The Dawgs Ramblings

Chicago Baby!

Missouri – Oklahoma highlights the college football day. This is the toughest name game left on Missouri’s schedule with Texas not being on it. If they can get by Oklahoma, its then on to Texas Tech, Iowa St, at Colorado, Texas A&M, at Kansas St and at Kansas. Of that bunch only Iowa St. appears to be a pushover. Missouri dominated Nebraska as expected but they will have to be a very good team to run that table if they come out of Norman with a victory. With Missouri’s start and Illinois’s run, that first week game between them stands as the most meaningful game that no one saw.

Where is the hot seat in relationship to Bill Callahan?

When do you get respect as a coach? It’s not if you win a national title or lead a team to a great season. It’s when you do it year after year apparently. Else Larry Coker would be thought of as a great coach instead of being canned a few years after a national title. Even if BC does great this year, people will be knocking Jags real quickly when the players he recruits do not perform.

Who watched the Navy-Pitt game? Early in the fourth quarter, Lou Holtz commented that Navy would have the tailback wide open on an out and up along the sidelines whenever they wanted it. Rece Davis asked him, “Would you call it now”? Holtz replied “No”, that he would save that for when he really needed it if he were coach. Well, Navy head coach Paul Johnson must have been thinking the same thing as he called that play on Navy’s first play in the first OT. I thought it was a great insight into the coaching mind especially since the idea came to fruition in a touchdown pass.

Texas has 0 players from Oklahoma on their squad whereas Oklahoma raids Texas yearly for talent. Texas of course does not need to go out of state but its funny to see how many top players go across the state line to play for a top rival.

Kirk Herbstreit mentioned on ESPN what a homefield advantage Oregon really has at Autzen. Corso called it the best ‘pound for pound’ advantage in the country in terms of crowd noise. Despite hosting Gameday and having a top 10 team this year, I feel that most college football fans still do not think of Oregon in terms of a top program or having an enthused fanbase. I attribute this to the lack of big time games that are televised from the West Coast. If it does not involve USC, people don’t give it their full attention. Oregon may play big time games but most home games seem to be on Fox or a second tier network or part of a regional ABC broadcast. Only off hand comments by Herbstreit or Corso seem to give Ducks fans their due. The only reason I know people care so much is that Simons is from Eugene and has followed them for 30 years. When Simons and his brother were at BC’s whipping of NC St. my Dad said they were on the phone the entire time getting Oregon-Michigan updates. He said the two were riveted to their phone. So, I see the passion for Oregon football but I only can discern it from a personal connection. Maybe it has to do with me picturing ‘laid-back’ Bill Walton as what Oregonians are like.


There are going to be so many good moments this weekend in Chicago and South Bend that it will be tough to single out a defining moment. If we lose of course, it will be a long ride back from South Bend but that would be a monumental upset. But what I am really looking forward to is putting on my BC shirt and getting on that plane. There will be quite a few ND fans I presume for the short trip to Chicago so I think I will be in enemy territory. Makes for a fun walk down the aisle.

When did the phrase ‘Behind Schedule’ start? On schedule means that you have manageable down and distances like 3rd and 3. 3rd and 6 would be behind schedule.

I forget the name of Kansas quarterback but that kid made some big time throws last week.

OK OK. I think everyone in Oregon sits around and smokes all day.

A lot of people think USC will recover. I don’t think so. At Cal, Oregon and Arizona St? You think they will win all three? I don’t.

Does anyone know the full name of Ohio St’s quarterback? Well, maybe. What about spelling his last name?

Riley Skinner will be a Heisman candidate his senior year if he has any supporting cast.

posted by oceanjay @ 10:41 PM