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Bar Chat

12/11/2014

More College Football...the bowl lineup

NCAA Quiz: Name the only Pac-12 coach to win 10 bowl games? Answer below.

College Football

Final thoughts on the College Football Playoff selection committee’s decision on its Final Four of Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Ohio State.

“The biggest takeaways from the inaugural College Football Playoff final rankings: The Big 12’s lack of a championship game, Ohio State’s dominating performance in the Big Ten championship game and Baylor’s non-conference schedule all aided the No. 4 Buckeyes.

“While Baylor and TCU finished their round-robin schedules Saturday night as co-champions, Ohio State blew out Wisconsin 59-0...

“ ‘It was an impressive win,’ selection committee chairman Jeff Long said Sunday. ‘It was a 13th game against a highly ranked opponent. It had an effect. It was an additional game that we could see Ohio State prove their strength. It was significant. I can’t say that it wasn’t.’

“Long said Ohio State’s 7-0 record against teams with winning records and a superior non-conference resume to Baylor’s held value for the committee.

“But there was confusion about whether No. 5 Baylor and No. 6 TCU being Big 12 co-champions had a negative influence on committee members. Long said that factor ‘had no bearing on the decision.’ But in a more-detailed explanation, Long was unclear about how the committee weighed co-champions vs. other conference champions like Ohio State.

“ ‘We were presented with co-champions so there were two teams sharing that championship,’ Long said. ‘The other situation, we had definitive champions for that conference. That did enter into our discussions and was deliberated and left to individual committee members to make a decision.’....

“Ohio State’s performance Saturday with its third-string quarterback clearly impacted the committee. Star quarterbacks Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett suffered season-ending injuries, including Barrett’s injury in the final week of the regular season.

“ ‘We’ve seen an Ohio State team impressively overcome two quarterback injuries,’ Long said. ‘They had to replace their quarterback twice, and then they went out and dominated a conference rival in Wisconsin in the championship game. We feel that spoke volumes about the strength of the team. Football is a team game and the coaches in the room reminded us of that.’....

“Baylor got hurt by playing Northwestern State (6-6), SMU (1-11) and Buffalo (5-6) out of conference. The Bears’ strength of schedule was ranked 128th, dead last, in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Future teams Baylor currently has scheduled through 2019: SMU (twice), Rice (twice), UTSA (twice), Duke (twice), Northwestern State, Liberty, Lamar and Incarnate Word.”

I’m sure Mr. Solomon believes Duke is a strong game for Baylor. That wouldn’t be the case with Incarnate Word, a real school.

“The first playoff ranking rendering went over well in 47 of the 48 contiguous states.

“The state of Texas may want to secede, but that’s nothing new.

“The College Football Playoff committee was a smash hit in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Eugene, Ore., Tallahassee, Fla., and Columbus, Ohio.

“Fans of the Pac-12, who suffered through 16 years of an old system that often found last-second ways to keep the conference out, were overjoyed.

“Sunday, at about noon, white smoke rose from over the over-the-top Gaylord Hotel in Grapevine, Texas....

“Soon thereafter the first, four-team playoff was revealed: Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Ohio State.

“That set up two A-list semifinal games; Oregon and Florida State....followed immediately by Alabama and Ohio State....

“Baseball would be hard-pressed to stage a better twi-night doubleheader.

“Why was the Pac-12 happy?

“Oregon was immediately established as a 7.5-point favorite over a Florida State team it could not have played under the old rules.

“Based on proxy Bowl Championship Series standings calculated Sunday, Alabama and Florida State would have played for this year’s BCS title, with Oregon coming in a distant third....

“The committee made a fundamental mistake last week when, in the course of wanting to demote Florida State to No. 4, artificially inflated TCU to No. 3.

“It put TCU three positions ahead of Baylor, which defeated the Horned Frogs in the head-to-head matchup.

“The smart tea-leaf reads understood Baylor, if it defeated top-10 Kansas State this weekend, would have to be raised above TCU.”

Meanwhile, there was a report that the Big 12, with just ten members, was thinking about adding Memphis and Cincinnati.

--As for the bowl lineup...I was surprised how many decent games there could be, with some of it depending on the day of the week, frankly.

Like Dec. 23...Marshall (12-1) vs. Northern Illinois (11-2) is a cool game (Boca Raton), with a great starting time...6 pm (all times Eastern)

And then Dec. 27, a Saturday, is a surprisingly enticing lineup, even with some mediocre records. The action should flow well....

2:00 pm...Arizona (9-3) vs. Duke (9-3)...Sun Bowl
3:30 pm...Miami (6-6) vs. South Carolina (6-6)... Independence Bowl
4:30 pm...Boston College (7-5) vs. Penn State (6-6)...Pinstripe Bowl (Yankee Stadium)
8:00 pm...Nebraska (9-3) vs. USC (8-4)...Holiday Bowl

2:00 pm...Texas A&M (7-5) vs. West Virginia (7-5)...Liberty Bowl
5:30 pm...Oklahoma (8-4) vs. Clemson (9-3)*...Citrus Bowl

*QB Deshaun Watson is out with his ACL tear.

And New Year’s Eve...super matchups...

12:30 pm...Ole Miss (9-3) vs. TCU (11-1)...Peach Bowl
4:00 pm...Boise State (11-2) vs. Arizona (10-3)
8:00 pm...Mississippi State (10-2) vs. Georgia Tech (10-3)

New Year’s Day...well, you know the Final Four matchups, but the Cotton Bowl, 12:30 pm, is a potentially great one. Michigan State (10-2) vs. Baylor (11-1).

As for all those games between Jan. 2 and Jan. 4, why? Just silly. Even Pitt vs. Houston, Jan. 2, bores me, and you know I like Pitt. [Plus I have to write my Friday column that day. Drat!]

Bottom line, some terrific days for college football ahead.

--Rutgers is upset over its bowl game...Dec. 26 in Detroit against North Carolina. Oh yeah...lots of folks from here will go to that one. “Sorry, Mom and Dad....we’ll unwrap the presents later. I need to catch a flight to Detroit for that game I told you about against 6-6 Carolina.”

Of course Rutgers is an equally mediocre 7-5. But this is the Scarlet Knights’ ninth bowl in ten years, though none of the appearances is of the even halfway major variety.

That said, perhaps the team should listen to senior captain David Milewski. “To be able to play in a professional setting in a bowl game, it’s awesome. This is what college football is all about.”

But as Steve Politi of NJ Advance Media put it, “Are there better dates and destinations in the future for this program as it heads into the Big Ten? A seven-win season wasn’t enough this time to get a better trip. Will Rutgers have to win eight or more, against that killer schedule, to climb above the Big Ten regulars and their travel-ready fan bases?”

It’s a critical question. Rutgers needs to sell lots of tickets for the Quick Lane Bowl. I’m guessing they won’t.

--Only three players were invited to the Heisman Trophy Award ceremony in New York this Saturday; Marcus Mariota, Alabama receiver Amari Cooper and Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon. That’s kind of refreshing. No other players dragged out for window dressing.

Mariota, of course, will win it in a walk, thus becoming the first Oregon Ducks player to capture the award.

--After defeating the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday 24-14, the Seahawks have now given up just 20 points total in their last three games, which is pretty awesome in today’s game.

Whenever I think of great defenses one in particular comes to mind.

The 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers were hot off their first two Super Bowl championships but started the ’76 campaign 1-4. What was wrong, the league and Steelers fans asked?

Pittsburgh lost by scores of 31-28, 30-27, 17-6 and 18-16, with a 31-14 win.

But then they turned it around in a big way....running the table in the days of the 14-game schedule...nine in a row to finish 10-4. The Steel Curtain defense gave up the following point totals to finish the year...6, 0, 0, 0, 3, 16, 3, 0, 0...28 points in nine games! The most total yards they gave up in any one of them was 257. In five games it was 171 yards or less. 

Alas, the Steelers beat Baltimore in the first round of the playoffs, 40-14, but then lost the Conference Championship to Oakland, 24-7.

This Steelers edition on offense featured 1,000-yard rushers Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier. The running game averaged 212 yards per contest in the regular season. Quarterbacks Terry Bradshaw and Mike Kruczek threw it less than 20 times a game.

“Brian Hoyer (Cleveland) hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass since November 16. What do you need to see here? Over Hoyer’s last four games he’s completed 49.7 percent of his 151 passes for 984 yards, 1 touchdown and 8 interceptions.

“The ‘he just wins games’ excuse is out too, because Cleveland’s 1-3 in that stretch and quickly fading from AFC playoff relevance.

“At one point Sunday, Hoyer missed a WIDE open Josh Gordon streaking down the sideline, overthrowing the receiver on a first down that would’ve sealed the deal if he catches him in stride.

“Immediately after the play, FOX’s cameras cut to (coach Mike) Pettine looking miffed on the sideline and then Manziel who mouthed....something.

“There are plenty of theories out there about what he said but it sure does look like ‘I would have [bleep]ing hit him.’....

“Does Manziel hate Hoyer? He probably does. Would he have hit Gordon on a fairly simple go route? My guess is yes.

“The only way to find out is to put him in the freaking game.”

And so it was decided on Tuesday that Johnny Football would indeed get his first career start against the Bengals. If you see Hoyer complaining, someone remind him he’s sucked lately. [ESPN just noted one touchdown drive in his last 29 series.]

AFC North

Cincinnati 8-4-1
Pittsburgh 8-5
Baltimore 8-5
Cleveland 7-6

--Pittsburgh running back Le’Veon Bell had his third straight game of 200 total yards, becoming just the second running back in NFL history to do so (the other being Walter Payton).

--Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton suffered two fractures in his lower back following an auto accident outside the team’s stadium on Tuesday. The injuries are similar to those suffered by QB Tony Romo earlier this season. There is no word as yet how long Newton will be out. The timing couldn’t be worse. One of these teams actually makes the playoffs.

NFC South

Atlanta 5-8
New Orleans 5-8
Carolina 4-8-1
Tampa Bay 2-11

--So we awoke Wednesday to learn that the Cubs had signed free agent Jon Lester, the 31-year-old lefty agreeing to a six-year, $155 million deal. It came down to the Cubs and Red Sox, and in going with Chicago, Lester is reuniting with Theo Epstein, Chicago’s president and former Boston GM during much of Lester’s career there.

So what will happen with the other big pitcher remaining (I’m not including James Shields), that being Max Scherzer?

Back to the Cubs, they have sent a powerful message with their new manager, Joe Maddon. Win now. Hours before signing Lester, they also picked up two-time All-Star catcher Miguel Montero from the Diamondbacks.

--In a surprise, Yankees closer David Robertson signed a four-year, $46 million contract with the White Sox, who beforehand didn’t seem to be on the radar. The Yankees had just signed lefty reliever Andrew Miller to a four-year, $36 million deal, teaming him with Dellin Betances, so in essence the Yanks were replacing Robertson with Miller, the extra money over four years being paid Robertson not really significant.

One of the local radio talkshow hosts, Evan Roberts, made a good point Tuesday (that everyone else has since parroted). The Yankees seem willing to pay for other team’s stars (see Jacoby Ellsbury), but not their own...Robertson, Robinson Cano; guys with a proven track record of playing under the bright lights of New York with more than a bit of success.

As for the White Sox, they also acquired starter Jeff Samardzija from the A’s for infield prospect Marcus Semien, other minor leaguers and pitcher Chris Bassitt.  Samardzija, of course, had been acquired at mid-season by the A’s last season from the Cubs and was 5-6, 3.14, at Oakland

--Oakland’s Billy Beane has been busy. 31-year-old slugger Brandon Moss was dealt to Cleveland for a minor league infielder. Moss hit 25 homers with 81 RBI in 2014, after hitting 30 and 21 home runs the prior two years, though his batting average has gone from .291 in 2012, to .256 in 2013, to .234 last season, not the kind of trend you want to see.

Then again, on Oct. 21, Moss underwent hip surgery so we’ll see. The main player the A’s acquired doesn’t seem like any great shakes.

“Billy Beane, Oakland’s mad scientist GM, is the only executive at the winter meetings whose room has a revolving door.

“For a week now, Beane has been a one-man whirlwind of activity, tearing apart what was left of his AL wild-card roster after the free agent departures of Jon Lester, Jed Lowrie, Luke Gregerson and Jason Hammel, among others, and leaving A’s fans dizzy with rage. It is an established fact that Beane never knew a player he wouldn’t trade, and in no short order he traded his two best position players, Josh Donaldson and Brandon Moss, and his No. 2 starter, Jeff Samardzija, in three separate deals that netted him nine players, most of them prospects he hopes are on the cusp of being major league ready.

“Critics will say: Who are these guys, and how could Beane trade three such top quality players and not get one bona fide blue-chip prospect back?”

--So no one was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Monday by the museum’s Golden Era Committee. Tony Oliva and Dick Allen fell one vote short each, needing 12 of 16 and receiving 11 instead. That’s crushing. They now have to wait three years for another opportunity.

I did say, though, that I really didn’t think any of the nine players had the resume for the Hall, but at the same time I wasn’t going to be upset if any of them got in, either.

Frankly, I’m surprised Oliva came that close. Loved the guy. Awesome record, but he just didn’t play enough.

Jim Kaat received 10 votes, while Maury Wills had nine and Minnie Minoso had eight.

Shockingly, Gil Hodges continued to get snubbed royally...just three votes. Aside from the fact he drove in 100 runs seven straight seasons, as Johnny Mac notes Hodges won a Gold Glove the first three years it was offered, but he was ages 33, 34 and 35 so would have won a slew of ‘em earlier had the award been around then. And of course you have that rather special moment as Mets manager that remains one of the 10 best stories in baseball history.

For Kaat, he received the same total as he did three years earlier. But Hodges had nine in 2011, while Oliva had eight.

Recall, in 2011, Ron Santo was selected by the Golden Era Committee (though he had died about a year earlier).   So there is hope for Allen and Oliva fans.

Next up is the Jan. 6 announcement of those elected from the writers ballot, with pitchers Randy Johnson, John Smoltz and Pedro Martinez expected to be selected in their first year of eligibility. Houston’s Craig Biggio, just two votes shy last year, probably gets in as well.

By the way, one percent of the 18,000 players who have played in the Major Leagues are in the Hall.

“Bumgarner has won three world championships through age 25, joining Vida Blue as the only pitchers to accomplish that at such a young age. What sets Bumgarner apart from all others, regardless of age or era, is his pitching in the World Series. In 36 career World Series innings, Bumgarner is 4-0 and holds all-time records for lowest ERA (0.25), fewest hits per nine innings (3.5) and fewest walks plus hits per inning (0.53).

“His Series performance this year was the stuff of instant legend. On two days of rest after winning Games 1 and 5 as a starter, he came out of the bullpen to throw five shutout innings in Game 7, capping the longest save in World Series history by getting the last out with the potential tying run at third base....

“On the memory of October alone he forever will be linked with 2014, the way Christy Mathewson is with 1905, Carl Hubbell with 1933 and as Sandy Koufax (1965), Orel Hershiser (1988), and Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling (2001) are with the years they were named SI Sportsmen.”

Terrific overall piece by Verducci on Bumgarner, by the way. Worth looking up.

--Yes, I confess to watching the Brooklyn Nets-Cleveland Cavaliers contest on Monday from the Barclays Center not to watch LeBron, but rather to see the real Royals, Will and Kate, who arrived at halftime. I was curious how they’d be treated, especially knowing what was transpiring outside the arena...a large Mike Brown/Eric Garner protest that blocked the streets. Thankfully, it worked out well.

As for the game, the Nets were playing without Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson and LeBron and Co. had no problem with Brooklyn, 110-88.

Meanwhile, in the Borough of Manhattan resides New York’s other lousy team...actually, perhaps the worst team in franchise history...the New York Knicks. Monday, at an impromptu press conference, team president Phil Jackson said of the Knicks, losers of 18 of their last 20 and 19 of 23 overall (after Tuesday’s loss to the Pelicans), the worst start in franchise history:

“A lot of things jump out, there’s some resistance to discipline, order and culture change. And we’ll address that,” he said. The team has a “loser’s mentality,” apparent in the Knicks’ repeatedly losing close games “night in and night out,” added the Zen Master.

Jackson also stated he was concerned how the current poor play will impact his ability to attract top free agents. But at least they might end up with a good draft pick. Carmelo Anthony is also talking about taking some time off to heal his battered body. As folks are now saying en masse, “Let the tanking begin.” 

--Speaking of tanking, Magic Johnson said the Lakers should lose every game to contend for a high lottery pick in next year’s draft. According to Newsday, Johnson said, “I hope the Lakers lose every game. Because if you’re going to lose, lose. I’m serious.”

Last year was the worst in Lakers franchise history, 27-55, as they played virtually the entire season without Kobe.

College Basketball

--AP Poll (Dec. 8)

1. Kentucky 9-0 (all 64 first-place votes)
2. Duke 8-0
3. Arizona 8-0
4. Louisville 7-0
5. Wisconsin 8-1
6. Virginia 9-0
7. Villanova 8-0
8. Texas 7-1
9. Gonzaga 7-1
10. Kansas 6-1
11. Wichita State 5-1
18. San Diego State 6-2
23. Northern Iowa 8-0
24. St. John’s 6-1

My San Diego State Aztecs fell in the rankings off their pitiful performance on Monday, a 49-36 loss at Washington, with the Aztecs shooting 11 of 54 from the field (20.4%). Eegads.

--Good luck UMBC Retrievers in the Soccer College Cup as they take on Virginia in one of the semifinals...UCLA-Providence in the other, Friday. The final is Sunday.

“A few weeks ago, as the team bus pulled into Wake Forest’s complex for an NCAA tournament first-round match, one bystander asked another whom the Demon Deacons were playing.

“(Coach Pete) Caringi’s squad is not the University of Maryland. It’s not the University of Baltimore. It’s not UMKC (Missouri, Kansas City), UCLA or UNLV.

“Yes, it’s a mouthful: the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. It’s also the home of the best storyline in the national tournament this year and for many years.

“The Retrievers, a band of mostly in-state players overlooked or unappreciated by larger programs, have executed consecutive upsets against four traditional powers to book a ticket to the College Cup, soccer’s final four.”

--In the January 2015 Golf Digest, Lance Armstrong comments on his passion for the sport. Armstrong played 250 rounds of golf last year and said he’ll hit that level this year as well. He said he’s a ’10,’ with his best round a 74.

Armstrong must not be doing too poorly, post scandal. He said he played Pine Valley this month and is playing Augusta next month with the former president of Nike.

--In the same issue of Golf Digest, an anonymous, married, 29-year-old PGA Tour pro talks about the groupie scene these days.

“If there are four tournaments single guys mark on their calendars, they’re Dallas, Phoenix, Charlotte and Hilton Head. If you’re looking for trouble, you can find it anywhere, but those four cities tend to generate the most stories. Even if you’re out in jeans and a T-shirt, the women ask pretty quickly whether you’re a pro golfer.”

Around here, women ask, “Hey, are you the guy that does those shark attack stories?” “Why yes I am, dear.” [Yup....that’s just how it gets started.]

“Obviously, there’s one golfer who dominated the sport while simultaneously living wild. There’s no better case study that proves golf is played between our ears. If you’ve been out partying with a woman or women you’ve just met, that’s going to put more bounce in the step of some guys than if they ate vegetables and slept nine hours. They’re walking to the first tee thinking, I’m invincible. I’m going to make 10 birdies. I know plenty of guys who do everything right – work out, go back to the hotel room to watch TV and not even sip a beer – and all they do is miss cuts.

“Some veterans say the groupie activity used to be much more in the open. That there were players who’d just pick someone out of the gallery, and they’d leave the course together. They tell you about the guys who never would’ve survived the microscope of modern media. It’s probably true that the threat of someone snapping an indelicate picture and posting it makes players more careful, but it’s probably also a case of old-timers waxing about how life used to be better in their day.

--Normally I wouldn’t write of such a tragedy in this column, but I can’t help but note the three good Samaritans killed Sunday night on a road in the Florida Everglades (Big Cypress Seminole Reservation) when they were struck by a car after they’d stopped along a dark, two-lane road to assist another motorist whose vehicle hit a black bear.

As the police chief in the area said, hitting a deer, yes. A bear? Just doesn’t happen.

A woman driving an SUV saw the bear at the last moment, couldn’t avoid it, and killed the bear; though damaging her car to the extent she couldn’t drive it. So three vehicles traveling together stopped on the side of the road to assist her. That’s when a vehicle heading in the opposite direction plowed into the group.

I bring the above up because New Jersey commenced its fifth bear hunt on Monday and the first day a black bear weighing 693 lbs! was killed Most of the bears killed in the hunt will not exceed 300 lbs. In 2011, two bears were killed that weighed in at 829 and 776 lbs.

The bear that the SUV hit in the Everglades was only 300.

--We note the passing of Ken Weatherwax, “Pugsley” on The Addams Family television series. He was 59.

--My brother and I are big fans of Kid Rock and Big Bro passed on a press release:

“Kid Rock has some of the most devoted fans in the music business. That is something the Detroit-based entertainer is well aware of, as his fans are known for driving long distances to catch his energetic live show. But, when he urges them to step forward for a cause that is close to his heart, they rise to the challenge in what could only be called an ‘American Bad Ass’ way.

“In announcing Kid Rock’s selection as the recipient of the Operation Troop Aid ‘Patriot Award’ a few weeks ago, OTA founder and executive director Mark Woods stated that ‘Kid Rock is one of the most giving entertainers I have ever met. He really gets it. Last year, Kid Rock challenged his fans to help raise money to send care packages to the troops. In one short month, we were able to ship over 500 just in time for the holidays.”

That was 2013...this year it’s more of the same and Harris Jewelry has pledged to match donations up to $10,000 for “more packages that include toiletries, cookies, candies, headphones, Kid Rock CDs and merchandise from Kid Rock, Made in Detroit, Badass American Lager, Jim Beam....”

[Sorry, troops...that’s merchandise from Jim Beam...not actual Jim Beam....]

Well, this is yet another reason to honor Kid Rock come yearend...so he goes in the December file for all the right reasons.

Top 3 songs for the week 12/7/74: #1 “Kung Fu Fighting” (Carl Douglas...tune hasn’t aged well...) #2 “I Can Help” (Billy Swan...sounded like Ringo Starr) #3 “When Will I See You Again” (The Three Degrees)... and...#4 “Do It (‘Til You’re Satisfied)” (B.T. Express) #5 “Cat’s In The Cradle” (Harry Chapin) #6 “Angie Baby” (Helen Reddy) #7 “My Melody Of Love” (Bobby Vinton) #8 “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” (Bachman-Turner Overdrive ...one of the best car songs of all time) #9 “Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)” (Al Green) #10 “You’re The First, The Last, My Everything” (Barry White...peaked at #2)

NCAA Quiz Answer: Don James won 10 bowl games while at Washington, 1975-1992. His total record was 212-150 and he was 10-4 in bowl contests, including 4-2 in the Rose Bowl.

Next Bar Chat, Monday....a very abbreviated one. I’ll be in Kiawah, S.C., this weekend for my annual half-marathon. I imagine my time will be posted online around noon and I should be coming in at 2:11:00 or so (chip time). I’m old and not in the shape I wish I was for this thing, as is always the case. But I have never walked any portion of the tons of half-marathons I have done in my life and I don’t plan on doing so Saturday.

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