Surprise! Big Ten big on running, defense
With the 113th Big Ten season getting under way on Saturday, it's a good time to gauge the trends that are affecting the conference.
League teams are 31-8 in non-conference games. There have been some high points in the young season (Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State and Wisconsin are unbeaten) and some low ones (Michigan's 1-2 start under Rich Rodriguez, Ohio State's embarrassing 35-3 loss at top-ranked Southern California).
A quick look at the NCAA statistics gives some insight into what to expect over the next couple of months:
- The Big Ten remains a running conference. Five teams are ranked among the top 30 in rushing among the 119 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, led by Penn State at No. 8 and Indiana a notch below that. In terms of passing, no conference team ranks among the top 25 in the nation.
- Trouble for the Big Two? Michigan and, surprisingly, Ohio State, have gotten off to slow starts. The Wolverines rank 88th in rushing and 105th in total offense. The Buckeyes are 3-1 but have beaten up on lesser lights. The Buckeyes rank No. 104 in the nation in passing and are No. 92 in total offense.
- The conference still is stout on defense. Six Big Ten teams rank among the top 24 in scoring defense, led by Iowa at No. 5 and Penn State at No. 9.
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MESKO ON MONEY: Michigan punter Zoltan Mesko, a business-school student, was asked to explain what is happening in the troubled American markets:
"Basically the Wall Street era is over. The government has regulated some things on them, which means they're going to be taking less risk, so less profit," he said.
Asked for a prediction, to much laughter he added: "What am I projecting? Well, Morgan Stanley is up 10 percent this morning; I checked my portfolio. Yeah, I think it's something that will affect the market in the long run because people will be taking less risk. But people tend to forget about things that happened in the past. I believe 10 years down the road, we'll be back on track."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
FSU's new trash-talking rival is ... Wake Forest?
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Move over, Miami. Florida State may have found a new trash-talking ACC rival in ... Wake Forest?
Smack talk might seem out of character for the warm-and-fuzzy Demon Deacons, who have preached humility during their rise to the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
But they've beaten the Seminoles twice in two years, and those results -- plus an inflammatory T-shirt, a seemingly innocuous guarantee and some good old-fashioned dislike -- have transformed this once-lopsided mismatch into a full-fledged Atlantic Division rivalry.
"I really can't stand Florida State, personally," Wake Forest safety Chip Vaughn said.
He declined to explain why, though this isn't the first time Vaughn has tweaked the Seminoles.
After last year's 24-21 win at home, Vaughn pulled off his jersey and pads to reveal a T-shirt with Florida State's logo and "unconquered" motto -- only, Vaughn used a black marker to color over the "un," leaving "conquered."
The stunt was in the works for a while -- he acquired the shirt two years ago from a friend at Florida State -- and Vaughn wouldn't say whether he's planning to wear it again Saturday, calling it a "game-time decision."
Coach Jim Grobe is concerned that the motivated Seminoles have posted pictures of Vaughn's shirt in their locker room.
"I don't know if it was smart or dumb," Vaughn said. "I know it probably will give them some extra fuel.
"It's been awhile since Wake Forest had some swagger around it," Vaughn said. "It's a little statement, as far as us, that this is not the old Wake Forest anymore. This is a new day coming."
But Vaughn didn't take the bait when reacting to Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder's proclamation to reporters in Tallahassee that "we're not going to lose this game."
"He's not going to come out and say, 'We're about to lose again to Wake Forest," Vaughn said. "That's not the smartest thing to say, so I guess what they need right now is as much confidence as they can get."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Auburn well remembers sloppy game against MSU
AUBURN, Ala. -- Jerraud Powers just wanted to go home and sulk.
Auburn had lost to Mississippi State and looked bad doing it. The Tigers were 1-2 and the offense was a mess, and a Saturday night on the town held little appeal for the cornerback.
"I was very disappointed," Powers said. "I was actually so mad that I didn't go anywhere when I got home. I felt like a little kid who just lost a championship. I was that mad."
When the ninth-ranked Tigers (2-0) visit Mississippi State on Saturday night, they'll have redemption on their minds along with hopes of starting Southeastern Conference play on a better note.
The Bulldogs forced five turnovers and a quarterback change in last year's 19-14 win at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Brandon Cox was yanked after throwing two early interceptions, setting the stage for the debut of freshman Kodi Burns.
This time, Burns just lost his bid for the starting job to Chris Todd.
Auburn rebounded from its first loss to Mississippi State to finish second to eventual national champion LSU in the SEC's Western Division. It left little margin for error, though.
"It was very disappointing just to know you start the SEC on the bottom of the race," Powers said. "We knew from that point on we were going to have to play catchup. It was disappointing but it was football. We had to get past it. We bounced our way back in the SEC West but it was a very disappointing start to the season, going 1-2 like we did."
The Tigers, who had lost to South Florida the previous week, have heard plenty about last year's game from coach Tommy Tuberville and his staff leading up to the rematch. They were picked to win the West this season and with half of the six teams in the division ranked among the nation's top 11, getting started on the wrong foot again could be a big blow.
"It's being brought up a whole lot," Auburn receiver Robert Dunn said. "Coach Tubs just keeps reiterating everyday, 'Hey, these guys came in here and whipped us last year.' Then they talked junk about it after they did it. The coaches aren't happy about it so they pushed us a lot more than they normally would this week."
Tuberville said the loss wasn't the tough part to swallow against an improved Mississippi State team. It was the way it happened.
The Tigers lost three fumbles in addition to Cox's two early picks. The senior returned to drive Auburn downfield in the final minutes but a potentially game-winning pass fell short of Rod Smith in the end zone.
Mississippi State won despite managing only 41 yards passing.
"You don't really feel good about a game when you go out and turn it over like that," Tuberville said. "You don't give yourself much of an opportunity. I think that's what we were more disappointed in than anything. We kept shooting ourselves in the foot. Win or lose, don't make mistakes that you shouldn't make in a big game like a conference game."
This Auburn team has also been turnover prone, committing four last weekend against Southern Miss. But the Tigers seem to have settled their quarterback controversy with Todd's solid performance.
Tuberville wants his players using both last year's game and a chance to make the SEC championship game in Atlanta as motivation.
"This is the first game of the SEC," he said. "They work all year long knowing that they've got eight opportunities each year to have a chance to get to Atlanta. It starts with this one on the road."
But, he added, "Last year brings back a little incentive."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
LSU-Troy game postponed until November
BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU postponed its football game against Troy after Hurricane Gustav damaged Tiger Stadium and battered Louisiana's capital city far worse than anticipated.
The university made the decision Wednesday after having a full day to get a handle on damage to the stadium and the community, much of which is expected to be without power into next week.
"It's the right decision," LSU head coach Les Miles said. "Our guys are maybe a little more affected than the Katrina and Rita duo -- more firsthand concerns, more power lines that they saw, more trees down that they saw and power outages affected us, affecting them than the last storm we had. They were a little ragged on Tuesday."
LSU players reported to their indoor practice field on Tuesday afternoon, first so coaches could make sure everyone was OK, then so they could have position meetings and practice in the hope that Saturday's game could be played as scheduled. A day later, it was obvious to LSU officials that was not going to happen.
"We would have loved to play the game, but it's not possible and the city of Baton Rouge is in too bad shape to take resources away to play a football game," LSU athletic director Joe Alleva said. "The welfare of the people of Baton Rouge, the uncertain power issues facing all of us and the condition of Tiger Stadium were all factors in making this decision."
The seventh-ranked Tigers' game against the Trojans will be played Nov. 15.
"We are fortunate that both schools had a common open date later in the year," Alleva said. "I am appreciative of the cooperation of the good people at Troy for their understanding of this situation."
Classes at LSU are canceled through the end of the week, with only part of campus on power generated by the school's emergency backup power plant.
LSU players practiced again Wednesday afternoon at their indoor facility, which also has backup power. Miles said they will continue to practice until Friday and then get the weekend off so those players whose families have damaged property in Louisiana can return home to help.
The most noticeable damage at Tiger Stadium were torn awnings that, along with their metal supports, were ripped off of an upper deck facades, crashing onto club seats below. Debris littered the stands and playing field soon after the storm had passed, though much of it had been cleaned up two days later.
Ronnie Haliburton, associate athletic director for facilities and grounds, said team benches that had been on the sidelines were lifted up and tossed into the lower rows of seats by wind that swirled around the stadium. Some seat backs also were broken apart, leaving sharp edges that could be a danger to fans if not replaced.
Haliburton said he would not know if the stadium lights or scoreboards were still working until regular power was restored. A generator was used to power meeting rooms below the stands behind one end zone.
"We don't know when power's going to come back on," Alleva said.
Troy athletic director Steve Dennis said his university was happy to accommodate the postponement.
"This is a football game, nothing more, and the people of Baton Rouge have more to worry about right now than a football game," Dennis said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Baton Rouge and LSU and we wish them nothing but the best as they work to overcome the effects of this storm."
Trees are down on campus and throughout Baton Rouge, some resting on the roofs of houses. Dangling and shredded power lines were also a common sight.
Normally, more than 100,000 fans flock to campus for LSU games, enjoying tailgate parties even if they cannot gain entrance to 91,600-seat Tiger Stadium, then filling area hotels.
LSU officials said there was no way the Baton Rouge area could accommodate such an event this weekend, but remained hopeful that a scheduled home game on Sept. 13 against North Texas would be played in Death Valley.
Haliburton said some damaged features in the stadium, such as the awnings, would be removed but not likely replaced right away. The goal is simply to make the stadium safe enough to pass a fire marshal's approval.
The eye of Gustav passed just west of Baton Rouge, battering the capital city with recorded gusts of 74 mph for hours. Damage appeared worse in Baton Rouge than in New Orleans, where the Saints remain scheduled to play their regular season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Louisiana Superdome on Sunday.
Tropical Storm Hanna also is causing schedule changes this weekend. The Colgate-Coastal Carolina football game has been moved from Saturday night to Sunday at 1 p.m. in Conway, S.C.
Alleva said LSU officials briefly talked about asking Superdome officials if they could host LSU's game this Saturday, but because Troy and LSU shared the same open date, and because a number of residents across many parts of the state are still reeling from the storm, it made more sense to reschedule the game for Tiger Stadium later this fall.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Division I board talks, then sends playoff proposal to committee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- University of Georgia president Michael Adams presented his proposal for an eight-team major college football playoff to the NCAA Division I board of directors Monday in Nashville, and they decided to study the issue with others before making any moves.
Ultimately, though, the board would prefer BCS officials figure out what's best for the postseason.
James Barker, chairman of the board and the president of Clemson, called the talks candid and constructive. But he said the directors believe the discussion should include presidents at the conference level and the committee overseeing the Bowl Championship Series.
The board also wants a task force announced last month by NCAA President Myles Brand to study issues over the use of student likenesses' to expand its review and study commercialization as it relates to postseason football.
The task force hasn't been picked and there's no timeline for a report to the board.
Adams announced his proposal for an eight-team playoff for the Football Bowl Subdivision using the BCS games following years of opposition to a playoff. He unveiled his proposal on Jan. 8, hours after LSU won the BCS national championship game.
His playoff proposal used the Sugar, Orange, Rose and Fiesta bowls as the opening round, leading to semifinals and a championship game. Adams said he believes the study will result in additional tweaking to the BCS system.
"It's not just me that's talking about tweaking again," said Adams, who also is chairman of the NCAA executive committee.
"It's some of my colleagues. It's the people in the conferences. It's others. I don't know if we will all get to the exact same decision."
The Division I board did approve 45 of 47 proposals Monday, including scholarship protection for athletes dealing with pregnancies, injuries or other medical conditions. That protection will take affect immediately.
Both Divisions I and II allowed coaches to text message athletes who have signed letters of intent.
Division II also approved a program that would allow Canadian colleges to become members, and Division III upheld the ban on text messaging that took effect Aug. 1.
Division III placed limits on the use of male practice players in women's team sports, including allowing only one practice per week. Division III also will continue discussions about possibly splitting into subdivisions or creating a new fourth division. Division III membership is expected to reach 480 within the decade.
But it was Adams' proposal for an eight-team playoff that was most anticipated at this five-day convention, which ended Monday. He had said he wanted a special NCAA committee to work out the details.
Barker called the discussions positive, but that doesn't mean the D-I board will make any decisions on a major college football playoff. He tossed responsibility for changing the postseason back to the BCS.
"I don't think that there's a desire on the part of the board to do anything other than what the structure currently in place would yield," Barker said. "We don't have that preconception."
The 11 Bowl Subdivision commissioners who make up the BCS will meet in April in Miami and are expected to discuss the so-called plus-one format, which would create a four-team playoff.
The Division I board wants the BCS presidential oversight committee involved as well.
Adams said in a letter to Brand last week that the networks, conferences and bowls had too much control power over the postseason. Adams' Bulldogs were left out of the national championship game after getting passed by LSU in the final BCS standings.
"I think there's enough concern out there not just among the institutional presidents but among the student-athletes, among the fans, among people trying to pay for this among networks," Adams said. "There are broad issues that need to be looked at."
Asked if he still feels strongly about the eight-team playoff, Adams said he feels strongly that the major college football postseason can be tweaked.
"I've said all along that I don't know I immediately thought everyone was going to agree with me on just the specific," Adams said.
He also is concerned about commercialization and wants to get presidents more involved.
"That's one of the things we've got to work through," he said.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Georgia president proposes 8-team football playoff
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- The president of the University of Georgia proposed an eight-team playoff system to determine the NCAA's national football champion.
Michael Adams, chairman of the NCAA executive committee, has opposed a playoff for 20 years but said Tuesday the current BCS system is "undercutting the sportsmanship and integrity of the game."
Adams wants the NCAA to seed eight teams into the four bowls. If one of the major bowls declines to participate, then another bowl could fill the void.
"I believe the season is already too long and demands too much of athletes and the universities that serve them," Adams said at a news conference. "But this year's experience with the BCS forces me to the conclusion that the current system has lost public confidence and simply does not work."
Adams would like a special NCAA committee to work out the particulars, but the plan calls for the winners of the four major bowls -- Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta -- to play semifinals at least one week later, with the championship game the following week.
In a statement posted on the NCAA Web site Tuesday afternoon, Brand said he would take Adams' request to the Division I board of directors Monday at the NCAA convention in Nashville. Brand said the structure of postseason football for the Football Bowl Subdivision rests with the presidents.
"The BCS has produced some exciting games since it came into existence, but there may be a feeling among some presidents, though not all, that there is need for structural changes. This is an issue that will be decided through presidential leadership," Brand said.
Georgia was ranked fourth in the BCS entering the last week of the season, behind Missouri, West Virginia and Ohio State. When Missouri and West Virginia lost, Georgia did not rise to second behind Ohio State but dropped to fifth in the BCS. Southeastern Conference champion LSU vaulted from seventh to second.
LSU defeated Ohio State 38-24 Monday night to win the BCS title. Georgia routed previously undefeated Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl, 41-10.
Adams insisted he was prepared to advance the proposal even if Georgia had played in the title game.
"It is a matter of fairness and equity," he said.
Adams said he was influenced by players and coaches. He added that he would let Mark Richt speak for himself, but the Georgia coach had been "positive" in discussions about a playoff.
Adams is frustrated by the power of the television networks, particularly ESPN, and of the commissioners of the bowls and conferences.
"The television networks -- particularly the one that controls the majority of regular season and postseason games -- have grown powerful in deciding who plays and when they play, and, indeed, whom they hire to coach," Adams wrote in a letter to NCAA president Myles Brand.
"The Bowl Championship Series has become a beauty contest largely stage-managed by the networks, which in turn protect the interests of their own partner conferences."
He said the commissioners of the conferences and the bowls are guilty of "closed-circle decision-making based on traditional contract alliances. It is time to take the ultimate power out of their hands and give it to the student-athletes on the field."
"The most visible element of our most visible sport has almost no presidential involvement," Adams added.
Adams said he understood the consequences of an extended the season.
"This would involve only four schools, and only two into the second week," he said. "To answer concerns about the wear-and-tear on the student-athletes, I would consider returning the regular season to an 11-game schedule."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Edsall brothers work both sides of the whistle
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- When Randy Edsall coaches Connecticut in the Meineke Bowl against Wake Forest, he'll be the second best-known Edsall in these basketball-crazy parts.
His older brother, Duke, spent 25 years as an Atlantic Coast Conference basketball referee before switching leagues last year. He's called 20 NCAA tournaments, including the 2002 Final Four, and probably has managed to infuriate fans from every school along the way.
"If I were a basketball coach, he'd be throwing me out because I'd be all over him," Randy Edsall joked this week. "They miss so many calls."
Yet Duke Edsall can thank his younger brother for getting into officiating. Because if not for his ill-advised pass 33 years ago, it may never have happened.
The Edsalls grew up in Glen Rock, Pa., near the Maryland line. In 1974, Duke, 18 months older, was two weeks away from trying out for the basketball team at Division III York College when he went to Susquehannock High School to work out.
Randy Edsall was a junior in high school there and the budding quarterback wanted Duke to run patterns for him after practice. Looking to stay in shape, he agreed.
"I happen to run a post pattern in this one instance," Duke Edsall recalled in a phone interview this week. "I caught the pass and ran into the goal post -- and these were the days before padding on the goal post."
He got up, yelled some obscenities, and looked down and saw his leg bloodied.
"I had a gash across my knee, probably an inch and a half, two inches long," he said. "My kneecap was exposed, so they got me up and we wrapped it and we got to the doctor's and they stitched it up. Thank God, there was nothing torn and anything broken."
Randy Edsall acknowledged he put the pass too close to the goal post.
"He did some things to me when I was younger, so that was my way of getting back at him," he joked.
The injury meant Duke Edsall wasn't going to be able to try out for the basketball team. A referee who had worked his high school games found out, and asked if he'd be interested in officiating. Not sure how he'd fill his free time, he jumped at the chance.
After working a few scrimmages, he was hooked.
"I remember making a walk call on a pretty good player up in our area and one of the older officials came over to me and said, 'Kid, I think you're going to make it," Edsall recalled.
The 50-year-old is still going strong today. The Roanoke, Va., resident now primarily works Big 12 and Conference USA games.
Two years after sending his brother into the goal post, Randy Edsall landed at Syracuse, where he hoped to be the starting quarterback.
"He was only a freshman and I was already planning my trip to New York for the Heisman Trophy dinner," Duke Edsall joked. "I've always been his biggest fan, even though he's younger than me. We were basically inseparable growing up."
There would be no stardom as a player for Randy Edsall. Syracuse changed its offense after he got there and he played little.
Edsall started to think about coaching. He began as a graduate assistant with the Orange, eventually moved to the NFL and now is in his ninth season at UConn, where the 49-year-old led the Huskies (9-3) to their best season since moving up from what used to be called Division I-AA.
"Once you could tell he wasn't going to play at whole lot at Syracuse, he always had a head for the game," Duke Edsall said. "He was always a smart player. I figured coaching would what he would eventually get into, because he had that demeanor and that mentality."
The two talk weekly, discussing everything from Duke's so-called blown calls to Randy's theatrics with the officials. And don't think because his brother is an official that Randy Edsall takes it easy on the men in stripes.
"If they miss one, or I think they miss one, I'm going to let them know it," he said, laughing. "It's just that competitive nature in you. That doesn't affect me whatsoever. I'm not nicer to them because my brother is an official."
Thanks to a change in his referee schedule, Duke Edsall will be at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday to watch his brother. Playing nearby Wake Forest, UConn won't have the fan support.
As a referee, Duke Edsall should feel right at home.
"They have a tough job," Randy Edsall said. "I have a lot of respect for him for what he does."
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
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