Monday, November 24, 2008

Monday 11/24 A.M. Quickie:
BCS, Favre, McNabb, T.O., Turner, More

You think picking the BCS 1-2 is a problem? Try picking the champ of the Big 12 South.

It's a mess, and it could totally screw up not just the Big 12 title picture, but the entire BCS title picture -- given that Texas and Oklahoma both still have substantial BCS ranking leads over Florida. That's the lead of today's SN column.

(And, yes, as a Florida fan I am freaked: I am NOT taking it for granted that beating FSU next week and Alabama a week later will ensure Florida is one of the Top 2 in the BCS. The computers absolutely hate Florida, and it is crushing their BCS hopes right now.)

Meanwhile, I compliment Brett Favre in the column. Yes, without even retching. The Jets are the NFL's hottest team, arguably the best team in the AFC (now that they have beaten the previous best-in-the-AFC and last season's best-in-the-AFC in back-to-back weeks, both on the road). I even surprise myself by linking "Favre" and "MVP" in the same sentence. Ugh. I hate myself.

Otherwise, is Donovan McNabb done in Philadelphia? Sure feels like it... T.O. is hitting his stride just in time for the annual Thanksgiving game... Michael Turner may be the Fantasy Player of the Year... Matt Forte is the latest Greatest Rookie RB Ever (Have we ever had a rookie RB class this good or this deep? I can't remember one.)... Matt Cassel isn't better than Tom Brady, but he certainly deserves to be a starter in the NFL, which he won't be when Brady comes back.

Fire Charlie Weis. Today. Do you need to wait for USC to hang 60 on Notre Dame to do it? Why? I guess it makes it that much easier. This guy is one of the worst big-school college football coaches of the last 20 years. When Josh McRoberts - d'oh McDaniels leaves the Pats to go be a head coach for another NFL team, that O.C. job in New England will be a nice soft landing spot for Weis.

CBB Weekend: Memphis ain't what they were last year, but let's not forget that Xavier is arguably the best "mid-major" program in the country over the last decade. (Yes, that includes Gonzaga.) And what the hell is wrong with USC? Oh, right: Tim Floyd is still the coach... Meanwhile, Blake Griffin jumps ahead of Stephen Curry on my POY ballot.

NBA: Who saw T'wolves over Pistons in Detroit coming?... Look at Shaq's rookie numbers and then revisit your expectations for Greg Oden, who Shaq ate up on Saturday... The Lakers put 8 players in double-figures last night and are the best team in the league, unquestionably.

Myron Rolle was down to Florida State and Florida, and picked FSU, which disappointed me. Then he said it was because of FSU's academics, which shocked me (as it would shock anyone, certainly in comparison to UF). But he has made the most of the experience and parlayed it into a Rhodes Scholarship -- he has taken a football-first school and single-handedly said "No way," and I would argue that if you combine on-field and off-field, Rolle is the greatest player in the history of FSU's football program, including Charlie Ward, Deion Sanders and Derrick Brooks. Any of 'em. Rolle is as good of a player as anyone who has ever suited up for FSU, and he is certainly the finest student to ever compete in athletics for the school, too.

Is it too late to put Rolle on your Heisman ballot? Wouldn't it be amazing if he swooped in and won the award? Hmm... that might be my new campaign....

Complete SN column here. More later. I wrote a post last night about the Big 12's BCS mess, and it's coming at noon ET.

-- D.S.

2 comments:

Ted Hill said...

You can't really blame the computers for hating Florida. Whenever you lose to an unranked team, at home, you forfeit your right to the title game. They have a chance to get there, but it won't be an injustice if they were left out. The other top teams ahead of Florida have all lost to very good teams.

As a Notre Dame hater, please, DON'T fire Charlie Weiss. This is great. Hopefully they keep him around longer so he can continue to keep them somewhere between pitiful and mediocre.

bird said...

As subsequent games to the victory over Florida have shown, Ole Miss deserves some respect and a Top-25 ranking. Best example--the game this past Saturday at LSU. Yes, LSU is not the team that it was last year, but it is very difficult to go to Death Valley and come out with a victory. It's not just the Gators that the computers hate, it's also Ole Miss! Having been at the game where the Rebels beat the Gators, I can personally attest that this year's Ole Miss team doesn't scare easily!