Posts from October 14, 2007

Seven weeks into the 2007 season, it’s kind of pointless to talk about big upsets. In fact, as a result of what we’ve seen so far, we might need a new way to define “upset.” There’s no question that Appalachian State – Michigan will always be seen as the quintessential upset. But this weekend, #1 LSU went down to Kentucky and #2 Cal lost to Oregon State. While both ranked teams were heavily favored, their opponents were legitimate Division 1A teams with solid programs. Should either victory really be called a big upset? Why shouldn’t underdogs have a shot at beating teams in the same conference?

Ever since the NCAA standardized and reduced the number of scholarships around the country, sports pundits have been fond of talking about “parity.” It’s taken a few decades to get there, but we’re pretty close to finally leveling the playing field. The iconic programs (Ohio State, USC, and yes, even Michigan) continue to win year after year– but not because of structural advantages. Instead, they win because they hire good coaches and make compelling sales pitches to high school stars.

There’s another, less well-known reason that accounts for the recent acceleration of parity: the ability of underclassmen to leave early. Because of better recruiting practices, the stars recruited by the brand-name programs often live up to their hype. And they take advantage of opportunities to play early that weren’t available 20 or 30 years ago. By their junior years, a handful of players are seasoned college veterans ready to test the waters at the next level. These are the players who, in the past, would have extended a program’s dominance. Now they play on Sundays. Their replacements are often young, inexperienced players in key positions. And this makes it possible for a so-called lesser program to get close enough in talent to the top-ranked teams. Add a little emotion and dash of luck, and wham! You have a Stanford beating USC. Not always, but enough to make things really interesting. And fun to watch.

Anyone not enjoying the 2007 college football season? (You don’t have to answer that question, Lloyd and Pete.) I know a few folks in Columbus and South Florida who are having a ball.

My thoughts on the Kent State game:

• The Opponent – B+. I was pleasantly surprised with the performance of the Golden Flashes. Despite the pre-game suspicion that they might take a dive, they came to fight and clearly gave their best effort. Led by diminutive halfback Eugene Jarvis, Kent State ran the ball more effectively than any opponent this year. They didn’t embarrass themselves or the MAC. Take away a few big plays, and the game might have been a little closer. They just didn’t have the athletes to go toe to toe with the Big Ten champ for four solid rounds.
• The Defense - B-. After singing their praises all season long, we finally saw a flaw in their heretofore flawless performance. Giving up 161 rushing yards to Kent State, the defense looked a little average. The coaching staff will work hard to eliminate the physical and mental errors, especially as we’ll see good running backs for the rest of the season. Overall the defense stepped up when it had to, and the interception return by Donald Washington pretty much ended that game. Washington has quietly played very well all season long. So it’s nice to see him get a little exposure.
• The Offense – A-. We didn’t see the dominance at the line of scrimmage that we might have expected, but this was a pretty productive outing by the offense. You can’t ask for much more out of Boeckman, as he continues to make progress in almost every part of his game. He’s giving the Buckeyes a chance to be competitive as we move into the meat of the season. I’m still a little disappointed with the running game. With Beanie Wells sidelined for most of the game, we saw a significant amount of Brandon Saine. I like how he catches the ball out of the backfield, but I’m not sure we’re seeing his 10.3 speed on the field. He’s faster than he’s shown, and that’s usually an indication of indecisiveness. It’s important that he gets these reps and watches himself on film to gain more confidence. We’re going to need him down the stretch.
• The Special Teams – A+. Hartline’s record-breaking, 90-yard punt return was the signature special teams play on a very good day. After a shaky start to the season, the kicking game now looks ready for prime-time. Pretorius kicked a 49 yard field goal and Trepasso is emerging as the top Big Ten punter. All this and we haven’t even seen much of Ray Small yet. It’s nice to see the special teams peaking at the right point in the season.
• My Favorite Play. You don’t have to look very hard this week. Hartline’s punt return was about as perfect as you’ll see. And if you watch the replay carefully, you’ll see the ex-hurdler three-steppin’ all the way into the end zone. It would make my old coaches proud. So Hartline’s punt return not only made history, but it’s also my favorite play of the game. I’ll leave it to you to decide which is more important.
• Game Ball. Brian Hartline.

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