A Hometown Headlines newsletter                 
 

 

Is gold carpet in Georgia Tech's future? Vick has become popular in the off-season

(1/29) Writer Jason LaCanfora of NFL.Com writes that Michael Vick will be a starting quarterback in the pro league next season. He lists the most likely candidates as being the St. Louis Rams, the Buffalo Bills (can you see Vick and coach Chan Gailey on the same side of anything?), the Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders and Carolina Panthers. The writer suggests that a team will have to give up between a third and fifth round pick for the rights to the felon.

FoxSports.com came up with a list of the Top 25 College Football teams of the decade. I want to say right now that I don’t agree with some of it but they did their due diligence and heavy research, and here’s their top five: Southern Cal, Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio State and Florida. Two other SEC teams, LSU and Georgia, were Nos. 6 & 7 respectively. Alabama placed 18th and Tennessee 24th.

Please let it stop here! Eastern Washington University plans on installing red carpet on its home playing field in time for the 2010 season. The school, obviously influenced by Boise State’s blue field, is so clever. Its school colors are blue and, what else, red.

Serena and Venus Williams turned down an invitation to play in the Federation Cup (the women’s equivalent to the men’s Davis Cup). The tennis stars say they plan on attending the Super Bowl instead.

Sports Illustrated’s Frank DeFord, by far the best still typing, writes that the phenomenon of twittering is perfectly suited for athletes. He says its great because it doesn’t require an ability to spell correctly or employ grammar.

Just a suggestion after reading that South Carolina was fined $25,000 for its students rushing the court after the Gamecocks upset No. 1-ranked Kentucky this week. When a high-octane game is scheduled, wouldn’t it be cheaper and make more sense to spend a few bucks to have extra security at the games to prevent the court takeover? Just a thought.

Andre Dawson, an inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame this year, saw his Major League career span between the now-defunct Montreal Expos and the (we think) not-defunct Chicago Cubs. Dawson asked to go into the Hall as a Cub but the powers-that-be said ‘No,’ he’ll enter as an Expo.

And finally, here’s my obligatory Tiger Woods’ note. Huge British bookmaker William Hill has taken 224 bets on when Tiger will return to the PGA tour and 217 of them are betting on The Masters in April.

This is Norman Arey and I think Georgia Tech should go with Gold Carpet on Grant Field.

Tech recruiting suffers a blow; Kentucky no longer No. 1 in college basketball

(1/28) The one assistant coach on the Georgia Tech staff the Yellow Jackets could least afford to lose is gone. Recruiting guru Giff Smith has been hired by new Buffalo Bills’ coach and former Jacket boss Chan Gailey to coach linebackers for the NFL team.

Now let’s see why that position is key for the Ramblin’ Wreck. (1) There’s that calculus thing; (2) Not everyone is enamored with the triple option as is coach Paul Johnson; (3) The competition for players in this state is cutthroat at best; (4) Tech just isn’t sexy and (5) North Avenue and Techwood aren’t garden spots.

Even though he can’t win any races, Dale Earnhardt Jr. seems to be well on the business side. The NASCAR racer, who owns the Whisky River nightclub in Charlotte, is opening a second one in Jacksonville.

There will be no lack of brains at quarterback for this year’s Super Bowl. Peyton Manning won the NFF Scholar-Athlete of the Year award while at Tennessee in 1997 and Drew Brees took the honor at Purdue in 2000.

Remember Graham Harrell, the Texas Tech quarterback who shattered almost every passing record on the planet? He was just named as assistant coach at Oklahoma State.

Tim Tebow’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, says his client has been sick since the start of practice for this weekend’s Senior Bowl. Despite all of Tebow’s well documented flaws (under center snap, hitch in his motion, poor accuracy), the former Florida quarterback is still out there practicing after having to be hospitalized Monday with strep throat and a fever of 103.

FoxSports.com points out that President Barack Obama endorsed the New Orleans Saints to win the Super Bowl. The blog also pointed out that Obama endorsed Democrat Craigh Deeds in Virginia, Jon Corzine in New Jersey and Martha Coakley in Massachusetts and they all went on to stunning defeats.

It’s desperation time at Illinois in the football department as as former Florida head coach and now Illini head man Ron Zook will have six new assistant coaches next season.

Just an opinion but the top returning football players in the Deep South next season should be running back Mark Ingram at Alabama, receiver A.J. Green at Georgia and running back Ryan Williams at Virginia Tech.

And finally, now that there are no longer any unbeaten teams in college basketball, I predict that Syracuse will be the new No. 1 next week after Kentucky’s loss to South Carolina.

This is Norman Arey and I’m not asking for an Obama endorsement for my commentaries.

Leach to Maryland? Smoltz to Mets? Tebow to the NFL? Boise State to PAC-10?

C1/27) TCU and Boise State enabled their conferences to receive record payouts from the BCS this past season. TCU’s Mountain West Conference received $9.8 million while Boise State’s WAC received $7.8 million. The SEC and Big 10 conferences received $22 million each while the four remaining BCS conferences received $17.8 million each.

College football conference expansion is still very much in the works and I predict that the Big 10 (who is actually the Big 11) will select Missouri out of the Big 12 so it can become the Big Dozen. The Big 12 will then replace Missouri with TCU. The Pac-10 will invite Utah and BYU, although some folks think Boise State will be invited in place of Brigham Young. Then everyone can have two divisions and a conference championship game and smile all the way to the bank.

Former Georgia Tech and now Washington Wizard player Javaris Crittenton pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge and was sentenced to one year probation. Crittenton was involved with Gilbert Arenas in the gun play in the Washington locker room that got Arenas suspended from the NBA for an undetermined amount of time. Arenas’ action was considered a felony.

Who would have believed it? Defending national basketball champion North Carolina is 12-7 and not ranked in the Top 25. Perennial power UCLA is below .500. Two-time national champion Florida may miss its third straight NCAA tourney if the Gators don’t get things squared away. Harvard got more votes in the AP poll (1) than did the Tar Heels.

Let’s see if I’ve got all this together. Tim Tebow, the former Florida quarterback, is the most scrutinized player at the Senior Bowl this week. It seems he’s having trouble taking the snap from under center, his quirky delivery is still suspect and he’s having trouble with his accuracy. Other than that, things are going swimmingly. I’d still take him with my first pick.

And by the way, a coalition of women’s groups is pressuring CBS to drop a 30-second commercial done by Tebow and his mother. The groups feel the commercial, sponsored by a religious organization, will promote anti-abortion.

Good to see that former Atlanta Braves’ pitcher John Smoltz is still a highly valued commodity. Word around baseball is that the New York Mets are anxious to get the 42-year-old on their roster.

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim is truly amazing. He’s been the head coach of the Orange for 34 years and his teams have won 20 or more games 32 times. Nobody else in college basketball can make that claim.

And finally, the hottest college football coaching rumor du jour: Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach’s next stop will be at the University of Maryland.

This is Norman Arey and I got no BCS payout.

Georgia Tech's Favors needs to improve his 'motor'; Florida entices best class ever?

(1/26) So now that the Minnesota Vikings have been eliminated from the NFL playoffs, we get to play the never-ending game on whether quarterback Brett Favre is done or not. Please, please make a quick decision.

The NBA folks say this year’s college class that will be entering the pro league isn’t one of the stronger ones in recent years. Kentucky point guard John Wall seems to be the consensus No. 1 pick while 6-7 Ohio State junior Evan Turner will go second and 6-7 Wesley Johnson of Syracuse third. After that, it’s kind of up for grabs. Expect Kansas’ 6-11 Cole Aldrich and Oklahoma guard Willie Warren to be chosen near the top.

And on Georgia Tech’s 6-10 Derrick Favors, SI.Com’s Ian Thomsen writes this: He’s a high-risk power forward, according to four NBA scouts. Thomsen quotes one as saying, "He’s a very enticing player and I’m sure he’ll go in the top 10 but I wouldn’t push to take him. He’s one of those players who you hope the team in front of you takes so you don’t have to make the hard decision to pass him up. He’s talented but I haven’t seen him play very hard. His motor needs to improve."

Getting two front teeth chipped during Kentucky’s win over Arkansas over the weekend didn’t seem to bother Wildcat forward DeMarcus Cousins. That’s because the two teeth were false, having already been knocked out several years ago.

It seems to be a small epidemic. Samford men’s basketball coach Jimmy Tillette collapsed on the bench during his team’s game against UNC-Greensboro over the weekend and was airlifted to a hospital in Birmingham. Tillette’s collapse follows that of Syracuse women’s coach Quinton Hillsman a day earlier and Urban Meyer’s resignation/leave of absence from Florida football because of pressure.

If you think the ACC has imploded as a college basketball conference, check out the Pac-10. If NCAA tourney invites were issued today, California looks like the lone bet from the left coast league.

Maybe Florida coach Urban Meyer is at the head of a trend. All you need to do is retire/un-retire/take a leave of absence and you attract all the top recruits. I don’t ordinarily spend any time on college football recruiting because of the smarminess of it but the Gators may have assembled the best class of all time for next season. "On paper, it may be better than the FSU class of 1993 or the Southern Cal class of 2003, " said recruiting expert Tom Luginbill. Says Scott Kennedy of Scout.Com: "Florida is No. 1 in the country right now by a pretty substantial margin."

This is Norman Arey still with all of my natural front teeth.

Leave of absence means you have to leave, be absent; God calls top baseball prospect

(1/25) OK, here’s the official word on Florida head coach Urban Meyer. After announcing that he was resigning, he decided to just make it a leave of absence. Many felt he would be back in time to take the reigns for fall practice. But wait. Meyer hasn’t taken but one and one-half days off. He now says he plans to be back on the sidelines for spring practice. Does this guy know what leave of absence means? Urban, you have to leave and be absent. Get it?

And by the way, Syracuse women’s basketball coach Quentin Hillsman collapsed on the sideline during his team’s game against Louisville Saturday. His team won and doctors say he’ll be OK.

"V" is for victory. Three of the pleasant surprises of the young college basketball season have been Virginia, Vanderbilt and Villanova.

The top prospect in the Oakland As' minor league system is 23-year-old Grant Desme, the answer to a baseball prayer. The outfielder batted .288, had 31 homers and 89 RBI and 40 stolen bases in 131 games in Class A baseball last season. Over the weekend, Desme notified the As that he was leaving baseball and entering the priesthood.

A steroid trafficker in Texas told law enforcement officials that he supplied Michael Vick with drugs while Vick was with the Atlanta Falcons. Vick, of course, denied using drugs. That may be true. He might have given them to his dogs.

Minnesota is ready to extend football coach Tim Brewster’s contract two more years. The main reason is that the Gophers graduated more than 90 percent of their seniors last season.

A group of young women at the Australian Open Tennis tourney were sporting signs reading, "I’ve been with Tiger," and had pictures of the world’s top golfer blown up to bigger than life size. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a portrait of things to come.

The current Kentucky basketball team, the lone undefeated team in the land, has a chance to do something which hasn’t been done since 1976. Indiana was the last team to go undefeated through the entire year. The Wildcats, with John Wall and Patrick Patterson, have a decent shot to do it this season.

And finally, Rivals.com says the five story lines to follow in college football going into spring practice are

-(1) Nebraska’s search for a quarterback to lead them back to prominence.

-(2) Notre Dame and its new coaching staff.

-(3) The plight of Urban Meyer at Florida.-

-(4) Alabama’s attempt to rebuild its defense, which lost eight starters.

-and (5) The Tennessee program under new coach Derek Dooley.

-One I’d add is Lane Kiffin’s presence at Southern Cal. Can’t wait.

This is Norman Arey and there’s no chance of my quitting to go into the priesthood.

Graduate student athletes? That's absurd. Why can't good players be good coaches?

(1/22) Those Tennessee fans are knee-slappers. There is a proposal before the Knoxville City Council to rename the city’s water treatment plant the "Lane Kiffin Sewage Center." The sign would be easily visible for fans going to and coming from Volunteer football games.

Why is it that good players usually don’t make good coaches, especially in college basketball? With the exception of Oklahoma’s Jeff Capel, Isiah Thomas at Florida International, Stanford’s Johnny Dawkins and New Mexico’s Steve Alford, I can’t think of any.

Interesting that former Alabama football coach and now Jacksonville Jaguars assistant Mike Shula is said to be a candidate for the head coaching job at East Carolina.

Whether you subscribe to the high school football recruiting rankings as gospel or not, the University of Tennessee has suffered badly by Lane Kiffin’s defection. The Vols were No. 6 in the nation as rated by Scout.com but have dropped to as low as No. 26 in one rating service. Florida is the consensus No. 1 with Alabama, Auburn and Georgia not far behind. Tech is rated No. 44 but then again, the Jackets never rate high and they still won the ACC..

Just a thought but Georgia football returns 10 of its 11 offensive starters but the one its missing is the quarterback. Seven defensive starters are gone. I don’t care who your defensive coordinator is, that’s tough. And Georgia Tech simply lost too much with its two best defensive players and two best offensive players leaving early. Might not be a great fall for the state.

Here’s kind of a simplistic overview of what was the nation's top college basketball conference, the ACC. Carolina is bad because its backcourt is bad and it has no experience.

-Duke might not be bad but it surely looked that way against N.C. State this week. The Devils are big, but with the exception of Kyle Singler, they don’t get much help up front.

-Virginia is unbeaten in the league. Everyone that believes it’ll stay that way raise your hand.

-Georgia Tech has already shown how inconsistent it is.

-Wake Forest is a good team, but not a great one.

-N.C. State is a highly suspect team with no real floor leader.

-Maryland isn’t horrible but its not up to Gary Williams’ usual standards.

-Clemson is too much like Georgia Tech to be taken too seriously.

-Miami, Florida State, Boston College and Virginia Tech are indistinguishable. Definitely lower one-third teams.

Mildly interesting that the three Duke football players who have been kicked off the team for firing a gun into the air are all from Georgia. John Drew and Kyle Griswould are both from Midland and Brandon Putnam is from Peachtree City.

And finally, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan says its ridiculous that college don’t graduate more of their so-called student athletes. I’m with Arne.

This is Norman Arey and I graduated but I wasn’t much of an athlete or a student for that matter. .

Have we transgressed that much? Are all college coaches scoundrels?

(1/21)  Barrister Scott of Rome says that Massachusetts electing a Republican is a bigger upset than Appalachian State beating Michigan.

The National Football League has accepted 53 early entry application from college underclassmen, up from 46 last season.

Stewart Mandel, the college writer for SI.Com, passed out grades to colleges for their off-season hires. He gave Southern Cal at "D" for hiring Lane Kiffin and Tennessee a "C" for replacing him with Derek Dooley. His highest grade (A+) went to Louisville for securing Florida’s Charlie Strong, and Notre Dame and Kansas an "A" for getting Brian Kelly and Turner Gill, respectively.

I’m not sure how to present this other than to say that it is a product of a time I thought we had passed in this country.

Avid reader Big Howie sent this in from a Web site called Nowpublic.com. A new basketball league has been formed called the All-American Basketball Alliance. It exists for "only players who are natural born U.S. citizens with both parents of Caucasian race," and I’m not making this up.

The Commissioner, Don "Moose" Lewis, says this: "There’s nothing hatred about what we’re doing. I don’t hate anyone of color. But people of white, American-born citizens are in the minority now. Here’s a league for white players to play fundamental basketball, which they like. Would you want to go to the game and worry about a player flipping you off or attacking you in the stands or grabbing their crotch? That’s the culture today, and in a free country we should have the right to move ourselves in a better direction. People will come out and support a product they can identify with. I’m the spoken minority right now but if people will give us a chance, it’ll work… The white game of basketball, which is essentially a fundamental game, works." How sad but I do have a suggestion for a new name for the league. How about the KKK League?

And finally, on a more sane note, USA Today’s Erik Brady has an article entitled "Not Like The Old Days. College Coaches Taking Their Lumps." Brady points out that once the Mount Rushmore of Coaches included the like of Ara Parseghian, John Wooden and, still, Joe Paterno. He says that nowadays, too many coaches are silver-tongued mercenaries who will skip town for money, glamour or when the NCAA investigators reach the county line. The college coaches of today seem better suited for a rogues gallery than chiseled in stone. Tell it all, Erik.

This is Norman Arey and overall, I’m pretty disgusted.


Right to bear arms is getting expensive; Sarah Palin will run (at Daytona)

(1/20) If the NCAA men’s basketball tournament began today, my top four seeds would be Kansas, Texas, Kentucky and Villanova with Syracuse and Duke standing slightly behind. And by the way, Kentucky is now the only undefeated team in the NCAA’s top division.

After being turned down by at least two other coaches, the Buffalo Bills have interviewed former Georgia Tech head football coach Chan Gailey for their head job. Gailey was stripped of his duties as offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs early last season. What this shows is desperation.

The St. Paul newspapers are suggesting that the Minnesota Vikings may be interested in acquiring quarterback Donovan McNabb from the Philadelphia Eagles. Does that mean that the Vikes don’t believe Brett Favre will be back?

Duncan Byrnes (S.C.) running back Marcus Lattimore, considered by many recruiting services as the No. 1 high school player in the land, announced that he has narrowed his considerable number of choices down to two - South Carolina and Auburn. He notified Penn State and Oregon, two of his final four choices, of his decision over the weekend.

How much are you willing to pay for the right to bear arms? The Washington Wizards are considering voiding the contract of player Gilbert Arenas, who pleaded guilty to having an unlicensed firearm. The move would cost Arenas $80 million over the next four seasons.

And speaking of pay-cuts, Stephon Marbury is going to play in the Chinese Basketball Association for $25,000 per month. That’s following making $22 million last year in the NBA. Marbury is taking the cut in hopes of opening up the Chinese market to sell his Starbury shoes and clothing line.

Talk about wrecks. Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will be a guest at next month’s NASCAR’S Daytona 500. Be still my heart.

The best college basketball rivalry in all of college sports? The Raleigh News & Observer has a new dedicated online page titled Duke vs. North Carolina, Head to Head. Check it out at newsobserver.com/headtohead.

Four SEC coaches had to replace coordinators for next season. The four included Mark Richt of Georgia, Bobby Petrino at Arkansas, Urban Meyer at Florida and Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen.

This is Norman Arey and anybody out there can have my gun (if I had one) for $80 million.


It's hard to know what to believe about Tiger Woods; maybe headed for the disloyalty club?

(1/19) Television stations WJTV and WLBT in Hattiesburg, Miss., are reporting that Tiger Woods is at the Pine Grove Behavioral, Health and Addition clinic there being treated for sexual addiction. This, of course, follows on the heels of several women saying they had had sexual involvement with the pro golfer and his very public marital problems.

I agree with a column written by Andy Staples on SI.Com when Staples pointed out to Tennessee fans that he hopes they realize Derek Dooley is a tremendous upgrade over Lane Kiffin.

ESPN.com columnist Thomas Neumann has included Kiffin in his "Disloyalty Club," which I might add, include some of the top names in sports. Others in his club include Nick Saban at Alabama; Brian Kelly at Cincinnati; Brett Favre with the Packers/Jets/Vikings; Boston College’s Jeff Jagodzinski; Bobby Petrino at Arkansas; Rich Rodriguez at Michigan; and Brutus in 44 BC.

Things still are askew in college basketball as several teams that folks thought might be in the Final Four are struggling. Purdue, UConn and North Carolina have all had bad stretches and have a long road ahead of them.

The last time there were as many changes at the top in college football as there have been this year was 2001. That’s the year that Pete Carroll went to Southern Cal, Mark Richt to Georgia, Jim Tressel to Ohio State, Dan Hawkins to Boise State, Larry Coker to Miami and Urban Meyer to Bowling Green.

Want to hear SI.Com’s Stewart Mandel’s next year’s BCS predictions? He says Alabama will meet Ohio State in the mythical national title game; Oregon vs. Boise State in the Rose Bowl;Nebraska vs. Iowa in the Fiesta; Notre Dame vs. Texas in the Sugar; and Virginia Tech vs. Pittsburgh in the Orange.

If, in fact, Tom Glavine decides to hang up the spikes this season, he and former Brave Greg Maddux would be eligible to go into the Hall of Fame the same year. Wonder which cap each player will wear for his induction - Glavine will almost surely don the Braves’ hat while Maddux could go with the Braves or Chicago Cubs.

And finally, former Georgia Tech basketball star Stephon Marbury, who spent several troubled seasons with the Nets, Knicks and Suns, is reportedly heading to China to play for a Chinese pro team. Good place for him but didn’t know China had a pro team.

This is Norman Arey and I’ll never be a member of a Disloyalty Club.

New Vol coach should do at least as well as Kiffin; Tebow in Super Bowl ad

(1/18) Former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow will appear in a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl, reportedly on the subject of abortion. The commercial is being paid for by a Christian-based company. A Super Bowl 30-second ad goes for $2.3 million.

I know this sounds like a broken record but how in the world can Georgia Tech lose to Georgia and Virginia in men’s basketball and defeat Duke and North Carolina all in the space of 12 days? The Jackets have got to be schizoid. Also amazing that the Tar Heels have already lost six games, more than they lost all of last season.

Just my opinion but if you take a look at Tennessee’s football schedule next season, it would seem that new coach Derek Dooley might do at least as well as the dearly hated Lane Kiffin. I see a 7-5 record and a minor bowl assignment.

The early departures from the Georgia Tech football team were perhaps the most devastating in the nation. Consider that the Yellow Jackets lost Derrick Morgan, who was in double figures in sacks; Morgan Burnette, who had double figures in career interceptions; a 1,000-yard rusher in Jonathan Dwyer; and a 1,000-yard receiver in Demarius Thomas.

Word is that Louisiana Tech may try to replace the departed Derek Dooley by going after Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.

Good news that lefty Tom Glavine could be back with the Atlanta Braves next season but the question is exactly what he’ll be doing. Glavine admitted that he’s probably through pitching, so the Braves are obviously looking at him as a front-office guy, a broadcast booth guy, an instructor or a variety of other possibilities.

Admitted steroid user Mark McGwire made his first appearance in St. Louis since he admitted he cheated during his career with the Cardinals. The new Cardinals hitting instructor was given a standing ovation by the fans. Why?

Two of the four Tennessee players who were kicked off the basketball squad two weeks ago have been allowed to return. Melvin Goins and Cameron Tatum will be eligible to play in the Vols’ next game. A third, Brian Williams, continues to be suspended while senior Tyler Smith was permanently dismissed from the team.

This is Norman Arey and I think Georgia Tech will still do just fine in football next season.


Maybe the ACC isn't the bees knees in college basketball any more

(1/15) Clemson led North Carolina by 20 points or more during most of it game against the Tar Heels and won by a startling 83-64 score. And yes, it’s men’s basketball we’re talking here. It’s common knowledge the Tigers haven’t beaten Carolina since the Truman administration and the fans stormed the court and were barely able to resist carrying coach Oliver Purnell off on their collective shoulders.

It got so bad, that Carolina coach Roy Williams substituted five freshmen for his five starters during one stretch in the second half.

What this all means is that the ACC may not be the bees knees in basketball this season.

I really like that team up in Lexington.

To add to the confusion, Georgia Tech beat No. 5 ranked Duke over the weekend and then went up to Charlottesville and lost to Virginia, which was picked to finish last in the league in pre-season. Perhaps Roy Williams and Paul Hewitt can get together and match wits.

New Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren wants to start all over at the quarterback position. The Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports that the club is looking to get rid of both Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson, and simply start over. Please tell me that one of their candidates isn’t Michael Vick.

Big deal that the Atlanta Hawks beat up on the Gilbert Arena-less Washington Wizards in Atlanta Wednesday. I wouldn’t have bought a ticket to that game even of you held a gun to my head. Oops! Shouldn’t have put it that way.

The PGA Tour needs John Daly. Never thought you’d hear those two things in the same sentence? The tour is in Honolulu this week and Daly, courtesy of a sponsor’s exemption, is in the field. What better time to step up than now? With Tiger Woods missing in action indefinitely and Phil Mickelson not scheduled to play for a couple more weeks, Daly could give the tour a little pizzazz.

Proving once again that pro football is the true king of all sports, the TV folks announced that 30 million fans watched the BCS mythical championship game while an average of 32 million viewed the NFL wild card games.

And finally, you may have noticed that I’ve gotten through this entire commentary without once mentioning a certain SEC coach who left unexpectedly to take a job on the left coast.

This is Norman Arey and I’m pulling for John Daly but not Southern Cal.

Kiffin's exit isn't about loyalty, character or building something. He's a taker, not a giver

(1/14) OK, let’s line ‘em up and see who wants to punch former Tennessee football coach and new Southern Cal coach Lane Kiffin in the mouth.

First, I nominate UT athletics director Mike Hamilton. I can’t feel too sorry for him since he was dumb enough to hire Kiffin in the first place but man, you talk about leaving a place in disarray!

Then there’s Lance Thompson, the linebackers coach and recruiting specialist who left Alabama to join Kiffin. Thompson could have had his second national title (he won one as a defensive coach for Nick Saban at LSU) but instead uprooted his family to move to Knoxville.

How about David Reaves, the Vol quarterback coach? Reeves was an assistant under legends Lou Holtz and Steve Spurrier but spurned South Carolina to go with Kiffin, his brother-in-law.

In fact, the only two assistants who managed to come out of this unscathed were Monte Kiffin, Lane’s father/defensive coach, and Ed Orgeron, associate head coach, recruiting coordinator. Both will accompany Lane to Los Angeles.

Now to Lane Kiffin, his own self.

The first thing that popped into my mind when it was announced that Kiffin was leaving after only one season was Bobby Petrino. You remember Petrino, who skipped out on Louisville to take the Atlanta Falcons’ job and then skipped out on the Falcons with three games left in the season to go to Arkansas.

Let’s not waste our time speaking of loyalty and molding character and academics and building something. There is none of that here.

Lane Kiffin is a taker, not a giver. For God’s sake, he’s even made Oakland Raider boss Al Davis seem sane.

Kiffin’s appeal to Southern Cal, or anyone for that matter, is a puzzle to me. His on-field accomplishments aren’t sterling. He was 5-15 as coach of the Raiders before Davis canned him. He compiled a 7-6 record in Knoxville.

Along the way to his seven wins at Tennessee, he also committed seven violations of NCAA rules - not major violations but violations nonetheless.

Now consider that Southern Cal already is on probation with its basketball team. And consider that the NCAA has just completed what seems like a several-year investigation into the football team, specifically the recruitment and care and feeding of Reggie Bush. Insiders are of the opinion that the football team is getting ready to be slammed.

Why on earth did USC athletics director Mike Garrett hire him? Is this demonstrating to the sports’ governing body that you wish to comply in the future with its rules?

In the wake of Kiffin’s hurried leave, several hundred of the Tennessee student body were so outraged, they burned piles of mattresses and set fires all around the athletic complex.

Perhaps they hoped to block Kiffin from leaving or perhaps to set him on fire.

This is Norman Arey and I’m disgusted.

No love lost between Jerry Tarkanian and NCAA; Falcons' McKay to Southern Cal?

(1/13) Folks are quick to pin a "hero" label on former St. Louis slugger Mark McGwire for his admission that he did, indeed, use steroids. My reaction was, "Who cares?" He finally came forward with the truth only because he will be employed by the Cardinals this season as a coach and didn’t want to drag his baggage any further.

Connor Shaw of Flowery Branch, Ga., enrolled early at South Carolina this week. Shaw, a quarterback, is the younger brother of Georgia Tech backup quarterback Jaybo Shaw. . . Michigan basketball coach John Beilein has signed a contract extension through 2016 with a raise. Yet his record thus far is 39-43 in three seasons and 8-7 this year. . . Olivia Namath, the 19-year-old daughter of Joe, was arrested after a traffic stop when it was discovered she had one-half pound of marijuana in the truck, an open bottle of rum and 11 beer bottles, police allege.

Word on the left coast is that Southern Cal athletics director Mike Garrett will be replaced late this summer and the leading candidate for the former Heisman Trophy winner’s job is Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay.

The Oregonian reports that Oregon State coach Mike Riley was never interested in the Southern Cal job because he didn’t want the pressure of following a coach who went 97-19 in nine years with two national championships and seven Pac-10 titles. Can’t blame him.

And talk about the tail wagging the dog, Southern Cal quarterback recruit Jesse Scroggins, a high school senior, imposed a deadline on the Trojans for naming a new head coach. Scroggins told them he wanted to know by Saturday who the new coach would be or he was dropping his verbal commitment.

The head coaching job at South Florida seems to be drawing an amazing amount of interest from some big names to replace the fired Jim Leavitt. How about these for candidates – former Clemson coach Tommy Bowden, ex-Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer, East Carolina coach Skip Holtz, Houston’s Kevin Sumlin and Southern Miss’ Larry Fedora? I mean, the job ain’t that good.

And finally, former UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian, speaking at a tip-off club in Arkansas, got in a last dig at the NCAA, whom he has warred with for years. He called the college governing body "the crookedest organization in our society."

This is Norman Arey and we need Tarkanian back on the scene more often.

 

Rumor has it that Tennessee's new game uniforms may be black-and-white striped

(1/12) New Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville tried to ease the fears of the Red Raider nation by promising to keep the high-powered Tech offense as intact as possible. "We’re going to continue the air raid," said the former Auburn coach. Actually, he really doesn’t have much choice. There isn’t a tight end on the team’s roster.

Pretty amazing that there are only two unbeaten college basketball teams left and we’re not even halfway through January. Texas and Kentucky are the teams and both dive into their league schedules this week. Remember that there were five unbeaten college football teams at the end of the regular season.

It very well could be that the rumored football comeback of the University of Miami is much exaggerated. According to recruiting sites, the Hurricanes have a very pedestrian group of commitments at this point in the process with little on the horizon.

In somewhat of a shock, Oregon State football coach Mike Riley signed a three-year extension to stay in Corvallis. Riley was at the top of the list to replace Pete Carroll at Southern Cal but the new pact keeps him with the Beavers through 2019. Rumor is that the Trojans have begun to search the NFL ranks for a coach.

Meanwhile, the guy who would seem to be in the most trouble at USC is athletics director Mike Garrett. Remember the basketball team is on probation and the word is the NCAA is getting ready to slam the football team. Hey, the buck’s got to stop somewhere.

Folks, the story of the weekend wasn’t the NFL playoffs but the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team. The Vols, depleted by suspensions, a dismissal and injury, upset top-ranked Kansas. Bruce Pearl’s lineup, which included three walk-ons and two freshmen, handed the Jayhawks their first defeat. As a sidebar, former Vol football wide receiver Nu’Keese Richardson pleaded guilty to attempted robbery.

I guess the NFL story that came out of the weekend is the precarious nature of playing quarterback. It seems New England’s Tom Brady is no longer able to walk on water, the Cardinals’ Kurt Warner wins the game and the story is whether he’ll retire, and the Eagles’ Donovan McNabb loses a game and the Philadelphia newspapers are trying to trade him.

This is Norman Arey and the word is Tennessee’s new uniforms may be black and white stripped.

Sit back and think about it. Has this been the wildest college football off season ever?

(1/11) Good news for Texas Tech fans. They got themselves a bona fide proven coach in Tommy Tuberville. One odd thing, though. Tuberville inherits the most extreme of spread offenses in the Red Raider attack but the former Auburn coach abandoned the spread offense midway though his final season at the helm of the Tigers.

I ask you, rhetorically, how can Georgia Tech lose to Georgia in men’s basketball and four days later beat No. 5-rated Duke? In fact, it was a wild week in college basketball. No. 4 Purdue fell from the unbeaten ranks and No. 8 West Virginia was upset as was No. 10 Kansas State.

Seems strange to me that Southern Cal coach Pete Carroll will probably take the head job as coach of the Seattle Seahawks. Carroll, who has established a college juggernaut in Los Angeles, tried his hand in the NFL before and compiled a 33-32 record with two teams. The Seahawks’ deal is worth $32.5 million for Carroll. No matter what the outcome, the Trojan coach won’t be able to go back to USC since his flirtation with the NFL has placed the recruiting season in ruins. I’ve got a feeling amidst all the NCAA probes into the USC program, Carroll just became weary of the whole thing.

As a sidebar, is this the craziest college football off-season yet? Florida’s Urban Meyer may or may not be gone; we know about Pete Carroll at USC; Texas Tech fired Mike Leach; Notre Dame fired Charlie Weis; Mark Mangino was fired at Kansas; and Jim Leavitt at South Florida. Brian Kelly left an undefeated Cincinnati team before its bowl game and Bobby Bowden was turned out to pasture at Florida State. Folks, check it out. These are some of the top programs in the country.

The Philadelphia Inquirer says the grand experiment with the Philadelphia Eagles and former Falcon and felon quarterback Michael Vick may be over. The NFL team holds a $5 million option for Vick next season but the team used him so little, why bother with the expenditure?

SHORT SHOTS: Nate Montana, son of Joe who walked-on at Notre Dame in 2008 only to leave at year’s end, is back. Montana will participate in new coach Brian Kelly’s practices in the spring. . . With the firing of Jim Leavitt at South Florida, wouldn’t it make sense for the Bulls to hire Tommy Bowden, former Clemson coach? The Bowden name in Florida is surely worth something. . . Oregon State’s Mike Riley seems to be the leading candidate to replace Pete Carroll at USC. . . The story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about former Virginia head coach Al Groh becoming defensive coordinator for Georgia Tech seems odd to me. . . Good news that Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett will remain in school and forgo the NFL draft.

This is Norman Arey wishing Michael Vick a lifetime of unemployment.

If President Obama invites Boise State to the White House, is it the national champ?

(1/8) Boise State star secondary player Kyle Wilson asked this after the Broncos beat TCU in the Fiesta Bowl. "Everyone counted us out," he said. "I don’t know why they keep doing that." Me either. Now here’s another question: If President Barack Obama invites the undefeated Boise State team to visit the White House, will this break up the BCS?

Remember that this Boise team returns all but one starter and should begin the year ranked in the pre-season Top 5, which would be unchartered territory for a non-BCS team. With games schedule against Virginia Tech and Oregon State, could the Broncos crash into the title game next season?

By the way, just as I predicted last week, Texas Tech officials did meet with former Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville about replacing the fired Red Raider football coach Mike Leach. Tech officials say they’d like to have a replacement named by week’s end.

Because I like lists, here are the top six schools that have placed the most players in the NBA or ABA. UCLA leads the all-time list with 75 players with North Carolina second with 71 and Kentucky third at 66. The others included Indiana at 53, Kansas at 52 and Duke at 50.

Georgia Tech’s loss to Iowa in the Orange Bowl also compounds the credibility problem the Atlantic Coast Conference already has. The ACC is now 2-10 in BCS bowl games dating back to 1996. Prestige is one thing but television money is another and the league must negotiate a new deal this coming season.

If SI.Com’s All-Decade college basketball team isn’t an endorsement for the ACC, I challenge you to find a better one. The 2000s first team included Duke guards J.J. Redick and Jason Williams, Blue Devils forward Shane Battier, North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough and UConn center Emeka Okafor. Their reserve team included two more ACC players and the Coach of the Decade was the Tar Heels’ Roy Williams.

I can’t remember a bigger basketball game for Georgia Tech than the one this weekend when No. 5-ranked Duke comes to Atlanta. After the Yellow Jackets’ shameful display against Georgia earlier this week, Paul Hewitt’s team needs to show something. They don’t necessarily have to win but they must appear competitive.

This is Norman Arey and I think President Obama should invite Iowa to the White House.


Jan. 5, 2010, will go down in Georgia Tech athletic history as 'Black Tuesday'

(1/7) Jan. 5, 2010 will go down in Georgia Tech athletic history as Black Tuesday. The football team, on its biggest stage since 1966, failed miserably. The men’s basketball team, rated as one of the best in the land, embarrassed itself.

After all the money and effort and time the Yellow Jacket Athletic Association has spent to bring a bona fide first-class program to North Avenue, it has simply failed.

If that seems harsh, so be it. One bad day and the whole program stinks? Yep, that’s the way I see it.

Georgia Tech finished its football season at 11-2, the two losses coming to Miami and, yes, Georgia. But it won the ACC and earned its spot in the sun by beating Clemson in the ACC title game and proudly took its triple-option attack to face the Hawkeyes of Iowa in the Orange Bowl.

Iowa, no slackers on the defensive side of the ball, promptly reduced Tech’s triple option to basically no option. Tech was outgained 257-32 in the first half -- 403-155 for the evening.

This was the second straight year the Jackets have forgotten to play in the post-season. Last year, it was a 38-3 whipping at the hands of LSU. This year, the vaunted Tech offense managed one offensive score in 60 minutes of play.

Meanwhile, in Athens, the Tech basketball team, with No. 1-rated Derrick Favors in the lineup, fell to a Georgia team that can best be kindly described as rebuilding.

Make no mistake this is a bad, bad Bulldog basketball squad. It has one player, Trey Tompkins, who might make the Georgia Tech roster. The Yellow Jackets fielded a team that was ranked by recruiting experts as one of the top four in the nation.

Mark Fox, the new Dawg headmaster of basketball, was certainly the better coach on this evening as his ragamuffin troops were disciplined and well coached. Tech’s all-star lineup seemed disinterested and at odds with anything resembling a plan.

The Jackets came into Athens ranked No. 20 in all of college basketball. They left with no ranking and nothing to show for its superlative recruiting effort.

So who to blame? Paul Johnson and Paul Hewitt are the easy targets.

The defensive effort put forth by Tech at the Orange Bowl was better than most outings, so you can’t really blame this one on the defense. Can it be that its as simple as teams that have time to prepare for the Triple Option can solve it? Think about it. Georgia had an extra week. Iowa had a month. Maybe Tech simply has to be content in winning more than its loses over the next decade. National Championship? I don’t think so.

The basketball question is even more complex. If the talent is there, why do they lose to the likes of Dayton, Florida State and Georgia?

Well, I’m just going to come right out and say it. Maybe it is the coaching on both fronts.

Tune in to Howard Stern to see who is the most beautiful mistress of them all

(1/6) I’ve got it. The perfect job and place for Mike Leach. Why not have Al Davis place a call today and hire the former Texas Tech Red Raider to head up the plain ‘ol Raiders? I foresee a world championship soon. Want to hear some names in line for interviews for the Texas Tech job? Tech defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill, former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, Baylor Coach Art Briles, Kevin Sumlin of Houston and Larry Fedora at Southern Miss

And it has come to pass, officially, that we have a Jimbo and a Joker coaching major college football. Joker Phillips has replaced Rich Brooks at Kentucky and Jimbo Fisher is the new man at Florida State. I wouldn’t want to be in either man’s shoes.

Deja Vu All Over Again: On Jan. 16, 1993, the College of Charleston men’s basketball team, coached by John Kresse, upset then No. 8-ranked Georgia Tech 84-67 in Atlanta. The Yellow Jackets were coached by Bobby Cremins. Monday night in Charleston, the Cremins-coached College of Charleston stunned No. 9 ranked North Carolina coached by Roy Williams.

The King of Bad Boy Radio, Howard Stern, has announced a $100,000 Tiger Woods’ mistress beauty contest for the new year.

Just for comparison’s sake, Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson has compiled a 20-6 mark and won the ACC title in his first two years on the job. In Athens, Georgia’s Mark Richt went 21-5 and won the SEC in his first two seasons.

The NCAA has finally ruled to uphold its decision to take away 14 wins from the Florida State football program and head coach Bobby Bowden. Bowden retired last week with 389 wins, so if you decide to go by the NCAA’s ruling, give him 375. Joe Paterno at Penn State has 394.

OK, so Boise State beat TCU in the Fiesta Bowl Monday by a 17-10 score. So what? Proves absolutely nothing. The Horned Frogs should have played Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl and Iowa should have taken on the Broncos in the Fiesta. Now those results might mean something.

Does Michigan head football coach Rich Rodriguez prefer pepperoni, mushroom or sausage? He’d better decide because his new boss and athletics director for the Wolverines is David Brandon, the current CEO of Domino’s Pizza.

This is Norman Arey and it’s a no-brainer for me - I always prefer pepperoni.

NBA wild west should be watched carefully; newest rule: no gun fights

(1/5) Not that anyone would bet or anything but if you keep up with such things, Georgia Tech is a five-point favorite over Iowa in the Orange Bowl and Alabama is being rated a four-point pick over Texas in the mythical college title game.

The Big East has the best bowl-winning percentage of the BCS leagues at 4-2. The Big XII is at 4-3 and the SEC at 5-4. The ACC and the Big 10 are even at 3-3 each. Of course the Mountain West, a non-BCS conference, tops everyone at 4-0.

Having been a lifelong Bobby Cremins' admirer, I was pleased to see that the former Georgia Tech head basketball coach has compiled an impressive record since coming back from a six-year hiatus. Cremins is 72-43 after four years at College of Charleston and owns a 40-21 conference record.

NFL super-star quarterback Brett Favre’s football-playing nephew Dylan Favre has given a verbal commitment to play at Mississippi State.

Might be a little early but former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville’s declaration that he might be interested in the Texas Tech opening after Mike Leach was fired hasn’t been reciprocated by the Red Raiders.

Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer doesn’t get enough love. The Hokies just completed their sixth consecutive 10-win season and ninth in their past 11.

The athletic administration at Southern California took some harsh steps in reigning in its basketball program. The Trojans self-imposed a ban on all post-season play this year including the Pac-10 basketball tournament and any invite which might come from the NCAA. The sanctions were levied because of some illegal recruiting practices. USC, under new head coach Kevin O’Neill, is 10-4 this season.

The St. Louis Rams ended the NFL as the worst team in the league and consequently secured the No. 1 draft choice for 2010. You might think that the Rams would be a cinch to draft Nebraska defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh but the St. Louis team is in desperate need of a quarterback. So whom do they choose? Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford? Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen? Texas’ Colt McCoy? Stay tuned.

And finally watch carefully over the next few days as the NBA tries to sort out what happened in a scary feud that developed between Washington Wizard teammates Gilbert Arenas and former Georgia Tech player Javaris Crittenton. The two players reportedly drew guns on each other.

This is Norman Arey and I promise only to draw on my limited knowledge in the future.

Too many stars fell on Alabama as Tide rolls by Longhorn for all the marbles

(1/4) This is Norman Arey with my fourth and final installment of Norman’s No-Nos Bowl Edition where I pick the losers in all 34 bowls. So far, with four games remaining, my record is 17-13 (earlier picks below).

FIESTA BOWL - BOISE STATE vs. TCU - Watch out for this one. TCU is coming in as the fifth team to play in a bowl out of the Mountain West Conference and the league is 4-0. Its performance even prompted football analyst Lou Holtz to suggest the Mountain West should become a permanent member of the BCS. Easy Lou, I’m not sure we’re ready for that. The Broncos are 25-1 over the past two seasons. The Horned Frogs are 23-2. Broncos biggest win was over Oregon. Frogs took care of Virginia, Clemson and Air Force. Boise busts TCU bubble. NO-NO. Broncos tamed by Toads, 42-28.

Tuesday, Jan 5 - ORANGE BOWL - GEORGIA TECH vs. IOWA - The Hawkeyes are the runner-up in the BIG 10, which isn’t much to brag about. The Yellow Jackets won the ACC, which also isn’t much of an honor. Iowa was the surprise of the college season, starting off 9-0 before losing back-to-back games to Northwestern and Ohio State (in overtime). Tech looked equally as impressive, losing only to Miami in the league before being upset by Georgia in the regular season finale. Jackets still reeling and lose to Big 10ers. NO-NO. Hawkeyes can’t stop the Triple Option and Josh Nesbitt has a day. Iowa downed, 44-35.

Wednesday, Jan. 6 - GMAC BOWL - CENTRAL MICHIGAN vs. TROY - On the surface, this isn’t much of a bowl. In fact, after careful examination, it’s still not. The Central Michigan Chipewas are led by All-MAC quarterback Dan LeFevour, team captain and member of the All-Academic team. Troy, winner of the Sun Belt title, lost three games - two of them to Arkansas and Florida. Trojans triumph over Michiganers. NO-NO. LeFevour passes the test, Troy falls 35-22.

Thursday, Jan. 7 - BCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME - ALABAMA vs. TEXAS - Is this the one everyone has been waiting for - the mythical title game in college land? Both teams are worthy. The Crimson Tide has a world-beating defense and Heisman Trophy winning tailback Mark Ingram. The Longhorns have perpetual Heisman Trophy challenger quarterback Colt McCoy and sixth-year senior receiver Jordan Shipley. Although Will Muschamp will have the ‘Horn defense prepared as well as anyone and stops the Tide. NO-NO. No one can stop the surging Tide. Too many stars fell on Alabama, Tide rolls, 31-17.

This is Norman Arey and you can take these picks to the bank.

Without a permanent head coach between them on the field, I pick Gators over Cincinnati

(Dec. 31) This is Norman Arey with part III of Norman’s Bowl No-Nos where I pick the losers in 10 college bowl games.

Friday, Jan. 1 - OUTBACK BOWL - AUBURN vs. NORTHWESTERN - The Wildcats are a better team than many think and won eight this season. Auburn started out great but faded the second half of the season. ‘Cats win ninth. NO-NO. Northwestern falls hard, 28-19.

CAPITAL ONE BOWL - LSU vs. PENN STATE - All Hail the Mighty Big 10. NO-NO, just kidding. A third place SEC team is much better than a third place Big 10er, The Bengals unleash frustration of season as Nittany Lions take the loss, 22-16.

GATOR BOWL - FSU vs. WEST VIRGINIA - This game shouldn’t even be in Jacksonville but the Gator wanted to showcase Bobby Bowden for the final time. I think the icon goes out in style. NO-NO. Mounties’ Noel Devine runs all over ‘Noles defense, 35-28.

ROSE BOWL - OHIO STATE vs. OREGON - Buckeye QB Terrell Pryor has said he feels OSU has something to prove. I agree and they do. NO-NO. Ducks will dazzle ‘em with their uniforms and then take care of business with Jeremiah Misoli, Bucks tumble again, 31-27.

SUGAR BOWL - CINCINNATI vs. FLORIDA - Promises to be interesting game between teams who won’t have a permanent coach between them on the field. Gators don’t want to be here. Lose. NO-NO. Same old story. Tim Tebow won’t let ‘em lose, Bearcats whipped, 38-12.

Saturday, Jan 2 - COTTON BOWL - OKLAHOMA STATE vs. OLE MISS - Neither of these lived up to their pre-season hype. Cowboys are the better team. NO-NO. ‘Boys come out of Big 12, which is Texas and everybody else. Jevan Snead leads Rebs over OSU, 28-24.

PAPAJOHN’S BOWL - CONNECTICUT vs. SOUTH CAROLINA - UConn’s Randy Edsall wants folks to know Huskies are ready for the big stage and stops the Gamecocks. NO-NO. Steve Spurrier is wild to win his eighth game of the season, UConn is trumped, 31-28.

ALAMO BOWL - TEXAS TECH vs. MICHIGAN STATE - This one wouldn’t be on the radar screen except for the Red Raiders’ Mike Leach’s escapades. So let’s stick to football. Spartans win despite the distractions. . NO-NO. Raiders win one for the Leacher, 38-31.

OTHER LOSERS - INTERNATIONAL BOWL - N. ILLINOIS to SOUTH FLORIDA; LIBERTY BOWL - E. CAROLINA to ARKANSAS

 

Kiffin can out-talk Beamer but his Vols can't outplay the Hokies

(12/28)  This is Norman Arey with my second installment of Norman’s No-Nos Bowl Edition where I pick the losers in all 34 bowl games.

Monday, Dec. 28 - ADVOCARE INDEPENDENCE BOWL - GEORGIA vs. TEXAS A&M - If the Bulldogs want to play, they’ll win. The Aggies put up 39 against Texas and are happy to be in Shreveport and boot the Dawgs. NO-NO. A&M doesn’t have the ammunition, lose 28-20.

Tuesday, Dec. 29 - EAGLE BANK BOWL - UCLA vs. TEMPLE - You’ve got to be kidding - The Bruins are playing the Owls? What a mismatch. But Wait. Owls aren’t the doormat they used to be and handle UCLA. NO-NO. Bruins are bad, but not that bad. Owls winged, 20-17.

CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL - MIAMI vs. WISCONSIN - This could be a good one. ‘Canes have been on a roller coaster this year and are sky high. Wisconsin is playing for Big 10 Pride (whatever that is.) Badgers triumph. NO-NO. Wisconsin can’t match the speed, lose 24-19.

Wednesday, Dec. 30 -HOLIDAY BOWL - ARIZONA vs. NEBRASKA - Wildcats showed they may be back. Cornhuskers were impressive in the Texas loss in the Big XII title game. Go with the Mike Stoops-coached team. NO-NO. ‘Cats can’t control the line of scrimmage, tamed 23-17.

Thursday, Dec. 31 - SUN BOWL - OKLAHOMA vs. STANFORD - Sooners have something to prove. The Cardinal coach Jim Harbaugh talks a good game and his team plays it that way. NO-NO. Boomer Sooner explodes as Cardinal is sent home with a whipping, 33-14.

TEXAS BOWL - MISSOURI vs. NAVY - The Show-Me Guys won eight, but there wasn’t a great win among them. The Middies are ultra-successful with the Triple-Option. Navy shows ‘em. NO-NO. Midshipmen are in over their head, go down 35-32.

CHICK-FIL-A BOWL - TENNESSEE vs. VIRGINIA TECH - The Hokies have been a disappointment this season. The Vols have exceeded expectations. UT’s Lane Kiffin can out-talk Tech’s Frank Beamer and that counts for something. NO-NO. Vols are subdued by Beamer-ball, 27-18.

Other Losers - Idaho to Bowling Green in the Humanitarian Bowl, Air Force to Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl, Minnesota to Iowa State in the Insight Bowl.

Bowl No-Nos, round one: I see Boston College, North Carolina, Kentucky all losing

(12/18) This is Norman Arey with my Norman’s No-Nos Bowl Edition where I pick the losers in all 34 bowls. I’ll do it in four installments. During the regular season, I was 133-74 (64.2%).

Dec. 19 - NEW MEXICO BOWL - Fresno State vs. Wyoming - Looks like a mismatch on paper as the Cowboys split their 12 games. Now they have a chance to get it right and they do against the Bulldogs of Pat Hill. NO-NO. It is a mismatch. Cowboys fall off horse, 35-14.

majicJack BOWL - Central Florida vs. Rutgers - Two 8-4 teams who played well at the end of their seasons. UCF is coached by former Georgia Tech coach George O’Leary and will play hard and win. NO-NO. Knights want to be invited to join the Big 10, O’Learys lose, 28-21.

Dec. 22 - MAACO BOWL - Oregon State vs. Brigham Young - This could turn out to be one of the better matches as both teams have impressive wins this season. BYU has the offense and takes it easily. NO-NO. Cougars go down to Pac-10 Beavers, 36-30.

Dec. 23 - POINSETTIA BOWL - Cal vs. Utah - When is Utah going to get in a big time conference? When is Cal going to realize its potential? Both have something to prove. Utah makes its point. NO-NO. I think Utes fall to the Bears in a close one, 24-21.

Dec. 26 - MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL - North Carolina vs. Pitt - This is a comedown for both teams, who entered the season with high expectations. Tar Heels lose games they shouldn’t. Pitt won some it shouldn’t have. ’Heels victorious - NO-NO. Panthers prowl, 31-27.

EMERALD BOWL - Boston College vs. Southern Cal - Talk about a comedown. Trojans aren’t used to playing in this zip code. BC was better than many thought it would be. Eagles further tarnish USC’s image. NO-NO. BC flattened by Trojan express, 42-28.

Dec. 27 - MUSIC CITY BOWL - Clemson vs. Kentucky - First inclination is to think the Wildcats are overmatched, but remember this is their fourth straight bowl trip and Rich Brooks is being appreciated.. Bluegrassers claw Tigers. NO-NO. Kentucky runs into a team better than this bowl, loses 31-10.

Others Losers:

-R +L Carriers Bowl - Southern Miss to Middle Tennessee.

-Hawaii Bowl - SMU to Nevada.

-Little Caesar’s Bowl - Marshall to Ohio.

 

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