Some thoughts about LAST Thursdays game…

First off let me start by saying I folded and washed a crap load of laundry that night. As I did so, I fancied myself watching the Va.Tech vs. East Carolina game.
Of course, I have a few thoughts…So here goes…

Tyrod Taylor has come a long way. He looks eriely like a more refined Mike Vick. Taylor has really developed a smooth looking deep ball, but his magic happens with his Houdini acts in the pocket.

Ryan Williams WILL BE the Freshmen of the year.

Va.Tech still isn’t THAT explosive.

Rock Carmichaels INT in the 4th period with about 2 minutes to go was filthy. By far the sickest INT by a guy named Rock Carmichael EVER.

ECU has done a good job recruiting RAW athletes. Skip Holtz might have a tough go next year without 6 yr Senior Patrick Pickney.

I wonder how Pickney will be evaluated by pro scouts. He’s got TONS of tape to go off of to build a case. At the end of the day, he’s s system guy.

Ryan Williams is really good, did I mention that?

Some football thoughts

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/ncaa/11/01/college.football.poll/index.html

Heisman Trophy-

No big time front runners right now, which makes it even more intriguing. Will someone win this award on a big stage with one game? Does Tebow win it by default if the Gators run the table and win a title? I’ll take a stab at a short list, not in any particular order:

Tim Tebow (1323 passing 18 total TD’s 4 INT’s). Superman has a chance to put up some huge numbers this week against Vandy
Jimmy Clausen (2300 passing 18TD’s 2 INT’s). Clausen is missing his marquee win, but’s keeping ND in the national picture; he also has big number potential this week against Navy (Sorry Gerald).
Mark Ingram (1000 yds rushing 11 Total TD’s) Ingram is catching up to Tebow as the front runner I think, he can be in the driver seat with a nice performance against LSU this weekend and a Bama W
Golden Tate (1000 rec 11 total TD’s) Tate has been explosive the past three weeks, and darn near impossible to cover. He’d take votes away from Clausen, but is the real deal.
CJ Spiller (10 total TD’s, DOING EVERYTHING) Spiller is the only reason to watch Clemson. He’s lighting in a bottle and can go 60+ in a New York minute

Cleveland Browns-

The city is burning. Lerner fired George Konkis yesterday, and is probably sizing up Mangini to be next. Heads are rolling in this organization, even interns and assistants are getting canned. A lot of arrows are pointing toward Bernie Kosar and a front office job.

NFL-

The Saints seem to have some things figured out in this league. What has happened to all the QB’s, I feel like all of a sudden there is a huge group that has just lost it?

MNF quickie

So, the Redskins are REALLY, REALLY Bad…Maybe all of the Redskin alums are right and Jim Zorn is a putz?

Love Donovan McNabb, I hate the offense that he’s in…Stats right now 6-9 47 yards…Damn it, chuck the ball, my fantasy team needs you.

DeSean Jackson is blazing fast! I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure he’d amount to anything in this league, but he’s slowly proving me wrong. Not that my opinion means anything.

Is Clinton Portis done?

Freddie Barnes

Did anyone see what kind of numbers Freddie Barnes put up against Kent State on Saturday?

22 catches for 278 yards and 3 TD’s

Through 6 games Barnes leads the nation with 75 catches for 755. He’s on pace to break the NCAA single season record that was set back in 1989.

Yeah, he’s legit and get goes to BG!

A win, a defense, and a Heisman candidate

Wow, what a finish. Last week the University of Notre Dame and the University of Washington tangled in a game for the ages.  Neither team was ranked, but both hoping to continue to step forward in their seasons and make a giant leap for their programs.  U-Dub was coming down from their win against USC just a few weeks prior. While the Irish have played 3 straight defribulator games with a defense that was having trouble stopping people. It was a game on the Irish schedule that despite the Huskies record, might have made some Irish fans wince a little.

What I’m amazed at is that the media is talking about “how close” Washington is from really being a good football team and not that the sometimes swiss cheese-like Irish defense stopped them on 12 plays inside the 5 and 8 plays inside the 1.  Now, I will say, Washington is extremely athletic and definately is a lot closer then people think.  As usual, Ty Willingham didn’t leave the cubords empty and Steve Sarkisian just had to change the culture there.  Coming off an 0-12 season, obviously isn’t a small task.  In my humble opinion they are propbably 2 years away from really making noise in the Pac-10.  As an Irish fan, I’ll be happy to see them leave the schedule. But I’ll challenge any fan that says they’ve seen 3 goal line stands in one game, by one team.

Now I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been extremely critical of the Irish defense.  Especially their front 7.  They have been soft on the run, and haven’t been able to control the line of scrimmage without having to send 7 or 8 guys and selling out the secondary.  This game was totally different.  The front 7 played as gutsy as I’ve ever seen a Notre Dame defense play in a while.  John Tenuta shuffled guys in and out to keep them spelled, and they all worked to dominate. Leading the way was freshman phenom Man’ti Te’o, who lead them with 10 tackles in his first start. News flash to all of college football, this kid can flat out play. Kapron Lewis-Moore and John Ryan did a great job setting the edges and pursuing Jake Locker all day.  The linebackers almost never seemed out of position and were hitting people all day long. If you didn’t see the double goal line stand I’ve left the link above.  My hat goes off to that crew for not giving up despite the offenses early sputters and continuing to play hard.

So what about Jake Locker.  I’ll maintain that he’s one of the best quarterback’s that no one is talking about.  He had three throws in the game that were big time.  Two before the half and one in the third quarter that showed touch and power.  Locker also showed some ability with his legs that was impressive.

Speaking of impressive, let the Jimmy Clausen Heisman campaign begin.  Clausen proved to me that he is deadly accurate, a leader, and tough. His 422 yards were filled with big plays to Golden Tate and Kyle Rudolph. He also showed a shifty abilty and pocket presence that bought his receivers time to get open.  I’m sorry, but no defensive back can run with a receiver for more then 4 seconds, and certainly not if that receiver is Golden Tate.  Clausen has proved that he can be cool under pressure and lead his team through tough times.  More impressively, he’s shown that he is tough and can play through pain.  The turf toe injury did cause him to slip a few times since its on his plant foot.  Clause was still able,even in the rain to stay composed and deliver the football.  If the past three weeks haven’t put him in at least the Heisman conversation, then its a crock.  Right now, the top front runners have to be Tebow, McCoy and Clausen.

Overall, I think that this is a marquee win for Charlie Weiss. Up to this point, everyone would say that the “Bush Push” game was the Weiss marquee game, but it was a loss.  This was a fantastic environment the entire game and the crowd was electric. Although I will say for the first time ever I did have an empty seat next to me. Don’t get me wrong, for anyone who has been to Notre Dame Stadium, it was wonderful to have the extra room.  A few folks in my section and I were able to get groups of people up to cheer on the defense all day.  And thanks to my $.97 poncho that I bought at Meijer the night before, I was dry the entire time.

MLB drama…I almost forgot they were still playing

Because the Indians have been so horrible, I’ve almost forgotten that there are some really good teams out there….

Twins vs. Tigers

Tonight the MLB takes center stage with a one game play in…The winner gets the division and a date with the Yankees.

The Detroit area could certainly use some additional success.

Game stuff starts at 5 pm.

Callin’ it

College football can be a real joke for the first couple of weeks.  So finally this week we see some actual matchups of note.   All good games, all will have an impact on conference championships and even the BCS.  So, we here at Frank-ly sports wanted to wait to pick the conference.  I’ll even take a stab at the Heisman.

Big Ten-Penn State

JoePa’s team really has a two game season this year, both at home.  Illinois and Ohio State will come to Happy Valley and take on the loaded Lions offense.  They could also have the conferences top offensive threat in Daryl Clark.

Darkhorse: The Ohio State University-The loss to USC was early which has proved to be ok in the BCS.

Team I’m obsessed with: Michigan-I might be the only person that Rich Rod and the gang are going bowling this year, and they could even give the Buckeyes fits.  Tate Forcier has proven to be a force to be reckoned with.

Pac-10-USC

Yes I know they just lost to Washington after a win against OSU, but they are still the best team in the conference.  They have to go to Cal later in the year which should be an EPIC battle, but Pete Carroll’s crew will be WAY better by then, you can count on that.  The loss probably takes them out of title contention right now, but again an early loss isn’t a bad thing.  As Matt Barkley matures, Carroll will give him more and more responsibility.  SC is by far the closest thing to an NFL team in college football this decade.

Darkhorse:

Team I’m obsessed with: USC-mostly because I want ND to beat them.  Matt Barkley is an intriguing storyline for this team.  When will he make his “freshmen” mistake.

SEC-Florida

SEC Championship game:  Florida vs. Alabama

We all know that Tim Tebow is great. But this team is loaded folks.  I mean really, really loaded. Brandon James, Chris Rainey, and Emmanual Moody give Tebow a ton of speed in his running scheme. Let’s not forget 18 returning starters.

Darkhorse: LSU-The Bayou Bengals got kicked around last year, and that rarely happens twice.  Jordan Jefferson is a year older but will have to prove that he can make a big play in the through the air.  LSU is sure to have a tough defense.  If they don’t stumble along the way they could end up in the National Title hunt. Les Miles’ group finds a way to win, and that will always keep you alive in a very tough conference

Team I’m obsessed with: Alabama-Julio Jones could be the best WR in the Country(58 catches 948 yds).  Nick Saban always has his defense cranked up, and last years loss to Utah has the Tide looking to roll everyone. Greg McElroy has been a gigantic surprise

Big 12-Texas

Big 12 Championship: Texas vs. Nebraska

Colt McCoy is really good.  On this very site I have mentioned that he should have taken the money and jumped to the NFL.  He’s proving my point so far this year.  McCoy is a for sure heisman finalist(forshadow), and he and Mack Brown have a national title lined up in their sights. I look for his main weapon and roommate Jordan Shipley to be ripping people all year for the horns. He averaged 11.9/catch and had a long of 68 yards last year.  He can flat out fly.

Darkhorse: Kansas-the North side of the conference is weak, and Todd Reesing works extremely well in the Kansas spread. He was in the top 5 of the conference in total offense last year. If Nebraska doesn’t take care of business, I think that Ralk Chalk can fill in nicely.

Team I’m obsessed with:  Texas Tech-I’m an ex-high school wide receiver, of course I want to see 100 WR’s on the field and people chucking it 65 times.

ACC-Virginia Tech

ACC Championship: Virginia Tech vs. FSU

Va. Tech has dominated this conference since they added teams.  Frank Beamer’s team will be more experienced this year with16 returning starters. Tyrod Taylor will need to prove that he’s more then just a runner to get that tough Hokie defense some leads to hold.  The Hokies were horrible last year because they were so young.

Darkhorse:  North Carolina State-Russell Wilson is a pretty nice player for the Wolfpack.  This conference is so watered down, someone is always capable of sliding in the back door.  NC State is probably the 5-6 best team in this league, but you never know.

Team I’m obsessed with: Clemson-mostly because CJ Spiller is electric.  Other then that they have obnoxious fans and ALWAYS underachieve.

The Big East sucks, so I’m not even going to waste my time.  Cincinnati’s QB, Tony Pike is phenomenal.  He has a big time arm, and that team is going to be good for a while.

National Championship: Florida vs. Texas

An easy one I know. Oklahoma is going to struggle to beat Texas, especially if Sam Bradford isn’t 100%. Plus, I can’t pick that game, it happend last year. In that match up, I like the Gators, but in a close one. McCoy is too good not to keep his team in it.

 

Heisman Trophy(As of right now)

Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, Jahvid Best, Jimmy Clausen

This really is a two man race between Tebow and McCoy.  If Tebow doesn’t play this week against LSU it could give McCoy the edge right away.  The Heisman voters only want one Archie though…

Colt McCoy is your winner….

In the Fletch-Thoughts about Wedge

Alright, let the speculation begin. After seven mediocre seasons at the helm of the Cleveland Indians, Eric Wedge has been shown the door. This is a decision that comes of no surprise, but the big question of “what now?” looms large.
A quick look at the former coach’s line. He finished with 560 wins to 568 losses, a .496 winning percentage. Now, lets give some credit to the guy for leading the Tribe to a 93 and 69 record in 2005 that should have ended in the postseason except for a complete melt down by the players. As well as a 96 and 66 record in 2007 which was tied for best in all of baseball.
He ranks fifth all time in wins for the franchise, third in losses and fourth in total games managed. What killed him was the fact that his team finished one game from the World Series in 2007 and since then, they have gotten worse.
There is plenty to dislike about Wedge’s approach to the game. Mainly, his complete inability to “manage” a game. Strange to think he would be able to do that, but it is a tad important. He was, in my humble opinion, a terrible tactician. He pulled pitchers when they weren’t ready to com eout and had a tendancy to overuse and reuse inaffective players in order to get them to “break out of it”.
I am not a pro-baseball manager, GM what have you, but I know when a guy is ineffective and needs to be benched. Kelly Shoppach can’t hit a breaking ball. Period! He is a bad hitter and a bad catcher, but Wedge believed he was the answer behind the plate. Not so. Same goes with someone like Jhonny Peralta. When a guy sucks….he just sucks.
Now, some of the blame needs to fall at the feet of ownership and Mark Shapiro. This team is not going to compete with players out of the bargain bin. David Dalluci, Kerry Wood, Jason Michaels, Mark DeRosa, etc.
But can we blame him for the fire sale of the past two seasons? Yes, in a sense. The trade of CC was necessary. He was going to command big money and the Tribe wasn’t going to pay tha tout. They got a couple guys that are going to be on the club in 2010 in Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley, which is good. But the trade of Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez is directly connected with their inability to win. Why they haven’t tried to move Hafner or Peralta, don’t know, but watching those guys leave killed the heart of this city.
This team is now in rebuilding mode for the um-teenth time and again we will have to wait to see if any of this works out. Maybe someone like LaPorta will become a star and we can find a way to keep Grady healthy and here, but only time will tell. What I know is, we need a coach who can come in and immediately change the culture of the team and the franchise. A guy who knows the game, who has been around for awhile and knows every in and out there is. Wedge was lost half the time and the other half he was making it up. We need a guy like Girardi in New York or Francona in Boston. Those guys live this game and understand it.
Do I want a former ball player? Not necessarily. But I want someone who can steer these kids to becoming winners. Maybe Bobby Valentine would like to live in Bay Village. Whoever is here next season, they need to know that this city needs a winner and it needs one badly.

2 QB’s that no one is talking about…

Jake Locker of Washington

Tony Pike of Cincinnati

These guys can flat out play. The Bearcats take on Miami of Ohio this week and Pike is sure to put up HUGE numbers.

Locker puts his talents on display in South Bend this weekend versus the Irish. The Irish have to be careful of Locker and his upstart wideouts or they could be upset by the Huskies for the first time ever.

Cleveland is burning

So it was a tough day for my favorite town yesterday.

The Indians put a cap on a horrific season by firing Eric Wedge. Then they told him to finish out the season?

Eric Mangini continues to show that he can’t manage and doesn’t have a plan for the Cleveland Browns by giving the starting job to Derek Anderson, and then telling him not to turn the ball over.

Delonte West hasn’t shown up for camp yet and people are starting to get worried. The Cavs will be hurting badly if he’s gone for any reason.

I’m really looking forward to seeing the lineup that a lame-duck Wedge will put on the field against Boston this weekend.