Today's Names to Know: Tom Brady, Chester Taylor, Terrell Owens, Matt Schaub, Lloyd Carr, Kansas vs. Missouri, Tim Tebow vs. Chase Daniel, Michael Beasley, A-Rod and More!
Pats 19-0 Watch: Pats run record to 10-0 after steamrolling the Bills, 56-10.
New England scored TDs on their first seven possessions, and they have found a way to make blowouts interesting. "How badly will the Pats destroy THIS week's opponent?" is the reason to tune in.
Tom Brady had another 5 TD day (with 0 INTs), still tracking for the greatest season for a QB in NFL history. Cripes: It's like the Bye made them even better.
NFL Wrap: (1) Heckuva job, Browns! There isn't a more feel-good story in the NFL this year (including Brett Favre and the Packers) than the Cleveland Browns; they are this year's Saints, without the sociological undercurrents. Phil Dawson's crazy kicking exploits only serve as ideal symbolism...
(2) So given Chester Taylor's numbers, was it really Adrian Peterson or was it the Vikings' offensive scheme? Probably a little more of both than we all wanted to believe...
(3) For once, Terrell Owens has the right to gloat after that 4-TD performance. It's worth asking if it was the best game of his career...
(4) Any remaining doubts that Matt Schaub was worth trading for? What a difference getting over a concussion makes...
(5) Upset of the Week: Who had the Jets beating the Steelers?...
(6) Dolphins 0-16 Watch: At least the Fins opened up a 2-game advantage for the first overall draft pick on the Jets, 49ers and suddenly sizzling Rams...
(Meanwhile, would you rather be a Dolphins fan, where you kind of KNEW you would suck and the epic ignominy of 0-16 is a distinct possibility, or a Chargers fan, where you thought you'd be a contender but your team is utterly disappointing? The Fins fans have it tough, but I think Chargers fans take the "Sucks Worst to Be You" Award among NFL fans.)
CFB: Lloyd Carr to announce retirement from Michigan today. The question, of course is: Who replaces him? The obvious pick is LSU's Les Miles, but that puts Miles in the awkward position of trying to lead the best team in the country to a national title, with an eye (and everyone else's) on a coaching job he seems to want more than his current one. If you're an LSU fan, do you indulge him for the next six weeks in order to get your national title? Or do you put it to him now and say: If you'd rather be at Michigan, get out now.
Other contenders? I'd put WVU's Rich Rodriguez and Cincy's Brian Kelly on my short list. I'm sure others would push Cal's Jeff Tedford; after the way Cal has collapsed since the Oregon State loss, I wouldn't. Is Michigan still one of the Top 5 jobs in college football? Probably not (USC, Texas, Florida, Ohio State, LSU, with FSU and Michigan on the outside looking in). That means if Les Miles does leave LSU , the intrigue over who takes over the LSU job will be even more interesting than the job situation at Michigan.)
UPDATE: Let me clarify. I'm talking about the Top 5 college football coaching jobs TODAY. "History" only matters as it relates to resources and recruiting, which are the two biggest factors in the ranking.
A third would be "opportunity to play for national championships," which is really a function of the first two. Michigan has a relatively easy path to the national title (one brutal game, Ohio State, and whatever Big Ten team is having a particularly and anomolously good year), but you just don't get the sense that the resource intensity is there to the extent that it is at the other 5 I mention.
Why do you think Michigan is defacing the Big House in the face of all that griping about "tradition" from its octogenarian alumni base? Because that's part of the calculation that goes into success on the field.
I'm not saying it's not a great job. It is. It's just not in the Top 5 anymore. Top 10? Totally. Top 5? Sorry, but no.
CFB Weekend Wrap: Down to four, max. It's fairly simple: Only four teams really seem to have any shot at playing in the national title game. LSU and the KU-Mizzou winner have the inside track, but the KU-Missouri winner has to beat Oklahoma or Texas in the Big 12 title game. (And LSU has to win the SEC title game, by far a less daunting concept.)
If either stumble, West Virginia should be there to take their spot, provided the Mountaineers finish off UConn next week in a de facto Big East title game, then beat Pittsburgh at home in the season finale.
If WVU can't (or both LSU and the KU/MU winner stumble), Ohio State would be in position to back into the title game, actually using the two-week layoff at the end of the Big Ten season to their advantage. (Nice role-reversal from last year's scenario.)
Beyond the BCS title game, the intrigue lies in which teams will be the BCS at-large selections. If the Hawaii-Boise winner is in the BCS Top 12, they get an automatic bid (which would be a shame, last year's performance by Boise State notwithstanding). Hawaii is so overrated, I fully expect Boise State to throttle them, but ultimately be left out of the Top 12.
Given the way things are shaping up, I could see traditional powers who don't win their conference's automatic BCS bid (USC, Texas or Florida, among others) jumping more qualified teams ahead of them in the rankings. All should be within the BCS' at-large qualifications of 9 wins and a Top 14 BCS ranking.
Kansas vs. Missouri, the Lead-Up: The story that will bubble up this week is that this was supposed to be a home game for Kansas, but KU AD Lew Perkins sold the "home" rights to Arrowhead Stadium for $2 million. I'm sure he made the calculation based on Kansas being merely bowl-eligible (and not BCS-contending), but there's a great example of selling out the team and the fans for a few bucks. If Kansas loses the game, Jayhawks fans can and should assign some of the blame to the AD.
This week's BlogPoll ballot: I flip-flopped from last week. LSU is No. 1, followed by Kansas, then Missouri. Obviously, that 2/3 situation resolves itself next Saturday, and the winner of that game will be No. 1 on my ballot, regardless of what LSU does. As mentioned above, I have West Virginia and Ohio State perched at 4 and 5, ready to move up as things shift at the top.
Heisman Watch: It's hardly typical Shanoff homerism to say that Tim Tebow is the front-runner, especially after he became the first player in college football history to run and pass for 20 TDs each.
That said: If Chase Daniel can lead Missouri past Kansas and through the Big 12 title game into the national championship, he would get my vote. Though, under that theory, if Kansas QB Todd Reesing can do the same thing, he would deserve my vote, too. (And, if that happens, he'll get it.) If WVU ends up in the BCS title game and Daniel and Reesing both stumble, I could see the Heisman going to Pat White, too.
Regardless, it's time to bring back the tradition of bringing five candidates to New York for the ceremony, up from three. In the case of the Heisman, "it's an honor just to be a finalist" IS a big deal, and opening that up to a few more players wouldn't hurt anyone.
CBB: When the new polls come out today, I would put Memphis ahead of UNC at No. 1.
Beasley Watch: Meanwhile, if you thought Kevin Durant put up dominant, eye-popping numbers for a freshman, you really need to follow Kansas State's Michael Beasley, who had 28 and 22 in K-State's win over Western Illinois on Saturday. He's averaging 30 and 20. (Yes: 30 and 20.) For those of you old enough to appreciate the reference, it's like Waymon Tisdale two decades later, including the Big 12 orientation.
NBA: The Celtics FINALLY lost. Now, they only lost by 2, the game was in Orlando and the Celtics thoroughly dismantled the Magic in the second half, but still – a loss is a loss.
Amazingly, the Magic won by being out-rebounded 41-28; the difference appeared to come at the free-throw line, where the Magic were 31/44 and the C's were 18/26.
Boston fans didn't REALLY think that the Celtics were going to run the table, did they? Although if the Celtics can win 8 of every 9, they will be just fine; that's a pace for a 72-10 season.
How about the Magic at 9-2, with a win over Boston on their resume? They are showcasing their own "Big Three" -- Dwight Howard (24 and 6, with 3 blocks), Rashard Lewis (22 points), and Jameer Nelson (18 points, 6 assists). Definitely the surprise team of the season so far.
Meanwhile, the Bulls playing the Lakers was a nice moment to second-guess the Bulls for not pulling the trigger on a deal to bring Kobe to Chicago. I guess John Paxson thought that the Bulls would be, y'know, competitive. As they aren't, the missed opportunity is on him. By all accounts, that window is closed.
MLB Awards Season: Today, A-Rod will be crowned AL MVP in what should be a runaway. It was arguably his best individual season yet, though the accomplishments were/are once again diminished by the lack of postseason success and – this year – the inelegant way his contract opt-out was handled by Scott Boras. The only redeeming situation was that A-Rod seemed to minimize Boras' impact in doing his new deal with the Yankees. Needless to say, it is unlikely that this is A-Rod's final MVP award.
MLB Hot Stove: Tom Glavine gets a homecoming with the Braves for 1Y/$8M. Too bad Greg Maddux signed his deal with the Padres, or we could have a full-on mid-90s reunion in ATL.
NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson wins second straight Nextel Cup title. Under Shanoff definitions, that qualifies him as a NASCAR dynasty.
-- D.S.
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