That won't happen this year, William, I don't think. You're right, it's been done before...but knowledgeable fans look back on those two years you cited with real disdain. Those two years are cited as among the worst pairings, and both Nebraska and OU are nowadays considered to be two teams that really didn't deserve to play in the NC game. Also, the BCS formula has been "tweaked" a bit to keep that from happening. If LSU loses to Georgia in the SEC championship game, I think that throws them out of the National Championship game. A loss real late in the season like that...right before the final BCS standings come out...is a killer. There's an old adage that you can have a loss, but it's got to be early so you can climb back. I think that Alabama (if they win out) would be ranked ahead of LSU in that case (despite the LSU victory head-to-head), I think that the OSU-OU winner would be ranked ahead of LSU, and I think that even Oregon might be ranked ahead of them. I do believe that LSU is certainly one of the two best teams in the country, and I hope they prove it on the field and we don't have any questions about who should play for the NC. [View]

Most states have a law requiring teachers, coaches, band directors, etc. to report suspected child abuse. Some require that it be reported to your supervisor, who then reports it to child welfare services (usually on the county level) who investigate, and then refer it to law enforcement officials if they find actual evidence of abuse. Other states may require you to report it directly to law enforcement officials. But even though Coach Paterno reported it to his supervisor, and that may "technically" cover him legally, people are right that there is a moral obligation requiring more than just letting the matter be handled "administratively" with a stern warning. And if it IS true that young boys were offered to large donors, then anyone with any connection should be sent to prison for a LONG time. Not just the ones who participated in it, but also anyone who even KNEW it was going on. Sad end to an otherwise legendary career...from Penn State to state pen. [View]

I thought that Joe Paterno should have retired years ago. I am certain that...college football recruiting at that level being as cut-throat as it is...that other schools were recruiting AGAINST PSU because of Paterno's age and conservative approach to the game. (An old army buddy...big PSU fan who grew up in Pennsylvania...swears that Terrelle Pryor wanted to attend Penn State, but didn't because of Paterno's conservative offense. Not getting Pryor might have actually been a blessing, but still...) I realize that you want to let a legend like Joe Pa go out on his own terms, but when that doesn't happen there comes a time when you sit down and say "Coach, it's time for a change. We'll do this your way, but it's going to be done now." Many states have laws that a person in Coach Paterno's position...teacher, coach, band director, etc....must report any suspected child abuse...not just to their supervisor...but to county health officials, who then investigate. I don't know what Pennsylvania law requires. It may be that reporting suspected abuse to your boss meets the legal requirements...but I do think that you break all contact with the accused violater. I have always liked and respected Joe Paterno. I think he's run an honest and clean program, and I hate to see such a legendary career end this way, tarred by a horrible scandal. [View]

I don't think it was a deliberate attempt to hurt Kirkpatrick. It was a DUMBASS penalty, in that he had just gotten beat and was trying a little too hard to take his man out of play...even though the man he was supposed to have blocked was not really close enough to have made any play at all. [View]

Great...now we've got THREE sets of "Tigers" in the conference. Would have rather added a school that was a little more "southeastern"...Maryland would have been my first pick, because that would give us an "in" to the Baltimore/D.C. market. But Missouri's a fine school...certainly brings another good basketball team to the SEC. And along with Georgia, it gives us two of the finest journalism schools in the country. Travel is going to be real expensive, especially since most non-revenue sports usually make two trips back and forth per season. [View]

I think it's a GREAT rule. I'm tired of seeing college football players acting like showboating punks. [View]

It is nice to see Georgia actually play to WIN, instead of just playing "not to lose". A draw play off-tackle on third down and long is a good call now and again...but not five times in a row. HOWEVER: Dawgs continue to do stupid things on defense. For some reason, we absolutely get KILLED when we blitz on third and long. Georgia blitzes...the QB either hits the safety-valve receiver or else we rush too deep and too wide, and the QB just runs up the middle. And regardless of who it is, the QB or the safety-valve receiver (usually a tight end or running back)...they always seem to pick up the first down because the defensive backs are always in deep coverage. I don't know if we telegraph it, or if we execute poorly...but third and long blitzes have just KILLED us the last five years. And be damned if we don't blitz against Florida...when they have FOURTH AND 19! (Why the hell blitz in that situation? Just give 'em the ten yard completion, and stick 'em.) But sure enough...the QB hits a long TD reception because our defensive backs get a little mixed up. We plug up one leak, and damned if we don't spring another. [View]

One thing the SEC Championship game has done is to give (usually) the top-rated team in the conference a nationally-televised game against another highly-ranked team right at the end of the season...just before the final BCS standings are announced. Without the SEC championship game, for example, I don't think Florida would have leapfrogged both USC and Michigan in the standings a few years ago. And I'm not sure LSU (with 2 losses) would have played for the National Championship without its SEC CG win. [View]

I had heard the same rumors about Crowell failing a drug test the week before the Florida game...but that was just a rumor, and I don't know for sure. If Crowell DID fail a drug test before the Florida game and Coach Richt knew it, then yes...it's a sorry thing to do. I like Coach Richt, but I would like to see him leave. I think he has let the team discipline get away from him, and once a head coach does that he can never really get it back. It doesn't help...for example...that after the post-game interview this past Saturday, he ran down to the end zone and boogied and danced around with the team...then in the locker room led them in a couple of choruses of "Rocky Top", since Tennessee was playing SC later. A head coach shouldn't let himself become just another "one of the guys". We need a strict disciplinarian, and a lot of our troubles...especially our off the field legal problems...would be taken care of. [View]

Here's the bottom line, to me: This is Florida's worst team in several years, they committed 13 penalties...and we still had to really scramble to beat them by 4. It was nice to see Richard Samuel play well. He's been a "damn good Dawg" since he got there, doing whatever the team needed him to do. Came in as a 5-star running back, and switched to linebacker when they decided he didn't have the flat-out "burner" speed for a running back. Yet again, the team didn't seem ready to play hard from the opening kickoff, and took a while to get going. We still make some very strange calls...especially on defense. (Why in the hell do you BLITZ on 4th and 19? Let 'em complete a ten yard pass, and then stick 'em...make 'em punt.) And after the post-game remarks, Mark Richt ran down to the end zone and boogied and danced around with the players. Then...in the locker room...led 'em in a couple of choruses of "Rocky Top", since UT was playing South Carolina. Should a head coach really just be another "one of the guys"? [View]