Author: rickro51 Page 16 of 31

When we posted “The Second Time Around” last week, little did we realize that we would again need the title this week.

One of the unique aspects of college football is that in the vast majority of circumstances, you only get one shot at a team this year.  To this, the Odyssey says “hooray!!”  Imagine the dilution of the intensity if Auburn-Alabama or Army-Navy played more than once a year.

Due to weird luck and questionable scheduling, the American Athletic Conference championship game is in store for its 3rd almost immediate do-over since 2012.

This Saturday’s Cincinnati game at Tulsa was rescheduled due to COVID.  Which is unfortunate since next week’s AAC championship game is Cincinnati vs Tulsa.

If you believe this is Deja Vu all over again for the AAC championship, you are so correct!  Last year, Memphis played Cincinnati in consecutive weeks.

In 2012, Central Florida had an interdivision game scheduled against Tulsa on November 17th.  Two weeks later, they were at it again.

A modest proposal for every conference with 2 divisions:  Have as many conference games as feasible,  later in the conference schedule, be intradivision games so that the immediate redo becomes a remote possibility.

In December, 41 years ago , Shalamar’s “Second Time Around” debuted on the Billboard charts and proved to be a big hit.

When it comes to college football head coaches, the Second Time Around has repeatedly proven to be a big dud, with the Mountain West providing the latest testimony.

Two years ago, the Odyssey was shocked when Gary Andersen was tabbed as the Utah State head coach when Matt Wells left for the barren tumbleweeds of West Texas.  While Anderson had done fantastic things in his first stint in the aptly named Cache Valley, his actions after leaving the Aggies for Wisconsin are straight out of bizarro world.  He leaves Wisconsin for Oregon State?!?!  Was the Wisconsin AD, Barry Alvarez, impossible to work for?  However, this move was at least honorable.  Quitting on Oregon State in the middle of the season was not.   To the Odyssey, Anderson waiving the white flag in Corvallis made him radioactive as a future head coach hire, despite the fact that Anderson left a lot of money on the table.  Utah State looks awful this year and Anderson exited (voluntary or not?) after 3 embarrassments to open 2020.

To San Diego State’s dismay, Rocky Long no longer wanted the responsibilities as a head coach after the 2019 season.  They recycled Brady Hoke.  It was an easy, and probably a relatively inexpensive hire, since Hoke was already on the staff.  Hoke’s two solid seasons in 2009-10 as SDSU head man (and an excellent 2008 at Ball State) got him the gig in Ann Arbor.  After an excellent 11-2 debut season in 2011, it was downhill in each of Hoke’s 3 subsequent years.

In 2020, SDSU already has 3 losses despite some terrific running backs and a ball-hawking defense.  Last Saturday, the Aztecs managed all of 155 yards of offense against a Colorado team that nobody would confuse with a defensive juggernaut. The problem is that the Aztecs have no quarterback.  With no proven starter heading into 2020, San Diego State had lined up a quality transfer in Jack Sears.  However, Hoke could not keep Sears committed in the wake of Long’s unexpected departure.  Even with quarterbacks jumping into the transfer portal like Mexican jumping beans, Hoke could not fix the position.  To say that the QB position has been a disaster for SDSU would be understatement.  The loss of Long cannot be understated.  Truth be told, Long won for 9 years without a top-tier QB.  To Hoke’s credit, one of the big reasons for his success in his first SDSU go-round was his vision in hiring a great defensive coordinator by the name of Rocky Long.  From Long to Hoke is a serious drop in the Odyssey’s opinion.

Are these Mountain West duds an outlier?  History says no, based on two Pac-10 sagas.  John Robinson’s initial 7 years at USC produced a booming 67-14-2 mark.  After a decade hiatus, his 2nd term dipped to 37-21-1.

Bill Walsh’s first 2 years at Stanford resulted in an impressive 17-7 record that resulted in his hire by the 49ers.  His post-49er return to The Farm was a mediocre 17-17-1.

Recycling your head coach has turned out to be as problematic as going back to an old girl friend.  In both cases, caution is advised.

COVID-19 has shown how nimble some Athletic Directors can be on extremely short notice.

While the Odyssey is extremely sad that the Apple Cup cannot be played, Washington found another opponent to visit Seattle in Utah.  If anybody in the USA deserves another game, it is the Utes!  When Utah took the field against USC in its delayed opener last Saturday night, the craziness of this season could be exemplified in the fact that Texas State had already played 11 times.

Tennessee was hoping to get rid of the stench of 5 consecutive double digit defeats by beating Vanderbilt tomorrow.  The Vols were also defeated by COVID this week. Instead, Vandy travels to play resurgent Missouri.  The tilt will be interesting as both squads have excellent freshmen QBs.

The Odyssey woke up Friday to find out that San Diego State would be traveling to Boulder.  No Pac-12 South showdown for the Buffs as USC was COVID-depleted at one of the “requisite” positions. SDSU’s battle with Fresno State had also been scraped.  This unexpected game is a win-win for both teams.

Colorado, picked by some as the worst team in the Pac-12, is riding high at 2-0 with two upset wins under its belt.  In this COVID-crazed year, it makes sense that the Buffs would be undefeated with a converted Safety as their quarterback.   A quality SDSU squad gets a chance to get rid of the bad taste of last Saturday’s 26-21 heartbreaker to Nevada after the Aztecs squandered a first-and-goal opportunity in the last minute.

The Odyssey is dreaming of a situation where a college football czar in future years has the ability to change schedules at the  12th hour in order to provide more compelling matchups.  Did we mention that the Odyssey has a very vivid imagination?

The recent COVID uptick has not left college football unscathed.   12 cancellations and counting as of mid-Friday.

One burning question in the SEC:  Will Alabama’s tussle at LSU be made up?  If so, what will happen to LSU’s previous cancellation at Florida?  Would the SEC juggle the schedule so that cancelled intradivision games  get priority over crossover games?  So many questions and so few answers.

Ed Orgeron may prove to be one of the biggest benefactors from COVID.  Let’s presume that full schedules do not get played in the SEC.  The previously postponed Florida game was a gift to LSU.  Coming off 2 horrible efforts in their defensive backfield, LSU was in no way ready to compete well against Kyle Trask and his superstar receivers in the Swamp.  Especially when starter Myles Brennan was hurt (Granted, his backup, TJ Finley did play quite well against South Carolina before getting overwhelmed last Saturday at Auburn).

Similarly, Mac Jones and his stellar, if Waddle-less, receiving corps was prepared to do an unholy number on LSU tomorrow.  If Ed Orgeron is really, truly, lucky, he will not have to play either Florida or Alabama this year.  At 3 losses and counting, O and LSU are staring at an amazing number of losses for a defending national champ. The Odyssey will pray for Mr. Ed.

Jim Harbaugh was not so lucky.  Even as an ardent Michigan alum, I was a bit relieved when the Big 10 said uncle in August.  A rebuilding Michigan team rated to get waxed in their trip to Columbus.  Unfortunately, for Harbaugh, the Big 10 reversed course.  The Maize and Blue is 1-2 with games looming with Wisconsin, Ohio State and a wounded Penn State.

COVID was unkind to the Wolverines in that two of their few remaining stalwarts, Nico Collins and Ambry Collins opted out.  Oregon was hurt even worse as a stud offensive lineman, Penei Sewell, opted out in addition to some excellent defensive backs.  Pre-COVID opt outs, Oregon was a darkhorse national champion candidate if an adequate replacement for Justin Herbert was found.

However, COVID prognostications can be as unpredictable as the disease itself.  I thought the season’s cancellation would have been an absolute blessing for Michigan State.  Mark Dantonio left a bitter pill for Sparty.  He did not announce his retirement until early 2020, so he could collect a $4 million bonus.  MSU had to overpay Mel Tucker after the vast majority of other possible candidates had solidified their 2020 plans.  Like all other first-year coaches, Tucker was further hamstrung by the lack of spring practice.  Sparty has had two disasters in their first 3 games.  HOWEVER, even if they finish 1-8, winter in Lansing will feel warmer as they savor their stunning upset over Michigan.

One of Chuck Berry’s underrated gems was “You Never Can Tell”.  As Mel Tucker can attest, so true in the COVID era!

To Boise State’s chagrin, their starting QB, Hank Bachmeier, did not dress for last Saturday’s game at Air Force.  Bachmeier was coming off a solid 20 for 28 performance in their opener against Utah State.  His stand-in:  graduate transfer Jack Sears.

Sears proved nothing short of fantastic.  His line was 17/20/280 with a rushing TD, to boot.  Given his prep bonafides as a 4-star recruit, his excellence was not surprising.  However, the uniform Sears was wearing provides quite a story.

Yet another San Clemente prep phenom (this charming Southern California beach town was also the stomping grounds for Sam Darnold) was highly recruited.  Sears initially committed to Duke before flipping to USC.  When uber-recruit JT Daniels was injured in 2018, Sears’ one start as a Trojan was quite promising as he completed 20 of 28 passes in a 38-35 loss to Arizona State.

Much intrigue in USC’s 2019 opener.  Daniels gets injured in the first half of the Fresno State game.   Being in attendance, we expected to see Sears.  Instead,  many were quite surprised when an unheralded 3-star recruit, Freshman Kedon Slovis, took the field in place of Daniels.  Where was Sears?  Was he also hurt?  In the game’s aftermath, Clay Helton’s comments indicated not.  Days later, Sears entered the transfer portal.

What to think?  The Odyssey started to hear that Sears had been relegated to 4th string in pre-season practices.  If so, why?   How could this be after his ASU performance??  In the wake of Sears entering the transfer portal, Helton indicated that Sears was welcome to remain a Trojan.   When Slovis later got hurt in 2019’s 4th game (thankfully, not anywhere as seriously as the season-ending Daniels injury), 3rd-string QB, Matt Fink, got the start.

Any thoughts that Sears might reconsider and stick it out with USC  in 2020 were further doused as Slovis turned in one of the best Freshman years for a QB — ever.  In mid-December,  Sears committed to San Diego State for the 2020 season by signing a grant-in-aid.  However, that commitment never reached fruition as the alleged reason for Sears’ reconsideration was a coaching change on Montezuma Mesa.   Such reconsideration would be more understandable if the departing coach, Rocky Long, ran a different offense than his successor, Brady Hoke.  Plus, whatever you think of Hoke as head coach, he is one of college football’s genuine nice guys.  The Aztecs’ 2019 starting QB had graduated, which seemingly left the door wide open for Sears to start at a quality program that was projected to have a dominant defense in 2020.  In late January, Sears decommitted from SDSU as the Odyssey deeply furrowed its brow in surprise.

Sears’ next move was complicated by the pandemic as his travels to other possible destinations became curtailed.  Undoubtedly, Sears was influenced by the presence of two of his high school teammates on the Boise roster. After all of Sears’ high-profile drama,  his ending looked to be a low-key dud:  A back up QB at Boise State as a grad transfer.  Unlike the Aztecs, Boise had a firmly entrenched starter in Hank Bachmeier.  Bachmeier’s late scratch against Air Force was likely Covid-related, not 100% clear since the school’s policy is not to comment on the reason for not dressing.

Given Sears’ excellent track record when given a shot, the Broncos will have a very interesting decision as to their QB for this Friday’s season-defining showdown with a powerful BYU team.  Ironically, one of this weekend’s other showdowns is the Florida-Georgia game.  Who has been languishing on the Bulldog bench despite many cries for his appearance?:  None other than JT Daniels.

Given the Hollywood-like saga of Sears’ career, wouldn’t it be fitting if  San Clemente’s rolling stone  played in the Mountain West title game against one of the schools he has spurned in San Diego State!  The Aztecs have rushed to a terrific start that reminds one of a famous Hemingway novel, “For Whom The Bell Tolls.” The Aztecs’ powerful rushing game is due in no small part to running backs Chance Bell and Greg Bell.

Since we are talking Hollywood, what if Sears plays well enough for Boise State to secure the Group of 5,  New Year’s Six berth? While we are fantasizing, let’s go all the way and hope that their opponent will be Georgia with JT Daniels at the helm!

At the end of Saturday, the Big 10 West has two very unlikely leaders:  Purdue and Northwestern.  Both were assumed to be among the also rans 8 days ago.  Both have unexpected tail winds in their efforts to be the unlikely West winner (and probable sacrificial lamb to Ohio State in the Big 10’s championship tilt) We believe there is a 3rd entity sharing the West lead:  Covid-19.

Wisconsin looked nothing less than fantastic in their opening demolition of  Illinois.  Graham Mertz, their redshirt stand-in for Jack Coan, was not perfect.  In 21 passes, he actually threw one incompletion.

But with Wisconsin’s game today scraped with Nebraska and with next week’s Purdue showdown in Covid jeopardy, both the virus and the Big 10’s questionable decision not to have any bye dates have taken center stage.

Almost as bad for the Badgers, the  ballyhooed Mertz will likely not be able to play at Michigan in two weeks.  One small morsel of good news is that the Wolverines looked very human in their upset loss to their “little brother” today.  Hopefully, the Badgers can play 6 games.  If not, current rules render them ineligible to take on the Buckeye machine.

Northwestern and Purdue have also had to surmount hurdles in 2020. Northwestern literally went from the penthouse to the outhouse in 2019.  They won the West in 2018 and then did a 1-8 faceplant in the Big Ten last year.  In addition to getting the bad taste from 2019 out of their mouth, they had to rally from a 17-point deficit in Iowa City to nip the Hawkeyes, 21-20.  Pat Fitzgerald once again showed his coaching brilliance as this was the 6th time since 2014 the Wildcats have surmounted 17-point deficits.

The dean of Big 10 coaches, Kirk Ferentz, is painfully aware of Fitzgerald’s coaching prowess. Saturday represented the 3rd consecutive time in Iowa City that the Hawkeyes held a halftime lead over NW, only to lose.  With the latest comeback win, Fitzgerald increased his lifetime record against Iowa to an impressive 9-6.

Purdue has had to deal with the absence of their best player, the uber talented Rondale Moore.  The Boilers’ Covid-positive coach, Jeff Brohm, was sidelined for Purdue’s opener.  The Boilers did get a bit of Covid luck when the Illini starting QB, Brandon Peters, was a 12th-hour Covid scratch this morning.

Both co-leaders have been blessed with soft crossover schedules with the East as neither drew Ohio State, Penn State or Michigan.

Given Covid’s pronounced influence on the West, the Odyssey would like to amend one comment with all due respect to the Boilermakers and Wildcats.  Covid-19 is the division’s undisputed leader.

When the Big 10 prematurely shut down the football season in August, nobody was more voiciferous in dissent than Nebraska.  Those bold, brash Cornhuskers briefly  gave thought to defying the Big 10 and concocting their own schedule.

Their possible mutiny so ticked off ESPN talking head Desmond Howard that the Heisman Trophy winner wanted Nebraska banished from the Big 10.

When multiple parties suggest a divorce, the honeymoon is definitely over.  Nebraska’s fall from the elite has been pronounced since their 3 national titles in the 1990’s.  When is the last time the Huskers won a conference championship?  Only trivia buffs can tell you: 1999.

The latest Nebraska pratfall occurred Saturday in Columbus to the tune of 52-17. Nebraska’s boldness and brashness in August did not carry over to late October.

Since Urban Meyer was hired for the 2012 season, the beat goes on against the Big Ten’s boss.  Here are the scores of Nebraska’s last 6 games against Ohio State:

2020          17-52

2019            7-48

2018          31-36

2017          14-56

2016           3-62

2012         28-63

Everybody knows what a perennial power the Buckeyes are, but those who remember the stout defense of the Black Shirts in olden times must still be aghast.

Nebraska has fallen to such low ebb that the local papers were touting various “green shoots” in their latest 35-point smackdown.  After 5-7 and 4-8 seasons,  grasping for any straws is understandable if somewhat pathetic.

Their Big 10 schedule vengefully punished the potential mutineers.  Nebraska’s next 3 games:

Home versus Wisconsin.

Away against perhaps the most improved team in the country in Northwestern.

Home versus Penn State.

Ouch!!  Nebraska may catch a big break in that Wisconsin’s new wonderkind QB, Graham Mertz, may be a COVID scratch.  Amazingly, Nebraska had the potential to start 2020 against TWO QBs who went 20 for 21 in their 2020 openers.

A winning record for Nebraska in 2020 would be an achievement with that slate.

The Odyssey has long felt Nebraska is misplaced in the Big 10.  The conference only offers one regional rivalry in Iowa.  In eras of Nebraska glory in the Big 12, the Huskers were able to recruit well in Texas and even California.  Those days seem to be gone.  The irony for head coach Scott Frost is that his former job with Group of Five UCF offered more fertile recruiting opportunities than his fallen alma mater.

Nebraska made a deal with the devil for Big 10 monetary riches that was partly necessitated by those egotistical tyrants in Austin.  Hopefully, counting all that money will help compensate for their prolonged fall from the top.

The Odyssey loves Gene Chizik as a commentator on the SEC Network.  Knowledgeable and very well spoken.  Chizik also has a national championship in his back pocket,  no small thanks to Cam Newton.

However, our criticism-obsessed society views Chizik as a bit of a failure.  Less than 2 years after massive rolls of toilet paper were unfurled at Toomer’s Corner, he was unceremoniously pink slipped by the  Auburn poobahs after going winless in SEC play.

Let’s fast forward 8 years.  Ed Orgeron, formerly viewed as a gravel-voiced country bumpkin, was  newly anointed as a Cajun savant in January — courtesy of a 15-0 record that still understates the grandeur of their accomplishment.   You get to swagger when you conquer Georgia, Florida, Clemson and Alabama in one season.  Toss in Chizik’s former employer, Auburn. Amazing!  The Bayou Bengals had a QB, Joe Burrow, who probably had the best season ever for a QB — totally astonishing in every regard.

The experts totally underestimated the effect of massive departures from that magical LSU squad in 2020.  Laughably, LSU was nationally ranked 5th in a preseason poll.  Meanwhile, the Odyssey was thinking that LSU might indeed finish 5th — in the SEC West!

However, even the Odyssey was surprised at the way LSU has played in its first 3 games.  The Tigers were at least 2 TD favorites in each and are sitting at 1-2 with the teeth of their schedule looming.

LSU should be favored in no more 3 games going forward:  home games versus South Carolina and Ole Miss and a road tilt at Arkansas.  As we write, we think the Tigers are unlikely to win all 3.  Right now, we see LSU finishing at 3-7 or, gasp, 2-8.

The way in which LSU has lost their two games is almost as concerning.  Arkansas and Kentucky shut down Mike Leach’s Air Raid that romped for 623 passing yards against LSU.  If $2.3 million dollar per year hire, Bo Pelini, did not understand the wisdom of playing zone or switching to zone against Mississippi State, he may be overpaid by 2.299 million.  Where was Ed O while KJ Costello was going off? A Pelini intervention was warranted.

Many gave LSU a mulligan after its opening face-plant against Mississippi State.  Massive attrition, new coordinators and the absence of all-world cornerback, Derek Stingley Jr. , made forgiveness quite understandable.

However, the Missouri debacle is not forgivable.   Again, Mizzou receivers were running free, despite missing 3 prominent members of their receiving corps.  Worse, the triggerman was raw, redshirt freshman, Connor Bazelak who threw for 406 — despite Stingley’s presence.

Even worse, LSU blew a golden chance to win the game in the final minute, having first down at the Mizzou 1.  A Mizzou team that was playing without 3 of its 4 top defensive tackles.  LSU had enough timeouts left in its pocket to have ample “free will” in its play calls.  After 2 unsuccessful runs, LSU threw the ball twice.  Both times, Mizzou defenders made excellent plays to thwart the Tigers.  What about a QB sneak, Coach? What about another run?  We know that one of Coach O’s strengths is his delegation to coordinators but, sometimes, the head guy just has to take control. LSU’s questionable play calling extended to their 3rd down calls:  The Tigers were a telling 0 for 10.

As much as the Odyssey loves Coach O,  Saturday is not the only wart in his play-calling resume. Far from it.  LSU’s failure at the 1 reminded us of Florida’s 16-10 win at Baton Rouge in 2016.  Another epic, late failure at the Florida goal line  in the game’s final moments (The irony is not lost on the Odyssey that both these “goal line failure” games were moved because of hurricane issues).

Worst was the arguably the most painful loss for Ole Miss faithful in 2007 — ever.  Sporting a 14-0 lead in Starkville in the 4th quarter,  the underdog Rebels had surprisingly stopped the Bulldogs stone cold through 50 minutes.  Having total game control, Coach O elected to go for a 4th and short at midfield.  Stopped!  The cowbells clanged hopefully as momentum did a 180.  A 48-yard field goal with 18 seconds left gave Mississippi State the most improbable comeback in Egg Bowl history.  This faceplant insured the prompt firing of Coach O.

That play-calling history makes the Odyssey  worry for you,  Coach O!  Was Joe Burrow your Cam Newton?  Will Ed Orgeron morph into Chizik 2.0?  With the postponement of Saturday’s game at Florida, Coach O should feel temporary relief.  The more-than-capable Kyle Trask was salivating at the prospect of 500+ passing yards.   The Orgeron soap opera is deferred for at least one week but will remain must-see TV.

The Gulf Coast had to deal with another huge storm on Saturday.  Football-wise, there was also stormy weather in Florida.

Florida has 7 FBS teams, including 2 that entered Saturday in the Top 10.  How many Florida teams triumphed on Saturday?  The same probability that Governor De Santis will vote for Joe Biden next month:  ZERO.

Miami’s defeat is excusable.  Beating Clemson in their version of Death Valley is as tall a task as a Washington DC politician going thru a whole day without telling a lie.  Clemson is as good as advertised.  They look to be a super team save for their curious inability to block for their kickers.

The Gators travelled to another tough road venue:  College Station, Texas.  Allegedly, A&M was limited to 25,000 fans — with emphasis on allegedly!  A walk-off field goal allowed A&M their first home win over a Top 5 team in 18 years.  Florida was supposed to have a solid D, but the 543 yards of offense by the Aggies offered more evidence of a tall tale.  After the game, Dan Mullin belly ached about how the crowd was a big factor in the game’s outcome and, as a result, that he wants to pack the Swamp for next week’s game versus LSU.  No wonder the USA keeps having Covid issues.  The Odyssey wonders if a Covid death striking down President Trump would have altered Mullin’s thinking.  Probably not.

South Florida’s season morphed from a rebuild into a train wreck on Saturday night.  They were walloped in Tampa, 44-24, by previously winless East Carolina. The USF beat writer noted that their East Carolina contest looked like the most “winnable” game on the balance of their schedule.  Oh, well, the Bulls can always savor their Citadel triumph over the winter.

Florida International will be delighted to see Middle Tennessee’s Asher O’Hara graduate.  After O’Hara torched FIU last year, he led the Blue Raiders to a late game-winning TD.

Florida State’s 42-26 defeat at Notre Dame offered some green shoots as Jordan Travis’ dual-threat QB abilities offers some hope behind an iffy offensive line. However, Travis does not play defense.  After Notre Dame gashed FSU for 353 yards rushing , it is unclear how many Seminoles do.  Oh, well, Florida State can always savor their Jacksonville State triumph over the winter.

Given the results of their Sunshine brethren, Florida Atlantic and Central Florida should be a bit relieved to have Saturday off.  To a degree,  the other 5 Florida teams also took the day off yesterday.

Each Thursday, the Tulsa World’s unique treasure, “The Picker”, takes a stab at predicting some of the weekend’s college and pro games.  While The Picker clearly has solid football knowledge, what sets him apart is his laugh-out-loud commentary.

Two of the funniest college football coaches were Steve Spurrier and Lou Holtz.  Their memorable quips were accumulated over long careers (evidently, South Carolina liked hiring coaches with terrific senses of humor).

In contrast, check out some of the Picker’s gems  from solely one day, last Thursday:

On Jim Harbaugh:  During offseasons, he walks taller than Chuck Norris and Buford Pusser rolled into one.  During games, he soils himself.

On the LA Chargers playing during the pandemic:  They should benefit as they should feel right at home playing in an empty stadium.

Why Bill Belichick loves the cardboard cutouts in empty stadiums:  Many more opportunities to hide spy cameras.

Miami (Florida) and Texas are the Coy and Vance Duke of college football.  We wonder when and if the actual dudes are coming back. (This was written before Miami’s resounding triumph at Louisville which indicates that at least one of the Dukes may be returning).

The Picker decries the piped-in artificial noise, saying that the simulated crowd noise is as artificial as the annual dose of pre-season hype for the Dallas Cowboys.

That, my friends, is clear evidence of a national treasure.

The Picker has totally infiltrated the soul of the Odyssey.  When the San Diego State Aztecs made the incredible, hard-to-believe news that their home games in 2020 and 2021 would be at the infamous Carson soccer stadium that housed the Chargers after their dreaded escape from San Diego, our first reaction was “Is this some type of sick joke”?  Our second reaction:  The Picker would have a field day with this material!