smaller conferences have a chance to get in the mix if a bowl committee thinks that they deserve a shot. 4. Makes winning your conference really mean something. 5. Keeps teams like Hawaii this year or Auburn a couple of years ago from being robbed of a chance to claim the title. 6. Takes away the advantage from those not having to play a conference championship game. They still have to play their way in. 7. The eventual National Champion is decided ON THE FIELD!
An explanation of the team selection for the Bowls:
ROSE BOWL - The Rose Bowl will play either the Big Ten winner or the Independent 2nd pick vs the Pac 10 winner or Sunbelt winner. The classic match-up on Jan 1st as it should be. This year would be Ohio State (11-1) vs USC (10-2)
SUGAR BOWL - The Sugar Bowl will pit either the winner of the SEC or the ACC pick #2 vs the winner of the Big 12 or the winner of the Mid-America conference. Another classic match-up as it should be. This year would be LSU (11-2) vs Oklahoma (11-2)
ORANGE BOWL - It will get either the winner of the ACC or the Big Ten pick #2 vs the first pick from the Independent teams, the winner of the Mountain West, or the second pick from the SEC. This pays homage to the fact that Miami Univ has been both Independent and in the ACC. It allows for a possible classic Miami vs Notre Dame matchup if either of them can get their programs in gear again. This year would be Virginia Tech (11-1) vs Georgia (10-2)
FIESTA BOWL The Fiesta Bowl will get the either the Big East winner or Conf USA winner vs the winner of the WAC winner, pick # 2 from the Pac 10, pick #2 from the Big 12. This year would be West Virginia (10-2) vs Hawaii (12-0) or Kansas (11-1)
**A few additional rules (or few hundred, after administrators get ahold of it) will be needed. One would be that if ANY Bowl fails to choose the winner of a conference in lieu of another team, ANY of the other Bowls may invite them to replace any other selection. ------
THE CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT The winners of these four bowls will be seeded 1-4. How they are seeded doesn't matter, but if this were to happen then it would be debated. So, to throw the BCS guys a bone, we will use their computer model to seed the four remaining teams. Play 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3.
The winners of these games play for the NATIONALCHAMPIONSHIP!
See, I told you that it made sense.
Here is a summary of how it would look:
Rose Bowl: Big Ten - #1 / Ind #2 Pac 10 - #1 / Sunbelt #1 Ohio State (11-1) vs USC (10-2)
Sugar Bowl: SEC- #1 / ACC #2 Big 12 - #1 / Mid-America #1 LSU (11-2) vs Oklahoma (11-2)
Orange Bowl: ACC - #1 / Big Ten #2 Ind #1 / Mountain West #1 / SEC #2 Virginia Tech (11-1) vs Georgia (10-2)
Fiesta Bowl: Big East - #1 / Conf USA #1 WAC #1 / Pac 10 #2 / Big 12 #2 West Virginia (10-2) vs Hawaii (12-0) or Kansas (11-1)
National Championship Tournament: Seed the winners of the four bowls: Seed #1 vs. Seed #4 Seed #2 vs. Seed #3
