Tide Rolls, Leavitt Goes, And Will Carroll Be Heading to Seattle? College Football Wraps Up for 2009-10

BCS TITLE GAME- Some Thoughts

Congratulations are in order for the Alabama Crimson Tide for winning the BCS Championship Game by beating the Texas Longhorns 37-21. The game looked to be a potential blowout for the Tide when Texas QB Colt McCoy went down with a shoulder injury on Texas' second possession, with Texas holding an early 6-0 lead.

Texas had to go to unproven true freshman Garrett Gilbert who saw very limited action during the season. When he entered the game and I saw his stats, my reaction was similar to seeing a late season call up from Triple A being asked to pitch the seventh game of the World Series- a kid with no experience being asked to manage a game against the top ranked team in America for a national championship with tens of millions watching on TV.

Mission (Nearly) Impossible.

The US beating Russia in the 1980 Olympics was a lock compared top this. McCoy couldn't go- he had a pinched nerve in his shoulder, and couldn't even feel his right arm. Young Gilbert had a rough first half, and by halftime Alabama had a 24-6 lead, scoring just before the half on a pick six by Marcell Dareus.

Altogether Gilbert turned the ball over five times, four interceptions and a fumble that set up a dagger for the Tide late in the fourth quarter. However, Gilbert did settle down in the second half and he threw two touchdown passes to Jordan Shipley- plus a two point conversion- that made the score 24-21 with 6;15 left in the game.

To be candid, I had no dog in the fight, but found myself rooting for Texas and Gilbert- losing All-American quarterback McCoy was a blow that turned this game into a Rocky Balboa versus Apollo Creed game for the Longhorns.

Heisman winner Mark Ingram rushed for 16 yards and two TD's, and Trent Richardson contributed 109 yards and two touchdowns for the Tide.

The win made Alabama head coach Nick Saban only the third coach ever to win a national championship with two different teams, and was the third national title for Alabama, tying Notre Dame for that honor.

And I'll admit- I have no special love for Nick Saban. The way he left the Miami Dolphins three years ago was far from being his finest hour. In fact, in a recent NFL FILMS TOP TEN feature titled "Top Ten NFL Coaches Who Should Have Stayed In College", Saban was listed as #7 (also listed, among others, were Pete Carroll, Lou Holtz, Steve Spurrier, and the consensus #1, Bobby Petrino). Under no circumstances should Saban and former Dolphin Jim Mandich be allowed in the same room; Mandich has said, on record, that he would mix it up with Saban if given the opportunity. To this day, Saban remains generally despised by many Miami Dolphin fans. After the title game's conclusion, Saban was interviewed by ABC's sideline reporter, and claimed to be happy for his players. He never smiled, he remained tightly wound and in control, and "The Nicktator" seemed to be experiencing all of the joy a person feels when being told he needs bypass surgery.

I find the man joyless- compared to Saban, Bill Belichick comes off like the second coming of Robin Williams. Personally, I found  Saban's icy response to winning difficult to watch.

Where have you gone, Bobby Bowden?

Jim Leavitt Fired At USF

Jim Leavitt, the man who built the University of South Florida football program from scratch starting in 1995 from a row of trailers, was fired for allegedly grabbing a player by the throat and slapping him during a game. This follows an investigation by the University into the allegations. Leavitt's firing is the latest involving several successful coaches; the recent dismissals of Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach and Kansas coach Mark Mangino were prompted for allegedly abusing players.

Leavitt was the only coach the South Florida Bulls have ever had, and leaves with a record of 95-57, and was in the second year of a seven year $12.6 million contract.

Read More....from ESPN.com.

USC"s Pete Carroll Back To the NFL?

He helped to restore the dynasty at USC after his unsuccessful turns as the head coach of the New York Jets and New England Patriots. But ESPN's Chris Mortensen is saying that the NFL's Seattle Seahawks are wooing Pete Carroll to replace Jim Mora, who was fired today .

Mortensen claims several sources, both at USC and in the NFL, to confirm the story.

So far, Carroll will not confirm his interest in the job.

Is there fire to go with this smoke?

Read More...from ESPN.com.

Rutgers Swarms #23/24 USF, 31-0 (12 Hours Later)

This is part of my weekly series covering the Rutgers Football season, 2009, from my seat in Section 104. This week I'm incorporating and linking to the story as it appears on Scarlet Knights.com

Rutgers Swarms #23/24 USF, 31-0

I'll start off with a hackneyed cliche- this game was never has close as 31-0. Rutgers dominated from start to finish, and South Florida looked by the third quarter that that didn't want to be on the same field with the Scarlet Knights...or didn't deserve to be.

USF, a Top 25 team ranked team at numbers 23 and 24 in the polls, did not appear to be a team that- as ESPN's Chris Fowler said during the game's broadcast- belonged in the Top 75. It was hard to discern where USF's ineptitude ended and Rutgers dominance- particularly on the defensive side of the ball- began.

Rutgers led 13-0 at the half, but could have been as much as 21-0 or more if Rutgers didn't have to settle for two field goals (two other attempts failed) on a couple of possessions. In the first half alone there were two fumbles lost by USF, and two interceptions served up USF quarterback BJ Daniels. Rutgers turned the ball over once; a Tom Savage pass was picked, but two plays later USF turned the ball over to Rutgers.

Imagine a red blooded American male running away from stunning ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews. The miserable first half by USF drove their coach, Jim Leavitt, to do so, according to The Tampa Tribune's Scott Carter.

The first half was so atrocious for the Bulls that Coach Jim Leavitt became perhaps one of the first men in America to run away from ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews as she approached at the end of the first half. When Andrews finally caught up, Leavitt didn't have much to say.

Afterward, he broke down the Bulls' loss in simple terms. USF managed just seven first downs and 159 total yards, their lowest totals since joining the Big East in 2005.

"Our offense got dominated by their defense," Leavitt said. "To be down only 13 points at halftime, I was shocked. Give Rutgers a lot of credit.

"They just beat the dog out of us."

To be fair, the weather was pretty nasty on Thursday night- the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida reformed off of the Mid Atlantic for a strong nor'easter, with winds gusting in the 40 mph range, and temperatures in the 40's. Yesterday I said the weather would be a factor; Florida kids playing in northeastern weather in late autumn, some for probably the first time. I'm sure anyone who's watched the Giants and Jets in the Meadowlands over the years knows how the winds can be a factor in their games- and I do think it factored in altering the passing game (the winds blew in from the east across field at Rutgers Stadium) and it did wreak havoc on fielding punts for USF. There was no rain at the stadium during the game, but much of New Jersey and Long Island were getting battered rain, wind, and surf (accounting for about 5,000 no shows at the 53,000 seat stadium).

Rutgers played through the adverse conditions and adapted to them, while playing stellar defense against USF- and Bulls didn't, or couldn't. Rather than hit you with barrage of stats, here's a link to every stat you'll ever need on the game.

The bottom line- one team came to play, and the other seemed to leave all back in sunny Florida. USF still has a game with Miami, and an away contest with a proud and hungry UCONN squad in East Hartford in early December. USF might be in the midst of their annual El Foldo in the second half of the season.

And Rutgers?

They should be favored in away games against Syracuse and Louisville....and then they'll face West Virginia for the season finale at Rutgers Stadium. The bad news- Rutgers hasn't beaten WVU since 1994. The good news- South Florida handled the Mountaineers.

And they appear to be very beatable.

A couple of notes At the the game were RU alums and members of their respective Super Bowl champion teams the Giants' Shaun O'Hara and the Steelers' Darnell Stapleton. Also on the sidleines (and working the student section) was New Jersey Governor Elect Chris Christie.....the 31-0 loss was USF's first regular season shutout loss in their 13 year history. The 31-0 shutout was the first RU shutout of a Big East opponent since beating Temple 62-0 at Giants Stadium in 1993....for the first time since the second game of his first year on the job (at 1-1) Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano is back .500 (53-53). His first two years Schiano was a combined 3-20. It took almost nine years to dig out of that deficit. Nice job, here's to perseverance.....with the win Rutgers is 7-2 and bowl eligible for the fifth year in a row......and finally, "Little Jovi" made his fourth quarter appearance, now performing a medley of Bon Jovi hits. He even got to meet Erin Andrews, who interviewed him when the game got out of control. He's a very lucky twelve year old.

Rutgers Blanks USF 31-0

In the previous post I picked Rutgers to beat South Florida by one point in last night's BIG EAST game.

I was only off by a mere 30 points.

Rutgers won 31-0, for their first shutout of a BIG EAST opponent since 1993.

And probably the first shutout Rutgers has had of a ranked team....ever!

So...I just got home from the game a few minutes ago....and I'll be back tomorrow with my "12 Hours Later" weekly feature on the RU 2006 season.

I need another beer...and let the celebration continue!

Rutgers Gameday November 12, 2009; RU vs USF

Rutgers (6-2) meets South Florida (6-2) in Piscataway, New Jersey in BIG EAST action tonight at 7:30, televised nationally on ESPN. RU is 1-2 in BIG EAST play, USF is 2-2. Both teams are coming off bye weeks following wins.

The weather will be a factor tonight. There is a powerful nor'easter off the Mid-Atlantic coast causing extensive damage in the Delmarva Peninsula and people are being told to evacuate Virginia Beach. There is a better than even chance that the storm will be churning up the coast during the game.

Gametime temperatures should be in the 40's with winds blowing in from the east/northeast at 15-25 MPH, with rain forecast.

Odds makers have South Florida as a one point favorite. With the inclimate weather I'd make Rutgers a one point favorite; northeastern guys will be playing Florida guys in conditions with wind chills in the upper 30's to low 40's.

Bring a thermos of coffee, a blanket, and a rain poncho.

I'll give my impressions of the game from my seat in Section 104 tomorrow.