The Confidential

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Archive for the tag “Football”

15 May 2012
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Actually, Does the Big XII Really Want Florida State?

It has been said that these conference arrangements are like marriages.  They are 100-year decisions, not 10-year decisions.  The Confidential does not have a source handy, but will credit Frank the Tank for the observation.  Regardless of the source of that statement, it is true.  While it is apparent that Florida State is unhappy with its marriage to the ACC, the question is why the Big XII would want to be Florida State’s new spouse?

Picture this.  You go on a date with someone.  All they do is talk about how their ex-spouse was so awful.  At first, you are sympathetic.  But after a while it occurs to you that the problem is not the ex, it is the person across the dinner table from you.  These complaints are minor.  The ex had room to improve, but this person you are dating is way too spoiled, delusional, unrealistic, and unwilling to accept responsibility.  What do you do?  You run.  Sure, this may be an attractive person–which is valuable–but the long-term prognosis is awful.  This person will take away much more than they give in the long-run and be a pain-in-the-butt along the way.

As it relates to conference realignment, if FSU doesn’t like Tobacco Road, how are they going to like dealing with Texas?  If FSU is willing to bitch about Thursday games, officiating, and vague paranoia regarding pro-basketball sentiments, they are going to bitch in the Big XII.  If FSU does not like Wake Forest getting the same money (even though Wake has won 4 of 6 from FSU), how is it going to like Iowa State getting the same money?  If FSU fans are riled up over misinformation regarding third-tier rights from basketball–by teams that do not threaten their football team–how are they going to like Texas making $10 million more in third-tier rights AND using that to field a football  team that may very well keep FSU out of a 4-team playoff.  If FSU is willing to jump ship for $5 million, what is going to happen if the SEC is able to offer FSU $5 million more in 15 years?  It’s all about the money for FSU. The Big XII may not always have the best ability to pay FSU enough to be happy.

The bottom line is that FSU is a divorced, emotionally unbalanced, very attractive female with entitlement issues–jealous that her friends all drive Porsches, while she is “stuck” with the BMW that she picked out.  A school like Louisville would be a loyal, girl-next-door type, thrilled to trade in the Taurus for a BMW, much less a Porsche.  Who is the one that YOU marry?

And when you are not even sold on marriage at all, like Texas apparently is, all the more reason to ignore Florida State’s overtures.  Someone else can marry that problem.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Conference Realignment and tagged , , , ,
14 May 2012

FSU Fans Need a Reality Check

Another day, another day for FSU fans to flock to message boards crying about how the Atlantic Coast Conference has treated them so poorly.  If you read the message boards, this pretty much sums up the Seminoles fans:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crying about this, crying about that.  Having to play a Thursday game.  Having to play Clemson after a tough game against Oklahoma.  Having to share money.  Having to drink 2% milk instead of skim milk at the continental breakfast during a conference meeting in 2008.

The bottom line is this… Florida State has not really mattered in football in a long, long time.  From 2001 to 2011, no less than 3 losses.  81-50 is good, but hardly elite.  Oklahoma was 119-24 and Texas was 114-28 over the same period.  Florida State was 29th, behind Boston College, Louisville, and Hawaii.

Indeed, the last time Florida State was elite was 2000, when they were 11-2, losing to Oklahoma 13-2 in the Orange Bowl.  The year before, of course, the Seminoles were 12-0 and national champions.  And before 1999, Florida State’s record speaks for itself regarding its great run under Bobby Bowden.  At 109-13-1, Florida State had the best record of all teams during the 1990s.

But we are talking about the 1990s.  By comparison, Syracuse–a recent ACC addition–had the 14th most wins during the 1990s, ahead of Virginia Tech, Texas, Clemson, and Oklahoma.  Do Florida State fans really want to cling to the 1990s?

Again, from 2001 to 2011, we are talking a team that really did not put itself into national relevance at all.   That’s not the ACC’s fault.  That’s Florida State’s fault.

And, until Florida State fans can point to some real detriment in being in the ACC, the rest is just crying.  The Confidential says… “Man up and win more games, and then complain about your conference brethren.”

 

 

 

 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Conference Realignment, Football and tagged , , , , ,
07 Apr 2012

Mel Kiper’s Latest Mock Draft

ESPN’s NFL Draft guru, Mel Kiper, has issued a mock draft that goes two rounds deep–63 projected selections.  The draft is very heavy on ACC players.

Kiper has the first ACC player off the board in pick #11, with Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College to Kansas City:

Kuechly is a rare talent at linebacker — instinctive, explosive, able to make plays from sideline to sideline, but very sound in reading plays into the backfield and making stops. Kansas City has a need here, and Kuechly is a safe pick, a guy who can get on the field early and pick up the nuances of the NFL game right away. A tackling machine at linebacker, he’ll make any defense better.

At #12, Kiper goes right back to the ACC with Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina, to Seattle:

Even if Kuechly is still on the board, it would be tough for Seattle to pass on perhaps the safest 4-3 DE option available. Coples has prototypical size, can play every down as a pass-rusher and has a solid arsenal of moves to get to opposing quarterbacks, but with the size and discipline to be a force against the run. Seattle can’t go wrong here with either the top LB or DE available. This defense is close to being considered among the NFL’s finest.

At #18, rapidly rising Chander Jones, DE, Syracuse, is projected to go to San Diego:

Listed as a defensive end at Syracuse, Jones has the talent, upside and a great frame to make the move to OLB in a pass-rushing role. He’s still a little raw, but the instincts are there and offensive linemen have a really tough time getting their hands on him. Could blossom into a star for the Chargers.

At #30, San Francisco goes for offense with Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech:

Hill is the biggest home run threat in the draft when you combine his speed and size, and it’s no secret the 49ers need some help at wide receiver, even with the additions of Randy Moss and Mario Manningham. He’ll need an adjustment period as he gets used to doing more in terms of scheme than he was asked at Georgia Tech, but he’s the kind of weapon this offense needs to expand.

Pretty interesting first round–not a single player from Miami, Florida State, Clemson, or Virginia Tech.

Here are Kiper’s second round projections:

Round 2
Pick Team Player Position School

42 Miami Andre Branch DE Clemson
A great fit in Miami’s adjusted scheme, Branch offers late-first-round value at this spot.

46 Philadelphia Zach Brown LB North Carolina
A great athlete who can fill a big need at linebacker for the Eagles. Even with DeMeco Ryans, they need help.

51 Philadelphia (from Ariz) Dwayne Allen TE Clemson
My top tight end for much of the year, Allen didn’t test well, but he’s there on tape.

60 Baltimore Terrell Manning LB N.C. State
They lost another good OLB this offseason, and Manning makes sense as a reinforcement.

63 New York Giants David Wilson RB Virginia Tech
They lose Brandon Jacobs, but Wilson will bring some power of his own, with a lot more explosiveness.

So Kiper sees nine ACC players going in the first two rounds.  Still nobody from Miami or Florida State though.  That is pretty shocking really.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , ,
06 Apr 2012
1 Comment

Dennis Dodd–Pandering for Attention

It just gets old.  EVERY time there is any error by a public figure, the sensationalist new media rushes into to see who can be the first to mandate the worst punishment possible.  It really crystallized with the Joe Paterno matter.  And then Jim Boeheim.  And now Bobby Petrino is the whipping boy.  For CBS’s Dennis Dodd, he quickly joined the Petrino must be fired camp. Only it is obvious that his position is simply to seek attention.

Dodd opines that the “only choice” is to fire Petrino.  Really?  For what?  For crashing his motorcycle?  For having an extra-marital affair?  For not being forthright about it?  Dodd opines as follows:

If you can’t bring yourself to be indignant over those episodes, what occurred Thursday was enough to push Petrino out the door. He can’t recruit from here forward. He can’t recruit because every rival from Gainesville to Knoxville will open their living-room pitch with news accounts of what occurred Thursday night. And what is sure to be fallout in subsequent days.

Petrino can’t recruit because every mama who does let him in the door will be shooting him the stink eye. They are wives and mothers too, just like his wife and his children’s mother, Becky.

In a fit of hubris and arrogance Petrino just lost his ability to recruit. At least recruit well. His misdeeds occurred in the Bible Belt where such things matter. Maybe matter more.

Petrino isn’t the first coach to have an “inappropriate relationship”. He is one of the few to get caught.

So, apparently,  Petrino will not be able to recruit because of a publicized affair.  It does not matter what he did, all that matters is how it will impact his ability to recruit.

That is internally inconsistent.  Dodd stops well short of stating that Petrino should be fired for his moral failings.  Instead, it is only about wins and losses.  Given how well Petrino can coach, that should be the reason that Arkansas looks behind these transgressions, places Petrino on double-secret probation, and lets wins/losses continue to define Petrino’s future.  If Petrino keeps winning, Dodd can just admit he is wrong.  If Petrino starts losing, Dodd will be vindicated.  Either way, what Petrino did is irrelevant.  All that matters is the results.  Dodd would prefer to have Arkansas speculate.

Even worse, Dodd just got done opining about how Rick Pitino proved that he belonged in the Hall of Fame.  An article written on March 24, 2012.  This is the same Rick Pitino who apparently had a sexual rendezvous with a woman and allegedly paid for her to get an abortion.  Three years later, Dodd considers him a Hall of Famer.  Granted, Pitino was in the Final Four.  But it would certainly seem that the “wives and mothers” of Louisville recruits looked past the transgressions.  If Dodd can look past them and focus on recruiting, the recruits can certainly do the same.  As will their families.  All the more reason not to guess about how any scandal will impact job performance.

It’s bad enough when the sensationalist media piles on to a beleaguered individual, but at least TRY to be consistent.  Otherwise, it is apparent that you are just looking for attention.  Mission accomplished.

Posted by acaffrey in Football, Uncategorized and tagged , , ,
05 Apr 2012

Football Spring Practice Updates

It is April.  That means that the college football season is just five months away.  In fact, August practices begin in… doing the math… four months.  Anyway, here are some snippets from what is taking place across the ACC.

In Miami, Al Golden is trying to toughen up the Hurricanes.  He implemented the “U Tough” program to get the kids into the gym in the offseason.  With all those 4 and 5 star kids roaming around Coral Gables, getting them focused on the gym only means bad things for the rest of the ACC.

Up north a few miles, Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher liked what he saw in the first scrimmage.  There was a lot of intensity, plus it was productive.  That does sound like a good mix.

Meanwhile, in Clemson, the first scrimmage led to only mixed reviews.  Apparently, the offense had little trouble overpowering the defense.  That will have to change.

In North Carolina State country, everyone is trying to figure out whether Mustafa Greene is still on the team.  It sure looks like just a suspension right now–it would have been easy for Tom O’Brien to just say he had been kicked off.

In Pittsburgh, three coaches in three years means that the depth charts are in flux.  The quarterback position is particularly unsettled.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football and tagged , , , , , ,
01 Apr 2012

Wisconsin: Home for Unhappy ACC Quarterbacks

It is confirmed.  The Wisconsin Badgers are not just willing to take unhappy ACC Quarterbacks, they roll out the red carpet.  Last year, Wisconsin provided a nice landing spot for former North Carolina State’s Russell Wilson.  Now former Maryland quarterback Danny O’Brien will be transferring to Wisconsin.

In O’Brien, Wisconsin will get the 2010 ACC Rookie of the Year.  However, O’ Brien fell out of favor with new Maryland coach Randy Edsall.  He was already losing playing time before suffering a season-ending injury.

O’Brien apparently considered Vanderbilt and Mississippi.  But the lure of playing behind Wisconsin’s massive front line apparently was a selling point.  He had this to say: “You hear how big these guys are, but until you see them practice, it doesn’t do them justice.”  Frankly, that is a great reason for any quarterback to choose Wisconsin.  But it also does not hurt that Wilson meshed so well with the Badgers.

For Wisconsin, they will land a player with immense potential.  Again.  One wonders how they are capable of consistently landing these elite quarterbacks?  Perhaps they have a Craigslist ad, such as this:

Are you an ACC quarterback?  Does your current coach not treat you with the respect that you deserve?  Stop settling.  We can satisfy all your needs.  We have a high octane offense.  Massive offensive line to keep you safe.  Reasonable coaching staff.  As a Big 10 school, you’ll play the best of the best on the biggest stages.  If you’ve got the talent, we’ll take you to the next level.

Whatever Wisconsin is doing, it is working. Makes you wonder how Greg Paulus slipped by.

Now it is time for the ACC coaches to rally a bit and not be such easy targets.   If they guy is good enough to play at Wisconsin, maybe it’s you and your program.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football and tagged , , ,
12 Mar 2012

No 2012 Bowl for the North Carolina Tar Heels

No matter how well the 2012 North Carolina Tar Heels’ football team performs next year, a bowl game is out of the question.  The NCAA announced a series of sanctions against North Carolina that will include a 2012 bowl ban.

The sanctions arise out of accusations that former assistant coach John Blake had business and financial ties to a sports agency Pro Tect Management and agent Gary Wichard, which conferred improper benefits on various players including former star defensive tackle Marvin Austin. The NCAA infraction committee further determined as follows:

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill is responsible for multiple violations, including academic fraud, impermissible agent benefits, ineligible participation and a failure to monitor its football program.

Over the course of three seasons, six football student-athletes competed while ineligible as a result of these violations, and multiple student-athletes received impermissible benefits totaling more than $31,000.

While employed by the university, a former assistant football coach [John Blake] was compensated by a sports agent [Gary Wichard] for the access he provided to student-athletes and failed to disclose the income to the university. The former assistant coach and a former tutor [Wiley] both committed unethical conduct and failed to cooperate with the investigation.

North Carolina attempted to avoid sanctions by self-imposing various penalties, such as suspending players for games or the season, firing head coach Butch Davis, forcing Blake to resign, reducing scholarships, and vacating wins.  While the NCAA was apparently impressed by the scope of the sanctions enough to take it into consideration, it still concluded that additional sanctions were required.

So North Carolina’s total sanctions amounts to a daunting list:

  • Loss of bowl eligibility for 2012
  • Forfeiture of 15 scholarships over the next three seasons
  • Three years probation
  • A $50,000 fine
  • Vacating all football victories from the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
  • Certain individuals also must be disassociated from the program for a varying period, including former tutor Jennifer Wiley and former Tar Heels wideout Hakeem Nicks.

In addition, Blake received a three-year “show cause,” effectively preventing him from NCAA employment for the near future.

All in all, these are pretty stiff penalties for North Carolina.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football and tagged , , , ,
27 Feb 2012

ACC Football Schedule Released

Not that there will be any major surprises… but the ACC has released the 2012 football schedule:

http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/022712aaa.html

 

 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football and tagged ,
23 Feb 2012

ACC Daily News: February 23, 2012

Here are your news and notes regarding the Atlantic Coast Conference for February 23, 2012.

In basketball, the big news is tonight’s game between #5 Duke and #15 Florida State.  As you may recall, Florida State went on the road and defeated Duke on a shot by Michael Snaer at the buzzer.  This helped propel Florida State into the top 15 (along with the dominating win over North Carolina).  Needless to say, Duke is looking for revenge.  And, as of right now, both teams are tied for 2nd place in the conference standings with identical 10-2 records.  The winner will share #1 with North Carolina, who is 11-2.  The game is at 7:00 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN.

Syracuse improved to 28-1 overall and 15-1 in Big East play with a win over surprising South Florida.  Although it may be another year before Syracuse’s wins count for the conference, the Orange’s season does provide promise for the future.

In football, Randy Edsall was gracious enough to allow 2010 ACC Rookie of the Year Danny O’ Brien to transfer.  But he would not allow the sophomore quarterback to transfer to Vanderbilt.  Well, after receiving ample criticism from the media, Edsall finally did the honorable thing and will allow O’ Brien to consider Vanderbilt.  Its kind of like when the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes in one day.

 

Posted by acaffrey in Basketball, Football, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , ,
22 Feb 2012
3 Comments

Former ACC Players on NFLDRAFTSCOUT’s Top 64

With the NFL football draft looming, NFL Draft Scout has released its Top 64.  There are a number of former ACC players on the list.

In fact, the ACC should be quite proud of its representation here.  14 of the top 64 players.  To be sure, the absence of a player in the top 15 is discouraging.  But the depth of talent leaving the conference is impressive.

Here are snippets of the analyses of the ACC players:

19. Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College, 6-2, 237, 1 “his name was called on 532 tackles, an NCAA career record, including 299 solo, or an average of 14 total/7.9 solo in his 37-game stay at BC.”

20. Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina, 6-6, 281, 1 “He showed pro scouts he had the toughness and tenacity to get the job done at either position and finished with 59 tackles, including 15.5 for a loss and 10 sacks.”

32. Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson, 6-2, 311, 1-2 “He has been a classroom and weight-room fanatic since high school, which earned him academic honor roll recognition in 2010 and the weight-lifting statistics of a tractor — 450-pound single bench press, 36 reps with 225 pounds, 615-pound squat lift and 370-pound power clean.”

33. Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson, 6-4, 255, 1-2 “Last season he caught 50 passes for 598 yards and eight touchdowns after a 2010 season in which he grabbed 33 for 373 and one TD.”

34. Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina, 6-1, 236, 1-2 “Brown is fast and fascinating, but is only beginning to learn how to maximize his exceptional athletic ability on a football field.”

35. Andre Branch, DE, Clemson, 6-4, 260, 1-2 “He was selected first-team All-ACC in 2011 after leading Clemson in sacks (10.5) and tackles for a loss (17).”

38. David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech, 5-10, 205, 2 “Last year he collected 1,709 yards on 290 carries with nine touchdowns. That earned him ACC Player of the Year honors and he was named second-team All-American.”

40. Brandon Washington, OG, Miami, 6-4, 320, 2 “Washington is a stout, no-nonsense, get-it-done lineman who played guard and tackle at Miami but will move inside at the next level.”

43. Lamar Miller, RB, Miami, 5-11, 212, 2 “He is a tough runner with deceptive second-gear acceleration, both of which serve him well as a kickoff returner.”

46. Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida State, 6-6, 308, 2 “He is a lithesome, long-limbed athlete who was very effective in FSU’s zone-slide pass protection scheme.”

54. Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia, 6-0, 185, 2 “Minnifield is a menace in press coverage as he re-routes receivers well and has exceptional ball skills, aided by excellent leaping ability and long arms.”

58. Sean Spence, OLB, Miami, 5-11, 228, 2  “Spence is not fooled often by play-action, and shows above average skills as a pass defender.”

60. Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse, 6-5, 265, 2 “Jones is a strong, fast, long-armed, raw talent who can play LDE right now, but might have upside as a decent pass rusher.”

61. Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech, 6-4, 206, 2 “Hill should be worth watching at the combine, where if he surely will wow scouts who are seeking more data on this undergrad who averaged a lot of yards per catch.”

For the complete write-ups, check out the original source.

 

Posted by acaffrey in Football and tagged , , , ,

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